Where I'm blogging now...

I've been quiet for some time on my personal writing and food blog, but I'm working on changing that... except I won't be posting on blogger anymore. I now have a re-designed website where all my projects and blogs are now living (and that includes my old posts). So go take a peek, and feel free to leave a comment!

Without further ado, find me here: lizsink.com!

Critique my query!

I'm participating in another one of Heather Webb's fabulous contests (more here), and this time it's all about crafting a great query letter! Whether you're participating in the contest or not, feel free to give it a read and let me know what you think...

* * *

After 18-year-old Anne Marie is shipped off to Paris to live with her grandmother, she plans to uncover the secrets surrounding her mother’s death. In her pursuit of the truth, she stumbles across the diary of Charlotte Corday, a French aristocrat entrenched in the politics of the French Revolution and someone Anne's mother once considered a hero.

Strange things start happening with the diary, causing Anne to time travel and become Charlotte, a seemingly calm and unpretentious woman who is known in history for having murdered Jean-Paul Marat.

Her two realities become increasingly intertwined. As Anne, her new friend Pierre tries to bring her in touch with her mother's past, while dealing with his own troubles that revolve around the riots ravaging Paris in November 2005. As Charlotte, Anne struggles in deciding whether or not to follow through with what Charlotte considered her destiny--killing one man to save 100,000--or to follow her own path.

THROUGH CHARLOTTE'S EYES is a 78,000 word YA historical fiction novel. I wrote a version of this story for my Masters thesis at The University of Chicago, where I also received an Honorable Mention in the 2007 Emerging Writers Series for Fiction. It should appeal to fans of Jennifer Donnelly's REVOLUTION and Laurie Halse Anderson's FEVER 1793.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth SanFilippo

What I Aspire To

I recently finished Patrick Rothfuss's Name of The Wind. It's an epic novel. I typically don't read much fantasy, but this drew me in from page one. I was invested in Kvothe's life, in the hero he becomes. Despite the hefty size of the novel, I did not want it to end (and luckily it won't because there are multiple books in this amazing series).

But it got me thinking. What is it that I adore about this book so much? And what is it that adore about most books? John Irving has long been one of my favorite authors, especially his classic novel The World According to Garp. And while Irving and Rothfuss clearly write very different tales, they do have something in common: they write stories that dive deeply into someone's life, the heartbreak, the joys, and everything in between. They pull the skin of their character's over their head, literally getting inside of them and figuring out who they are inside and out. As such, the world building is amazing, and they make be believe in these characters and their plights.

That's what I want for my writing. I want to know my characters inside and out. I want to develop worlds that seem like they really and truly exist. That's what I strive for, each and every day I write. That what's I aspire to.

What writers do you like up to, and why?

Critique my pitch for 'Through Charlotte's Eyes'

I'm taking part in Heather Webb's super awesome pitch-ilicious blog hop contest. Read more about it here.

I'll let the pitch speak for itself... (but just add this is for my 80,000 word YA historical, Through Charlotte's Eyes).

Critique away!

When 18-year-old Anne Marie is shipped off to Paris to live with her grandmother, she tries to sort out the lies about her mother's death that have been propagated by a cold grandmother and a distant father. In her pursuit of the truth, she tumbles – literally – into the life of a distant relative, Charlotte Corday, who her mother once considered a hero. With her two realities becoming increasingly intertwined, Anne must decide whether or not to follow Charlotte’s destiny: to kill one man to save 100,000.

On revisions

I'm in the midst of a set of revisions before sending the novel off to beta readers, and every time I revise, it surprises me just how much time it takes. Really, it shouldn't be surprising. At this point in the game, it's all about cutting out the things that just don't add to the story, and making sure every single last word counts... and that can take a boat load of thinking and time.

That said, it still amazes me what this novel has become. A bit of background: I wrote a draft of Through Charlotte's Eyes in grad school... officially four years now. But the draft was just... okay. Something was missing, some verve, some tension, and so I took a break for a couple years, worked on some other writing pursuits, started my freelance career, tried some new things, got engaged, changed jobs, got married.

