I finished writing out chapter 15 yesterday -- the last chapter in the Harp of Light. Yes! ::pumps fist::

But I can't declare the first draft of the novel as done. This morning I wrote the epilogue, which turned out to be longer than I expected -- about 1000 words. But I think it needs to be that long, as it's going to explain a lot of the motivation (and behavior) of the "bad guy" in novel #3. I also started the prologue -- which is based on a short story that I wrote a long, long time ago, and never finished. The short story was written from one person's POV, and I have to rewrite from a major character's POV, so some of the events are different. But the message, the tone and the feel are still very much the same, which pleases me. (The original story was called, "Fire in the East".) I figure I'll finish the prologue sometime this week, then spend next weekend typing all these pieces up. Then -- well -- then I can officially declare the first draft of this novel as DONE.

Now, since it's after 2, I suppose I should stop writing and go eat lunch. I've just been too drawn in to the world to want to leave, but I'm starting to get stupid from the lack of food. I'm supposed to go to Qi Gong tonight, but if I can't get out of story land, I may skip it and just keep writing, hopefully finishing the prologue. However, after 3000+ words yesterday, and 2000+ words today, I am starting to get burned out. So we'll see.

I've been sick for the past week -- stupid sinus infection. So I've only today finished typing up Chapter Fourteen. It was shorter than I'd thought it would be (due to rewriting as I typed.) So the grand total for the novel as she stands so far:

73,285 / 100,000 (73.3%)

Last weekend I plotted out Chapter Fifteen. But I think it's time for a nap right now. Hopefully on Monday I'll be able to start it, unless I get a second wind and start tonight.

I've come down with a mild cold. I have mild congestion and a really bad sore throat. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow for other stuff -- will have her check to see if it's streph while I'm there.

One of the things that I discovered tonight -- Coconut Bliss frozen dessert. It's like ice cream made from coconut milk. OMG it's good. If you like coconut you should try it. I just tried the dark chocolate and I really liked it a lot.

I finished typing up chapter 13, and am about halfway finished with chapter 14. I've plotted out chapter 15, and I'm really excited about moving forward. However, see above. Being sick means no brain which means no writing. I'm hoping that I'll feel well enough to start writing again tomorrow.

The BodyBugg continues to teach me things that I didn't realize about myself. Because of this knowledge, I think I'll be able to get even more healthy. Once I'm no longer sick. *G*

I know, long time no hear. BUT. I finished chapter 14! I know, a week late. But I finished it! I finally figured out that the scene I'd started was wrong. I had to pull it all out, start with a completely different scene. Once I did that, I was able to finish the chapter, about 2500 words. This chapter is a little long as well, maybe 5900 words once I get it typed up.

My goal for next week is to finish typing up both chapters 13 and 14. The following week, I'll write chapter 15 (the last chapter of this novel. I think. I just threw in a twist that might make the chapter longer. Or it still might just be a single chapter.) The week after that, I need to rewrite the prologue and the epilogue (I have vague notes, but not the actual material.) Then -- a week of typing. So I'm still on course for finishing the first draft of this novel by the end of August.

In other news, I'm still enjoying my MacBook Air. I can't figure out a few things -- maybe next week I'll get myself to an Apple store. One of the things I'm really enjoying is a new app that I just installed, Time Out. I have it configured so that after I use the computer for 55 minutes, it comes on and I have to take a 5 minute break. I wish I could find something like this for the PC. It really has helped me.

Another thing -- I have started using a bodybugg. This is a device that measures your caloric burn minute by minute. I haven't downloaded the stats for today -- I'm really curious what four hours of writing (by hand) looks like. Probably like sitting on my ass doing nothing, but you never know. One thing that has really struck me with the data I've received for the last few days -- even when I think all I'm doing is sitting and doing nothing I don't actually sit for that long. If I'm watching TV I'm always getting up, doing things during the commercials. There are very few times when I'm really still, which kind of surprised me. Maybe it won't surprise anyone else, but it does surprise me.

I finished chapter 13! It took about another 1000 words. This chapter is about 5800 words I think, if I'm still averaging the same amount of written to typed.

Tomorrow I start chapter 14. I'm excited about it. I have a whole metaphor developing that I think is going to be so cool. I'm really looking forward to writing it. I'm hoping that I won't be too tired from the day job, that I'll be able to get a good start on it.

