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.
Monday, January 31, 2011
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.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Bitty Blog
I spent Monday writing. Thank goodness! I thought for sure that I was never ever going to know the “what next” of this story. To be candid, I still don’t quite know yet but I plodded through a couple of more pages. My brain wants me to make changes and edits NOW but I need to finish out the story arc before I start going back to add/delete/change what I’ve written so far. Otherwise, I’m just going to get stuck into a loop of the same three or four chapters without a coherent sense of either the climax or the ending. I thought for sure my disposition/mood would lift instantaneously with a few more pages under my belt. But that doesn’t seem to be the case and I continue to grumble my way through this icy rainy day.
My day job has been very busy of late. Year-end reports and a new batch of candidates / recruits are working their way through this office and I seem to be playing the role of traffic cop. I don’t mind busy…it keeps my brain from spinning out of control. However, I find myself dreaming about white sandy beaches and clear blue water. It might be the winter blues…yes, it could be that. And day dreaming about beaches really doesn’t help matters…in fact, it makes me grumpier. Hehehe. Yes…I giggled because even I know how pathetic I sound at the moment.
I do have to say that my little African violet has a handful of purple blossoms open at the moment. It’s a lovely burst of color in this very beige office. And the color helps me deal with the people in this office who throw hissy fits when things don’t go their way. Yes, apparently adults can be toddlers too. Is it wrong to openly laugh at them? Hmmm?
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2010 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.
My day job has been very busy of late. Year-end reports and a new batch of candidates / recruits are working their way through this office and I seem to be playing the role of traffic cop. I don’t mind busy…it keeps my brain from spinning out of control. However, I find myself dreaming about white sandy beaches and clear blue water. It might be the winter blues…yes, it could be that. And day dreaming about beaches really doesn’t help matters…in fact, it makes me grumpier. Hehehe. Yes…I giggled because even I know how pathetic I sound at the moment.
I do have to say that my little African violet has a handful of purple blossoms open at the moment. It’s a lovely burst of color in this very beige office. And the color helps me deal with the people in this office who throw hissy fits when things don’t go their way. Yes, apparently adults can be toddlers too. Is it wrong to openly laugh at them? Hmmm?
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2010 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.
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