Dear Shell,
NaNoWriMo is almost over. It has been a pretty good month. I have about 52,000 done in Hide Me - Hideaway Inn. And another 15,000 in Just Five More. I am still loving Hideaway Inn. I am still working on adding scenes in where they are needed, and trying to add in the descriptions that I'm missing.
Just Five More has become something different than what I was planning on. It was going to be a chick lit story, but it has become more of a self-exploration journal instead. I might be able to get a few good short stories or essays out of it to try to get published in some magazines.
Tomorrow at midnight is the official end of NaNoWriMo. I am actually at a write-in right now, but we are talking so much that I'm having trouble concentrating on writing. haha. The only writing I'm getting done so far is during our word sprints (15 minutes, write as much as possible non-stop). The sprints are nice because it forces you to just write.
I should get back to writing. I need to figure out where these scenes fit.
Forcing myself to concentrate,
Shell
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
First Draft - Hideaway Inn
Dear Shell,
The first draft of Hideaway Inn is technically finished, although I don't consider it officially finished since I know I have a few scenes I need to add still. It has a beginning, middle, and end. I wrote the final chapter and epilogue last night/this morning. So that is why I say it's technically finished.
Today, between job searches, I have been slowly going through the manuscript, double-checking my timelines, looking for missing scenes, and adding in some much needed descriptions. I have noticed I tend not to describe certain things since well, I see them in my head so I already know what it looks like.
I think what I plan to do is, once I have gone through the first draft and figured out the scenes I need to add, I'll add those in, then print the whole thing out. That'll make it easier to edit. For me anyway.
I have a scene I may end up cutting out near the end of the story. It leads up to the third book of the series (yes, I'm going to try to turn this into a trilogy or maybe a 4 book series), but it's a rather touchy subject/scene so may have to change it around at a minimum.
I'm getting requests from a couple people now to hurry up so they can read it. So I guess i better get back to it. I wanted to post quick here though since it has been a little bit since my last letter.
Lost in a world of witches, warlocks and vampires,
Shell
The first draft of Hideaway Inn is technically finished, although I don't consider it officially finished since I know I have a few scenes I need to add still. It has a beginning, middle, and end. I wrote the final chapter and epilogue last night/this morning. So that is why I say it's technically finished.
Today, between job searches, I have been slowly going through the manuscript, double-checking my timelines, looking for missing scenes, and adding in some much needed descriptions. I have noticed I tend not to describe certain things since well, I see them in my head so I already know what it looks like.
I think what I plan to do is, once I have gone through the first draft and figured out the scenes I need to add, I'll add those in, then print the whole thing out. That'll make it easier to edit. For me anyway.
I have a scene I may end up cutting out near the end of the story. It leads up to the third book of the series (yes, I'm going to try to turn this into a trilogy or maybe a 4 book series), but it's a rather touchy subject/scene so may have to change it around at a minimum.
I'm getting requests from a couple people now to hurry up so they can read it. So I guess i better get back to it. I wanted to post quick here though since it has been a little bit since my last letter.
Lost in a world of witches, warlocks and vampires,
Shell
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Hide Me (Hideaway Inn) Excerpt
Dear Shell,
Time for another excerpt, even though it's only been a couple days. At my region's kick-off party last Friday, we all walked around with papers on our back for others to write plot ideas on to help each writer out when they hit a snag. I decided that the one idea just couldn't wait until i hit a snag, i needed to use it and work it in earlier.
Excerpt from "Hide Me (Hideaway Inn)":
Back to being her usual whirlwind of energy, Marie burst through the office door already talking up a storm without knowing for sure if Amanda was in yet or not. Several of her words penetrated the sleep fog that Amanda was in. Words like: Slime, creepy, strange, snails, unnatural.
Amanda sat up, rubbing her eyes. She said groggily, “Slow down. What or who is arriving? And what are they bringing?”
Marie took a deep breath then quickly repeated what she had been saying when she had come in to the office, “The were- snails are coming. They commissioned a miniature replica of the inn, identical to the Hideaway, down to the furniture. Although, I do not know if they know about the piano. Hm. I wonder if they will add that. Anyway, they said the Hunters or something like that are after them. They want to come to the Hideaway for sanctuary.”
“The Hunters respect our laws at the Hideaway. They hate it, but they respect it. They know we have the blessing of the Gods, and that all the magical community comes here to be safe.” Amanda was starting to realize just how serious things were getting outside of the safety of the inn. She wondered if maybe the notes were warnings from a Hunter, maybe it really did go back to Arabelle.
“What is with the miniature version of the inn though? That is just creepy.”
Amanda shook her head, trying to hold back the laughter. “They are were- snails. That means they are small creatures. I suspect the miniature version of the inn will be where they will spend most of their time, so they avoid being stepped on by other guests. I will need to find a safe spot for them to put the miniature where it will not disturb the other guests, and the were- snails will not be disturbed either.”
“I still say it is unnatural, Amanda. Were- snails? That is just, odd.” Marie said.
“You have been a part of the magical community for how long, and you still find things unnatural?” Amanda gave in to the laughter.
“I do not find most things unnatural. I take it all in stride. But seriously, snails?” Marie shuddered.
