'

Wednesday 29 March 2006

80s Wednesday


I love this little robot. Honestly, I used to love him as a kid and still do. My daughter enjoys watching the old episodes and even though the dialogue's a little dated and corny, I still love the core of this story. A little robot built in the image of a little boy who died in a car accident, only to be shunned by the maker -- remind you of Frankenstein a little? The show had a lot of heart and I loved that he got parents and a sister. Uran got into so much trouble, but even she's a lovely, sweet character.

The 2003 remake was missing something. I couldn't get into it, I guess it was made to appeal to the kid of today. Not sure, but I've got lots of fond memories of watching this little guy and thanks to the DVD release, can watch it with the hubby and daughter a thousand times!

Astro Boy '80s Series Opening Theme

Soaring high in the sky
He may be small, but only in size.
Astro Boy, Astro Boy
He is brave and gentle and wise.
Stronger than all the rest
This mighty robot will pass the test
Oh villains fear him, so we'll cheer him
The amazing Astro Boy.
When you need someone strong
Our robot friend is there before long.
Astro Boy, Astro Boy
He will try to right any wrong.
When there's danger nearby
No matter who, what, where, when or why
He will defend us. He'll befriend us
The amazing Astro Boy.

Sunday 26 March 2006

More Firefly...

OUTSTANDING!

Last night hubby and I watched the last three episodes - The Message, Heart of Gold and Objects in Space. WOW! They were all so terrific.

Now that we've watched all the episodes, I've gotta say this is one of the BEST shows I've ever seen. There wasn't one ep I didn't absolutely love. The characters are all wonderful and flawed but so loveable.

Everything about it is awesome! Call me a brown coat, that's for darn sure.

We got so caught up in the show that we also popped the movie in.

Yeah, I gotta agree, the movie was an awesome ride with several secrets revealed. It was great to see the characters again, continuing the story. Though I can't help but think that a lot of the threads set up in the series weren't able to be followed through in the movie because that's just the difference between the big and small screen.

Still, we thoroughly enjoyed SERENITY.

It was dark, action-packed and boy can River kick major Reaver ass! There wasn't as much smart-mouth comments as in the show but I guess I noticed that because I watched the movie right after the show! Still, Joss did very well and I wonder if he'll get a chance to do some more with this 'verse of his. Oh, there were a few sad points too that I wonder if he ever intended to write into the story if it were still on TV.

Gosh... now that the whole saga is over, I'm gonna miss it. What an awesome universe. I am definitely a fan!

So chat to me guys! What you wanna discuss about Firefly and/or Serenity?

Saturday 25 March 2006

Firefly x 4

WOW -- hubby and I sat down last night and watched four more eps in a row! We ended staying up way past 1am but it was well worth it!

Honestly, this show absolutely rocks!

Out of Gas: such a terrific episode. Mal sure loves his ship, doesn't he? And I loved the flashbacks of how he got everyone on Serenity. So funny that Zoe didn't like Wash the first time she met him... and it's no wonder with that retro 70s moustache thing he had happening. Totally great!

Ariel: What a clever bunch of guys. Stealing from the hospital was classic! And poor River... those guys chasing her are scary. Damn that Jayne for trying to sell 'em out. Though I still think he's an awesome character. Glad they ended up with the stash in the end too.

War Stories: Oh man, this was such a cool ep. The torture scene with Wash and Mal was totally hilarious! The way they argued about Zoe... Wash being jealous and all. Plus Zoe proved just how brave she is by going into that space station alone. And what about River shooting without looking? Awesome.

Trash: What can I say about this episode. Saffron was back and boy is she a double-crossing-husband-grabbing bitch! I loved that she got scammed in her own game... though it was a little weird to hear one of her alias names was my name!

I absolutely love the chemistry between all the characters and how they all interact in every tale so well. We're gonna watch the last three episodes tonight and we can't wait -- then it's Serenity time!

Wednesday 22 March 2006

80s Wednesday


As requested by my hubby, today I'm going to feature TRANSFORMERS.

