Feeling Flat

8 03 2010

It is hard with writing sometimes, because you do have periods where you feel flat, where nothing seems to be happening, and that is how I feel today.

Life should be good, I am proofreading, editing, writing, but there seems to be something missing, and the short story I am writing just isn’t coming together like I would like it to.  My goal is to write one a month, so I really need to keep going with it, but I really am not feeling the love!

I could start all over with a new story, but I don’t think that will work either, because there isn’t anything that I want to write about.  i suppose I could start at a different point in the story and see if that makes me more excited…

Having a sneezing fit every 10 minutes, a sore back, a garage that needs emptying so I can put fire wood in it – no wonder I feel pretty damned yucky!  Oh well, life goes on, just have to keep battling on and make a list:

1.  Finish proofreading (only have one story to go)

2. Write 500 words on my short story

3. Clean out the garage when it warms up a little (might enlist the aid of youngest son, 50c mixture goes a long way!)

4. get some editing done.

There, when you break it down like that, it doesn’t seem anywhere near as scary…


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Plugging on

8 03 2010

It seems to me, that all I am doing at the moment is editing, and little writing.  It is quite a mundane job, editing, but still, my creativeness is being used, otherwise surely I would have become mental by now!

I am working on a short story, and endeavouring to put 250 + words a day on it, but shorts aren’t the same as actually writing 1000+ words a day. 

With editing, I am trying to reduce the number of words in my stories, which seems strange, but a necessary evil, but I have found that having completed the edit of The Journey Home, I have only removed about 3000 words, and so far, with The Quest (even though I am only a quarter of the way through) I have removed 800 words, but I read 47 pages in two days, not a bad effort.

Not only am I editing, but I am also proofreading the galleys of Masters of Horror Anthology – I so love the stories in this book.  And I am not a fan of horror, but my eyes have been opened.  Horror isn’t about gore and blood, it is about what scares you, and there are so many elements in this book that should cater to a wide range of people.

So while I feel like I am not doing much, I can actually see that I am achieving a lot, and will continue to plug on…


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Categories : Speculative Fiction, Writing

Where does the time go?

22 02 2010

Things are moving fast in my world at the moment.  Just before Christmas I was wondering what the new year would bring.  Now I am wishing it would all slow down so I can catch up!

Well, I suppose I can drop the “bored housewife” mantle now, because I don’t really have time to be bored.  Between writing, editing, proofreading, keep up with web changes, I am just about backwards, inside out and upside down.

I am part of Triskaideka Books, a small NZ / Canadian press that is going to produce quality Horror / Science Fiction / Fantasy cross genre books, for NZ writers.  We really want to get it into readers and other publishers heads, that NZ can produce quality writers, not just non fiction.  It is exciting times with the Masters of Horror Anthology being the first book off the ranks, which also happens to be the first time I have a story published.  The next book will be from the Editor / Publisher himself Lee Pletzers, and having spent my summer holiday proofreading it, I can tell you that it is quite a book.  Details on when these books are going to be released will be updated here, so keep posted.

On top of that, I am part of KiwiWriters management team (Secretary actually!) and so far have not attended a single meeting.  Not through lack of trying!  Most of the weekends that they plan the meeting, the weather has been fine, and so we go camping.  We are currently setting up a new and improved website and trying to bolster out flagging support for NZ writers.  I want to be one those people who motivate others to write.

Occasionally I work as well, although that has been quiet at the moment.  Would be nice to be a little busier, but then it would interfere with my writing…. mmm, damned if I do and damned if I don’t!  Just can’t win that one!

I have also volunteered my time at the school as a parent helper, plus trying to keep the house, write a new novel, edit another novel, with one in the wings still to go. 

Still, I am happy and content at the moment.  I am not someone who likes to be idle, I prefer to be busy busy busy and keeping my mind occupied.  So if you can think of anything else that I should belong to, please feel free to make the suggestion, not that I will take you up on the offer.


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Normalcy?

18 01 2010

Well, things are slowly returning to normal, not that anything is normal in our house!

My beloved went to work this morning, gingerly changing gears with his broken collarbone, which is still sticking out of his shoulder and looks really freaky.  He informed me yesterday morning that he was spending the night away as he had to supervise the start of a job that he quoted on.  What was wrong with telling me that information a few days ago, when you first learnt about it???

I am back to raspberry picking with my youngest and eldest, and the yelling and screaming stll hasn’t stopped with youngest now telling the eldest that he quits… What, I don’t think I really want to know!

With my beloved feeling useless with his arm in a sling, he decided last week to do the housework.  Which shouldn’t have upset me, but I felt guilty.  I put in 4 hours in the hot sun, bending over (and screwing my back) then come home in time to see him, swinging on the end of a vacuum cleaner.  Something doesn’t quite seem right to me, but hey, the house is tidy… what can I say?

Writingwise, I sat down last night and plotted out my newest story, so I think that I will try and get that plot outline and character outlines onto the computer tonight, then I can sit back and wait until youngest son goes back to school!  Oh I am so looking forward to that!  Even though I haven’t been doing any of my own editing, I am itching to get back into it.  I have been proofreading and critiquing, but it is nice to get into your own stuff.  So roll on February, I am looking for some routine and a chance to get the creative juices flowing!


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Categories : Family, Life, Writing


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