Blurbarella

Well today is starting out nicely. I'm up a whole lot earlier than I need to be, but the quiet of the house is very soothing when normally I have dogs and a child running around. Everyone's asleep.

The title of this blog is kind of a joke with my publisher. I seem to have a knack for back copy blurbs on books and so I get asked to do quite a few. I do my own because that's the way things are set up Draumr, but I've also done some of the other Draumr authors' blurbs or have at least done my own version and then my publisher, the lovely Rida, tweaks them for what she wants. Gotta say, it's a lot of fun. I like condensing the book into something grabby, something that will hopefully make the dear reader want to snatch it off the shelf and guard it with her life until she gets to the cashier and buys it, then being assured no one is going to snatch it out of her hands. I like drawing all of the elements into a short few paragraghs that will be irresistable. Or at least what I hope is irresistable :)

Synopses on the other hand suck! LOL. Not really suck, but they are harder to get down exactly what you want to say within a certain page limit. Blurbs are tantalizing and you can leave things out. Synopses have to have all the elements and the ending set in an order that will show the editor or agent what they can expect before they actually read your story. It's pressure, plain and simple. But I did take a course once with the wonderful Mary Buckham who runs Writer University that really helped me get the concept lodged firmly in my brain. You should trundle on over there for a look at her courses if you are an aspiring author or just need a brush up. Tell her I sent you, she'll get a kick out of that.

Misty

Speed

So I was talking to one of my writer friends yesterday and others a week or so ago and we were discussing some authors that put out one book a year, As witnessed by the fast I wrote an 80,000 word book in 27 days, edited in three and am nearing the end of the second run through I write faster than that. And maybe the authors who only do one book a year do also, but only put out one a year. I don't know.

What I do know is that if I only wrote one book a year, I would be bored stiff. And I have to take into account that I do not work at a job outside my house, I only have one child who is pretty self sufficient and a husband who doesn't demand much. I have time that others might not.

I think any writing in a year is a huge accomplishment. If you wrote one page a day for a year, you'd have a whole book on Day 365. That's fantastico! They even have a whole line of How To books about being a weekend writer, breaking it down into chunks to get your manuscript plotted, written, and edited by year end. Some people take months and do character sketches, plot treatments, compile reams of notes. I think everyone's method varies. And as long as it works, go for it!

Me, I write fast, I plot fast, I edit fast. Does that mean my way's better? Absolutely not. But it does mean that I need to cut myself some slack sometimes when I'm not having a huge writing day, when I'm not pounding out 43 pages within that day. I also want to write good and there are days that just isn't going to happen.

And I feel like I'm rambling :) Well, at least I'm writing, right?

Misty

And So It Begins

Husband left very early this morning and now won't be back til very late. It's going to be very hard for every one to adjust to this new life for the next year or so. But we'll make it.

And also I started my new manuscript last night. Got 14 new pages and am setting the same goal for myself as before. 13 pages a day. Hopefully I can keep it up but I'm almost positive it won't go as quickly as HAB did. I don't know if I could sustain that kind of frenzied writing again anyway :) Not that I'd turn it down if it happened, you understand. I'm all mapped out and know where I'm going. Today at least. LOL.

So...to new beginnings. It feels right to have all this happening at the same time. I'm going to run with that feeling.

Misty

Little things that can trip you up

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it's the little things that trip you up? Ah, well. What are you going to do?

Yesterday was my husband's last day off for about the next year or so. Blech. I'm trying to organize how this will work with him doing two jobs and get around the fact that I am essentially about to become a single parent except for Sat and Sun nights. Ought to be interesting.

