The long weekend

So I had high hopes to do some good writing/reading this weekend.  I did get some good reading, finished 2 books.  I've also started another, and should finish it tonight.  (2 house of night books and another of a different series)

So what are you reading?  How long does it normally take you to read a book?  Back in 2007 I could read a book in under 12 hours, now I'm at a couple days unless I have nothing else to do.

On the writing I didn't get allot done but the goal was met.  I figured I've over shot the goal everyday so far, a couple days of just the goal should be OK too! 

I also watched a couple movies!!  2 yesterday (contagion and raise of the planet of apes) and 2 today (fright night and Final destination 5). 

As some of you know I'm having a baby, so I also did some online window shopping, planning and even looked at some names.  So far we have a couple favorites for both a boy and a girl!!!  We still do not know what we are having so we have to wait till late February to find out.  We are happy with a boy or girl, but with this being my Vikings first child we are over excited!

So tell me about your weekend!!

What are you doing?

Do you ever sit back and wonder what you are doing when you set a goal.  Life happens and I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, but my goals are long term. 

So what do you do?  You set short term goals to get to the long term one!!!! That's what I do.  I set out to write 500 new words a day, along with edit what I have already done to touch it up.  Now you may be saying 500 words is not alot, right.  Well it is more than one word a day! 
I think of it this way:

**500 words TIMES 365 days a year = 182,500 words written a year. 

Now the normal romance book is between 80,000 and 120,000.  So in my world I aim to have a a book about 100,000.  So with my math I should be able to write a FULL new manuscript that is ready to show off and an 80,000 word rough draft. 

OK, so that does sound like a big, big goal!  I do not think I am going to get this done, but my goal is also to just have one manuscript, polished and ready to submit around!  That's right, I feel that it has to be ready to be submitted for it to count as my goal, not just written. 

See, I've written a manuscript.  I have Sapphire written, yet I will need to polish it.  I wrote Sapphire in under 60days from 0-100,000 words.  I have never had someone read it, I've never worked on it since 2007 when I wrote it!  Yes you see that right I wrote this book 5 years ago and it's been sitting there.

**Any way, what book am I working on?  I've picked up Paranormal Daycare and a manuscript idea that was started with Ash and I.  I feel these are both new ideas and that they could be the ones that can grow into something NEW to the world!

So I am still looking for someone to read my work, someone who will be honest, open and ready to jump in head first....are you them???  If so let me know!

So how goes it?

They say most people give up on their Resolutions with in one week of setting them.  So here it is day five of the year and I want to know how you are doing!!!

Writing is good, today I wrote 1000 words before lunch!  So I may finish the first chapter before the end of the week. 

So what is it that we do next with this???  You get someone to read it?!  I'm still working on finding someone to read my work, edit it, or just be honest about their opinions.  So do you know someone who is like this?  Are you like this?  LET ME KNOW!

So tell me how you are doing and what you think will help you keep going!

Happy New Year!

That's right people it's 2012!  What will this year hold?  I'm not sure what it will hold, but I know what I'm trying to do about it and that just means more of the same.

I know it's been some time since the last post and my life has changed.  I've gotten married, I'm expecting a child and well Christmas! 

The end of the year doesn't always mean something coming to an end but to something new starting.  Starting that is what I'm doing.  I've picked up an outline I wrote in 2009 and worked out profiles, an arc for this book and the next two to make it a trio.

What else are you doing, do we dare say what are your resolutions?  I've chosen to try harder and set my mind to things better and to be more organized!  All of these go hand and hand so it should be easy. 

So let me know what your New Year Resolutions are!

So what is next?

What do you do once you say you are going to be a writer?  Well before you do that you need to hear what Ben Franklin had to say about it:
"Either you write something worth reading or do something worth writing about."

I agree with this and the idea that if you can't breath with out writing, than write, but if you can don't and run, run far and fast. (said to my at my first CON by BEV HALE)

So where does this leave me because I've been writing since 2007 and I'm not published.  Well, Alexis Morgan told me that she wrote for 20 years before she got going.  Others like Caitlin Kittredge get published with three books in under two years.  Even though I went to my first CON in Feb of2008 and I had high hopes of having my first book on the shelves by 2010, life had other plans.  Some of those plans have been great. (like the Viking!) and others a little bit harder.