Early last year, through the madness that is life, I dove back in. I rewrote my outline, cut it into pieces, and rearranged it again. I deleted entire scenes, entire diary entries, added characters, added more historical context (as long as it pertained to the story)...

When I finished my latest draft just days before the end of 2011, I breathed a big sigh of relief. I finally felt closer to the finish line. But really, in the scheme of things, it's just one step closer. The novel now tells the story I once couldn't grasp. There's something there, a story that I can't wait to share.

But, for now, I'm still trimming words. Staring at the computer screen, asking myself, is this the best way to show this? I like this stage in the process, even if it is a lot of work. And with each revision, each time I highlight a word, hit delete and make a better choice, I'm one step closer.

And what do I keep in mind through this writing process? A quote, because, if you know me, you know I love inspirational quotes.

So, for everyone in the throes of writing and/or revision, just remember:
"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."

Kafka: On reading and writing

We named our bull dog Kafka, and, in pursuit of learning more about our puppy's namesake, I discovered Kathi Diamant's book, "Kafka's Last Love." The nonfiction book focuses a lot on Kafka's last year in life, and it provided a lot of insight into who the man was... someone who wasn't ever satisfied by what he wrote and didn't want any of his works published. Thankfully Max Brod did publish his works.

While most of "Kafka's Last Love" focuses on Kafka and his relationship to Dora Diamant, Kafka can't be discussed without referencing his thoughts on writing, a pursuit he was incredibly passionate about.

One of my favorite, thought-provoking passages:

"I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us. If the book we're reading doesn't wake us up with a blow on the head, what are we reading for? So that it will make us happy? Good Lord, we would be happy precisely if we had no books, and the kind of books that make us happy are the kind we could write ourselves, if we had to. But we need the books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the ax for the frozen sea inside us. That is my belief." (Pg 69).

That's not to say happy endings shouldn't exist in novels, I don't think. But novels should make us question and look at our lives more closely. And I think you very well could substitute "reading" for "writing" in this quote by Kafka.

Do you agree with Kafka? Why do you read? Write? Do you write about what disturbs you and moves you -- or is writing and reading for you pure escapism?

A Look Back at 2011

To say 2011 was a busy year would be an understatement (and 2012 too, considering its already halfway through January!) But just because it was busy doesn't mean 2011 wasn't fabulous.

In May, I landed my dream job (other than my aspiring career as a novelist of course) at a culinary vacation company called The International Kitchen.

In September, I traveled up to my favorite U.S. city, Traverse City, to marry my favorite person ever.

In October, our family grew when we brought home a lil English bull dog puppy, who we named Kafka.

And then on December 29th, I finished the latest draft of my novel, Through Charlotte's Eyes. It hadn't been a 2011 resolution of mine, but it did feel amazing to finally get the novel written the way I wanted to, from start to finish. That's not to say it's done, but I am in the polishing stages, fact-checking, and all that. I'm almost ready for a beta read (contact me if you're interested!)

So, 2011? Pretty dang awesome.

And the winner is...

according to random number generator, random.org....

Entry #2! Kimberly Ripley!

Congrats Kim, and I'll be in touch to get your mailing address!

To everyone who entered, thank you, and check back again for future awesome giveaways!

Celebrating Characters; A USA Network Giveaway!!

Well-developed, believable characters are key to any good story, whether in a novel or a TV show. After all, if viewers can't sympathize with a character and believe in their story, why would they read the book? Or tune in to a TV show?

The USA Network has long prided themselves on interesting and often fun characters. To celebrate the end of the summer season, they're offering up a bag of goodies (valued at $590!!)

(For a list of the USA Network shows wrapping up their seasons over the next month, click here).