When I went to reach for the papertowels yesterday, we were OUT! and that meant a big old trip to the store for everything else we were out of. And let me tell you, the trip was crazy. We're supposed to get an icy rain storm and snow today and you'd think they were calling for a freaking blizzard! There was almost NO shampoo on the shelves, bread was nearly gone, milk nonexistant. It's not going to snow you in for a month, people! But I guess that's just me :)

Did finally get to sit down and work on story plan for Sprinkles after running around all day. I am loving this story and my dogs are loving sitting on the big paper, gnawing on it and trying to get my pencil while I write. Have you ever tried to write with a 10 lb dog sitting right on the spot where you need to work? And they'd go back again and again no matter how many times I moved their little tushies. No squeezing! LOL.

So more working today and plotting/planning (though I don't work out the whole thing. I do like to leave some for discovery while I'm immersed in the writing) and I need to start working on getting reviews for Reignited. I just found out it will be available FEBRUARY 28!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

Misty

Rolling in Clover

I could not for the life of me get anything to work this morning. Don't ask, wasn't pleasant. So I went shopping :) Bought all the TBR stuff I've wanted for ages and slapped down the plastic to get it done. That'll teach my husband to sleep in. Bwahahaha!

Onward and Upward! I've been editing another friend's book and having a great time with it. Also getting more crits back from my partners and loving that. New book brewing in my head. Going to put aside the It Ain't Broke for now and go back to my very first book I had originally written for Harlequin category stuff. I can see now why they rejected it :) LOL. But I'm tearing it down, combining it with something else I was going to write as a sequel, giving it more going on and an overarcing story. Phew! But it's going to be FUN! and I think I'm going to call it What's Life Without the Sprinkles? Woo-Hoo!

So now I do get to go to my big old pad of paper and start messing around. Cannot wait. I'm going now :) See you on the flipside.

Misty

Dean-Apalooza DAY!!!!

Wow! Here we are again at Dean-Apalooza DAY! I'm pretty impressed with myself with how I've managed to keep this going for so long :) Now it's like a habit to get up in the morning and pop on here to blog. YAY!

Dean is still muy scrumptious. Last night was a re-run, but I would never pass up a chance to gawk at him and Sam. I want the hug Sam gave the Inn owner. Oy! Tush squeezing! I watched the gag reels on the First Season DVDs and was cracking up. I love to see them playful. This one thing where they're doing a Christmas greeting had me howling. They were impersonating the two guys from Strange Brew and oh, God...you have to go see it! I hope more and more people will appreciate how incredibly well the show is done and start watching more. Supernatural fans UNITE! LOL.

Progress: My wunnerful friend Vicki Smith has already sent me back all my chapters and was laughing very hard through the whole thing (hopefully in only the right places) and more critiqued chapters are filing in. I'm very happy that I'm tickling funny bones. And it is always nice to hear that your manuscript doesn't suck :)

Misty

50 things

Make that 48 :)

1. Height?
5′6″
2. Have you ever smoked heroin?
Have to say no to that one. Never touch the stuff.
3. Do you own a gun?
Nope
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Sometimes
6. What do you think of hot dogs?
Lurve!
7. What’s your favorite Christmas song?
Jingle Bell Rock
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Iced Tea
9. Can you do push ups?
Ha! I say HA!
10. Is your bathroom clean?
Um, is my husband reading this?
11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
Star Sapphire Ring
12. Do you like painkillers?
No
13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
I’m fantabulous, they flock without me having to do a single thing
14. Do you have A.D.D.?
What was the question? (I liked Megan Hart’s answer so I copied it, like I’m copying her list
15. What’s your name?
Misty – or Hey Hey Mama!
16. Middle Name?
Hey – see above
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
I’m thrilled I’m done with this round of editing, I wish my husband would come home, my daughter is a lovely child.
18. Name the last 3 things you bought:
Iced Tea bags, candy hearts, Reese’s peanut butter eggs
Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:
Iced Tea times three
22. Current worry?
that my story sucks
23. Current hate?
yapping dogs
24. Favorite place to be?
hanging out in my big chair
25. How did you bring in the New year?
setting off fireworks in the backyard. Love the laws around here.
26. Where would you like to go?
Scotland
27. Do you own slippers?
yes
28. What shirt are you wearing?
pink long john
29. Do you burn or tan?
lobster burn and peel, repeat
30. Favorite color(s)?
green and purple
31. Would you be a pirate?
Bloody well yes. Argh!
32. Are you gay?
that would be a no
33. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Depeche Mode
34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?
classic movie monsters who would drag me into a pinball machine and chase me
35. What’s in your pockets right now?
nothing
36. Where are you?
At my desk
37. Best bed sheets as a child?
Holly Hobbie, baby
38. Worst injury you’ve ever had?
broken collar bone, twice
40. How many TVs do you have in your house?
three
41. Who is your loudest friend?
Lainey
42. Who is your quietest friend?
Lisa
43. Does someone have a crush on you?
Who doesn’t?
44. Do u wish on shooting stars?
Yes
45. What is your favorite book?
Lots – favorite is probably Where the Sidewalk Ends
46. What is your favorite candy?
Anything peanut butter and chocolate
47. What song do/did you want played at your wedding?
Somebody
48. What song do you want played at your funeral?
Punk Rock Girl
49. What were you doing at 12AM last night?
Dreaming
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
Today is going to rock.

