Ramblings-n-Writings » novel progress

Reflecting on Goals

Kara_S — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:27:19 +0000

At the end of 2008, I posted three personal goals for 2009. Since we’re coming to the close of June, … Can you seriously believe June is almost gone and the year is half over? I can’t! … I want to evaluate where I am at with my goals. (See my 3-month follow up post here.)

Here’s my original goals…

I want to strengthen my business.
I want to organize.
I want to write my novel!

So, how am I doing?

Strengthening: I still feel like I’m doing okay in this area. As before, the income is sporadic (comes with the territory of freelancing). Right now, I have two projects I’m working on and four that I’ve given estimates for. While I would love for all four of those estimates to turn in to work, one in particular would be awesome. Pray that it comes through! In the meantime, I’m working on three very specific goals:

Goal #1: Advertising – In early June, I advertised my services in the state writers’ conference program – no hits yet from that, but I’m hoping! With our upcoming additional income (read: workers’ compensation settlement – WOOT!), I’m planning on some local advertising, primarily in a really awesome rural W.Va. publication called Two Lane Livin’ (great content, huge readership, reasonable rates – definitely works for me).
Goal #2: Web Site – While the Skala Creative site is celebrating its one year anniversary, I’m working towards developing a more dynamic site that will attract visitors and retain them. The main addition will be a blog with new and revolving content as well as a redesigned portfolio. (Shout out to Jared at Filament Pop for helping me re-develop the site! Thanks, Jared!)
Goal #3: Networking – So much of today’s freelance world involves networking via social media, which is great when you live out in the sticks. I have a personal goal of responding to 3-5 Twitter writer friends a day with the hopes of engaging in conversation. I also shamelessly self promote on Facebook and emails. And I’m trying to participate in the ACFW loops by responding to questions I feel fall in my area of knowledge.

Organizing: Still feeling good in this area! Other than staying aware of this need and not slacking, I’ve established my daily routine and am still lovin’ my iPod Touch. In the last half of the year, I need to work on organizing those awful stacks of papers that self-propogate overnight. Personally, I think it might be a lost cause.

Writing: While I’m excited about all my goals, writing is the one that I’m most excited about. I discovered the “loops” on the ACFW site and have learned tons just in the past two weeks. I can’t believe how much I was missing out on by not visiting the loops! And, here’s the best part concerning writing …

Last week, through a series of events, I felt like God finally gave me the “go ahead” to write the story on my heart. If you’ve been around Ramblings-n-Writings for awhile, you know that I’ve dabbled with writing a novel. However, I never had the peace I needed to devote a lot of time to writing. Over the past year, I’ve done research, thought of scenarios, dreamed about characters, and I’m finally ready to roll! I truly believe it will be a beautiful story in the end. Two specific goals…

Spend the next month (July) concentrating on writing and polishing with the intent of submitting to a contest in September. Again, not sure if it will work out since I just found out about the contest last week. Since the number of contest entrants is limited, I’m praying a spot will still be open when I’m ready to submit.
Attend ACFW Conference, September 17-20, in Denver, CO. I would LOVE to do this. Absolutely LOVE it. Not sure if the details will work out, but praying they will! Going to the conference could involve a potential cross country road trip for the Farmer and me. I’ve never been west of Chicago, so we’re tentatively planning on hitting up all the big sites in the western USA. And after about 6,000 miles, we’ll be back home.

Good things are happening here and I’m excited to see what the rest of 2009 holds. But, as always, when good things happen, the Devil attacks. For the last six months, it seems like we’ve been attacked constantly, one thing after another in every area – from family to finances to friends.

Through it all, I’m challenged each day to keep the proper attitude and perspective on life and to continue on doing what I know is right and acceptable in God’s eyes. The verse that comes to mind almost daily is Psalm 119:165 …

Great peace have they which love thy law:
and nothing shall offend them.

