A Light Through the Darkness

Today, the day and the night share equal parts of our 24 hours. It's a good day to get things done, and that is what I intend to do today.

I have realized that in order to feel better, I have to do a few things. The biggest? Remember to take my meds. *sigh* I am such a bad patient sometimes. At least I finished my antibiotics on schedule. It's the daily meds I have issues with.

Also, today, I am taking a break from 1 pm to 4 pm to watch my boys play. Wasn't it nice of the Red Sox and MLB to schedule Opening Day on my birthday? So considerate. I can't wait.

So, this is the list, in no particular order:

- Morning Pages
- Dishes
- Email
- Clean up dining room table
- Put away folded laundry
- Wash laundry in basement
- Pagan post
- WWI update post
- Make cranberry muffins except they were brownies. That counts!
- Vacuum living/dining room
- Documents prepared to send out tomorrow
- Clean up kitchen table
- Clean up dining room table
- Edit 3 stories for S&S
- Record The Sun Never Sets
- Record 1 ep of Horseman
- Write 350 words on Tales summary
- Outline week in day planner

There may be more, but that's a good list. I like it. There may also be WoW later, if I want. And swimming, possibly.

Now, off to do dishes, so there can be breakfast.

So last night, I finished the readthrough for Belladonna Dreams. Now comes the next part of my editing: answering the questions that have popped up in the bible during my readthrough. I have at least one character...no, actually, I have TWO characters that I don't have a lot of background on. For both of them, I suspect they're part of a continuing storyline (ohnoez! not another sequel!), and I have to figure out what that continuing storyline is.

I also have to figure out what role the Daywalkers play in this world. I suspect it's a larger role than I knew when I first wrote the book.

So today, I'm going to take all the questions I have scattered through my notes and consolidate them. Then I start tackling them one by one. I also have to get my character notecards in order and updated for the rewrite.

When I do a rewrite, I retype everything. I know it seems like a lot of wasted effort, but it forces me to look at every word, and I can edit as I go. YMMV.

More later.

So, here's the first in a series on how I write. Remember, y'all asked for this, so don't cry when you find out how incredibly OCD I am when it comes to this kind of thing. :)

(Okay, to be perfectly honest, I'm pretty OCD about a lot of things, but that's neither here nor there. This is about the editing.)

( Follow the dancing red pen... )

Okay, more later. This is an on-going process, after all, and it's time for me to head home.

Today's to-do list:

1. FINISH SACRIFICE!!!!
2. Words on Descent.
3. Finish chap summaries on Tony's book, so I can figure out how to reorg it.

I'll be parking my ass in chat all day, doing wars to keep me on task. See y'all there!

Starting count on Sacrifice is 8984.

Just editing today.

Metrics for Alien Revelation

181 / 532 (34.0%)

Early day at work tomorrow, so I'll be bringing the notebook and writing more on Dreams at work.

Not mine, really, but the novel I was editing for DMP is now in production's hands. Yay! Now back to concentrating on Seasons.

I think I'll print out what I have of the outline and bring it to work to worry over tonight.

Now, off to write a bit before I have to shower and go.

ETA: Well, got 919 words written before heading out. Printed out my draft so far and my outline. We'll see what I can get done on breaks, etc.

193 / 442 (43.7%)

So very close! I'll finish tomorrow.

Well, I wrote tonight. Go me!

I also figured out that my outline was shot to hell, and I had NO clue where I was going. Sooooooo,

I put the rough draft aside and started to wrestle the outline. I've got some good things done on that - the book is making a LOT more sense, and I've found some interesting new characters. However, I don't know if the vampire will remain - he might move over to Descent. I could see Donovan working out there better.

I'm doing the 21-Day Habit Builder at mad_collective: I got 256 words done on the actual book, and another 1100+ done on the outline. My goal is to write at least 250 words a day for 21 days: I need to get back into the habit of writing every day.

Especially since my schedule is about to get a WHOLE lot more crowded.

I forsee my black book becoming my writing "to-do list," since I have a couple of irons on the fire.

1. Finishing up the edits on Tony's book - this should be done by the end of the week.
2. Dark Moon Seasons - the final needs to be in to Gwen no later than 1/1/07.
3. Broken Wings - looks like this is finally coming off the ground. We're looking at a preliminary launch date of April 2007 (RavenCon, for those going), but my artist and background illustrator need to have time to draw.
4. Belladonna Dreams - I REALLY want to finish this one.

So basically, I need to be WAY more disciplined than I have been lately. I've slacked off this summer. I can't anymore.

Hehe - I love being a writer. Let me at those deadlines!

Okay, I'm doing 2 hours of editing and at least 2 hours of writing tonight. The game is at 8 pm, and even though I know we're going to get spanked (I'm being realistic - I think the season is over at this point, although you never know), I haven't watched baseball in over a week.

So now to edit. Making dinner in an hour.

I'm so exciting. :p

Got over 100 pgs done today on Tony's edits.

246 / 436 (56.4%)

Very happy. Hopefully will have book done by Friday morning.