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Getting things rolling again... Thursday, February 23, 2006 |

So, as I posted a few days ago, I haven't been working on the book as much in the last week. I've been too distracted with racing, but it's back full-force now. Last night I sat down with a pen a paper (that's when I feel most creative) and wrote a knew chapter one, the old-fashioned way.

I've said this before but I'll say it again, it's a shame that so much writing is done on a computer. I know it's the fasted way to do things now, but that doesn't make it better. I have a pretty hard time really feeling creative in front of a glowing screen. It needs to be done though.
Although, I've noticed that for important parts in the book, like the original chapter one, the new chapter one and an important speech that won't happen until the middle of the book, I've written them all down. They are really important parts in my mind and I want them to be perfect, and I can do that better on paper. They will all be typed eventually though, the original chapter one already is.

So anyway, the new chapter one is something that I had been thinking about for a while. I really wanted to start the book off from another person's point of view, not my charactors. I think that a) Will add some suspense to the story and b) Give a really good hint as to why things that are about to happen, happen. It's actually a really dark, sad chapter but I like what I have so far. I'm sure it's going to change many times before the book is actually finished but that's just how it goes, I guess.

I know I've been so distracted by racing recently, but after diving back into things, I realize how much I love writing this book. This blog helps too. Getting my thoughts out really clears things up for me and makes me want to write more. So thanks for reading!

Anyway, I'm going to go get back to it.

Send your comments right to me at racechick1@adelphia.net

Take it easy everybody.

Really quick post... Tuesday, February 21, 2006 |

Hey guys. I'm getting ready to get some work done, so this won't be long at all. I just wanted to post that I've had to switch internet providers, so my e-mail has changed. I changed it over on the sidebar to the left, but I wanted to make sure you guys saw it so I don't lose any e-mails.

The new e-mail address is racechick1@adelphia.net

I hope I hear from you all some more. Now it's back to work.

Have a good night guys.

Getting back to normal... Monday, February 20, 2006 |

Okay, I didn't do hardly any work on my book this past week. I feel bad about it too. Today, I'm mainly going to be going over my notes to get back into the mindset of writing this thing. In case you all didn't know this or read my first few posts, my other love (besides writing) is NASCAR racing and the Daytona 500 was yesterday. The few days after the 500 are sort of like a hangover sans liquor, so getting things rolling today has been tough. Tonight though, I'm going to try to finish most of my planning so I can get writing again. I just have to... do it.

I think the week off may have been good for me though. It should give me some new insight into what I've done so far. I always seem to find my mistakes a while after actually making them. I rarely find something that I messed up right after doing it. It's just not the way I work.

Anyway, I'm rambling. So I'm going to go get some things done before I sit down and really get back to work. Sorry for not posting a lot this last week. Daytona does that to people.

As usual, send your comments straight to me at racechick@bellsouth.net

Have a good day everybody.

I wish I could say I was busy... Tuesday, February 14, 2006 |

Sorry for the long time between posting. I wish I could say that I was locked in a room, writing to my hearts content, but honestly, I've just been watching racing. That's right, racing officially started again this past weekend and it has taken my book-obsessed brain right out of the writing process. I've been working hard on getting my racing blog back up and going with the new season and it's just been a little time consuming. With that said, I did come up with a few more ideas, in the list of ideas that I still need to think of. I wish I could tell you what I'm talking about, but it's a really secret part of the plot that would basically ruin everything if I let it out. I feel good about it though.

I only have a small list of things that still need to be planned before I can really start writing again. It's just that I have to be very careful not to leave holes in this part of the plot. I could really mess everything up if I did.

There has been a small break in the racing at Daytona this week, so I'm going to try to get a lot of book work in today before things start back up again tomorrow. It's been really, really hard to split my brain between my two loves, racing and writing. It's just something that I'm going to have to work on, I suppose. I need to dedicate a good amount of time to both, although honestly, the book has become so important to me that racing has been put on the back-burner a bit. I still love it, but I really would like to get my writing career off the ground before I commit to something that could have me traveling every weekend. What a great life that will be. Traveling to races every weekend and writing good books while I'm doing it.

Something to look forward to.

As always, send comments right to me at racechick@bellsouth.net

Have a good Valentine Day everybody!

Your enthusiasm...shocks me... Thursday, February 09, 2006 |

I really feel like I'm making progress now. I know I've said that before, but it's such a crazy situation when your actually building a world in your head. (I also may be crazy, but that's a whole other blog.) I mean, I'm really getting everything figured out, from how they will live, where they will live, their surroundings, the people who surround them and to top all of that, my main charactors are actually evoking emotion from me. When I think about what they are going to do, I get excited about it. Is that weird? Maybe, but it sure as hell could be a good book if I make it one.