So where does that leave me?  Writing.  That's right, I may not have moved far into the world, but I will be published!  Like I said I was working with a group and I'm going to post some about that.  The first book comes out soon and I'll have links for you to follow and I think it will be great!!!!!!  I may not of had words in the first two sections of the books, but I will in the one that comes out in December!! That is right 2011, Paige Maddison will become published Author!


Stay tuned!

So what is missing?

For  those that have been with me for sometime now notice somethings are missing.  That's right I removed my blog, and now I've removed post.

I have some good news I've been asked (several months ago) to join in on a project.  I am very excited about it and look forward to being published.  That's right I'm going to be published!!!!!

Right now I am on the sidelines working on blogs and such for them and one day soon I will be able to have a point of view and will become published!

I can't give details but that it is Young Adult and that the first volume will be out in a couple weeks!

**Personal life**
The wedding is in a couple weeks also, but let's just say it's a headache, worth it!

Inspiration....or Motivation

Do you find yourself struggling to find the inspiration?  Maybe you have the inspiration but no motivation?  I have had some of the same struggles here lately. 


So how do I fix it?  That's what I wondered.  So far I've tried scheduling time to do it, that just made me feel like it was forced to do it at that time and only that time.  I found myself being inspired at different times of day and when I had set aside time at one time I wasn't ready or had forgotten what I wanted to do.  So to fix that I had my note books everywhere.  That didn't mean my inspiration was easily captured.  I found that I wanted to write when it was there, but I only had a quick moment to jot down the notes.


So how do you have all day to write when you don't.  I mean I have a full time job, two kids who depend on me to have time for them separate and then a fiance who wants time.  Oh, let's not forget the planning of a wedding, T-Ball for the boy, Girl Scouts for the girl and I like to read.  Nope, there is not a time to put writing in there all day every day.  So I tried doing my weekends when the kids are with their Father to writing.  But I was struggling with that too!  I needed to have that time for myself.  I had to do things I can't normally do with the kids here; like SLEEP IN!


So I started to do it at work too, taking time on my breaks, between calls, my lunch to write, or jot down things.  I still had my note books everywhere! (I'm not joking, I even had one in the bathroom, two in the car, one in my purse, one at work on my desk, one with my laptop, another beside the bed.)  They all have pens attached so I couldn't use that as an excuse.  Once every so often I would gather them all up transfer the information and put them back.  This just made it hard!  Most of them had the same information in them just worded differently.


So I went to recording myself when I was driving when I felt like writing, or had a good idea (this included songs that inspired me).  This was GREAT!  But I kinda killed my cell phone battery or ran out of storage space!  (my phone sucked anyway and I'm getting a new one tomorrow!)


So what does this mean?  When the mood strikes you can't force it down, and when it's not there you can't force it to be there.  So take the time when you have it and just breath and go for it.  I mean it.  It is just that simple. 

I did make some motivation cards to kinda just make sure I knew that I could do this!  So I've attached a picture for you to see, this was at work shhh...

Make it happen

Hi guys,

I have been busy!! I've been writing...not just on "A dating Bite" but working on "guarding the beast"-my gryphon's and working on some great ideas that I've come up with. 

What I'm also working on is this blog.  I am trying to make it nice for you guys...so tell me what you think would be good!  I am not all that great at it, but I'm learning. 

Lets see, as far as "Uncover Me" goes I'm on chapter 3 almost to chapter 4 on the rough draft.  This is a rough outline of something that was done in role play form and I've used the same people, but differently and used a different story line.  This is great, mostly because I can use some of what was already written. 

I'm also working on reading and critique reading the first couple chapters of Ash's story...

Alright, I'm off to bed, it's late, and I'm tired.

Readers Wanted

This is like an ad in a newspaper....

Critique partner wanted

Must be honest and want to read unpublished works and help work on them.

**Spelling helps, but knowing how to use spell check will work

**Nee to like Romance books, because that’s what they are

**Again, honesty is a must, I don't care if you hurt my feelings...I want them to be good!!

So do you know anyone who could do this with me I would be very happy. I will even read your works; I will help you, that's truly what I want!!! A partner!!


So, I am writing, I wrote some at work and I'm still trying to clean up what is typed already... it's the third revision of this start, one day I'll get past chapter 2!

So Far So good

Well, Monday was hard. I was home sick from work, but I did get the writing done. I wrote a total of 700 words. Not bad, considering I didn't even get out of bed till after noon.


What am I working on?? The W.I.P is titled "A Dating Bite" It's a story of a single mom who finds herself looking for daycare that has some special 'perks' for the sunlight challenged. I love the people in this book, Marie is kinda just like me and I see a lot of myself in Ava too. Putting yourself inside a book makes it hard, but it's also fun to do things you can only do in a book.




