Monday, August 22, 2011

Happy Revision Day!

It's Monday and I'm breaking the law. Well... maybe not exactly. It only feels that way. I should be at work, toiling away to earn a paycheque but instead I booked a much needed vacation day. Days off during the week always feel scandalous to me.

After a morning spent riding my bike and shopping for a new moonstone ring (which by the way is gorgeous!) I've decided to buckle down and work on the revisions for my newest novel The Reaper's Brides. Although I am no where near finished writing the story, I periodically like to stop and re-read what I've written to clean up any of the awkward phrases I often find myself writing.

It's amazing how you can write something that you think is absolutely wonderful, then go back to find it's utterly useless. It doesn't flow, it makes no sense and don't even get me started on the amount of spelling mistakes. Ugh!

But despite all this, I enjoy knitting together all the fragments that will make for an interesting novel. At least that's the idea anyhow.

So as much as I'd love to continue this post, I have revisions to do!




Sunday, August 7, 2011

Lazy Days of Summer



It's been a while since I've last posted and although I'd like to say I've been busy working hard on my writing, I must not tell lies. The lazy days of summer have grasped me firmly in their grip and everything else is on the slide.

I've been spending a lot of time outside riding my bike along the paved trail near my house and enjoying the warm (almost too warm) weather. You see right now we are in a bit of a drought. The grass has turned from brilliant green to straw yellow. The leaves on trees curling brown, scorched from the hot, hot sun. The only true survivors of this heat are the weeds. Somehow the weeds are thriving.

Each morning I check the weather station in hopes of some rain. Each day I'm let down. The dark clouds roll in and I get excited for a wondrous thunderstorm complete with blinding white lightening. But sadly they pass through to an unknown destination.  Though I am far from complaining about the warm, nearly mosquito free summer, I do wish the rain would come for one night. I love sitting on my front patio taking pleasure in the smell of falling rain. Ahh.

But enough of the rant....

I have managed to throw a few stolen moments into my novel. I'm progressing along at a easy pace and enjoying every minute of it.

I set up my desk area more comfortably in hopes that I will be tempted to spend more time writing. I've found that my lack of a good laptop computer and comfortable chair has led me to seek other spots to write. I'm forever carting around my paraphernalia and getting set up before I can put pen to paper. My arms full of pens, paper, dictionary, thesaurus and a good cup of tea or iced tea if I'm heading outside. 

Another challenge I am up against is that I tend to enjoy writing in busy, public areas. Without the aforementioned laptop, I am forced to write by hand in notebooks or scraps of paper. Truth be told, I enjoy writing by hand. It's a lost art really. How often do we actually spend time writing anything by hand anymore? Nowadays the keyboard is King.  

Well I suppose that's enough excuses for today. Warm weather, uncomfortable workspace, lack of "necessary" tools.

Yes, yes I know.....

Shut up and get on with it! (My personal writing mantra)