Daily Writing Check-in: January 18, 2016

January 18, 2016January 19, 2016 / Kristi / 2 Comments

Words/Time: 45 minutes doing some preliminary edits to “Pursuit of Power.” I started by going over the notes I made while I was writing the first draft, notes of things I wanted to make sure to change later, or add, or take out. Then I went through some of the brainstorming I’ve done since then, getting an idea of what I think should happen after the end of this story, because it’s a continuation and is important that I know what to be setting up for later. And then I finally went to the draft and started a full spelling & grammar check. I’d done a spelling check before, shortly after I finished the first draft, but had avoided the grammar part. There are a lot of extra spaces between words, and some lower case letters at the beginning of sentences. I figured it was better to get rid of them now than find them when I start my first revision.

After the grammar check is done (I’m halfway through it so far), I’ll try to outline the broad points of the follow-up story before I start into revising.

Daily Writing Check-in: January 17, 2016

January 17, 2016March 3, 2019 / Kristi / 2 Comments

Words/Time: 519 words of writing practice using my Writer Emergency Pack again. I brainstormed possibilities of what could happen after “Pursuit of Power” with questions about where there hero might travel to be out of his/her comfort zone.

“Pursuit of Power” is still something of an enigma to me. I started with the main character, Alexander’s, father dying under mysterious circumstances. When Alexander finds a small clue that suggests it might not have been an accident, he starts down a path from which there is no return.

After 100,000 words, though, the story doesn’t end. His searching leads him down a path only peripherally related to his dad. He draws attention from some very powerful people, including one particular woman who is basically the leader of a crime syndicate. So then the book becomes about him and her sort of squaring off.

The book ends with no answers to his father’s mysterious death, or to some of the other questions that have come up in his searching. So there would have to be another book. I’m thinking it might behoove me to at least have a good idea of what’s going to happen in the follow-up, before I could complete final revisions on the first book, so lately I’ve been brainstorming that. To be honest, I’ve never thought this far in this story arc before, so it’s all new planning.

A Little Q&A

January 16, 2016January 16, 2016 / Kristi / 2 Comments

These questions come from a post on aliasfaithrivens’ blog. I like reading Q&As like this from people I know, and it’s kind of fun answering them too.

When did you first start writing? Was being a writer something you always aspired to?
I started writing stories in elementary school. I recently dug up one of my first stories, written when I was 10 years old. I don’t know if the hard copy exists somewhere (I suspect it doesn’t), but I’d typed it into my parents’ old Tandy 1000. This was around 1992.

When I was older—somewhere between twelve and fourteen—I wrote a good start on what I had planned to be the first in a series of books for teenagers. That story I still have in several notebooks tucked away.

But apparently in middle and high school, I left fiction writing behind and turned to poetry. I wrote some good, some bad, some uplifting, some angsty poems. And during a creative writing class in high school, I even went as far as to say (in a reflection paper at the end of the class) that though I’d enjoyed writing the short story required for the class, I didn’t think I’d have a reason to write fiction again in the future.

What genre do you write?
Lately, mostly speculative fiction. My main book series seems to have landed squarely on post-apocalyptic science fiction. I wouldn’t normally consider myself a sci-fi writer, though…just sort of happened that way. Outside of this one series, I write more contemporary fiction, sometimes with a Christian bent.

Can you tell us a little about your current work in progress? When did you start working on this project?
It’s actually a weird feeling to not say that my current WIP is “Pithea.” But since that one’s done, it’ll be time to move on soon. I’ll be turning my attention soon to “Pursuit of Power.” This novel is about a young man who becomes suspicious about his dad’s accidental death, starts to dig, and ends up drawing a lot of unwanted attention.

Technically I started working on this in 2009. I wrote most of the first draft during NaNoWriMo that year. Then I re-imagined the story world I’d tried to create and rewrote the story in 2014. The very basics of the original were the same—main characters, their main goals, and a general ending—but it’s a completely different story now.

What was your first piece that you can remember writing? What was it about?

As I mentioned above, the first piece I remember writing was when I was 10. It was a story about a couple adopting a 10-year-old girl, along with that girl’s best friend, because the girl they were adopting insisted. It was 186 words long. I started writing a sequel that was supposed to be a bit of a mystery, and though I didn’t finish it, it was already longer than the first story. I still remember what was supposed to happen in that story. Maybe I should finish it.

