Thunder and Roses Reaches 87k

Thunder and Roses is well past the length of any book I’ve written to date. Ditter Kellen and I have been working around the clock to get this monster done, and the light is RIGHT THERE! We are three chapters away from The End and both of us will be happy to see it done.

We love the characters, the world, the bad guys you love to hate, the snark…but Ditter and I have been hanging out with these guys nonstop since December. It’s definitely time to part ways with the characters for a while. LOL!

Time to tell you how I’ve done this past week:

Thunder and Roses is at 87k.

Raven’s Daughter hit 7.5k this week.

Silver Tongue Devils has been plotted. It reached 1k, but I won’t count it until I’m actually past the first chapter.

My favorite dialogue from this week’s unedited writing (courtesy of Jimmy Strickland, shifter you’d love to hate, and Tonya Rose, our snarky kickass heroine.):

“It’s time to end this.” [Strickland] licked his blade. “Tell me who you work for.”
“Myself. No one else.”
“Why did you break into Westmoreland’s office?”
“The lounge was out of creamer and I knew he hoarded the best shit.”
Strickland grinned and stalked closer, keeping her within sight of his one good eye. “Okay. Sure.” His free hand partially shifted to sharp claws. “I like this game.”

If you’d like to see how others are doing in the Round of Words in 80 days challenge, click on the link below.

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See you this weekend for

Writing Goals and ROW80

The content below is on the Personal Writing Challenge page of this site. As that page will change each quarter, it’s important to keep track of past accomplishments and failures. Yep. The word “failure” was used.

Only in failure can you find out what doesn’t work, you know.

It’s not the end of the world. So welcome to another Round of Words in 80 Days challenge! I’m a month and a half behind, so you’ll have to forgive the late intro. April was CampNaNoWriMo so I was hyperfocused on it.

In these next 45 days or so, I’ll be very busy. Word count updates will happen on Wednesdays and Sundays per the challenge rules. If you’re following along, I assume you have some interest in writing. Feel free to ask any questions.

…or leave a comment that my content in boring…if you don’t tell me, how will I know?

It’s May 2013. 2012 was a debilitating one for me as a writer, and I have a lot of time to make up for. I had a series I let fall to the wayside during my difficult transition from military to civilian life and my creativity shriveled to nothing. With two intercontinental moves in less than two years, gaining new family members (saying goodbye to a few as well), and moving to full-time writing status, I became overwhelmed.

I met Ditter Kellen and the amazing According to Ditter book group right when I thought I was making the worst decision of my life (full-time author). It took some time and effort, but I finally got back on the path. Now I’m here, with you, sharing my writing journey.

I’ll do each challenge by quarter so the easiest way to keep track is to become a part of A Round of Words in 80 Days. They have a wonderful motivating team of writers who encourage one another throughout the quarter. Once Upon a Time I was a Sponsor. Once I get back on track, I might do so again.

So here are the goals for the rest of this ROW80 event:

May

Thunder and Roses (complete and submit)

Raven’s Daughter *WT (complete and submit)

Silver Tongue Devils *WT (complete and submit)

June

Shift the Night (Complete and Publish)

RD2 (Complete and Submit)

Hunger 2 (Complete and Submit)

*WT: Working Title, a title that may change before submission

Enthusiasm is Catching

While I’m working on Thunder and Roses (the book. that. won’t. end), I’ve received email and messages from some of my closest writing friends. We talk shop a lot, and quite a few of them were at the end of their ropes. They were exhausted, wore to the bone, and wondering why they were still writing.

Been there. What about you guys?

Three of them went to the Romantic Times Convention this past week. All three hoped to find that spark they were missing.

They found it and more!

All three came back with incredible enthusiasm. They were tired, sure, but the love of the written word was back. Goals were set in place, momentum shifted, and another page turns in their careers.

Their joy and excitement triggered mine, and reminded me of why I started doing this in the first place. It’s why I dive into writing events like A Round of Words in 80 days, National Novel Writing Month (as well as CampNaNoWriMo in April and July), and Book in a Week.

For a list of timed artistic challenges, please check the recently updated Wiki page

There is nothing like having a group of people as motivated as you are when you tackle any project.

