A little more each day...

More of The Project is filled in. Another chapter of book 2 is edited. And more has been added to book 3. I've also worked through some details, like the heroine's age, a few dates, and how to present them. I think chapter 1 is done, which introduces both the heroine, and the hero through the heroine's eyes. Chapter 2 is the beginning of the story from the hero's point of view.

I'm endeavoring to trust in God and His plan for me.

A good day...

I worked on The Project, for a while. Thanks to my reader's help, some excellent editing has been done of book 2. I also added to book 3. I'd worried a bit, because my brain is still only partly engaged... hmmm... I made bread, today. I don't know what it is about baking, but it helps me with my writing. Both are gifts from God. I would not have survived my life without God. The gifts remind me of God's goodness and awareness of me. He thought me good enough to entrust me with abilities that are suited to me. Making bread feeds the body. Writing feeds my soul. Both help me not simply survive but thrive.

9/11 ~ Remember Always

Never forget.

My heart whispers that God sent angels. The God who is aware of a single fallen sparrow did not abandon His children in their hour, their moment of need. Jesus, who endured Gethsemane, the betrayal of his friends, the mock trial, the lashing, the crown of thorns, and the Cross on Calvary, suffering and dieing for the sins of the World, understands injustice, cruelty, being alone, to a depth we will never comprehend. He loved us so much He was willing to go through it all, even if it had only been required for one soul. He endured for all. No matter how alone we feel, God weeps with us, as only a Loving Father could. He understands perfectly. The purpose of life isn't to avoid pain, but to grow through the pain, closer to God, closer to the light He intends us to be to the world, living light, shining with His Love for the World.

So many souls went Home to God, and so many more have been required to continue on in this life without those precious ones. And despite the horrible evil that occurred, so many people chose good, chose courage, chose strength, chose compassion, chose love. So many people chose to be a light of hope in the darkness. Darkness does not extinguish light; light pushes away the darkness. In a darkened room, with a single candle, the only way to extinguish the light is to blow out the candle. The dark cannot overcome the light, unless we allow the light to be put out.

I choose the Light.

I choose to remember the brave men and women and children of 9/11.

I choose to honor the memory of all those who have lived and those who died endeavoring to do what's right and good.

I choose to be a better person because I know the stories of brave souls I have never met.

I will never forget.

Research...

I've spent the day looking up material and brainstorming about where the plot will go and when. I've started outlining and the first two chapters. It's a stormy day, so the computer has been off for a while, in deference to the lightning. I'm feeling a bit scattered, anyway, so it feels like God is reminding me to step back and look at things differently from time to time.

A bit brainless...

There are days like this. I'm not beating myself up over it. I've learned that if I'm brainstorming it's better to use unlined paper. If I'm writing an outline, then it's better if I used lined paper. It's important to recognize how one's own creative process works, and not try to fit into some preconceived mold.

Editing continues on book 2.

The Project also continues.

Characters... can't live with 'em....

As I struggle to work on book 3, with James, Jamie in book 5 keeps needling me. I'll be doing research on James, and Jamie will ask, "Well, what about..." Is it to help James? Oh, no! Jamie wants to know more about his back story. No matter how many times I tell him to wait his turn, he nudges me with another question. I've tried putting him off, and stalling with other things, but as soon as I turn my attention to writing again, there's Jamie. "What about me?" No matter how often I promise I'll not forget him, he is wholly unwilling to wait quietly in the wings. Maybe I need to bargain with him... I'll give him equal time... Ah, the insanity of being a writer... :-) It's fun. Really, except when the characters are being pesky... like Jamie... LOL!

A little bit of everything...

I've started mapping book 3 and book 5, which will follow the short story that I also spent a little time expanding. Book 5 isn't part of the first three, but does have a character that was introduced, only briefly in book 2. It's stand alone. I love series that have characters from other books. It's like an inside joke. My dear friend also edited the first two chapters of book 2. I love working with her. She notices little things that add so much to the story. She'll request something that I think can't work, and I'll explain why. Somehow, in the process I figure out how to make it work. Thanks God.

Always more to do...

Book 2 is off to my first reader. I had planned on taking a break. I did; yesterday. Today, I had stories running through my head, again. Yes, stories, as in plural. I had two ideas, book 3 and another. So, I took up pen and paper, and jotted down the ideas, including a bit of brainstorming. This whole week will be spent on prepping for book 3, but I'll not ignore any other ideas that come along. The joy of having a writing notebook, a place to keep all the ideas.

The Project is also moving along, and I'm learning a lot from it.

Editing has begun...

I've only edited the first few chapters, and made some corrections and additions. I've been a bit scattered, today, so I hope I concentrate better tomorrow. I accomplished quite a bit in everyday things that needed doing. Maybe having those things out of the way, no longer worrying about needing to do them, will help me focus. We'll see.

Draft one is complete...

The first draft, beginning to end, is done. For the next two days, I'll read through it, to see if it holds together, see if there's anything missing, and probably add more. But, for all accounts and purposes, it's finished. And yet, it isn't. Funny, as I write each book, the story doesn't really end in my head. I still imagine the rest of their lives, though not in the same detail as when I write the initial story. It's like the characters become a part of me... well, they actually are a part of me. I want them to be happy and fulfilled. One of the nice things about writing is that I'm able to do exactly that, give them a HEA.

A little more time...

