Musings of Colorado, Writing and a Gown

From a foot of snow on Tuesday to sunshine and 45 degrees, I'm loving everything about Colorado today.  Here's the view from my front window.

This week has gone by so quickly, but I've been able to write every day. I'm not entirely satisfied with the excerpts I have been posting from my Out of Focus book. But the deadline is helping me to finish a chapter at a time. And it is coming along better than when I give myself a deadline and then fail to meet it. Any comments on it would be greatly appreciated.

Below is another gown that my daughter made for me. It goes along with my Regency book. And yes, I'm still editing it. My sister/editor has given me a March 1st deadline, and so I'm reading every line and making sure each one reveals something or I'm cutting it. With 114,773 words, it is in desperate need of losing a few words here and there.    

Gown and Writing

In looking through the gowns my daughter made for me, these are my favorites. Along with the one below.

Looking for test readers for my book. My sister/editor thought since I had already used the pool of my other sisters, maybe my nieces would read it. So I approached one and it is in her hands (computer) as we speak. Looking for a couple more nieces to read it. The problem is that the nieces that are not in college, work alot. So I hate to ask. I'll keep you updated.

Getting ready for London trip and writing

Had a wonderful Christmas. Christmas Eve was celebrated at my brother and sister-in-law's home. Then Christmas Day at my husband's brother's home. That night we celebrated Christmas at our home with our daughters, one son-in-law, and two sons. So very nice and there was even snow falling that evening.

My daughter, Bailey gave me The Jane Austen Handbook. It has been so fun to read.

So onto writing. Since I've finished my first book and sent it into a contest, my mind has been wandering onto re-writing my next book. My trip with my sister to London is in two weeks and I am excited to see all the historical places that I've been writing about. I feel that once I am there, I will be able to get the feel of the place and put my characters right into the places we visit. 

Beautiful day gown that my daughter, Jordan made for me.

A gown and a story

Merry Christmas!  I'm back from a break. I wrenched my elbow last week and then couldn't sleep from the pain. After a few hours in the Emergency Room was told I had a fractured elbow. I was put in a splint and given pain medicine. The medicine didn't touch the pain so I was back in the Emergency Room that night hoping for some relief. More pain pills again but it also had no effect. Took some Advil and that seemed to help more than anything else.

My whole family pitched in and did all the things that I usually do. Now after a week, I can move my arm again. No lifting just yet. But mobility. Yeah!!  A Christmas Miracle!!!



I have not written or thought about writing this whole week.

So anyone that comes across my ramblings  Merry Christmas and to a Happy New Year.

Contest

After a rush of revising and changing the final scenes to be realistic, I sent my book off to the contest. It seems in my haste to get the book in the right format, in the right category and before the deadline, I inadvertently signed up to be a judge. I am not sure what I will be asked to do, but it looks like I have a lot of reading ahead of me.

I thought this gown would be wonderful for a dinner with friends. I love the leaf pattern on the hem, sleeves, high waist and neckline. Plus who doesn't love pleats. They are wonderful to look at and elegant to wear. 

Thanksgiving, edits and gowns

Yeah!!! Got through Thanksgiving. Talked to so many relatives. My brother and his two kids made it to my sister's Thanksgiving gathering from California. It was so nice to see him and talk to him.

But there is always sadness when you meet with 100's of people between my husband's and my family. A nephew's baby was lost before term and another nephew's coworker died earlier this week. Some of the younger generation had to work on Thanksgiving and some of our in-laws stayed home sick. Those in college are gearing up to finals and some in high school are getting ready to or have just gotten their driving licenses.

Now back to writing. The contest looms and I find myself going over and over every page, hoping it makes more sense than the last time I read it. I don't know. I just don't know. But I have the last four chapters to go over before this weekend is out. Then I need to convert it to a PDF and send it off by next Thursday. Friday at the latest.    

Contest looms

Two weeks until the contest and my last chapter needs reworking. It seems in my excitement to finish the book, I forgot that in order for it to be a good book, it must have an amazing ending. The action needs to tie up each story line. But I made it a summary instead of a story.

Ahhhh!!!! Back to working on it day and night.

It has been so cold. I think it was 1 degree overnight and a high todayof 14. Not looking forward to it. However, hope is on the horizon, it might reach up to 45 degrees later in the week, yeah!!

Gearing up for Thanksgiving. In a family of mom and dad, seven siblings and all of our husbands and wives, add to that our kids, two son-in-laws,and a few friends, it gets a little chaotic.

I like to bake and enjoy preparing for Thanksgiving.  I like the day and visiting with so many people. But I dread the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hate running around trying to find gifts. What do you give people who have everything? What do you give to
those who have nothing?

