There Be Genre Choices Ahead

Someone asked me the other day what genre I write and I immediately responded with fantasy. They followed up by asking my why. All that came to me was, "I have trouble with reality." We both laughed, but it got me thinking why do I write/read mostly fantasy? Of course there is my love for Renaissance Faires, Lord of the Rings and D&D that fuels my desire to spend as much time in a Medieval Stasis type situation as possible, but it's the magic. Yep, always the magic that gets me. I was reading my old flash posts and backed up files. They are all a quick romance flash, traditional or contemporary fantasy. Which I actually thought was urban fantasy, but I lack the grit required to be in that category. Then I was wondering how many categories are there? I found list upon list of categories and subcategories many of which I honestly never knew were a thing or the proper name for. It was a bit confusing until I found this genre map. It looks cool and is interactive.

I've been having trouble with inspiration probably because I need structure and guidelines. If my options are wide open I freeze and nothing gets done. So I was thinking about seeing how many different genres I can work in. Some of them would obviously require a bit of research, but it seemed exciting and excitement is something that has been lacking from my writing attempts as of late. I think steampunk is where I am going to start because it has been on my mind. With gears, steam, fantastic machines and victorian fashion I think I wouldn't miss my elfs, gnomes and dragons as much.

Oh, almost forgot that the first flash I have shared in a long time was posted yesterday at the Lake Writers blog. Please have a look and let me know what you think.

ROW80 Rundown

Make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays - Running late again, but still plugging along.
Visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in - I visited 5 ROW80 friends posts, but still couldn't get my phone to cooperate and allow me to comment. I spent 7 hours Googling (There may be gremlins in my phone.) to figure out how to fix the problem. I don't think I found the correct solution, but a I reached a good enough that allowed me to be me instead of my my daughter on my phone. It would have been easier to just sit at my husband's computer, but I took a fall and sitting up was hurting so badly I couldn't bear it.
Write 500 words every day -
Monday - I started a steampunk flash. I got to just under 600 words, but it still needs work.
Tuesday - Took the fall Monday night so getting through the day was the most I could manage.
Wednesday - Went to the Dr and added just over 200 words to the steampunk flash, but then got to attend the Lake Writers meeting. We visited more than anything else and I had a really good time.

What genre do you write in most? What about reading, the same or different? What keeps you coming back to the same or skipping around? Let me know in the comments.

Photos by Pixabay.

Success And A Group Happy Dance

Come dance with me!

I did it! For the first time since I started participating in NaNoWriMo events in 2011 I flopped across the finish line. The happy dance started at 4:16 on Thursday morning. Camp NaNo was a lot easier because I set my goal at 25,000 but I'm still happy and really excited. It was a lot of work and I was very frustrated several times, but in the end I am glad I worked on it and made my goal.

I had a homophone exchange very late Wednesday night and I was so delirious I laughed for like 10 minutes managing to wake up my husband and son. Then I had to write the following in my blog draft before I could move on:
I can't discuss this right now. I have to meat someone. Get out of my way!

Most hilarious error EVER! That's right I am just off to shank someone with a T-bone steak. Don't stand in my way or I'll get you first. This scene has taken a whole new twist. In the middle of my mad dash for the end I had to stop and write this down so I don't forget it, even though I am sure I never will.

What is the funniest writing error you can remember making? Come on share with us in the comments we all want to laugh together. Make sure you leave a comment to say hello. Don't forget to let me know where you are visiting from so I can follow you back and see what you're up to.

At the beginning of the round I made 2 sets of goals. July's Camp NaNo goals and a more relaxed strolling set for August and September. I took the rest of July (1 day) off completely because sleep is good and it keeps us from yelling at innocent bystanders.

ROW80 August & September Goals Rundown

1. Write 2 Poms every day.

I am still plugging away at The Most Magical Place, but not at a pace that is guided by word counts. I am sticking to my Poms and focusing on writing after the snoring sound is coming from my son's room. So many people say the write to music, but I prefer the melody of a running dishwasher and snoring kids.

2. Post for every ROW80 check-in.

I love participating in ROW80 because it gives me something to focus on when I'm not sure what to say. So far so good on getting posts out.

3. Spend 1 Pom per day visiting ROW80 friends.

I skipped Wednesday and Thursday, but hopped around Friday and Saturday.

4. Post to Twitter on ROW80 days.
I posted to Twitter several times as I got closer to the end of Camp NaNo and remembered to tweet when I posted on Wednesday. So I think this check-in's goals are all wins. Take a picture because this doesn't happen often.

Photos by Pixabay.