NaNoWriMo Update #1

Kara_S — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:24:00 +0000

Things are a little tough today in our house. We’re in the middle of another workers compensation crisis. At this point, I just want it to all be over. Almost five years of dealing with them is enough. But I don’t want to whine about that.

I really want to write about NaNoWriMo and my progress. Since I’m finding it hard to be excited about anything related to writing today (or anything else), I’ll just give you a quick summary…

Word count = 6,593 at the end of Wednesday. By midnight Saturday, I need 11,666 words to stay on target.

My real goal isn’t the word count, but to put my story on paper (read about my story here, here, here and here). Even if I fall short on words, I’ll be happy with my progress because it’s one step closer than I was last year.

In fact, I think I already passed last year’s count. Last November I didn’t have the peace I needed about pursuing a story, so I stopped after a couple of attempts. I started working towards NaNoWriMo 2008 back in the summer as I developed my plot and characters and even wrote some scenes. So this year is a different situation, if only life would stop interfering.

As far as my storyline, I’m finding spots where I need to do some more research and others where I need to work on developing a character better.

Besides NaNoWriMo, I’ve been reading some good books, so look for a couple of reviews in the next week or two.

Oh, and the really exciting news of the day…drum roll, please…we changed the type of filter in our whole house water filter! This is BIG news because before the change, our water pressure was a lot less and one load of laundry took over an hour. The water was soooo slow. Today…are you ready for this?…I did two loads of laundry in one hour! Yep, two loads in one hour! Totally exciting!!!

I’m off to start the third load…

Solving a Dilemma

Kara_S — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 01:14:00 +0000

So, how many words did I write last night? Um… Well, I had good intentions of cracking the whip and hashing out some details. But…

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been stumped about part of my story. I couldn’t write another word until I solved the problem. You see, I was missing the dilemma, what the character battles throughout the story.

My story goal is to write about immigration and detail a journey through Ellis Island, but other than a threat of deportation or sickness, I just couldn’t think of anything.

I needed something that would essentially turn my character’s world upside down. But I didn’t know what.

Discouragement set in because without my dilemma I didn’t have a story and I was failing. I truly believe that God called me to write this story. The best thing I can compare it to is a burden – my story is my burden. I have to carry it and see it through to the end. If not, well…I don’t want to think of that.

Just when I was ready to give up, the Lord proved Himself faithful.

I still smile 24 hours later when I think of how things fell in place. (And I also hit myself upside the head for being so daft and not figuring this out sooner.)

Last November I started a story with no preparation, no forethought. (I heard of NaNoWriMo about 2 days before it started, so I really didn’t have time pre-plan.) I worked on the story sporadically after November, but at that point, I didn’t have peace about writing.

Now, almost a full year later, God’s given me permission to use that story. With a little adaptation, it weaves perfectly with Oceans of Hope. *sigh* God is good. =)

Making Time

Kara_S — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:16:00 +0000

I’ve been caught up in doing “things” the past couple of days. I really want to clear my desk of as much as possible before November. NaNoWriMo starts then, remember?

I think I’m making good progress. Except that I haven’t stepped foot in my office today. Is that a bad thing?

Actually, I did venture into the office while searching for one MIA kitten. The little female races out of the mud room as soon as the door opens. She’s a sweetie. I would love to keep her, but DH says I have to find homes for the two outside farm cats first. Sigh.

We brought the kittens inside last weekend since our nighttime temperatures took a dramatic plunge to 25-27 degrees. The days warm up nicely to the low 60s, but I think 20s is a little too cold for young kittens.

So, they come in during the early evening, learn all about the litter pan, and go outside in the late morning. They seem to like the routine. All three get an A+ for litter training too! Yay!

With the 25-27 degree temps, we wake up to a hard frost every morning. Needless to say, my flower garden is history. Thankfully, I planted all of the perennials my mom brought me just in time.

But I digress from my purpose. I’ve been working so hard to get “things” in order that I’ve neglected my writing. About an hour ago, I decided to take a break from everything tonight – no working (real job), no dinner, no cleanup, no nothing. Just me and my creativity.

