Author Journey: November 17, 2023 - Trucking Along & Forgetting a Whole Lot

 Welcome to the scenic route! I've got some news to share with you and an update on how the editing for Over Land & Under Stone has been coming along. And if you keep scrolling, you'll find a new word prompt to help jump start your creativity. Let's get to it! 

Author Journey: Nano 2023 Update - Week 2

I've been blessed with an awesome momma. She loves to read and passed that on to me. What she most enjoys is a clean, inspirational, historical romance. So it really surprised me when she enjoyed reading Ripples. Since she enjoyed that one, I asked her to help me with a read through of the manuscripts that follow. She's been helping me with this for Over Land & Under Stone. What's awesome about that is she's asking questions in spaces where she's confused. I figure if she's confused, that's a spot I need to work on. Even better, she's enjoying the story. So I know my content is good enough to keep working with. 

It's been encouraging working through this with my mom. And it helps me stick with it. Here's where my Nano goal line sits as of yesterday. 

As you can see, the line jumps significantly in two places. I'm having to guess at how much of the manuscript I can read through in an hour. As I read, I mark places needing an edit. So I'm basically just copying and pasting the old manuscript into Scrivener as I complete a physical pen/paper edit. So I'll go back into those copy/pasted chapters and insert the corrections as needed. But the word count at the end will be the final result. So that's likely to change. I only hope I'll still have enough word count to win. 

When I first worked on OLUS, I had a new tablet and my laptop wasn't the greatest. Then someone passed down a used laptop which my husband refurbed for me. That happened a couple times. So when I thought I'd lost the most recent incarnation of the manuscript, I was dreading a rewrite. I actually liked the content which came out the last time I edited it. I'd written in some exciting conflicts and drama and I knew there was good stuff in there. It needed refinement, sure! But to rewrite it again and be certain I caught all the intricacies of the book world when you're crafting a whole different one is kind of a Mt. Everest moment. Or at least it seems that way. 

In any case, I found the most recent manuscript and have been working through that diligently. I still like the story, though I'm seeing a lot of POV flipping. There are a couple of muddy places, too, which I need to work on...basic world items and a bunch of timeline issues. But when it's done, I'm pretty sure it'll be well-received by those who pick it up. It's definitely a story worth telling. 

Writer's Life: So What's Got Me More Forgetful Than Usual?

I've forgotten a whole lot of stuff this month and honestly, most of the last couple of months or so. There's been so much on my plate with my mom's health scare. She's still improving so thanks for the prayers and please keep on. She'll soon be strong enough to handle those tests she needs to take, I think. 

When it's not someone's health, there are issues popping up at home and activities going on in the community. And now there's a wedding to plan. It'll be my first wedding as the mother of the bride, so I have a whole lot more to do than when our son got married. It's exciting, but daunting how much has to be done in six months. Please pray for us while we're putting it all together. Every bride deserves a beautiful, as-stress-free-as-possible, wedding day, as does her groom. 

So please bear with me. I'm doing my best to keep up with everything. Next week will be a toss up, but I'll try to get my posts out as usual. 

Just Keep Writing: Friday Fascicles

If this is your first time participating in this kind of writing exercise, you're in for a treat. If you've done this with me before, just keep scrolling for the prompt.

Rules:

1. You can use any/all of the words and/or the photo in the prompt below to create a unique written work. Fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, even lyrics are acceptable.  
2. Please keep the material you write clean (i.e. nothing R-rated or worse) if you wish to share the link to your work here, as well as if you link back to my site. I strive to keep my site free of such things. My readers know and expect this. I respect your right to write whatever you feel you need to write. And you're free to use my prompts. But if your material is graphic, I'd rather not view it, and most of my readers will not wish to. 
3. Have fun! This type of exercise is perfect for growing in the writing craft, or for helping through a rough patch in your current WIP. If you're looking to push your author limits and you normally write in nonfiction prose, try a whimsical collection of lyrics. If you normally write poems about real life events, try your hand at a fanfic. Give yourself some room to explore.

Don't forget to leave a link to your creation (unless you're writing graphic material) so my readers and I can check out your work. I'd appreciate a link back to this post to help me reach more readers, but it's not required. 

I hope you find these words helpful in your current WIP. Let me know in the comments!

Thank y'all so much for coming to the scenic route and checking out my posts. I appreciate the support and encouragement, as well as the prayers. Please visit again next week for more word prompts. 

Until next time,
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