Today I am home again. I plan on writing today, even more than yesterday. Mostly because I want to get to the first big part of the book, that's where I've ended with the planning, and it will just be the "flow" taking over. I plan on keeping up better with my blog, because I hope that by the end of the year to be looking for an agent...here's to that!!!

New goals

So, goals are hard to deal with when life throws things at you. So you have school work or a full time job. You have homework, house work and people who depend on you, and not just the ones in your head.


So, most authors set goals, full time Authors have large goals like 3000 words a day. I've seen some who want to do even higher ones. Some who still have 'jobs' other than writing set smaller ones, but they still have a goal. I've seen some who go for the 3000 also.


I can't do that much. I have a full time job, two kids who have their own activities, T-ball for the boy and glam girl for the daughter. I also have a house to take care of and let's not forget relationships and relaxation to do.


So how do I fit in writing? I have found myself not writing, having trouble finishing what I have started and sometimes even getting going. That's when I had set a goal to finish a novel by the end of the year. That's right, the whole book will be finished before the end of 2010!


G
O
A
L
S
!
That's how I plan to do it. I plan to write at least 500 words a day. Why so little.... well, it was 1000, and I had trouble meeting it so far this year. I was struggling, fining it to be a punishment to write. Now how did I pick that goal?? I wanted to finish a book by the end of the year and wanted to have it edited. I looked that it would be 365000 words written by the end of the year, but it was too much.


My new goal is 500 a day, and it started this week. That leaves me 262 or so days left in the year. So by the end of the year I should have 131,000 words written. So that's the new goal, one that is easier to fit with in my life.


My challenge is for you to try it on too. If you have something that you want to complete, put a goal to it.

NaNo

So as NaNo comes close I'm planning on writing with AshNay working on our Teen Witches.... along with trying and finishing up some of my plotting for other books that have been waving at me from the back ground.


So how is that you plot? How is it that you come up and keep on track... I'm taking point from some of my favorite authors. Rachel V, she using post-it notes on a dry erase board. Alexis Morgan just let's it flow and some others use programs. ME? Heck when I figure it out I'll let you know which way works out. For Sapphire I just wrote, wrote and wrote. For Emerald I plotted a outline and than wrote. For demon Witch I actually used it as a role play which worked out great and than used that as a guide to write.


So as I sit at work with high calls and think of ideas I figured I would put a word or two here....


Hi Kortni!!!!

Writing or dodging

So what is it do you do when you want to write but life gets in the way.


Let's see, I've been working at BoA since June8th, Dating a great guy off and on about 6 months. Well we have decided to make it a serious relationship, so I'm a very VERY happy woman!


A and Z are in school, Z started Kinder and is doing good and A is in the 2nd! Wow, and I turned 29 back in July.


Writing is in some of the papers stacked on my desk both at home and work. I write lines when they come t me, print research when I can and write some of the web sites down to look at again.


So how do I fit writing in between 1. Full time job; 2. two kids; 3. New relationship; 4. house work/cooking and sleeping?


When you figure it out will you tell me?!!!!

They come out of no where

Yes, the ploting just comes out of no where.... Watching something on TV and it just pops in.


So Thanks to some pushing.... I've got two plots going.. but picking which point of view to go with, basically whose story is it.


Run down, it's FINALLY a mermaid story.... yes I've had this thing for mermaids since I was a kid... and I've written down several but this one... it's different... THANK YOU ASH!!! *yes you will be hearing about her allot, she's my critique partner!


So now I'm blogging about nothing... Personal life is interesting... yes I'm talking to a couple guys... but they each offer me something I need.... One is smart and keeps up with me for reading and writing... another is a music buff and can sing! One is rough neck and ex military... the other is just to sweet for his own good. What I need is a blender to mix them all together. Any one got a big one I can use?!


Alright... I'm off to read or write... not sure.

Where do you come up with these things?!

To be honest if I knew I would keep it secret, but I don't know....




What am I talking about? I am talking about where do you come up with your ideas? Well, see lately I can be watching something on the TV and I get an idea. Now I'm not pulling them from the movie, but some of them are like taking one idea from it and going around the block with it and it's a totally different thing!


Ok, for example. Take the movie about an American president who was not married (I can't remember the name), combine it with the one about the widowed president with a daughter...I did!


