New Year, New Beginnings

I'm new to the blogosphere and I'm definitely new to the actual concept of resolutions. I know what they are, have had people in my life do them, but I myself have never done one. SO, might as well kick off 2011 with a new tradition. Get everything started for what I hope is a great year.

First, for a look back on 2010, a year which was both bad and good. There was death, personal revelations and then the adventure that started everything. The road trip that inspired Jessica and I to start our first novel, starting the chain of other story ideas that have carried us through to the end of the year.

As for the new year, here are eleven goals I want to accomplish:

1. I want to finish writing my first draft by my birthday, in August. This includes as many edits as it takes to make me and my crit partner (only one for now) happy.
2. Get more critique partners! How I'm going to find them, I'm not quite sure. This one will be a challenge for me.
3. I want to write at least 600 words a day and on weekends I'm going to aim for 1000. If I keep this up, I'll definitely make goal 1.
4. Buy more books and read, read, read!
5. Join as many blogfests as I can. Currently starting the new year the right in that way by joining the No Kiss Blogfest.
6. Come up with amazing and awesome ideas to enhance my story and characters! I love them already, but I'm afraid they aren't super duper interesting.
7. Write my query and revise, revise, revise... did I already say revise?
8. Create a list of agents that I might have a chance of enticing and research them until it's almost creepy. I will however, avoid the creepy aspect altogether.
9. Find the way to accept critiques in the best way possible and start to enjoy them.
10. (Goodness this is getting hard!) One goal not related to writing, try as many new foods and cook as often as I can!
11. And lastly, but definitely not the least important, enrich the relationships I do have and embrace creating new ones.

Wish me luck! Have a happy new year, everyone!

And the Plot Thickens

I've finally arrived at the beginning of where everything starts! The long awaited part when the plot starts going. Of course, it hasn't been that long awaited. There can only be so much time to get to the fourth-fifth scene, right? At least, if you're working on it consistently--like me.

Anyway, I'm super excited to get to scene six, where it really really starts. That doesn't make much sense, but... it's like the start of the start. Of course, I've already got the romance aspect in (the beginnings of course), now it's time to get to the fantasy!

If only my mind would cooperate. I get so excited for the scene itself that when I get to it, I'm so excited I don't even know what to do. It's ridiculous!

Also, I began to read the book Jessica gave to me for Christmas. I read the first five chapters while she caught up on some much needed sleep. It's called Nicholas Dane by Melvin Burgess. So far I like it. 

I'm not going to give away all that happens, but Mr. Burgess does not sugarcoat what the characters are doing. I haven't read any books by him before, but from his other titles... it sounds like it's a trademark. Nick is amusing and definitely a teenage boy.

The one thing that is a bit off putting--though don't get me wrong, it doesn't take away from the book--is that his character's thoughts are in double quotations. Sometimes I get confused as to whether it's a thought or a bit of dialogue. 

Another little thing is that the POV doesn't stay with Nick. I'm so used to having the story told through one perspective that it's a little odd. It's nice to see what Nick doesn't though. Definitely adds to the story as a whole.

I'm pretty excited to read more. I haven't gotten a new book in forever! It's ecstasy having something besides textbooks to read!

On a side note... Jessica and I went shopping today. I got a new pea coat (bright red!), two skirts and a pair of sexy heels! Cue ridiculous, excited dancing that no one but yourself should see.

It's about time! (for the heels.)

PS: Jessica, I know what you're thinking about the shoes statement.

The Curse

I have this curse that makes me get ridiculously tired. More often than not, I end up passing out through no will of my own. I've managed to avoid it for a bit this winter break--where I've been staying up until 4 or 5 am sometimes. Alas, good things apparently can't last. Yup. I passed out. While talking to Jessica no less. She's sadly used to it by now, but I still hate myself when it happens.

My personal goal is to find some sort of caffeine, I don't care what, to get myself nice and hyped up so I can't do it again. Anything but an energy drink--I'd rather not be a hyped up hypocrite after how many times I've scolded my parents about energy drinks.

I also have another curse, besides the first one I've talked about (accepting critiques), about being too paranoid. I need to learn to take a few risks here and there. Maybe then I won't be so predictable.

On a lighter note, I've managed a feat! I've written 18 days in a row (except one day with a single word) for the first time in my life. I'm kind of proud of that. I'm hoping to get an early start on my word count today, but we'll see at the end of the night.

I'm hoping today will be better than yesterday. :)

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has had a nice Christmas! Mine has been good so far, though my poor mom is having one of those days where nothing goes right. At least I know dinner will be good when we get to it.

Luca received a few new toys--a zebra that jingles and squeaks (he's obsessed) and a tennis ball small enough for his mouth to go around. He makes these funny snorting noises when he plays with it though. My mom's dog got a tennis ball as well and a rope that Luca likes to play with, too.