Misty

Snorting, writing and other ing words

My publisher has declared that they are thinking about putting a disclaimer on my books for the snorting thing. LOL. I would love that, but that's just me :)

I'm up to 254 pages edited and cruising. I have about 150 left to go and then I'll be done! What a wonderful feeling (another ing for you, dear reader). But I'm having (ha) one of those moments where I really want to get on to the next book. I'm finding (hee) myself drawn to my big pad of paper, it's huge, and wanting to start exploring new characters and what they have to say. I had thought about going back to an old story and trying to revamp that and sending out again. But part of me really wants to move on to something completely new. I might call it It Ain't Broke. But we'll see. I do have two books that I wrote a long time ago that I still love and would like to update and polish now that I think I have a better handle on the writing part. I look at some of the really old stuff and think "Lordy, could I have made any more mistakes!?!?!" but that's all part of the process for me and one I enjoyed.

But I don't need to make any decisions just yet, since I have to finish Having A Ball! before I'm allowed to do anything at all :) Must keep eyes on the page and nose to the notepad of corrections. Bleeping freaking bleeping yay :) LOL.

Misting - who uses a lot of ing words

Chugging right along

Today's post is going to be a shorty. I'm in the midst of editing and want to get back to it as soon as possible :)

I'm finding I actually like the way I wrote this the first time. Sometimes it happens that way and sometimes I'm sure I should just shred the whole thing and pretend like it never happened. I've never actually shredded a manuscript, but it is refreshing to like it right off the bat. I'm sure it needs some work and I'm not afraid to do that. I also know I'll get feedback from my fantabulous critique partners and probably make some changes. But all in all, it's flying right along and that makes me happy :)

I've already started thinking about the book I want to write next. I think I may make a little detour and see how I like writing some contemp women's fiction with my own little twist. We shall see.

Misty
You'll laugh til you snort!
You heard it here first LOL.

Ready, Set, GO!!!!!!

Day 1 on editing! I'm all printed out, have finished my friend's lovely, lovely novel and am off to the races of editing. I already did most of the first 304 pages of the total 401 last week when I added a new thread to the story. But now I need to go back and pay special attention to whether the thread fits in seamlessly and whether it all comes together at the end like I thought it should. Wish me luck!

I'm a little nervous today because I just dropped my puppy off at the vet to get the snip-snip. It's always so nerve-racking and terrible to leave them there knowing what's about to happen to them. Oy! But he'll be okay when he gets home and hopefully a little calmer :)

And I've been challenged by my lovely publisher Draumr to sell 20 of my PARANAUGHTY books. I've already sold quite a few but this is a specific challenge ;) So if you want something steamy and a little paranormal at the same time, drop me a line. I'm planning on doing a contest for at least one of them, but the rest are up for grabs!

