Lately, I've been spending more time on my computer than anywhere else. The good news is that I've been getting a lot of work done in preparation for the release of Silence of Souls. The bad news is that my eyes have been redder and dryer than ever before.
I can't stop working, it seems. I'll work during the day, then I'll get back on my computer after dinner for "just one quick thing" and it turns in to working until I go to bed. Yesterday, I got up at 5am and drove from Albuquerque, NM to Sachse, TX and was exhausted. I spent the evening with my in-laws and grandparents, playing a game and visiting. Around 11pm, I headed up to go to bed, but when I got in the bedroom I picked up my phone and thought of one quick email I wanted to send before going to sleep, so I laid in bed and started typing. One quick email turned in to checking out a zombie website, doing a little research, and a few other things. I ended up working for two and a half hours before I finally went to sleep a little before 2am.
Then, I dreamed about zombies. For the last week and a half or so, I've had nothing but zombie dreams. It's been horrifying (and in a couple of dreams, pretty funny).
I'm on the last leg of my book. It's coming along so fantastically, but I've been overworking myself to the point of confusion.
The zinger is that I don't want to stop. I'm tired, worn, confused, frustrated, and I love it. I feel like it's really coming together and that my goals are going to be hit.
In five weeks is our annual Beach Blast- a week at the beach with lots of great friends/family/friends-who-are-like-family, too much food and too much booze. It's a lot of fun. My goal right now is to finish and publish before the Beach Blast so I can actually take the week off and recover from writing my novel.
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Monday, June 11, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Don't Be A Lazy Writer
Last night I could barely sleep, and for three reasons:
1. It was far too hot.
2. I had zombies on my brain (pun totally intended) and every little noise was making me jump.
3. Ideas for my next novel were flooding in and couldn't be stopped! (Not that I'd want them to be stopped, of course.)
When ideas rush to me, I have to write them down before they escape into thin air. I can't tell you how many times I used to say "I'll remember this in the morning" and then wake up the next morning and not be able to recall what it was. Usually, I'd remember that I had an earth-shattering idea that would alternate reality as we know it, but couldn't remember for the life of me what that idea was. I could've ended hunger, demolished the obesity epidemic, cured cancer, wiped away the national debt, and so much more if only I had written down those lost ideas! Seriously! (Okay, maybe I exaggerate here, but I've lost a lot of story ideas because of not writing them down.)
I'm totally in love with this idea. So much so that I already have ten (10!) pages of notes on it, including character backgrounds and an underlying plot. The best part is, after searching all around, I can't find any book out there yet even remotely similar to this idea! (I've been waiting for an idea to come to me that is completely new and fresh and has nothing similar to it out there.) It combines two (maybe three) of the most popular genres but does not seem to have been done yet, which makes me very happy. I don't think the idea is too "out there" to be completely rejected by the reading community, especially people who enjoy these two major genres.
Seriously, I can't wait to start writing this story. It's becoming so clear to me that I have to actually try to take the notes and then mute it so I can focus on my current project.
But what excites me so much about this idea isn't the thought of when it'll be done, published, and read by others (well, that thought does excite me, too), it's the thought of being able to explore this idea and see where it goes, to be able to dive into this world and become the characters.
The thing I've loved so much about writing my zombie novel is the fact that I'm there experiencing it all as it happens. Each character is a part of me, and when I write I become them (I call it "method writing," but I'm not sure if there's actually a term for it or not), one at a time. I know everything there is to know about every single one of them, even things they don't know about themselves.
So here's a big tip for all of you writers out there: don't be lazy! Write an idea down when it comes to you! You'll be thankful you did. There has been dozens of times when I look back over notes to find part of an idea that I completely forgot about and then incorporate it right in to my story, and it makes the story so much stronger. My whole zombie novel is based on a series of dreams, and most of the notes I have were written at 2am, 3am, or 4am after having seen something in a dream (so keep a notepad next to your bed, or do what I do: use a "Notes" app on your phone or text it to yourself).
Keep writing, and keep taking notes!
1. It was far too hot.
2. I had zombies on my brain (pun totally intended) and every little noise was making me jump.
3. Ideas for my next novel were flooding in and couldn't be stopped! (Not that I'd want them to be stopped, of course.)
 |
| "I just want a hug. That's all." |
When ideas rush to me, I have to write them down before they escape into thin air. I can't tell you how many times I used to say "I'll remember this in the morning" and then wake up the next morning and not be able to recall what it was. Usually, I'd remember that I had an earth-shattering idea that would alternate reality as we know it, but couldn't remember for the life of me what that idea was. I could've ended hunger, demolished the obesity epidemic, cured cancer, wiped away the national debt, and so much more if only I had written down those lost ideas! Seriously! (Okay, maybe I exaggerate here, but I've lost a lot of story ideas because of not writing them down.)