USA Summer Essentials Bag 2011 contents:

* Zipbuds with Custom USA Pull

* Powerstick w/2G Memory

* Edith A. Miller Nautical Shirt for Women

* J. Crew Navy Polo Shirt for Men

* Bobbi Brown Beach Body Lotion & Scrub

* Surfrider Bobble Water Bottle

* Jogo Head Hammock in Green

* Jogo Head Hammock in Blue

* Haagen Daz $25 Gift Card

* Customized Ice Cream Scoop

* Plush Navy Beach Towel w/USA Summer Logo

* Entertainment Weekly Summer Guide

* The New Yorker Talk of the Town Special Issue

* Ray Ban Unisex Aviator Sunglasses

So how do you enter you ask? One, you have to have a U.S. mailing address. And second, tell me who is your favorite USA Network character and why in the comments below. (S/he doesn't have to be the lead. Because come on, Auggie on Covert Affairs is really awesome, and not just because he has mad tech skills. He's sweet, loyal, and an all-around good guy).

If you want to win, be sure to include your email address in the comments too!

Contest ends August 31st at Midnight Central Time.

Good luck!

When you read a novel similar to yours...

Tomorrow, I'm meeting my writing/critique partner for a Write-Your-A$$-Off Day! Okay, so it's not a full glorious day of clicking away at the keyboard on our novels, but my writing and critique partner and I are meeting up tomorrow night for the first time in awhile, and we fully intend to write and edit for a few hours. In fact, it was just about a year ago that we did our first write-your-a$$-off day, to much success.

These sorts of days are becoming more and more valuable to me. Rarely do I get long hours in one sitting to just work on my novel. (You learn to do a page here, a page there).

But that's beside the point. Rather, I've been thinking about how I think about my novel when I'm not really working on my novel. The characters follow me wherever I go. I see a girl on the el that embodies Anne-Marie much more than I ever even pictured. An article I stumble across mentions Charlotte Corday. Or I read a book that makes me think about my own... which recently happened. I'd been told that my novel is similar to Jennifer Donnelly's best-seller Revolution. In ways this worried me. What if it was too similar? What if my novel is seen as a copy-cat, even though this story has been bouncing around my head and my computer for years?

I laid all those fears to rest when I read it. There's definitely a lot of similar elements. Both lead characters get sent to Paris. Both girls have some demons in their life. Both struggle to find common ground with their dad. Both suddenly find themselves immersed in a diary and the French Revolution. Both time travel.

Okay, okay, that's a lot a like one another, but content wise? Not so much. Revolution is this wonderful tribute to the power of music and the unraveling of a French Revolution mystery. Through Charlotte's Eyes is about destiny, connections through time, and whether one murderous act can change the future. My novel is, in large part, about Charlotte Corday, but it's just as much about how Charlotte's actions affected the world--and one particular girl--years later.

It's in the differences as well as the similarities between the two novels that I learn a bit about where I want to see my close-to-final draft go from here. There's scenes where I need more French Revolution details. There's interactions between the past and the present that can be better fleshed out, like they are in Revolution.

But does this mean Revolution informs the way I write my own novel? Not necessarily. But it's inspiring to read something that takes a similar elements and goes in an entirely different direction.

And when it comes down to it? It's all about the story you have to tell. That's what I'll be working on tomorrow at Starbucks, making that story hit the perfect pitch by getting all of the details just right. It's my story to tell--but then again, it also belongs to Charlotte Corday. And that, my friends, is something Revolution knows nothing about.

Will all 5 Breathless Books (from Beth Revis)

You all know how much I love books, especially good YA ones. Here's the chance to win five of them! I'm soo excited for all of these, and while I'd like them all to myself, I wanted to spread the word! Hop on over to Beth's blog for more details.

'Where Good Ideas Come From' & the Benefits of Crit Partners

It’s easy to get ‘too close’ to our work as writers. We write, we revise, we revise again. At a certain point, we need to just back away from the manuscript so we can see it with fresh eyes. But even then, chances are we’ll miss something in the solitude of editing.

