What Are Your Current Projects? -- No Whine, Just Champagne Discussion #132

I'm having some personal issues. Hubby lost his job a few weeks ago. He's trying very hard to find a new one. The Unemployment office denied his claim. And, our money is wearing thin...
Other than that, I'm still trying to write. Trying to make some kind of contribution. By posting here and a few other sites. But, my creativity has slowed with all the stress I'm feeling.
Please hope or pray that hubby finds something soon.

I'm hoping for the best for you two. Here's to good luck on your hubby's job hunting.

Thank you, that is very kind.

Busy promoting From the Heart at the moment.

I'm working at the Terrifying Tales entry or have I already entered? Um, this cold is making things fuzzy. I also joined Nano and have a project in mind. Right now trying to gather my thoughts for that, since it's a romance and I've even tried to write one. Did I mention I'm battling a cold?

Angela, my best thoughts for your hubby and yourself.

I probably have too many projects going, and not all of them are writing related.

Trying to find that rare beast - even more rare than child care --- before and after school child care. Then starts the big project of trying to find a job after 6 years as an unemployed stay at home mom.

Purging the house of clutter, whether it's wanted or not.

Trying to be active on my writing blog, whether I like it or not.

Trying to finish that one novel that seems oh so close, and may have the best shot of being published - so I can turn to concentrating on starting work on book two of a two-book project.

And of course there are always those nagging short stories, logged, started, noted, or whatever that I should just get out of the way.

And the childrens books for my kids - before they're too old for them.

And I've been thinking about taking the dive into nano this year. With a very demanding little one underfoot, I didn't have time last year. Both kids are in school full time this year and I'm hitting the job trail, so this might be the only time I have my best chance at trying nano.

And the ultimate project - just being mom.

If you decide to do NaNo, be sure to let me know so I can add you as my writing buddy. I'm not too hard to find. I'm using the obvious: patbertram.

How you find the time to do even half of what you do is beyond me.

Mostly in little bits.

Still humming on the nano. Haven't checked if there's any kind of sign up fees or anything. I know I probably won't come close to making the word count, but it would still be something new to experience.

No sign up fees. No posting of your work if you don't want to. If you finish the 50,000 words, you upload a coded copy (replace one letter with another for safety, though they do delete the ms once the words have been tallied). I hesitated to do it for all those reasons, but one by one they were shot down. I'm hoping to do the required words, but I won't beat myself up if I don't. I'm mostly interested in treating it like a vision quest -- if I go for word count not content, if I just sling words on the page without thinking, perhaps I'll be able to reach deep for buried wisdom. Mostly I just want to do something I would not do if J. were alive. It helps fill the hole.

Someday I'd like to know the story of what happened with your daughter. I only know you almost lost her. I can understand that it would have taken years to get over it.

It's a big hole to fill.

I never even thought of the issue of plagiarism. With so many people doing it, I figured they had some kind of safeguards that would be listed when I actually checked into it. And nothing is completely safe. It's more the idea of taking on such a big project, knowing I will probably fail, and not sure about finding the time for it. But I also look at is as a just for fun project.

My little one - I actually tried writing about it, but didn't get far. It was just too hard. The big lesson I learned is that no matter how watchful you are, no matter how hard you work at childproofing your house and everything else - there is no such thing as enough. It only takes a fraction of a moment for the worst to happen, and when it does it doesn't matter that it's not your fault - you feel the blame just as strongly. I still feel panicky any time she's out of sight or I don't hear her. I still want every day to go down to the school and sit at her classroom to make sure she's safe.

Maybe someday you'll write your story. I bet it would be wonderful -- something that other mothers could identify with. But I can see that it would be hard to relive, as well as impossible to forget. It just goes to show that I'm right -- the worst horror stories are not the monsters and beasties that horror writers create, but the horrors that everyday life creates.

I mentioned that I'm working on a collaboration with other Second Wind authors, some of whom belong to this group. I'm thrilled about it -- not only am I working with dedicated writers, but I'm discovering that after my long hiatus, I still know how to write! I wrote the first chapter, and it has more exposition than I normally begin with, but I wanted to make sure the scene was set to give the other authors (and our readers) a better idea of the setting. It worked, though. Of course, it helps that I'm loosely basing Melanie Gray on me -- don't have to work to hard to get into character!

It hasn't been much of a hiatus. You're still doing some good writing regularly - just not fiction.

I think everything we write creatively - fiction or not - affects and improves everything else we write.

Quite frankly, I'm scared to death of going back to work. Job searching after about 14 years since I've had to job search last is scary enough.

But I honestly don't know how the working moms manage. I have no idea how I'll do everything I have to do now in just a few very short evening hours.

