A Writing & Life Update

As you know, I am doing Margie Lawson’s Empowering Character’s Emotions. Today I have spent the day printing out all my finished and partially finished manuscripts. Yes, it has taken me all day, well on and off getting things ready for hubby to go away. Food to cook, clothes to iron etc.
The one thing I am looking forward to is seeing how my writing has changed, because some of these manuscripts I wrote a few years back. Yes, I know I am slack for not editing them before now. Well I did do some editing, but that was before I knew what I was supposed to do, not that I know it all now.

Margie’s course is still going well, except that I am a bit behind on my assignments.

I had a few days out with my Mum last week, she had a fall at the nursing home, and cut her let pretty bad, today we found out she also broke one of her toes. It is hard to watch her at the moment, she is very scared, cannot understand what is happening to her. She knows it is because of the Huntington’s, does not understand why she cannot control things better. All we can do is hold her hand and be there for her. Life sucks sometimes.

Okay enough whinging for me, back to my editing, first I have to make hubby a cup of tea, because I said I would. LOL.

Until next week.
Happy writing.
Sandie.

Knowing When to Stop

You know when we start our journey each year or in some cases every six months to undertake writing 50K in 30 days, we have all the rules we intended to stick by.

Just write, do not edit.

Ignore the outside world.

Writing comes first.

Make sure your family knows you will not be available. And so on.

Then one day you get a phone call to say your Mum has spent the night in hospital, but it’s not serious. Then you go down to visit and realise for the normal person a bit of vomiting may not be serious, but for your mother who weighs less than 50 kg, can’t afford to lose any more weight it could turn out a big problem.


This was my weekend, then things got a little more serious on Monday. My Mum had a fall, not that she hurt herself bad, but we have now been told her illness could have started to take a turn for the worse and progress faster than it had been. You see, my Mum has late on setting Huntington's chorea disease. For the past few months, my family and I have watched small things change within my Mum, now instead of the disease taking dolly steps it has moved into giant steps.

My point is that no matter how good you intentions are at the start of the challenge, sometimes life steps in and you have to accept defeat. Not reaching 50Ks is NOT the end of the world, the novel will be there for you when you’re ready to start again.

Sometimes you just have to know when to stop.

Sandie

Finding Our Heroes

Where do you find your hero material? Do you mould your fictional hero after someone you know? Or is he a mixture of a number of men or women you admire? Of course the last one is, is he completely made up?

For me it depends on the hero I’m working on at the time. Most of my heroes are figments of my imagination. Not that I don’t have men in my life that would make great heroes to write about. I think for me anyway, I like to keep my men separate. The real flesh and blood from those that wander around in my head strutting their stuff. And believe me some of them strut.

Just lately I’ve been finding I’m looking to the normal Joe Blow on the street to tailor my heroes looks after. Now this new angle started the other month when I went to a horse show. Than a couple of weeks ago, I went to a Spring Ball at my Mum’s nursing home and there dancing with his Mum was my perfect young stud muffin hero. I have the perfect story to slot him into, well it’s a spin off from my first NaNoWriMo novel. I’m not sure if this will be the novel I’ll be writing for this year’s NaNo yet, will have to see which hero pushes his way to the front of the line. I have three new novels I can work on for November. Umm… do you think I’d get into too much trouble if I went around the streets taking photos of good looking strangers? LOL.


It was my anniversary yesterday. I’ve been married for thirty-three years to my own special hero. Now what makes Jim so special is that he puts up with me. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. “If I’d married me, I would have divorced myself within the first twelve months.” He has the patients of a saint most of the time, I’m not going to say he perfect, but he’s pretty darn great. You know what? So was my Dad, it was not uncommon for my Dad to sit for hours waiting on my Mum to do shopping or go to church. I have to admit, I don’t think any of my heroes have patients.

Yes, this is me on my wedding day.

Well that’s me for this week, yes, I’m scheduling my own blog for once a week updates (well this blog anyway). This is part of my October is get organized month. Let’s see how long it lasts. I’m off to write a blog for Bootcamper 109, I’ve been a big slack butt in that area. (Hanging my head in shame.) I also have a post for the RWAus 50/30 blog, and my ‘Criusin’ the Blog’ & Members News for RWAustraila Blog. We have some great blogs coming up next week as well as some fantastic members news.

