razor

Composition, Piet Mondrian 

A little work done on A Lamentation of Swans this morning, but nothing much to speak of. Michelle mentioned to me that my writing schedule is “aggressive.” It’s what engineers say when they think it’s nearly impossible, she said. Lol! She’s right, I think. I’m in a contemplative tizzy deciding what to work on and when and how often. The schedule for A Lamentation of Swans is pretty well set; it’s how to divvy up the weekend time that’s worrying me. I want to be as productive as I can.

I got an new idea on how to rewrite one of my short stories from last year. Junk everything but the first scene–which is the best–and follow my new tangent from there. So I want to fit that one in somewhere. And then there’s Project B, which is going to require some considerable reading and brainstorming time, and then I must be methodical about the rewrite of the Isabella book or it might fall between the cracks. I’ve got this dream of rewriting this book in the next six months and sending it out on agent hunt. And there’s the five new short stories I want to do this year. So yes–quite aggressive.

Meanwhile, back at the brain ranch, I’ve resumed my study of Spanish, using language tapes from Berlitz. Finally get to make the hideous commute time pay off. On the financial front, I’ve got one major credit card left to pay off, and then I’ll be credit card debt free! This year!

making the scene

Apple Tree in Flower, Piet Mondrian

9603. Yesterday I realized if I built up to Ferrant’s sea change I’d have room in the story for the details of the Chaelmaeca, the vas’ru, and the setting. Rosenfeld’s book, Make A Scene, is proving helpful, very helpful. Also, I think I may have to write quotations from the Books of the Chaelmaeca. I like that idea.

So the scene between Ferrant and Gadiel will get pushed further in, but I think I’ll keep the opening scene between Ferrant and Calinora. It needs tweaking, but it’s a good scene as written. Michelle read it and thought it was well done.

I’m trying to decide which November novel to rewrite. I was thinking Silk River, but now I’m thinking the Isabella book, last year’s Nano. Silk River is literary, as in it’s contemporary and doesn’t have ghosts, vampires, or a murder in it; the Isabella book has murder and a ghost, a romance, and supernatural doings–doesn’t mean it can’t be literary too–but…what to do, what to do. Rosenfeld’s book will be handy for the rewrite too. I’m thinking…

The word count is up to date, including yesterday’s work and this morning’s. By golly, I nearly have 10,000 new words on A Lamentation of Swans! Come February, I may actually end up writing a book!

dippity do

Chrysanthemum, Piet MondrianI ate lunch at my desk (a bagel with salmon spread) and hied off to the Starbuck’s to spend an hour reading the chapter on writing dramatic scenes in Make A Scene (by Jordan Rosenfeld) and doing story notes in my journal. I’m anxious about fitting in certain important information without falling into dull exposition and dragging down the narrative and at the same time keep Ferrant moving toward the change he’s going to undergo. I like the scenes I’ve written about him so far, and don’t want the flow to stop. Rosenfeld supplied the answer–simple: build up to his change. Building up to it gives me room to write about the other stuff that needs to be there, and then, when I reach Ferrant’s dramatic turning point, it’ll be great! I’ll get the effect I want. Yay!

Books read in 2007

Making A Literary Life, Carolyn See

Daughter of Hounds, Caitlin Kiernan

Take Joy, Jane Yolen

The Fantastic Art of Jacek Yerka

In the Snow Forest, three novellas by Roy Parvin

Storm Runners, T. Jefferson Parker

Twentynine Palms, Deanne Stillman

Los Angeles Noir, edited by Denise Hamilton

Reading Like A Writer

By Cunning & Craft, Peter Selgin

The Prestige, Christopher Priest

How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt & Live Prosperously, Jerrold Mundis

Perfectly Plum

god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens

Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, J. K. Rowling

Bitten & Smitten, Michelle Rowen

His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik

The End of Faith, Sam Harris

Ride The Pink Horse, Dorothy B. Hughes

Of Human Bondage, Somerset Maugham

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead, Ariel Gore

Blue Moon, Laurell K. Hamilton

Fanged and Fabulous, Michelle Rowen

Rain Fall, Barry Eisler 

Movies Seen In 2007  

1. Notes on a Scandal
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. The Messengers
4. Smokin’ Aces, 2/15/07 (ICK! A case of Thursday night desparation.)
5. Breach
6. Amazing Grace (Great movie!)
7. Lucky You (ICK! Except for Eric Bana)
8. 28 Weeks
9. Spiderman 3
10. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End  (Loved it.)
11. Ocean’s 13 (good, clever dialogue, great interaction between George Clooney and Brad Pitt)
12. Waitress
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
14. The Bourne Ultimatum (First one good; second one even better.)
15. Stardust (Very good)
16. 3:10 To Yuma (Superb performances by Christian Bale and Russell Crowe)
17. American Gangster (Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Excellent!)
18. I Am Legend
19. Atonement (Keira Knightley and James MacAvoy. Brilliant.)

work the plan

Red Dahlia, Piet Mondrian

9,175. Per my posting problem referred to in the post below, thanks, Devon, I thought it was just me. Maybe it’ll clear itself. Then again, maybe WordPress doesn’t like when I post from the Mac.

Saturday’s work went well. Michelle and I tried a new place, Panera, a dine-in/take-out bakery restaurant that offered comfy seating and doesn’t mind “laptop” people. I had a scrumptious apple tart and a creamy cappucino. (And I was informed that Starbuck’s has been doing its lattes wrong all these years by improperly serving them with a foam cap. Lattes don’t have foam caps; cappucinos do.) Panera offered a cornucopia of baked breads and bagels and pastries. I could have had a bread-buying meltdown, but I restrained myself and only took home a baker’s dozen of bagels–poppyseed, plain, and cranberry walnut.