We’re ordering a pizza, and I’m sitting down with my writing to write the next bestseller. *grin* I’m excited! I’ll let you know about the progress tomorrow.

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” ~ Charles Bixton

WIP: "Uncertain" Changes Name

Kara_S — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:13:00 +0000

I’m making slow, but steady, progress on my WIP. The first major change is a new title. I’ve been calling it “Uncertain” partly because I knew my character was uncertain about her new life in America and partly because I was uncertain of the title. Now that I have a better idea of my story, I’ve settled on a new title – “Oceans of Hope,” symbolic of the ocean crossing and the hope an immigrant carries.

I’ve written slightly under 6,000 words so far or about 5% of a hopefully completed manuscript. =) However, what I have is somewhat disjointed. I have a collection of conversations between my characters in little snippets. I need to go back and add descriptions and the meat of the scenes.

When I write, I feel the necessity of recording what’s happening on the “movie screen” of my mind. I see the characters and hear what they say. It’s almost like writing down a dream. My goal is to get the “meat” of the scene on paper and add the props (specific details) later.

I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to work on “Oceans of Hope” or even blog in the next week. Between now and next Thursday, we have two doctor and two orthopedist appointments scheduled. Not too bad except by the end of the week we’ll have traveled about 450 miles just going to and from the appointments. I’m cringing to think of the dent that gas will put in our budget. Hopefully prices will drop soon!

Article to Read: Character Development

Kara_S — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:18:00 +0000

I read a great article, The Story Crucible, on character development in fiction writing. The author, Camy Tang, blogs here and here.

According to Camy, the crucible is that thing that keeps our main character in trouble. The crucible is the main reason why characters make certain choices throughout the story. In a sense, I guess it’s like the overall motivation behind the character, but it’s a motivation the character can’t control. (Bet that made a lot of sense, huh? Camy explains it a lot better with her examples!)

After reading the article, I realized I need to work on developing my characters’ “crucible” a little better and making sure they are clearly defined. I’ll post an update on my writing progress tomorrow!

WIP: "Uncertain" Takes Shape

Kara_S — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:15:00 +0000

I was chatting with an old friend the other day and I was telling her about my story idea. She is nearing the completion of a manuscript and asked if I had thought of a title yet for my story. Um…not really. I remember having this really awesome title idea float through my mind at some point, but silly me didn’t write it down. Yep, you’re right, I don’t remember it.

So I admitted that I hadn’t thought of any titles. She’s trying to decide between three possibilities for her story. I would say that I’m jealous but she’s much more advanced with her story than I am so I guess she deserves to have three.

Then I sat down to write an update and share what I’ve learned so far, and I realized that it would be so cool to have a working title, something better than WIP (work in progress).

What pops into my head? “Uncertain.” You know, like I can’t make up my mind or don’t have a clue? It sounds a little strange, but I kind of like it. As I think about it, I see my character as being uncertain – she’s leaving her home, coming to a new life, is faced with decisions etc. For now, I think “Uncertain” might work.

How much did I accomplish during the past week? Well, there’s the title that I just thought of so I guess that counts. =) Basically I’ve had my nose buried in books and online resources trying to learn as much as possible.

I did narrow down my time period considerably. I was having a horrible time deciding whether to work with the 1910s (pre World War I) or 1920s (post World War I). Without knowing which time frame to work with, it was difficult to focus my research. How did I narrow it down? While doing research to answer some basic questions, I discovered an event that happened on Ellis Island that I instantly knew my character had to be a part of. The event will add a useful twist to the storyline in addition to some historical detail.

In studying about immigrant ships and Ellis Island, I realized that in order for my character to travel 2nd class and still go through Ellis Island, I’ll have to develop a dilemma that will put her there. Second class travelers were screened on board the ship by immigration officials with the travelers only going through Ellis Island if a special inquiry or an illness required it. There’s also a few other details I need to figure out – for example, if a young child is sick, does the parent accompany them to the hospital at Ellis Island?

