nepenthe | Entries tagged with noveling

It took me all night to a) find and b) write/edit/order business cards for conventions. I had to find ones visually appealing, that are thematically appropriate for a person who writes erotic fiction, and of course are the sort of design that my information fits/looks good on. I think I did alright for an English major.

Ordering was absolutely necessary. The deadline to receive the cards before the PHXCC was last night. I can not, I am not, making the same mistakes I made last year where professionals and designers and Naomi Novik were asking after my 'portfolio' or for a business card and I had nothing to give them, closing so many important connections and doors.

Obviously, I don't have any stories written/published/posted aside from my fanfiction. I'm not ready to publish any short stories yet. I fear I won't be ready for another year which is not necessarily bad. I imagine it's better if I start late and publish good stuff on schedule rather than start early with bad stuff and be unable to maintain/keep a schedule. And I DO have stuff to promote: my fanfiction! Yeah, it's two stories, one long and unwieldy that's incomplete, but in all I have over 100,000 words of smut posted on the internet. That's not nothing. Not to mention, I would like to make friends and show off my cosplays, passingly professional. And I wouldn't mind spreading my tumblr urls like glitter-herpes. These are worthwhile to make friends and promote interest in my creative works.

Maybe I have gotten a little ahead of myself. Perhaps it was a little forward to include a pen name for erotic fiction I've not published yet and won't for a while (I was thinking ahead, about how I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO REPRINT, I AM NOT MADE OF MONEY). I've got legit stuff I want people to take notice of and now, if Naomi Novik's asks for my card so she can call me about doing cosplays for her new book, I can proudly hand over a professional card. Instead of getting home, realizing my mistake and crying fat tears all over the preview booklet for Uprooted.

Current Location: work

The Sickness is over, for the most part. Stuffiness and chapped nostrils remain. I was EXHAUSTED when I got home from work yesterday and napped for, like, an hour and a half.

No writing was done last night, but I did finish ye olde novel, convoluted as its plot was, contrived as its male lead was, melodramatic as it was. I'm not sure what I've learned aside from: dudes have been intentionally obtuse selfish dicks for a long-ass time.

Tonight's plans are to do a grocery run. Cook food when I get home. Eat. Write a little. I should also throw in continue to read and learn to be a DM. I'll work on prepping the game this weekend. I also need to throw in 'cleaning'--vacuuming. I have the time.

I have dreams:

Last night's dreams were NOT violent and disturbing, huzzah! They involved doing a photo shoot that was for some random person's wedding (which involved me at a church and wearing a corset) and Morgan Freeman sharing wisdom with me and my twin.

Current Location: work

This morning was One of Those Mornings. & snuggled into my chest, purring and happy as I lay comfortably in my bed. She could not fathom why her human pillow up and abandoned her.

Oversharing: so last night I left my clothes on the bathroom floor when I went to shower. & comes over, sniffing at my underwear. *Gross*. She gets an expression of total disgust on her little face and proceeds to scratch the floor tiles in the attempt to cover them with non-existent kitty litter. I swear, I put a clean pair on the morning! Yes, it's hot and my crotch sweats, but man, is my ass really hide-it-in-the-litter-box smelly?

Finished my laundry last night!

Writing: I sprinted w/ my Writing Buddy last night, typed up about 930 words. Woot! I'd like to achieve the same tonight (how awesome would that be?!).

Been slacking. Still at about 435/day. Not so good. On top of that, I mentioned my lack of progress last year to my Writing Buddy, which lead to discussing that vampire erotica thing I'd been working on, which lead to explaining the concept/plot, which has piqued my interest again. Man, I know it's a good idea. What I wrote wasn't terrible. I like the MCs--they were full and fun. The villianess was terrific. I sat down and plotted the whole thing out, so there is a beginning, middle, and end. I just got to a sticking point, writing and re-writing the same scene that didn't want to work over and over until I rather unconsciously gave up. I guess it's another story to put on the shelf, rather than under the bed to be abandoned. I can't be adding another project to my plate. I have my long Doctor Who fanfic, my short n' smutties to complete, and a D&D campaign to DM. That's more than enough work.

Tonight, I'm typing shit up. More or less, doing what I should've finished on Sunday--and it's Wednesday. My act, I need to pull it together.