Already started off on the wrong foot. Sunday I was supposed to work on Project B, but I forgot. I worked on ALoS, roughly shaped the first half of Chapter 2, and spent most of the day reading “Inferno,” an anthology of terror tales edited by Ellen Datlow. I’ve laid out my work for the year and now I’m fretting about “working the plan” within the time I have. I feel guilty when I take time away from ALoS, but those 5 stories won’t write themselves; Project B really needs to get off the ground, and I definitely should rewrite one of the November novels. I’m eager to work and nervous about it all at the same time.

Writing Saturday

Winter, Alphonse Mucha

6,890. Meeting with Michelle today for the first of our monthly Writing Saturdays. A winter rainstorm has blown in and soaked us, blessing us with freshly washed morning air. I hope my drive to Michelle’s goes smoothly. So Cal drivers lose their minds when it rains. Have to make space for this year’s goals. Right now every week day morning is taken up with “A Lamentation of Swans” and I don’t want to splinter that schedule, and I certainly must give it significant time on the weekends too, at least 4 hours. But I’ve got a total of 16 hours on the weekend to devote to writing–8 on Saturday and 8 on Sunday so that’s 12 hours for the other projects (except ALoS gets all of Writing Saturday). I can work with that, and I’ll leave it loose–work on whichever one snags my attention, either a “5 in 10″ story, Project B, or the rewrite of one of the November novels, and I’ve got to decide which of the November novels I want to get back into. I’m thinking “Silk River”.

I don’t know what’s gone wrong between WordPress and my computer but suddenly the formatting doesn’t hold. When I “save” everything smushes together in one giant paragraph and I can’t make a list. And the html code for paragraphing and line breaks doesn’t stay put either. Anyone have a solution? 

the coffee cup is full

A Pilgrim, Arild Rosenkrantz

6,890. Devon, thanks for that warm vote of confidence. I’m more optimistic about A Lamentation of Swans than I’ve been in a long time and I think if I stick to my new plan, I’ll finish it this year.

Yesterday the writing centered on Ferrant, who has my attention in a way that Gaius (bless his heart) did not. Not that I’ve set Gaius aside; I like him and understand him. That, I think, caused my stumbling about with his storyline. Exploring Gaius was like exploring a place I knew well, enjoyable, but without the mystery of the unexpected, the serendipity that happens with a character. He wasn’t boring; just familiar. Ferrant, on the other hand, is fascinating.

So…here be my 2008 GDRs:

GOALS

Finish the first draft of A Lamentation of Swans

Rewrite one of the November novels

Write and submit 5 short stories

Work on Project B

Plan a new November novel

Pay off all credit card debts (This one is already 75% done. Yay!)

Save money!

DREAMS

Take a trip somewhere this year

Do renovations on condo

Take a year and half off to write (Prepare myself!)

RESOLUTIONS

Stick to my early morning writing schedule

Write 4 - 8 hours on Saturdays and Sundays

Eat regular meals and keep to my 9 pm sleep time (so I’ll have energy to get up at 5 a.m.)

Make room in schedule for social stuff but do not let it interfere with the writing

In December, I met with Michelle and we assessed our progress. I feel I made very little progress with ALoS and very little progress with writing overall, but looking back through my journal, I wrote over 48,000 words on the fantasy novel and improved it greatly. Also, creating the Swanology binder was a fun way to play with the book.  I submitted one short story in 2007. My plan this year is to use Devon’s “5 in 10″ to write five stories to be submitted during the year. I’m glad I decided to start from square one with ALoS; it’s going much better than before. Following my own inclinations and creative impulses in the manuscript, I hope, will get me to the end and then I can rewrite to my heart’s content.

One new thing I did in 2007 was to hire Lisa Gates as my coach. Lisa’s philosophy is the integration of one’s art with one’s life. We’ve only had a few meetings so far, but she’s been terrific in changing my attitude and helping me shape a new perspective in time to start a new year. I was pretty low late last year and needed to hear a stronger voice than my own to re-energize my flagging spirit. Thanks, Lisa, and yes, I’m ready for our mid-month meeting.

Losing Mom and having major surgery froze the last half of 2007, but things happen in life and one must roll with the punches. I’m grateful for every sunrise. I hope 2008 is a good year for me and my family, and most especially, a good year for the writing!

pearly words

The Love Potion, Evelyn De Morgan

Have  over 6400 new words on A Lamentation of Swans, about 24 pages of fresh story, and I’m pleased with my progress. Yes, I’m sneaking up on February, word by word. Figure if I tiptoe along, beneath the prickly cloak of determination, when the official date arrives, I’ll have bridged the abyss.

I’m working on my GDR’s for 2008 and will post them here so’s to keep me and Madame Muse honest. Mostly Madame Muse. She has the nasty habit of fleeing for the cave when the going gets rough, declaring she doesn’t know what I’m talking about, and leaving me stranded on a broken bridge with the abyss yawning below.

Here’s what I’d like to do this year–objects in mirror may be larger than they appear:

Finish a first draft of A Lamentation of Swans;

Rewrite one of the other books, don’t know which one yet;

Write and send out five short stories;

and work on Secret Project B.

Already I feel a sigh coming on…promises, promises.

It’s been a loverly drive in this week; made it to work in an hour this morning! Next week, the rest of  So Cal will be back from holiday vacations and my zen will be in serious need of a drug.