Tuesday: Brain-storming day!
So, since I didn't have anything set for this day and my morning started off with my contributing author on the Phantom Court series, who is also my test-reader (and one of my very best-est friends in the world) Ariel Flynn asking me about how the protagonist from The Summoned, Bri, was going to reply/react/respond in the scenes in her Book, in which Bri and her faithful, always-pretty Demon Kai-Yun make what could be described as prolonged cameos. I don't feel secure referring to their appearance in Ariel's contributed story as 'supporting' characters, because they're not, but they're also slightly more involved in at least part of the story than background characters.
Ariel and I frequently soundboard for each other, so that's when it came to mind that we could set Tuesday for that. An idea which she told me she is completely behind, so there we go. :D
As stated, today we're conferring on her work for the Tales of the Phantom Court (or, as we more easily refer to it, ToPC) series; she and another wonderful friend and author, Abby Burke, took me up on an invitation some time ago to craft stories that would ultimately help shape the world of the ToPC, and after years of puttering about and sidetracking and scrapping what we had and starting from scratch (and more than a few creative squabbles- and by squabbles I mean the verbal equivalent of knock-down, drag-out fights *looking at you, Ariel ;p*) we're finally making something out of this grand endeavor that started out as a single chapter of a story which originally had no plot or purpose.
But today, I only worked a little bit on editing The Summoned (approximately 210 out of 353 pages left to go). I still have just over a month before Buried goes live, which, means another month worth of writing material for the serial . . . . If I can get this schedule to work for me, that means I will have another 4-8 chapters done by then, which should be fantastic, 'cept that chapter 7 has been sitting on my computer half-completed for a week. Normally, depending on distraction-level, fuel and motivation, I can crank out a chapter a day (effectively, like if you break that day up into a handful of hours each day), so we'll say that I can write 1 to 2 chapters a week, life allowing. Therefore- and if you're a writer, you know what this is like- just knowing that it's already been a week that this chapter has been puttering about in my comp's files is throwing me off my game, writing-wise.
My editor, Mary Harris, is currently working on the first 6 chapters and says she hopes to have them to me by sometime later today, and I'm hoping that by the time she sends them, I'm able to get chapter 7 over to her. So I can start on chapter 8 tomorrow (yes, during the family barbeque, but screw it, they know I'm a writer, and that it's not a 'past time' or 'hobby' for me like it is for them) and later in the week get back to work on Part II of The Summoned (which I'm half-way through . . . chapter SEVEN on, don't think I don't see the pattern :/ ).
OH! And I think I've decided that Thursday on the Blog-Schedule will be Ghost Story Day! There are people that have asked me why I only really work in, and am interested in, paranormal fiction. Well, the reason is because I was raised with a healthy respect for the paranormal and spent many days in the first 4-5 years of my life with my psychic great-grandmother . . . whose house I now live in with my own family. I think that an upbringing where 'vibes' and 'seeing things' is treated as normal leaves its mark on you- you either hide from it, or you embrace it and I chose the latter. Stories that are about regular human-based stuff really just has no true holding power for me.
That being said, I invite you- readers, other CQ peeps, those that have tripped over this blog on their way to something cooler- that if you have a ghostly true story (that has happened to you or someone you personally know who doesn't mind you passing along the tale) to share it. Either in a comment on Thursday's blog, or you can email it to me (GerilynMarin@gmail.com). You can opt to either be named or to remain anonymous. Whichever you prefer, I guarantee that at no time will I claim someone else's experience as my own; even if you wish to remain unnamed, I would still head the entry by stating that it is s story sent in by a reader, and- obviously- tack on the words 'who wishes to remain nameless'.
Now off I go, to tackle my chapter 7s!!
Ariel and I frequently soundboard for each other, so that's when it came to mind that we could set Tuesday for that. An idea which she told me she is completely behind, so there we go. :D
As stated, today we're conferring on her work for the Tales of the Phantom Court (or, as we more easily refer to it, ToPC) series; she and another wonderful friend and author, Abby Burke, took me up on an invitation some time ago to craft stories that would ultimately help shape the world of the ToPC, and after years of puttering about and sidetracking and scrapping what we had and starting from scratch (and more than a few creative squabbles- and by squabbles I mean the verbal equivalent of knock-down, drag-out fights *looking at you, Ariel ;p*) we're finally making something out of this grand endeavor that started out as a single chapter of a story which originally had no plot or purpose.
But today, I only worked a little bit on editing The Summoned (approximately 210 out of 353 pages left to go). I still have just over a month before Buried goes live, which, means another month worth of writing material for the serial . . . . If I can get this schedule to work for me, that means I will have another 4-8 chapters done by then, which should be fantastic, 'cept that chapter 7 has been sitting on my computer half-completed for a week. Normally, depending on distraction-level, fuel and motivation, I can crank out a chapter a day (effectively, like if you break that day up into a handful of hours each day), so we'll say that I can write 1 to 2 chapters a week, life allowing. Therefore- and if you're a writer, you know what this is like- just knowing that it's already been a week that this chapter has been puttering about in my comp's files is throwing me off my game, writing-wise.
My editor, Mary Harris, is currently working on the first 6 chapters and says she hopes to have them to me by sometime later today, and I'm hoping that by the time she sends them, I'm able to get chapter 7 over to her. So I can start on chapter 8 tomorrow (yes, during the family barbeque, but screw it, they know I'm a writer, and that it's not a 'past time' or 'hobby' for me like it is for them) and later in the week get back to work on Part II of The Summoned (which I'm half-way through . . . chapter SEVEN on, don't think I don't see the pattern :/ ).
OH! And I think I've decided that Thursday on the Blog-Schedule will be Ghost Story Day! There are people that have asked me why I only really work in, and am interested in, paranormal fiction. Well, the reason is because I was raised with a healthy respect for the paranormal and spent many days in the first 4-5 years of my life with my psychic great-grandmother . . . whose house I now live in with my own family. I think that an upbringing where 'vibes' and 'seeing things' is treated as normal leaves its mark on you- you either hide from it, or you embrace it and I chose the latter. Stories that are about regular human-based stuff really just has no true holding power for me.
That being said, I invite you- readers, other CQ peeps, those that have tripped over this blog on their way to something cooler- that if you have a ghostly true story (that has happened to you or someone you personally know who doesn't mind you passing along the tale) to share it. Either in a comment on Thursday's blog, or you can email it to me (GerilynMarin@gmail.com). You can opt to either be named or to remain anonymous. Whichever you prefer, I guarantee that at no time will I claim someone else's experience as my own; even if you wish to remain unnamed, I would still head the entry by stating that it is s story sent in by a reader, and- obviously- tack on the words 'who wishes to remain nameless'.
Now off I go, to tackle my chapter 7s!!
Oooo, I've got a few good ones. I'll be deliberating on which to share!
ReplyDeleteBrainstorming day sounds like a fabulous idea! It's very fortunate that you have a friend to bounce ideas off of, it definitely makes for some interesting story lines sometimes :)
Please do share your stories, I'd be delighted to read them!
DeleteAnd, yes, being able to voice, or even just write out, your thoughts to make them understandable for another person can really help to sort out the typically jumbled 'rush' of ideas that comes with a new story popping into your head. :) It also offers the opportunity for your soundingboard to ask questions that don't occur to you- as the mind that's holding all the info- which can allow you to add more depth for the reader's benefit.