Current Location: work

It always seems to be bed time by the time I'm into the swing of things.

Will write a little more tomorrow, maybe (I have a friend who might still be in the hospital tomorrow night, and if she is, I'm going to go visit her so might not get much writing done). Saturday, I'm doing writing sprints w/ my buddy 8-4. If she doesn't have work projects. Otherwise, I'll be sprinting on my own. Sunday is Ren Faire! I know Ren Faires are ridiculous. Don't care; got me a 1/2 price ticket, a bunch of single dollar bills and a day out with my friends wandering in the dust.

W/C: 238 (I know, but I needed to do edits and cut stuff, too--you know the drill)

Current Location: home

A whole chapter of my long DW fic has been posted.

The first draft of a 3 part, BDSM Doctor Who fic that’s about 16,000 words is done. It’s up for revision. Will post this month.

These are important accomplishments. These are part of my getting shit done program. I finished the month of January with about 18,000 words typed up (probably more, since some was written long hand) which is more than I wrote for NaNoWriMo, more than my stated goal of 16,000.

It doesn’t feel like it was quite enough. I’m happy to have resolution to the shorter fanfic and needed to get that chapter posted for my neglected readers.

However, I neglected to do more for my original fics. There are two I am working on. Each have about 1/3^rd of the first draft done. I think I need to pick one story as a focus and knock it out in a few weekends. The fanfics I’ll spend a few weekdays on because I need to be regular in my updates. But I really, really need to get a move on my original work because those are on a real world deadline. They will be challenging—they are challenging—but I’ve got to end the shortest month of the year with two first drafts. I’ll still push my 500 words/day goal; I’m beginning to feel it’s too low a goal. There’s always more to do and with only one job, I have the time.

Personally, I’ve been at sea, riding the waves of contradiction. I’m vacillating between confidence, a sense that I can conquer all the hurdles out in front of me and write like a MoFo, and feeling that I need to face the reality of my situation and seek part-time employment somewhere and hold onto that employment, at least until April/May when I need to seek a new full-time job that pays cashy-money as opposed to poverty wages.

Current Location: work

Not a lot to report. I hung out at home watching the Wimbledon Wibbly Wobblies, played a little of my video game and at 6, wrote with my buddy until about 8:20. I worked on a side Who fanfic because it's so, so close to being done.

Word Count: 825

Tonight, I have to buy bananas for a party at work tomorrow. I’M BRINGING THE BANANAS TO THE PARTY.

Current Location: work

It’s been a busy week at my day job. No time to sneak in a journal post. Today, things have calmed considerably, but that may change as one of my coworkers is ducking out for a sick kid. There’s a hitch in the work from home giddie-up. They installed the software on our desktops. We took calls; it sorta works, except if we get in queue. Then the system freaks out and freezes up. Until that’s resolved, we’re back on hard lines and not at home. There’s got to be a fix. I want to go the fuck home.

The twin continues to have husband troubles. No money. Vacillates daily on what solution to take, when she’s going to act, how to get a lawyer, whether to buy a trailer home or rent an apartment. She’s good and stuck in a terrible position.

Monday, I had a friend from work swing by to discuss the possibility of doing a podcast together. Premise sounds okay, but neither she nor I have a lot of time to dedicate to the thing; she works two jobs and paints. I have one job, but am dedicating 20 hrs a week to writing. As usual, I know I’d be the one doing more or less all the work. I accept this as the norm, as this is how most things go in my life (with a few exceptions, notably my twin). However, I’ve chosen the writing track. I have story ideas. I am currently executing the plan like a goddamn mofo. I may, in actual fact, finish a three-chapter BDSM fanfic before the end of this week. For real. The epic, long-ass WIP is about ready for another chapter to be posted, with the following chapter in the midst of edits, with the following chapter of that in progress of being written. My OF stories are behind, but that’s because I’ve been pouring the effort in to these fanfics which are so freaking close to being finished and I desperately need to have something to hold up as ‘done’.

I need accomplishments in my life, and how.

Did a writing sprint w/ my writing buddy last night:

W/C: 625

Not great, but I also got some editing done, so I can’t exactly complain. I fear I'm slacking off/slowing down. That may be normal, given I'm a month in on this new plan. So far, it's rendered 16,500 words for a variety of fics.