That is what's hanging over me now though. I know I have the ingredients here to make a good book, a pretty damn good one, at that. Now I just have to write it well. I know I've said this before but those of you who read books know, it can have all the good ideas it wants but if the writer sucks, it's hard to hang on. I'm researching a bit now for some examples of great writing. I picked out some of my favorite authors books and I'm just reading them and trying to learn from how they write. I think that's important. Not that I want to mirror myself after my favorite authors, but at least they can show me how to do it right and I can put my own stamp on it. I'm not sure school can teach anyone that, and I'm pretty sure mine didn't, so I'm being creative. If I just take some really good tips from my favortie authors, I think I can write a good book. Although, I still feel like I need to tie up all of my loose ends, plot-wise, before I get back into writing.

I'm already going to have to add a new chapter one and re-write a lot of the first few chapters to explain some new things I just thought of. It's tiring, but I love it. I really do. That's how I know that I'm doing the right thing for me right now. It's hard, sometimes it sucks, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I think the writing part is going to be amazing though. When I can really dive in, with no doubts about my plot and just write my ass off. You know I've labeled the emotional ups and downs of writing a book, "The Process." Well, I'm labeling the actually writing of this book, "The Grind." I just feel like it's appropriate. I also like to name things. It's just a quirk people. I have two bamboo plants named Bob and Harry.... no I'm not kidding.

Funny story though, I ran a few of my ideas by my mom. She loves fantasy/mystery/sci-fi books, so I figured she might have some good input. She loved my ideas, but then threw this monster out at me. She says, "I'm surprised at how creative you're being." What? Here's the woman who told me not to ever give up because I was talented, and she's surprised that I'm being creative? You know what though? It did make me feel good that I surprised her. Plus, she meant it in a good way, and she's buying me ice cream for Valentines day... gotta love that.

So anyway, that's where I am right now. I feel excited and optimistic about things and I hope you all do too. As always, send your comments right to me at racechick@bellsouth.net

Have a good day guys.

Hold that thought... Monday, February 06, 2006 |

So after writing for a few weeks, I've realized that I'm just not ready to write much more than the first few chapters yet. I knew I had some stuff I still needed to plan out, but after some thought I realized that I still had a lot to plan out. I'm talking, huge amounts of info here. I knew I needed to define my "bad guys" more, I realize now that there is a lot to define. For instance, I need to find the root of their evil. I need to figure out why they are the way they are. Most people aren't bad for the sake of being bad, there is always a reason. It's been my job to figure that out and I think I've got it. Still, there's more to do. So, to avoid having major holes in the plot, I've put writing on the back burner again to really focus on making the story as flawless as possible.

I made some real progress on this whole planning situation this weekend, and I really feel like I'm going in the right direction. It's so funny but some days I'm so excited about where my story is headed, then other days (like today) I think that maybe I should start all over again. I swear the position of the planets change my mood a few times a day. It's crazy, really.

Add to all of that, the Superbowl was yesterday (Yay Steelers!), and the NASCAR season officially starts in a few weeks, (The Bud Shootout is Saturday. Go Junior!) this all put together equals me being scatter-brained. Plus, I've eaten so much chicken (wings, fingers, nuggets, you name it) in the last 48 hours that I'm surprised I haven't begun to grow feathers yet. I just need to focus, plan and write.

Focus, plan and write. OK, I can do that.

Send comments directly to me at racechick@bellsouth.net

Take it easy everybody.

Baby steps into the world of mystery... Thursday, February 02, 2006 |

I never, ever, thought that I would write a novel that could be categorized as a mystery. Technically, I doubt this one will be, but I'm dabbling in it anyway. I figured (not to toot my own horn) that I can be clever, so why not? I always knew I would need something else to this story. I wanted whoever read it to have that "Aha!" moment, where everything that they had been wondering about came together. I think I may have it. I like the idea of having clues throughout the book and then have the "Aha!" moment near the end. I knew I had a good story with my charactors, I knew that I was finally making progress on defing people and making them real, and now I have a plot. It seems like it may all be coming together. I like it.

Since I started my research on agents, I've had my moments of doubt, where I'm sure that no one will ever like what I write. It seems like now though, I have the ingredients to make a good book. Now I just have to really, really apply myself and make sure that this book is written in a way that is easy to read. I also want it to have it's funny moments, it's dramatic moments, it's sad moments and most of all, it's real moments. Making it real is so important to me. Even if it hurts a little.

I've actually been trying to put myself in the mood that my charactor is in at the moment. Which sucks sometimes, because I've spent the last couple of days feeling drained, but I really want that in my book. I want the emotions to be real, raw even. I also want my main charactor to have flaws, real ones, that people can relate to. I'm always disappointed in books that make their charactors out to be more than human, or perfect. Especially someone, who like my main charactor, will need to do amazing things. Amazing people still have flaws. I have to keep reminding myself of that, because I fight with also wanting her to be perfect. It's interesting and I love every second of it.

Anyway, I've rambled a bit today (Yeah, I know. Surprise!) but I'm just excited about where this is going. I still have more of my puzzle to put together tonight, which I'm looking forward to. I might even go do that now.

As always, send comments (and good book suggestions!) to me at racechick@bellsouth.net

Have a great day everybody.