Wikipedia: In this incarnation the planet Cybertron is running low on energy. The Heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, set out in space to search for more energy but are attacked by the Evil Decepticons led by Megatron. Both races crash on Earth and lie in suspended animation for the next four million years. Awakened by a volcanic eruption, the computer on board, Teletran One, begins repairing Decepticons and Autobots. The Decepticons set out to plunder Earth's energy resources in order to have the energy to conquer Cybertron. The Autobots seek to prevent this and so the battle is renewed on Earth, Cybertron and across space.

You guys remember this, right? Sure, I was a little girl and spent most of my childhood wanting girly things, but I had two brothers and sometimes I noticed they had some really cool toys for boys too. And I wanted to be a part of it... several times! One of the toys that caught my eye were Transformers... I remember the song - Transformers, more than meets the eyes... Transformers, robots in disguise - with that robotic-kinda voice. Ha! That was cool.

But Transformers were so much more than just a bunch of toys! There was a show and a movie, and it's still going today. They made so many incarnations and re-released the majority of the toys. They're even making a movie now! I wonder what they'll do with that? I still prefer the older TV shows, they were cool. Maybe a little dated, but hey, it was the 80s!

My fave was this guy:



Optimus Prime is the leader of the heroic Autobots, and it is not hard to understand why he is so suited to the task. Prime uses all his talent to improve the world around him. Immensely kind and compassionate, Prime has dedicated himself to the protection of all life, particularly the inhabitants of Earth, and will battle his foes with unyielding resolve to uphold this belief. In power and intelligence, Optimus Prime has no equal, known as one of the greatest heroes on both Cybertron and Earth.

Optimus Prime transforms into a 1980s style Cab-Over semi-trailer, comprising three components.

Tuesday 21 March 2006

My arm hurts...

eyes are blurry and my mind's gone all mushy... but I got just over 5k out today.

Brings me to:

( ############===== )
55,351 / 80,000 : 69.2%

Phew, I am so darn tired now! There was a lot of action going on in today's chunk o' words and I'm actually feeling it. Of course, the fact that hubby and I have been working out early in the morning and I've been walking so much, isn't helping any. Right? And there's those household chores that still need to be addressed - like the bathroom cleaning and the floors... agh, I'll get to them this week. I will!

But anyway, the hubby and I started watching FIREFLY eps again. I think we're probably the only people on the planet that still haven't seen SERENITY but I refuse to watch it until I see the series first. We've already watched about 4 eps and watched another last night - we're aiming for one a night since the damn TV channels have decided to postpone everything for the Commonwealth Games. Last night's ep was so good, I love these characters... and the humour - priceless. Can't wait to watch another one tonight!

Monday 20 March 2006

Monday, again

If you want to check out a Pre-published Spotlight with moi, go here. It's a really cool website Shawn has set up called The Journey, where she spotlights a different pre-pubbed writer every week. Very cool idea! Check it out, there are other very interesting Spotlights before mine too. Thanks Shawn!

Well, I wrote a nice slug of words today:

( ###########====== )
50,294 / 80,000 : 62.9%

A few happy moments, a very sad moment and a revelation all happened today. I stopped writing about twenty minutes before I had to head out to pick my daughter up - in a spot where everything that was bad, gets worse - big time! I have a good idea about the direction the story's taking from now until the end, it's just a matter of getting there. And if I keep moving at this pace, it should be sooner than later. I'm truly enjoying myself with this tale.

Also wrote the first draft for one of my SCRYbe stories for next month. It ended up being 1,260 words, so there'll be some chopping down to 1k!

Okay, gotta get going -- need to walk down to the post office to pick up some packages.

WORKING FOR THE DEVIL

AWESOME!

I finished reading this book yesterday afternoon but didn't get a chance to post about it. I've gotta say, this book hooked me in from the very beginning. From page one I wanted to keep reading, and reading so I could find out what would happen next. And there was absolutely nothing predictable about Danny or the world she lives in.

