5 am and writing

I don't know what I'm doing up this early, but here I am. Since I can't sleep, I thought I'd go over a new short I did for a Ravenous Romance anthology. It's my first m/m romance, and I think it comes off rather well, if I do say so. Of course I need to add some more background, I don't think there's enough of what they're going through, of what's happened and what will happen. But not this morning. This morning it was editing for what I did and inserting notes for what I need. I'll be writing that other stuff when I'm a tad more awake.

What on earth is Steampunk?

Steampunk.


It's one of the calls for submissions from Ravenous Romance, but I'd never heard of it. I had to look it up, and then I had to look at the pictures. I know exactly what this is, just didn't know it had a name. And typing something like that into Google never really works.

And how cool is it that there's this whole culture surrounding it! And romances and neat histories and music, and good Lord, I'm in love!!

Psyched, this is too cool for words!


I don't think 5,000 words is going to be enough for this world. I can spend that just inventing stuff! But I'm determined, and determined not to get caught up in backstory.


Jump right into the story, isn't that how it goes? More fun? Yes, yes, I think so, too, but man. This world is going to be so so cool. I can't wait to start, but first thing's first. Research!

New Stories and Writer's Block

I haven't given up on my Regency-set threesome, but I do have a rather large case of writer's block. There. I said it. Admitted it aloud. I've been tweaking, editing, adding scenes, revamping the plot, and whatever else I can think of to it for weeks, but let's face facts. I'm stuck.

Not writing myself into a corner and have to rip out sections stuck, but the scene I have doesn't work. I need it, or something very much like it. The half dozen or so ways I've played with it aren't IT. Bridging the first half to the second is always difficult, or I think so at least!

What do you do when you can't push forward? I've tried everything, seriously. Have looked at this from a dozen different angles and yet nothing works.

So, I'll be working on a couple ideas I have for short stories. 5,000 words is a hell of a lot easier than 50,000! Ravenous Romance put out 3 calls for anthologies, and I intend to use them to spread my wings, so to speak. Do something new, not that with one story to my resume I have such a  long back list. But I'm still going to use these opportunities to see what I can do, whether or not they accept my submissions.

I lied

Not really, I mean I didn't intend to lie at least. I intended to read and read and read. Alas, I did more editing than actual writing, but still managed to somehow add in 2400 words. Seriously, I don't know how that happened, but it did.

Very happy with this, shows that even with stress my muse doesn't totally abandon me!

What I'm reading this week

Since writing has fallen to the back burner, I'm taking some time to relax and read. Life's been more than a little hectic lately, and my writing has suffered for it. Instead of ploughing through with words I'll probably delete later, I'm taking a small break to relax and read. Or maybe just sleep. I haven't decided yet.

So what am I reading?
Finishing up Stephanie Burkhart's Budapest Moon: The Hungarian
Going to start Debra Glass' Having Patience
Still trying to figure out how to download an audio I won from Allie Boniface's Lost in Paradise onto my MP3. I may give up and start listening to it on my laptop while I (God forbid) clean. I'm really looking forward to it. Maybe I'll just buy the e-book. Why is it I'll sit before my computer to read a book but not listen? Humph.
In between crazy work schedules and family drama, I also have a stack of steamy threesomes to get through, and I have to find and return a book a friend lent to me about first time lesbian encounters.

My first story, Inamorata, can be found in the anthology Once Upon a Threesome!

Comments

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately, expanding my reading (don't even ask how many books now crowd my computer!) and finding new things. I don't comment on every blog I read. Sometimes it's because I don't have time to do more than skim, sometimes because I don't have anything more to say than, "Huh, yeah!" Not a very astute comment.

But the question is, what makes you comment. Because leaving a comment wins you a prize? (No, not giving anything away, don't really have anything to give away!) Because the conversation is interesting? You like the author's interview?

Curious minds want to know!

Creative time

I read the start of The Other 8 Hours by Robert Pagliarini. Now I don't have 8 hours where I can decompress and be creative; that'd take me to at least 1 am and frankly I get little enough sleep as is. That would cut my sleep down to 5 hours 30 minutes and I need way more than that!

But time aside, the concept is decent. Basically, in y own words, if you want to get ahead, you have to do that during this off time. Not during the day job (which I need) or during your sleep (which I also need!) but during this other time. I'm not finished it, and may not (it is a time thing after all) but the theory is sound.

Prioritize commitments is the big thing (getting rid of our big time sucks, though I don't agree with everything like reading: hello!) What's most important? OK, writing is. Yes, family is hugely important but the have their own time, the rest (teeny tiny slices) are mine.

So writing is what I want to do, it's what is most important to me. Now I have to carve out time to do it without letting things interfere. Frankly, this is the hardest part but until I get into a routine, or convince the fam that this is important and me on the computer isn't me playing games, I just have to.

Nike had it right: Just do it!