Writing – Page 8

Finished!

July 8, 2011 by Carey Jane Clark

Wrote the last word of my novel (re-write) on Monday, July 4, 2011, just before we went on a three-day vacation out of Internet range, so I couldn’t even blog about it. Very excited to hit this milestone!

I finished the original draft before we left for China, and didn’t like it–the climax fell flat. I purchased a copy of Dramatica, and worked through some of the exercises. I realized that I needed to more fully develop one of my characters, so changed it from a novel entirely from one first-person POV, to an alternating point of view (two characters), and am much happier with how it’s turned out.

Now, on to revision!

(And just so you know, I’m keeping up with the rest of my goals for 3 in 30.)

July 3 in 30

July 2, 2011 by Carey Jane Clark

I’ve signed up for the 3 in 30 Challenge. I was going to go back over some materials I have from a long time ago called the 90-day Challenge, but then I started noticing 3 in 30 on other people’s blogs. I thought it sounded like a good, do-able idea, and something I could realistically participate in. I appreciate the accountability!

Knowing that we’re going to be doing a lot of traveling around this month, there’s no point in working on housework or even on getting to bed on time. Not going to happen this month! In light of that, here are my three goals for the month. The goals for 3 in 30 are supposed to be realistic. One of them may be a stretch, given the contraints on our time for the next month. See if you can guess which one (ha ha):

Staying on track as a Bible in 90 days participant. I’ve tried the Bible in 90 days all on my own and not succeeded before. I’m looking forward to the accountability and encouragement of my online friends and my mentor. Most of our travel will be behind us once this begins, so I’m very optimistic.
Exercise at least four times a week. I’d like to say every day, but I know with all the late nights, it will be a challenge, so I’m being realistic. I won’t have my videos with me while we’re traveling, so I’ll have to jog, which I’m not crazy about in the first place, so this is a good goal.
Complete revision of my manuscript. I am on the verge of completing the last chapter. I want to work through revision this month with two methods. I’m itching to get at it. My manuscript is printing at Staples, even as we speak. (I’ll add the last chapter on Monday.)

Entering the world of Twitter

July 1, 2011 by Carey Jane Clark

Twitter intimidated me for a long time. I didn’t understand it, and really had no desire to understand it. I did, however, in a moment of insanity, sign up for an account on Twitter about two years ago. I did it to follow an animal cam in Africa. Suddenly, people began following me, which I found intriguing, since I had zero Twitter activity.

Recently, a homeschool organization I follow on Facebook announced a Twitter party, and the giveaway was enticing. So, I put a toe into the Twitter waters. Now, I guess you could say I’ve started treading water.

I still have a lot of anxiety about Twitter. There is a lot going on out there, and it is easy to be overwhelmed. What overwhelms me most of all is how much has changed in the past two or three years since I have been in the blogging and writing world. It is hard not to get the feeling that I am sadly behind the times.

I went to bed two nights ago positively panicked about my social media profile. Ah! Until I was brought back to that timeless truth that it is God who ordains the times we live in and sets us in the middle of them. It is He who places people in their spheres of influence “for such a time as this” and ultimately, he is the One who promotes.

I will continue to take advantage of every opportunity to learn more about what’s out there in the world beyond our little homeschool. Like this giveaway to Connections Network for example, put on by a fellow homeschooler over at Raising Arrows. Hope I win!

Tweet, tweet.

No words

June 28, 2011 by Carey Jane Clark

There are no words left. I have been writing furiously every night after the kids go to bed. I am one chapter away from completion of the second draft of the novel I have labored over for six years–well, four years with an unplanned two-year sabbatical (but that’s another story). Without the insertion of that chapter and the one that follows it, the novel now stands at 82,643 words.

It. is. almost. finished.

Therefore I have no blog words left. I will write here tomorrow.

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