At this point, I’m happy with my progress. I’m thoroughly enjoying the research and having my story idea percolate in my mind. I think that by the time NaNoWriMo comes around this year, I’ll be prepared to participate!

Expounding on Family Tree Treasures

Kara_S — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:16:00 +0000

I mentioned before that I’ve been spending quite a bit of time studying my family tree and that the history I am learning has prompted story ideas. I promised to tell you a little about those ideas…

On both sides of my tree, I have relatives that immigrated to America. My father’s side came in the 1700s mainly from an area that is now part of Germany and they settled in Pennsylvania.

My mother’s side came much later in the early 1900s. Her father came over in the 1930s from Czechoslovakia, and her mother’s parents came sometime before 1918 (my grandmother was born in America). In the years preceding my grandfather’s arrival, various other relatives, mainly his aunts and uncles, immigrated too.

As I work on finding documents and other interesting facts about those who came from Slovakia, I’ve been wondering what it must have been like to leave everything you know and cross the ocean.

So, if you put all that together, one of my main characters will leave Slovakia to come to America. She is given the responsibility of caring for a young child and delivering that child to her father upon arrival in America. They’re able to travel 2nd class on the ship, but are detained during the immigration process. (To me, the idea of traveling 3rd class (steerage) is over done, probably because of the Titanic.)

Another idea includes a sparking romance between the child’s father and the main character. I’m also considering some type of suspense – theft, murder, mistaken identity – or something like that onboard the ship with the consequences following the main character once she leaves the boat.

As I’m developing my ideas, I have a few questions for you. You can leave your answer in the comments or send me an email (kara at skalacreative dot com – insert the appropriate symbols)
1. Have you read any novels about the life of an immigrant? If so, what were the titles? What did you think of the novels?
2. Besides homesickness, what other emotional struggles do you think the main character would have?
3. In your opinion, what would make for a good conflict onboard the ship?

Thanks for taking the time to help me out! =)

Do You Listen to Music?

Kara_S — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:14:00 +0000

I just finished reading Jenkins’ Writing for the Soul and one tidbit that I found interesting is that he tends to not write with music playing. His reason is that he finds himself singing along and not concentrating 100% on his writing. Out of curiosity (side note: I prefer the British spelling of curiousity), what is your preference? Do you write / edit with music playing in the background? If so, what music do you prefer? Do you believe music inspires you or aids in your concentration?

I find that I do concentrate better when I listen to music and have that constant steady noise. Realize that I live on a farm so at any given moment a rooster will crow, a tractor drives by, a tiller runs in the garden, a guinea lets out a yell, a dog barks etc. All of which can startle me out of my concentration. However, when music is playing I tune part of my hearing to the music and tend to miss the every day noises.

My preference as far as music choice is definitely instrumental, either classical (orchestral) or sacred with classical stylings. I’m currently ripping some CDs onto my laptop as I write so that I can create my own playlists depending on my mood and work.

My three favorite artists to listen to are James Galway (flute), Eugene Albulescu (pianist), and Joshua Bell (violin). I have an abundance of Galway music, probably because I’m a flutist and when I study a piece of music I like to hear the piece performed. Plus hearing flute music releases a certain amount of tension in my body similar to what happens when I play. I only have one of Bell’s CDs although I want to find some more. His “Romance of the Violin” is unbelievably beautiful. I also have one CD of Albulescu – “Albulescu Plays Liszt” – and I could listen to it for hours. If you aren’t into classical or piano music, I don’t recommend the CD because it is what I call heavy piano music. At times I think he may be playing all 88 keys at once!

Another favorite CD is “Character Building Classics” that mixes old hymns with classical favorites. I also enjoy “With My Song I Will Praise Thee” and a couple of others that I can’t remember the title of and I’m too lazy to get up and find.

