I'm thinking about the demonstration happening in Egypt tonight and I'm nervous about it. Even though the military has reassured the protesters that they will not attack...my stomach is tied up in knots over them. May they be safe, may they be safe, may they stay safe are the words that run through my head. The protests are necessary. Civil disobedience is necessary for change to occur. Yet, all I can see in the long term is that this is only the beginning. I'm not just talking about Jordan and Egypt. I'm thinking about humans on a global scale and the way people are becoming more desperate as the chasm between the haves and the have-nots continue to widen. The collective consciousness knows things cannot keep going the way they are going and changes must occur. May we find some peace in these growing struggles.
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2011 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
What Next?
Last week, I took a week off of writing. I gave myself a much needed break. Some head space to chill. It's usually not a good thing when I am NOT writing. I go a bit off-kilter and I start to lose it a little. That's not really what happened last week. I just needed some air. I mean, I felt constricted and I felt as if I was working ALL THE TIME and it became difficult to broach the computer or the blank page. So what did I do? I read a little, I crocheted a little, I played some Scrabble (my favorite game), watched some cheesy musicals and sci-fi movies and even sketched. It did the trick.
I also printed out my manuscript some time during the week. On that day, I had 79 pages (double-spaced) and I was completely thrilled. Even with all my complaints, it's really happening. This novel is really coming alive. And it's AMAZING (not the writing, the fact that it's getting done)!! I thought I would have a first draft out by the end of this month but I guess it will take a bit longer to finish it. I need to be more diligent about putting time into it.
Late Saturday morning, I worked for about 4.5 hours and managed to write another 2,000 words. Yay! (That included breaks to put in a couple of loads of laundry to wash and dry). Anyway, tonight I added another 500 words. So I'm pleased with myself (I'm not bragging. I just mean that I'm proud of myself.) For anyone who doesn't know me very well those are not easy words for me to come by. I push myself very hard without ever really giving myself credit with the work that I am accomplishing. So this is me giving myself a pat on the back (for a change). With the new word count, I am up to 86 pages and over 26,500 words. Hoorah!! I'm shooting for 50,000 for the first draft but let's see where this story takes me. I've printed out the last six pages I've written and have neatly placed them in my bag for my morning commute. In the meantime, I'm signing off for tonight because my eyes are tired and bloodshot and I need to get up early tomorrow for work.
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2011 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
I also printed out my manuscript some time during the week. On that day, I had 79 pages (double-spaced) and I was completely thrilled. Even with all my complaints, it's really happening. This novel is really coming alive. And it's AMAZING (not the writing, the fact that it's getting done)!! I thought I would have a first draft out by the end of this month but I guess it will take a bit longer to finish it. I need to be more diligent about putting time into it.
Late Saturday morning, I worked for about 4.5 hours and managed to write another 2,000 words. Yay! (That included breaks to put in a couple of loads of laundry to wash and dry). Anyway, tonight I added another 500 words. So I'm pleased with myself (I'm not bragging. I just mean that I'm proud of myself.) For anyone who doesn't know me very well those are not easy words for me to come by. I push myself very hard without ever really giving myself credit with the work that I am accomplishing. So this is me giving myself a pat on the back (for a change). With the new word count, I am up to 86 pages and over 26,500 words. Hoorah!! I'm shooting for 50,000 for the first draft but let's see where this story takes me. I've printed out the last six pages I've written and have neatly placed them in my bag for my morning commute. In the meantime, I'm signing off for tonight because my eyes are tired and bloodshot and I need to get up early tomorrow for work.
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2011 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Turning Over A New Leaf
Today I’m going to turn over a new leaf with this blog. I am going to stop whinging away on it. Don’t gasp, it’s true. It’s too easy for me to get stuck in this weird place of listing every aggravating thing that happens in my life. The truth is we all deal with difficulties and there is no point in giving it more credence than it deserves.
Instead, I am going to focus on the writing (and how that’s going), movies, art, music and anything that gets me super excited. At the end of the day, there are a lot of things out there in this world that bring me real pleasure. For example, walking to the subway today, the sun was bright and the air was crisp. It’s a fleeting moment of real beauty. Yum.
With that said, let’s get to it. So the night before last, I added another 913 words to my novel. It’s moving along. I really wish I knew where this story was heading. I sincerely have a deer-in-the-headlight look on my face when I approach the page these days. But I trust the process and spend time with these characters a little bit every day. I don’t quite have the language of the children down yet…they talk older than their chronological age. It’s taking every ounce of self will not to try to edit while I write this rough draft. I have to gently remind myself edits come after I finish the story. The climax is coming up and I’m not sure if I’m ready to tackle it yet. I am just focusing on the next 1,000 words. If I keep the blinders on, I don’t spook so easily. Hehehe…it’s funny ‘cause it’s true.
On a personal note, I found out my 10-year old kitty Pandora has been sick for quite some time. In the past year, she’s gone from being a 15 lbs cat down to 9 lbs. At first, I thought it was a natural weight loss because she was getting older and it happened so gradually. I told some friends and they thought it might be diabetes. So this past week has been about vet visits, blood work, waiting for test results, talking to the vet about meds and costs. She has hyperthyroidism which can be managed with meds. I have to thank my lovely friends for all their love and support these past weeks. It’s helped me stay calm despite my rising panic. Pandora has been with me through thick and thin the past 7 years and I’m glad she is on the mend.
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2011 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Instead, I am going to focus on the writing (and how that’s going), movies, art, music and anything that gets me super excited. At the end of the day, there are a lot of things out there in this world that bring me real pleasure. For example, walking to the subway today, the sun was bright and the air was crisp. It’s a fleeting moment of real beauty. Yum.
With that said, let’s get to it. So the night before last, I added another 913 words to my novel. It’s moving along. I really wish I knew where this story was heading. I sincerely have a deer-in-the-headlight look on my face when I approach the page these days. But I trust the process and spend time with these characters a little bit every day. I don’t quite have the language of the children down yet…they talk older than their chronological age. It’s taking every ounce of self will not to try to edit while I write this rough draft. I have to gently remind myself edits come after I finish the story. The climax is coming up and I’m not sure if I’m ready to tackle it yet. I am just focusing on the next 1,000 words. If I keep the blinders on, I don’t spook so easily. Hehehe…it’s funny ‘cause it’s true.
On a personal note, I found out my 10-year old kitty Pandora has been sick for quite some time. In the past year, she’s gone from being a 15 lbs cat down to 9 lbs. At first, I thought it was a natural weight loss because she was getting older and it happened so gradually. I told some friends and they thought it might be diabetes. So this past week has been about vet visits, blood work, waiting for test results, talking to the vet about meds and costs. She has hyperthyroidism which can be managed with meds. I have to thank my lovely friends for all their love and support these past weeks. It’s helped me stay calm despite my rising panic. Pandora has been with me through thick and thin the past 7 years and I’m glad she is on the mend.
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2011 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
