LIFE IN THE FAST LANE…

Not.

The faster you can type, the faster you can write. Well, only if you already know what you want to write. If you sit in front of a blinking cursor like I do half the time, then it doesn’t really matter how many words per minute you can type, LOL.

At night I read to the clacking of keys–fast clacking. My teen is a speedster when it comes to IMing and leaving comments on people’s blogs. In fact I’m totally jealous of her quick fingers. So I wanted to find out exactly how fast I can type. I took a test, and while my accuracy was impressive my WPM, not so much.

54 WPM

Now it’s your turn. Let us know how fast your fingers fly.

CONFERENCE COUNTDOWN!

It’s almost conference time. Are you as excited as I am? It’s my first one and I must be having some level of subconscious anxiety. Last night I dreamed I went to the conference and no one would talk to me, AND it was Saturday and I hadn’t even been to a workshop because the rooms were too full. Yes, I’m a dork, I know.

Thankfully I have my great buddies (that’s YOU!) to hang out with in Dallas! Did y’all catch the new conference blog? Yes, another blog to keep tabs on, LOL.

So for those of you keeping track, we have 50 days until Dallas! Woot woot!

Writing Meme

Fellow friend and blogger Sabrina Fox tagged me with this super-cool meme that took me down good ol’ Memory Lane.

1. What’s the one book or writing project you haven’t yet written but still hope to?

Hmm, I think I’m writing it now. Every time I’ve had a desire to write a certain book, I did. Trust me, my ideas don’t roll in fast enough for me to have a dream project on the backburner.

2. If you had one entire day in which to do nothing but read, what book would you start with?

LOL, see Tuesday’s post. I’d love to work my way through the pile! But having an entire day to read is fiction in itself.

3. What was your first writing “instrument” (besides pen and paper)?

My grandmother’s portable typewriter. When she told me I could have it, I knew it was my life’s mission to be a writer. Then a week later my parents bought me an electric typewriter. Am I giving away my age?

4. What’s your best guess as to how many books you read in a month?

As we all know from my Speed Reading post, I’m slow. Nowadays I probably read 2 books on a good week. I used to read 4, but now I write more than I read. Oops, I guess the question was books per month…OK, 8.

5. What’s your most favorite writing “machine” you’ve ever owned?

That’s easy, my laptop. Love it love it love it.

6. Think historical fiction: what’s your favorite time period in which to read? (And if you don’t read historical fiction–shame on you.)

The height of the Roman empire, ala Mark of the Lion series, by Francine Rivers

7. What’s the one book you remember most clearly from your youth (childhood or teens)?

Eighth Moon, by Betty Bao Lord. It’s a non-fic about a young girl living in China under Mao. This book impacted me more than anything else I read as a child, and if you have a chance, get it!

Now here’s the part we’ve all been waiting for, the tagging. Because I’d love to read all of your answers, please do the right thing and tag yourself. Then let me know so I can visit

LAST WEEK I WAS ROCKY…

…this week, not so much.

MY LAST WEEK…

…as a guest blogger at Writer…Interrupted. If you’ve never visited the incredible blog Gina put together for busy writers, then stop by and get acquainted.

YET ANOTHER BIG PILE…

New books are one of life’s greatest reasons to celebrate. When we went to the bookstore this weekend there was nary a place to park. I had to circle more than once (not easy in a gansta’ car like ours) to find a spot. Let’s see…Potter mania?


I must confess, I wasn’t there to buy Harry Potter like the hordes of excited readers snatching up book 7. But I did find some treasures, like Catch a Rising Star, by Tracey Bateman and True Light, by Terri Blackstock. Funny story–a month ago when I heard True Light was supposed to be out, I grabbed a book off the shelf with Terri’s name on it, and only when I got home realized it was Night Light, which I’d already read. I was so excited I bought book 2 in the series twice. Duh!

Here’s a picture of my TBR pile (keep in mind, this is not a complete photo, as I’m terribly embarrassed by the amount of books I haven’t read that were in my last photo!):

What’s in your pile this week?

HOORAY FOR ROCKIN‘ BLOGGERS!!!

My good blogger buddies Sabrina and Delia both awarded me the Rockin‘ Girl Blogger award. Yippee! Thanks ladies!

Now I get to pass it on to girl bloggers who’ve helped and encouraged me in multiple ways. You guessed it, I’ve chosen my crit buddeies:

Betsy

Erica

Kaye

These three ladies have made a huge impact on me with their patience and commitment. I can’t even put into words (how bad is that for a writer?) how deeply I appreciate them.

So thank you!!! You girls rock!

There are two other people I’d like to thank, who support me in amazing ways. My hubby, who does everything from making a way for me to go to the conference to watching the babies when I go write on Saturdays. And my teen, who watches the babies at all sorts of random times so I can pound out a few words.

Support people are huge–I pray you have people in your life who make the positive contributions for you that these wonderful people have for me.

I’m so very blessed to blog with you all!

THOUGHTS ON SETTING…

…Setting explored and used to its fullest

is not only part of character,

it can also be a key to plot.

~Elizabeth George, Write Away

Setting is, by far, my weakest link. As I prepare to dive into my second draft next week, I need to gather my thoughts on setting and work hard not only to take the reader to where the action is, but also to create a particular mood for the story.

The first two books I wrote could have taken place almost anywhere and still been the same story, with a few minor adjustments. Not so with this one, which is set three different places in Alaska: Anchorage, the mountains outside of the city, and the tundra several miles above the Arctic circle. There’s no fudging.

In the book Write Away, Elizabeth George recommends actually visiting the place where the story is set–taking notes, pictures, and recording details (sights, smells, moods) to incorporate during the writing. Sadly, this is not possible for me, at this time, although I have visited all the locations of my story several years ago.

Since an immediate visit is not in my future, here’s what I have done:

*pulled out tons of photos from my previous visits

*spent hours on Google Earth to get proximities correct–this is a must-have

*watched Man vs. Wild (hey, it helped!)

*studied the Eyewitness Travel Alaska book–by far THE best book to help with setting. It includes plant life, suggested sites, tons of photos, visitor info, and bits of history

*spoke with a relative who lives in Anchorage to get the details of the mall and the airport correct

*studied the weather patterns for the time of year my story takes place for rainfall and temperatures to make clothing choices and events plausible

What kinds of research do you do for setting?

CRUISING IN FOR A LANDING….

The moment I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived: the end of my first draft. I started this book back in May (or was it April) and have had so much fun writing a suspense. With scene cards, the whole process flew by, even though I veered away from the cards multiple times. So it’s a good news/bad news situation.

The good news is…I get to see how the action plays out–who has the gun, when a certain someone breaks in to help save the day, how the heroine turns the tables on the bad guy, and the reaction of my heroine when she finds out who the mystery woman in the boat is.

The bad news is…I have to start the second draft. My first–or, rough–draft isn’t even close to where it needs to be. A new POV is getting slipped in. Several scenes must be added (about 15,000 words worth, to be precise!) Characterization must change to fit the story. It’s going to be way more work than the first draft.

How are your WIPs coming along???

DROP IN AND KICK OFF YOUR SHOES…

…at Writer…Interrupted. I’m guest blogging today.