Power's Touch is done! Three cheers, then onto round three.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Quick update!
1. My blog URL has changed, but if you're here, you probably already know that. Still, here it is: http://nisaswineford.blogspot.com/ There will be more changes coming to my blog soon. Just remember that soon is a relative term. ;)
2. Ali Cross is amazing! If you know her you already know that, but for those of you who don't know her, you should definitely find your way to her blog. Enter the dojo! She has taken national novel writing month and made it over ninja-style. It's not just a November thing anymore and it's not just for writing. There's hashtags for twitter and everything. Enjoy and I'll just say you're welcome now. http://alicross.blogspot.com/
3. I am one chapter away from finishing my second draft! It's so surreal! I'm sure you'll hear much more about this one when I'm actually done. Hopefully, it will happen tonight, but I rushed the ending to the umpteenth degree the first time through so it needs a lot of work! Still.so.close!
2. Ali Cross is amazing! If you know her you already know that, but for those of you who don't know her, you should definitely find your way to her blog. Enter the dojo! She has taken national novel writing month and made it over ninja-style. It's not just a November thing anymore and it's not just for writing. There's hashtags for twitter and everything. Enjoy and I'll just say you're welcome now. http://alicross.blogspot.com/
3. I am one chapter away from finishing my second draft! It's so surreal! I'm sure you'll hear much more about this one when I'm actually done. Hopefully, it will happen tonight, but I rushed the ending to the umpteenth degree the first time through so it needs a lot of work! Still.so.close!
Friday, March 18, 2011
My, Oh My!
Yep. I'm having a 'My, Oh my!' moment.
I am ten chapters away from completing my first revisions ever. I am beyond thrilled and, yes, a tad surprised that I've actually come this far. My epic fantasy, Power's Touch, is sitting at just under 100k right now. My goal this week is to finish the revisions. If I can start on round 2 of revisions, I'll consider that a bonus. Maybe I'll even attempt a synopsis. Now I'm REALLY feeling ambitious.
How is your writing going? Where are you in the process?
I am ten chapters away from completing my first revisions ever. I am beyond thrilled and, yes, a tad surprised that I've actually come this far. My epic fantasy, Power's Touch, is sitting at just under 100k right now. My goal this week is to finish the revisions. If I can start on round 2 of revisions, I'll consider that a bonus. Maybe I'll even attempt a synopsis. Now I'm REALLY feeling ambitious.
How is your writing going? Where are you in the process?
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Unease
I'm forgoing Ten-Word Tuesday today as my world is in a bit turmoil. I have never been through a "real" natural disaster. I've experienced earthquakes, flooding and even a tornado, but I never felt truly afraid. With all that is happening in the Middle East, my thoughts are far from the limit of ten words. I've watched, breathless, as a place I once lived and love was looted and friends, still there, hid inside their homes with baseball bats beside the door, their one protection. Other friends were evacuated and still live in a world of unrest, not knowing what will happen next, where they'll go, what they'll do. My family blog isn't called Daily Journeys of an American Gypsy for nothing. We are homeless. Oft times, very alone. Normally, the adventure of it, the wanderlust, conquers any sort of fear we might have at our chosen lifestyle, but then evacuations happen. As with Egypt not so long ago, I have friends in Bahrain who are now experiencing that same chaos and evacuations are pending. I cannot control the emotions I feel. Add to this all that is happening in Japan? I'm not sure there are words for how I feel. So many people in pain and mourning...
Perhaps tomorrow I will be resigned once again to all that is happening, but for today I feel overwhelmed and so very small. All I can say is, please, pray for all those across the Middle East and for those in Japan. I know the power of prayer is not insignificant.
Perhaps tomorrow I will be resigned once again to all that is happening, but for today I feel overwhelmed and so very small. All I can say is, please, pray for all those across the Middle East and for those in Japan. I know the power of prayer is not insignificant.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Imagine!
"It's more interesting to have just a picture of a small detail - then you can dream all the rest around it. Because when you see the whole thing, what is there to imagine?" -Dries Van Noten
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Controversial? Is it really?