So. Close.

Current Location: work

Warning: TMI below:

If I finish stories, work for myself writing, when I’m cramping on my period I could lay down on my own bed with the cats until the meds kick in/it’s over.

I have no news to report on the job fronts. I'm not yet working from home, nor have I heard from the retail store, nor have I completed any job applications. Ugh. I should fill out an application to a temp agency, shouldn't I?

Progress Report:
Tuesday, I did another writing sprint with a buddy. Typed up 1100 words. Yesterday we did it again, but this time I spent the 2 hrs editing. I want to gain word count, obviously, but if I want to start ‘finishing’ and posting fic, I have to fucking edit, too. TIME. Why is there never enough?

That’s a chapter of fic done, guys, about 8,000 words.

Done. Dun dundun dun DUUUUN. (except to send to a beta to go over my concerns)

Tonight, I need to schedule myself for another 2 hours and type shit up, all on my own w/o writing buddy. This weekend is another 8 hour writing sprint.

Last night was my last with the retail job!

I celebrated by hanging out w/ my friends at The Bean and playing Munchkin: Apocalypse. And generally talking too much.

Today, I did writing sprints w/ my local writing buddies over IM. Got 2700 words typed up on one of my original, Rome-themed short n’ smutties. Am stoked this process of doing the writing sprints is getting shit done. With my weeknights free, I’ve scheduled a few hours worth of sprinting w/ my buddies on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. That should be worth near 2000 words.

This evening, I’m going to run to the grocery store to pick up food necessities and cook for the week upon my return. Then eat, then shower, then bed. Tomorrow night is for editing and laundry. So much to do, so little time--somewhere in there, I need to scope out some part-time work.

I am the rain against the boulder. Let’s move mountains!

Edit: I've never spoken so "too soon" as now. My car has a flat tire!!!! I must go and spend money I don't have on new tires. Fan fucking tastic.

Things would be wonderfully falling into place if only I had any money.

BAD NEWS:

I’m now confident I am not going to be hired on for the retail gig. They’ve already let the people who they’re going to keep know they’re being kept on. Who are not me. There is a part-time position open in the department I worked in which we can/I will apply for, but I imagine they’re trying to hire people to that position from within rather than take on a temp. If that fails, I might have a shot of being brought in temporarily around Easter for a few weeks, but that’s pretty much that.

It’ll be back to searching for a new job for me. Somehow, I’ve got to financially hold out until April because that will be my 5 years w/ the phone job and they will fully match my 401k contributions. That will mean a few thousand dollars difference, so I really do have to hold on until then. So that means I should hit up a temp job service to see about earning a little side monies here or there.

GOOD NEWS:

With my full-time phone job, I got the news that we’re being sent home sometime in the next two weeks. If only this job paid $13-14/hr. Just $280 more a month would be enough to meet my bills. Imagine having a job that doesn’t suck balls, requires only minimum customer contact and you can do it from home AND you can write on the side (w/ none the wiser).

Back to it:

W/C: 80 (I know, but my type time was interrupted by twin phone call and during work I was editing, which I don’t count towards type totals)

Current Location: work

I received another "So when are you going to update" note. Will add "Guilt Tripping" to my list of how to get me to get shit done.

I’m recovering from a cold and sprained my pinky toe.

You know, you don’t think about how useful your pinky toe is to walking and balance until you’ve damaged said pinky toe.

Last night’s writing session was not so successful. It got started late. We went across town for sushi, so that made it even later. And then I had to discuss the Danielle Steele books Stephie’s mom loaned to me. They were bad. I did not enjoy them. I think I vaguely understand their appeal; they have the feel of a quiet vacation. These books are for people who want to sleep in a La Quinta bed on a California beach, but never leave the hotel poolside. They eat at the hotel restaurant. Drink a martini. They’re bored to death and they LOVE IT.

Ugh.

Danielle Steele is also the queen of tell, don’t show. That’s right. All she does is tell. And tell. And tell. Not in an interesting way. I might’ve enjoyed hearing a distinct narrative voice but that’s bland ad grating like sandpaper. Characters will start to have a conversation and three lines in, she cuts them off and summarizes the rest of their conversation. No joke. The character will start to have a serious discussion about a choice they need to make and suddenly, just when they’d have to argue their points, we cut to five LOOOOONG paragraphs telling me, ‘the characters chose this course of action for x reason’. It nixes all opportunity for any character to develop any kind of personality. Danielle tells me as a reader to sit down, be quiet, and here’s your spoon full of baby food: eat it, baby.

