October 2018 Writing Updates

What better way to start this consolidated post than with a Nano prep udate!

10/16/2018 -

My plan was to have the weekly blog posts set up in advance but I'm still struggling to make that happen. But then, what is life without an obstacle or two to overcome?
The planning for this coming Nano is still underway. I finally managed to fill in my MC's character profiles. I'm so thankful for that! Now to fill in the villain profiles and get that outline nailed down. I'll feel a whole lot better about my chances to win when I'm done with that.

Nano Planning

Like I mentioned before, I finally got the character profiles filled out for my two MCs. I'll be working on the villain profiles either today or tomorrow. And hopefully that outline will be ironed out before the end of the week rolls around. I'm starting to stress about it. I haven't even begun the world building on paper. It's happening in my head, of course, but I need that on paper so I don't lose it in the labyrinthine passages of my mind. It is quite painfully obvious I am no Sherlock Holmes. Here's a character sketch I created in Doll Divine to sort of kick-start  character profiles. It's not totally accurate, of course. The Bot'hani people cover their skin completely with fabric. It may be thin fabric in the case of the females' sleeves or veils, but their body shape is concealed. Males cover their skin as well, so Kai wouldn't be wearing a shirt like the one below. It was the only tattered shirt I could find in the game, though. The poorest classes do wear clothes that show more of their shape but their skin is still covered by fitted pants and long-sleeved tunics. If you like the photo below, click on it to go check it out yourself! It's fun even if you're not creating characters for a specific reason. If you want to check out Rinmaru's other games, click here to go directly to that website.

10/17/2018 -

I almost always end up taking on too many projects at once. Lately, I'd been doing better. But juggling projects isn't an easy thing. And the current projects are a must. One day, maybe, I'll create the perfect time management schedule. Maybe.

Constructing the Merida costume for my daughter (photo at the end of the post!) took up so much of my time, I've been falling behind on my challenges. So the ones I'm sharing today are for #instawrimo only. I'll catch up the others, though, as soon as I'm able.

(I rarely share photos of my kids on my author blog, but this turned out so well. And since I mentioned it within one of my writing challenges, I thought I'd share the result. This is my daughter in her costume next to the photo I used for reference. Don't even get me started on the neckline discrepancy because that really bothered me. Overall, though, for the amount of time I had and the fact I had to modify the patterns I had on hand, I think it came out well enough. The photo is linked to her Wattpad page where you can read her poetry.)

Announcement

Sorry it took so long to get this post out to you! One thing this week has taught me is that even though I don't want to do it, I'm going to have to greatly reduce my blog posts. I'm simply running out of time. Part of the reason is our slower, sometimes unreliable internet. But most of the cause comes from having too many things to do, especially as the holiday season draws near. So starting next week, you can expect one or two posts a week from me on the blog. Thanks for your continued support which is precious to me! OK, now for that photo I promised you...

10/22/2018 -

I gave you guys a heads-up last week, but with everything going on in my life right now, I need to reduce the amount of blog posts you'll see from me each week. I'm going to blog at least twice a week. If you get any extra blog post notifications, then those are bonuses. It may be that I found something interesting, or something nifty happened. But for a while, just expect two until things settle back down into the normal routine.

Coming up!

It just so happens I finished reading another book. I'm that much closer to my goal! I originally set a goal of 100 books in a year with our district library, but Goodreads was set to 50. I'm very close to 50 but doubting I'll get to 100 this year. I'll make it next year, though. :) Anyway, I finished another book which means I'll have one extra post for you this week, my book review of Frostblood by Elly Blake. I'm still learning how to do these book reviews in a more comprehensive way. Please bear with me as I keep working at it.

And later in the week, I'll have more challenge responses to share with you. You can also look forward to the November newsletter which will be coming at you as soon as I figure out how to switch over my mailing list to Mailerlite. MailChimp was nice, but I think Mailerlite might be a vast improvement. Here's hoping! So you can expect some big changes to the newsletter, too.

Somehow, all these changes happening in autumn seem...right. It's my favorite month and I feel more invigorated than any other time of the year. It's regrettable that I can't enjoy mulled wine or warm cider or cocoa. But at least I can still enjoy my tea and coffee. :)

10/26/2018 -

I've been so productive this week! I think writing two or three blog posts per week is going to be much more efficient for me. I hope I'll be able to deliver more meaningful and/or interesting content for my readers and subscribers, too. :)

Reminders

So here are a few reminders and notices you might be curious about -

1. Blog posts are dropping to 2 - 3 per week instead of every work day.
2. Newsletter is supposed to go out November 1st but I'm working with a new company and undergoing surgery so it may be late. If you haven't subscribed yet, there's a form at the bottom of this page you can use. Keep in mind I'm switching from Mailchimp to Mailerlite so if you don't see your confirmation post, or you're not receiving your newsletter by December 1st, you may have to resubscribe.
3. I'll have a big announcement next Tuesday so stay tuned for that special post.
4. Nano starts next Thursday! Can you believe it's that time again? I can't... Stay tuned for details about our regional kick-off meeting next week.
   
5. One more thing...who else is excited about AUTUMN? I am loving this actual autumn that Louisiana finally decided to allow. Cooler breezes, gloomy and rainy days (I could do without the rain but it is Louisiana.)

10/29/2018 -

I'm so thankful for people who aren't afraid to ask questions while still being polite. I got an email from a reader letting me know the info about my book wasn't very clear on the blog. So I immediately updated the website's home page and set out to learn more about connecting with my readers more efficiently.

I could add a chat box... I don't have a lot of time to chat, but that would eliminate the need for emails back and forth. I'll keep researching and thinking of ways to improve the site.

Another thing I did was create a feedback form that would allow readers to comment on their experience here at the site. I haven't embedded it yet but it's coming. I'm excited to see how it'll work, but nervous, too. If I ever end up with more than a certain number of reponses on the one form, I'll have to close down that option. :/ The app I checked out today is pretty pricey. I will probably shop around for ones that better fit my budget. But until then, Typeform will do.

I must apologize for the somewhat haphazard post. I've seriously been quite frazzled over the last couple months. The dietary restrictions have taken a lot out of me. I'm still trying to figure out ways to enrich my variety without setting off the imbalances. And for a person like me who hyper-focuses on the strange things, work has been sketchy at best. And of course, now that my book is out (YEA!) I have more online things to do. I'm not sorry about that, but it's all so new to me -- yet another thing to add to my list of strange adjustments.

10/31/2018 -

You can purchase an ebook in your favorite format by clicking here. Draft2Digital offers a wide selection through Books2Read and you can choose to purchase at your favorite ebook supplier. (You can also click on the book cover below to get there.)