Staying alive, staying alive

I have a brief shining moment in my internet in my currently sad internet-less life and I've decided to spend it with you. Awwww. I wanted to give a few good updates and my thoughts:

• I'm hovering at about 5,000 words in Power Trio 2 but...
• My move is done. The boxes are not unpacked, but I have located all of the essentials (work clothes), but...
• The other life essential, internet, is not connected. Which should actually help me focus on bullet one, but thus far has only made life more complicated. Trying to coordinate all the move stuff with the old landlord, get the mail forwarded (what do you mean I should have done that weeks ago?!), and all that mess is much harder without access to email. Annnnnnd my work just changed their filter so I can no longer access personal email at work (good for them, bad for me).
• And in cat news, which I know you can't get enough of, I've found a sort of new therapy for ear infections that I think I'm going to try for my semi-feral foster cat. Laser therapy that's supposed to help with inflammation. I haven't really looked into it yet, and I'm sure it's terribly expensive (I might be starting a Wildman fund), but after the two months of antibiotics and two flushings didn't do a thing (other than make the bacteria resistant) I'm ready to try something else.

Okay, off to up that word count! Hope you're all doing well in Nano and otherwise.

Of note, "no internet" is a label that I've used before. Probably last November when I moved. I'll have to do some exploring and find it... the NEXT TIME I have INTERNET.

Updates of a writer

When I started this blog, my intent was to chronicle my “journey of a writer.” Or, as more commonly known, the trials and tribulations of those of us trying to put words on a page, and make them interesting enough that someone might want to chip in a few dollars to get to read them (The whole thing seems like a really weird concept when you spell it out, right? That someone would want to pay to hear what I have to say. Most days I can’t pay people to listen to me!)

Anyway, I’ve noticed that lately my posts have gotten away from that original intent. But for good reason: I’m just trucking. That’s it. No major updates. No drastic life changes. No massive announcements. I’m working, slow and steady. But now, as I’m nearing the end of the first draft of Power Trio, I’m starting to get excited.

Even that sounds like a bigger deal than it is, because even though the first draft is almost done, I’m nowhere near the end of the road. I haven’t been writing for long, and the more I go back and read the first part of Power Trio, the more I realize that there is a lot (and I mean a lot) of work to be done. The best part, though, is realizing how much I’ve grown in these 100,000 words.

Because I haven’t been so great about sharing my progress, I wanted to provide an update tonight (even though I hope to provide a major announcement about finishing my first draft soon).

My progress, to date, is as follows:

Power Trio first draft file: 95,390

Messy incomplete word vomit: 2,234

Word counts are kind of meaningless, so it probably provides more insight to say that the messy file only contains two chapters. Two more chapters. That's it. When I clean them up, plump them up, and put a little mascara on them (so they’re ready for the world), I’ll move them over the Power Trio file. Then, it’ll be time to celebrate!

Celebrating Successes

Presentation of Doom: No longer impending, and not as doom-filled as I had expected. I was a little nervous. I got a bit teased about my blushing, but I got laughs where I tried and a lot of people seemed to enjoy. I even had some requests for copies (ultimate nerd compliment!).

Forgetting Yesterday: I hit 25,000 words today (super yay!), and I love the story and my MC just as much as the day we met. Maybe even more. I feel good about this one. I'm in it for the long haul, even when the times get tough. We've been taking it slow, but I think I'm going to start to add a little pressure and speed it up! P.S. The title is so tentative, words cannot describe. I actually kind of hate it but I felt like it needed a name.

Computer: Battery dying. Going to watch Greek in bed. Good night.

I wrote-ish a book?

I should start by clarifying. My blog title is a lie. I haven't written a book. But I am trying. And I hope by staring at that title, I'll finally get motivated to finish this sucker.

I'm a left-brained, science-loving girl who's exploring something new. My adventure began at a particularly boring conference two years ago when an idea for a story suddenly sprung into my head. I tried to shake it, but it wouldn't go away. So, somewhere in between the PowerPoint slides and the networking reception, I jotted down a quick outline. After some encouraging, I decided to write it. It hasn't been easy so far, but it's been fun.

This isn't my first attempt at writing (I wrote a story in sixth grade called 'The Magic Ring' -spoiler alert- he marries the princess and they live happily ever after), but I think it's my best so far.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”- Mark Twain


Status Update
Current Project: 102,916 words (74,764 words that are part of a coherent, linear story line + 28,152 additional words to play around with to try and finish this thing).
Other story ideas that I'm seriously considering working on: 1
Cats currently begging for treats: 2
Boyfriends playing a video game: 1
Boyfriends not playing a video game: 0 (That's right. I've only got one. But don't tell him that. I like to keep him on his toes.)