Writer’s Note: This whole post was prompted by my discovery tonight that the headphones I use for my digital piano also fit my laptop! All I had to do was take the adapter plug off. Now I can be in the same room as my DH while he’s watching TV, and I won’t be distracted by what’s happening on TV. I’ll be wrapped up in my world of blogging / writing / editing listening to my music! I love it! Of course, my discovery made me wonder what others prefer.

Do you listen to music while you write / edit? If so, what style of music is your preference? Do you believe music inspires you or aids in your concentration?

Plodding: An Editing Journey

Kara_S — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 04:46:00 +0000

I recently mentioned that I was heavily involved with my current WIP. I still am. I got to the point where I had to take a break. My mind is simply tired. The mental activity involved in editing exhausts me to point that it feels like I run a marathon at times. My deadline was self-imposed so I won’t feel too awful if I miss it by a little bit.

If you are a writer, do you ever wonder what it would be like to be an editor or what it is like on the other side of the desk? While I would love to be a writer, I know I am an editor at heart. Editing is my God-given talent. I don’t say that to sound pompous, but it comes naturally to me just how playing a piano comes naturally to some. Writing takes effort for me, probably because I can’t simply write a sentence. I have to backspace, rewrite, delete, evaluate for grammar, write again before going to the next sentence. I’m one of those people that has to have everything close to perfection before moving on.

Somewhere, and I have no clue where, I came across “categories” for writers. Some writers are plodders, some writers are sprinters, and some writers are something in the middle that I can’t remember what it’s called. I’m a plodder. I take my time. Once I finish an article or whatever I’m working on, it rarely has to be overhauled. Everything is in its proper spot and a quick once-over to catch the minor problems makes everything good. A plodder is a writer who will take about an hour to write a 250 word article and spend about 5 minutes revising it. The sprinter is the complete opposite. They want to see the finished product. They don’t care if they make mistakes; they just want the story to get on the page. The sprinter will spend 5 minutes writing the 250 words and an hour revising. They are the people that go through multiple revisions before coming to a finished product. And the writer in the middle that I can’t remember is one who is the ideal writer. The one who writes a draft, revises it, all in equal sections of time. Anyway, all of that is to say that I am a plodder when it comes to writing.

Back to editing… At any given point while working with a manuscript, I have three things running through my head, often simultaneously. First, the actual words on the page. My husband thinks I’m nuts, but I often read the manuscript aloud. This, of course, gives him the right to say that his wife talks to herself. =) I read sentences, paragraphs, sometimes whole chapters this way so I can “hear” the grammar, the flow of words. Believe it or not, I pick up on quite a few word order problems and some other things by reading aloud. At the same time my brain is processing the words, my eyes are looking for punctuation errors, misspellings and the like. Some proofreaders will actually see a comma and say “comma” but I don’t go that far – my DH would send me off to the loony bin for sure! The third thing happening is a constant lookout for logic problems, repetition, inconsistencies, ways to improve, and anything else. Each issue that is found, whether minor like a missing comma or major like repetition, has to be marked, corrected or rewritten. A rewrite requires careful attention to the author’s voice and style so the correction doesn’t stand out as written by someone else. Then the process continues on. At no point do I simply read the manuscript; no matter what stage the manuscript is in, the process is always the same.

The other day I had what turned out to be an amusing thought. I really wanted to get through the final stage and finish with this project. (Who wouldn’t since it’s been lurking around in its various stages for about six months?) So, I thought to myself, “If I can read a 300-page novel in a couple of hours, why can’t I read a 250-page manuscript the same way? Surely, I can have this whole thing done in 3-4 hours if I’m not interrupted.” I sat down with my stack of pages and proceeded to think I would be done by dinnertime. HA! In the time frame of 3-4 hours with almost no interruptions, I completed about 50 pages.

Editing is a slow, tedious process. Perhaps slower than writing. Mentally, it is exhausting. But in the end, it is equally rewarding to writing when I get to hold that printed, bound manuscript that I shared in creating. =)