There are necromances, hedgewitches, healers, shamans, demons and even the Devil himself! Honestly, this paranormal world of the future was outstanding in description and the way it functioned. Danny Valentine is a necromance with outstanding power. One rainy afternoon she gets an unexpected visit from a demon called Japhrimel, claiming Lucifer wants to see her. He's got a job for her, one she has no choice but to take - she needs to kill a demon called Santino and retrieve something the Devil calls the Egg.

The adventure is great and Danny's past intriguing! I enjoyed every minute of it and loved all the wonderful characters introduced in this book. I truly can't wait to see what happens next in this series... absolutely awesome!

If you're looking for a terrific book with a tough heroine, terrific cast and interesting quest -- you have to check this one out!

Sunday 19 March 2006

A few movies -

So we watched Corpse Bride last night.

I was pleasantly surprised at how great it was. I probably shouldn't have been surprised because I absolutely love The Nightmare Before Christmas but I didn't know what to expect this time. Well, it was funny, had a wonderful little tale to tell, looked absolutely beautiful and ended up being a lovely, heart-warming movie. All the performances were outstanding. I've really enjoyed everything Tim Burton has been doing lately. There's a lovely dark-edge to everything he does without making it scary, just kinda eerie.

Definitely give this movie the big thumbs up! Even my hubby and daughter loved it...

The hubby and I also watched a Russian fantasy/horror flick called Night Watch. It's about people who are born as Others - an array of vampires, shape-shifters, witches, seers etc - and are split up into light and dark. Basically it's about the ongoing battle raging between them but focuses on a particular man called Anton and his importance in all of this. There are a few surprises and not just in the special effects department, which weren't too bad but the story lacked a little something for me.

There were some cool things going on and the story held a pretty good subplot that tied into the main storyline but there was just something... the ending was a little disappointing, as was the owl-chick, but overall it was a pretty cool ride. A different take on the whole supernatural genre that's worth a look. It's also the first movie in a trilogy, so it would be cool to see where they take it from here.

Friday 17 March 2006

Words

Okay, just finished my chunk o' words for the day and I've still got about half an hour before my daughter gets out of school. So I thought I'd put a post down before words start to fail me... I swear, I've been so tired this week. And it's not a sluggish kinda tired either, it's a fit-in-as-much-as-I-can-into-a-day kinda tired. Phew.

Here we go:

( ##########======= )
45,023 / 80,000 : 56.3%

I really could've kept writing for at least another 1k but I'm at a point now where everything is going to speed up and go totally crazy! So I thought it would be better to leave it where I was for Monday morning. Yeah, looking forward to going back that's for sure.

While walking back from the mailbox a few hours ago I saw a tiny mouse cross in front of me. It was so tiny and kinda shocked me. It was hiding in the grass and I thought, what the hell? When I looked up, on the railing sat this huge magpie giving me the evil eye. I took a step back and kept moving. I'm not risking an eye to double check it was a mouse or not!

Strange but true.

Anyway, that discussion I had with myself the other day... definitely urban fantasy!

Thursday 16 March 2006

Halfway there...

Yep. I'm officially halfway through the first draft... and ahead by exactly one day!
( #########======== )
40,483 / 80,000 : 50.6%

Things are moving. Things are happening. And I decided to stop where I did today - in mid-chapter - because I think it'll be a good place to start tomorrow.

:)

Wednesday 15 March 2006

Tired

When I sat down to write today, I wasn't quite sure where I was heading with the day's chunk o' words. Honestly, I usually like to think about where the story's going just before I slip off to sleep. I know it sounds a little... odd, but it's usually how I come up with my best ideas and work through plot bits and pieces. Then I wake up the next morning and everything's clear in my head. Well, I was sooooo tired last night that I drifted off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Anyway, once I got started where I stopped yesterday - which happened to be mid-chapter because time slips away so quickly - it just kinda headed in a great direction. And then that moved into something else and then somewhere else. And phew, this is my latest word count progress:

( ########========= )
36,152 / 80,000 : 45.2%

Lots of things are really starting to click in together and make much more sense than I originally thought. Almost halfway there now!

