Draft 2 & news

Completed.
I picked up quite a few mistakes and a couple of others were pointed out to me. With my overuse of certain words and the rewriting to allow the sentences to be formed without the use of those words well my word count jumped up by about 4000.
I also tried to show the story instead of tell the story but how successful I have been remains to be seen.

I have had a blow to my system which has led to discord in the household.
My dad has to go in for tests to see if he has cancer, there is a good chance (I am willing it to be so) that it is a benign growth but even hearing the dreaded word makes me tense.
Now my partner hates my parents (lots of history) and I don't expect sympathy for my dad from him what would have been nice is "How are you?"
I got nothing and decided not to worry about it but I must have been quiet for DH pursued it.
When I tried to tell him I didn't care about how he felt for my dad but I would need his support over the next few weeks I must have worded it wrong as he took offence "so now its all my fault" and hasn't spoken to me since.
I was stung by this comment because it wasn't about him and how he felt about my dad it was about me and how I felt about my dad being sick.
Aargh I should have just stuck to my guns and not said anything.

Anyway today has been a loss for writing. I am putting aside the story once again so that I can look at it with fresh eyes in a couple of days and who knows may even end up adding another 4000 words.
I would like to get back to my other stories in the works so tomorrow I am going to haul out one of them and take a better look at it and see if I can get in the rhythm. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are my best chance at writing and I wasted one today although it may have given me an idea for a story. Life is like that with me something happens and I think about a story from it.

To pen name or no to pen name

I really am wrestling with this.
What do I call myself? Do I get a choice?
Is it worth the effort, will it just be a cover or DEEP cover?
The thing is I write in 2 totally different areas and I don't want to have them mixed up. I mean Bronwen romance writer is different from Bronwen children's author.
I don't want to be written off as a children's author because I write romance novels .... I know it shouldn't happen but it does people don't seem to believe you can mix the two.
And if I do take on the pen name should I just have it as a cover or should I really try and seperate the two?

Hmmm questions questions I am going to have to find out what others do and decide from there.

Tagged

10 random things about me.

hmmm

1. I love frangipannis really love frangipannis with gardenias a close second.

2. I have odd pets rats, snakes and lizards along with the traditional, cats, dogs, birds, fish

3. I have an exceptional memory (not photographic) especially for useless facts.

4. I believe in magic, not abra cadabra stuff but stronger.

5. I wanted to be a vet until I discovered it meant putting down animals that weren't sick

6. I love forensics, loved it before it was popular

7. I am a scanner until I read her book Refuse to Choose I felt like a failure.

8. I do not know HTML but can make changes I need to in any programme to get the view I want.

9. I am strange, to the point my mother calls me eccentric. If you knew my mother you would know what a master of understatement she is.

10. I am odd handed. I am not quite ambidextrous. I write right handed 99.9% of the time BUT I do other things left handed that would normally be right handed. Sometimes I have to sit and think if I am doing a new task to see which hand I have to use.
It got me into trouble at my first job. They showed me a task right handed and I could not do it. After a week of tears and frustration and abuse, I changed hands and did it straight away. Needless to say I didn't stay in that job long.

I don't know many people and the ones I do tagged me LOL so who ever reads this let me know.

An exercise

I ended up not finishing the cinderella exercise I want to but I have been side tracked as it could end up quite lengthy.

Danielle started another one in regards to a port-a-potty I set the timer for 10 minutes and managed to do a little although many interruptions just halt the flow

Anyway her is my effort unedited

I can’t believe it! Of all the rotten luck I am stuck in a port-a-potty. What was I thinking trying to avoid the red tape I needed to go through to see Mr. Dale?

Actually I knew exactly why I was trying to avoid the red tape, I had been waiting weeks to see the infamous Mr. Dale and I had almost started to believe he wasn’t real. Phone calls, security checks, rescheduling appointments for crying out loud he wasn’t the pope!

I slapped at an annoying mosquito, great I was not only going to be trapped in here for a weekend I was going to be eaten alive. Well at lease I wasn’t going to suffocate if I mosquito could get in so could air.

How long could I go without food or water?

I looked into the bowl but retched at the thought of drinking that poison, I would rather die.

I sat down on the seat and started kicking trying to push as hard as I could against the door. There wasn’t much point as far as I could tell my loo face against a wall or something.

The plan had seemed so easy. Mr Dale was meant to be at his site today and they were setting it up for the workers to come in. I had slipped into a potty and taken a ride. When they had moved the potty I thought I could just walk straight out but the door wouldn’t open. It felt jammed against something else.

I gave it one last vicious thump and started to curse under my breath. I heard a voice outside “Hello?”

Oh thank god! I jumped up again and started yelling and thumping on the sides of the pot “Here I’m in here”

½ an hour later I was standing sheepishly in the dusk with a group of men snickering at me. One even had his phone taking pictures.

She has another exercise posted and I will most likely try and give it a go. Why not the brain needs to be stimulated.

