Thursday, December 24, 2009

A Look Back

The time has passed for counting hours and I'm done to looking at the minutes before the fall of Christmas day.  This year has been such a roller coaster for me and it's impossible for me to decide what one thing had the greatest impact.

Challenges I've face:

January - started writing my first novel, The Evolution of Janie

February - began to seriously make plans to move to Colorado

March - faced a seven person panel for a job as a Science Skills Specialist, Calleigh turned 1!

April - started position as Science Specialist and went from teaching 20 kids in my classroom to working with over 80 teachers and three elementary campuses

May - began interviews with Colorado Schools

June - accepted a teaching position in Colorado Springs, Dad got sick

July -  left Houston and began a new life in the Springs,  my sister Penny got married, finished my first draft of The Evolution of Janie. Married four years!!

August - started my new job!

Septmeber - first round of rejections from agents

October - began a complete overhaul of The Evolution of Janie based on feedback from a wonderful agent and reviewers from tNBW

November - Nano took over and Songbird began, finished Nano, but still working on Songbird

December - Working on Evolution and Songbird

So where does that leave me?  Well, with six days to go I have about four or five chapters of Songbird to complete.  It was my goal to have it done and I will.  Failure is not an option and January 1st will be my first day of editing and revising.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

End of Nano

November was an amazing month.  For 30 days I was absorbed into my world of writing.  Pouring out the heart of teenage Dani and reliving her darkest and brightest moments. There were days I struggled to catch up and days I barely kept up but I eventually found a groove.  I am so proud to say that I am an Official Nano 2009 WINNER!!  I made just over the 50,000 word count and though I didn't actually complete the story I made the goal.

Then December 1st hit.  And my cocoon  of writing unwound. Since the end of Nano I've barely managed to pull out 3,000 words.  I'm still loving the story.  It's there in my mind, on the single scrap of loose leaf paper outlining the last few chapters.  But the drive is gone.  There's so much else to do. Facebook statuses to update, Perez HIlton to check and the local station has started showing Star Trek: The Next Generation.  I can't even claim to be a Trekkie, but it's there and I kept trying to figure out why Wesley Crusher was on board and actually given a job!

So, in light of my dismal efforts over the past two weeks I am setting a new goal.  A goal that I'm putting here so that I have that accountability.  I will be done with my first draft of Songbird by 11:59pm, December 31.

Wish me luck!

On my iPod:

Angels on the Moon by Thriving Ivory