The weather here has been quite schizophrenic this year. We had a relatively mild winter, followed by a week in March with 80 degree days (yeah- I totally went out and got myself a little pink from the sun!)
Then it returned to "normal" with the 30 and 40 degree days you would expect in March. But, after having been so warm, my body was ready to jump into summer. Because of the unusually warm week in March, many apple farmers in our area are worried they won't have many apples, as the trees blossomed that week and there weren't enough bees out yet to pollinate them. I guess only time will tell.
In other news, I have finished writing my new sections of TLP and am now making tweaks to the plot and some of the storyline through the entire MS to adjust for these changes. Part of me thinks it would be easier to just rewrite it, but another part of me knows most of what I have only needs some minor tweaking. I am also getting ready to take a first pass at edits for DKK.
How has your spring been? Did March roar in like a lion and out like a lamb? Did Mother Nature totally psych you out about what season it is? What are you working on? Do you find it easier to rewrite from scratch with plot/storyline revisions or make little changes to the sections you already have? I'd love to hear from you, so please, share below!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
A Few of My Favorite Things
Today I am sharing a few links with you I thought you might enjoy or find a use for.
First up is a link to one of our camping buddies' site for a really cool sounding recipe. BROWNIE IN A MUG. Go there, you know you want to. Doesn't that sound like an awesome way to get that chocolate fix you're craving?
I enjoy using freeware products, in fact, I use OpenOffice when I am writing (or LibreOffice if I am on the netbook).
One thing I highly recommend is backing up your data somewhere "in the cloud". There are many places that offer free storage or lots of storage for a small fee. I am currently using Dropbox to upload my WIP files to. I can access them from any computer, and if my hardrive or jumpdrive fail, I haven't lost my work. You do have to remember to upload from your jumpdrive, but it will sync the files you save into your dropbox folder automatically.
Do you have any cool sites we should check out or any products you can't live without? Share below.
First up is a link to one of our camping buddies' site for a really cool sounding recipe. BROWNIE IN A MUG. Go there, you know you want to. Doesn't that sound like an awesome way to get that chocolate fix you're craving?
I enjoy using freeware products, in fact, I use OpenOffice when I am writing (or LibreOffice if I am on the netbook).
One thing I highly recommend is backing up your data somewhere "in the cloud". There are many places that offer free storage or lots of storage for a small fee. I am currently using Dropbox to upload my WIP files to. I can access them from any computer, and if my hardrive or jumpdrive fail, I haven't lost my work. You do have to remember to upload from your jumpdrive, but it will sync the files you save into your dropbox folder automatically.
Do you have any cool sites we should check out or any products you can't live without? Share below.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Troublesome Words
We all have them, usually they are homonyms, those words that we use incorrectly. To, too, two; there, their, they're. We can't seem to escape them, and the wrong one can make a huge difference in what you are trying to say.
Here are some that I look for when I CP and edit in my own writing:
rode -- road
then -- than (while not homonyms, I find many people flip these around)
past -- passed (I constantly ask my husband on this one)
one -- won
effect -- affect (I don't see this one much, but recently had it pointed out to me in some work things)
What troublesome words do you have to watch out for?
Here are some that I look for when I CP and edit in my own writing:
rode -- road
then -- than (while not homonyms, I find many people flip these around)
past -- passed (I constantly ask my husband on this one)
one -- won
effect -- affect (I don't see this one much, but recently had it pointed out to me in some work things)
What troublesome words do you have to watch out for?
Monday, April 16, 2012
Back to Normal?
Hope you all had a great week last week. It was spring break here which is why I was MIA. This week everything goes back to normal, whatever that is!
I have finished the first draft of DIFFERENT KIND OF KNIGHT (DKK). As usual, I need to just about double my word count, but I am finding this is the way my drafts work. I underwrite them.I also got some feedback on THE LOST PRINCESS (TLP) [Thanks Nicole!] and am working on some much needed rewrites for that. I knew it needed to be done, but the validation from another set of eyes helped to confirm it and show just where it was weakest. I cannot understate the wonderfulness of great Critique Partners!
In other news, Michelle awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks Michelle!