Well -- I didn't quite finish chapter 13 today. I did write approximately 2000 words today while on the airplane. However, I didn't finish the chapter. I have one last scene to write, and it'll be about 1000 words. I'll finish it tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, I'll write chapter 14.

If you want to sponsor me for the Clarion West Write-a-thon you can do so here.

As some of you may or may not know, I recently bought a Macbook Air. I've never owned a Mac, and it's been at least 10 years since I used one on a regular basis. I knew that I'd have some frustrations with it -- but honestly, I've had less than I thought I would. In addition, I was kind of shocked this morning. I have an old camera. I plugged it in, figuring I could start looking for the drivers I'd need.

But it worked. Without anything else. I just plugged it in and was able to download the pictures on it. I was (am) so impressed. Plug & play was always just a concept, not a reality, with PCs. With both my old camera and with my printer and the Mac, it's been a reality.

I'm not a complete convert -- the Mac still has some quirks and I haven't been able to figure out everything that I want to do. But I have a better understanding why others are. And possibly I'll be one eventually as well.

So -- for those who know me, you will be pleased to learn that I actually took most of today off. I went out and had breakfast and journaled at the tea shop, then I wandered home by way of not one but two yard sales, buying a 1920s style notepad holder at the first, and a pair of beautiful, funky earrings from the second. I'd planned on writing for the morning, but instead, I played with the new computer (I just purchased a Macbook Air) I also did very important things like give myself a mani-pedi, paint my toenails, play with the cat, get my hair cut, etc.

This evening, though, I stopped at a coffee shop and made myself sit and write. I needed to write about 2000 words today -- just finished about 2200. Yes! ::pumps fist:: The story went a couple of neat places, which is making me all giddy and excited. Pain and suffering for all! Fun times.

Tomorrow I fly to San Francisco for the day job. I figure it'll be a slam dunk to write the next 2000+ words while in the airport and on the plane. So that will be one more week of keeping to my schedule of finishing a chapter a week. This is week three. If you want to sponsor me and donate money to the Clarion West writer's workshop -- you can do so here.

I did about 500 words tonight on chapter 13. Basically, I wrote until I reached the point where, "and now, something brilliant happens." I'm not sure what that brilliant thing is going to be yet. Hopefully I'll figure it out by Thursday tea.

Okay, so I'm a little behind. I didn't finish typing up chapter 12 until tonight, Monday night. But I still finished it! It's about 6000 words long. So the total for this novel is currently:

61,972 / 100,000 (62.0%)

Tomorrow night I'll start chapter 13, with the goal of finishing it by Sunday. I think this is doable. I'm flying to SF on Sunday, and I always write a lot when I'm in the airport or on a plane.

Next week will be more difficult, writing wise, but I'll still try to finish chapter 14 by the end of the week. Since I'll be in SF for the day job, that means 10+ hour days, and not much time for writing. Over the weekend I'll be in Mpls visiting family, and again, not as much writing time. But I'll squeeze it in as best I can.

If you're interested in sponsoring me for the Clarion West Write-a-thon, you can do so here.

Thursday night I did indeed finish chapter 11. It turned out longer than I thought it would, so I ended up typing a lot, 2500 words worth or so. I didn't write on Friday night -- I went to see a friend after work, then went straight to the first Clarion West party, which was a lot of fun as always. I'm not certain if I'll make the party this coming Friday -- there's another party/open house happening here in my building, and I promised to attend at least part of that, and may end up not leaving. We'll see.

Saturday I did house stuff. I sanded, then primed and put the first coat of paint on my bathtub. I futzed with the cabinet doors, finally figuring out that my plans of attaching trim weren't going to work. I tried to paint a diamond pattern on them, but it ended up looking tacky. I hung three of the cabinet doors last night -- may I just say I despise hanging cabinet doors? It's always so difficult to get them to hang perfectly once you take them down. I also put together a little linen cabinet for the bathroom.
This morning I put the last coat of paint on the bathtub -- it's gorgeous! I also sanded the one cabinet door that I experimented on and painted it, as well as did more touch up paint. There are of course a lot more things that I can do in the bathroom, but I wanted to at least start chapter 12 today. Of course I'm posting to LJ and surfing instead of writing, but I'll get to it. Promise.

