e-Published!

For those who haven’t followed my switch over to No Map Nomads, I wanted to let you know that I finally took the leap with my writing and e-published my first novel!

The work that I’ve mentioned writing and editing several times here is now available for sale on Kindle. Check out Born of Water at Amazon! It will hopefully be the first of many books e-published and perhaps self-published. I have so many plans on things to write such as a book about our life in a yurt in Maine, about our motorcycle travels around Canada, a travel book from the stories at No Map Nomads, and many other fiction books as well. The problem seems to be finding the time to write it all rather than coming up with ideas! Anyone has a way of hooking up a USB thumbdrive to your brain???

I learned a lot on the writing process from not only the classes I’ve taken, but in the act of writing and refining too. Probably more. Born of Water particularly taught me a lot about character and story development. I’m getting faster at writing because I’m getting better at doing a lot of the front work of planning, thinking, and dreaming.

If anyone else out there is writing and thinking of publishing or e-publishing or is struggling with the next step in the process (marketing) please drop me a line. It seems to get better when you can figure it out together. And good luck to all those hard working and aspiring writers out there!

New Horizons

I’m working on switching all of my blogging and writing references over to No Map Nomads. As posts get moved over (yup, I’m taking everything with me), I will be deleting them here. Soooo . . . if you’d like updates on the yurt, traveling, work craziness, and the like, please follow me over to No Map Nomads. Thanks for all the comments and hope to see you soon!

Expanding Focus and Editing Milestones

A recent vacation brought a break from writing and a needed reminder of what is important in life

I can’t believe my last post here was in mid-March. But that is the thing about life, it tends to fly by. I can’t say I haven’t thought about posting, but other things came up that were more of a priority. I’ve had so much I wanted to say about the things I’ve learned about writing and editing, some improvements to the yurt that I’ll have to tell you about soon, and reflections on life in general such as the new journal Adam and I have started at home: our escape planning book.

My only excuse is that I’ve been on vacation, suffered a lovely virus that put me down so that I wasn’t at work or writing, just lying somnolescent on the couch. Ever so much fun! Plus it is spring and my motorcycle is out of storage. I’ve been working on it in my “spare” time on sunny days/afternoons. Plus trying to finish my rewrite on BofW. Oh, and editing some of those short stories and sending them off for rejections. I even played with organizing all the things I’ve learned about writing and creating character voice into a “lesson plan.” I could approach my local Adult Ed with that, but haven’t really taken it to that level. Yeah, the blog just didn’t happen.

But I’d like to say that today I finished the first draft of the rewrite to Born of Water! I’m celebrating with some Assam tea and a brownie. Wahooooo! Of course, I’ve already begun the “next phase”, i.e. draft 2. I’ve gone back and bookmarked each chapter by character. Now to go and see if I kept the character voice consistent. I hope to be done with all the editing on BofW by the end of May. In time to think about finding an agent again and the rewrite to Deliberate Actions. That novel has a completely different tone and level of writing. I think I’ll need to let it percolate through my psyche as I take my summer vacation: riding my motorcycle from Maine to Labrador and back through Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. 5,000 miles of percolating.

But today I’m just pleased to have finished the rewrite. And I’m pleased with how it sounds and how much it has developed. I will never approach a novel the same way again – writing or reading. And oddly of all the things that got the words flowing, it was taking a break when I wasn’t feeling well and picking up George R. R. Martin’s “A Game of Thrones.” The writing style and mastery of words was just the kick I was looking for. My hats off to Mr. Martin as that is some of the best writing I’ve read: engaging, the story moves quickly, each character POV is unique and believable. It is nice to have such an example in my library. Of course, I want to read the ENTIRE series now . . . ! Hmmmm . . . maybe I’ll pick up “A Clash of Kings” for the Labrador ride. It will good to have something to do under the mosquito netting. Though I could work on the plot development for Deliberate Actions – soon to have a different title in the rewrite!

My KLR 650 is getting a makeover with a new (and more powerful) headlight. It looks a little naked without a faring and needs a better fender (non-red) that matches those new angles!