What’s the best part about writing?
There are so many things about writing that I love. If I had to choose one thing, it would be the discovery. The sudden light bulb when a brand new idea strikes, when a blockage is broken through, or when things suddenly become fun again.

What’s the worst part about writing?
In contrast to the previous answer, I think the worst part of writing is when things just aren’t working out. New ideas aren’t flowing, you can’t break through the block, and you feel downright un-creative.

What’s the name of your favorite character and why?
Though Missy would be the logical choice, as the MC of my first novel and a character who will feature or at least appear in more of the rest of the series than any one character (I’m pretty sure, at least), she is still a second to my favorite. His name is Remiel Azrael, and he is one of the main characters in “Outcast.” Of everything I have written, “Outcast” remains my favorite piece, which I’m sure is part of the reason he became my favorite. I wrote it as fanfiction 7 years ago, and for the moment, it still only exists as fanfiction. It will eventually take place in the same world as “Pithea,” and in fact Missy is a big character in it too. But I just really love Remiel.

How much time a day/week do you get to write? When is the best time for you to write (morning or night)?
Ideally, I have 2-3 hours per night after my youngest goes to bed. Sometimes bedtime is later, or I have other things I have to get to first. Weekends are sometimes a chance for extra time, and sometimes we’re so busy I can barely get any time in.

Did you go to college for writing?
No, I didn’t get re-interested in writing fiction until I started writing fanfiction after my oldest son was born.

What bothers you more: speeling errors; punctuation, errors, or errors for grammar?
I’m not sure one is more bothersome to me than another.

What is the best writing advice that anyone has given you?
Don’t worry about perfection. I’ve read so many articles and blog posts by writers who make it seem like a manuscript will never be ready. It will always need another draft. While it’s true it will never be perfect, just maybe it doesn’t have to be. If I hadn’t read this advice from two different sources, I’m not sure if I would be ready to submit my first novel, or if I’d still be reading through it, looking for things to fix. Or maybe I’d be proceeding like I am, but paranoid that it’s too soon.

What advice would you give to another writer?
Take any writing tips, rules, and advice with a grain of salt. Writing is an art, and what works for one person doesn’t always work for others. Reading blogs about writing is a good thing. It’s good to find out what works for others, especially when you’re new to writing, because most likely something will resound within you. But if it doesn’t feel right, and you’d have to force yourself to adhere to someone’s suggestions…just don’t do it. (Not referring to grammar rules and such.)

What are your favorite writing sites or blogs that you turn to for help, tips or encouragement?
I don’t have any sites in particular. I tend to do online searches when I have questions.

Besides writing, what else do you enjoy doing? What are your hobbies?
I don’t actually have a lot of time for hobbies these days. I enjoy reading, but haven’t finished a book in a while. I like to scrapbook, but that’s been on the backburner for a few years. I don’t even play computer games much anymore. I do like game nights with my family once a month and on holidays, playing board games for hours.

What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
As I mentioned, I haven’t finished a book in a while. I’ve started several, and hope to get back to some of them soon. (I’ve set up a challenge on Goodreads to finish 25 books this year…I should probably get started on that soon.)

What’s the best movie you’ve seen this year?
I actually don’t watch all that many movies. And of those I do watch, including ones I watched at home, I’m not sure I can think back and remember them all (using 2015 for the question, rather than the few days of 2016 so far). I’ll go with Jurassic World.

What is your favorite book or series of all time?
The Oath by Frank Peretti is my favorite book of all time, with Thr3e by Ted Dekker coming in a close second.

The Mandie Books series by Lois Gladys Leppard still holds a special place in my heart, as a series I loved as a kid.

Who is your favorite author?
Frank Peretti

What are your plans for the rest of the year in terms of your writing?
I’m currently working on submitting my first novel to publishers, and have spent the last week or so getting a novelette self-published. When these two things have settled down some, I play to turn my full attention to the beginning revision stages of “Pursuit of Power.”

Where else can we find you online?
Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads (though I created that account only a few days ago)
Amazon Author Page, Story Blog

I never do these tag posts like normal people though, so I’m not tagging anyone. But feel free to share your own answers to any of these questions.