When you’re stuck in a rut, whether it’s the book-that-won’t-end, a series you can’t stay motivated to continue, or starting that new book, find people who are enthusiastic about this thing called writing. Let them energize you and remind you that these moments of doubt are temporary.

Then go out and write.

Keep Writing!

Dawn

CampNaNoWriMo April 2013 Day 3

Keeping this one short and sweet. Looks like book won’t be done until Tuesday, but that’s okay.

Day 3 stats:

TR starting word count: 52880

TR ending word count:  53838

Total for the day was less than 1k. Not good, but I needed to break down the next several days and figure out a good game plan. NaNo total is 6.7k. I’ll be hitting the ground running first thing in the morning. G’night all!

(edited to add: Forgot to hit publish on this last night. Found out when I started the new post for day 4 LOL!)

CampNaNoWriMo April 2013 Day 2

Mentally and physically exhausted (had a mega workout today and my body isn’t happy).

I went through a morning, evening, and night session of writing today. The morning was a solid 500+ words with me and Ditter. My writing partner and I had some scene plot issues to work through and we worked a bit on our new series we’re starting next week. Today was still Thunder and Roses focused. We expect it to be done by Sunday.

The evening and night sessions brought today’s total to 2,265 words. That’s 5,709 for CampNaNoWriMo. Not bad.

I ran into some serious character motivation issues around 2pm. The scene is emotionally charged and I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. Info dump at the beginning had dragged the pacing so I spread the wealth over the course of the chapter and it flows far smoother.

Day 2 stats:

TR starting word count: 50601

TR ending word count: 52880

I’m a happy (if slow and steady) writer. Tomorrow’s agenda involves a long soak in the tub before I start work (my muscles will thank me) and setting up a chat room for my fellow WriMos to speedwrite in. Jumping around all over the place is killing me.

Signing off!

Dawn

CampNaNoWriMo April 2013 Day 1

I have multiple writing sessions throughout the day. This is the first time I’ve decided to keep track of my writing online so some new-to-writing friends can see how it works for me throughout the day.  Welcome to the new followers.

Day 1:

Session 1: Started at 0033 (12:33 am). Websites updated as promised before I started writing. I double checked the launch on the CampNaNoWriMo site. Since this month allows you to write on something old or new, I’m continuing rewrites on Thunder and Roses this evening. As I read through my first draft I am struck, as always, how it’s more like stage directions (blocking) than actual emotional investment in the characters. I have to layer in the five (or more) senses at a minimum.

Session stats:

TR starting word count: 47171

TR ending word count: 49188

Ended on a good note. I like what I’ve done so far with the book. The rest of the morning (after I wake up again) will be merging my writing partner’s new content into this chapter. She and I will be on the phone working through most of it.

Session 2: started at 0915. Major plotting hurdles taken care of with Ditter. We worked through some critical character building scenes.

Session 3: 1730-1900 (5:30-7pm) Speedwriting (word wars, timed writing sessions, etc) in the Insanowrimo chat room. A bunch of fellow campers decided to keep the chat word war tradition so I let them know I’d be there at 1730.

Session 4: Late night Speedwriting (word wars, timed writing sessions, etc) with the fabulous Lexxie Couper. She and I get together most weeknights (virtually) and write until our fingers fall off. It’s fantastic fun.

Session stats:

TR starting word count: 50171

TR ending word count: 50601

Total word count for the day: 3430 (3444 by the time this post was completed. I had a paragraph or two to finish).

Day end notes:

Good start to the month. It’s nice to be on track again. Thunder and Roses is closer to submission so I’m super excited about that. There is no time to actually keep track of start and stops in the middle sessions. So I think I’ll  do what I always do, jot down the beginning word count for the day and then the ending word count. It’s a PITA to track more than that. Not bad for the first update.

Dawn

Nothing to See Here

Well. I’ve learned a few things this week.

1. I cannot focus when I have multiple projects going on. Two weeks in a row was a dismal failure.
2. Writing two novels at the same time is like playing heavy metal and club music at once. Completely out of sync and annoying as hell. Besides, I don’t want them to sound the same. They’re completely different story lines, and I caught myself reusing phrases in both. Ugh.
3. The weekends are no longer my catch up days. Since SuperChef started his job, it’s now MY job to keep the kids occupied while he tries to get his recipe blog updated and get new recipes out. When I had the EDJ, he kept them occupied so I could write when I could. It’s only fair.

