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Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Mid-Month Arapaho Writing Month Poem
I did not write on Sunday
Because I spent all day at the farm
But I wrote a bit on Monday,
And found I did not come to any harm.
Tuesday’s writing went quite right
And Wednesday’s wasn’t bad,
But Thursday night and Friday night,
I wrote nothing. I am sad.
And now here it is on Saturday,
But no words written, I have looked!
I spent all day on my soft warm couch
And read my Kristan Higgins’ book!
That book it was most excellent!
That book it was most funny!
That book made me want to kiss my lover
And snuggle and call him “honey”
I finished it oh so, so late,
And now I’m curled up in my bed,
Where I shall sleep late on my Sunday
Until the neighbors think I’m dead.
Then I’ll probably start this week,
Much like I did the last.
No writing Sunday, but yes, on Monday,
And won’t I have a blast!
Perhaps this month won’t end with me
Writing 50,000 words,
But I will have new chapters in my book
That won’t all be for the birds.
And May will come and we’ll do it again
And soon this book will be in printed glory.
And perhaps some other pre-published author
Will procrastinate with my story.
How do you like to spend your Saturdays? Have you read any great books lately that you couldn’t put down? How’s your writing this month, this week, this year?
Because I spent all day at the farm
But I wrote a bit on Monday,
And found I did not come to any harm.
Tuesday’s writing went quite right
And Wednesday’s wasn’t bad,
But Thursday night and Friday night,
I wrote nothing. I am sad.
And now here it is on Saturday,
But no words written, I have looked!
I spent all day on my soft warm couch
And read my Kristan Higgins’ book!
That book it was most excellent!
That book it was most funny!
That book made me want to kiss my lover
And snuggle and call him “honey”
I finished it oh so, so late,
And now I’m curled up in my bed,
Where I shall sleep late on my Sunday
Until the neighbors think I’m dead.
Then I’ll probably start this week,
Much like I did the last.
No writing Sunday, but yes, on Monday,
And won’t I have a blast!
Perhaps this month won’t end with me
Writing 50,000 words,
But I will have new chapters in my book
That won’t all be for the birds.
And May will come and we’ll do it again
And soon this book will be in printed glory.
And perhaps some other pre-published author
Will procrastinate with my story.
How do you like to spend your Saturdays? Have you read any great books lately that you couldn’t put down? How’s your writing this month, this week, this year?
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Captain's Quarters (Hellion)
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67 comments:
Saturday I spent with my mother
At least the morning part
The afternoon was my siblings
Until
You know, I don't do rhyme. I do free verse.
I headed home from Mom's Saturday afternoon... Spent the time when I got home, late afternoon catching up on the tv series I'd missed while at Mom's. Then stayed up too late...WRITING! Yupperoo! I got managed another 10 pages by the time I headed to bed.
No, not all on Saturday, but between Thursday, when I drove to Mom's and then stayed up until 2am Sunday morning writing, I managed nearly a total of 20 pages... Not sure much of it very good, but it's writing!
I've been reading a series of short stories called "Tales of Love"...all dog centric shorts put together by Lori Foster.
Saturday I spent with my mother
at least the morning part
the afternoon was my siblings
until I could tear myself apart
Then there was the time I spent writing
pages and pages of pretty prose
Oh, I'm not telling you this to be bragging
Captain, well, maybe to just tweak your nose!
Something like that, Mo? *LOL*
How'd you do that?
LOL!
Not tweaking, trust me...they are pages, but not sure what will be kept. It's slow going and the only time I seem to be able to write is late, late at night...
Like Schubert's unfinished symphony
I have an unfinished poem:
My writing is slow.
My brain is later.
Until my fate is clear.
And then inspired
my world explodes
inside the coffee percolator.
Ideas flow like molten gold.
Not sure if much makes sense.
Until my heroine appears.
Atop a shimmering fence she smiles.
Damn! Gotta go.
Brilliant Helli :lol:
I spent the weekend in my car, which is at least good for plotting. Found a last name for a future hero (which I wrote down while driving 70 down the interstate - not an easy task) and realized a business card will play a role in the current WIP.
But no words. By the time I settled into my 2nd room at the hotel (first didn't have a working heater), I was too tired to bother.
Now I'm starting my day with allergies, stinging eyes, and a rejection. It's definitely a Monday.
I sent my query
And back it came
She just wasn't hooked
My pitch is lame.
I will keep trying
But like my runny nose
Starting the week with a rejection
Really blows.
hahaha! So far I love:
And perhaps some other pre-published author
Will procrastinate with my story.
and
I will keep trying
But like my runny nose
Starting the week with a rejection
Really blows.
hahaha!!