Daily Writing Check-in: January 15, 2016

January 15, 2016September 9, 2019 / Kristi / 4 Comments

Words/Time: 620 words of writing practice using my Writer Emergency Pack for the first time. With The Triangle published and “Pithea” as far as I can take it for now, my attention turns to “Pursuit of Power.” I’m going to wait at least until Monday to start into revision, partly because my brain could use a rest and partly because I’m not even sure where/how to start. But I didn’t want to let the day go by without writing. I wrote a little bit about the MCs in “Pursuit of Power,” though it was about what would come after that book. It was more enlightening than I thought it would be.

A Look Back at 2015

January 3, 2016September 9, 2019 / Kristi / 2 Comments

I would have preferred to post this before the end of the year, but the last few weeks have been rough for me. Still, it’s not too late to take a quick look at the writing-related highlights of 2015.

With the help of 2 of my sisters, I finished draft 4 of “Pithea,” which was the most intensive revision the book should ever need. We met once a week on Skype to work through any issues, and the book definitely came out stronger on the other end. We even worked on general world questions, especially those related to the fantastical elements in the story world. It was also during these meetings that the book went from a working title (“Adventures in Pithea”) to its official one.

I finished the first draft of a third novel this year, titled “Too Many Irons in the Fire.” It’s not one I expect to go forward with, but it was still a complete novel draft, so it’s an accomplishment to be proud of.

I participated in my 6th year of NaNoWriMo, and won with 100,383 words, passing the 50k word mark on the 12th. I wrote 25k on the first day, but I don’t think I’ll try that again. I went to my first write-ins this year and was even in an article in the local newspaper while attending one of them. It was during NaNo that I finished the aforementioned novel draft, and I also wrote most of a second novel.

I also want to share a few gifts I received for Christmas that are writing-related.

My husband went a little overboard, but it’s hard to complain about the amazing gifts he gave me. The first was a blank journal with the motto I made up last year engraved into the clasp.

The second gift was a desk clock with pen, and he had my name engraved into the front of it. I teared up when I saw the engraving.

My mom gave me a t-shirt that my sister had designed. The front has a bunch of characters, towns, and other important words from “Pithea.” It also includes things related to the previously mentioned editing group my sisters and I formed for a year to whip the book into shape. The back of the shirt contains various quotes from that editing group–things one of us said while on Skype, or even during an in-person meeting, that we found particularly funny and decided to make a note of. I cried a little when I opened this present too, especially when I looked at the back.

This final gift is much less emotional than the previous ones, but one that I was really excited to get. My parents-in-law found this deck of cards, which contains all sorts of different writing prompts, in varying detail. It’s called Writer Emergency Pack, and it’s billed as a way to help get unstuck if you’re having trouble with your writing. I’d say it would work for any time you wanted a quick start to a short story or writing practice too though. There are some really thought-provoking cards in there, and while I haven’t sat down and written anything with it yet, when the final work on “Pithea” is done, I’m looking forward to cleansing my palate, if you will, with some writing practice before I move on to my next big project.

Going forward from here, I have a lot of plans. With the final draft of “Pithea” finished, I’m working on a short synopsis to use for submission. The first draft of the synopsis is done, but I’m asking for opinions from others who’ve read the book, and going to go back over it again myself after a day or two, when I have fresh eyes. Though I have a publishing company in mind to start with, of course I’ll start looking elsewhere to submit the novel too. I don’t plan to look for an agent, and in the end, if I haven’t sold the manuscript by the end of the year, I’ll probably self-publish it.

I also want to finish a quick revision of “The Triangle,” a novelette-length story I wrote several years ago. It’s completely unrelated to the world of “Pithea,” is set in the real world, and is the tale of a man struggling to keep his family together when he feels life is moving too fast and he’s losing control. I have a start on a cover design, so after I finish this revision, I plan to self-publish it. Hopefully that will happen in the next few months.

Then I’ll turn my attention to “Pursuit of Power,” a novel that runs mostly parallel to “Pithea.” I wrote it during NaNo in 2014, but have barely touched it since. It will probably be another long project, which I anticipate taking at least a year to revise. There are a lot of notes for big changes I need to make, along with normal editing that it likely needs.