Ugh.

But back to my progress.

I’ve written a bit this week in spite of catching a cold and spraining my toe. Did I mention I sprained my toe? I sprained my poor little piggly wiggly baby toe. (When I told my twin I was going in to the doctor to have it checked, she offered that maybe they’d cut it off and I could have it mummified or substituted for use in a ransom—this was the moment I realized MY TWIN IS BACK TO NORMAL, BABY!)

Ahem.

I haven’t done the math on what my final daily word count was for November but verily, it was not 450/day. This month, I need to make the goal be that I type up everything from November, at a minimum. I don’t think it’d be hard to maintain an easy word count of 100/day. It won’t hardly get anything done, but if I manage that minimum, I will STILL end the month 3000 words (a whole chapter, guys!). The moment my retail job ends sometime in early January, it’s going to be upped to 300/day. There is no good reason I can’t maintain that working only one job. If I get to work from home, it’s going to double to 600/day. Why? Because I’m hiring myself to do a second, part-time, self-employed JOB writing erotic short fic. With deadlines and shit.

So far, things that help me get shit done:

Outlines
External accountability (ya’ll see me posting this, right?)
Tracking my daily word count

When the retail job ends (no, I’m not starting right away because I’m not capable of working 3 jobs at once, guys—I have limits), I’m going to add, “framing this as a job where I have a set time clock to check in and out”. I’ll have a set number of hours I have to work every week (gonna start with 15). And also add, “Have set deadlines that are immutable because they are publishing dates”. It’ll take a while for me to roll out given that I need to have a few stories done before I can start publishing (I want a backlog of 6) but if I work as hard on this as I’ve worked my retail job, it won’t be a totally unrealistic expectation.

Time to cut myself off from daydreaming about my goals, eat lunch and then get some writing done this afternoon (work’s not super busy).

Current Location: work

Yeah. My superamazing word count has gone kaput thanks to the combo of extra work hours (yes, on top of my already full hours), family visit (I regret nothing, that was a wonderful visit), and to to it off, I am sick with a cold. I was out yesterday, flat on my back in bed full of cold medication and amassing a pile of used tissues. I am the worst sick patient. Today I'm out of bed, but am still sick. I debated going in to work this morning; it's time and a half on Sundays, and I was scheduled for 8 hours. That's a lot of money to little ol' me. But I am a drippy faucet and contagious as all get out and it goes against my principles to be a plague carrier or utterly exhaust myself by being up on my feet for 8 hours one day after battling a serious cold.

Here I am, at home. I relaxed, ate a bunch of soup to fuel healing. Napped. I don't think I feel much better this evening than I did this morning, but I don't feel any worse. Gonna drink some tea and see to WriMoing. I will at least type up a few pages of my longhand from earlier this month. I'm a bit fuzzy in the head.

I'm not 100% pleased with my work this month; there were a few afternoons I absconded from the requisite minimum of sitting down to write for a simple hour, family visits and illness excluded. However, I've written about 7,000 words for 3 different writing projects and read two books. Considering my terrible performance before November and how little free time I've had to achieve this, it's a vast improvement.

It's a lot to type up and edit. I need to get on top of that. Fingers crossed that in January my day job sends me to work from home and I can begin writing in earnest. And now that I've had both the flu AND a cold in the past 3 months, I can't get sick again this winter! (I say, miserably blowing nose.)

Current Mood: sick
Current Location: home

Who’s had a big lunch? Me! Who had her power nap? Me! Who’s only working 7 AM to 8:30 PM? Me! That means I can wiggle in some WriMo-ing! I have naughty scenes to write in either fic or noveling. Really wish I was working from home; even though I know that by writing in my journal, no one around me knows what I’m writing, nor can they read it, it’s weird to write smut at the office.

Two pages written yesterday. Woot!

I think I can get through another two or three today.

