G&B Thursday

December 31, 2015 ~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

So… This day is it for 2015. Yawn.

Another year in which I did not finish my novel. Oh, it has over the NaNoWriMo 50,000 words, but it is a long way from being in any sort of shape to send to a publishing house.

I know it’s my fault. This fall I was so busy with other distractions that it sat, lonely in my office, waiting. Whenever I tried to work on the thing, I would run into something else I needed to research. Grrrr! I am tired of research after 3 years, but I want the story to be perfect. Is that too much to ask?

Probably.

OK. That was the Bits. Now for the Giggles (I think they are funny anyway…)

New Years Eve is the only acceptable time to wear body glitter without being mistaken for a stripper.

Dear God, my prayer for 2016 is a FAT bank account and a THIN body. Please don’t mix it up like you did this year.

Did you know that McDonald’s is offering the “Obama Happy Meal?” Order anything you want. And the guy behind you has to pay for it.

See ya Next Year!

♥ TTFN ♥

Warm Up Your Brain – It’s Almost November

October 21, 2014 ~ JodiLea

What happened to this year?

I must have missed a bunch. November is looming up on the calendar, again, and you know what that means… NaNoWriMo!

November is National Novel Writing Month. I am determined to finish my draft of “Through the Door”, last year’s novel, but so many things have distracted me this year.

Since I already have over 50,000 words written, (57,980 to be exact), I cannot enter it as my 2014 novel. I can, however subtract the 57,980 words from the total words this November as I bumble along trying to finish by Dec. 1st. I will have tons of editing to do, as well as more research, but to complete the story will be HUGE. My first complete novel after all these years!!

Sometimes, I lose focus, because I want to end this particular story and move on to my next idea. I tell myself that’s what it is, but I think I’m lying. The truth is so embarrassing to me, as “the writer” in the family!

I have no clue how the story will end.

It did have an end, but I trashed it. Why? Because it was WAY too corny. I admit that I like old-fashioned corny, but this was roll your eyes while gagging corny. Even I could not stand it. Yes, it was that bad.

So, for now, I’m introducing new major and minor characters, trying to expand my heroine’s options. I tried to re-outline things, but that was a bad idea.

Strong characters have their own way of determining a story’s outcome. Which is good, because mine are going to have to finish this story on their own.

Good luck and Happy writing to all my fellow NaNoWriMo writers!

♥ Jodi

Prioritizing is an Art Form

January 10, 2014 ~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

And I am no artist.

It’s the 10th day of the year and I’m already (way) behind on my to-do list. This does not bode well, but I’m going to cut myself some slack for once. The first week of the month, I played with my granddaughter and goofed off. What’s the point of being retired if I can’t have some fun?

Then, I made a promise to myself to edit the first draft of my novel before doing any reading for fun. I kept the promise for a whole a week, but I caved in last night and began reading the latest Stephen King novel, Sleep Doctor. I got it for Christmas and I was going crazy seeing it just sitting there – unopened. I try to ration myself, but my addictive personality will undoubtedly take over and I will devour Mr. King’s novel before finishing mine. It’s all his fault for messing up my schedule.

I hope that one day soon, people will blame me for sucking up their free time and messing up their schedule. Because they just can’t put my book down, don’t ya know 😉 Of course, I have to finish my re-write before that can happen..

Right now my writer’s confidence is at an all-time low. This happens every time I go to edit and re-write a story. I have notes of things I need to go back to and things to add or fix. My re-write of the first few chapters is not going as planned and I’m frustrated. This, of course, makes me doubt, fret and feel foolish enough to give up on the story.

Not this story, however. The story’s idea is solid – that I am still confident about. It just needs a lot of work. A horrific amount of work, and I discover more work as I go. That is overwhelming me because I wanted the novel to be finished by January 16th. My frustration stems from my impatience. I want it to be finished. NOW. I want to start editing my next novel, that has been “fermenting” in a drawer for a year.

I have to wonder if this is normal thinking for a writer, or if I need therapy. Could therapy could help me learn to balance my time, energy and drive? I pull myself in so many directions that I don’t know what to do first. I want to piece a new quilt, organize my office, catch up on correspondence, crochet some new projects. Lose 25-30 pounds as I eat healthier and exercise more. While writing novel after novel. And then there’s the housework I can’t ignore forever, and then, there’s the IRS. [Large, exasperated sigh here]

Is this too much to ask from myself? Not at all! Unless I try all of this in one month. Which I was doing – until last night. My hubby, of all people, gave me a wonderful idea. My cuddly, smart and handsome man! Who does not write, is not organized himself at all, thought up the answer to my predicament. I’m so relieved that I am not even jealous.

My January 16th “due date” for my novel to be ready, was so dear Aunt Kitty could have it on her 90th birthday, is not going to be. What hubby suggested is to give her the first chapter, and promise to send her the next one within a couple of weeks or so. That way I am motivated to keep editing and she can keep reading it (and hopefully give me feedback as well).

Damn.

Why didn’t I think of that? Probably because while I should be editing chapter 1, I am telling y’all about it, sipping coffee, and to be totally honest – still in my pajamas. My brain is no longer organized, if it ever really was, since I retired. It’s a darn good thing that I don’t have to go to work anymore. 🙂