So what now? I had about 1500 words or so on Friday. That was awesome. Nothing to write home about yesterday or today (so far). All I can do is write off this week as a learning experience, and continue pounding out the words.

To make up for the past two weeks’ experiment, I’ve decided I’m going to spend this week completely focused on No Dragon, No Problem. I’ll get it edited and out. Then move on to one of my works in progress. That’s it for me, guys. I hope your week was far more productive!

Keep Writing!

Dawn

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Rest

It’s another check-in day. We’ve been unpacking boxes, rearranging furniture, and all the crazy that comes with moving. My nighttime writing sessions have been a no-go since I’m usually too exhausted to stay awake. I finally had that day or two of rest I’ve needed since this adventure began back in January. Three days in a row of sleep for 12 hours at a time (which may or may not be due to having MY BED back -and/or- bone weary exhaustion). Yep, I think I’m finally rested. Last night was a seven hour sleep fest so I’m definitely back on track.

So what did I accomplish this week?

• Got the kids all their shots and back in school (YES!)
• Won a contest for a $25 Amazon gift card. OMG how awesome! Thank you Evanne!
• Unpacked most of my bedroom. I now have a desk and place to write YAY!
• Worked through a plotting issue with A Familiar Kiss
• Submitted Destitute and Undead to Entangled Publishing (the pitch win)
• Became a Coffee Time Romance author (so cool!)
• Thief‘s outline was completed.
• Entered another pitch. Will find out next week if it’s selected by an editor for an online live pitch session
• No Dragon, No Problem is at 6323 of 20k (started it on 3 Feb, I need to get in gear!).
• Created my author page on Amazon.com
• Joined up with the Platform Building Campaign
• Updated my website, the books section on this one, and my work in progress page
• Only produced 3k words this week (thank you #1k1hr on twitter!). Not good, but I’m giving myself a break and calling it a planning/spring cleaning week

You know, I think that’s enough for any writing week. No wonder I was so tired.

So what’s on the agenda for next week?

• Complete A Familiar Kiss and get it to my editor by the end of V Day
• Complete No Dragon, No Problem
• Complete Chapter One of Feral Hunger/Primal Intent (the title gods are debating on this one)
• Complete Chapter Two of Enraptured

What are the goals for the rest of the month?

• Complete one chapter ea on two novels per week
• Submit Chloe’s Kiss to the submission call
• Finish and submit Thief and A Clockwork Conspiracy (this one’s tentative)

Guess I’d better get on the ball. I’ll be running several #1k1hr throughout the day, every day, from my twitter account. You’re welcome to follow along. I use Tweetdeck so I can create a #1k1hr column. This shows me any time another group is running.

Goals for the week:

A Familiar Kiss Rewrites

No Dragon, No Problem

Enraptured Chapter Two

Feral Hunger/Primal Intent Chapter One

That’s it for me!

Keep Writing!

Dawn

This is a BLOG HOP! Check out other awesome Writers HERE.

Campaign A-hoy!

It’s really awesome to see genuine enthusiasm for helping others. Angela Knight and Morgan Hawke took a chance on me years ago, Lynn Viehl has become a mentor, and Kim Knox has faced the fire with me more than once. All these great authors have one thing in common…they didn’t do it alone. At some point they were helped by someone else.

When Ozlem Yikici told me about this amazing platform campaign ran by Rachael Harrie, my interest was snagged. What a fantastic idea! Find other people who write what you write, and chat with them. There are also some pretty cool challenges .

So now I’m supposed to tell you about me. I write erotica and erotic romance with a dip into the paranormal world for Changeling Press, Ellora’s Cave, and Liquid Silver Books. These titles are also available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks. I consider paranormal to be “other” than normal. So for me that includes: werewolves, urban fantasy, science fiction, genetic manipulation, vampires in space, sexy dragons with a penchant for smart-mouthed princesses, you name it. If it’s fun, I’m loving it. My work goes from very dark to cheeky humor.

I’m really looking forward to this season’s campaign.

Keep Writing!