Until next time.
Sandie

Monday Mayhem ~ Changes

The contracts for the sale of my Mum & Dad's home have been exchanged. While I am very happy that my Niece and her partner are buying the family home, I'm sad at the same time as it is now no longer a home I can walk into without first knocking. They have big changes in store for the old home and will only add to the value of the house, but it will seem different going down there now. I've said my final goodbye to that chapter of my life, now a whole new story is about to be written for the old house. A house that will once again build the dreams of a young couple starting out.

New Office
Another change in my life, is the fact that I now have an even larger office. I have all my books and novels around me, plenty of room to move about and space to walk and read over my manuscripts.

Old office






A view to inspire.

This is what I get to look at each day as I sit down to write, not bad is it?






I've also had a change on the Diaries of an Heroine blog. While I may not have been blogging here I have been working. Edits of 'If I Were a Rich Man', 'We Were in Love' and 'Baby Can I hold you' are still moving forward. Plus the screenplay I'm working on for Script Frenzy, while not moving in leaps and bounds, is progressing.

You can also find me on twitter most days, I post a few times a day, and trying hard to limit the amount of time I spend on there.

That's it for this update. I'm heading off to bed, in the hope that I'll get a bit more sleep tonight than I did last night.



Until next time. Happy Writing.
Sandie

Sexy Saturday ~ An Update

So update on the editing thing. 'We Were in Love' has been placed on the back burner because it was giving me the sh*ts, all was going well than it fell into a piles of ... well you know. So I'm working on 'The Godmother's Wish' instead.

One of my writing buddies Monique Wood is going to have her short story published in the RWA Little Gem anthology how cool is that? I'm soooooo pleased for our Mon.

After posting on Thursday another headaches hit me, than I got all teary. I really think this cleaning out my parents home is getting to me. I mean, this was a big part of my life for seventeen years before I married and moved away. But it's been there, I could always go back anytime I wanted, now it is going to be my nieces home. I'm happy for her and her partner, I'm happy the family home is staying within our family, but I can't just go and use a key and let myself in when ever I want. Tomorrow Jim and I are going down to remove the last of my Mum and Dad's belongings, than there will be just an empty house. I'm feeling a little down today, but things change, life goes on and at least I still have my Mum.

Yesterday I watched 'Mama Mia', what a great movie. So my sexy pics for today is the three maybe Dads. Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgård.

Thursday's Thoughts ~ Still Editing

Yes, I'm still around somewhere. Editing is moving along slowly. I've changed tactics for a while, instead of trying to edit three novels at once I'm working on the first fifty pages of one and than I'll move on to another one.

So for the moment I'm editing 'We Were In Love', I do believe I'm getting somewhere with this. Chopping the first two and a half chapters is working well, even if I'm still not sure where I'll find all those lovely missing words now. LOL. But I will press on and hope for the best.

I also had two more stories jump into my head the other day, Lord I do wish they would stop doing that, anyway I made some notes and I'm hoping that will keep them a bay for a month or two, like until June would be good.

It would have been my Dad's 83rd birthday yesterday so my sisters and I took Mum out for morning tea. She has settled into the nursing home really well, which is great and one worry off my mind. One of my nieces and her partner are thinking of buying my childhood home, I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one. It would make Mum very happy if she knew the family home was going to stay within the family, we should know for sure by next week I think.

I've also been fighting migraines the last couple of days, I woke up Tuesday with a dozy, yesterday morning wasn't too bad but by the time I got home from having the morning with Mum I went down like a tonne of bricks again. This afternoon I'm feeling a lot better.

That's where I'm up to at the moment. I hope to have the editing finished on 'We Were In Love' by Monday so I can work on at least one other before the Valerie Parv contest entries are due, even if I'm still not sure if I'll enter it yet.

See ya.
Sandie

Wednesday's Wisdom

The week is not going at all as I planned. I was going to be knee high in editing and rewrites by today. Not happening people. Instead I'm either sitting with my bunged up foot up on the foot rest of the lounge watching telly, (Yes I know I could be editing but my mind is just not there) or I'm walking around the house on the phone to my sister trying to work out what we can do for my Mum. She had another fall last night. This is the second in two days. At least tonight she'll be okay as my younger brother is going to take her over to his place for the night. Tomorrow he'll take her to the doctors. Oh have to tell you my foot is a lovely shade of purple today. LOL.

I missed out on the next round of Karin Tabke 'One Line' contest. I'm not surprised, I should have stuck with my original sentence and not fiddled. But I'm happy with how I went just the same.

The writing Bootcamp I signed up for is getting close. I'm looking forward to that, but I really, really need to get some editing done on the piece I want to use for that. The other participants all are great, seeing as I know most of them makes that easier.

