The Write Journey

Salt of the Earth / 2nd Campaigner Challenge

2012-03-05T18:32:00.003-08:00

All I can say is WOW. This new challenge of Rachael's has definitely been the most difficult. I gave a bash at it but didn't do all of them. I chose #2, the 200 word short story/flash fiction based on all the prompts and #4, a poem using five sentences based on the prompts. To view the rules and prompts, they are at the bottom of this post. My entries are: # 2. (200 word flash fiction piece

War of Shadows / 1st Campaigner Challenge 2012

2012-02-20T08:53:00.001-08:00

Today is the First Campaigner Challenge of Rachael Harrie’s Fourth Platform Building Campaign! The challenge is to write a short story / flash fiction in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count. For an additional (optional)

Software for writing

2012-02-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

Do you use any type of writing software? I've recently been playing around with a few of them and I would like to let you know what I have found so far. Of course, this is all based on my very unprofessional opinion after all. :) I tried four different writing software programs and three different writing processors. So let's get on with it shall we! Writing Software: yWriter5 Scrivener Celtx

Writer's Campaign!!!

2012-02-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

I've signed up for the Fourth Writer's Platform-Building Campaign. It's a cool way to get both new and experienced bloggers together while building a platform. The Campaign signup is running from February 6, 2012 - March 17, 2012 at Rach Writes. So if any of you would like to join in the fun, now is the time!This Fourth Campaign will be a mini-campaign and there will be two Campaigner

9 Steps to Plotting Outlines

2012-01-23T10:38:00.000-08:00

Is your manuscript full of fluff? Do you have scenes or even chapters that need to be deleted but you just can't bring yourself to do it? Trust me, I've been there. What helps is to cut out the stuff that doesn't belong and just save it into a separate file if you are afraid of deleting it forever. I have quite a rather large "fluff" file that I'm keeping for future reference. (alright, honestly

Winter Nightmare

2012-01-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

This post is part of the January 2012 Blog Chain at Absolute Write. This month's challenge is "Winter Nightmare." The rules are to write about a winter nightmare and go wherever the prompt takes you. It can be fiction or non-fiction, the nightmare can be Cthulhu or just a struggle with a troublesome New Year's resolution (or anything in between). Each post should be less than 1000 words if

December 2011 AW Blog Chain

2011-11-30T18:23:00.001-08:00

This post is part of the December 2011 AW Blog Chain at Absolute Write. This month's challenge is "Home for the Holidays." The rules are to write about a holiday memory. It can be fiction or non-fiction, and the choice of holiday is yours (fictional holidays are okay too). Perhaps you can invent an annoying relative. Maybe you knew someone who actually got a lump of coal in their stocking. Or

November 2011 AW Blog Chain

2011-11-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

This post is part of the November 2011 Blog Chain at Absolute Write. This month's challenge is "NaBloPoMo" - National Blog Posting Month (not affiliated with the real NaBloPoMo). The rules are to write up a back cover blurb for a book you have written or would like to write. It should be short, sweet, yet give a sense of people and events without totally spoiling the ending. NaNoWriMo

Too Much Research?

2011-11-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

I know I've not been posting on a regular basis...something I really hope to change. Let me tell you, it has been so hectic here. I feel like a taxi running both girls back and forth to school & preschool, dance class, girl scouts, helping with book reports, homework, and helping my second grader study for tests. It's absolutely nuts! How in the world do people keep organized, house cleaned,

Third Campaigner Challenge

2011-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Today is the third Challenge of Rachel Harrie’s Platform Building Campaign! The rules are to write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:that it’s morning, that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach that the MC (main character) is bored that

October 2011 AW Blog Chain

2011-10-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

This post is part of the October 2011 Blog Chain at Absolute Write. This month's challenge is "Some Things Dark and Dangerous." Choose a Word from this list of Lovecraftian words or this list of Obscure words (or one from both if you're feeling ambitious). Use your chosen word(s) to craft your post. It doesn't have to be Lovecraftian or even horror, but should be dark, unsettling, scary or

Second Campaigner Challenge

2011-09-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

Today is the second Challenge of Rachel Harrie’s Platform Building Campaign! The rules are to write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should include: Imago – Last state of development of an insect.Miasma – A noxious form of “bad air”.Lacuna – Is a gap, ditch,

Character Mapping

2011-09-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Have you done a Character Map yet? The picture over to the left is a map of my own characters I've been playing with over the last couple of days. While editing, I found some major flaws with plots and characters and realized that I should perhaps stop procrastinating and do one. I am so very glad I did! This was the first attempt at character mapping and let me tell you, it's great being able

September 2011 AW Blog Chain

2011-09-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

This post is part of the September 2011 Blog Chain at Absolute Write. This month's Challenge is "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words." Option 1: Respond to the default picture. Write a brief response to this picture Nighthawks (1942) by Edward Hopper. Each post should be less than 1000 words if possible. Option 2: Respond to your own picture. Choose your own picture! You must inlcude a link to

Award Time Again!

