What’s the first thing you did when you finished your first draft?

Today is the last day of Nanowrimo, and I made it! One of the first things I did, after updating my badge, was to wash my hair. I’m not sure what that says about me…

I then made myself a cup of tea and ate some chocolate before posting the messy first draft to my cheerleaders* in my writing group – because I promised them I would and yes I’m terrified as I hasn’t even skimmed over what I’ve written these past 30 days.

So what about you?

* Marieke, Rachael Harrie & Amanda Milner who are awesome and THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Tumbleweed

 

 

So I’m presently dusting of my blog and digging through my notebooks in the run up to NaNoWriMo 2011. As some of you know in the last 6 months my writing has taken a giant step backwards due to unforeseen circumstances. Not all of these are gone but I’m starting to see that light at the end of the tunnel – or at least a light bulb. ;-)

Two months ago I decided to get back into writing a challenge was in order and NaNoWriMo is just that.

I’ve found my idea (which I’m trying to plot at present) and am organizing external influences so that during November I have at least a fighting chance.

Having never participated in anything like this I’m keen to collect all the advice out there. Have you joined NaNoWriMo? How did you get on? Tips? Tricks? Fiddlesticks?

Boot Camp ½ weekly report

Ok, well it didn’t quite work out the way we planned, sadly my bestest writing buddy still had Thesis stuff to do so while she worked on that I’ve been busy revising my WIP. It’s been going well, only I’m rewriting so much that I’ve added over 10k just for part one… I haven’t finished part one yet!

On the plus side, it’s given me plenty of time to read Matched by Allyson Condie. BWB* had the ARC sitting here waiting for me. :) I liked it, the writing is great. I confess that I’m not dying for my own copy or needing to know what happens next. I actually like it as a stand alone.

Where the plot bunnies will reside

Aren't they pretty?

Yesterday we worked on plot bunnies, by the end of it I had 9 (maybe 10) new projects on top of my current WIP… it was interesting to see how wide our genre’s stretched. While on first glance you would pick my BWB as a fantasy author and me more Paranormal YA, we’ve got Urban Fantasy, Contemporary, Dystopian, Steampunk, Fairy Tales, Ghost Stories, you name it it’s pretty much in there. I can’t wait to start.

Of course the other main feature of this week has been book shopping. My budget went pretty much out of the window, at some point I just went s#d it… but if it’s cereal for breakfast, lunch & dinner the next two weeks I don’t mind.

Below is the whole list (I might as well confess in style) of books I bought, in store and online – because if I’m in another country the books I order online don’t count. It’s my logic and I’m sticking to it *lol* – The green books are bargain bucket**

The Bride’s Farewell – Meg Rosoff

Of Bees and Mist – Erick Setiwan

The Forbidden Game – L.J. Smith

Linger – Maggie Stiefvater

The Line – Teri Hall

Prism – Faye & Aliza Kellerman

The Gardner – S.A. Bodeen

Voices of Dragons – Carrie Vaughn

Maximum Ride [The Final Warning] – James Patterson

The Runaway – Angela McAllister

Magic Under Glass – Jaclyn Dolamore

Daggerspell – Katharine Kerr

The Spinning City – Kate Forsyth

Squire – Tamora Pierce (I have to get the first 2 now :P )

Jellicoe Road – Melina Marchetta

13 Little Blue Envelopes – Maureen Johnson

The Little White Horse – Elizabeth Goudge

Sonnets and Other Poems – William Shakespeare

Fever Crumb -Philip Reeve

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan

Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins

Forbidden – Tabitha Suzuma

Brightly Woven – Alexandra Bracken

Newes from the Dead -Mary Hooper

The Sky is Everywhere – Jandy Nelson

The Mysterious Benedict Society -Trenton Lee Stewart

Looking for JJ – Anne Cassidy

No and Me – Delphine de Vigan

The Adoration of Jenna Fox – Mary E Pearson

Stardust – Neil Gaiman (long overdue!)

Living Dead Girl – Elizabeth Scott

Flyaway – Lucy Christopher

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Grace Lin

and finally, Room – Emma Donoghue

I’m not buying any more books for at least 3 months… ok I’ll try not to buy any more books for at least 3 months.

The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that despite my earlier claim, Finding Sky by Joss Stirling is not on the list. I’ve decided to wait for the paperback release…

The problem I have now is how to fit them all into my already overflowing bookcases and which one to start with! Suggestions? (Don’t say Mockingjay, I still haven’t read Catching Fire… yeah I know.)

In the near future I plan on doing a blog on online bookshops under the title: Amazon MAJOR FAIL, it’s an ongoing issue that I feel the need to vent about, so tune in.

.

* bestest writing buddy

** can I just say how much I ♥ bargain buckets

I’m such a tease…

only in writing.*

Well I said the first teaser was going up this week and here it is.

I hope you guys enjoy it. :-)

***

He sighs. At least, I think it’s a sigh. It’s an inhuman sound. He stands, dropping Carly like she’s nothing, and walks towards me.

My breath catches. I brace myself, ready to run.

Only I don’t.

I’m not moving at all. I’m screaming at my legs to go but there aren’t obeying. It’s like being weighted – I can’t move and I’m fighting for air. It’s like the stillness I felt earlier, only a hundred times worse.

I feel hot and my vision begins to swim. A force is pushing me towards him, drawing me in. I try to dig my heals into the grass but it does little to stop me. I’m almost through the hedge when he’s suddenly right in front of me.

We are so close our faces are almost touching. A few leaves between us, nothing more. He must see me, surely he has to see me.

I can feel his breath on my face. It feels thick, like a blanket cutting off the air. His smell is something I’ve never smelled before and it’s suffocating me. I whimper, I might be begging, I’m too drowsy to tell and then suddenly it’s all gone.

***

Even though I was going to give myself the week off I’ve dived head first into revisions, along with starting a couple of basic outlines for the WIPs. I love revisions, who knew? *lol*

*I think that’s important to note ;-)