These are the rules:
OK, for the 7 random pieces of info:
1) I sort my paperclips at work into small clips and large clips. My co-worker thinks this is very funny and keeps threatening to mix them up on me just to watch me sort back through them.
2) I drink coffee in the morning to wake up and at night to go sleep. No, it isn't decaf, although I have had decaf in the morning to wake up. Hmm. Maybe it's just the taste or, more likely and much more boring, the routine.
3) I recently learned I really like to watch Anime. My current favorite is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (although I really enjoyed Fullmetal Alchemist, too)
4) I like to keep a flower bed, but break out in hives when I garden because I am allergic to my plants. Oh well, at least they will look pretty.
5) I constantly repeat the alphabet in my mind when I am filing things in alphabetical order.
6) I like even numbers, and when I eat candies, I usually eat them in groups of 2.
7) I can play almost any instrument, except strings.
Now, as you have all seen recently, I am becoming a terrible rule breaker. I thought about playing eenie, meenie, minie, moe to see who my random 15 would be, but I was too lazy to do that. Instead, I decided to nominate all of you. So, grab the badge, post it on your blog and share 7 random facts. And, if you don't want to be a rule breaker, pick 15 followers to tag with it.
Have a great Monday!!!
I have finished the first draft of DIFFERENT KIND OF KNIGHT (DKK). As usual, I need to just about double my word count, but I am finding this is the way my drafts work. I underwrite them.I also got some feedback on THE LOST PRINCESS (TLP) [Thanks Nicole!] and am working on some much needed rewrites for that. I knew it needed to be done, but the validation from another set of eyes helped to confirm it and show just where it was weakest. I cannot understate the wonderfulness of great Critique Partners!
In other news, Michelle awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks Michelle!
These are the rules:
- Share 7 completely random pieces of information about myself.
-
Nominate 15 fellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award and inform
them of their nomination by posting a comment on their blogs.
OK, for the 7 random pieces of info:
1) I sort my paperclips at work into small clips and large clips. My co-worker thinks this is very funny and keeps threatening to mix them up on me just to watch me sort back through them.
2) I drink coffee in the morning to wake up and at night to go sleep. No, it isn't decaf, although I have had decaf in the morning to wake up. Hmm. Maybe it's just the taste or, more likely and much more boring, the routine.
3) I recently learned I really like to watch Anime. My current favorite is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (although I really enjoyed Fullmetal Alchemist, too)
4) I like to keep a flower bed, but break out in hives when I garden because I am allergic to my plants. Oh well, at least they will look pretty.
5) I constantly repeat the alphabet in my mind when I am filing things in alphabetical order.
6) I like even numbers, and when I eat candies, I usually eat them in groups of 2.
7) I can play almost any instrument, except strings.
Now, as you have all seen recently, I am becoming a terrible rule breaker. I thought about playing eenie, meenie, minie, moe to see who my random 15 would be, but I was too lazy to do that. Instead, I decided to nominate all of you. So, grab the badge, post it on your blog and share 7 random facts. And, if you don't want to be a rule breaker, pick 15 followers to tag with it.
Have a great Monday!!!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Unplugged Weekend
Every now and then I find I need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the internet world. This weekend was one of those times. I checked in on my e-mail and the news of the day, but it wasn't the first thing I did (like usual), nor did I stay on very long.
I planed on working on my WIP, but instead I was drawn to my bookshelves. There are several books in my TBR pile, but the ones calling out to me were some that I hadn't read in a long time. So, between Friday night and Sunday night, I re-read 10 romance novels. (I did skim parts, as they were re-reads, but didn't skim that much. And yeah, when the reading bug bites me, I devour books as though I can never get enough of them!)
What books do you find yourself drawn to re-read? Or, do you not go back and revisit old stories/characters as there are so many news ones waiting for you?
I planed on working on my WIP, but instead I was drawn to my bookshelves. There are several books in my TBR pile, but the ones calling out to me were some that I hadn't read in a long time. So, between Friday night and Sunday night, I re-read 10 romance novels. (I did skim parts, as they were re-reads, but didn't skim that much. And yeah, when the reading bug bites me, I devour books as though I can never get enough of them!)
What books do you find yourself drawn to re-read? Or, do you not go back and revisit old stories/characters as there are so many news ones waiting for you?
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