I got clothes, some candy, a book from Jessica and I will be getting a new pair of shears! Yay! Then I can cut hair with a smile on my face instead of having a stream of expletives cross my mind. :) Nothing sucks more than having a pair of dull, misaligned shears. 

My Christmas present to myself is finishing my second scene and starting my third. Hurray~ That and pigging out on deliciousness. I say as long as I don't have a stomach ache at the end of the night, I'm okay. Just this once, right? (Though I already gorged myself on orange juice to avoid eating food at my grandma's. Shh, don't tell her.) I won't end up eating much by the end of the night.

Also, my brother is weird. He comes over for dinner and ends up napping? He still hasn't woken up. Lucky for him dinner won't be ready for awhile.

Procrastination

I am procrastinating for no particular reason. I've finished another round of edits. Jessica and I are in our beds, awaiting the moment her computer dies or she reaches her goal. (Good luck, bestie!)

Luca, my puppy in case I didn't mention his name earlier, is fast asleep being pathetic. He makes the most adorable noises in his sleep and it just isn't fair! If I have children that make as cute of noises as he does... They are going to be so spoiled!

Anyway, I felt a bit ambitious and made a picture (on Paint again, so still don't make fun of it!) of Em. I'm not feeling Li just yet, so you've got to wait for him.

"Em"

Her lips aren't actually as big as they look there, but it's hard to get things just right on Paint... Also, I made her a bit fancier than Al, though I still didn't color in her skin. Having her lips black like his was just really off putting for me--as did making her eyebrows. It isn't a bad job, but the next time you see her it'll be way better.

So... yeah. Procrastination over for now. Night, everyone! If I don't get on tomorrow--or the next day, Merry Christmas!

Editing Blues

So. First scene has been written. Jessica has been helping me out with getting it to be interesting--the first few tries were definitely... boring. Really boring. I didn't even really have fun writing them. This one is good though. It's appealing and it was really enjoyable to write and it definitely gets Al's character across better.

Once I finished writing it, I sent it to Jessica to look it over. She does and I know I'm going to get feedback. She's very good about feedback. I'm sure her crit-partners could tell you that as well. However, every time I get a critique on the scene I'm doing I automatically just shut down.

I get upset from seeing her comments when I know it's just to help me out and I can't control it. It sucks quite a bit. I used to cry from it which was even worse. Of course, it's not like her critiques are mean, because they aren't. For some silly reason I just can't handle them? I don't know. Do any of you get upset with critiques?

Generally, I like what the scene turns out to be after I've made the suggestions--so it isn't like she doesn't get what I'm trying to convey. (At least I hope she gets it... We've only talked about the way it should go every time Al comes up...) I think I'm just weird. I want the suggestions but I hate getting them. Odd, I say!

Anyway, on a lighter note, I've drawn a ... rough (very rough) picture of Al. I did it on Microsoft Paint, so don't make fun of it too much, okay? I'll draw better ones when I can take decent pictures of drawings on paper. (Paint definitely isn't the best thing to try and draw awesomeness with.)

"Al"

Yes, that is my attempt at him. His skin isn't white because he's a vampire, by the way, I just didn't feel like coloring it in. :P Perhaps I'll try drawing his love interest Em and his best friend Li. --Actually, I think I will. I'll post those as soon as I get them drawn--probably with paint again.

I promise I'll give you some good ones soon though! Maybe with their entire body? We'll see how it goes.

Back to writing. :)

On the Lookout

So, I'm restarting my search of musical muses for my MC who I am now going to start calling Al. Al is much easier than saying "my MC." The journey for Al's taste in music has just begun. I'm in the process of it right now, listening to something that I don't mind listening--but definitely wouldn't have it in my own iTunes. Al quite enjoys it though.

I'm going to do journal entries for him for the entirety of the story. I did one today and I found it really helped get into his head. Alas, I'm starting to think most of my posts right now will be about getting into Al's damn mind. I don't think I've ever tried to get into character quite as hard as I am with him. It's for the better, really. I know this, though it's weird.

On a different note for a moment, I got a call for another job interview. Hurray. I hope it doesn't cut into writing too much... We'll see if a physical job (assuming I get it) is better than a not-so-exciting retail job. Goodness knows that basically rounded up my creativity and had a firing squad shooting holes into it... Plus the lack of sleep.

The music Al likes is getting me sleepy. Crossing my fingers it'll just be a when I'm tired and up at 430 am. Yes... Lucky me, Al is asleep right now. No miscreant talking in my head~ And no, I'm not crazy. Just good at picturing him :P

Perhaps I'll draw a picture of how I see him for you all. Can't guarantee it's going to be the finest work of art you've seen--but I can promise something better than a stick figure!