First off, yay writing last week, Hells! I did a bit of tweaking this weekend so that made me happy.
Ter, I'm sorry about your rejection. Is this your first official rejection? If so, I know that one really stung for me. :(
But, just think! You can apply for PRO status now! Yay!!
Not the first official rejection, but the first on the full-length MS. To be honest, I totally expected it and it's only been just over a week so I didn't have to wait long. LOL! It's the first MS, it needs work and it's not all that exciting. There is no hook in that first book, but that's okay.
I have a pretty good hook for the second and I have higher hopes for this one. Now I just need to write it faster. LOL!
The form rejections from WW feel worse because there isn't anywhere else to send those. LOL! At least when one agent rejects, there are many more to choose from.
How’d you do that?
I'd say it was a gift but that would be making too much of it. *LOL* I'm like that giant on The Princess Bride who goes around rhyming everything.
I keep forgetting to say YAY! for Hellie writing. What she wrote is good too, which is always nice. LOL!
Love it, Q! I love the inside rhymes! That's harder to do, I think! And I love the imagery! :) Now the heroine, is she STRADDLING the fence, or is she doing one of those delicately balanced on her bum things, her ankles crossed sort of things?
Bo'sun, I don't know what it is about driving, but it always does seem to be great for churning out ideas for writing, doesn't it? What are you going to do when you don't need to make these road trips, but you do need to plot? Just drive up to see me instead? *LOL*
Bo'sun, I'm really, really impressed by the poem--and I'm sorry that you got a rejection already. That blows donkey balls. She's probably a football fan and thinks baseball is boring or something. Or wanted your ex-baseball player to be a vampire. Her loss! Nate is a great guy and someone will love him as much as we do. :)
Marn, I love to tweak! I'm a tweaker!! In fact I've been tweaking a bit on the WIP, even though I've been trying NOT to...but only because I can't help myself and I was catching missing words or incorrect words. Here's to us tweakers! May we finally actually finish the WIP!!!
To be honest, I totally expected it and it’s only been just over a week so I didn’t have to wait long. LOL! It’s the first MS, it needs work and it’s not all that exciting. There is no hook in that first book, but that’s okay.
If you're saying this to make yourself feel better, fine. If you're saying it because you think it's true because it's not "exciting"--I'm going to slap you.
I did a little writing
But fear it isn't good.
I'm sick of this blasted story,
I'd trash it if I could.
A new idea came to me,
Just as new ideas do,
It feels so shiny and bright,
It's makes my old idea look like poo.
I twisted it in my head
Made some notes too.
Then I set it aside for now,
It's the right thing to do.
Because every writer knows
That a new idea's swell.
But spend enough time with it
And I'll get tired of it as well.
There is no hook, as defined by the current fancy, does that sound better? I love the story and always will. And a lot goes on in that story, but it's not something that sounds exciting boiled down to 250 words or less.
At least I haven't figured out how yet. But that same pitch got a full request from an editor just last week, so there you go. You never can tell!
Amen sister! To the tweakers!! :)
I think I'm on to something. It's there, flirting around in my head. But whenever I try to focus on it, it's like I'm not wearing my glasses: I know it's there, but I can't see a damn thing.
Oh, Marn, I hate when it's so close you can almost feel it but it's blurry and no amount of squinting brings it into focus. Just keep going and know that the more you write, the clearer it will get.
I love the poem. No being lured away by those shiney new ideas!
Stop it this minute, Bo'sun. I read your story and I thought it was great. Stop stop.
Are you people not reading my comments? LOL! I do love the story, cross my heart and two fingers snaps. But the greatness of it is not coming through in a short pitch. And I've written like 15 of the little buggers, trust me, I've tried every damn way you can think of!
It's a convoluted story. People are just going to have to read it to figure that out. LOL!
Hellie, I'm in awe of your poetry-making abilities. I've written a couple poems in my life, but I find them hard to do--I need more words than that! And I don't know that I've ever managed to do them on the fly, as you can. A tip of my hat to you. :)
Q, awesome poem. I love the world exploding inside the coffee percolator image. :) Maybe you and Hellie should be traveling minstrels, aka The Pirate Poets. We'll be happy to spend whatever money you guys make. :)
Terri, sorry about the R. It does suck, but it's a badge of honor you've earned by getting your book written and out there. It does get easier as you do it (I guess like other things in life), even though it is unpleasant when it happens.