Where do you write?

I got myself a laptop to allow for convenience of typing. I wanted to be able to pick it up and do this whenever I wished. The laptop allows me the freedom.
My laptop has not been internet enables it lies there waiting to be released but I know what I am like and refuse to put it on at this stage.
I do believe one day I will have internet on my laptop but not yet I am just too much of a junkie.

I digress.

Anyway this thought of being able to type anywhere at anytime is tougher then I thought. I like to type snuggled in my bedroom curled up on my bed. Most likely leading to all sorts of problems with posture and RSI but I DON'T care.

I am comfortable and able to concentrate more in this room.

I figured out why the other day. The room isn't a busy room, calm colours very little on the walls, very little clutter. The room doesn't lead to anywhere else in the house and I can stop the kids running through it.

It is my space and always has been (hubby just sleeps there LOL) so it works for me.

Where do you write?

Talking of umbrellas, my word count has increased while revising my story, limiting the use of my favourite words has forced me to rethink sentences and dig deep into the vocabulary that does reside somewhere in my mind.

I have settled into revising and am enjoying padding things out and reorganising other bits. Trying to get sentences to flow without it being stilted is a challenge but one I intend to rise to and overcome.

I also lost some of my inhibitions and added descriptions so hopefully that will entice the reader more.

Woohoo.

Revising part 2

What an absolute eye opener.
I printed it out, started reading confident that it wouldn't be too bad.
1st chapter one million red lines and notes later I hop back on the laptop and start rewriting.
First chapter mind.

I am not being too harsh I just didn't realise how much detail can be left out, when you think it's all in there. I didn't know that I was such a fan of the following "and", "then" followed by my favourite "and then".

I have also been informed that thoughts should be in italics. I always thought this is what ' ' were for. Where is the secret little handbook that I am missing? What other little things should I know?
I want to write, I want to be be published why is it looking scarier by the moment?

The rose glasses are coming off and reality has decided to take up residence.

So tell me why do we do this to ourselves? Why does this wake up call make me just dig in harder wanting it more?

I'm a writer, a wordsmith and there is nothing that can be done to change it.

So I will pull down my visor, tilt my lance and charge at windmills.

Revising

Revising is painful. Truly gut wrenching as whole sections get replaced. My word count has gone up which makes me happy but the detail I missed the first time round annoys me. Why didn't I do the descriptions properly?
An answer that is really easy, in my mind I see everything, I dream it I am aware of it and as I write I forget my reader isn't in my head and the descriptions are needed.
So I am going back and glaring at it.

Pen names and hiding your writing

A question or two
Do you or will you write with a pen name?
Are you dead set against anyone finding out your write with a pen name if you write under different names or is it more of a convenience for you, to keep your "lives" separate?
I am debating about pen names. I think I will have one for one area of writing but not for another. I just don't know.

Do you hide your writing?

I do. The idea of my young impressionable girls getting mixed up in a spicy paranormal sex scene well, I just don't think they are ready for it even if Miss9.5 disagrees with me.
'Oh but muuuum'
No you will not read it

I have taken to closing the laptop when she is around and I am in a certain seat, its password protected and I know she won't get in. Not even she is that good.
But I have to be aware if I sit in the wrong seat I have found her trying to sneak a peek over my shoulder. Snap the laptop is closed and one child stalks off muttering under her breath.

At that point I realise just how much she is like me and know that I am in big trouble.

I am going to start editing my novella today. I think it will be having a major overhaul. What is the name of this story you may ask I have NO IDEA. How sad is that? The name I gave it just doesn't sit right with it at all. So I will refer to it as Stephen and Kayla S & K for short.

Why does it need a major overhaul I think I am telling the story rather then showing it. This will take some effort to correct on my behalf. SO today I will be wielding the red pen and noting things.

Why?

Walking around a shopping centre today with my daughter I received a comment. My daughter who is 6 was very excited and jiggling around and doing a little dance on the spot. Her hips were swinging side to side with anticipation of what was going on.
She accidentally bumped into a woman who almost trod on her and stepped awkwardly almost falling over. This woman spun on her and said "If you weren't so busy wiggling your bottom LIKE THAT it would never have happened"
The tone implied that the wiggling of her bottom was disgusting in some manner.
The life drained out of my daughter.
Now under normal circumstances I would have made a comment to the woman who hurt my daughter so.
Normally I would have defended her right to move around, maybe asked her to tone it down a little so she didn't get in anyone's way.
But I didn't say anything,
Now why didn't I say anything?
Because it was my mother, and although she doesn't control me quite like she used to I still feel awkward and useless around her.
And now not only am I mad at myself for letting her get away with it. The comment she made will ring in my ears every time my sweet little girl does this dance.
We all have one I am sure, one person in our lives that we allow to have power over us although we shouldn't. Why do we let this happen? Why do we do it to ourselves?
I live over 1200km away from her and even then sometimes that is too close.
I love you mum but get off my back and don't hurt my kids because you won't like the end result.