I have tentative plans to write every day, meaning actual writing. For the last few years, I’ve settled for doing any kind of writing work every day, which 95% of the time means revision. I miss the actual writing, though. I usually feel like I don’t have time to write unrelated, pointless pieces when I need to spend all of my free time revising. However, the truth is, because I dislike revising so much, I don’t spend all my free time revising. Most days that I have time to do any revising, I could easily spend 10-15 minutes writing 250-500 words of writing practice before I start revising.

So my plan is to do just that. I’ll set the goal at 250 words per day and see what that looks like. Most of the time, writing from a prompt or such, it ends where my idea ends anyway, whether that’s 200 words or 750 words. My daily revision goal will still be 20 minutes on top of that. I honestly don’t know how well I’ll keep up with this, and I won’t feel like I’ve failed if it drops off. But it’s a plan for now.

To all of my fellow writers out there–whatever, whenever, and however often you write–what were your highlights for this year? What are your proud or disappointed moments from this year? And what are your plans for the coming year?

Daily Challenge Check-in: September 19, 2015

September 20, 2015September 20, 2015 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Words/Time: 1 hour reading through “Pursuit of Power” and taking notes on things I need to fix before I can start into real revising.

I’m posting this on the 20th after just getting home from being gone since Friday evening. I count that hour as the whole weekend’s work. It was the only time I was able to get to anything writing-related, and even it was light work. The rest of the weekend was spent driving to and from a reenactment, and then dressing in funny clothes and selling my dad’s blacksmith items. This will happen again in two weeks, and then the weekend after that. My NaNo prep posts, as well as my own prep for NaNo will hopefully not fall behind during that time.

Daily Challenge Check-in: September 10, 2015

September 10, 2015September 9, 2019 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Words/Time: 48 minutes, half of which was revising “Pithea.” Missy and Leahna now wait to talk about Missy’s concerns until they have left the company of Alexander. And Missy is not quite as in the dark or naive as she was before about Leahna’s own part in Alexander’s questionable actions.

But I started my writing time doing some of the activities on the post I made today with NaNo prep activities. I have a partial outline for the story I have been planning to write for this year’s NaNo. It is another in the same world as “Pithea.” I’m still working on editing “Pithea” (though I’m actually seeing the light at the end of that tunnel), and then I have “Pursuit of Power” to start revising. It is not the most important thing right now for me to add another novel to that pile.

So I’m going to take some time out of my normal revising work over the next week or so and do some of the activities that I’m suggesting for others. I only got to two of them, and then realized how difficult it would be to make something up for the second image, since I know those people and what’s going on in that picture. Not impossible, but more time than I wanted to spend, since I still had normal revision work to get to.

And while I may still decide to write the story I’ve already outlined, maybe I’ll go with something I produce from these activities instead. There’s still a lot of time to decide.

Daily Challenge Check-in: September 6, 2015

September 6, 2015September 9, 2019 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Words/Time: 70 minutes, revising “Pithea.” Most of it was rewriting, as a scene in which Missy, Leahna, and Alexander (latter two being main characters of “Pursuit of Power“) recover from an encounter was kind of flat before. The scene also included Alexander learning some important information for the very first time, but things were disjointed and disorderly. So I’m working on smoothing it out and giving it more emotion now.

Daily Challenge Check-in: August 30, 2015

August 30, 2015September 9, 2019 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Words/Time: 40 minutes, revising “Pithea.” I’ve been comparing a scene from this book with one in “Pursuit of Power,” in which the two storylines converge for a little bit. I wrote the scene two different ways, from sort of two different perspectives, and I’ve been going through them both to pick the best parts and make one single scene from that. I am almost completely done with this task, after which I’ll finally be going back to normal revising.

Daily Challenge Check-in: August 20, 2015

August 20, 2015September 9, 2019 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Words/Time: 55 minutes, revising “Pithea.” I have come to a scene that lines up with “Pursuit of Power” and thus spent most of today’s time reading through PoP to verify some differences in the scene, and make sure they needed to be changed in “Pithea.” I also compared what little I had written of the scene for PoP and picked the best bits from both stories to compile the new scene. I’m really itching now to get into PoP and change things that I still have notes about, and then boil down the scenes so I can see the whole thing from a distance. But I’m so close to finishing this revision of “Pithea,” which would leave me with not a lot left to do for it to be ready, that I certainly can’t change tracks now.