I'm pondering reviews. I've been thinking about them a lot lately. This has been sparked by quite a few blog posts I've read in the last month stating that authors/wannabe authors probably shouldn't review books as it's not seen in the best light to critique your fellow novelists. I have to ask myself why. (A regular Aristotle, I tell ya...)
Don't we, as writers, want to grow in our craft? Become better at it? Sometimes it's hard to step outside of our neatly created worlds and examine the flaws. We can't see the forest for the trees, as my mother often said. We know this! It's why we have critique partners and editors. It's why we go through so many rigorous revisions. Why then should we balk at a little constructive criticism once the book is in print? Can we not still learn from the perspective of others once the ink is permanent? I would venture that we certainly can. So why are people trying to push book reviews off as being taboo? (Yes, I know there are mean people out there who don't know the difference between constructive and critical. Hit the ignore button! They only have as much power as you give them.)
I am not much of a reviewer myself. I use goodreads to mostly report content, though after reading an incredibly thoughtful series like Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, I do spend a little time describing my personal feelings.
To me, the world is becoming upside down and backwards. Political correctness is killing discussion and the things that should be taboo (sex, gore, cursing, among other things) are becoming more and more accepted. This is the reason I will NOT stop reviewing books. They have no rating system of their own and it's only through word of mouth that we know what's in them. I consider it an obligation to my friends and family to warn them of inappropriate content in any book. It's not personal and I never mean to offend. I LOVE the authors and writers I've met even if they choose to write things I disagree with. I would guess 99.9% of the writers out there feel the same way. I want the world to be a better place and I know you do to. We can't do it when we accept filth as commonplace. As Edmund Burke famously said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing." I for one am choosing to do something, even if it costs me national publication.
Matthew 5:14-16 reads, " Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
I don't normally quote scriptures on my writing blog, but this seemed an appropriate moment do to so.
So is this controversial? It shouldn't be, but I haven't seen anyone else saying these things. Please, do me a favor and circulate this post, whether you agree or not, so that this side of the story can be heard and writers can decide for themselves how they want to proceed. This is an important issue to me and I would appreciate your help. Thank you!
Don't we, as writers, want to grow in our craft? Become better at it? Sometimes it's hard to step outside of our neatly created worlds and examine the flaws. We can't see the forest for the trees, as my mother often said. We know this! It's why we have critique partners and editors. It's why we go through so many rigorous revisions. Why then should we balk at a little constructive criticism once the book is in print? Can we not still learn from the perspective of others once the ink is permanent? I would venture that we certainly can. So why are people trying to push book reviews off as being taboo? (Yes, I know there are mean people out there who don't know the difference between constructive and critical. Hit the ignore button! They only have as much power as you give them.)
I am not much of a reviewer myself. I use goodreads to mostly report content, though after reading an incredibly thoughtful series like Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, I do spend a little time describing my personal feelings.
To me, the world is becoming upside down and backwards. Political correctness is killing discussion and the things that should be taboo (sex, gore, cursing, among other things) are becoming more and more accepted. This is the reason I will NOT stop reviewing books. They have no rating system of their own and it's only through word of mouth that we know what's in them. I consider it an obligation to my friends and family to warn them of inappropriate content in any book. It's not personal and I never mean to offend. I LOVE the authors and writers I've met even if they choose to write things I disagree with. I would guess 99.9% of the writers out there feel the same way. I want the world to be a better place and I know you do to. We can't do it when we accept filth as commonplace. As Edmund Burke famously said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing." I for one am choosing to do something, even if it costs me national publication.
Matthew 5:14-16 reads, " Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
I don't normally quote scriptures on my writing blog, but this seemed an appropriate moment do to so.
So is this controversial? It shouldn't be, but I haven't seen anyone else saying these things. Please, do me a favor and circulate this post, whether you agree or not, so that this side of the story can be heard and writers can decide for themselves how they want to proceed. This is an important issue to me and I would appreciate your help. Thank you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
