Wednesday, February 27, 2008

My butt is numb.

Why? Cause it's been in the chair and I have been working hard!
*yea me! clap-clap-clap-clap-clap* (Anyone who has to withstand the Suite Life of Zac and Cody will know what that is from. LOL)

Many thanks to Mechele Armstrong for being kind enough to critique my work when she is in the middle of a ton of projects herself. You are the best Mechele!

Had some problems with the computer a week and a bit ago. We got hit with a mutant virus that pretty much meant that we had to get the hard drive wiped. A lesson to all. Don't forget to backup!! Thankfully I have discovered the wonders of a thumb drive and keep a copy, of what ever I am working on, saved on it.

At the moment I have the first 35 pages of my full manuscript entered into the Passionate Ink's Stroke of Midnight contest, and tonight I finished a short story for Loose-Id's March Madness contest.

70 Days of Sweat is starting again in March. 1,000 words a day for 70 days. No limit on what you can work on, but of course it works better if you limit your projects.
BUT should I keep working on Believing is Seeing or should I start something new?

hmmmmmm Decisions, Decisions, I had better get used to a numb bum.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Tagged Back......

I've been tagged back by Mechele Armstrong.
This is war..Mawahahahahah*coughcoughcoughcough*ha



Thirteen or so Random things about Corinne Davies

Since 16 is close to 13 *blinks* I thought I’d do an extended Thursday Thirteen for a tag by Ann Aguirre.

The mission: list sixteen random personal facts or habits, and then pick twelve of my friends to tag.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.) I refuse to eat any round green vegetable. (peas and brussel sprouts topping that list UGH!!!)

2.) The uglier the sock design, the more likely I'll wear them. My current favourite are black and white striped with little pink cherries all over them.

3.) My favourite burger is from a restaurant called TurtleJacks. It's topped with goats cheese and whole roasted garlic cloves. mmmmmm

4.) I knit.....A LOT. and yet rarely do I knit anything for myself

5.) Currently skulls are my favourite clothing decoration

6.) I had a crush on Gerald McRaney when he was on the tv show Simon&Simon. (I was about 14)

7.) There is a statue of buddha on my computer, but I'm not buddist. I just think he's cool.

8.) Tasting various types of wine is an integral part of my full time job.

9.) I do not cry in front of anyone if I can help it.

10.) I love candles, in fact I have a cupboard filled with them and almost always have some lit somewhere in the house.

11.) Floating in water is my favourite way to relaxation.

12.) Vanilla Earl Gray is one of my favourite teas.

13.) After breaking up with a boyfriend, I ate an entire McCain cake (and he wasn't worth the belly ache I had later).

14.) I sing along to the Medieval Babes in the car. No I can't reach a fraction of the notes they can and I'm usually off key.

15.) Pedicures are one of the most luxurious things you can have done to yourself. (that does not involve sex)

16.) With every sentance starting with the word "I" it looked very self absorbed or narcissistic so I went though and reworded most of them.

So I am going to cheat with the whole tagging back thing. Anyone who is interested, go for it. Be sure to make a comment so I know you did it, and I can read them *G*

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Character vs Conflict

There is nothing like reading a really bad book to get you thinking about the details when it comes to writing. I just finished (skimmed) a book hoping that at some point it would get better, but no. 250 pages of confusion. Props that would suddenly appear and you wonder what that has to do with anything, 10 pages later it is just what the hero needed to escape, or the clue needed. And it bounced from setting to setting almost every couple of pages, very confusing as well as wading through massive info dumps. I was so disappointed because when I read the back blurb it sounded so promising.

I'm ears deep in revisions and edits trying to polish my story to the best of my ability...just in case. *G*

I started thinking about what it is that I like most about my favourite books. Conflict is a must in any book but I'll touch on that again in a second. I realized that it was the stories that have strong well developed characters that I enjoy the most. Firefly/Serenity for instance. This is a cast of very different very well thought out characters that reacted to each other in very different ways. Don't get me started with Jayne. He seems to be one dimensional but there is layers to that boy I tell ya. Layers.

So I took a good look at my own characters...yikes not many layers there. Wait let me rephrase. They have layers but only in my head, I haven't gotten all the information out so they seem a bit 2 dimensional. So I have to get more of their individual history in there.

Then there is the conflict. I have read tons of times that you have to be mean to your characters. Do terrible things to them. I think I have been to nice. There are lots of aweful things I can do that will both help with the layering and build a better climax. (No not that climax, the other one)

But all this adds up to a whole lot of changes, additions and hopefully a better story in the end. I need to type quicker.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Breathing into a paperbag


Okay I did it. I'm not as panicked as the first time but it is a bit of a rush. I know I haven't blogged for a bit but I've been head down editing the first bit of one of my books. Passionate Ink has a contest called Stroke of Midnight and I have officially entered.

I'd say what I really think will happen but Rose at work has forbidden me from voicing any negative opinions regarding outcomes. LOL So I have been thinking about what it will look like when I do well and get an email requesting the full manuscript. Power of positive thinking is to be my mantra, I will chant......

Full manuscript?

Oh shit I'd better get to work!!!!!!

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