Carolyn

I want to start keeping tabs on myself regarding progress on my story (ok stories) I am working on, so figure the only way to do that, is to actually do that. LOL.

1. Altered Fates - part one of my epic fantasy - current word count is just over 100k. The outline is about 15k, and at this rate this first book is going to be 400k... a wee bit long, yes? LOL. I don't care - this is my 'for me' book that I really am enjoying sinking back into, the one I've had around in different forms for around 15 years. Who knows what I will do with it in the end but it makes me very happy to think about these characters again. :) The outline is just in Word right now which is difficult to work with so I'm going to start plugging it into Scrivener tomorrow. I realized though as I read through the outline again that my other story (2. below) weaves into it in several important ways, and now I am wondering if I shouldn't weave the two together, removing some of the silly stuff that one writes out of this... Going to consider that, and ponder that further.

2. Song of the Siren - the one that dovetails into the above. Hmmm. The more I think about this, the more I like the idea... Hmmmm... Ponder. Only 6,173 words written so far in this one. Hmmmm....

3. Wayward, my poor dear science fiction story. At 41,292 and complete for now, it is a wretched wordcount, but I do have it figured out how to get the story bumped up into a better wordcount. Science fiction aka the science fiction world continues to freak me out but is freaking me out less with all the good that is coming out of the bad. There are some great people out there determined to make changes, and that is a good thing. I love this genre, have been an avid fan since I was a kid (thanks Dad) but the genre itself has always been such a turnoff because of well, many things. Lots of things. Things I never experienced in the mystery genre, but my heart just isn't in writing mystery. But this story... I love it so much and it WILL get out there eventually.

4. Stage - my first person story I refuse to talk about anywhere because I am guarding it so fiercely - currently going back through my massive dissertation I bought on the particular subject at the root of this story. I finally realized what was wrong with my plot - things happened TO my character. That was it. He did nothing, was just along for the ride! No wonder I just went meh. This one is heavily influenced by my love for Jacqueline Carey's work, will be in first person, and wicked, and has been in my head not as long as 1. above, but about 6 years or so. It needs to live.


Tomorrow the plan is to watch a movie with Nick and Klaudia (we are making our way through all the Oscar nominations and tomorrow is my turn to choose so I am choosing Captain Phillips) then I will walk Maddox for a good hour, then dash to the store and then go hide out in Starbucks, maybe, or somewhere. I need a table to spread out on, and a comfortable chair. Starbucks has new chairs and I question whether they will be comfy - am disappointed they redid the store and took out my favorite bench seating. Will be seeing the son later on...just spent 926 bucks to get his car fixed. SIGH. Not exactly the birthday present he envisioned (and the one he envisioned would've been much cheaper for me! LOL).

Otherwise, that's it - was sick last weekend and Monday and it is gorgeous this weekend, so very much looking forward to the next two days.

Current read: finishing up (I read so slowly) a trilogy written by Stephanie Dray about Cleopatra's daughter, Selene, pretty much set in Rome. I love it. It is supposedly historical fiction but to me it reads historical fantasy because hello, magic, and lots of it. But I love the author's voice (first person) and love stories set in this time period, and am impressed with many things about the storyline and characters... so much so may have to tap thoughts down later. Then I have a friend's book to read next, also about Rome, I am looking very much forward to. :)

Also, I keep thinking of things - will start another Whole 30 next Saturday - my sister and her daughter are coming for a brief visit and well, you know, gotta look good! Plus I just loved doing it before and I have found myself slipping into laziness and eating processed foods again and way too much bread bread beautiful bread how I love you bread... which always makes me feel like crap. LOL. So yeah, a week from tomorrow, whee! Can't wait!

And that is all from me.

So much I want to do today, I need a list:

1. Run to store, buy the bookshelves I looked at yesterday
2. Clean house (kitchen and living room, laundry, vacuum)
3. Put shelves together
4. Add all books into GoodReads. This could take awhile! Put books on new shelves.
5. Fill out all my stuff for Loose-Id...mail it (tomorrow)
6. Make cookies because otherwise sheswatching will be sad or something TOTAL CHEAT--I bought cookies.
7. Join in on the paperpushers timed writing madness ONGOING!
8. Read more of ARTS and take notes--omg, I would change so much re: how I wrote that! lol
9. Do my pictures for neifile7 lest she send a posse after me.
10. Make appointment for the Brat and Shelby for the vet next week
11. Take nap. Hit the treadmill TOOK NAP!!!!
12. Apply for that job I should've like four days ago.
13. Start working on revision letter for LWH. *bites nails*

I forgot to buy shoes yesterday for my dress for Saturday's bridal shower. Dammit. Tomorrow--I'll do that tomorrow... Done!

I am excited to have the house to myself today. Supposed to go to writer's group tonight but am not feeling it--ran around all day the last two days, and I want to be in my own digs to work on LWH. Just need to hole up, you know? I have a lot of work to do!

Also--I got stripey hair yesterday! Cost a wee bit more than I had intended to pay. My daughter made me start going to this hairdresser, and I LOVE what she is doing for me, but I always knew Tiff paid a certain astronomical amount to get her hair done. Her hair is twice and then some as long as mine. So I figured mine would be less...um...gasp...well. Done is done, so I paid. The maintenance on the stripey hair won't be as much but it remains to be seen if I decide it is worth it. It is very different, but I do love it! VERY DIFFERENT FOR ME! I do agree the lighter color looks better (and apparently works better with those of us who secretly have gray hair--dark colors age a person too or something, and I am trying hard not to look my age!).