I'm totally in love with this idea. So much so that I already have ten (10!) pages of notes on it, including character backgrounds and an underlying plot. The best part is, after searching all around, I can't find any book out there yet even remotely similar to this idea! (I've been waiting for an idea to come to me that is completely new and fresh and has nothing similar to it out there.) It combines two (maybe three) of the most popular genres but does not seem to have been done yet, which makes me very happy. I don't think the idea is too "out there" to be completely rejected by the reading community, especially people who enjoy these two major genres.
Seriously, I can't wait to start writing this story. It's becoming so clear to me that I have to actually try to take the notes and then mute it so I can focus on my current project.
But what excites me so much about this idea isn't the thought of when it'll be done, published, and read by others (well, that thought does excite me, too), it's the thought of being able to explore this idea and see where it goes, to be able to dive into this world and become the characters.
The thing I've loved so much about writing my zombie novel is the fact that I'm there experiencing it all as it happens. Each character is a part of me, and when I write I become them (I call it "method writing," but I'm not sure if there's actually a term for it or not), one at a time. I know everything there is to know about every single one of them, even things they don't know about themselves.
So here's a big tip for all of you writers out there: don't be lazy! Write an idea down when it comes to you! You'll be thankful you did. There has been dozens of times when I look back over notes to find part of an idea that I completely forgot about and then incorporate it right in to my story, and it makes the story so much stronger. My whole zombie novel is based on a series of dreams, and most of the notes I have were written at 2am, 3am, or 4am after having seen something in a dream (so keep a notepad next to your bed, or do what I do: use a "Notes" app on your phone or text it to yourself).
Keep writing, and keep taking notes!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
On the Road
I'm writing this post from a hotel room in Liberal, Kansas, where I'm staying for the night after driving from Lincoln, Nebraska. I flew in to Omaha, NE yesterday, and what a long trip- left home in California around 7am, plane left LAX around 11am, had a layover in Denver, CO, and landed in Omaha around 6pm yesterday.
I'm out here driving to Phoenix, Arizona, with my grandma. My grandpa passed away on the 1st, and she was out there for the funeral and burial in Minnesota, where he was born and raised. She drove up with one of his kids (from his first marriage) and I came to drive her home so she wouldn't have to do the whole trip alone.
This is my first time in this part of the country, and it's a very pretty place. Not always a ton of things to see, but it's all green and gorgeous. Being from the desert, it's great to look out and see lush trees and thick, green grass instead of dry brush and brown dirt. We've been driving in the rain for a lot of the trip, but the overcast sky means no sun in the eyes.
Being on the road with my grandma has inspired a new story; loosely based on the idea of a granddaughter and grandmother traveling halfway across the country together, but not based on my grandma and I. I like the story, but I'm not certain I'll write it because I always get worried that my family will think it's directly based on them or other relatives and become offended. But then I think that there's tons of stories based on similar situations to what the author's experience in real life.
I'm exhausted. Probably an early start tomorrow; the plan is to get to Phoenix by Saturday. Another 8 hours of driving tomorrow. So strange how driving can wear you out so much, even though you're just in the car. I wonder how many calories switching back and forth from the gas and the break burns...
I'm out here driving to Phoenix, Arizona, with my grandma. My grandpa passed away on the 1st, and she was out there for the funeral and burial in Minnesota, where he was born and raised. She drove up with one of his kids (from his first marriage) and I came to drive her home so she wouldn't have to do the whole trip alone.
This is my first time in this part of the country, and it's a very pretty place. Not always a ton of things to see, but it's all green and gorgeous. Being from the desert, it's great to look out and see lush trees and thick, green grass instead of dry brush and brown dirt. We've been driving in the rain for a lot of the trip, but the overcast sky means no sun in the eyes.
Being on the road with my grandma has inspired a new story; loosely based on the idea of a granddaughter and grandmother traveling halfway across the country together, but not based on my grandma and I. I like the story, but I'm not certain I'll write it because I always get worried that my family will think it's directly based on them or other relatives and become offended. But then I think that there's tons of stories based on similar situations to what the author's experience in real life.
I'm exhausted. Probably an early start tomorrow; the plan is to get to Phoenix by Saturday. Another 8 hours of driving tomorrow. So strange how driving can wear you out so much, even though you're just in the car. I wonder how many calories switching back and forth from the gas and the break burns...
Monday, March 19, 2012
Take Care of Yourself
I've been going to dance class a lot these last two weeks, and I am feeling fantastic! My strength is improving, I'm sleeping better (except for last night, which was filled with zombie nightmares, courtesy of last night's episode of The Walking Dead), and feel so much more mental clarity.
