Project Slump and Chaotic Creativity

Via Candyworx at Deviant Art

Whenever I finish a project, there's this sense of accomplishment for a day or two. I take a much needed breather and relax. That happened a few days ago. I must admit from the outside it looks a lot like lazy, but it's not. I'm recharging my creative batteries. Renewing my brain cells.

Yearly Book Round Up

Books I've enjoyed this year, in no particular order...

Picture by MOTHart on Deviant Art

JukePop Serials and SheWrites Contest

SheWrites recently announced a contest in collaboration with JukePop Serials. I've been holding on to my short story for months scared to let others see it. When I saw the announcement, I decided I was done being scared. It might have had something to do with my recent story idea. If I have a third story in the works, the others have to be shoved out of the nest one by one. The contest was perfect timing for me.

Possibly the Worst Contest Ever

As some of you may know, I have a short story that is almost ready to be published and a short novel. They're both chick lit with an underlying layer of romantic comedy. Those genres can be very intertwined. Anyway, I have a point here, I swear. The novel has no title and no cover. I'm completely blank on it. Nothing seems to fit. I don't have a blurb, so I'm going to wing it here.

Blurb:

Winter Tutorial and Decorating

This is another tutorial I finished recently. In Photoshop tutorials, you basically follow along as someone tells you exactly what buttons to push. As long as I can follow directions, I look like a creative genius. I'm familiarizing myself with the controls so to speak. My next project I show off will be created from scratch and my own ideas, promise.

Why You Should Panic

It's December. Pretty obvious but think about it. It's December. One more year down the drain. Have you completed anything this year like you promised yourself? You made resolutions last January. Like me, I bet you didn't stick with them.

I never start out the year with complete goals listed in my head. I don't make resolutions. I can disappoint myself or get discouraged any time of the year.

Creativity and Expression

Drawing calms me. I could lose myself for hours in drawing. It helped me quit smoking because it busied my hands and took my mind off cigarettes. That doesn't mean I'm very good at it. If I had to give myself an honest judgement, I'd say I'm fair at it. Average. That doesn't matter. Being creative helps me relieve stress, and I love learning new things. That's what matters.

How To Keep Your Favorite Television Shows Safe

I don't always watch shows when they first show up on television. If I am interested in a show, it's like the kiss of death. Four shows have been canceled recently that I liked. Almost as soon as I showed the slightest interest. They might have been on for years, but suddenly I set my eyeballs on them. Bam. Canceled. Dexter was one of them. I did get two seasons in before they axed it. So, that's not a bad run.

If you have a favorite show, tell me what it is and I'll promise to NOT watch it. Like a reverse blackmail. I could stop trying to write for a living and blackmail could become my new profession!

Notebooks and Super Powers

During high school, I skirted the line of petty juvenile delinquent and outright criminal activity. Not once could anyone have called me a geek or a nerd. It was buried deep, but it was there. I wasn't hiding from it or shielding it so people would think I was cool. I've always fit in more than one narrow box. I smoked, swore and stole things. At the end of the day, I'd read. Recharging my batteries before a new day of mischief. Yeah, I was a handful.

Writing Accountability

I've been procrastinating. I have an 8k word story that I'll be publishing soon. It's a short story and a lead in for people to taste my writing, and hopefully, purchase the next book. A free way for people to experience all that is me.

The problem is that while that free story is done, (I fixed the cover. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.) the second story is not. I'm nervous. I want the story to be perfect, but that is starting to feel like an excuse to hold back so people can't judge my work. This will be the first story I can share with family and friends. There's a lot of pressure.

Every time I've told one of the teenagers to be quiet while I do this mysterious thing called writing will come back to bite me if they are like, "Really? That's why you wanted us to be quiet? To write that?!" Anyone with teenagers knows I'm telling the truth. They are ruthless.

It can't stay inside any longer. I have to shove it out of the nest and see if it will fly. I have a friend who will beta read for me. I sent him the file last night. He's quick and will let me know if he sees problems with it.

This is my accountability entry. You all know I've given it to him. There are expectations here now, too. Certainly the pressure will be enough to crush me soon. That will weaken my resistance, and I'll have to publish!

See how I have to mind trick myself?

Don't judge me. It works!

Writing Journal

To keep myself accountable, I do a variety of things. They all involve tricking myself into remaining productive. I can get lost in Facebook for an hour while I should be writing. I can get stuck in a thorny plot problem for days while I research. For example, my last novella is about an artist. I needed to find out about art gallery exhibitions. It took weeks, WEEKS, to find enough information for me to feel comfortable writing about it.

Cover Reveal

I've written in other genres under a pen name and those covers were easy compared to this genre. My dirty little secret is that I've been writing erotica for over a year. I'm trying to branch out into other types of writing, so here I am with my first romantic comedy/chick lit short story.

Those other covers were never difficult. Throw a couple on the front entwined in each other's arms, naked flesh exposed here and there. Done!

This is harder. Chick lit is very pink. I'm not a pink kind of girl. It's very girly. I'm not a girly kind of girl! You get the point. This is the cover I've come up with for my story. Give me your thoughts and opinions below.

I might move my name up a smidge. I like it overall, but I'm not sure I trust my judgment since this is my first cover for chick lit.

A Little About Me

For the eight or nine of you who are speeding past this blog on your way to do better, and more entertaining things, I thought I'd try to stop you with some weird facts about myself.

Excerpt of a Work in Progress

She refused to cry. When her friend picked up the phone, she stated matter-of-factly. "I lost my job, Jean."

"Oh no. What happened, Meri?"

Planting her feet on the seat of the chair, she hugged her legs protectively as tears threatened, prickling the back of her eyelids.