Tricky Like Jareth

Today has been like the Labyrinth. Where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems. I had so much planned for today and got a ton done, but not anything I planned.

How dare you sneak up on me Wednesday!

Today has been such a handful I am ready for a nap, luckily it's almost my bed time. I think I've got one  more pom in me before I head that way.

Is it stressful for you when things don't go as planned or do you just roll with it? I would love to be a go with the flow kinda gal, but I have always hated when my plan was totally disrupted. A slight change or modification I am fine with, but throwing it totally out the window makes me nervous and stressed. Leave me a comment and don't forget to let me know where you came from so I can follow you back.

ROW80 Rundown:

1. Spend 2 poms on plotting using Hiveword.

Monday: Plotting galore! I added 2 new characters to my Hiveword. They aren't completely fleshed out, but I am getting there.
Tuesday: I worked on items. What is a fantasy novel without magical items? I'm a little worried about the amount of items I have to keep track of. I am already to 11.
Wednesday: No work on The Most Magical Place today, but I have plans for tomorrow night that I am very excited about.

2. Spend 2 poms on posts for this blog.

Since I allotted time to working on posts everyday I put in the things that are regular parts of the post yesterday. As for today, like I said, nothing I had planned happened and here I am at 10 at night still trying to get this post out.

3. Spend 1 pom on social media for blog posts.

This is still hit or miss, but I have done better than last week. There are so many awesome authors posting cool stuff that pops up on my feed. I need to get back over there and learn something new.

4. Spend 1 pom on visiting other ROW80 bloggers.
I was able to visit Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Today isn't over so may make it today as well. Look out here I come.

Photos by Pixabay. (Can you believe they had that awesome labyrinth.)

Reconstructing Life With Tomaotes

Last check-in was a bit of a pity party. I was feeling very down about feeling overwhelmed. I am still feeling overwhelmed, but the light at the end of the tunnel no longer looks like an oncoming train. Thanks to one of my ROW80 buddies Dawn Montgomery I learned about time management with the help of a tomato. She suggested The Pomodoro Technique. The basic premise is to set a timer and work for 25 minutes, called Pomodoros, then take a 5 minute break. After you run 4 consecutive "Poms" you take a 20-30 minute break. My plan is to use the poms to help me make it through tasks and focus when I am writing or doing writing related tasks.

New revamped ROW80 goals:

1. Spend 2 poms on plotting using Hiveword.

2. Spend 2 poms on posts for this blog.

3. Spend 1 pom on social media for blog posts.

4. Spend 1 pom on visiting other ROW80 bloggers.

That is about 3 1/2 hours a day if I run them consecutively, less if I only get 5 min breaks.

Notice Rowan pretending to fight on the right.

I didn't even try to push myself to reach the old goals and I just today decided on my new goals. In this sort of limbo state I still managed to plot in Hiveword Sunday and Tuesday. We did a little demo on Monday for a friend. We left at 10am and didn't get home till 2am the next morning, but it was loads of fun. The only other goal I worried about was visiting ROW80 friends and I was able to visit and comment on 5 posts.

What tips and tricks do you have to reach your goals? How do you reward yourself when you meet a new one? Leave me a comment and don't forget to let me know where you came from so I can follow you back.

Photos by Pixabay.

WIP, Education and ROW80 Check-in

Maybe throwing a tantrum on my blog was a bad idea or maybe it was just what I needed. The overwhelmingly kind response to my frustration and disappointment was humbling. I appreciate my Lake Writers and ROW80 families even more now.

I wanted to take a break from my WIP and try writing something else for a while, but it is haunting me. My dear writer friend Elise VanCise has been telling me for a long time to try Hiveword to keep my writing organized and safer so I have been entering characters and settings as background info. That way I am still working on the story, but not as intensely. For the purposes of ROW80 I will be counting any work on Hiveword towards my writing goals.

Photographer Keven Roberts was at the Renaissance Faire and he took a ton of pictures. None of me, because who wants a chick in garb answering questions when they can have knights and squires beating the heck out of each other. I have permission to share them so I figured that I would include the one I liked best. Sir Geoffrey Maynard The Great Turtle educating Squire Ampersan.


ROW80 rundown:

1. Write 500 words per day on any project.
Thursday - 292 words on the beginning of this post. Yes, I felt the impact of your writerly love that soon. 100 words in Hivemind. For a total of 392 which is still short, but much better than I had been doing.
Friday - 1,063 words on WIP and Hivemind due to Crazy Weekend of Writing which started out as a comment on the Facebook NaNoWriMo group and turned into some CRAZY people writing together. Maybe if we do it again we can make it a thing and see how many more crazy people out there would like to join us.
Saturday - 406 on WIP and Hivemind
Sunday - 291 words on this post, but at the time of this posting the day is still so young I haven't slept yet. I will get crazy when I wake up.