So I get a Widowed president that is dating.... ok, great, this gives you lots of places to run.. but what did I do?!!! HAHA funny thing you should think that, I sunk it in water and came up with a underwater democracy where the president is dating and has a daughter... yeah I know... I don't get it either.


Other than that what am I doing? Looking for a money job, trying to keep the kids from driving me crazy (school is closed b/c of pig flu), and still trying to adjust to my new life. So Hats off, and finger out... I'm good!




TTYS!

CON-Tastic!

Alright, so the title is corny...shoot me. I couldn't help it. So I attended ConDFW this weekend. This was the fist con I attend in my life, last year. It's a small Con, but seems to get some big names. Dallas has a large writing community, and I can say that the SCI/FI group is great. This is mostly geared towards them as far as genre. But, don't think that attending this will make me go SCI/FI, the panels are open to any genre, and I can use the information for my own usage.

Thinking of this Here are the guest of Honors: Jim Butcher and David Webber. I'll be honest. I have never read either one of them. Don't throw stones, remember I've only been reading for a year and a half. So that's allot of ground to cover. I'm a romance reader, and I dabble in others, but they normally have a romantic side to them. I did pick up Jim Butchers "Furies of Calderon", it's unopened, but I promised myself I would read it. My friend Michale was the one who told me that it would appeal to me the most. I was sad that I did not get to have it signed, but t here were sooooo many people in that line, and I was more interested in learning and getting back into inspiration.

Some of the panels I sat in on were: YA creative writing fiction, Aspiring Writers, World Building, How to start a story, Novels VS short story, Self Editing errors, Researching the reals, Fate of heroes, How to make a Villain. Those are just a few. I also sat in on a two hour Q&A with both Mr. and Mrs. Butcher. That was amazing!

Thinking of Mr. Butcher, I called him a Geek. It wasn't on purpose! I promise! I was sitting and some one happened to be talking about "Dungeon Masters" I am not a smart one on this and all I could remember are the geeky guys in school playing this game. You all know the guys, the ones who needed to learn how to interact with real life.... Well I was sitting there when it came up and I said "OH GOD! You're one of those geeks?!" We all laughed; a few minutes later we introduced our selves when he said "I'm geek, Jim Butcher." I think I died, at least I know I was red... He laughed more... but I was ok.

Here are some of the pearls that were dropped this weekend, most of these came from Mr. Jim Butcher, I found that after calling him a Geek that I needed to write down everything he said....

*"Dead lines are great for concentration, much like pain."Mr. Butcher

*"Think of your writing as Art, it's open to be seen. Some will like it, some will not, so who cares."

*"Make a goal to get 100 rejection letters, than make them into a frame for the 1 letter of agreement!"

*"It's not always the story that was rejected, it's the wrong time or place for that agent. Try again later."

*"Do not tie children in the basement to be your focus group. They need to be fed to much for you to write."-This was on the YA panel....

*"Tell the story like you are telling it, not trying to sell it."

*"Writers are like rats. You have to wear your fingers out on the keyboard or your fangs will grow through your head."-Mr. Butcher.

*"First lines may be the best in the world, but it can be cut."

*"The grab may get the Editor to read 2 pages, but if it sucks after that what was the point."

*"Use Librarians, we like it"-this was for research, I swear!

*"The more the real is real, the more the fantastical is believable."-this was said OVER AND OVER!

*"You start with your people, than create the world to torcher them!" Mr. Butcher

*MR. Butcher had a knack for quoting Mark Twain, "For every 1 magical you have you need 2 real world truths."

*And the one that was said the most. "Write what you read, you'll like it more."

Over all of the weekend I think the muse made her way around. I still didn't find a critique partner, but I did find some new friends! Thanks guys!

The path is clear, the time is right

Hello guys,

I am writing!!! YES, so it's not in the true format, it's still roleplaying, but this story has come from left field and hit a home run!!!!
Which one you ask? "Cover me" is the working idea I talked about. I'm writing it with my room mate, it's going great. We have even started to work on one of my other ideas for a YA series. That's right. One of the other pages of my note book are going to be comming to life!!!!

Alright, so that's about all there is for now, I will be child less this weekend, and plan on reading and writing alot. I might even work more on some actual manuscript work. Who knows! Hope you all have a good and safe weekend!

Imagination Prompter....