That’s the reason you always hear critique partners are a wonderful fantabulous thing. For the past year+, I’ve had a great critique partner. We meet nearly every Wednesday at Starbucks. Sometimes we exchange writing, sometimes we don’t. But we always talk about what we’re working on and what’s not working in what we’re writing. Without fail, I walk away with ideas about how to move forward with my WIP.

So, I thought, why not find some more critique partners? Not to mention, I’ve also been on the hunt for beta readers, so I’m not scrambling when the draft of Through Charlotte’s Eyes is done. It seemed incredibly serendipitous then, when author Roni Loren started #betamatch on Twitter so fellow writers could find each other. Then, just days later, literary agent Mary Kole hosted a critique connection on her blog.

Connections made! Critique partners found! And as I’ve been getting feedback on my first few chapters, new realizations about my WIP seem to popping out like crazy. And I can thank all these new ideas on exchanging ideas with other writers, critiquing each other’s work, etc.

There’s a scientific basis in critique partners work, or so I’ve learned from reading ‘Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation’ by Steven Johnson. The book takes a wide-angle lens perspective on where ideas come from. I haven’t gotten too far into yet, but he talks a lot about the influence of environment, about the way science works... and then there’s this section about where great ideas are often fostered (again keeping in mind, lots of his examples come from science):

Excerpt from pg. 61:

“Dunbar’s research suggests one vaguely reassuring thought: even with all the advanced technology of a leading molecular biology lab, the most productive tool for generating good ideas remains in a circle of humans at a table, talking shop. The lab meeting creates an environment where new combinations can occur, where information can spill over from one project to another. When you work alone in the office, peering into a microscope, your ideas can get trapped in place, stuck in your initial biases. The social flow of the group conversation turns that private solid state into a liquid network.”

Aha! Scientific reasoning behind why group thinking works (mind you, not herd mentality - that’s a different post for a different day). Just exchange his lab for the writing desk, and you’ve got a perfect analogy for why critique partners are a good thing. Get away from the solitiude of writing for a little while and talk to another writer about what you’re working on. Even if its online and not at a table in Starbucks, it helps immensely. Frees your thinking. Opens your mind to new possibilities.

I’ll write a more detailed review of the book when I’m done, but I already do suggest ‘Where Good Ideas Come From’ to any writer at any stage in the process. Johnson has a way of opening your mind to the different ways our minds open to new ideas.

Not to mention, he’s a huge advocate for writing ideas down (to form new connections to seemingly unrelated things). “You get a feeling that there’s an interesting avenue to explore, a problem that might someday lead you to a solution, but then you get distracted by more pressing matters and the hunch disappears,” he writes on page 83. “So part of the secret of hunch cultivation is simple: write everything down.” Again, that’s another post for another day.

For now, go out, write, and share your ideas! Speaking of, it’s time for me to meet with my critique partner.

Til next time, here’s to letting those creative ideas flow.

To NaNoWriMo...or No?

With November 1st just around the corner, published and aspiring authors everywhere are getting ready to crank out at least 50,000 words in the span of one month. That’s National Novel Writing Month for you. I’ve never participated, but for the past couple of years, I’ve been tempted to. But what happens if you’re in the midst of revising/rewriting another WIP?

I’ve toyed with the idea of starting an entirely new novel for the 2010 NaNoWriMo - I have plenty of ideas already spinning around my brain - but I keep reminding myself that’s my reward for finishing the novel I’m working on now. Yes, reward. I enjoy writing after all, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it at all.

So I’m not doing NaNoWriMo this year. And more likely than not, I’m not participating in the awesomeness that is Miss Snark’s First Victim’s The Baker’s Dozen Agent Auction. I SO want to participate, but I won’t unless Through Charlotte’s Eyes is polished and sparkling. And before it can be that, I need beta readers. But I’m not (quite) there yet either....

November, for me, should just be dubbed NoRevRewMo, or National Revising/Rewriting Month, because that’s what I plan on doing. What about you?