I wouldn't like to go back to work, which is what I'd have to do if I hadn't come here. And it's still in my future. That's one of the many reasons why I want to get back into writing now -- I may not have time once the need for a job comes around.

That's one of my fears about going to work. I don't want to have to give up trying to write. But I don't know how I'll have the time for all the other stuff, let alone time for writing. Kids take up a lot of time.

I have two Science Fiction WIPS, (both around 80% done with the rough draft) and I'm gearing up to do NANO, which will probably give me yet another novel in the 60-70% of rough draft category. The more rational course of action would probably be to do a FTDN blitz on the two WIPS I already have, but NaNo has gotten in my blood.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do. I'm torn between trying to wing something -- start without a single clue of what to do, try to be silly, and have fun.

My other option is to write my grieving woman story. I pretty much know the story so it's just a matter of getting it down as fast as possible to see if any insights show up.

I've more or less decided to do the grieving woman one. I'm not sure that I'd want to relive the feelings once they've passed. Also it could be good grief therapy. I'm thinking can do the silly one (or the girl with the black hole in her eye) for the Wombat Novel Writing Month.

Dale, knowing you, you will probably finish both your books AND do a complete NaNo Novel.

Pat, this might just be a good time to try winging the grieving woman story. Without the time to plan and think, you have no choice but to write it from the heart. And that's exactly where a grieving woman story should come from.

Dale, rational and irrational minds seem to have a way of competing and working together at the same time. If you're already thinking it, I can definately see you trying to do both at the same time.

Lori, I think you're right. From the heart is the only way to tell such a story. Even though my character's situations will be different -- she finds a gun among her husband's possessions and eventually discovers he killed someone. Makes her really crazy -- if she doesn't know who he is, how can she know who she is?

For people who are interested in publishing their NaNo entry -- Smashwords is allowing people to upload their WIPs. I'd consider doing that, but since I write longhand mostly (though for NaNo, I'll probably do some on the computer) I won't have the typed manuscript ready to post.

So, how will I verify my handwritten copy if I finish?

Invoke the Luddite Clause!

According to NaNo: "What you do is write your 50,000 words, then have someone you trust verify that it is, indeed, 50,000 words. Then using something like the Lorem Ipsum generator, submit a file of the exact number of words of your handwritten manuscript to our word count validator."

I think that is so cool!

That's a good clause. Not everyone has access to these fancy typing machines. Heck, my hubby couldn't believe I didn't have a real computer before I met him. (He didn't think the one I had counted as a real computer, and I only had it for a very short time).

I can write longhand as fast as I type. I just can't read it. My real problem is that when I'm in the groove, the story comes faster than I can type or write.

I wish I had that problem -- words coming faster than I can write or type.

I got my first computer about three years ago. I can write blogs on the computer, and I can write scenes on the computer if I know where I am going, but I don't do well if I have to just sit and think (which is what most of my writing is -- should make doing nano interesting, since with those wordcounts, there is no time to think).

Are you the two-four finger typer type? Or have you learned to type properly?

I started out writing longhand. And writing and writing and rewriting about 100 times until I perfected it. Then I got technology - an electronic typewriter with about 7 or 12 pages of memory.

Then I got the cheapest computer I could namage and put myself horribly into debt trying to take CG courses while working for barely more than you'd get on welfare and supporting myself.

It was a hard change moving from handwriting to typing. But I don't think I could do it if I was pecking at the keyboard. I had to learn to type properly for work, and even with that it was a big change. I still don't consider something properly edited unless I print it out and read it in print and make edits on edits on edits handwritten in.

I can type properly. I'm not fast, but not really slow, either. Doing these discussions have gone a long way to helping me think and type at the same time.

I liked writing longhand, because I could do that anywhere -- I didn't have to be sitting at a computer. I also like typing the manuscript afterward, because it gave me a different way of looking at it. But I'm not sure I'd have the patience for that anymore. It used to take a couple of months to type it up, and that was a couple of months taken away from writing.

That is definately a plus to writing longhand. I carry around a too big little notepad. The problem is that I usually need to write something down when I can't, like driving in traffic.

I found it hard, but I made the switch to just typing in most of my writing from scratch. When I do find myself writing longhand, I type it in later and drive myself nuts wanting to print it write away. It just doesn't feel right yet without handwriting in all those changes over and over again.

I made it here! And just found out I won a copy of Jamie's new book. Sqeeeing fangirl moment here.

Always nice to have a new book to read!

Have you decided on a story for NaNo, or are you going to wing it?

LV have you heard of Flylady? She's terrific at getting rid of the clutter thing. I'm a Flybaby now, have been for about 8 months. It's been a God send. I'm down to one room still needing uncluttering. It's been a great ride and feels so good.

