I'm sad to say that I didn't win the contest or even qualify but I am happy with the paragraphs that were chosen. The writers who qualified had excellent paragraphs that made me want to begin reading. The winner of the contest was Emily Ryan-Davis. and her paragraph can be read here.
Congratulations to everyone who were nominated and also to the winner. It was well deserved.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
A few good links
Resources are always worth their weight in gold so I thought I would just add a few tonight. Not into writing too much. Again, my yahoo group has been started so if you would like to join, go to the yahoo link on the side bar.
Another great resource is
Pasic: This site offers some wonderful online writing courses. I took one in September and really enjoyed it. I am taking another in December and probably 4 or 5 in the new year.
A Woman's Write: Another great site that has contests and so much more. Check it out, even if your not a woman.
Preditors and Editors: A great place to look up publishers and editors and find out if they are considered a preditor or not.
Enjoy and hope they help.
Another great resource is
Pasic: This site offers some wonderful online writing courses. I took one in September and really enjoyed it. I am taking another in December and probably 4 or 5 in the new year.
A Woman's Write: Another great site that has contests and so much more. Check it out, even if your not a woman.
Preditors and Editors: A great place to look up publishers and editors and find out if they are considered a preditor or not.
Enjoy and hope they help.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Class last night
Had class last night and found it pretty boring. Usually I find it enjoyable because my instructor is very funny but he didn't seem to be in his usual mood.
I think my lack of enthusiasm was partly due to the fact that I was almost late. I hate being late and prefer to arrive about a half hour early. This gives me time to relax and get some much needed editing done to either an article or my novel. Last night was meant for the novel and I found myself racing over to FedEx and the bank before I could go to class.
I decided at class that I was going to stay up late and edit but I barely made the 45 minute drive home without falling asleep. I swear I saw a cougar run across the road but chopped it up to a sleepy mind and opened the window to let the cool air in.
The rest of the night was spent in a pity fest. Should I be a writer? Do I have the talent but lack the training or am I just lying to myself about the talent? It was a moot point and DH was helpful by pointing out the successes that I have already had. His favourite saying is, ":You can't expect it to come easy. I couldn't go and sculpt a miniature right from the start, it took years of training."
Sometimes I hate sculptors, especially when they are making sense. LOL. That is what my husband does by the way. He sculpts miniatures and it is a talent that I have no skill in. I am always amazed at how he can shape a ball of putty into a miniature. If I took a ball of putty, worked for weeks on it, I would have a dented ball of putty at the end.
His pep talked worked but I was a little upset with him that he wouldn't let me have my pity fest. I mean everyone deserves a pity fest now and then. I guess I will have to thank him by finishing his web page for him. Something I have been avoiding.
Well, have a great weekend and I'll probably chat some more tomorrow.
I think my lack of enthusiasm was partly due to the fact that I was almost late. I hate being late and prefer to arrive about a half hour early. This gives me time to relax and get some much needed editing done to either an article or my novel. Last night was meant for the novel and I found myself racing over to FedEx and the bank before I could go to class.
I decided at class that I was going to stay up late and edit but I barely made the 45 minute drive home without falling asleep. I swear I saw a cougar run across the road but chopped it up to a sleepy mind and opened the window to let the cool air in.
The rest of the night was spent in a pity fest. Should I be a writer? Do I have the talent but lack the training or am I just lying to myself about the talent? It was a moot point and DH was helpful by pointing out the successes that I have already had. His favourite saying is, ":You can't expect it to come easy. I couldn't go and sculpt a miniature right from the start, it took years of training."
Sometimes I hate sculptors, especially when they are making sense. LOL. That is what my husband does by the way. He sculpts miniatures and it is a talent that I have no skill in. I am always amazed at how he can shape a ball of putty into a miniature. If I took a ball of putty, worked for weeks on it, I would have a dented ball of putty at the end.
His pep talked worked but I was a little upset with him that he wouldn't let me have my pity fest. I mean everyone deserves a pity fest now and then. I guess I will have to thank him by finishing his web page for him. Something I have been avoiding.
Well, have a great weekend and I'll probably chat some more tomorrow.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
1st Paragraph Contest
I entered a 1st paragraph contest today. The contest was brought to my attention by a woman in my writing group, The Writing Mothers. I thought I would try and put in two entries. If you want to see them, go to the link and scroll through until you get to my name, Sirena.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Revisions
Working on revisions today for Lost Souls, which I am happy to say that I am on 32,000+ words revised several times. I am rewriting a chapter, not the first chapter to be rewritten and not the last.
When I started Lost Souls I just wrote without editing, now I am paying for that and I have had some major rewrites because of it. I took out a character that I loved only to have to rewrite him into it so that I didn't have to pull a god thing just to make him work. Now he works but every chapter that he was in has to be rewritten for the most part. This has made the revisions a long process but I am happier with the story than I was initially, which was very happy after it was first finished.
I will not be doing a book like this again. I think my next manuscript will be done chapter by chapter, write it, revise it and then move on. I will save the later revisions for the whole book but the first and probably 2nd revisions will be done right after I write a chapter. That way I don't have to rewrite so much.
Anyway, after I finished doing revisions for tonight, I decided to see what my word count was at so far. The grand total was 32,666. I wouldn't have been thrown by the last three numbers except the word that I ended on was hell. Ok, that's coincidental and a little eerie since that part of the book was during an intense scene and the book is a horror novel. So I decided to keep writing for a little while until I got closer to 33,000. I know, it's me being silly but that would have bothered me all night. Now I can relax and just go to bed without worrying over it.
I'm off to relax and then I want to get up early to work on the novel. My focus right now is the novel. That is my dream and I need to start pursuing it a little bit more than I have been. There is always an article to write, one where the pay comes in a lot faster and I tend to ignore the novel when the thought of a pay check is dangled before me. So no distractions for the rest of this week, except an hour each day spent job hunting, and I will be focused solely on Lost Souls at least when I am working.
When I started Lost Souls I just wrote without editing, now I am paying for that and I have had some major rewrites because of it. I took out a character that I loved only to have to rewrite him into it so that I didn't have to pull a god thing just to make him work. Now he works but every chapter that he was in has to be rewritten for the most part. This has made the revisions a long process but I am happier with the story than I was initially, which was very happy after it was first finished.
I will not be doing a book like this again. I think my next manuscript will be done chapter by chapter, write it, revise it and then move on. I will save the later revisions for the whole book but the first and probably 2nd revisions will be done right after I write a chapter. That way I don't have to rewrite so much.
Anyway, after I finished doing revisions for tonight, I decided to see what my word count was at so far. The grand total was 32,666. I wouldn't have been thrown by the last three numbers except the word that I ended on was hell. Ok, that's coincidental and a little eerie since that part of the book was during an intense scene and the book is a horror novel. So I decided to keep writing for a little while until I got closer to 33,000. I know, it's me being silly but that would have bothered me all night. Now I can relax and just go to bed without worrying over it.
I'm off to relax and then I want to get up early to work on the novel. My focus right now is the novel. That is my dream and I need to start pursuing it a little bit more than I have been. There is always an article to write, one where the pay comes in a lot faster and I tend to ignore the novel when the thought of a pay check is dangled before me. So no distractions for the rest of this week, except an hour each day spent job hunting, and I will be focused solely on Lost Souls at least when I am working.
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