In January, I'm going to hold "The Great Type-Up" whereby I have to type all this shit onto my computer. Maybe swap all the hour I would've put in at my retail job, I switch with typing. Except on Saturdays. I've discovered how important it is to allow myself one day of the week were there is NO WORK. Not that I will have such a day until January, but I KNOW this is an important thing now.

Good luck to all my fellow WriMo-ers!

Current Location: work

Go me!

I’ve maintained my 450 words/day average. Still. Go me!

The Holiday Trials begin next week; I work long, long hours and the twin is coming over with my niece and nephew. There will be so little time for WriMoing. I feel obliged to squeak in a few extra words while I can so when the month is over, I’ll have three rough draft chapters of my Doctor Who fanfic and a goodly portion of a short and smutty done. So much work to do but I’m doing it.

How good does it feel to write and see results? VERY.

Current Location: work

I’m feeling good about this. Am averaging 475 words/day. That’s right; I’ve boosted my daily average. I couldn’t keep that pace when I only had one job. Writing’s writing. Can’t disparage myself for working hard, focusing, and taking advantage of the little time I have to squeeze in writing at the office, even if it’s not the 3,000 word/day I’d need to win WriMo. Whatever. Gonna drink meh coffee and get to work.

Current Location: work

I am in a good mood today for someone who will be working 7 AM to 10:30 PM. Ask me again around 10 tonight how I’m feeling and I’m sure it’ll be a different story.

Maintaining my 400 words/day average for NaNoWriMo. Honestly, not feeling the disappointment like I was earlier in the week. This could be due to nearly reaching the end of the Doctor Who fanfic chapter and starting to feel the accomplishment. I’ll let ya’ll know if/when I reach that endgame.

Today and tomorrow are fully full workdays IRL, so the writing I’ll be doing will be on the side at my cruise job. Wish me luck, and yell at me to avoid distractions.

Current Location: work

NaNoWriMo is a go, but I’m nowhere near close to my word goals. I don’t expect to win this year; I was hoping to get more done, but wow. Free time is a scarce commodity. I thought I had no time before I started my second job; I genuinely have very little time. Am still getting more done than I did before NaNo, though--it's a good incentive. I’m averaging around 400/words a day. Not enough to win NaNo, not even enough to meet my person goal of throwing together short erotic stories (novellas?) and finishing another chapter of my Doctor Who fanfic by January (I’m close! Maybe I can be done with that fic chapter by the end of my work day today).

I will do all I can without burning myself out.

My birthday party is Saturday! I'm going to have fun with my friends! (am tempted to call in sick on Friday to my day job to give myself a little writing time).

Current Location: work

Who worked 6 AM to 10:30 PM and wrote two pages of short story longhand? This chick. I'm doing the same work schedule today with a little less time between the two jobs, but I have hopes that I will be able to do as much or even more longhand writing before then end of the day. Love me my podcasts, too.

Current Location: work

Because I'm crazy, I agreed to more hours at my retail job to cover one of my co-workers. Means I'm working 6AM-10:30PM today & tomorrow. Note, throw in drive time et all and I'm up 4:50 AM - 11:30 PM today and tomorrow. Working hard.

I am (and will be) super tired which makes writing for this, the kick off of NaNoWriMo, really hard but I so want to do this. Need to do this, need to do what I can to reframe my life.

This weekend, I'm hosting a writing party with some friends. That should result in some damn story work done and doughnuts eaten.

Got to be stop being boring me, start to be Jane.

I'm almost off my first job; got errands to run for life survival, then I think I can sneak in some writing before 2nd job starts. Wish me luck!

Current Location: work

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Goes Somer * Goesomer * Gossamer

an aimless life in words

Entries tagged with noveling

Taking Care of Business Cards

Keeping On, keeping on

Progress Report: No New Projects--Need to Finish Existing

Bed time

Writing Progress: Accomplishment:

Progress Report: Brief

Progress Report:

Another Reason to Write to Finish: TMI Edition

Progress Report: In the Thick of It

Progress Report: Sorta?

Back to Work

Progress Report: Post NaNo Goals

Word Count Trashed

Progress Report: 2/3 of the Month is Gone!

Progress Report: WriMoing My Heart Out (onto this rosewood table)

NaNoWriMo Report:

Progress Report

Progress Report: 1/3rd of WriMo

Tired

Working Hard and Hardly Working