It's raining around here today. Ugh.

Anyway, I'm reading Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow and am enjoying it so much I read about 70 pages in one sitting last night. If it hadn't been for my limbs hurting so much because I was so tired, I would've gladly read on.

80s Wednesday

Now, I know that technically the Wonder Woman TV show wasn't made in the 80s, but I watched it when I was a little girl. And since that was in the early 80s, I'm making Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman my 80s pick for today.


And since I'm writing about a kick-butt chick and reading about another, I thought it was only fair to pay tribute to my first introduction/exposure to kick-butt by a girl!
I used to love this show! Sure, I couldn't really tell you what any one particular episode was about but I used to love sitting down to watch this show every Saturday afternoon. I thought Wonder Woman was the coolest woman in the world and I wanted to be just like her. That spin-around-and-the-boring-clothes-go-to-be-replaced-by-her-Wonder-Woman-outfit was great stuff. I actually remember playing Wonder Woman with a friend and the spin-around consisted of taking off a jacket and we were super hero chicks! So cool, and kept us entertained for hours.
So, there you have it -- let's hear it for kick-ass chicks... they've been around for a long time!

Tuesday 14 March 2006

Cloudy

Let's start with the progress bar for today:

(#######========== )
31,106 / 80,000 : 38.9%

Terrible, horrible things are looming on the horizon of the WIP. Yikes. There's a big reason for celebration going on and everyone's excited... but what the characters don't know is that things aren't going to go like they were hoping. Agh. Nothing ever goes smoothly for the heroine, so she's not totally delusional about it. Though she keeps trying to concentrate on the good things in life (for a change).

The other night I grabbed a notecard and wrote the key points that need to be dealt with in order to finish this trilogy successfully, but still leave room for more novels. Now what I need to write down is the list in order of events!

I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it tomorrow.

We watched Supernatural last night and it was the haunted asylum episode. I thought it was great! I love anything spooky about asylums, they really open themselves up for bizarre and scary situations... and looks like Sam got a few truths out about his feelings towards his brother Dean...

So, the channel (10) which plays S, H and M is not playing any new eps for a couple of weeks because the Commonwealth Games are on another channel. So the rest of us have to suffer because they don't want to miss out on ratings. It totally sucks if you ask me. Oh well, plenty of reading time and catching up on some DVD shows with the hubby!

Monday 13 March 2006

:( The Weekend's Over :(

Monday mornings are always like that, aren't they? Saturday and Sunday always go by so fast! Maybe it's because they're so much fun! The hubby and I only started enjoying weekends together around April last year. Before that one of us had always worked the weekends and only saw each other in the mornings, afternoons and evenings seven days a week. It was hard, but it makes the time together so much more special.

And now that we've got the weekends together it's totally amazing! And my daughter really gets a kick out of it too. We have a lot of FUN together, the three of us. Sometimes we don't even do much, but just being together is great.

We played a little MarioKart DS and even though the hubby always wins the accumulated points, I manage to give him some cool competition in a bunch of tracks. Though what's so fun about this game is that you can be the best gamer out there and still lose in certain tracks because there are mad, crazy shells opponents can shoot out at ya. And bananas littering the tracks. Oh, it's a total blast. I love it. Can't wait until my daughter can play it properly too, so we can all play against each other. At the moment she enjoys looking and cheering on. FUN.

So Supernatural, House and Medium were awesome. Of course. And I've decided to drop The Ghost Whisperer. It's really strange but there doesn't seem to be an overall arc going on with Melinda. Just a selection of random ghost encounters and a lot of regret by living and dead people alike, but not much growth. I like her husband. He's a nice, grounded character and so is she really but I find myself seeing the same thing every week without much more. Too much of a tear jerker without enough conflict in her story arc. Now, having said that, they might change it now that I've stopped watching but it's too bad.