Dawn

Whirlwind

Bwahahahaha. Despite Journey’s anthem, I’m going to have to stop believing…in a week without some near-catastrophic event that sends my family into a frenzy of panic. Some days I’m the center of the storm, trying to keep everyone calm. Other days I just want to curl up in a ball and wake up four months from now when this work to writing transition is finally complete.

Did I mention that I got a TON of writing done this week (despite the odds, I might add!)?

Sunday was a no-go writing-wise. We had to shop for new school supplies since our stuff had yet to arrive (shopping in a mega-mart on Superbowl Sunday? WHY did I think that was a good idea?). Monday was a ton of paperwork, and delays on getting the kids into school. Monday night I wrote until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. So far, so good, yeah?

Tuesday. Oh Tuesday, you’re becoming my Monday. I’m starting to hate you like I hate sesame seeds when they stick in my teeth. Three appointments for three different kids, only to find out that the school district was confused about how an out-of-state school transferred discharge paperwork (Anchorage ISD faxes discharge paperwork to the next location instead of allowing the parents to hand carry). But I digress. In the middle of this adventure, I get a phone call from the moving company. Our large house shipment is here (a BED! YES!). They want to deliver tomorrow (YAY!) but don’t know if they can do a split delivery (Uh Oh!). Some phone calls need to be made, etc.

Long story short…movers will be here tomorrow delivering ONLY the stuff we need and storing it for 90 days until we can have the large stuff (like the outdoor freezer, lawnmower, etc) put in our own storage (YAY!).

You’d think this would trigger happiness. Contentment. Excitement? Nope. Complete domestic meltdown. Kids want to skip school (NO!) to stay home and (get this…) “help.”  Husband is acting like a loon b/c he has to take the kids to their schools tomorrow while I wait on the delivery peeps. The house has to be clean (come on guys! We are STILL living out of suitcases!).

Kids and husband are squabbling…and for what?

Nothing. No reason what-so-ever. Everyone is ready for this move to be over. No one more than I, I assure you. Throughout this process I’ve done my best to keep quiet. Not complaining about the folding chair and makeshift desk, or lying in sleeping bags on the floor, or the insane drive to and from Dallas for our car.

So tonight…I told them to be quiet. Stop worrying. I had it under control. They weren’t allowed to say another word about their stuff to parents or each other. There was some serious grumbling going on, but it died off after a few hours.

“After all,” I said, “It will all be over sooooon.”

With that cryptic remark, I gave a creepy, hollow laugh and stared at each of the boys, in turn. They then decided the stress had broken me, so I was left alone to write. Ah bliss.

So that leads me to my mid-week update for A Round of Words in 80 Days.

What have I worked on?

• I sent in my submission for Entangled Publishing’s pitch contest. Didn’t receive a confirmation email so I’m not sure if I should stress or not (Destitute and Undead ended at a little under 15k. Glad I rechecked the edits before hitting send. I was a little heavy handed with the commas).
• I’m 5200 words into book 1 of my WTF Dragon series (blame Kim Knox for this one. She said go crazy and let loose. It was a dare, and you know how I am about those!).
• Received my first reader review for Primal Hunger. So awesome! I got 5 stars out of 5 on the Ellora’s Cave site. So cool! Heidi said she was hoping Primal Hunger would become the start of a series. I get to say I got the green light on it, right?? LOL. So yeah, you’ll see more of the *Hunger-verse in the future.
• Tore apart A Familiar Kiss (yesterday’s post showed how that went down ). I should have that puppy to my editor by V-day.
• I’ve become a coffee time romance author! They’ve asked me to post on the blog, and I can’t wait! I’ll get all their widgets and stuff up on my site this weekend. I also set up my amazon author page. Love you guys for suggesting them for me last week!
• Final outline of Thief. I needed a different arc to make it more contemporary.

Goals for the rest of the week:

• Decompress
• Unpack
• Set up my office/bedroom
• Finish No Dragon, No Problem (WTF Dragon #1)
• Start Thief
• Try to ignore my stress over Destitute and Undead‘s submission. LOL!

I hope this post made you laugh (I know I was laughing). Reading it out loud to my family brought out some pretty awesome chuckles, so I think it’s a win with them too.

Dawn

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*Note: the Hunger-verse is a tongue-in-cheek series name. I call it the Sheon Wars, but that’s not as lighthearted.