2011 September » Leah Cutter -- writer/traveler

Moving the mark

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Sep 302011

I don’t want to say that I missed the mark. I didn’t. I finished the story tonight — all 7300 words of it.

Instead, I’m moving the mark.

I could format the story and put it online tonight. But I think it’s more important that I read it through one more time when I’m awake and have more brain, rather than to blindly push through with this schedule.

So I’m taking tomorrow to finish “Hell By Any Other Name.” I will also finish “Walking Gods” tomorrow and push that out. I may or may not have time to start the next story — I also get to be social tomorrow.

Sunday I don’t have anything planned beyond writing. So writing it is. There are things I need to do around the house — I’m just going to have to find time next week to do the ones I don’t get around to. Writing is the first priority right now.

I can see the vultures

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Sep 292011

The bad news is that I’m only at around 5500 words typed for the story. The good news is that the story isn’t much longer, only maybe another 1500 words before I’m finished. I’m still going to try to get it up for Friday, but it might be Saturday, and that’s okay.

I’m already starting to dig into the recesses of my head for the next story. Hopefully something not quite so long. I’d like to churn out a couple of shorter pieces next week. But, the muse brings me what she pleases. I’m just happy to follow her lead.

I’ll do a grand post sometime in the next week with links to all the short stories I’ve published. It’s taken me some time to get them up everywhere. But that’s honestly okay as well. Books don’t spoil.

Once all the short stories are up, I’ll start putting my back list novels up. All the rights have reverted to me, may as well. There will be a bunch of new readers with the new ereaders and so possibly, my timing is right, for once.

Vagrancies

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Sep 282011

Ah, the unsexy part of writing. When you have to become the world’s strictest boss with yourself, while at the same time judging if your physical pains will affect your writing too much.

Those of you who never get sick or suffer can just stop reading now. I’m talking to the rest of us.

One down. . .

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Sep 272011

Finished “Hell By Any Other Name” tonight. Wrote about 1500 words, which I think is right for the story.

Now remember, this is the first half of first draft. I’ve written everything out by hand. I’ll type it up Wednesday and Thursday. Friday I’ll proof it and publish it.

Just in time to start the whole process again on Saturday.

Like a lot of writers, I write to get stuff out of my head. I don’t always remember what I’ve written. Last night I found a short story that I’d rewritten, that I barely remember, that’s actually good. Or rather, the writing is good. The theme is cliched. Going to publish it anyway. Let the reader decide if it’s good or bad. I’d tried to sell it a long time ago.

You know

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Sep 262011

When writing a story about ghosts, and thinking a lot about ghosts and hauntings and other scary things, going down into the basement without the lights on isn’t the smartest idea. Particularly if you plan on sleeping sometime tonight.

In other news, I wrote another 2000 words today. Brings me up to 5000 for this story. I have one longish scene and a shorter scene left. Maybe another 2000 words? Or less. So basically, I’m on track.

I also submitted some of the stories that have been up only on Smashwords to Kindle. I’m going to work at getting them also submitted to B&N. Plus finishing the copy edits on “Walking Gods.” And working the day job. And having a life — tomorrow night is the knitting group.

You know, if there was a form somewhere for requesting extra hours per day, I’d fill out that thing in a heartbeat. In triplicate, even. Even if it had language more complicated than business tax law. Seriously.

Moving along

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Sep 252011

Only about 1000 words today. But I have the first three scenes written, and I’m very pleased. Tomorrow night I should have more time, unless this story drags me in and I must!write! in the morning. (And by written I mean all hand-written. I’ve gone back to that for first draft. It means I’m slower over all because I’ll have to pause and type everything up, but it’s the only process that works for me.)

I also started incorporating the edits for “Walking Gods”. I finished the prologue and a little bit of the story. I’m too tired for more now. Maybe I’ll work on that in the morning.

One last thing — today was a good example of me putting into practice those things I learned in NOLA. Before, if I’d missed my self-imposed, 7 PM writing time, I probably would have been screwed, and wouldn’t have written. My schedule would have been messed up. Instead, I did the things I needed to do for myself, practiced that self-care thing that I hear is all the rage now, and then wrote.

I know most writers give advice about how having a scheduled writing time is so important. I’ve finally learned that for me, a scheduled time to write only works for a while. Then my schedule breaks (usually due to life intruding) and I end up not writing. Or I end up resenting the hell out of it.

It’s much more important to me to have some level of commitment to writing daily, with weekly goals. That way, I can shoe-horn in the writing whenever it fits, and it’s okay when it doesn’t. I’ll still make my goals. (I will finish this story and publish it by EOD Friday. I’m about 3000 words in and it’s only 5-6000 words long.)

So second day of the challenge, still going strong and feeling good. Just feels so good to have those voices back, so strong, you know?