As for my writing, I'm finishing a short story/novella -- not sure which it is since I don't know the "official" wordcount. I'm at 13k and it'll probably end up at 15k. Plus I'm still revising another WIP, and I've done more blog posts for H&H. . .
Eeek. I've got to go do some more work. LOL
Sorry, I'm on cold medicine. I'm blaming the meds for using "poo" in a rhyme too. It's my story and I'm sticking to it.
If you'd like help with your query, let me know. Maybe I can help you shake something loose in your head.
XOXO
Oh, speaking of queries. I saw a video on Kristen Nelson's blog about writing them. She said to find the inciting action in the first 30 pages, what gets the story going, and use that as your hook in the query, not to try to hook with the whole book.
That is a mistake I've definitely made before.
I didn't write on Saturday --
It turned into in-law day.
I didn't write on Sunday --
more in-laws; oh yay!
Now mom, she's a talker,
she likes to follow me around.
And Dad, he's a watcher --
the Western channel he quickly found.
So with John Wayne on all day,
and the volume high enough to fray
everyone's nerves, my poor little babe
just cried and cried and cried all day.
Then everyone's yelling and milling around,
shouting at dad to TURN IT THE FUCK DOWN!
Suddenly it's Monday and time for work,
and this poor pirate team has about gone berserk.
Okay, I might have another idea. A somewhat new approach. I only sent 2 agent queries, kind of feeling out the waters so to speak. Plenty of others on my list I can try a different angle with. I do think mentioning that big inciting incident is what I need, which I glaze over right now.
And thanks for the offer, Marn. I've enlisted the help of countless people, all of whom (with the exception of Hellie and Chance) hated what I came up with. LOL! 'Bout gave me a nervous breakdown a month ago trying to figure it out.
whew! that was cathartic :)
I'm loving these poems. Ter -- the R sucks a big one. I've found queries / pitches are almost always easier for someone else. When Marn and I were at the New Jersey conference together, we hung out in the hotel room one night working on pitches, and it was so much better that way than trying to do it alone! I'd offer to help, but I've only made it through the first 100 pages. We should totally do email round-robins working on each other's pitches, though. Or some kind of on-line chat....hmmmm...another good reason to read each other's stuff!
Marn, I personally love poo in your poem. I feel like my whole life revolves around poo right now. Speaking of which, I can smell it, and should probably figure out where it's coming from and deal with it....lol. BRB!
Oh, Hal. My dad is deaf as a doorknob and I cannot watch TV with him. My ears bleed. I feel for you. But I'd have totally used that baby as an excuse to turn the flipping thing off!
What is the official difference between a short story and a novella? I've been wondering that. Sounds like you've been very productive, Donna. Good job!
Terri, I thought the pitch you used for the Carina request was awesome. Did you use that for the query letters?
And the query letter is designed to get the agent to request more. It's supposed to intrigue them and pique their interest, so they HAVE to find out more.
Hal, my head hurts just reading that recap of your weekend. Yikes.
Ah, the Western Channel. I believe my muse would run from that too. And what is it with Baby Boomer men and excessively high TV volume? My father in law does that too.
Maybe time for the hearing aid, I say.
Speaking of which, I can smell it, and should probably figure out where it’s coming from and deal with it….lol. BRB!
Ah, the glamorous life of the new mom.... :)
Have you guys seen this? http://openquery.blogspot.com/
It's a public blog where you can post your query and get feedback from other authors. Great way to test the waters, or test various revisions, to see what people think. Some of the comments are crappy, of course, as it's a public forum, but I did it once and found it helpful on the whole.
Maybe time for the hearing aid, I say
Amen! Twice I had everyone freaking out about why the baby was sooooo fussy. I took him upstairs to get away from the chaos, and both times, the poor little thing fell asleep before I got to his room to put him down. He hardly slept at all yesterday, so he and I both went to bed at 6:30 :)
Hal - Now that you mention it, almost all the people giving input had not read the book. I may take Marn up on this offer after all. And I'll check out that link!
Donna - It was the same pitch I used for the Carina pitch. Of all the dreck I wrote trying to figure this out, that one is the best. The good thing is, the other agent I queried actually asks that you include the first ten pages, so at least she'll have an example of my writing in addition to the pitch.
Sorry about the poo, Hal. LOL! I'm trying to figure out if scooping two litter boxes is worse than changing diapers. I'm going with...no. More power to you!
P.S. Happy Patriot's Day! Of course you know I didn't go watch them re-enact the battles of Lexington and Concord--too freakin' early.