Meeting Charlotte Corday

I've put this post off for awhile as I've worked on other things , but I thought today would be an appropriate time to start talking about my trip to Paris way back in March. Why, you ask? Because July 27th marks Charlotte Corday's birthday, and she was one of the biggest reasons I went to Paris in the first place.

A large part of my WIP, Through Charlotte's Eyes, surprise surprise, is about the famous assassin Charlotte Corday. No one could make much sense of why Corday thought killing journalist and politician Jean-Paul Marat would end the French Revolution - until her distant relative, Anne-Marie Gessner, tumbles into her life, becoming Charlotte and seeing life through the French revolutionary's eyes.

Well, that's the premise of my novel at least. I'd read a lot about Charlotte while at The University of Chicago. I saw pictures of her online and in books, but I'd never walked the streets where she walked, until I went to France. And lo and behold, I found her throughout the country!

First up, the Conciergerie, where 'convicts' were taken shortly before they met the guillotine. The building is now a museum all about the French Revolution. One room, in fact, listed all of the people whose last days were spent in the Conciergerie jail cells.

In the above picture, Charlotte's crime is listed as being a 'noble,' which she was and which was considered a crime, but that's not why she landed below the blade of the guillotine. The only thing I can think of is that this list of guillotine victims was updated in the early 1800s, a time in which the French still considered Charlotte's crime reprehensible because the people still idolized Marat. It wasn't until the latter-half of the 19th century that opinions about Charlotte's murder plot changed, with history books portraying it as a heroic and courageous act. Charlotte's claim in her final days - that she killed one man to save 100,000 - grew in acceptance over the years, and Charlotte, amazingly enough, did turn into a hero of sorts nearly a century later.

In fact, Charlotte Corday was among the most famous people to stay at the Conciergerie during the French Revolution, which is why it came as no surprise that her picture was prominently displayed in the museum. Many history books, in fact, claim she stayed in the same cell as Marie Antoinette, but one walk through the museum shows that was clearly not the case.

Rather, Charlotte would have stayed in a cell much like this one. (Granted, no weird looking mannequin would have been standing in the corner. But, you get the idea). She would have one small pallet to sleep on and a place to relieve herself, and that was it! On the other hand, Marie Antoinette's quarters were on display in the Conciergerie as well, and they were incredibly spacious, especially considering they were attached to a chapel, and they contained an actual bed. Charlotte had no such amenities. Then again, she wasn't a dethroned Queen.

The Conciergerie was just one place I found Charlotte. I'll continue to post about where I found her in the coming weeks. Hint on the next place: it involves chocolate!

In the meantime, happy birthday Charlotte!

How You Know It’s Summertime

Something happens when the sun comes out in Chicago - I go outside more. I’m more social. My friends and family get married (fifth wedding of the year this coming weekend! Oh my!) I feel more inspired.

I’ve also been doing beta reads for some great authors. I’ve been swimming and running more (despite what I lament here), trying to get healthy and training for my first 5K ever... And did I mention I got engaged? Because I did. :)

So, with being outside and enjoying the weather and friends and family, I clearly haven’t been around my laptop as much. This isn’t to say I haven’t been writing. Despite my page-a-day calendar falling off at 6/8/10, I’ve been writing nearly every day.. (If you don’t count the weekends away - I’ve only been in town on weekends twice in the past, oh, 2 months?) I’m keeping up on Gather, hot dogs, and even my novel, to some extent. How do I, you ask? I stopped keeping track of word counts (it takes up time!) I’ve also been staying up late, a lot. That might be changing soon too though - because I gave up caffeine nearly three weeks ago now.

Oy vey! Just writing that makes me tired. But, you know what? Strangely enough, I’ve had more energy lately than I’ve had in awhile - with the exception of the 2:30pm tiredness striking without fail most days. Maybe because it’s summertime in the city? Because, if you haven’t noticed - I love Chicago when it’s warm out. Too bad it’s not like this all year round!

But maybe it also has something to do with being busy, too... I like being busy. It keeps me on my toes, helps me manage my time even more than I usually do.