Anyone brave enough to stand with me while I say it?

An exercise in writing

Reading here has pushed me into a different mood. I have visitors at present and I am just not in the mood to write my book. This could be light hearted and fun.
We'll see how I go and I'll post it later.

I'm Alive

or more accurately She Survives.
IT appears to be a 12 hour thingy going around now I just hope that it misses the rest of the house hold. I haven't eaten in since tea time Thursday night so I appear to be on a crash diet not one I would advise anyone to go on.
I suspect once it is ok to eat my body will let me know.
Now its a toss up
Rest
or
Write
I want to write but I am still foggy and suspect all that I write will be tossed out the window. As it is the automatic spell checker I have is having a field day.

pfft who cares
Hi ho Hi ho it's off to write I go......

Double Ick

Question: What is even more unromantic then your child making friends with the loo?

Answer: When you are making friends with the loo.


Seeya when I feel better

Way Hey

Man the past 10 days disappeared.
I found myself writing and didn't shift out of the groove until the story I was writing finished. It was an odd feeling because my first novel turned into a novella and I am not sure whether it will change or not.
The story moves along nicely and I think if I tried to add more then it may drag it out too far. I have sent it out to a group I trust to critique it and one came back with compliments on it and that it really had moved her.
She liked the fact that the past was explained but not lingered over too much and slotted into the right spots.
I was happy with her review but it is only one. I haven't looked at it although I printed it out.
I will give it to the end of the week and then I will sit down with pen in hand and start revising. I already know there is a part that needs tweaking but I will not touch it until I have had the break from it.
Was I disappointed that the novel turned into a novella. Maybe at first and then as I got to know people I learned there is a while world of successful novella authors out there and publishers. So I take heart from that and I take heart that I am writing. I am getting something onto (virtual) paper.
On anther front I submitted a short story to a critique group and after some interesting critiques the story is back on the drawing board having a major make over. Nothing wrong with the story premise and the idea but how I wrote it was all wrong.
So in the next little while I will look at it again.
My first reaction when I was told it wouldn't work was "That can't be right it will only work that way."
Then when I went back and had another look I realised it would work the way it was suggested to me. I was really happy that I was able to look at it and overcome my denial.
I have another book in the works right now I already know this one will be longer, I don't know how much longer but it will be longer.
Unlike the first one which is vampire this one is werewolf.
I have another one in the works that is just waiting for me to step back into it. It is an interesting one so we will see how it turns out.

My poor dear daughter is ill today and I only managed about 300 words. I know I can normally type about 2000 words in 2 hours today though what with my girl down I haven't been in the groove. The vomiting interruptions is just a killer for passion, can anyone tell me why that is?

Oh John she murmured as he touched his lips to her
(blurgh sound of vomit hitting toilet.)

his kisses trailed across her face
(Mum how do I get the taste of spew out of my mouth? Toothpaste dear lots of it)

his tongue swept the inside of her mouth..... meanwhile images of vomit and vomit breath is on my mind.
ICK
not a chance.

Hope your day is vomit free.

Annoyance

I am a little disappointed. I contacted my local writing groups and although they sound like lovely people I don't think they are what I am after.
The words hobbyist kept cropping up with distressing frequency, as did the comment we doubt we will get published or something along those lines.
Not what I want to hear. I want support and critiquing and the rest of it.
So hopefully my membership to the RWA will come through soon.
I am a serious writer. I will be published. I do not want to deviate from the path at all and I do not need to be with people that don't have the same mind set.

Best laid Plans

of mice and men often go awry.
So here I was today, ready to clean house and settle down to some serious writing.

{{{RING}}}

Hello?

HI Bronwen This is John I was wondering whether you can work today?

Uh sure John what time do you want me to start? (me thinking later on in the day)

Now.

Oh shoot give me some time to find a baby sitter, I'll be there as soon as I can (why did I say yes?)

That'll be good.

So here I am racing to find a sitter, get ready for work and do a few minutes of house work so it isn't a total disaster.

That said, I did manage to get writing done today. I am 2000 words short on the 8000 word target I set myself this week but it will need to be reevaluated because as of next week I am working more regularly. Shoot there goes that lovely timetable I did up.

Just throw it in the bin as I have no idea how I will manage it.

If Kyle goes to work early I may be able to slip some time in, I may also be able to slip time in after return from work and the girls get home and maybe I can push things around in the evening and steal a little more time. I would like 2 hours to write in 2 hours I seem to be able to punch out 2000 words. Maybe not brilliantly but as a first draft it will do.
I can edit and polish it later.
I do have to admit I love being able to add scenes when I realise I have missed something. I just go to where I need it and add it in.
These are important parts to the story not little things but stuff that has to be included otherwise the story won't make any sense.

SO the word count is over 9000 now not too bad not too bad at all

9,408 / 70,000 (13.4%)