Plans for London, contest and editing

Reading and editing 20 chapters is exhausting. I believe I have read over 500 pages this last week. But the contest looms, and I sure would like it to be the best that it can be.

I feel when I go through it and find nothing to change. No rocky parts that are hard to understand or boring parts that I want to skip through only then will it be done.

My editor was quite encouraging this week. She found the plot twists interesting and the storyline working. Yeah!!

Between editing and working, life is full. My sister and I have decided that one of the days we are in London in January, we will take the tunnel to France. So I am trying to figure that all out. We will be taking the bus to tour London and so I have heard that you can buy a pass or ticket that allows you on every train and bus. Now all I have to do is search the internet for such a thing.

Does anyone out there know anything about it?  

Jane Austen movies, day gown, and writing

Watched Pride and Prejudice this weekend. The 6 hour version from the 1995 British Television Program with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, and the movie version with Keira Knightley from 2005. Both were wonderful.

So since I was on a roll thought I would try and watch the British Television Program for Persuasion, my all-time favorite book from Jane Austen. Perhaps, it is because there is so many intricate stories that make up the whole story that caused the program to fall flat.

Or it could be because I know every detail of the book and feel not one iota of it should be changed. But it was not to my liking. I have resisted watching any versions of it due to the above reasons and I see now that I was correct to do so.

Back to my writing adventure. There is only 7 weeks until the contest deadline. Everyday I work on two or three chapters. Every week, my editor asks questions like - Are you sure a Navy battle would have shrapnel injuries.

Researching has been so much easier to do with the internet. I should try to verify what I read in a couple of places but time has me finding what I need to know and moving on. 

Reading, Writing and a day gown

Reading, reading, reading. 367 pages, 104,022 words. I have made it to Chapter 10 of my novel trying to get it ready for the upcoming contest in 8 weeks.
So in preparing to make sure I answer all the questions that arise, I have been working on a storyboard. How I wish I would have started with organization instead of writing first.

The next novel I will certainly follow the model of Brainstorming 25 different scenes or plots. Making a large W and starting with Act I, the protagonist is living in her normal world and then boom something triggers everything into motion.

Boom, I'm overwhelmed to the point that I might tear up every single piece of paper that holds something I've written on it. Talk about motion. ha ha

Back to work.

Ball gown and Going to London

    

Work, work and more work. That seems to be what writing is all about. It seems I get an idea and then expand upon it and then bring it all together. I read it over multiple times until I feel every word brings the scene and the plot into focus. I move on to the next scene. However, when it is finished it really is only a skeleton of what the finished product will actually look like.

I wonder if the highs and lows of writing are what perfects what you see in your mind onto what actually ends up on the sheet of paper.

One minute I love writing and in the next I actually despise it. But no matter what feelings I have - I keep coming back, keep reading over what I've written and keep finding words to change.

But the most exciting news of all is that I'm going to London in January. I am so excited. I've read so much about London. To walk along the streets of the novels I love. To breathe the air and to see the sights. I'm going with my sister and the two of us will have such a wonderful time.          Until next week.

Day gown and the Logistics of Writing.

By my calculations, By February 2015, my editor and I will have reread each chapter of my novel making sure the characters stay true to who they are. The plot is clear. And the places the characters visit and reside in are correct. 

I've already found one logistical problem. I had a family walking to church from their square. However, even the most athletic could not turn an hour long trip into 15 minutes. 

This part is actually fun. Chapter One and Two are done. Onto Chapter Three.

Am I a Writer

Some days I wonder if I am a writer. When the fever of a scene or plot doesn't pour forth from my pen, I think maybe I'm just an appreciator of writing and those who do it well.  But on those days when all my thoughts linger on a certain plot or scene and I rush through the day until I can sit down in an evening and write it all out, I think I must be a writer.

It's review time for my first novel which means my editor and I are going through each chapter and fine-tuning every word and action for the last time. FOR THE LAST TIME  -  YEAHHH!!!!

I mean  - it is quite rewarding.

Here is another scene my daughter made for me.
It is a day gown made of muslin with embroidered circles. Different pattern of embroidery on the hem and neckline. Lace on the edge of the sleeves.

What do you think of this gown?

Ball gown and Writing assignments

Up to the mountains to see St. Mary's Glacier. A little bit of a hike but beautiful.

My last chapter is almost there. I need to re-work the last scene. I have it in the POV of the hero and it needs to be the heroine. My very kind and generous editor gave me a new assignment. It has been such fun to do.

She asked me to take each of the main characters and write a description of them, what their goals are, what their secret is, about their personality and finally what they fear most. Next to find a map of their city and see if they can make it logistically to the places I have them going to.