So -- for the first week of the Clarion West write-a-thon, I made my goal -- finished chapter 11, typed up about 5000 words. This week I'll finish chapter 12, and hopefully start chapter 13. If you'd like to sponsor me in this endeavor, you can do so here.

Yes, it's Thursday -- time for tea! I need to get back into the habit of writing every Thursday night. I plan on finishing chapter 11 tonight. Hope to see you there!

Last night I was pretty out of it -- only managed another 500 words or so. Tonight I won't write -- I'll go to yoga instead. Tomorrow night is Thursday, and there will be Thursday night tea. I should finish chapter 11 at that point. I'll hopefully be able to push and finish chapter 12 on Friday and Saturday, though we'll see. It's an awfully messy chapter, and even to get it from on paper to the computer is going to require a lot of rewriting. I'd like to start writing chapter 13 this weekend though, get a good start on it, and finish it by next weekend.

On Monday, I attacked my intensive cardio routine at the gym. After a few days off it felt good. I completed the routine, much to my surprise. I didn't think I could. It's only been 3 weeks of going to the gym on a regular basis and I can already see improvement. Today I didn't quite finish. I had bumped up from Monday's numbers. It was the last 2 minute stretch on the last rep that I sucked at. (I do four reps of the following on the elliptical: 2 minutes fast, one minute slow, 2 minutes faster, one minute slow, 2 minutes faster & with more resistance, five minutes recovery, then repeat.) We'll see what I do come Monday -- if it's the same routine, or if I bump up my numbers again. Tomorrow is training with my personal trainer. I *heart* him. He's intense, interesting, and a muscle geek. He changes the workout that he has me do all the time. It's always challenging and different, and that's what I need.

So -- last night was the official start to the Clarion write-a-thon. I came down with a hideous migraine* in the afternoon and was pretty out of it all night. I only managed 500 words on chapter 11, typing it up. I'll keep banging it out though, and maybe finish it by Thursday.

If you want to sponsor me (just $10! Cheap!) you can do so here:

http://www.clarionwest.org/events/writeathon/LeahCutter

In other news -- the radiant heat tile floor in my new bathroom is absolutely beyond luxury. I am so happy I put that it. It is better than I could have imagined. I don't know what it's going to do to my electric bill. I also don't plan on running it much in the summer. I'm just trying it out this week, and sincerely enjoying it.





*I recently developed an allergy to soy -- as of March of this year. Sometimes I can get by with traces of soy sauce or something in a dish. When it's more than that, I come down with the most horrendous migraines and I get completely congested.

I started writing on the novel again! Typed up 1500 words last night of chapter 11, as well as plotted out most of chapters 13 and 14. I'm worried -- this book may only be 15 chapters long. It may be short. But this is the length of this book. I've pushed at it with subplots (which I think developed nicely with the themes I wanted) but really, this book is only so long. The next book, though, she may be a lot longer. While I'm writing it I'll keep thinking about things that I can pull back into the second novel.

I also hit a wall in terms of physical activity. I've been busy. Now, I know, I'm always busy. This has been extreme, even for me. I stopped on Wednesday, after having a melt-down at the gym. I took the day off from work because I was so whacked. I didn't do anything Thursday. Every time I sat down and took internal inventory, it occurred to me that I was exhausted. It's taken me until this morning to move from exhausted to merely tired.

And yet this weekend, well, work on the bathroom continues. I need to do paint touch up, cut and attach trim to the cabinet doors, hang the cabinet doors, put up the chair rail tile, and if I can get to it, sand and paint the outside of the bathtub. But the majority of the reconstruction may be finished, keep your fingers crossed -- I may have a toilet as of this afternoon! (Not having to walk up to the third floor would be a very good thing.)

Because the construction will be finished sooner rather than later, I've agreed to do the Clarion West Write-a-thon this summer. I just filled out my application this morning, the last day to apply. I'll link to my individual page when it's up. For now, you can read about it here.

My company will match donations up to $500. You can't donate through the regular system though, you have to send the money to me directly. You won't be able to declare it as a donation for your taxes either. But I will double your contribution. My goal is to raise $150, then double it to $300. I'm asking people to donate $10. You can either donate directly (and not have your money matched) or send me a check, or money via PayPal to my regular email (lrcutter at pobox dot com), and have your donation doubled. It's up to you.