But that is still ahead of me. Heck, the motorcycle is only just back in one piece and I have to order a new faring and front fender before we go. Planning has begun in earnest with maps spread on the floor of the yurt and the unpacking of our faithful Big Agnes tent this morning as we set it up inside the yurt. (Yes, a tent in a tent . . . it felt like a life size version of those Russian dolls!) The list of needed items is being roughed out such as researching good motorcycle dog carriers.

For today in the 50 degree rain falling across Maine, it is nose back to the editing grindstone. Time to see how much my writing changed from beginning to end (pre-George R. R. Martin’s book to post). Is there anything better than a book, a wood stove, sleepy dogs, and a cup of tea on a rainy spring day?

Fateful Forgetfulness and Writing Rebuild

 

Taking a break and having some wintery fun in Canada

As I had written in my last post, I finally finished my notes and background world building for Born of Water. I was ready to start rebuilding the novel. Right? I opened up the file a few times, played with formatting, considered the question “Do I start with a blank template, keep version 2 behind the new writing of version 3, or try to restructure what I’ve already written?” I didn’t actually type a single word.

 

Something still wasn’t clicking and I was happy for a trip to Ottawa. Maybe I could start there. Maybe it would clear my head. Adam and I had a blast, both falling completely in love with Canada just as we do every time we travel up there – and this was after politely getting ripped apart by Canadian Customs. Go figure. I didn’t find the time or inclination to write.

Getting organized back home, I had a moment of panic. The power cord to my laptop was missing. I’d left in at the B&B, Albert House Inn, in Ottawa. They found it and offered to send it to me for free (Did I mention I love Canada?). Let’s see, a power cord travels across international borders at a rate slower than a bird flies or sap runs in spring. Okay, about two weeks down without my laptop. It was one of the best fateful moments of inobservance I would never have done on purpose.

No, I didn’t go two weeks without writing. I went back to my notebook. This time I wrote a section in the first person POV of the character starting the day before they joined the story. The novel is in third person limited, so this gave me the chance to experience a normal day – the day before all their dreams and expectations are tossed into upheaval, directly from their perspective. Traits and elements clicked together, I not only understood each character better but I could appreciate how the events of the novel would affect them, who would rise to the challenge and who would fall.

Now I was ready to write! Of course, that took only a week . . . by the first weekend I was more than prepared to start. I considered writing by hand, but I’ve done that once before. The transcribing is killer. You should see my writing, ugh! Especially when ideas are flowing. So, I considered my options, borrowing from work or relatives, my old Sony that has no battery but can run Word (talk about a strain on the solar panel), bribing Adam for his Apple . . . . Well, I cobbled together a plan for computer access and finally opened the file ready to write.

Okay, back to that question: Do I start with a blank template, keep version 2 behind the new writing of version 3, or try to restructure what I’ve already written? I tried just dropping the old version down a page. I wanted to be able to refer to it. That lasted about one page. It was easier to have version 2 and version 3 open at the same time in separate files. A blank template was the answer.

And one other thing made the novel flow for me. This time around I’m putting each character voice in a different color. A simple technique to keep whose mind I am currently inhabiting straight, but also a simple way to be inspired. Ty is often angry – his POV is in a red font. You get the idea.

The story is flowing so quickly and so well this time. I’m about three chapters ahead of version 2 as the action unfolds at a faster pace, words explaining things are cut. I’ve learned to get internal thoughts across with expression rather than needing to write everything out.

Needless to say, I’m completely wrapped up in writing and having a hard time pulling myself back to earth. “What dinner? Oh yeah . . . food. Huh.” I have my power cord back (Thank you, thank you!!) and know I need to do more than just write my novel. If not update this blog, than I should consider editing those three short stories I’m sitting on and sending them around . . . and I really need to vacuum.