Misty

Singing in the Snow

I'm halfway through critiquing my friend's manuscript and loving it. I've got about 150 pages to go and then it's on to my own editing. What fun! I'm not scared of the work just yet, but we'll see once it starts printing :) LOL.

Topic: Writing with music. Whenever I can I try to write with music instead of the TV or silence. Silence doesn't work for me. I need some kind of background noise if I'm by myself. I have a friend who can only listen to music without lyrics. I'm like that sometimes but lyrics don't normally bother me, I just belt it out along with whoever's crooning and keep on typing. But I do need to have some kind of mood to what I'm listening to. Like if I'm writing an action scene I'm most likely not listening to Dave Matthews, but I do love my Techno. When I'm writing introspective or something funny in a non-action way, I'll listen to Tori Amos or some 80s music. Don't ask! I won't get up and change the CD if I'm in a different kind of scene unless it is really distracting, then I can spend quite a bit of time choosing just the right CD. Of course, that's probably just procrastination, but we don't use that foul word here :)

On a different subject: I had the weirdest dream last night that I was at a spa having the full treatment when I realized I had forgotten to pick up my daughter from school. I called my mom and instead of going to the school, she came to the spa and kept trying to hurry me along. Then when I went out into the parking lot I realized that I had a tiny mortorcycle (think mini crotch rocket) to drive and nowhere to store my bottle of iced tea. Hmmm. I'll have to get out my dreamer's dictionary. Although, I'm pretty sure that dream may just stump it. Little peeks into my brain are scary. Hope I didn't freak you out on this lovely Sunday morning :) LOL. You don't want to know the half of it.

Misty

Raring to Go

What is it about editing that can be so frightening? Some people absolutely love this stage. The stuff is all pretty much written, the pages are filled, it's like a cake that just needs to be decorated. But then there are others who don't want to do the work, who think it's good enough the way they put it down. And still there are others, like me, who are sometimes afraid that it's just going to absolutely suck. That I didn't do the job I thought I had in my head. That it won't be the story I saw when I was writing. That I won't be able to fix it. That once I read it I will want to throw up because it is so incredibly horrible and why did I waste all that time on writing when I could have been sitting on the couch watching Season 1 of Supernatural and eating bon-bons.

But then I usually start reading the first page (dread in my stomach), then I read the second page. And really it's not so bad. I start laughing a little at the things I wrote, giggling at a particular passage that struck my funny bone, guffawing when something very funny happens to my poor heroine, nodding my head when a moment of clarity hits her. Because it really isn't that bad and anything worth doing is worth doing right.

I try to start off with a pretty clean first draft. I know some people say vomit it out, then clean it up later, but knowing that I could get bogged down with how terrible my vomit is, I try to think through word choice and what I want to say the first time around. I might add more layers or polish it more when I read through the second time, but I don't like to have a train wreck to deal with the first time through. I've rarely had more than three or four drafts. I have friends who have eight. Personally, I would hate a story at that point and be so confused with what I cut and what I added that I wouldn't be able to get into the story or keep it straight in my head,

So I'm off to draft two once I go out and get a toner cartridge. I ran out, of course :) And I cannot work off the computer screen. I must have those crisp white pages and my trusty blue pen and a pink highlighter. Stay with me while I do it right ;) And get out the boots in case I start faltering!

Misty

Dean-Apalooza DAY!!!!

Woo-Hoooooo! It's Friday again and that's Dean Day. Though it is more Sam and Dean day, but I like the title :) Last night's episode was absolutely, fantabulously, without a doubt hilarious!!! I loved the campy way they did it and the lines they had...OMG! And the janitor said something like "That guy gets more ass than a toilet seat." You will most likely see that in an upcoming book. It is way too good to pass up. I loved Prissy Sam seen through Dean's telling. Slow dancing with an alien to "Lady in Red", Sam saying "You're too precious for this world," and nearly crying. HAHAHAHA! But I would seriously take that hug he was giving out, as long as I could get some tush squeeze in. I was laughing so hard last night I upset the dogs :) I loved the ultimate "villian" in the piece. I won't spoil it for you if you missed it.