Terri, I was trying to find the word count for short stories v. novellas, and I came across this hilarious definition of novella that said the English word novella derives from the Italian word novella. LOL
Heh. Those English sure were original when they swiped a word. Made it so you can't even recognize the source.
I'm not even a baby and that chaos would have made me fussy.
Ter - getting help can turn into a mess of too many cooks in the kitchen. There's a fine balance to be found :)
Poor baby. My youngest gets like that sometimes. :(
Lemme know if you need me. I'm here. And I agree with Hal, there's a balance between not enough input and way too much. LOL
A new idea came to me,
Just as new ideas do,
It feels so shiny and bright,
It’s makes my old idea look like poo.
WOW, truer words never spoken!! *LOL*
We’ll be happy to spend whatever money you guys make.
Donna, now that's TRUE friendship there!
Congrats on the novella and the revising!! :) We are a bunch of working pirates lately! Huzzah!
everyone’s nerves, my poor little babe
just cried and cried and cried all day.
Poor lil Carter. I'm not a fan of the Duke either. (See, I'm not a fan of Dukes in any form!) That does sound like a frayed weekend. Hello, it's not like you're getting enough sleep as it is, but now you've got people hanging around the house and you can't get any rest? I'd stab someone. Ugh!
I think we're going to have to start calling these little writing things. . .wait for it. . .
Poo-ems
LOL
LOL How's that coffee working for you this morning, Donna? Is there actually a lack of snow outside your window for a chance and you're just giddy? *LOL*
Can we just all agree not to make that a drink? K?
I love flip flops. *sighs* I'm wearing mine now!
All agree? Has that EVER happened? LOL
Hellie, I am a bit giddy. I've worn my flip flops at least 3 times this past week. I'm putting winter behind me.
me too! Hot pink ones, no less
I bought my Keds. That's a sign of summer footwear for me.
It was the oddest thing this weekend. The further north and east I drove, the warmer it got. Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?
Terri, maybe the weather was "off" because of all the tornadoes and storms?
I can't find a pair of my fave flip flops from last year, and it makes me sad. They are red and have this cool silver chain along the straps. Might have to send out a search and rescue party.
Donna - I drove through that line of storms as it passed through VA. Thick fog, driving rain, and gusting winds when I came out the other side. Not fun. Then I got to the hotel and found out that night my kitties would be facing tornado watches alone. Thank goodness all was well when I got home.
I feel horrible for all the people who can't say that. From OK and AR to Alabama and North Carolina. Such a tangled mess.
Sorry, that was a depressing comment on what was an upbeat Monday. Didn't mean to bring everything to a halt.
A friend is staying with a friend in NC this weekend. A tornado hit a half a mile from where she was.
Totally freaky.
I expect tornadoes in OK and AR and some of the south. I do not expect them in the Carolinas, who are already besieged by hurricanes most years. When I saw the tornadoes there, I was like, WTF.
Then they were showing footage of the OK tornadoes--and there was a triplet tornado, you know because the regular singular or dual tornado options aren't destructive and deadly enough.
*note to self: perhaps take Al Gore's global warming a bit more seriously*
Hellion, you always manage to amaze! I love your poem! Writing is at a stand still, but my reading is pretty much still holding its own. I've discovered a new to me Western author - Cheryl St. John. I've purchased a lot of her books for my Nook and there isn't one I've read yet that hasn't been great! I've got that "I found a new author" happy dance thing happening lately.
I wish you'd all send that warm-feels-like-summer weather my way. I'm despairing of ever seeing the sun again! We have had all the entrances to our house dug up and prepared for concrete to be poured for about 2 weeks and I'm thinking we're going to be heading into 3 weeks now! They can't pour until the frost advisory for our village is lifted! They lifted it last Monday and then it dipped down again! I thought we were safe starting in April.
I suppose I should be thankful we didn't get slammed with the usual tornadoes and such. I feel so bad for all those people in the Carolinas!
What an awesome poem!
I think I've spent most of this month engaged in online (political) battles and doing some blogging, but not much fiction writing. Currently wrestling with the twisted, knotted plot threads in the sequel to my urban fantasy.
Saturday began with sleeping in (oh, sweet, sweet, sleep), much to the horse's chagrin (late breakfast for him). Then hubby and I got up and had breakfast and did our weekly tithing at Costco and Lowes/Home Depot. Walked the dog and then had a nice bike ride around our little village. And then back home to work on dining room project (hubby) and clearing brush on the property (me). Finally, dinner and then capped off evening killing purple-blooded alien bastards in Halo firefight. ZZZZzzzzz.