Okay here's some words of wisdom for a few of the greats, seeing as it is Wednesday's Wisdom.

"What is The Subconscious to every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse." ~Ray Bradbury~

"The best antidote to writer's block is ... to write." ~Henriette Anne Klauser~

“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else.” ~Gloria Steinem~

"It is worth mentioning, for future reference, that the creative power which bubbles so pleasantly in beginning a new book quiets down after a time, and one goes on more steadily. Doubts creep in. Then one becomes resigned. Determination not to give in, and the sense of an impending shape keep one at it more than anything." ~Virginia Woolf~

Sandie

Monday Madness - Re-Writes

I started on my edits and re-writes again today. So far getting rid of the first two chapters of 'We Were In Love' has cut out 9,500 words. But I did write 1,000 back in with another couple of scenes. I've been thinking about this for the last couple of days, and I do think it will make the story flow better, at least at a quicker pace. This way will bring Jackie and Tyler's meeting a lot earlier in the story. The words I've cut I can reuse some of them, not sure how many yet, I'll just have to keep working on that front.


I've also organised for a topic chat for RWAustralia loop to take place on Friday. I have some great authors to help me out with that, but you'll have to wait for more on that one.

Mum came home from respite today and seems happy enough. She told my Auntie yesterday that she is a bit afraid to be at home on her own, which is a worry. I'm going down to have tomorrow with her and my older sister is going to spend Wednesday with her. I am so thankful that I have brothers and sisters, I really do not know how only children manage at these sort of times.

Anyway I'm heading off to bed, I have to be up early to take Hubby to work.
Happy writing.
Sandie

Monday Madness ~ Families

Here it is Monday again, and I have not been able to concentrate on writing/editing at all. One of my sisters has had an operation on her back today, just got word that she came through the op okay but she hasn’t seen the doctor yet so we still waiting to see if everything went well. I’m hoping we’ll know more later this evening.

My Mum had a fall at the weekend so it is now more important than ever to find a place for her so she will have full time care. I went to visit her not long after we got the call telling us about her fall and she asked me if I thought she would get another two years in her home. I think it one of the hardest things I have ever had to do was to tell her that her time at our family home was coming to an end. It was Dad and Mum’s only home that they owned. We have so many memories there, Dad racing us around the bloke, obstacle races in the back yard, and Friday night picnics in the lounge room. Yet when I go down there now, it is all changed. The once quite street now has townhouses at the end of it and there are cars going up and down the street all day long. We use to be able to play cricket out on the street for most of the day and not a car in sight. I also think the fact that Dad is no longer there makes the old house seem sad in some way. Do you think a house can be sad?

Anyway, the last few days have been a roller coaster of emotions for me and until we get Mum settled one way or another I think they will continue to be that way.

Sandie

Thursday's Thoughts

Well my writing has come to a grinding holt the last couple of days. If I sit to writing at the computer my mind goes blank. I’ve made a few notes in my notepad, but anywhere near enough. I think this upset with my Mum is getting to me. So, I’m going to put everything on hold until I get that sorted out. If I feel like writing I will, if not I’m not going to beat myself up about it.

I did an interview with my hero from ‘The Godmother’s Wish’ Romanos Makris on ‘Let’s Talk Heroes’. Lucy has been updating her diary on ‘Diary of a Heroine’ so I’m at least learning a little about my characters. The diary thing is interesting it is like they are sitting there writing in front of me. Oh, and I have to writing them longhand before I transcribe them to the blog.

I’ve written a review for Robyn Grady’s ‘Baby Bequest’ on my Review site, really enjoyed reading it, Robyn is great to read.

Hope you all are finding the time to write and getting the words on paper. I’ve also made it into the next round of Karin Tabke’s ‘One Line’ along with Rhian Cahill and her CP Mari Carr WOOHOO.

See ya later.
Sandie

Monday Madness

It really is mad here today. I had one of my all nighters last night. Yes, I was still awake when the sun came up. Looks like my insomnia is back, I think it more to do with worrying about my Mum than anything else.

I did get to have some breakfast with Jim, when he left for work I went and slept for an hour and a half. Then I was up, tidied up around my writing area, I can now see where things are. I still have the dishes to do, and the washing (I have no idea why I didn’t do the washing yesterday. Oh, yeah I was writing.

