Sizzling New Year and Goals

Here in South Oz it's been hot. Really, really hot. With kids home and trapped inside life has been a little crazy. Not to mention Joy baby turned 1 and learned to walk - uh, oh!

Our short holiday on a little island off the coast had lighthouse-keeper ideas springing to mind and lots of time on the beach to think about the WIP. Now I'm keen to get stuck in and get the re-write done and sent
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Had some good contest news with an Emily final a few days ago so am thrilled and excited about that. Came 4th in each of the other contest so I'm hoping there's some improvement left in me. Will read through the feedback and try to apply it.

Cool change is due tonight...

Have been thinking about my goals for the year ahead. Most of them are writing related (other than enrol Princess 4 in school and get Master 2 out of nappies). I want to have my re-writes sent by the end of January. I'd like to polish HDP and SIG more and write two new stories. Sub something else before the end of June and enter 3 contests.

I can do all that!?!

I hope.

How's your year looking? Is it 42 deg celcius where you are?

=)

Fresh Start and Finals

Have had some good contest news lately with a final in a US contest (Launching a Star) and an aussie contest (High 5) with two different stories. Have my fingers crossed as I await the results.

I finished Stand In Groom in my own version of NaNo and i am completely in love with Ryan, such a tortured hero. So glad to give him the woman that allowed him to heal and makes him happy at last.

Now am working on revising Mummy Makes Three for Richmond. After the Emmy the judge expressed interest in seeing the revised story. I'm hoping I can do it justice. I wonder though if re-writing from scratch is better than changing bits and bobs here and there?

Oh, and my hero came up with 'Peaches and Cream' cupcake flavour, inspired my the lovely skin of my heroine...

Cupcakes

My heroine makes cupcakes and I'm thinking i need some more research into this very important topic.

So far in my story there's been a cheery choc creation, and one with coconut and apricot. The latest is the Vanilla Dream, a simple but beautiful cake with a surprising centre of rich, creamy custard.

What I need is another idea. Something a man might think of as a cupcake special. And it can be delicious or even a bit of a disaster.

Any thoughts?

Conflicted about conflict

Rach (who visited on the weekend - I had the BEST time, except for the toilet seat incident) posted recently about making the conflict clear in the first page for catagory... GULP! That's not really happening here for SIG.

The discussion was interesting. I think we all agreed we need to see on the page why these two are going to have a rough time getting to that HEA. If not on the first page then as soon as possible.

I'm thinking I don't have it as clear as I'd like early enough for my heroine.

Change it then - i hear you think.

Yea, well, it's the how that's got me wondering. Is it ok that she's, apparently, not as conflicted as him at the start? Can it be a lightish layer there, eg she's just broken up with someone and doesn't want to rush in, and then BANG it gets LOTS worse a chapter in?

Thoughts?

Prologues - good, bad or just plain lazy??

I've been playing with my story that did well in the Emmy, Mummy Makes Three. It has a prologue and I've been debating cutting it. I've read that prologues are lazy writing and they generally don't help the story.

In this case we have a lovers reunited story. The prologue is the dramatic birth of their child nine years before the story starts. All the crits I've had, only one person has disliked the prologue. Most feel immediate empathy with the mother giving birth.

What do you think?

Prologues - are they a waste? Is it a sign of laziness? Is it just the worst kind of info dump?

Am I just asking this question to avoid editing?

Crazy Busy

I've been busy!

The RWAus awards night was fun. picture me sitting in front of the laptop, madly checking twitter while chatting in the Clayton's chat room. I was thrilled with 2nd in the Emmy and want to congratulate Rach for her 4th in The Valerie Parv Award.

My attempts to get back into the writing went astray with Princess's 4th birthday. It's all done now and i have two weeks until we have visitors from Japan. Am planning to finish the partial for SIG and then some editing for HDP.

Editing seems so full of potential. Can I do the story justice? With time away I can see some ways to improve I just hope I can make it work like the vision I see in my head. I'm not sure where to start...

Slowly, slowly

Am making some very slow progress on SIG. Have had great excuses - cold, kids sick, waiting on a crit for HDP and most recently am nervous about the Emmy results sat night.

Wish I was going to the conference. Would be so exciting to be completely immersed in writing for days... bliss!

Claytons it is for me and some cyber nervous drinking and checking Twitter for the contest results. Good luck to Rach too!

=)