Tag: editing

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by the seat of my pants

I don’t think anyone who knows me would be surprised by the fact that I kind of fly by the seat of my pants when I write.  Oh, I usually have a few established plot points in mind when I start, some targets to hit along the way, but sometimes all I have is a character or an ending, and the rest comes along as I write.

Unsurprisingly, this usually means that I end up having to do some heavy editing once the first draft is done, and I already have a pretty lengthy list of things I need to go back and fix as I sit here around sixty thousand words on The Blood Witch.  Some things I fix on the fly, but most I just make note of and keep moving, so I don’t get trapped in an endless edit loop and never finish the zero draft.

For me, getting the story down is more important than getting it *right* the first time through.  I can edit and finesse and dress up later.  First I need to get the bare bones down.  Sure, I have some phrases and entire scenes that come out perfect the first time through, but more often than not, those will end up cut out as the story evolves and get tucked away in a file in the dark recesses of the computer to be played with from time to time.

Over time, as the plot develops, I become more and more sure of the ending, and how to get there.  I’m at that place right now where I can see the ending, and I know a bunch of the plot points I need to get there, and really, I just need to sit my ass down and write.  If only I could squeeze out a few more hours in my day!

I’m hoping to write for as many as six hours per day on the weekends, and a half hour to an hour, minimum, per day through the week…I just need to figure out how to manage that with the day job, the freelance job, the gym, the commute, the housework, etc.

Speaking of, I should get back to it before the day gets away from me or I get buried under the mountain of laundry. Happy Sunday, Readers!

Photo by Uwe Jelting on Unsplash

 

Photo by Uwe Jelting on Unsplash

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stress is the muse killer

There is no denying that I am super stressed out about finding a job, and that stress has sent my muse packing on what I am hoping is just a quick get-away to someplace nice and warm.  Otherwise, she’s just running from the stress, and who knows when she’ll be back?

The truth is, everything I’ve written in the last two weeks has been forced and stilted and just straight up bad.  I even tried working on new short stories in the hopes that it would kick me out of the funk.

No luck.

I have an editing job to do, and the promise of a few more on the horizon, I have posted on fiverr.com to try to bring in some more work, and even on Craig’s List.  So far no bites.  I may have a one to two month contract job, which I should know about this coming week, and I have been requested to interview at a company in Oakland this coming week as well, though I don’t have a date and time yet.

In the meantime, I am working on keeping myself busy and with Pride just around the corner, that isn’t really too hard.  Maybe I need some inspiration.  I have tomorrow set aside as a day to write…maybe I’ll pull something out of the partially written ideas file and try something new…or maybe try something completely out of the norm for me.

At any rate, it’s Saturday, so whatever you’re up to today, Readers, I hope it’s a good one!

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so many irons in the fire

This time of year is my busy season.  Being out of work hasn’t eased any of it, in fact, in a lot of ways it’s made it harder, busier.  Looking for work is a full time job, as they say.  Add in the work I do for SF Pride, and some freelance editing, not to mention my own writing and you get one busy little author!

I have an interview today for a job I’d really like to get at a company in San Francisco that is working to change the landscape of finance for those who are un-banked or under-banked.  It’s a wonderful combination of work that I love and a cause I can get behind.

Yesterday, I spent most of my day working on Pride stuff…paperwork that all needs updating to 2019, contracts and acceptance letters…all kinds of fun stuff, then I cut out about two hours of my afternoon to read, an indulgence to be sure.

I recently won a leather bound edition of The Song of Ice and Fire, and have paused in my Sirens reading to start reading these.  I’m not quite two thirds of the way through the first book.  I’m interested to find how the books differ from the TV show.

I’m up early this morning, and hope to work on a short story that I’m writing before I have to start getting ready for the interview.  It’s a sci-fi piece about a girl who accidentally becomes an assassin, first out of necessity, but then discovering that she is good at it.

Right then, I should get to those words, and my coffee while it’s still hot.

 

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whatever normal is…

Happy Saturday, Readers!  I’ve spent most of this week on the job hunt, and it’s starting to show signs of paying off.  I’ve had three phone interviews with one company and have an in-person interview with a different one on Monday.  I’m hoping I am gainfully employed before the first of June.

In the meantime, I finished the first editing phase of the Anthology for Sirens that I’ve been telling you about, and I’ve had some time to do some writing, though my focus has been definitely scattered, so I’m not sure how much of that writing is any good.

I’m trying to use today to kind of reset everything, get back into the rhythm of my normal life: coffee and writing, some consulting work, chores, and with luck a fair amount of exercise.

It helps me feel like I’m still in control.  Even if I’m not.  And I’ve been feeling very not in control of late.  Partly due to the way my phone is ringing all day long, from 7 am through to 6 pm with recruiters who don’t know how to read a map, or who think it is completely logical to relocate to another state for a 6 month contract job.

I’m trying really hard not to count on either of the positions that I have interviewed/am being interviewed for, but it sure would be nice if one of them came through with an offer next week.

Now I have two kitties who seem to think they need my attention and a cup of coffee that’s getting cold, so I should get on with the day.  Hope your weekend is filled with beauty and kindness.

 

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pain and suffering

As someone who has their hands on a keyboard approximately 12 to 14 hours per day, it is unsurprising that I have chronic pain issues in my arms/hands.  Some days it is barely noticeable among the cacophony of other pain issues in my body. Other days, like today, it becomes a screaming symphony that demands to be heard.

It started as neck pain yesterday, all around that pinched nerve.  Moved into the shoulder through the night.  By this morning, my shoulder, elbow and wrist were crying…and of course, I can’t find a single wrist brace anywhere!  I only own about five of them, but none of them are where I can put my hands on them.