And that's what I want in my books. I want laugh out loud funny. I may start a signature line on my emails like some of my friends (Megan has Read in bed... Natalie has Indulge Yourself). I might make mine You'll laugh until you snort... I like it. What do you think?

Misty

FINI!!!!

I am DONE!!! I wrote 43 pages - over 8000 words - yesterday and finished the story of HAVING A BALL! I am so incredibly thrilled. I have never written this much in such a short time. I started on Jan 17 and finished on Feb 14 with 80000 words and 401 pages :) That is quite an accomplishment for me. Not to mention I just wrote my longest book ever. w00t!

I have no topic today since I am about tapped out for ideas. I think my brain went on strike after the punishment of yesterday. I was going to make this a post last night but since I typed the wrong words four times and couldn't spell worth crap last night, I decided to wait until this morning. It feels good to say I'm done! Fini! Over! Completed! Finsihed! And any other word that means the same. YAY!

And now I'll let it rest for a few days, work on edits and send it to my fabulous crit partners. Woo-Hoo!

Misty

PS - I'm DONE!

Almost there!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!

I feel like my days are consumed by writing this story, but now it's almost done! I am so stoked. I wrote 27 pages last night - 5012 words - and am nearing the wonderful typing of THE END. Of course, that then means I get to go back over the whole story and edit. But at least it will all be there.

Everything got canceled yesterday with the snow and I have a feeling today will be the same. So I'm trying to get a head start on the day with the blogging. I don't really have a topic today, but I am reading something that is very formal in the writing and finding I don't like it very much. Now I'm not saying that books have to be written for first graders. And if you've read any of my Ivy stories, you'll know I adore big words. But it is hard to be immersed in the story when someone uses twelve words to say something that could have been described or felt in three with more umph. I think the main thing is you have to wade through it instead of getting lost in it. And before anyone gets twisted, no, it is no one I know. Just an observation. I like lots of different stories and read extensively, but for some reason this book is sticking in my craw. I'm having a hard time deciding if I'm going to finish it. Sigh. I don't like feeling like that, but there you go.

On a brighter note, my daughter decided while we were walking around town yesterday in the snow to do some belly flops in drifts. It was hilarious! She came back up, her face shining with snow and thought it was the funniest thing in the world. And that snow pant shuffle she does makes her look like a penguin. I love the snow!

Misty

It's SNOWING!!!!!

I love, love, love the snow! Especially when I don't have anywhere to go :) And I'm apparently a poet this morning.

Progress: I ended up writing 20 pages yesterday, just a little over 4000 words and that felt extremely nice. I have anywhere from 30 to 60 pages left on this manuscript and then I am Fini! Since this is a new genre for me kind of and definitely a different length of story, I am actually pretty surprised I've trotted along as well as I have. I have the big, bang boom collision to do and then that's it. Fantastico. I'm hoping to start a romantic comedy/women's fiction kind of thing when I'm done. But that's for another day.

Topic: While writing this book, I've been able to fit in some little private joke kind of things that some people who know me will get. There's fatty chicken and girly whirlies and a couple others. I heard one writer speak once and she said every book of hers has something in it that has actually happened to her, but she wouldn't tell which one. Another writer always has a banana is her book. I think it's really interesting to think about what other things go over the reader's head. Hopefully they still enjoy the book, but how funny would it be to have some sort of foot note explaining all of the little injokes :) Is it swampy in here or is it just me? LOL.

Misty

What's in a Name? Foggy Days

So good morning! I'm really impressed with myself that I've kept up with this daily (and twice on Sunday) but it is more fun than I expected.

