CURRENT PROJECT UPDATE - NanoWrimo

Week 1 is done and I am far short of where I wanted to be. The crazy thing is I can not seem to get a handle on this story. I know what the internal issues are for both of my characters but something just hasn't gelled yet. I know I'll get there. I usually do. And when the story clicks, the words pour.  

Normally I am a :

While I do not plan everything down to the minute detail I do have an idea of what is going to happen when in each chapter. My problem, is I've not taken time to do that this year. I'm afraid if I do take the time to plan, I will lose valuable writing time. 

So for now, I am a:

This form of writing drives me insane and is probably why I'm struggling with my word count so far.

There is one badge NanoWrimo does not provide... the Quilter:

While I am a planner, I do not usually write in chronological order. I write scenes as they grab me then piece everything together in the end.

How do you write? Planner? Pantser? A little bit of both? Or do you have your own style? What works for you?

Creative Blessings!

Angela

CURRENT PROJECT UPDATE!

I thought I'd get into the Christmas spirit a bit. With Hallmark Channel running their holiday romances and me working on edits for A Christmas To Remember, this picture just seemed appropriate.

I did not accomplish as much as I'd hoped in June. I had an unexpected death in my writing family the weekend the first round of family was to arrive so things got  off to a hectic start. I did make edit notations and hope to implement those today - once I find where the manuscript got put as the revolving door of family began. 

The Ozarks Romance Authors writing competition - The Weta Nichols deadline is July 15th. Yeah.. not that far off. My beta reader is scheduled for a brief hospital visit on Wednesday so time is not really on my side at this moment but I'm pushing forward. I'm excited about the conference and competition this year because of who our two final round judges - Lousie Fury (Historical and YA? Middle Grade) from The Bent Agency and Candace Havens (Contemporary/ Paranormal/ Sci-Fi representing Entangled Publishing. 

Louise has been a supporter of ORA for several years. We are blessed to have her. I have been in Candace's YahooGroup for the past nine years. She and I have a lot of writing in common. We both write romance AND are entertainment writers. Though I have to tell you, while people think I am the energizer bunny, Candace is the super bunny. The woman never stops. She is my idol. 

So now that my desk is in its 'forever home' and the workspace is coming together, I hope to get back on a regular schedule. The cats already know that this is my new office and usually beat me to the door in the mornings. 

After all the company had left, Bob and I took three days in Branson. Bob knew up front this was part work and part pleasure (I really don't do a 'vacation' any other way LOL). While we took in shows and did some sightseeing, I was making notes and taking pictures for visual research for the Branson Series. I fell in love with Branson Landing. I'd never been before and now have an idea for Book 3. 

If you are in Branson, check out The Revolutionists. These guys are pretty amazing illusionists. Each of the five have their own area of expertise and they use audience participation. 

Off to start my week!

CURRENT PROJECT UPDATE!

Yesterday kicked off Book In A Month with The Writer's Zone... an on-line writing group I've overseen for at least fifteen years. While members have come and gone, our core has always been the same... WRITE! Whether we write for fifteen minutes a day or participate in an all-day sprint marathon, we dedicate time every month to just getting the story down. Some months are better than others as progress goes an whether or not we FOCUS on the project at hand is the key ingredient.

In January, when I kicked off the first one of 2015 both as a Zone leader and a member of the JANO group (led by Sleuth's Ink writing group from Springfield MO), I had a rocky beginning. But once I dove into Book 1 in the Branson series... and wrote every day... I found the story flowing. As is usual the case when I get into a project, I fell in love with my characters.

How Do You Like Me Now (Book 1) introduced me to Jennifer and Blake. Tragedy separated them at a young age and their story begins with a reuniting and a second chance to find happiness together. While I loved Jennifer and Blake, I was drawn to the secondary characters (which is usually my pitfall). Kim is a widow with two pre-teen girls. Her husband is a casualty of the Afghanistan war. All she's had time for in the year since his death is doing what he would have wanted her to do... carry on. When she meets country music heart-throb Trevor, she begins to take that step... steps toward her own second chance at happiness. 

While I don't have a title for Book 2 yet, I'm sure a song will pop into my head as I write.

I am also going to be working on edits from my first manuscript, A Christmas To Remember. I really want to see this book published - whether Indie or through traditional channels. I've believed in this story from day one and I feel after many close calls, the time has come for this book to shine. The first step is to polish the mechanics a bit more (I've learned a lot since the story's first rounds with editors) and hopefully pitch to an editor or agent during the Ozarks Romance Authors conference in September.

Mix in trying to strip furniture for the new office space, tidy the house in time for family guests next week and I have plenty to keep me busy this week. 

What are you working on?