First draft of the WIP is closer to being done. I'll finish it, tomorrow, and then do a cursory edit, before sending it on to my reader on Saturday. I realized that there were some points that needed to be added, for better continuity. Done. A good day's work.

I also finished reading Carla Capshaw's The Champion. It's book three of a Steeple Hill Historical Romance, set in Roman AD. This one is in AD 84. I've never been a particular fan for this time period, but Carla tells a wonderful story, and the details are fascinating. I'm only sorry it's ended.

The Project has become more personal. Though I'd once thought of publishing it, I'm now more concerned about what I will learn. It's a challenge.

Almost there...

The first draft of the WIP is almost finished. I'm leaning toward the minimum word count of 70,000 words, considering the fact that when I did the deep edit of the previous WIP I added 5,000 words, so had to cut 5,000 words. I really don't want to go through that again. I'll pass the WIP along for an edit complements of a discerning eye. While it's going through editing, I'll do brainstorm and research for book 3. It's a joy.

The Project continues.

Desert Rose was interesting. The Table Topic I attended was on the Citizens Police Academy that some police departments offer. It sounds intriguing. Someday, I'd like to participate.

God doesn't care what happens in our lives nearly as much as He does about what we do with what happens in our lives.

Listening...

I need to learn to be better at listening to those pesky nigglings. The ones that keep elbowing me that something isn't quite right. I fussed over book 2 all weekend, and accomplished very little. Last night, I went to bed with the determination to work on an outline, summarizing each chapter with a single sentence and setting the dates, which won't be used but very generally, but they give me a timeline. I discovered a chapter that looked like it was in the wrong place, and then realized that my word choices had been all wrong. I corrected those, and now it fits as it ought. The outline isn't complete, but I'm back to where I was dithering at the end of the day on Friday. Now, it makes a lot more sense. The scene definitely wasn't finished yet. It made absolutely no sense going into the next chapter, so today is filling in those necessary details required in order to move on. Thanks God. I truly could not do this without God's promptings and nudges.

The Project continues along. I'm adjusting and reworking it.

Another bump...

I only added 500 words, but I've hit another spot that needs fleshing out. I'll work on it, next. I was going to take a short break, but the story is too much in my mind. I'll put it away, until tomorrow. The dark moments are coming, and they need to be given the time and attention due them.

Nothing is impossible to God.

The Project is coming along, not quite in the manner I had first anticipated, but I think it's the proper beginning for it.

Thanks God...

The scene had far more in it than I imagined, at first. I added 2100 words, and some surprises to me. I'm always amazed by what is revealed as I write. I had an event that needed to be seen from the heroine's point of view. I'd already written a version for the hero. That's it. That's all I knew about it. Then I started writing, and I learned quite a few unexpected things about the heroine, things that needed to be shared, but I hadn't done so yet. This was the perfect spot. I also learned a few new things about the hero.

The Project is well underway, now. It's taking its own shape.

My prayers are with all those who are in the path of Hurricane Irene.

Figured it out...

Writing has been a struggle, today. I did a bit of editing of what I've written lately, and fussed over the next chapter. It simply wasn't right. I did other things and kept coming back to it, with the same sense that something wasn't right. It's late, and I'm headed to bed, but at least I've figured it out. It's where I'll start tomorrow. I'm missing an entire scene. Tomorrow will see it done.

A Hopeful Day...

God works in mysterious ways. The last week or two, I've corrected a few minor errors in PoP. Word choices I realized weren't right for the time, including one I found as I corrected another. God inspired was the only way they were found. Today, as I picked up work, the office manager and I joked about needing more money to pay the bills. My heart whispered that I needed to truly trust God, so I said, "I'll sell my book, and be able to pay my bills fine." No, I haven't sold my book, but I have been asked for a complete manuscript. Done. I'm hopeful.

I also worked on the WIP, today. I didn't add a lot of words, but I neatened and tightened two chapters. They're much better now, and I feel better about moving on to the next chapter.

There's still homework to do for my synopsis class, but there's also still time to do it.

Pleasant surprises...

I'm reaching parts of the WIP that were written at the beginning. It's always fun to reach sections of the book that seem new, simply because I haven't seen them for a while, and enjoying how neatly it dovetails into the story.

My homework was done on time, this weekend. It was fun. Laurie wanted some brainstorming done. I didn't feel it would be particularly helpful for the current story, since it's almost complete, so I delved briefly into the next book. Laurie had warned that it was difficult to stop once you started. She wasn't kidding. Like Lays potato chips: You can't eat just one.

I'm learning how to use pages on my blogs. The more I learn, the more comfortable I am with the process.

Still making progress...

I didn't add a lot of words, today, but I needed to rewrite a scene written long ago. It was originally intended for much earlier in the story, but was pushed back and pushed back, until it no longer quite fit. However, it contains pertinent information, so I needed to decide how to re-write it. I'll need to do an edit, next, but the re-write is done.

Homework is done, and I even ended up doing some brainstorming for book 3.

Adding more...

I added another 1,600 words, comprising mostly of one scene, an important scene that's been waiting to be written for a long time. It's been a single sentence for a long while: Nan is dismissed. Yes, that started the addition of 1,600 words. I'm quite pleased with the outcome. It's a bit strange to realize that I have less than 15,000 words to finish the manuscript. It's a joy.

My synopsis class has been a huge help.

I can do this.

With God, all things are possible, even what seems impossible.