My daughter sent me this link. It is very interesting reading of the finances of Jane Austen's characters.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11063670/Could-Mr-Darcy-afford-a-stately-home-today.html

Life and a Ball gown

The last two weeks have been crazy. I caught a cold on top of my allergies which blocked my ear. So I've been deaf in my right ear now for two weeks. One week into it, I went to the finest nurse practitioner money can buy at the Walgreens Well Clinic. She was a kind a gracious woman that told me that my eustachian tube was blocked. So now I have been taking sudafed, nasal spray and Claritan D to try and open that tube up.

Then my van called the "Grey Phantom" died. It not only died but it happened while bringing six children home from a field trip an hour away from home. My daughter that does all the great artwork was with me. And my husband had to leave a business lunch with his boss who had just flown into Denver. But I was so grateful that he came to my rescue. Yeah!! But now I'm car-less. It is not a great feeling.

To the left is another one of the marvelous gowns my daughter made for me. I love the rosette

So I am relying on my grown kids to borrow their cars and to watch my daycare kids as I take the older ones to and from school. Thank heaven that my one son is looking for a job and is carrying the brunt of helping me out.

In the midst of all of this, we went camping this weekend. A much needed reprieve from troubles. We saw three baby fawns with their white spots still showing. A bunch of baby calves, bats and a vole. We watched the stars and satellites in the sky by a roaring fire at night. One of our sons fished the river with much luck, the other went hiking. My daughter also went hiking.And when they weren't doing those things they played Yahtzee. My husband and I went on a hike up the side of a mountain. I should re-think my footwear.  I don't think flip-flops were the ideal choice. But I did make it to the spot where the rapids were wildly beautiful.

Again my last chapter rests with my editor. I think I closed the gaps between coincidences and reality. We'll see.

Writing and Masquerade scene

My editor sent my final chapter back. Yeah!! She said it was getting closer. There are a few scenes that need tightening up and then a few lines need to be added to give the right motivation of why someone is where they are. But all in all, it was music to my ears. Today and tomorrow, I will pick apart each scene and try to make sure that every line is needed.

Can I actually have this book finished within the month?  It seems too good to be true.
My daughter made a few scenes for me. I give her the details and she uses her creativity to bring it alive. This one is a gown that would be worn at a masquerade
What do you think?

Writing and a Wrapper

And so I wait to hear back from my sister/editor believing that what I have written is actually better than what I read before I sent it to her. It is like taking pictures. When you download them onto your computer days or weeks later, they seem a trifle less spectacular than when you snapped them.

Writing and edits

Today, I sent off the last chapter of my 345 page novel to my editor. I wish I could say that it is exactly the way that I want it already. But what I have found is that in places where it feels right it usually isn't far off. But in those places where I feel most confused are the spots where my returned chapter will hold all green ink. Questions about a scene, concerns about reality, prods that I've been lazy and instead of describing what is happening glossing over it.

Every time she sends me the chapter back, I dip slightly into a depression. By that evening, I say, "She doesn't know what she's talking about."  By the next morning, I open the file again and look at the sea of green ink staring back at me. By that evening, I'm ready to work on it. 

Word by word, line by line, I go slowly and review her comments and also what I really wanted the flavor of this scene to taste like. Within a week, I have something even better than I thought possible.

Here's a gown that I worked on for three days, watercolors and ink. It is not up to the caliber that my daughter's gowns are. But it was fun to do. 

Writing process Pink polk-a-dot gown

Now that I had the story line going, I needed to work on my pacing. In order to do that my sister/editor showed me a great tool. It basically is for each scene in a chapter. Each chapter should have 3-5 scenes.

1.  What is the character's problem?

2.  What is stopping the problem from being solved?

3. What is the complication that prohibits problem from being solved?

4. How does character solve the problem?

Bridge

Next Scene

It looks easy, but when you start to look at each scene and then have to decide what does the character actually want . . . I had a lot of thinking to do.

Writing process and cloak

The first piece of advice was to limit my characters. I had upwards of thirty.

Secondly, she wrote the alphabet and had me write down each of my character's names. Only one name per letter. I found that I had multiple characters with the same first letter. She told me that was confusing to the reader. So that is where I started. Combining three and four characters into one person  and then was able to whittle down the amount of people in my book.

Then she had me make a chart and based off of the story wrote what the two main characters' main action was in that chapter. The chart was five spaces across and four down. At the fifth square on each row there had to be a main turning point. Something had to change in the story which the character reacted to and turned the trajectory of the plot in a different direction.

I asked my daughter to make this cloak and then realized that no one enjoys seeing worn-out clothing.