Driveby

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Sep 242011

Good writing day today. Wrote 2000 words on a brand new story, “Hell By Any Other Name.” Read “Walking Gods” out loud. Tomorrow will make the changes to “Walking Gods” and possibly post. Will try to do another 2000 words on “Hell”. I am not making any guesses for how long the story is. It feels like a longer story, but is it 6000 words? 10,000? I think it’s longer than 4000 — I have at least three more scenes to write, and they’re going to add up to more than 2000 words, I think. Could be wrong, have been before. I like the story a lot though. Generally speaking I always do when I start, am in the hot fire of it. Love the world and character.

So day one of the challenge, all is well. Does that count? (^_^)

And so it begins

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Sep 232011

Finished “Walking Gods” last night. Much shorter than I originally thought it would be — I’d estimated about 20K, but it’s closer to 13.5K. I don’t think it’s missing scenes — just went through and added a couple of sentences that I did think it was missing. I’ve printed it out. Plan on reading it out loud to myself this weekend, fixing whatever else needs to be fixed, then releasing it. Say, by Monday.

Write and release.

I am SO EXCITED about being able to write a bunch of short stories, jumping from one New!Shiny! to the next. So many story ideas.

Of course, as soon as I sit down to write they’ll evaporate. (^_^) I’ll find something to write about. I always do.

So tomorrow starts the first day of the Baker’s Dozen challenge. Basically, that entails writing at least one short story a week for the next 13 weeks. I know I can do that. The weeks where I have more time I’ll aim for more than one short story.

After I write a story I will print it out, read it out loud to myself to fix the most egregious errors, then release it as free fiction on my web site, and for sale for $.99 on Smashwords, Kindle, etc.

At the end of the year I’ll take the 13 best stories and make a PoD anthology titled, “Baker’s Dozen”.

So — welcome to the ride!

Spare change

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Sep 162011

I’d planned on writing every day in September. That really hasn’t gone as planned. I think I’ve figured out the problems now, and working on correcting them, but it’s really too late to be writing every day for September.

One of the problems is that I’m lousy when it comes to an every day writing challenge. Seriously. Give me a weekly word count and I’ll hum along like a champ. Tell me I have to write every day and I’ll buckle. Quickly. (I did once work on a rewrite every day for 100 days, but that’s a very different thing than writing every day.)

Kris Rusch recently wrote a blog post about self-help books written for women, and then taking out the word “woman” and replacing it with “writer.” Seriously, go read this if you haven’t yet.)

Her latest post about Playing to Win struck a deep chord in me. I don’t think I’ve ever played to win. I’ve always just wanted to survive, been satisfied with it.

I’m working to break that habit.

In addition, I’ve realized I’ve grown lazy in terms of my writing. I have been busy, and I do cut myself some slack for that. But really, it’s beyond time for me to get back in the saddle again. I used to write a lot. I want to get back to that.

I’ve been thinking about what I want to do next, after I finish “Walking Gods” — this thing I’m still working on and should have finished weeks ago.

I came up with the idea of a baker’s dozen. It will be 13 weeks from the first week of October to December 31st. I need to have more product for Smashwords. I do good with week-long goals. I like delving head-first into a short story. I can almost always find the flow in them.

So — why not write a short story a week for every week from the end of September until the end of the year? Make it a baker’s dozen?

I plan on posting every story, putting it up for free on Smashwords. I might, at some point, put up a donation button. Everyone who donates gets a free POD of the collected stories. Or something like that. We’ll see.

I’m posting this because it’s that whole accountability thing. I know no one is really keeping track, but if I publicly post, I feel more accountable. Plus, I do plan on posting free fiction here at least once a week, and I figure that needs some sort of announcement, yes?

WFC, etc

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Sep 072011

I know it’s been a long time since I posted. However, I refuse to feel guilty about it anymore. I’m just not a regular blogger. And as I’ve had trouble even carving out time to write, I just can’t feel bad about not doing other things as well.

However, my life has settled down finally. I won’t be traveling again until November sometime. I had to cancel going to World Fantasy Con — I didn’t sell my condo in August, and so I can’t afford WFC. Hopefully I’ll be able to go next year. I’d really like to go to WisCon next year as well. If the condo sells by the end of the year I should be able to do that. Otherwise. . .

I have started writing again. My current challenge for myself is to write everyday until October 2nd. So far I’ve written everyday for the last week. I’m currently redrafting/typing up “Walking Gods” — that very odd short story/novella thingy. It has a great hook — “What happens when a god creates a people out of revenge?” I like it — but I’m still rusty, still priming the pumps — it isn’t all flow yet. I know that writing everyday will help with that, as there have now been some sections of lovely, lovely mana-from-heaven joyful writing.

My vacation rental is going well. The day job has settled down for the time being. I’m still learning the New Normal — what it means to be here in this life at this time. Still making adjustments.

If you’re local, I’m having a house warming/Sunday dinner thing this Sunday (Sept. 11th) Let me know and I’ll send you an invite — I meant to invite a bunch of people but I seem to have failed at it.

I think that’s it for now. I hope everyone is happy and healthy and as stress-free as possible.