2011-09-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

The absolutely awesome Jennifer Groepl picked me for some cool awards! Thanks Jennifer! By accepting this awesomeness, I agree to: 1. Thank and link to the person who nominated me 2. Share 7 random facts about myself 3. Pass the award to 5 blogger friends 4. Contact and congratulate the nominated blogs Here are the seven facts of randomness about me: 1. I could eat pizza everyday. (

Insecurities

2011-09-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm just going to come out and say it. I am TOTALLY insecure about my writing. I'm in a love - hate relationship with it and I don't even know if I just used an en dash, em dash or a hyphen between the words love - hate. I've re-read (there I go again with the dash thingy) my manuscript over and over and each time it gets changed. There are times that I'm tempted to just trash it and

Campaigner Challenge #1

2011-09-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today is the first challenge of Rachel Harrie's Platform Building Campaign! The rules are to write a short story / flash fiction in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, "The door swung open". These four words will be included in the word count. If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same

Award Time!

2011-08-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Wow my very first award! The amazing T.B. McKenzie thoughtfully nominated me for this outstanding achievement. Oh...huh? What? Wait a minute...where did all my followers go? *knocking on computer screen* Anyone out there? Hello? Alright alright, I guess I should admit I received this awesomeness because I still have under 200 followers. Honestly, I'm grateful that I've somehow managed to

Tag: You're it!

2011-08-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, time for a break from writing and have a little fun. I've been tagged by Avery Marsh, a fellow Campaigner. The rules are that I have to tell you 10 random facts about myself and then tag four other bloggers. Muhuhahaha (my attempt at an evil laugh). Ok, if you're still reading, here goes: 1. Every time I see a tree I have to scope out the best way to climb it. (Don't worry, I don't

The Amazing "Shrunken Manuscript"

2011-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

So... here is a picture of my full manuscript. Yes that's correct, look again. All 21 chapters of it. Did I mention that I managed to squeeze 80,000 words on 29 pages? Of course I can only read it if I squint my eyes or look through a magnifying glass. So the reason I did this, I wanted to get a feel for the flow of my book as well as how lengthy the chapters are compared to each other. I read

Simplify with Dropbox

2011-08-26T13:39:00.001-07:00

Where is your manuscript saved? On just one computer? Two computers? How about two computers, back up disks, SD cards and a smart phone full of quickly written ideas and short scripts while grocery shopping? Ok well that last one is me. I have my full manuscript, draft scripts, notes, research, photos, book covers, references, outlines, query stuff and a slew of other book paraphernalia,

Writer's Campaign

2011-08-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

So in order to keep a promise to myself (which is to write more posts), I've signed up for the Third Writer's Platform-Building Campaign. It's a cool way to get both new and experienced bloggers together while building a platform. The Campaign signup is running from August 22, 2011 - August 31, 2011 at Rach Writes. So if any of you would like to join in the fun, now is the time! There will be

August 2011 AW Blog Chain

2011-08-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

This post is part of the August 2011 Blog Chain at Absolute Write. This month's Challenge is "The Continuing Story of a Song." Step 1: Choose a song. It can be any song, vocal or instrumental, but you have to know what it's called and who did it. Bonus points for finding and linking a YouTube video or other (legal) source. The song should be one you like and doesn't have to be related to

Nutella Madness

2011-08-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

I think everyone knows I'm addicted to coffee. Gotta have me some of that deliciously hot smooth stuff. Now, I've been known to stay up way past my (ok and everyone else's) bedtime on a regular basis. Coffee to me is comfort food and my mug doesn't stay empty while burning the midnight oil. So naturally, I also get hungry while madly typing out all of my ideas. :) On one particular dark and

Revise, Edit, Repeat

2011-06-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

I've been mulling over how to stop revising my book and be happy with it. I've also been trying learn how to be an effective writer but most of the helpful tips aren't working for me, and you know what, I think I'm ok with that. I've tried editing every chapter after I've written it, but then it stops my flow and I end up quitting after one chapter. Next, I tried writing until I felt finished