I am going to make Thursday tea tonight! First time in a long, long time, I know. I have managed a small bit of writing here and there -- I finished chapter 12, and started typing up chapter 11. Tonight I won't finish chapter 11 (typing) but I'll make a big dent in the work.

The bathroom remodel is going well -- there's a chance it may all be finished by Friday! Keep your fingers crossed. . .

I really do not want to take this LJ friends only. However, I keep getting spammed. Is this happening to anyone else?

I think I've come down with a much milder form than most people. Either that, or my body is reacting in its normal fashion -- 95% of the time when I do catch something that's going around, I'm sick half as long as everyone else. I had about 5 hours last night when I was just miserable, then I turned a corner. Slept for 10 hours (weird, fevered dreams about the death of my brother) and feel as though I could sleep for 10 more. I am very, very slowly eating Wasa brot with a tiny bit of jelly. Also, drinking diluted Gatorade (yay for powdered Gatorade!)

Uhmmm -- that's it. I got nothing else. No brain. Tired and achy. Thank you one and all for the well wishes.

In my unending quest* to be one of the cool kids, I decided to succumb to the plague bothering many of the WisCon participants. Really not fun. I had a lovely con and wrote 1200 words on the plane home but am going back to bed now.

*See Quest, unending.

Yes, I am here at Wiscon. I know I haven't been around much. I'm tired, kind of out of it, and have been hiding in my room. I figure tomorrow I'll actually be able to attend the con.

When my dad died, I told myself that I didn't have to work on the novel for a month. I did some writing, did a couple of prompts and about half a short story (which I still may finish.) Everything I wrote was dark, and I didn't have the urge to write and keep writing. "After Wiscon I'll write," I told myself.

Yesterday I did tarot card readings at the Gathering from 1 until 4, after which I went back up to my room and collapsed. Then I proceeded to have not one dream but two about pathways opening up. There was chittering at the back of my brain, that feeling of words and images meshing.

Today, when not sleeping or seeing people, I wrote. Though I was already 3000 words into chapter 12, I decided I needed to restart from scratch. So I did. A few weeks ago I managed to write 500 words. Today I wrote the next scene, another 500 words. I already have more ideas about the next scene, where it's going, what it's doing. And the scene after that. And. . .

Yeah. Pathways opening. Back in the saddle, yo. Yes, my life's going to be crazy this next month, but guess what? It's always crazy. That can't stop me from writing.

Tonight, my nephew in law is going to be on CSI! I won't be at tea because I feel I must support the family and watch CSI instead. But would still be open for dinner if anyone is interested. . .

At the memorial service for my dad, I forgot to bring the eulogy that I'd written. I'd printed it up, carefully folded it and put it into my jacket pocket. Then decided not to wear my jacket to the church. I winged it -- luckily I remembered some of what I'd written. So here it is, what I'd actually written. It's a bit rambling -- not my best writing by any stretch of the imagination -- but I thought I'd share it anyway.

( My Dad )

Yes! There will be Thursday tea tonight! I don't know how much writing I'll get done, but I'll be there for a while. I plan on journaling and maybe doing a writing prompt.

I haven't read LJ in about a week, my place is a mess, I have no food in the house, etc. There are a million things for me to do. So I'm posting to LJ, of course!

The following are some pictures I took with my phone while I was in Mpls visiting my family. As is the lovely new icon.

Enjoy!

( Pictures! Not dial-up friendly. )

Last night my brothers and I sat around and typed up some stuff about my father, to give to the minister for the service on Wednesday. I thought I'd share it with ya'll. The list at the end is just what we could think of off the tops of our heads -- there are more things than that. Just this morning I thought of another half dozen.

( My Dad. . . )

Yesterday we went through photo albums, choosing pictures to use for the memorial. My dad was such a looker when he was a young man. He was always active, too. There's another picture of him, shirtless, at 60, lifting a log, still incredibly muscular. I didn't realize it until talking with my brother, but my dad didn't break his hip until he was 80 (I'd thought he'd done it earlier, say, 70 or 75.) How did he break his hip? He'd been out on his bicycle with the guys he always rode with -- doing 25 miles every Saturday -- and got into an accident.

We're going to miss you.

I didn't write yesterday (Sunday). I wrote on Saturday, but I wrote myself into a corner, and changed the world in a way that I don't think actually works. So I thought about stuff on Sunday, and am going to change it back.