Never heard of Flylady. My biggest clutter problems are time and kids. Mostly the clutter gets shifted to deal with later. When I start organizing it, I have a set of boxes. One each for me, my hubby, and the kids. And at least one big one for garbage. The kids get in there and it's all over.

I've had a story rattling around the back drawer that my niece and I collaborated on years ago. Just a general outline, a romance. So I'm going to work on that one. It'll be interesting if I can write a romance.

Glad to see you doing Nano and using your grieving woman ms. as your project. I think it'll be terrific

I'm having a tough time fixing this witches hat for tomorrow's party. You'd think a $10 hat would last a 30 minute car ride to a halloween train ride, sitting on a kids head without even being played with.

Apparently not. The seems were falling apart by the time we got there. It still has to last a school party, a halloween birthday party, and halloween.

They don't make things to last any more, not even a car ride home. Sorry to hear about this. But don't worry,the little one will remember nothing about the failing costume.... they just remember the care Mom gave them on their costumes. I speak from experience.

At least she has a little more to remember this year than a wardbrobe problem and mom fixing it.

Their grampa paid for them to take their first train ride ever - the Prairie Dog halloween ride - and antique train their grampa has been volunteering for years rebuilding.

And she had to watch her baby sister win the costume prize - and the little was was more happy and excited than I'd ever seen her in her short life - because all she had was a dress. Hat broken, and no witchy makeup because she had eye surgery two days before to fix her wandering eye.

It was a bittersweet moment. The little one shared her prize.

She has to go through all her Halloween parties with less than she wanted for a costume because of the surgery (no makeup), but no more glasses either and a beautifully straight eye so far.

Sounds like a truly bittersweet time. But ridiing on a train! Fabulous. I miss my little ones being that age. Even my grandkids are too old for that stuff anymore.

Maybe that's why I'm adding a little boy to my Nano WIP.

It was fun watching their reactons. Especially the little one. Everyone thought she was a boy. Her exact words, "Daddy, for Halloween I want to be an old man with a long white beard and long white hair."

And that's exactly what she was - wearing a pretty pink jacket too. It wasn't until she took the mask off later that they found out it was a cute little girl.

And they had their first time watching a fireeater entertainer and an event where all the adults were dressed up and acting wierd.

Late as always....

Things I have done/am doing in October and November: the phantasm-orgia story for Vivian's contest...and poetry (that's my summer-fall thing)...then plotting my nano, somewhat...then, in a few more days, writing the nano. That will take me right up to December!

So many good memories were made for your little ones tonight. It's precious time when they're young.

Hey Beaker.... good to see you! Scary stories just aren't easy!

Pat: I like the collaborative novel idea you guys are trying. I don't know how well it'll work out, but it's a cool idea. I've been toying with the idea of trying to get the Wombats to do an anthology of some kind, maybe a themed one. Judi and Jamie and Lisa are all so busy with their budding careers though and I have far more than a lifetime worth of ideas to write, so I'm not sure how it would happen.

It might just be a matter of saying this is what we're writing and I want you, to write this part, you to write this, and you to write this.

I'm not sure myself how these collaborations work. But I'm thinking a good guess is assigning each a chapter and seeing where it goes.

Dale, originally I came up with the idea of the collaborations for the wombats -- I wanted to see what would happen if each author was responsible for a POV character, sort of like a game -- but I mentioned it to one of the other 2W authors, and the thing just took off. The only way it can work to have a cohesive story is to have a moderator who keeps track of everything to make sure descriptions are consistent, and to make sure that one author doesn't ruin another's planned character arc.

I like that Rubicon Ranch idea too, Dale. It would be fun for the 'Bats to do something like that too but it is hard to gather us all together, especially the gals you mentioned. I cant wait to read the next installment of Rubicon Ranch though.

Time for me to toddle off to spent some time with hubby. No movie tonight so we'll have to make do.

Night ya'all

Thank you all for coming tonight. Everyone seems to be involved in such intersting projects!

Missed it. Again.
I'm enjoying Rubicon Ranch. And my current projects are various edits, plans for submissions, plus the November PAD chapbook challenge. NaNo just doesn't work for me in November.

I'd never heard of the Novembe PAD chapbook challenge. Wow, November sure is the writing month, with NaNo, the Poem-a-Day challenge, and NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month -- post a blog a day). I was going to do NaBlo along with NaNo, but that might be a bit too much immersion into the writing world.

Best of luck with the poetry challenge and with your submissions.

I have put three childrens stories together and a cover page and I'm going to use those to see how Barnes and Nobels Publt works. If it works okay...then maybe I'll self publish one of my novels.