How do you manage your time - especially when it's this awesomely nice outside?

Page-A-Day Calendar

Here I'll keep track of all my progress over the next month on the page-a-day challenge . Goal: Write 1 page (equivalent to ~500 words) each day on my WIP. Thanks Weronika for organizing this!

UPDATE: Out of curiosity, as of 5/24, I'm also keeping track of how many words I'm writing for other writing projects - i.e. hot dogs and Gather/entertainment!

5/16: 584 words
5/17: 0! yikes
5/18: 588 words
5/19: 618 words
5/20: 0 on novel, but 1,000ish on Gather articles. That counts... right? =0
5/21: 695 words
5/22: 0
5/23: 581 words
5/24: 786 words on WIP; 310 words on hot dogs; 494 on Gather (to be posted next week) - Good day for words!
5/25: 0 on WIP; 327 words on hot dogs (article goes up soon); 1485 words across four Gather articles
5/26: 517 on WIP; 199 on hot dogs; 450 on Gather
5/27: 0 on WIP; 598 on Gather; 213 on food blog
5/28: 0 on WIP; 173 on Gather
5/29: 0 on WIP; 254 on Gather
5/30: 0 on WIP; 366 on Gather
5/31: 0 on everything. =(
6/1: 401 on WIP; 487 on Gather
6/2: about -300 since I edited my WIP tonight; 244 on Gather; 355 on hot dogs
6/3: 596 words on WIP
6/4: 0 on WIP; 407 on Gather
6/5: 0 all around - I spent the day with one of my best friends on her wedding day! =)
6/6: 931 words on Gather
6/7: 243 on Gather; 383 on hot dogs
6/8: 1427 on Gather ... clearly I need to learn to balance my time more between projects

Let's recap: Week One #padc

It's officially been one week since I started the Page-A-Day Challenge, organized by the awesome Weronika Janczuk, and I've already definitely noticed some things...

For starters, I've had a crazy busy week that's taken me out of the apartment and away from my computer quite a bit. I went to a wake for a friend's mom on Monday right after work, and then yesterday I was gone all day for a day-long bachelorette party that I put together for one of my best friends.

All of this making it safe to say that sometimes life takes you away from writing and there's really not much you can do about it, which is why I'm okay with having 2 days this week where I didn't write a single word. Sometimes, you just can't avoid it, and you can't beat yourself up about it. Tomorrow is always a new day for words.

I've also noticed that while I have only been doing one page a day and not much more, it's not that I'm not working on other writing projects, too. On May 20th, for one, I didn't work on the novel, but wrote over 1,000 words on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy--which required that I write and post in a timely manner, which meant I didn't work on the novel that day.

Because of this and just to appease my own curiosity, I'm going to start keep tracking about how many words I write for things like Gather and hot dogs every day. I'll be curious to see if I really and truly am balancing my time between all my writing projects.

But, I'm done writing for today, mainly because I am absolutely exhausted after a great but busy weekend with some great friends. When I'm this exhausted--beyond tired really--I can't think all that clearly, which makes being coherent with my novel near impossible.

This week promises to be less busy--at least, as far as I know--so it's back to the normal schedule starting tomorrow. =)

So, that's that. I'm going to go fold some laundry then go straight to bed. Happy writing!

Page-A-Day Challenge began... yesterday!

Well, I'm already behind. I signed up to take part in the Page-A-Day Challenge, started by the inspiring Weronika Janczuk, and I'm already a day behind! The Challenge started yesterday with the purpose of keeping us working on our novels by just writing one page a day for the next month. We don't have to write any more--if we don't feel like it--but we have to strive for not writing anything less.

I have a reason for not starting yesterday--namely, the fact that I was home in my apartment for no more than an hour all day yesterday (and didn't get home til 12:30 last night)--but I'm not going to focus on yesterday. I'm going to focus on keeping this going, and writing every day from now on through the next month--and hopefully beyond.

