How’s everybody doing?
I’m getting really tired of typing this, but there isn’t much new with me.
New Steps
For the past bit, I’ve been trying to solve an issue with my novel. I’ve been thinking (avoiding) about it and working on maintenance type stuff. Spell checks, getting rid of superfluous words, making sure I only have one space behind a period. That kind of stuff.
Right now, it’s sitting at about 129,000 words. That’s a pretty good number, but the issue I’m having is that it doesn’t read like a novel. It reads like a collection of scenes. Some of them are amazing (at least I think so), some of them are only okay. But over all, it is lacking something. Big problem. I’ve never written anything even close to this long before. I finally think I’ve figured out how to fix it, so that’s something. It’s going to take re-writing some sections, adding stuff to others, and deleting yet others. I’m a pantser, but I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and create a plot outline. I’ve given myself a tentative deadline of October 31st to make these changes. Then I will resume my editing process.
I am planning on submitting to the September deadline for the Writers of the Future contest. Yesterday, I finished the re-vamp of a story I previously entered. I need to read through it, but should be able to get it submitted this week.
My only complaint is I haven’t been writing anything new. Which, on one hand, is good because I have several stories that are “almost done.” Granted some of them have been sitting at that stage for months (cough years cough). I am in that awkward stage where I should be contacting beta readers, but alas, I don’t have a network yet. I’m still, very slowly, working on that. I should put more effort into it, but I’ve never been great at the whole networking, meeting new people, and MAINTAINING that relationship thing. On the other hand, I am missing the discovering new characters, new relationships, and new conundrums thing. I miss just sitting down and typing so long my fingers start to cramp. I know that sounds weird, but when I’m ON I’m on. I haven’t been ON in weeks.
The Breakdown
This time around, I thought I would tell you about my current music mix. It can be found on YouTube. No, I did not make the mix, I found it. But I love it. It’s called Mix-Turning Page. It is a really great mood mix. Mostly slow or medium pace songs. All very emotional. It hits you in all the feels and in the right moments can bring tears to my eyes. Sometimes we need that.
Some of my favorites:
Turning Page by Sleeping at Last
Everywhere I Go by Sleeping at Last
My Love by Sia
I Found by Amber Run
Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron and Wine
Stay by Rihanna
Gravity by Coldplay
Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars
I Can’t Make you Love Me cover by Bon Iver
Where’s My Love (acoustic) by SYML
Living Life
It’s difficult to stay calm/hopeful some days. I don’t leave the house much anymore. This is combination of it being really hot outside, not having anywhere I need to be, and trying not to spend money. I still don’t have a job... grrrr. I’ve been interviewing, but so far, no luck. My greatest fear is it is going to get down to the wire and I’m going to end up taking a soul killing job because I need the money. Every job I’ve applied to so far, has been one that sounded interesting to me. Either the job itself or the company the position is for. I hoped this time around I could find one that really spoke to me. At the end of the day, that may be a pipe dream, but I haven’t completely given up hope yet.
That’s all she wrote.
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