2. Blog at least every Wednesday and Sunday.
Much success. I started the bones of this post way before it was due and that really helped. I will try to do that more often.

3. Check out at least 20 posts from each new ROW80 linky before the next one comes out.
I made it to 16. Still not quite there, but I am not ready to reevaluate the goal yet. I have been missing it regularly so that might be something I have to do in the future.

4. Use Twitter at least once per day.
My Twitter addiction is still going strong. I stumbled upon a nifty sight called Tagboard. It puts out a display of cross platform posts that include a specific hashtag you search for. There is also information about how often it is used and if the posts were positive, negative or neutral. They also have other similar hashtags to search. I have found it very helpful in my quest to locate content that I want to share quickly. Which is something I have been having a problem achieving. The best part is I can respond and retweet right from their display.

5. Post on my author Facebook page at least 3 times per week.
For the first time since I jumped in this is a happy yes! The third post wasn't amazing, but it was there. I will work on content soon enough. Baby steps.

6. Read 1 book per week.

Not so much. I have made little progress on the book I was reading. I did however start reading A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for my mystery. I can read it on my phone after the lights go out and not bother my hubby as much.

A Renaissance Faire Kicked My Rear!

So in case you don't own a calendar and because I feel the need to state the obvious, it's freaking Monday. I am sitting in  tag agency writing this on my phone. (I finished on my computer so I could add links and stuff.) Last weekend I worked a Renaissance faire and I am still trying to recover, but it was awesome. Of course I have no pictures because I was too busy to take any.

ROW80 goals rundown:

1. Write 500 words per day on any projects.
Thursday - 605 on current WIP
Friday - 275 on current WIP
Saturday - Nothing
Sunday - More nada

2. Blog at least every Wednesday and Sunday.
The Baroness Michelle hath failed.

3. Check out at least 20 posts from each new ROW80 linky before the next one comes out.
I got to 14 out of 20 so that is 70%. Still not a win, but not a loss either.

4. Use Twitter at least once per day.
So the Twitter thing is turning out to be slightly addictive. I have been checking out new people when they follow me when someone retweets something interesting. I have been retweeting things I find, but have not had a lot of original content.

5. Post on my author Facebook page at least 3 times per week.
I was able to post on Wed, but haven't posted since then. I need to work on remembering to add some content there that isn't just "Hey, go look at my blog!"

6. Read 1 book per week.
I am almost done with Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, better known as The Bloggess. I know, I know I am talking about her AGAIN. I swear it was already on my reading list before my last post. (Don't judge me.)

Rereading this post is making me sad. I need to work harder. Where do you find the motivation when you're feeling flat? Also, still looking for ideas on where to find more writing type content to share on my Facebook page and Twitter.

Games, Nostalgia and Goals

What's Been Going On:

The Royal Game of Goose

The theme for the last few days has been board games. We, and by we I mean my husband mostly, are working on making period (1066-1603) game boards for an upcoming Renaissance Faire. He made 9 Men's Morris, Fox and Geese and The Royal Game of Goose. They are interesting to me and mostly easy to learn to play, but the research and creation of these games has taken over. Then yesterday I was reading The Bloggess, because who doesn't (If you don't you should because she is beyond hilarious) and she was talking about a game her family developed or at least improved. It is called CrapScrabble and I just had to play it. Go read the rules, I'll wait right here till you get back. Ok glad you came back, because that other guy said he would and left me sitting here. My daughter and I wanted to play, but we don't have a cat, ferret or an angry bird (I told you to go read the rules.) so I Tweeted to The Bloggess to see if using a calm chicken every 15 minutes as a substitute would be acceptable and I was so excited to see that she responded.

@InkDippedMoon Only if you sprinkle birdseed on the table first.
— TheBloggess (@TheBloggess) January 21, 2015

Of course my phone didn't go off so I missed the opportunity to have a conversation with her, but it was still pretty awesome.

Another exciting thing that has been going on for the last few days is that I have been getting to bed at a reasonable time and consequently getting up at a decent time for me. Ok, most people may not think that 9:30 is a decent time to get up on a week day, but since we homeschool we don't have the same pressures that force us to get up at the crack of dawn. Consequently, I have molded and sculpted my children into late sleepers.