Amanda crossed over to her closet to see if she had any spare clothes stored there. Her voice was slightly muffled as she spoke from inside the closet, “You would be surprised just how much magic those little creatures contain. It is good that they are not our size, they would be too powerful, unstoppable.”
Marie moved to the office door and called back into the room, “Still. It is snails.” She shut the door behind her as she left.
Cleaning up the slime trails from the lobby floor,
Shell
Time for another excerpt, even though it's only been a couple days. At my region's kick-off party last Friday, we all walked around with papers on our back for others to write plot ideas on to help each writer out when they hit a snag. I decided that the one idea just couldn't wait until i hit a snag, i needed to use it and work it in earlier.
Excerpt from "Hide Me (Hideaway Inn)":
Back to being her usual whirlwind of energy, Marie burst through the office door already talking up a storm without knowing for sure if Amanda was in yet or not. Several of her words penetrated the sleep fog that Amanda was in. Words like: Slime, creepy, strange, snails, unnatural.
Amanda sat up, rubbing her eyes. She said groggily, “Slow down. What or who is arriving? And what are they bringing?”
Marie took a deep breath then quickly repeated what she had been saying when she had come in to the office, “The were- snails are coming. They commissioned a miniature replica of the inn, identical to the Hideaway, down to the furniture. Although, I do not know if they know about the piano. Hm. I wonder if they will add that. Anyway, they said the Hunters or something like that are after them. They want to come to the Hideaway for sanctuary.”
“The Hunters respect our laws at the Hideaway. They hate it, but they respect it. They know we have the blessing of the Gods, and that all the magical community comes here to be safe.” Amanda was starting to realize just how serious things were getting outside of the safety of the inn. She wondered if maybe the notes were warnings from a Hunter, maybe it really did go back to Arabelle.
“What is with the miniature version of the inn though? That is just creepy.”
Amanda shook her head, trying to hold back the laughter. “They are were- snails. That means they are small creatures. I suspect the miniature version of the inn will be where they will spend most of their time, so they avoid being stepped on by other guests. I will need to find a safe spot for them to put the miniature where it will not disturb the other guests, and the were- snails will not be disturbed either.”
“I still say it is unnatural, Amanda. Were- snails? That is just, odd.” Marie said.
“You have been a part of the magical community for how long, and you still find things unnatural?” Amanda gave in to the laughter.
“I do not find most things unnatural. I take it all in stride. But seriously, snails?” Marie shuddered.
Amanda crossed over to her closet to see if she had any spare clothes stored there. Her voice was slightly muffled as she spoke from inside the closet, “You would be surprised just how much magic those little creatures contain. It is good that they are not our size, they would be too powerful, unstoppable.”
Marie moved to the office door and called back into the room, “Still. It is snails.” She shut the door behind her as she left.
Cleaning up the slime trails from the lobby floor,
Shell
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
NaNo Time Again
Dear Shell,
It's that time again. November has shown up on the calendar again and writers around the world are slaving away over their keyboards, fighting the clock to hit 50,000 words or more by midnight on November 30th.
Like I did last year, I plan on sharing excerpts from the novel I am working on this year.
Hide Me (Hideaway Inn)
Three beautiful women stood in the extravagant foyer of the Hideaway Inn. Amanda Cameron, owner and manager of the inn, stood with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. “I measured. I swear I measured it. The piano should have fit between the fireplace and the dining room entrance.”
“Did you measure before or after you upgraded from the vertical piano to the baby grand?” Brynn, the middle sister, tapped the measuring tape against her arm.
“I –oh shut up.” Amanda stalked away from her sisters, cut around the corner of the oak front desk and slammed into her office. The sound of the door hitting the door jamb resonated through the lobby.
Brynn and Diana looked at each other and grinned identical grins. “She's so easy to rile up.” Diana waved her hand in the direction of the baby grand piano and they watched the piano shrink back down to the correct size.
“You know she's going to blame me for this.” Brynn mentioned to her baby sister. She glanced toward the office door and laughed. “Not like I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't beaten me to it.”
Hiding out at the laptop for the next 27 days,
Shell
It's that time again. November has shown up on the calendar again and writers around the world are slaving away over their keyboards, fighting the clock to hit 50,000 words or more by midnight on November 30th.
Like I did last year, I plan on sharing excerpts from the novel I am working on this year.
Hide Me (Hideaway Inn)
Three beautiful women stood in the extravagant foyer of the Hideaway Inn. Amanda Cameron, owner and manager of the inn, stood with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. “I measured. I swear I measured it. The piano should have fit between the fireplace and the dining room entrance.”
“Did you measure before or after you upgraded from the vertical piano to the baby grand?” Brynn, the middle sister, tapped the measuring tape against her arm.
“I –oh shut up.” Amanda stalked away from her sisters, cut around the corner of the oak front desk and slammed into her office. The sound of the door hitting the door jamb resonated through the lobby.
Brynn and Diana looked at each other and grinned identical grins. “She's so easy to rile up.” Diana waved her hand in the direction of the baby grand piano and they watched the piano shrink back down to the correct size.
“You know she's going to blame me for this.” Brynn mentioned to her baby sister. She glanced toward the office door and laughed. “Not like I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't beaten me to it.”
Hiding out at the laptop for the next 27 days,
Shell
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