Somehow, crazily, I ended up with THREE Yuletide gifts. WTH!! I am not sure what happened there, but I am not complaining. I've read two already, with the longest one left. All three are Whitechapel, a BBC mini-series with two installments that amand_r hooked me up with. So, so loved that show. If you haven't caught it, please do. It is lots of fun, pulling old crimes into the present (Jack the Ripper first, then the skeevy Kray Twins. Eeww, creepy). Brilliant casting, wonderful dynamics, nail-bitey drama...it has it all.

Yesterday was such a lovely day. It was all me and the kids, no one else--though the psycho SIL and my MIL made a very (VERY) brief appearance. Man oh man, my poor MIL, dealing with Mary is getting really hard. Mary needs help, badly, but refuses (screaming-match, call the police kind) and I fear MIL may be forced to go to court to force help on her. Oh man. But MIL gave me a lovely silver bracelet that I'm wearing now--been awhile since I've had anything on that wrist. Feels cool.

The kids went above and beyond awesome. This Christmas (like last) we all just got one thing. Tiff got the brown boots she wanted (they are 200 dollar boots and I got them for 89! GO ME! yay for timely mark-downs!) and son wanted a nice external hard drive. Got him a 2 terrabyte, massive Seadisc thing--again, a heck of a deal, marked down, and stupendous. Then Santa got them CHRISTMAS PJ'S, BLUE!, and chocolate, and odds and ends.

The kids in turn got me a Kindle. A KINDLE! I HAZ ONE! I am so excited about this! I jumped up and down I was so excited. No, I have not succumbed to the 'I will never buy a real book again!' world, but oh man, this is going to be so fantastic for many reasons. I can put my fanfics I want to read on there! AUDIOBOOKS WTH no one EVER told me that you can listen to audiobooks on this thing!!! I LOVE AUDIOBOOKS! Have the first few of the Harry Dresden books to listen to--whee! I think I'll like listening to James Marsters.

Such a fantastic Christmas. We went to see TRON, the three of us, and oh that was nice and fun and I loved it. 3D! My first since all the new 3D's came out and I like it. Want more. LOL.

Then we went to eat dinner at my friend Leigh Ann's house--her mom likes to cook for lots of people and their family is small so every year (except last year--ice and illness killed it) she's cooked like a madwoman, and invited friends and family over. I love that. Plus, they provide great wines. I approve.

The only thing marring Christmas is my knee. It has gotten progressively worse since last Sunday's post-bowling soreness, and yesterday, I did a little happy jump when my son opened up a present from his grandmother (a gorgeous ring I was frankly scared she wouldn't give him in time--that she would die, and her evil other children would get hold of). I came down funny and twisted my knee, ouch ouch ouch!!!! I couldn't walk on it at first--I could by the time we went to the movie but I was like an ol' gimpy thing. It is a bit scary--I have insurance through the end of the week, so I am going to the doc's tomorrow. I hope he just splints it up fancy (I bought a knee-type Ace bandage with support and that has helped tremendously) and that time and patience will heal things. Hopefully by Thursday I will be much better, when my sister comes with Lexie her daughter for a visit.

I woke up angry at that rat bastard who is ruining my old company, but then started to think of the new lease on life, the new freedom...and new opportunities. It's going to be okay, I am sure of it. I did hear from my editor last week, and that sure put the shiny on the writing stuff, so a going to stay positive that it will all work out, and that leaving B&W will be the best thing that could've happened. It sucks to be forced out, but I'd lost my love for the place already. Time to go forward.

1. Play with Maddox. This is not an odd thing to list, as these last couple of weeks it has been near-impossible to throw the ball for him. He is so sad about this he has eaten his throw-ball. He'd already eaten his good ones. I need to order him a new one, but not spending money right now.



2. Read. I am reading The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. This is all misswinterhill's fault after our recent discussion re: atomic-era sci fi movies. I loved those things when I was a kid! She told me "that movie sucks but the book is awesome!" So, I had to get it. It was published originally in 1951, but so many things Wyndham explores are spot-on for today also. It's dated, and yet...it isn't.

I'm reading it on my beloved new itouch my sister bought for me. I love love love my little new toy! I know alot of people who scoff at ebook readers, they'd rather have the feel and smell of a real book, but reading books on my itouch is brilliant. Small, always-ready, can read in the dark, curled up and snuggled into blankets, and just a tap shuts it down. Open it next time and it goes right to where I left off. I am sold. SO much easier to deal with than either a Nook or a Kindle.



3. Begin my dark_fest fic. The goal for this fic is between 5-10k. I have a rough idea what I want to do, but want to get it started this weekend.

4. Begin my reel_torchwood fic. This one will be long and windy.

5. Clean house. Daughter is gone for the weekend. This is SWEET. I plan to dump her crap in her room, do the floors, dust and clean and just get this house back up to snuff.

6. Clean out my car. It needs it.

7. Attend the writer's group thing tomorrow at 1:00 at Border's on Hulen.

8. Figure out what the hell to work on for writer's group thing tomorrow (not fanfic there, nope).

Maybe the two should be switched?

My computer is running hot and I have no idea why. Going to shut it down for a bit. So weird!