what's up with that writer chick?

Yes. Apparently, I am still alive.

Sorry for the lack of updates. I had a small issue with Typepad. Something about not paying the bill...

Being unemployed has it's drawbacks.

But now I'm back. Much has happened in the months since you've heard from me, of course. I will use this entry to discuss my writing and will be back later to dish on that whatnots and happenings because they so deserve their own entry. 

The Cocky and The Cougar has been completed. My original work, The Previous Fall, sadly has not been completed. My workshop with Fictionista, however, has.

Now that The C&C is finished, I am working on The Cocky Speaks (which is written from Edward's POV). Chapter two is in the hands of my extremely-busy beta and should be posted shortly. I am also working on Charlie's Story. This is the story of Charlie, natch (and Renee), specifically the Charlie we were introduced to in Chapter 4 of Cocky/Cougar. Chapter 2 of this story is pending.

I am also in the process of posting The Cocky and The Cougar at The Writer's Coffee Shop (TWCS), for those those didn't catch it on ffn or Twilighted. Plus, I may well decide to pull my stuff from Twilighted (I consider it pretty much daily) and since it is actually too smutty for ffn and could conceivably get pulled at any time for violating their Terms of Service, I felt it wise to post somewhere else where the smut is allowed and I don't have to deal with Twilighted's aggravating validation process.

Some of you may recall my talking about How to Write a Love Song. I started working on this at the same time I started writing Cocky/Cougar, but stopped once C&C (along with Previous Fall) took over my life. I always intended to get back to it and assumed it was going to be a work of Twilight Fanfic. Well ... (very) long story short, after five chapters, I have decided that this is not Twific material. It needs to be an original piece of fiction. So that is what I am making it.

This story has been calling to me for months and demanding that I get back to it. Through those months, I would give it nodding attention, maybe figure out some plot points or write a snippet or two of a future chapter, again—always intending to get back to it. Lately, the story is just really nagging at me. I will still finish The Previous Fall, but I can't ignore Love Song any longer.

In early, 2009, I set a goal for myself. I was going to start writing again in a real way and try to get something—anything—published by Summer, 2010. I had an idea for the first chapter of a novel and, to that end, I started writing The Previous Fall.

When I first started writing TPF, I had no intention of it being something I would want to publish. I thought I was just getting my feet wet; practicing and getting back to writing. But then I fell in love with those characters and decided there was no harm in using it as my first attempt at publishing.

There are many reasons for it and I could point fingers at others, but the bottom line is that I missed my self-imposed deadline. By the end of summer (once my workshop with Fictionista was complete), I was considering starting to send out query letters in regard to TPF, but something held me back. It's just not ready for that, yet. The novel doesn't have to be 100% ready to publish in order for me to send out the queries, of course, but I didn't feel confident enough in it and in my ability to whip it into shape in time should someone show interest. So I held off. And I missed my deadline.

Missing that deadline works a little to my advantage. Since I missed it anyway, there is no harm in my devoting a huge chunk of time to a new novel. The truth is, Love Song would probably be a lot more marketable as my first novel, anyway. So this could be a really good thing.

I am very bummed about missing my summer deadline though, I don't mind admitting. I wouldn't trade having taken a year off of work for anything. The growth I have seen in my writing over this year is amazing to me and is a direct result of having so many hours every day to devote to my work. To be even more truthful, I think I sort of needed the time, mentally- and emotionally-speaking, as well. So much has happened in the last two years and I sort of needed the time to deal without having to focus on a job.

But now I find myself in the position of having to find a real job due to the bad financial position my extended unemployment has left me in. And let's face it, writing a new novel is not going to be so easy when I'm working 8-11 hours every day.

Those things are doable, though. They are things I can cope with. More upsetting is an underlying suspicion that I sabotaged myself with regard to this deadline and haven't worked as hard to get TPF into publishable shape as I should/could have. Sometimes I wonder if, deep down, I am afraid to be successful in those fields where I am most talented—music and writing.

I hope that's not the case. But it is a suspicion.

Anyway, so the plan is now to make Love Song my priority and edit TPF whenever I get a bug up my butt to do so. If I can get Love Song published, hopefully I can make TPF my second book (and its sequel Year One, my third :)).

I still have a novella to finish for the delightful girl who bought it as part of a charity auction months ago, as well. The poor girl has waited so very long. I'm a bum for not getting this done yet.

So yes. Lots on my writing plate.

As many of you know, November is National Novel Writing Month. I am not participating officially, but three writer friends and I are doing our own, unofficial, version. I have been in a writers group with ObsessingOverEdward, ericastwilight and kyla713 for a few months, now. We exchange chapters and provide each other with feedback, we brainstorm and all of that fun (and very valuable) stuff. We all wanted to use the NaNoWriMo project as inspiration and to hold us accountable for writing every day, but for various reasons we didn't want to participate via NaNoWriMo's web site. So we're doing our own thing. I have committed to writing at least 2,000 words every day for the month of November (yes, including Thanksgiving! And no, blog entries don't count). My priorities for NaNoWriMo will be:

1. Love Song
2. Auction Novella
3. TPF
4. Twifics Works in Progress (The Cocky Speaks & Charlie's Story).

So that's what's up with this writer chick. You will hear from me in a more timely manner next time, honest.

P.S. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TOMORROW!!!!!!!