While I've been writing more than ever--well, since grad school anyways--most of my writing has been for Gather lately. By having this page-a-day goal, I'll also keep myself focused on my novel, too.

To keep myself accountable, I'll continue to update the calendar located here with what I've written. (Since I use Liquid Story Binder to write, I'll actually just keep track of word count, rather than pages, under the understanding that one page is about 500 pages.) As Weronika suggest, I'll tweet it, too!

To see who else is committing this page-a-day challenge, check out Weronika's blog here.

Write-Your-A$$-off Day, Chicago-style, success!

Yesterday, I met up with my writing pal over at a local coffee/lunch spot with one goal in mind: sit down and work on my WIP, Through Charlotte's Eyes. Dear friends, if you're having trouble making progress in your WIP, I highly recommend finding a spot to spend most of your day to write. All in all, the 5-hour write-a-thon was a smashing success!

I finished rewriting Chapter 17 completely; added an entirely new (and lengthy) section, Chapter 18--which I'd been looking forward to writing ever since getting back from Paris weeks ago; and then started in on another new chapter. Approximately 5,000 words written/added if Liquid Story Binder is to believed.

On that note, too: Liquid Story Binder = awesome. I used the typewriter feature for most of the 5-hour writing time, meaning I couldn't go back and question what I wrote. It forced me to keep writing and keep pushing forward, which is exactly what I needed yesterday to be about.

I expect to have more of these write-your-a$$-off days in the near future. Days like those remind me why I write and what I'm working toward: not just a finished, polished novel but also making writing a full-time job.

Fellow bloggers and friends, do you write in long sessions, or short bursts? How do you keep your fingers clicking against the keyboard in order to make progress on your latest work-in-progress novel?

WIP Wednesday #7

Well, I haven't posted one of these in awhile. Hmm, since July 2009 to be precise. Oops. But I swear, I'm here! And I'm still spending a crazy amount of time behind my computer screen.

If I'm not working on the novel--which continues to progress, no matter how slowly--it's writing about hot dogs, or writing entertainment articles/reviews on Gather, or brainstorming new novels (yes, yes, I know, I should be focused on getting the first novel done first--but sometimes, I just can't help myself). Then there's also attempting to keep up with everyone else's lovely blogs, and keeping up on Twitter/Facebook... and then, you know, working a full-time job and somehow also having a social life away from the computer.

All of this begs the question, when is too much... too much? Probably when you don't enjoy it.

Luckily, I'm still enjoying all of it. So, here's me, still sitting behind my computer, writing. (No one really believed me when I posted on Facebook that I was giving up on my novel on April Fool's Day).

After the amazing Paris trip, I've been overcome with so many ideas for the novel, important details that I need to include in my WIP, Through Charlotte's Eyes. I can finally really envision it whole, and that's such a driving force for me to finish this novel within the year.

But along with all these details are keeping track of my timeline that moves back in forth between 2005 and 1792-3, making sure I'm not repeating things I mentioned in Chapter 2 again in Chapter 17 that don't bear repeating, and so forth. Two weeks ago, I spent at least a half hour trying to track down something I had already written that affected what happened in a later chapter... I thought, there has to be better way to go about this. There has to be a way to be better organized. And voila! I thought of Scrivener, but, alas, that's only for Mac users. But the creators of the word processing program for writers recommended some other programs for Windows, luckily.

Thanks to those recommendations, I've been using Liquid Story Binder for the past two weeks and I'm finding it so much easier to get organized, so I don't spend wasted time tracking down things that I worked on weeks ago. Phew! (Anyone else using LSB? Or another similar program? How are you liking it?)

Things are moving smoothly now. I WILL finish this draft, I WILL get it edited, I WILL get it out to beta readers, and I WILL finish this novel by year's end. To keep pushing forward, my writing pal and I are organizing our own Write-your-A$$-off day for the end of the month. And I can't wait... writing a little bit here, a little bit there on the novel, never feels like enough. April 25th can't get here soon enough!