Since we only get one, we should do our best to take the greatest care of our bodies. It's not always easy, and I haven't always taken the best care of mine, but it's worth it in the end. Hard work pays off.
There's so much more to taking care of yourself than just looking good- you feel great, you're healthy, and you gain confidence. When I go to dance class, I don't think of it as "working out" but instead I think of it as improving myself inside and out.
When it comes to taking care of yourself, we need to include mind and spirit. Having a healthy body, mind, and spirit makes a world of difference in how we live our life. We're happier, it seems. When I dance, I feel more in tune with myself and my body, and it makes me feel so much more in tune with the world around me. It's amazing, and I'm getting better with each class.
I'm off to work some more on the zombie novel before the Zumbia class I'm taking tonight. :)
Since we only get one, we should do our best to take the greatest care of our bodies. It's not always easy, and I haven't always taken the best care of mine, but it's worth it in the end. Hard work pays off.
There's so much more to taking care of yourself than just looking good- you feel great, you're healthy, and you gain confidence. When I go to dance class, I don't think of it as "working out" but instead I think of it as improving myself inside and out.
When it comes to taking care of yourself, we need to include mind and spirit. Having a healthy body, mind, and spirit makes a world of difference in how we live our life. We're happier, it seems. When I dance, I feel more in tune with myself and my body, and it makes me feel so much more in tune with the world around me. It's amazing, and I'm getting better with each class.
I'm off to work some more on the zombie novel before the Zumbia class I'm taking tonight. :)
Monday, February 6, 2012
Back to reality.
This last week has been so busy! In a way, I'm a little relieved that the chaos is over, but I'm sad that family and friends have gone.
We got back to California from Texas last Monday. I was certain I was going to get sick- we were surrounded by coughing passengers on the flight home and you could just taste the germs in the air. I'm pleasantly surprised that I didn't catch anything.
Tuesday, we picked up Danny's parents (whom we stayed with for a month in TX). They were in town for Grandma O's (Danny's dad's mother) funeral, and stayed with us. Vickie (my sister) came to stay Thursday and Friday night with us because it was my mom's birthday; my friend Emma (who just completed a year-long internship at Walt Disney World) was in CA for a couple weeks before going home to Australia, and stayed with us on Friday and Saturday night. Danny's parents and Emma all flew home yesterday from LAX.
I haven't had any time to write or do edits yet on Shadows in the Window, but that's what I'm working on this week. Doing a cover on Wednesday night, and I have an official release date for Shadows in the Window: February 10th!! It'll be on a free promo for the first 5 days of its availability, then will go to the regular $0.99 price on February 15th.
I don't regret that I haven't done any work for the last week; it was nice to have a break (because going back to it after a period means I'll have fresh eyes) and I would never give up time with my family. But today it's back to reality (or at least my version of it): working on writing, getting unpacked, and working at the front desk at Goddess Fitness Dance this evening. I love Goddess- it's a dance studio I work at every Tuesday (this week I'm there Monday and Tuesday) that offers amazing classes. So much fun, and after more than a month of no dancing, I'm very ready to get back to it.
The main focus this week is finishing Shadows in the Window. Sending it out to my proofreader after I make some corrections and add in a scene I feel it needs. After it goes up, I'm going to begin writing The Secret Room: Beginnings (working title, I may change it- what do you think?) which is a follow-up to The Secret Room. I've got a ton of notes for it, and I think it's going to answer the important questions that The Secret Room did not.
We got back to California from Texas last Monday. I was certain I was going to get sick- we were surrounded by coughing passengers on the flight home and you could just taste the germs in the air. I'm pleasantly surprised that I didn't catch anything.
Tuesday, we picked up Danny's parents (whom we stayed with for a month in TX). They were in town for Grandma O's (Danny's dad's mother) funeral, and stayed with us. Vickie (my sister) came to stay Thursday and Friday night with us because it was my mom's birthday; my friend Emma (who just completed a year-long internship at Walt Disney World) was in CA for a couple weeks before going home to Australia, and stayed with us on Friday and Saturday night. Danny's parents and Emma all flew home yesterday from LAX.
I haven't had any time to write or do edits yet on Shadows in the Window, but that's what I'm working on this week. Doing a cover on Wednesday night, and I have an official release date for Shadows in the Window: February 10th!! It'll be on a free promo for the first 5 days of its availability, then will go to the regular $0.99 price on February 15th.