It also seriously cuts into my ability to write or edit.  A lot.  Typing isn’t as bad on this Kinesis keyboard, but using the mouse is tear inducing.

Needless to say, this drives me to want to spend my day away from the keyboard and mouse.  Well, not really.  What I want is to be pain free enough to get my work done, but barring that, the next best thing is to take my hands off the things that hurt them.

Maybe if I listen to my body today, it will let me work tomorrow.

 

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Today is the submissions deadline for the short story anthology that I am editing for the Sirens Conference, a benefit anthology that will help defray the costs of running a conference like this one.

This year we opened up submissions to include poetry and flash fiction, as well as the short stories we’ve always accepted.  The writers of this community are amazing and I genuinely LOVE getting to read the collection, let alone having a hand in helping bring it to fruition.

Of course, that means that today’s writing time is devoted to editing instead, but I have a couple hours blocked out of tomorrow to write, though whether I end up tweaking my short story for the anthology or working on one of the novels in progress is anyone’s guess.

For today, I plan to edit for a few hours, then I head out to the salon to re-greenify my hair, which is looking a little bit sad right now, before coming home to tackle laundry and housework.

The glamorous life of a writer, I tell ya!  Living the dream over here.

Hope your Saturday is glorious, Readers! I’m off to pour another cup of coffee before I open the first story.

Want more from me? Visit me!

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Poetry: https://weightywordspoetry.wordpress.com/
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the editing hat

We are getting close to time to begin editing the short stories for the Sirens benefit anthology.  This is a book that comes from people who have attended a Sirens Conference, and who want to help support the work that the conference does, help provide scholarships to the event and otherwise support women in speculative fiction.

This will be my second year acting as editor for this collection and I’m excited to read and edit the wonderful stories that will come from this pool of talented writers.  The conference theme this year is Heroes and as always, we choose the title of the anthology, and thus the theme for the stories, based on that theme and a general consensus from the community.

reader_hero_logo
Sirens 2019 Logo

This year’s title is Heroes and Hellions…and I can already taste the reading goodness this will bring.

My own story takes me slightly out of my comfort zone, writing in present tense, but includes devils (for some value of devil), an old west style showdown and a little bit of magic in a post apocalyptic town on the edge of nowhere.

The anthology is open to any kind of speculative fiction, be it horror, sci-fi, fantasy…you name it.  This year we also kicked it open for poetry and flash fiction.

If you’re interested in seeing what last year’s anthology was like, check it out over on Amazon. The Title is Rebels & Revenants and it is filled with awesome stories from kickass female authors.  It is available in Paperback and Kindle.

rebels and revenants
Rebels and Revenants

Deadline for submission is in three days, and I already have one submission in.  This is going to be fun.  I really should make myself an actual editing hat.  I have lots of hats to chose from.  Maybe I’ll even take a picture of me in my editing hat.

But now it’s time for the day job and coffee. Happy Wednesday, Readers!  I hope your day is filled with happiness and sunshine.

 

Want more from me? Visit me!

Weight Loss: https://aweightyjourneysite.wordpress.com/
Current Events: https://myweightinwords.wordpress.com/
Poetry: https://weightywordspoetry.wordpress.com/
Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/nataliejcase

You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (be warned I post a lot pictures of my cats).

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#amediting

I am knee deep into editing an anthology of awesome stories told by amazing female writers.  It’s a wonderful assortment that spans sci-fi, fantasy and horror and in some cases mixes them together.

It’s always interesting to me how individual writers interpret a prompt or theme.  The theme here is all about rebellion and ghosts, about fighting for what you believe in, winning, losing, the things we sacrifice, willingly or not, along the way.

These ten or so stories tell tales of women in crisis, women in triumph, women in defeat and so much more.

I really can’t wait until I can share these with you!  Keep your eyes on this space!

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the path to perfection

I’m a writer.  Left to my own devices, I would probably never stop fiddling with a story.  I still find places in things I wrote twenty years ago that I’d change, fix, re-write, update, flesh out….you get the idea.

So there comes a point in every manuscript where I have to make myself take my hands off it and send it to my editor.  I’ve reached that point with Where Shadows Fall.

Later today I will be sending it off to my hard working editor who will correct all of my typos, point out the places where I don’t tie things together, ask me what was I thinking here, give me comments on characters and characterization and give me feedback on what’s missing, what needs more fleshing out and how to fill up that plot hole I didn’t even see.

When I get it back from her, I’ll be a step closer to ready to submit to my publisher.  Before submission, however, it’s my turn to use what she gives me to make the story shine.

Finishing this book is a milestone.  It ends the story begun in Through Shade and Shadow,  and closes off a chapter in my writing life.  There are so many stories bursting inside my head and I can’t wait to see where they take me next!

Now, to a cup of coffee and the day job.  Happy Wednesday, Readers!!

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where shadows lie

Saturdays are my writing days.  I spend my mornings visiting in the worlds I have created and drawing out the stories of those who live there.  I have, in recent weeks spent much of my writing time creating a new world, but this morning I am once again submerged into the world that is Shades and Shadows.

My goal is to wrap up this story in this last book, so writing includes a fair amount of revisiting to make sure I pick up all the loose threads of story.  And there are a lot of threads.

As I rework a scene I wrote months ago that involves a rather large scale bombing I can’t help but revisit in my mind all of the terrible acts we can do to one another, the destructive power that is a human being filled with hatred.

It can be easy to lose ourselves in despair as we continue to see this destruction unfold in our real lives.  It can be easy to forget the force for good that is a human being filled with love.

When despair threatens to overwhelm, I have found the best remedy is to counter it with small acts of kindness.  Humanity is found in the smallest acts.

Happy Saturday, Readers!