Progress: edited last 30 pages and 9 new pages. w00t!

On to my topic for today - Names. The main character in my current WIP (work in progress) is named Danner. It happens to be her mother's maiden name and she hates it. My character in my mysteries is Ivy while all of her sisters have flower names. She considers herself the resident vine. My mom is one of four children and all their names start with Js. My friend has four children whose names start with K. Another friend has three children with Ms. I have one and named her for a seasonal holiday when she wasn't born anywhere near the holiday and get asked all the time why?

And then there's me. God love my mother, but she was 17 when she had me. Apparently, the story goes that when asked for my name she thought hard, looked at the Led Zep 4 tape in the room, loved the song Black Dog, couldn't come up with anything appropriate unless she wanted to name me Hey, hey MAMA! and then flipped it over. First song second side: Misty Mountain Hop. Thank God I didn't end up with Hop. Or Mountain for that matter. I may have had a complex.

Some of the story may be exaggeration :) but the fact remains, my name is Misty. Which is fine except for when Dairy Queen had Mr. Misty ice cream. Or when people used to call me Fog. Or when you're trying to get one of those cool "what's my name mean?" things and end up with "um, Fog?" LOL. Actually I love the name. And now, when anyone asks me what my real name is, I say "Melista?" 'Cause honestly, what else could it be?

I try to come up with names that suit my characters and I love choosing just the right one. It's like naming my child all over again. Next time I might just hunt through my CDs and pick a song title :)

Misty

Little Addendum

Woo-Hoo! Two in one day! But this one is a shorty because I just wanted to announce that I MADE IT THROUGH THE REST OF THE PAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!

Ok, too many !!!! but I am really excited. And now I just have to pick up the story where I left off and finish up. I'm at 60K words and I want at least 80K. So I have 20K more to do. A breeze :) LOL. But I am working on it and hope to be done by this Friday. I'll keep you posted, dear reader.

Misty - joyous! (needed that one last !, you understand)

Getting Closer...

So I worked yesterday, I worked hard yesterday. And yay for me! I ended up editing 70 pages, putting in corrections, writing thirteen new pages within the story and finally getting over the 300 page mark. Very nice!!!!!

I plan on getting the last thirty pages edited today and am well on the right track to begin new writing as of tomorrow. w00t!

I also went to a Pine Box Derby and had the best time. I think my young daughter (5) may have a little crush on one of my friend's sons. LOL. He's twice her age. But God do I love to see kids interact. The things they talk about, the animation they have when something is important to them, the way they make themselves known. I hope she keeps that with her through her whole life and doesn't lose it when it's time to start worrying what everyone else thinks about you.

And it was funny to see what a small town we live in. Saw kids there that go to ballet with us, more kids who we did soccer with, and some people from school. I love living here :)

Have a great and productive day! I will be working, slogging. *limp wrist over forehead* LOL. But I have a 21 slice pizza to look forward to tonight because we are celebrating my husband's graduation from school!!!!! Wahoo the year is over!

Misty

Beware the Dip

I had so much Dip yesterday at my writer's lunch :) But it was really good and the conversation was fabulous! I have to get my bar thingy set up on the side here to put in links you WANT to go to so you can see the very hilarious OUT OF CONTEXT things said yesterday :) I'll give you a small sample: I got distracted by the bone. Said by Vicki Smith to be laughed at uproariously. ROFL.

And I did come home and whip through some serious pages. Only got two new pages written, but I did edit 35 and input changes for 26. I am loving this story and hope others will too.

Still relatively on track to be done with pre-editing by Monday so I can start writing NEW stuff, which is always delicious for me. I have about 100 pages left to go. So 50 each day, hopefully with new pages added in and I will write NEW on Monday. Yeah! That is very nice to look forward to.