And what is it with Baby Boomer men and excessively high TV volume? My father in law does that too.
Hey! Edge of the baby boom here and I don't watch TV loud...neither does my husband...watch it kiddo, we'll come after you with our canes! ;-)
Irish, have I mentioned for the upteenth time yet how jealous I am of your Nook? (I mean, I'm jealous of about any e-reader--Kindle, Nook, whatever...) And I pray good weather vibes come your way so your cement gets poured before July! :)
*makes not to try Cheryl St. John*
P.Kirby--online political battles are the stickiest...and most annoying. *LOL* I wish you luck you come out on top!! And I totally love my sleep. I enjoyed my weekend sleep. Best sleep ever! *LOL*
Hellie: Now the heroine, is she STRADDLING the fence, or is she doing one of those delicately balanced on her bum things, her ankles crossed sort of things?
*grin* I remember the EJ/JQ BB where I was ribbed about sitting on the fence. Naturally its the latter!
Her legs were crossed in the sign of a kiss
Until the wind blew her forward with an almighty shush
She then flattened her beau in a heap down below
And they kissed and they kissed till the sky did blush
The man in the moon smiled on with a flush!
Donna: Maybe you and Hellie should be traveling minstrels, aka The Pirate Poets.
But I'd always be the second string. She's too good for my ego not to suffer! :lol:
Bosun: Not the first official rejection, but the first on the full-length MS.
Sorry you weren't an instant star Terri! Just remember that the Flash Harries who succeed first time rarely last the course. :wink:
Irish: I’ve discovered a new to me Western author – Cheryl St. John.
I'm partial to a Western myself and had not heard of St John. I think I might give her a try. :D
Sorry you weren’t an instant star Terri! Just remember that the Flash Harries who succeed first time rarely last the course.
Thanks for the sympathy, Q. I never want to be a flash anything! Some people are born with talent, some have to cultivate it. Me, I'm still cultivating. :)
Stop talking about sleep! I want a nap so bad right now.
But I’d always be the second string. She’s too good for my ego not to suffer!
*winks* I'd make it up to your ego, Q. *twirls his necktie* Are you sure you wouldn't want to give it a go?
Another winner, Hellie! I love it when you go verseish--love the rhyme and love the challenge.
Here's my weekly report:
Monday I cheered my verbal hoard
when three K words I wrote.
On Tuesday I threw half o’erboard
To save a sinking boat.
The IC showed on Wednesday morn
and cut some fifty score.
When I wept heart sore and forlorn,
the bitch cut five hundred more.
Then Thursday I began anew.
My page held words, not one.
Though I had written quite a few
by time of setting sun.
Friday my hero proved to be
a hopeless alpha ass.
He ruined the scene with jerkery.
I cut the whole. Alas!
Saturday I fumed about my failed hero.
Sunday I counted words. My total? Zero.
Ter, hugs on the rejection, but, as you observed, there are other agents in those shark-infested waters. One will prove the right one for you.
I didn't trash your query, did I? That's not how I remember it.
the bitch cut five hundred more.
*LOL* I love it, Janga. I'm telling you, if this crew could get paid for witty, entertaining (yet informative) blogs you'd all be millionaires!
Terri, I forgot to say sorry for your rejection :(
Sending hugs! You'll get there, just like everything else in your life, though, it don't look like it's gonna be easy, huh?!
Hellie - I love my Nook. There is talk of B&N working on making it android compatible or whatever it is they need to do to make it comparable to an iPad and Samsung Galaxy and such. That would be cool. And I think you would really love Cheryl St. John. *wink* Just sayin! :)
Q - you should give Cheryl a try. If you liked Lorraine Heath's Texas Trilogy or Kaki Warner's westerns you'd like her.
Janga - That is genius. Please tell me that's not a true story!
Thanks for the sympathy, ladies. Nope, Irish, nothing is ever easy. LOL! Janga, no on trashed it, they just all wanted more of this and less of that and what about this and you can't forget that.
It got a little daunting trying to do it all and please everyone and even if you think you've done that, you're going to be wrong. LOL! I've researched agents for what they want in a query and even that is different depending on who you ask.
Janga, I love it!--well, I love your rhyme, as for the content, I totally want to find your IC and bury him so deep he can't dig his way back out! And I want to reassure you that even if your hero might pull out an alpha routing now and again, it's not the end of the world. It can be pulled off!! It can!!
Irish, dude, if I could be a millionaire, I'd never do another bloody ass folder! *LOL* Ugh! *LOL*
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