Sunday, November 09, 2008

Sunday Already?

Hi, hi! This weekend is flying by. Yesterday I watched college football ALL day. (My Texas Longhorns kicked butt, too!) I also read more of Michelle Gagnon's The Tunnels. Good story! I've got about 85 pages left. I can only read it during the day though. It's too freaky to read at night when the house is making noises and the scene is about the killer torturing and killing the college girl victims. (Ooh, I'm getting a shiver just typing about it!)

Today I have a BUTTLOAD of grading to do. And progress report grades to put into the computer. And yet I'm going out to lunch. Hhhmm, maybe later on the school work.

Only 2 more days in my Austin RWA writing challenge (where we commit to write at least 100 words a day in between our meetings). I swear, I'm pulling my hair out and it's like pulling teeth to get 100 words done. And remember that 50,000 words by 12/31 challenge I joined? Well, I have done some serious soul searching and I've decided to drop out. I'm at a point in the new story where I really don't like anyone. I've got almost 38,000 words on the rough draft and I can't be bothered to write on it anymore. I've learned that I really can't work on two stories intensively at the same time while working at my crazy day job. If I was just writing notes on the new one while revising Danger, then that wouldn't be bad. But trying to revise Danger AND mold the new one into a great story WHILE spending countless hours on school stuff has become too difficult. So, my new goals are....

Finish as much of Danger revisions as I can by Golden Heart deadline.
Finish the rest of Danger revisions by 12/31.
Figure out which story is actually next.
Relax and take a writing vacation when Danger is done.

Part of my problem is I really, really, really want to focus on Danger. (I sound like a broken record, don't I?) I think another part of my problem has been that Broken Promises feels like it's morphing into two couples with two very different stories. It feels like I've been forcing it and therefore ruining it and my motivation. So my new goals are really in my best interest (and the best interest of my characters too!).

What's new with you?

4 comments:

Kerry Blaisdell said...

Sounds like you're making some tough but sensible decisions. I can't do two stories at once -- maybe edits only, but if I'm writing/creating one, no. I can't even read two books at the same time! *:?)

Thanks for all your recent notes, BTW. I've been noticing and appreciative, just being dragged under by all the family stuff. But I've been madly editing DAD and, like you, hope to whip it into shape before the GH fills up.

Cheers,
Kerry

Lori Borrill said...

Sounds like I need to put Tunnels on the top of my TBR pile. I love creepy books. Fits my personality *g*.

And writing. What's that? I'm on a break, trying to talk myself into extending it through the end of the year. I shouldn't, but it's so tempting.

Good luck with your goals. I like the one that said something about relaxing. LOL!

Anonymous said...

Lexi, you're doing great. Why force yourself to continue in a challenge that you've given a good shot but really isn't working for you? Besides, working toward the GH - that would be driving me nuts. I'd HAVE to get my GH manuscript in as solid shape as possible before I thought about working on anything else.

It's good to experiment on working on two projects at once, because, frankly, that's what happens when you sell. You write 3 or 4 chapters of a WIP, then you have to put it aside, sometimes for months, to work on something else the editor needs NOW, because you, um, have a deadline.

So, great practice, but if the GH manu beckons, then it beckons, and I believe we can do more harm than good forcing ourselves to remain committed to a challenge that isn't working for us/you/whomever. I DO think it's good to resist the urge to quit when the urge is really about not wanting to work that hard, but when it's not an urge to quit, but a solid, rational decision based on your needs and goals and responsibilities, then, by gum, it's the right one. :)

Lexi said...

And yet, Kerry, I'm a glutton because I started a NEW story!

¥ou take care, btw. I already sent payment for the GH. Now I have to finish revising.