I don't regret that I haven't done any work for the last week; it was nice to have a break (because going back to it after a period means I'll have fresh eyes) and I would never give up time with my family. But today it's back to reality (or at least my version of it): working on writing, getting unpacked, and working at the front desk at Goddess Fitness Dance this evening. I love Goddess- it's a dance studio I work at every Tuesday (this week I'm there Monday and Tuesday) that offers amazing classes. So much fun, and after more than a month of no dancing, I'm very ready to get back to it.
The main focus this week is finishing Shadows in the Window. Sending it out to my proofreader after I make some corrections and add in a scene I feel it needs. After it goes up, I'm going to begin writing The Secret Room: Beginnings (working title, I may change it- what do you think?) which is a follow-up to The Secret Room. I've got a ton of notes for it, and I think it's going to answer the important questions that The Secret Room did not.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
If I could stop sleeping, I would.
Sleep takes up a lot of time. Eight hours a night, on average. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.
Most nights, I tell myself I'm going to go to bed at a reasonable hour, only to end up staying awake reading until 3 or 4am. This, typically, results in sleeping until 10am, at which point I kind of feel like I've wasted precious hours of the day. I refuse to give up reading, because it's so magical- each night I get to go to a different place, some of them don't even actually exist in this reality, and experience things I don't get to do on an average day. I love getting lost in a good book. Hell, sometimes I love getting lost in a not-so-good book.
I plan to get up at a reasonable hour and write more before evening activities begin with the family, which will be around 4pm. If I sleep until 10am, that'll only give me eight hours to write, get dressed, have lunch, take a shower, and do anything else that needs to be done. Unacceptable.
A friend of mine, Kevin, has challenged himself to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. He's on a roll so far- every day, he has been above his word count goal. I'm proud of him, and I can't wait to read his manuscript. Follow along with his progress: Watch Kevin write a book in a month and mock him if he fails.
I have a gift for writing fast. In high school and college, I could churn out a five-page essay the night before it was due in just an hour or two and get an A. When I sit down to write stories, I can easily do 500 words or more in an hour (which, if I work eight hours a day, would give me a total of 4,000 words a day), IF I take away distractions, such as:
-FaceBook
-Twitter
-Failblog
-Text messages
-The strange desire I have to collect all the stars in Cut the Rope
-The cat
-My need to sing and dance to my favorite songs when they come up on shuffle
I figure I could probably write a novel in a month if I actually spent the time I intend for writing, writing. So here's my resolution: from this point on, minimal distractions. This means that when I'm writing, I'm going to keep my phone in another room where it won't be a temptation, and only play movie soundtracks quietly in the background instead of listening to other music or having a movie on in the background. It also means that I am going to have to discipline myself to ONLY use the Internet for research on whatever I'm working on.
Okay, that's all I have for now. I'm off to bed, so I won't sleep in so late. After I read, but just one chapter... I promise, just one... unless it's a total cliffhanger.
Most nights, I tell myself I'm going to go to bed at a reasonable hour, only to end up staying awake reading until 3 or 4am. This, typically, results in sleeping until 10am, at which point I kind of feel like I've wasted precious hours of the day. I refuse to give up reading, because it's so magical- each night I get to go to a different place, some of them don't even actually exist in this reality, and experience things I don't get to do on an average day. I love getting lost in a good book. Hell, sometimes I love getting lost in a not-so-good book.
I plan to get up at a reasonable hour and write more before evening activities begin with the family, which will be around 4pm. If I sleep until 10am, that'll only give me eight hours to write, get dressed, have lunch, take a shower, and do anything else that needs to be done. Unacceptable.
A friend of mine, Kevin, has challenged himself to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. He's on a roll so far- every day, he has been above his word count goal. I'm proud of him, and I can't wait to read his manuscript. Follow along with his progress: Watch Kevin write a book in a month and mock him if he fails.
I have a gift for writing fast. In high school and college, I could churn out a five-page essay the night before it was due in just an hour or two and get an A. When I sit down to write stories, I can easily do 500 words or more in an hour (which, if I work eight hours a day, would give me a total of 4,000 words a day), IF I take away distractions, such as:
-Failblog
-Text messages
-The strange desire I have to collect all the stars in Cut the Rope
-The cat
-My need to sing and dance to my favorite songs when they come up on shuffle
I figure I could probably write a novel in a month if I actually spent the time I intend for writing, writing. So here's my resolution: from this point on, minimal distractions. This means that when I'm writing, I'm going to keep my phone in another room where it won't be a temptation, and only play movie soundtracks quietly in the background instead of listening to other music or having a movie on in the background. It also means that I am going to have to discipline myself to ONLY use the Internet for research on whatever I'm working on.
Okay, that's all I have for now. I'm off to bed, so I won't sleep in so late. After I read, but just one chapter... I promise, just one... unless it's a total cliffhanger.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)