I also went a-visiting last night and that was fun. I love living out in PA now, I feel so much mroe at home. I have great friends and wonderful people to talk to. I never found that where I was living before, so this is fantastic. I feel like I've been here forever. But don't get me started on someone's husband wearing a fireman's hat to bed. LOL.

Ta-ta!
Misty

Dean-Apalooza DAY!!!!

Although, I have to say this might be less of a Dean love fest than an I LOVE SAM kind of thing. For those of you just signing in, I am a big Supernatural fan. Love the show, the ghoulies, the writing, the angst, but ADORE Dean! And I've really liked Sam. But tonight, whooooo-mama! Is it hot in here? Ah, checked the external temperature and the therm says 18* so probably not :)

I like that they are upping the anto for Sam all the time. It's like a good book, where the tension excalates until you are sure there is just no way they can get through this thing. I will be very interested to see how things progress along. It's a shame more people aren't watching it. Begin subliminal message: Watch Supernatural. It will cure what ails you. Dean is Misty's and she may claim Sam here soon. Watch Supernatural. Repeat :)

So today is my writer's lunch thing and I am so stoked! Love them, love it. Always come home feeling pumped for writing. Which would be nice today since I did nothing on my own stuff yesterday. Although it was still a good day because I got to read a great book by a friend and clear off my desk. So tonight is working time. I will get back to writing only new stuff on Having A Ball! as of Monday. Solemn promise. Would it ruin it here to put a smiley face :)

See you tomorrow (sometimes I feel like I'm only saying that to myself. At least I'm not signed it Stimpy)

The Author Formerly Known As Stimpy :)

More Progress!

I've finally hit my stride with the editing thing, I think :) Check back tomorrow, that may change. I got another 22 pages edited and 9 new written so that is humming right along.

There has been some discussion on various loops lately that 1st person is no longer acceptable and and not a lot of (industry) people are looking at it. I personally love it if done well, and write more naturally in it. I do have a couple of books out with third person, but they aren't as strong to me as the first person. I like to be able to sit myself deep in the main character's head and go for the ride right along with them. But it has been said that third person is more the way to go. Sigh. Figures :)

Really though, I think I can do either. Third person just takes more thought and more editing for me. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But I do really like to do the whole "aside" thing to the reader that works so well in first person.

And I plan on continuing to write in first until someone tells me to stop :) LOL. Which could be any moment now....

Have a good day!
Misty

Tripping Down Memory Lane

There's an interesting thread on a list I frequent. We're talking about stuff you wrote when you were younger. SOme of it is great and I can see where people's talents started. And then there's mine :) Can we say angst-ridden, morbid and just plain funny now?!?!? Oh my word. I rhapsodized about lips and breath and hair and eyes. Sighed over a touch, a look, a kiss. And all with phrases like "My heart encaged" and "Oh, what a mishap!" to rhyme with perhaps. I'm laughing so hard this morning I snorted tea out of my nose.

But what a great thing to have. I like to see my teenage self (though I could be very depressing) and know how I got to where I am today. And revisiting the memories (as long as I don't actually have to be a teenager again) is fun. Apparently I went through a period where I signed everything Stimpy. Gotta love that.

Misty

Making Progress

And I am! YAY! I got about a third of the way through the ms (manuscript) at this point and have added 10 new pages. Which is good, but must it feel like slogging through hell? I'm excited about it and plan on getting more done today, but man is it cold?!?! and my fingers are frozen.

The countdown continues. Tomorrow is my husband's last day and school! Woo-Hoo! No more single parent status as he works full time and goes to school full time. Now if I can only remember to try to fit him back into our schedule...Yeah, there's going to be some adjusting to do.

Misty

On the Road again

Did very little on my manuscript this weekend, but I am geared and ready to go today. I have 74 pages edited so far and am back on the road after a little traction loss on the side gravel of life. LOL. Okay, enough car stuff.