You know... you should all read Lynn Veihl's blog. She's got so much to say; and she says it ALL! Today she blogs about people not having anything to blog about. She gave this website that helps you... so I'm sharing it....

http://www.creativity-portal.com/prompts/imagination.prompt.html

This link offers you random topics and questions for you to ponder. So I've clicked it and here are some of my questions and what I said:

College taught you...
that Kool-aid is much better over 21!

Three people you adore are...
Autumn, Zachary and Marie

Do you work too hard?
yes so hard that I'm clicking on the next button and blogging!


So those are just a few, they are great. Some are longer and some are deep; but they are all fun, and help you write. The whole link is cool so keep checking it out.

Alright, on the writing front: My Suspense-Rom is working smoothly, my Demon Witch is also moving along. Emerald is dead. I am going to re-do some of Sapphire that will change how things go in Emerald so it's dead, scraps, FILE 13! (OK, I'll keep it but it's going to be redone ALLOT!)
I am still planning/plotting my Witches on Vacation and the Paranormal Pimping.

Reading side: I've finished Amanda Ashley's newest book-Night's Pleasure; gotten Alexis Morgan's new one-Darkness Unknown; Finished Veil of Midnight, Night Huntress and At Graves End all with in the last month. I know, I know not my normal time line, but heck I'm reading, just slower. My TBR pile is still quite thick, but I keep moving new books to the top. I'm hoping to get my PRIDE from Rachel Vincent soon so I can read that one... but I'll wait....

Alright I'm off for the night guys...

New Start

OK, so it's almost the end of the first month of the new year. My goals this year are to finish Emerald and at least 2 of the rough drafts I'm working on right now. I've figured I am going to share some of my ideas. Besides, you guys might like one of them and want to encourage me to work on that one. But first I'm still looking for a critique partner(s)! I have no idea where to find one, or more. I am going to ConDFW on February 20Th, so I hope to meet some new people there, and to get back in touch with some others. See this was the first Con I went to, EVER, so it been a year of my trials, and it's been a very bumpy ride so far.

Alright, so here are some of my ideas: (WIP's-work in progress)

Demon Witch-Sephone wanted adventure, excitement and romance when she set off for college. But she got boring classes, country living and guys who couldn't get over themselves long enough to notice she was something more than just pretty to look at. Sephone longed to know the past, and used it as her future, little did she know that digging up the past can cause things to change.
Sephone may think a great pair of heels can make a guy go gaga, but a pretty set of horns can get her more than she asked for.

A musing- Krissy is trying to use her talents with out her getting used. She's tired of having people use her for what she can do, so she sets out to make it work for her. Trying to save her own little section of the planet she is told that she has a bigger goal in life, and it's not just a gift she was given, but part of her life.

Element's of Passion- Alexandra (alley) figured turning 21 was going to be nothing at all, besides she had graduated college, had a job lined up, and a few guys to pick from. Little did she know that someone from her past, her mother, would be coming back to take her to her true path in life. Unknown creates and powers come to her and she's tossed to the world of Estillia, the home of the Fey.

Un-Cover me-Samantha's job was stretching her thin. Teacher all year, and agent during the summer. She was tired of it, and needed out. How can anyone have a life when you don't know which is your true life. Sent in as the pretty face she is tired of being underestimated, till she meets Greivin, a over the top smart guy who is tired of being the brains. These two set out on a whirled wind adventure to get what their government wants, but only to discover it's them.

Alright, so there you have it. Those are the current WIP! Kinda a wide range huh... well if you think that's allot go back and read my "IDEAS"...

What's in store for stories?

Alright, so I've been asked what kind of stuff can you guys expect from me if I do become a published Author. Well, here are some ideas that I haven't started working on...Remember they are ROUGH.

I-N-P(ideas in progress)

A ROM/Com series: this is kind of on my life. Children, daycare and the paranormal. So far I've got it planned for a 3 book set, but it could be longer.

A Paranormal/Fantasy: this may not be a romance, but it will have some in it. I'm thinking it's going to be a 3-5 book series and it will have the same feel of Jeannie Frost's Grave books... one hero/heroine love match that take longer than 1 book to hook up.

Pimping pride-this is set up as a 5 book arch. It's something I came up with at ConEstoga and I've been doing some plotting on. It's a cute idea, and will have lots of the paranormal in it.

Witches on Vacation-this is the idea of my friend being the characters. I've gotten them worked up now I'm plotting it out. So it will be 5 books, all on a new couple, where the others will still be there.

So there you have it, those are the ones I can think of... but there are notebooks more. I've just got to pick a couple out to start looking more into them...