And oddly, Deliberate Actions is really itching under my skin. I really like that story and I’m seeing where it could be pushed. It is a story I like as it is, but boy could it be something compelling if I just . . . .  Maybe when I’m done with the rewrite of BofW! I’m finding the 40 hour a week job a real hang up at the moment. Actually, it is the biggest frustration in my life as it saps my creativity, cuts into my most productive writing hours, and usually leaves me exhausted and pissy even when I try not to let it get to me. Not the proper mindset for writing, but I’m good at getting lost in my stories and regaining myself.

Is that the difference – I see the real me and real life as what exists outside of the office. The corporate version of myself is the fake and hopefully has an expiration date in the near future! But the need to continue to work where I do is necessary for at least the short term – another year? The frustration really stems from an inability to balance to two halves of my life. Writer/Life and Worker.

Oh well, no point on dwelling on it. I have two novels to rework!!

 

Edits, Challenges, and Trying to Focus on Life

Notes, notes, and more notes! This is going to be a novel?

The recent process of redefining and remapping the plot and characters of Born of Water is coming to a close. There are still some unknowns to figure out, but really I’m about ready to actually start rebuilding the story. I expect there will be a lot of hurdles yet. There are places where I’m not sure whose POV the story would be best in – and so, I’m thinking of writing portions in the POV of each character and choosing the best fit later. A lot of work, but it’ll help me get inside each character’s head!

But first, finishing this hash out of the revised plot gives me a chance to step back a moment. I’m VERY task oriented. I focus on one project and love to finish it A to Z. There are times when I “come to” and drop the layers of thoughts in my head, snapping back to reality with a sudden shock. I didn’t realize it was so quiet around the yurt – and has been for the last 6 hours! Good thing Adam has his own gears going, or he’d be wondering why I was lost in some illusionary alter reality!

But when the project is potentially months in the making, solely working towards completion just isn’t possible. Such an outlook tends to turn other outlets into responsibilities. Like updating websites for example!  I can forget that it is all supposed to be fun, otherwise why do it? I’m not posting here or at No Map Nomads to up my site stats. I’m doing it because I like to write and hopefully connect with people who like to travel or are writers or are looking for the meaning of life too.

And I don’t write because my goal is simply to get published. It would be nice, but I’m sure it has draw backs too. I like my quiet life. I’ve said before that I want to travel the world, not to book signings! I realized recently that I write more because I absolutely love the challenge of it.

I’ve been an artist since I was quite young, drawing and sketching my way through days. For a long time, I sought a teacher and then professor who would teach me and challenge me. I have never been able to draw the images I see in my head. I never found a teacher who actually helped me draw better. Most profs I had seemed relieved I knew the basics and wouldn’t cause them any problems. It was . . . devastating in a way, disillusioning. I thought college was about higher learning and reaching for some greater consciousness. Boy that vision was shattered pretty quickly – lesson learned!

It just took me years to realize the next step: no one is responsible for my self development other than me. There is no great guru on a mountain top waiting for me to come and ask questions and will give me answers. Every mountain I’ve climbed is empty, but for me. That is a lesson to sit and meditate on.

Though I love to draw, writing has a more intellectual focus which I love. With lines on paper, you can relate a world full of sights, smells, sounds, tastes, touches, and feelings and then give it to someone else and they will experience it all first hand as if it were theirs. I love that. But it also has punctuation, grammar, spelling, flow, verse, plot, themes, layers, and needs to come together in a certain way so that you don’t fall out of the concept. Unless you get into the Golden Square in composition, drawing and painting just isn’t quite as intellectually stimulating to me.

Writing and editing are my current methods of pushing myself to be better, challenging my perceptions, pushing my creativity. It is so easy for me to get wrapped up in it and forget about little things .  .  . like the mail. Yeah, I should go through that pile today. Maybe send off Adam’s sunglasses to be fixed. At least I’m not the only writer/artist lost in their own head! I remember reading that William Blake’s wife would put the bills on his dinner plate when they ran out of money for food. I have yet to be so loopy so as to miss a meal!

So today is a mini-break I suppose. Catch up on life, remembering you really should be present to enjoy it. And that challenging oneself is fine until it becomes an obsession. This is all supposed to be fun. The first sign I’m doing something wrong is when it is not!