Today I had to clear up some further probs with another mobile phone company. I'm starting to think this phone of mine is cursed or something. We tried changing providers but got the run around without access for over a week! So, now I'm back to square one. What is wrong with this mobile phone? I'm gonna have to throw it against the wall and take great joy in watching it smash into tiny pieces. Honestly, the thought's crossed my mind... a lot!

So anyway, I had a pretty good day with the writing today:

(######=========== )
27,065 / 80,000 : 33.8%

Took another direction I really didn't expect today. Found out a little something useful about one of the secondary characters. And dealt with more relationship issues, mixed with a multitude of problems than I expected during today's chunk o' words. I feel really happy with the progress and know I'm gonna be really sad when I'm finished with this novel.

Well, we did the TotalGym workout this morning, so that's really cool. Did I mention I've lost another 3 kilos during the last few weeks? It's a great feeling and the best thing is that we actually enjoy working out and going for walks every day! Plus I think it's a great thing to get our daughter used to.

:)

SHARPER THAN A SERPENT'S TOOTH


I read this wonderful book over the weekend! It's the sixth Nightside book written by Simon R. Green. It was supposed to be the last book in the series but I read the other day that he's been contracted for another three. This is great news. Though the arc of finding out who John Taylor's mother really is and what she wants was finished with this book.

And it didn't disappoint, that's for sure.

The Nightside is a dark place where it's always 3am. A fantastically dark buried place where anything goes and unimaginable things live. And Simon R. Green paints a very vivid and rich picture with his descriptions. I really enjoyed my stay there and can't wait to see where he takes us next.

This book was violent, action-packed and kept going all the way to the last word. It kinda made me tired just reading about the things he and his friends had to go through. The cast of characters is amazing. This guy certainly has a huge imagination. I especially like Suzie Shooter and the relationship she has going with John.

Anyway, I highly recommend this series to fantasy or horror fans. Or anyone into dark adventure and urban fantasy who wants to read a fun book. Excellent!

Oh, and the covers are all absolutely awesome. Check 'em out here.

"My name is John Taylor. I've made that a name to be respected and feared, but it's also made me a target my whole life.

I operate as a private eye, in a world where gods and monsters are real. The Nightside: the sick, secret magical heart of London. A place where dreams come true, whether you want them to or not. It's not easy to find a way in, and it can be even harder to find a way out. I can find anything, solve any mystery. Except the answers to the dark and deadly secrets of my own past.

My name is John Taylor. And if you've come looking for me, either you're in trouble, or you're about to be." Simon R. Green, Nightside novels.

Friday 10 March 2006

Paranormal Urban Fantasy Romance?

Okay, so I thought I'd start the post with this question:

what's the difference between paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Here are the Wikipedia meanings I found:

Paranormal romance
is a literary subgenre of speculative fiction, blending together themes from the genres of traditional fantasy, science fiction, or horror. Paranormal romance may range from traditional harlequin romances with a paranormal setting to stories where the main emphasis is on a science fiction or fantasy based plot with a romantic subplot included. Common hallmarks are romantic relationships between humans and vampires, humans and werewolves, and steampunk settings.

and

Contemporary fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, also known as contemporary urban fantasy, modern-day fantasy, or indigenous fantasy. These terms are used to describe stories set in the putative real world in contemporary times, in which, it is revealed, magic and magical creatures exist, either living in the interstices of our world or leaking over from alternate worlds.

I also found this very helpful article written by Liz Scheier - an Editor from the Roc imprint - via the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. And out of all the meanings, this one helped the most.

Yet... what is it that separates these two genres? They seem pretty interchangeable to me. If any of you guys have any articles or websites you can point me to which delves into this further, please let me know. I've become intrigued.

I'm really starting to think the genre I should be marketing my novels towards is paranormal urban fantasy with romance and horror elements. How's that sound? :)

And on that note, let's move onto today's progress:

(#####============ )
22,209 / 80,000 : 27.8%

20k
target for this week met! Yay...