Anyway, my DH is graduating from a tech school this week and hopefully life will be a little easier around here. Not that I necessarily believe ti will be since it means he'll be back under foot when I'm used to having the time to myself. But we'll work it out. I'm making a goal for myself to be done with this whole manuscript and sending out by the end of this month. So if anyone wants to give me noodle lashes to keep me going - here I am!

Misty

Sunday, Sunday

Not much going on here today. Working on putting a whole new thread into my story and since I've never done that, it is a bit of a challenge. I think it will work out much better though. Apparently I have trouble writing a story without some sort of mystery in it :) But that's all right.

And I just got the cover for my brand new book, Reignited. It is a collection of three erotic stories with reunions as the theme. One is love that never happened, one is love that should have happened, and one is love that happened but got thrown away. I'm really excited about this anthology. It was a blast to write and features all big, beautiful women. I love these kinds of stories. You can hop over to www.draumrpublishing.com to see all of my books. This is my fifth! Very cool.

So yesterday was my monthly meeting for the writers group I belong to, CPRW. We're a romance writers chapter and we had a great time. I love the energy I leave with every time. I wrote six pages yesterday and printed out what I have so far of my manuscript so I can go through to fix it. And speaking of that, I should go since I'm using blogging as procrastination :)

Misty

Day Two and Cruisin'

Hi again!

I have this new compulsion to check my horoscope. It has been saying nice things about me lately, except for yesterday. I never did have that jealousy run-in :) I don't necessarily believe in them, but they are fun to see how they do or don't work into your life. So today I'm supposed to make long term plans. And isn't that exciting? LOL. I'm not much of a long term planner but I might just try it out and see where it takes me.

I'm in the process of writing the paranormal book and just realized it needs something MORE. I'm not sure what, but I did get up in the middle of the night and make some feverish notes about a few things I could try. One of the problems with this book is that I've never written anything this long before. My books normally come in at about 60,000 words or slightly more. But this time I'm aiming for 80,000 and I think something about that number has me shakin' and knocking knees. I'm afraid I'll run out of steam way before I'm ready to type the end. I have friends who pound out 100,000 words with no problem and it just makes me wonder if I'm more suited to shorter stories. But I can push myself and I often do. In fact I jsut dug my very first completed manuscript out of my old computer files, pulled up the word count and came up with 79,000! Hey, not too bad for a first attempt. Although...that book is just FULL of long winded scenery descriptions, has every single thing I've ever been told not to do in a romance and I believe I may have used the phrase throbbing member. Shudder. But no one has to see it and it was a great learning process, so I keep it. I just won't ever let enyone see it :)

I love to have romance in my books, and yet at the same time, I can't seem to write a book without some kind of mystery in it. So I think I'm adding a cousin leaving her husband and showing up to complicate my heroine's life further and up the stakes. We'll see how that works :)

Misty

Question: Are there any phrases that you read in books that just make you roll your eyes? I personally have a hard time with the first romantic or lustful thought of the H/H about the other where they say "Now where did that thought come from?" Discuss amongst yourselves.

So here I am!

I'm going to try to do two blogs and we'll see how that goes :) I'm thinking I'll do one at Draumr for my stuff there and this other will be more of a writing and personal one - which the other one is too. But still :)

So, today my horoscope said don't let jealousy eat at my guts. I don't know of anyone I'm jealous of at this time. Sometimes horoscopes are dead on and sometimes not so much. I do know this is supposed to be my year, so that is comforting though I believe it's one of those things where I'll have to do it myself, not just sit here and wait for it to fall in my lap :) Funny how that works.

I'm hoping to figure out whis whole blogger thing and get up a manuscript completion bar. I want to see the little blue bubble soar across the page. Right now I'm writing a paranormal book called Having A Ball! and really enjoying it. It involves gnomes, books in the most unexpected places and a Magic * Ball that knows my heroines name.

Since I'm jsut getting started here, that's all for me today :) Hope to see me here tomorrow. LOL

Misty