So it is now 2.20pm, I have a novel to read so I can write a review for FAR. I have to write at least 500 words for ‘The Godmother’s Wish’, I want to do some editing, (I’m letting that slip, not good) and I need to update my challenge blog. Oh, and Jim will be home in an hour.

Yep, Monday Madness!

Sandie

Going Oh So Slowly

My writing is moving slower than a snail at the moment. It has nothing to do with the story, well I don't think it does anyway. No, I think it is more that I have too much going on in the outside world.

My Mum is not doing all that well at the moment and it is looking more likely that she will have to go into aged care. She is going into rest spite next week for a few weeks and we are hoping to get more in home care for her so she can stay in her own home, all we can really do is wait and see. I've decided I don't think I want to get old, it is the pitts.

So on top of that I'm getting more headaches, (well migraines). I don't have time for that crap. I have a novella to write. I'm at 5,351 of my 20,000 words with 17 days to go. So that is words a day I need to write as well as edit and do re-writes on 'We Were In Love'. I do not have time to be down for two and three days with migraines.

On to other news, I'm still in Karin Tabke 'One Line' contest. YAY. Really thought I'd go this week. So I've made the top 50, not bad, I'm happy. Rhain Cahill is still going strong as well, not sure about any other Aussies. I'll have to have a good read through them all and see if I can work it out.

I've written my first two reviews for Fallen Angel Reviews I'm not sure when they get posted to the site. I'm enjoying writing reviews, I'm reading novels I don't normally read and learning a lot about writing as well. I have a few reviews I've written for Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction on my Review Blog , you'll also find my Angel me there, LOL it's the only time I've been an angel.

Okay that is it for this update. See ya next time.

Sandie

Christmas & Contest Update

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and received lots of great presents from Santa. I got a new office chair, it's very pretty and very comfortable with lots of adjustments. Hubby and I are having a couple of quite days at home now. My Mum came and had Christmas with us, that was nice. The only down side was that she let some guy in her house the other day and he stole her wallet. I don't know how many time my brothers and sisters and I have told her not to let strangers into her house. Anyway at least she's okay which is the most important thing, it is a worry though with her living on her own.

So onto the writing side of things.

I'm in to the third round of Karin Tabke 'First Line' Contest. YAY that is one better than last year so far. Of course I posted my third line then stressed as to whether it is any good. Not much I can do about it now though. Now the wait is on until Tuesday. (Tuesday for us Aussie writers anyway).

I also entered Leigh Michaels and Rachelle Chase's 'Chase the Dream Writers Contest'. I'd never heard of this one until my good writing buddy Monique Wood told me about it the other day. What a sweetheart Monique is. I emailed my entry off, but I have until January before we get any results.

I've also signed up to do reviews with Fallen Angel Reviews, that should be interesting. I'm going to add the reviews I do on my Review Blog once they have been added to the FAR site. I also do reviews for Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction , it's one of the Ning Network sites I'm a member of.

Next month I'm going to be doing an interview with Suzanne Brandyn her first novel 'Passion In Paradise' is due for digital release on the 7th January 2009 in the US and 8th January 2009 in Australia. So please keep an eye out for Suzanne's book and her interview here on the 8th January.

Hit A Brick Wall

Here I was writing away, enjoying my stories, jumping from one to another everyone doing what they were suppose to do. Well everyone except their pair on the kitchen table (but that story really belongs to Sandra Carrington). So I’m writing, getting the words on paper or computer or both when WHAM BAM I hit the wall, SPLAT I hit the ground, and that is where I have been for the last couple of days. Yesterday I read over some of my work and decided I hated it all. So I shut the file down and ignored the urge to re-open it and write something, anything. No that would be a mistake.

So I’m taking a week off, well five days really. It’s school holidays here in NSW, I have my grandson for a few days again this week so I think I’ll spend the time with him, painting, walking and cooking. We can make a lot of mess cooking and painting for that matter. Then come the weekend I’ll write again, I’ve entered another challenge over at Kiwi Writers, this is 2,000 in two or three days and you have to write about something you don’t normally write about. If I can get over, through or around this brick wall, I’m going to write my opening to a book I want to write about my Mum and Auntie Mary.

They are writing down their memories about their childhood. It was an exercise I set my Mum to keep her thinking and give her something to do with her time other than just watch the television. I told her if she wrote down all she could remember about her childhood I’d write a book about it. I love listening to the pair of them talking about their lives, the hardship they went through, yet they had a great family life. They were close, and still are today. Two grey haired old ladies who are thankful they have each other still and can share so much. I’ll keep you posted on my story about them.