I also discovered that making coleslaw makes me miss my mommy and I'm not afraid to admit it. So I called her and my phone refused to cooperate. I am pretty sure it is possessed. Well, that or you shouldn't drop a tiny computer pretending to be a phone repeatedly. Though I am putting my money on the former.

ROW80 Goals:

1. Write 500 words per day on any project. - By any project  of course I meant specific things...
Sun - Last blog post - 743 words
Mon - Yea, no
Tues - Lotsa more no
Wed - This post - 917 words

2. Blog at least every Wednesday and Sunday. - Getting this one out makes for a check. Yay!

3. Check out at least 20 posts from each new ROW80 linky before the next one comes out. - Another yes! I didn't put that I would leave a comment in the goal, but I felt compelled to in most cases because I know how much comments mean to the authors. Most of the posts were so engaging that I wanted to put in my two cents or ask a question and am hoping to hear back from some people. I forgot what a pleasure it is to interact with my fellow ROW80 participants. I can't call them ROWers because in my world that just means something else.

4. Use Twitter at least once per day. - This is a big yes. I have actually spent a lot of time, maybe too much, on Twitter and researching it. Things that happened or I learned - First, don't say thank you on Twitter a lot, instead add to the conversation. There were a lot of posts about this, but I think this one was the best. Second, I found this list funny enough to share on Twitter and here again. Lastly, oh my gosh, did I mention that The Bloggess responded to me? I did, well I am just so freaking excited! Have you ever had a response from a public figure that made you really excited?

5. Post on my author Facebook page at least 3 times per week. - Um, I posted on Sunday and I will be cross posting this today so to stay on target I should probably post something else on my page in the next few days. I would like to find something helpful to post. I must look into this. Do you guys have any ideas?

6. Read 1 book per week. - More yes! I have completed 4 books and we are just now ending week 3. Being ahead of the game is nice for a change because I always seem to be playing catch up. I just finished A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I was surprised how close The Muppets version, which is my favorite, was to the book. I really enjoyed it, but my kids found out I was consuming something Christmas related not during specified times and they were a little upset. In our house we save all Christmas songs, movies and stuff for the time from the end of Thanksgiving till January first. The only exception is a two week stent in July, thanks to Crazy Eddie and my husband's faulty childhood memory. Mostly, it keeps the kids from playing the Christmas music constantly throughout the year.

What are your tips to reaching your word count goals?

Check out other ROW80 participants below.


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Trouble With My Main Character And Music

I am having a little trouble still with my main project. It seems the main character has gotten an attitude and doesn't want to talk to me. Which is hard because I need to know how she is feeling. Anyway, I was trying to figure out a way to make her talk and I thought music might help. I know a lot of writers have music always playing while they are writing, but I generally like the silence that my life so rarely affords. I wrote one scene based on these two songs by one of my favorite bands Empty Hats.

Calling On Song   

Happy Man good performance  

I was trying to think of music that would represent my MC or that she might like. She lives in a world of magic and mystery so all kinds are possible. What song would you say that she, or anyone, should definitely hear?  

The Great Liebster Award

This author has been given the honor of being nominated for the Liebster Award. I was nominated by Elise VanCise, freelance photojournalist, published in print and digital media. This award is a fantastic opportunity for the nominees to share a part of who they are outside of their usual posts.

Let’s start the fun with 11 questions from Elise to her nominees:

1. In your writing, what do you feel is your greatest strength and weakest point?

I think one of my strong points is that I can get inside the characters head and emotions. My weakest point, besides atrocious spelling, is not finishing the projects that I start. There are lots more, but you only asked for one.

2. Do you have a favorite writing tool?

I love my new laptop! My hubby bought me one and I have been much more productive since. I would also like to say how hard it is to do NaNoWriMo on pen and paper.

3. If you could have a writing retreat anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I think if I could go anywhere I would pick New Zealand. I would want somewhere where you can find a remote place that is beautiful with the comforts of home, but also I would want to see Hobbiton.

4. Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate?

I love dark chocolate. I especially love it when it is combined with almonds.Though I did once have milk chocolate covered potato chips which were unbelievably good.

5. What do you think of the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon?

Oh, she is trying to trap me into admitting I liked them over all. I know there were several editing mistakes and there are lots of people who hate them. However, it gives me hope that I can make it, too. Also, I think it is funny erotica was being sold in such a prominent place in Target and Walmart.

6. Do you have a favorite character, from books (your own or others), movies, or television and what makes them your fave?