Sunday I didn't go to writing at the mall -- I slept in instead. I can't recall the last time I just lazed in bed like that. It was good for me. I needed it.

Tonight I may or may not write. I'm going to yoga tonight as I'm missing Wednesday's class (am going to be out of town.) I may try to get something done though.

I've been thinking a lot about writing, in particular, about subplots. Anyone have a good book on writing subplots? Or website even? This part of the book feels thin. It needs another subplot. Or two.

Will actually be at Remedy teas tonight. Hope to see local people there!

I finished chapter 11 this weekend. It's close to 5000 words long. I had some problems with this chapter. The characters kept wanting to break away, escape. I finally figured out what I needed to do. At the end of the chapter I gave the characters some hope. I'd beaten them down so hard, they needed a little something.

I took some time for plotting the next couple of chapters. I needed to figure out what I was doing next. I've written about 900 words of chapter 12. I needed a new subplot -- I figured out something wonderful and torturous to do to my characters.

I started playing with yWriter. It's free software. It's a tool for keeping track of your characters, scenes, items, etc. It's not for me -- I have my own systems for keeping track of all of this. But someone else might be interested in it.

yWriter breaks everything down scene by scene. One of the things it allows you to do is to categorize each scene as either "Action" or "Reaction". For action, it gives three properties -- goal, conflict and outcome. For reaction, it's reaction, dilemma and choice.

I looked at the first few chapters of the new novel. I categorize chapters by "Talking" vs. "Action". I have a fairly limited definition of action -- basically are the characters doing things like killing creatures or running for their lives. I try to have a good mix of action and talking chapters.

( More talk of action vs. reaction. SPOILERS for the novels I'm currently writing )

At this point, where I am in writing the second novel, it doesn't make sense for me to go through all the chapters, and all the scenes in all the chapters, and figure out the point of them. I'm still figuring out what this novel is about, still meandering with it. But later, maybe during the next rewrite when I make this novel not so broken and wandering, I may go through scene by scene to make sure that they're all working hard. I have a gut feel for this sort of thing, but a little more structure probably wouldn't be a bad thing.

I wrote the first 1000 words of the next chapter, chapter 11. Felt really good. I love the conflict that's about to come up. I stopped even though I knew exactly what is going to happen next. This will make it fairly easy to just slide into writing again.

--

I was thinking about writing emotional-driven characters. I realized that there's something that I've done a few times in these novels that I didn't talk about at the panel.

I always write novels from more than one POV. When something really cataclysmic happens, say, one character kills another, I don't have the big event happen from the POV of the character to whom it happens. Instead, I write the next chapter from that character's POV, so that he or she has to deal with the aftermath.

For example, character A kills character B. This is told from character C's POV. There isn't hesitation or planning from character A -- it's kill or be killed. So the action, while dramatic, isn't necessarily that emotional. The next chapter, however, is from character A's POV, dealing with having just killed someone for the first time ever. It also gives me an excuse for lots of lovely anguish, pain and suffering.

I love my characters! I really do.

I finished typing up chapter ten tonight. I had a bad scene in that chapter, and I knew it when I wrote it. But tonight, I dropped it and wrote a new scene instead. The chapter is a little short, but I'm not worried.

Total typed word count for the novel so far:



Either tomorrow or Friday I start actually WRITING again. I'm excited and scared. I think I know what happens in this next chapter. I think I know the confrontation that has to occur. I'm really excited about it. I've been thinking about it for a little while and it's going to be so cool.

--

We tried a new place tonight -- instead of doing Thursday Tea at the tea shop we went to a coffee shop. Or at least I thought it was a coffee shop. It's actually more of a restaurant --
Cafe Presse.

Next door was the actual coffee shop -- I don't remember the name of it. It was good coffee, but I'm not going back. Someone sat down outside and started smoking. The front of the shop doesn't have windows, but doors. I'm sure that it's nice when it's warmer, but tonight, they let the smoke right through. I came home and had to change my shirt and take an allergy pill. I'm still coughing.

--

I've started taking a Qigong class at Embrace the Moon. I don't know for certain yet, but I suspect it's exactly what I need to do.

--

I've decided to be crazy this summer and take yoga every day for the first two weeks in August. At 7 AM.

--

Hope that all of you are doing well!