My favorite character I have ever read about is in Lord of the Rings. I know what you are saying that is so cliche, but what can I say. Samwise Gamgee is one of my heroes. I bet you thought I was going to go with Frodo or Gandalf. The reason is because he is a supporting character which without his presence the Ring would not have been destroyed. He made many mistakes, but came in at just the right times to save Frodo from opposing forces as well as himself. He also saved the Shire after the Scouring of the Shire by replanting with his gift from Lothlorien.

7. Do you prefer character driven or plot driven stories?

I think i prefer character driven plots. I like to see them change and develop by the end of the story.

8. Kindle or Nook?

I don't have either one, but when I can get one I will probably get a Kindle fire. My friend loves hers.

9. How do you deal with a bad review or critique?

I am not sure. I have not been able to finish my first novel and have only received kindly worded criticism on my flash fiction. Though I would hope that I would take it with grace.

10. What book/s are you reading now?

I must confess that with NaNoWriMo and then the holidays I haven't been reading much. The last book I was reading was Breathless by Tawdra Kandle, which is book two of The King Series. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to move to number 3.

11. Zombies attack, you can use 3 things from where you are sitting right now to defend yourself. What are they and could you survive?

I am sitting at the dining room table and the tree most deadly things near me are a pen, a gingerbread house and oh ya a knife. So I may have a chance, but if I can fend them off for a few steps there are a some swords in the garage that are pretty handy. Though maybe my keyboard would make a good weapon.


11 random things about me:

1. I homeschool my children.
2. I drink Diet Mtn Dew.
3. I love giving presents.
4. I like to bake cookies with my children.
5. I have tamed a wild horse by accident.
6. I mostly prefer YA books.
7. I participate in Renaissance re-creation with the Adrian Empire.
8. I love carving stamps for letterboxing.
9. I am going to start making mead in January.
10. My sister once got bit by a moose.
11. I have known my best friend for 19 years


Now for the fun part passing this prestigious award along to fellow writers/bloggers. My nominees for the Liebster Award are…

Kimberly Kinrade at http://kimberlykinrade.com/
Rose Anderson at http://calliopeswritingtablet.com/
Nicole at http://twistedsense.com/
Michael A. Buccilli at http://mbreventures.blogspot.com/
Kristen Strassel at http://deadlyeverafter.com/
Benjamin X. Wretlind at http://bxwretlind.com/blog/
Steven Vincent at http://trueknights.wordpress.com/
Frances di Plino at http://francesdiplinoreviews.blogspot.fr/
Nicole Pyles at http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/
Donna B. McNicol at http://donnamcnicol.blogspot.com/
Anna Katina at http://www.gayadesigns.com/


And here are the 11 Questions for my nominees:

1. What made you start writing?
2. What is your favorite coffee shop treat?
3. If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
4. What is the loveliest thing you have ever seen?
5. Are the names of the characters in your novels important?
6. What is your favorite bedtime drink?
7. Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or a movie?
8. How much research do you do for your books?
9. What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?
10. What makes you laugh?
11. What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Don't forget to tell us 11 random facts about yourself. Please also put a comment here so we don't miss your answers!

Hobbiton photo credit: suesviews via photopin cc

Zombie photo credit: San Diego Shooter via photopin cc

What's Stopping Me?

This post is very picture heavy so beware!

The month of November is not over, but I am so done. I hit a few road blocks and I would love to share them with you.

My first obstacle was always a known quantity. I am a stay at home homeschooling mom so my children are my number one distraction.

You already know that the Renaissance Faire stole one of my weekends.

Fully armored combat by our knights.

To the yield not the death, so we can hit them again next weekend.

 

Father and son hugging isn't that cute.

The girls have to help the Knights defeat their most challenging foe...the rope.

Ren fighting with Three Musketeer type weapons.

Hubby

My little man on the jousting horse

Next I was kidnapped and forced to go to Disney. With a wonderful friend and her family.

Rowan on the steps of town hall.

Rowan, Alexis and Gwen riding the People Mover.

Gwen holding Abby.

Throw the kids in jail with Zurg.

Gwen and Alexis

Dear friends Susan and Gregg with Abby.

Gwen holding Ariel.

Alexis was so happy to get this horse.

Ariel and Grandma

Ooooo, Ahhhhhh,

Murmur, murmur, murmur.

Then last, but certinally not least we have Thanksgiving. We were blessed to get to see friends from out of state.

Rowan was trying to tell me something, but he was so cute I had to take a pic.

Cousin Chloe holding Lilly.

Too cool

The real star of the show.

Of course there was the Black Friday sales. My sister and I were able to spend a lot of time together and we got some great deals. There was not much crazyness where we were or we were just lucky enough to miss it.