Today's chunk o' words really got the main character deeper into a situation she was convinced she'd overcome already. She should've known real evil like this doesn't give up so easily, right? It's not good news for her, especially when there's so much more going on around her... ah, just when she thinks everything may settle down into some semi-quasi-normal rhythm, everything goes to hell - sometimes literally! ;) Poor thing doesn't realise this is just the beginning. By the time this novel's over all she'll be wanting to do is sleep for a month!

After re-reading the post, I reckon this trilogy might be closer and more at home with urban fantasy.

Well, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I know I'm sure going to try... can't wait for the hubby to get home tonight. It's when the weekend really starts. We need to catch up on our fave shows for the past week. There was no time to watch them live, so we had to tape them all. I can't wait to see what happens in Supernatural - they're going back to the house where everything began. And House sounds interesting too... something about parents. As for Medium, no idea what it's about but I'm looking forward to finding out.

MOON CALLED

Okay, so it took me longer to read this book than I would've liked but life just has a way of getting in the way. It was one of those storylines where I had no idea where it was heading. Honestly, from the first word I just didn't know what to expect, kept me guessing all the way through.

It's a really cool book with an awesome first person narrative style that's very casual and comfortable to read. Mercy's a really cool character. Mercedes who works on VW cars, it's mentioned in the book and I thought it was funny.

Though she's not a werewolf, Mercy seems to get caught up with them. It seems like that's the story of her life, a coyote amongst the wolves. But honestly - it's got action, werewolves, witches, gremlins and even vampires! I really enjoyed this ride and am eager to see what direction the next book takes.

Mercy's a really cool and realistic character who knows and has limits. Check it out, there are some other really interesting characters too!

Thursday 9 March 2006

Stuff

I'm very happy to say that so far this week I've been managing just above my 4k target per day. And if I can keep this pace up, I'll have another first draft done by the end of this month. So what you guys think? Will I make it? Well, I sure as hell am going to try because this story really wants to get out.

Yesterday I introduced two new characters who happen to he the H and h for one of my other novel ideas. I'm really enjoying them because they're very different to the two I'm currently working on and hold a very strange job. I reckon after I'm done with them in this novel, they'll be ready for their own.

Here's today's progress bar:

( ####============= )
18,066 / 80,000 : 22.6%

This means I'm only 1,934 words away from my weekly target. And with the stuff stirring inside my brain and where I left off, I know I'll definitely get more than that done. It's so cool, things are starting to get complicated. While other things are getting worked out -- like the two things that happened to pop into my head while doing some yoga yesterday! :)

So what's everyone been up to?

Asides from the writing I really haven't been doing much else but laundry, some cleaning, walking, working out, taking and picking my daughter up from school, helping her learn more words, hanging out with hubby, reading Moon Called, dealing with another pathetic mobile phone company and sleeping. He. He.

Wednesday 8 March 2006

Still...

Still writing the first draft.
And enjoying it very much.
Here's the current progress bar:
( ###============== )
13,794 / 80,000 : 17.2%

Still checking my emails a hundred times a day.
With no responses or news to share.

Still have three stories online until the end of March.
Check 'em out - Shoreline Vigil, Thea Hero and Hug-Evil.
Let me know what you think if you read them.

My daughter has started to read.
And continues to get BUGS.

Still not much else to say today...

;)

Oh, except watch the X3 trailer here

80s Wednesday

Today's star is Gizmo.

This cute little mogwai is the gorgeous star of the 1984 movie Gremlins. Look at that cute little innocent face... too bad there are certain rules associated with this delicate little creature.

Here are the precautions:

1. Never let the mogwai near bright light - especially sunlight.
2. Must not get water on the mogwai.
3. And never, ever feed the mogwai after midnight.

We all know what the results are when these rules are broken, don't we? :O

Anyway, I remember watching this movie and absolutely loving it as a kid. I actually watched it a few Christmases ago with my daughter and still enjoyed it. But this little Gizmo was what stuck with me through all these years. I always wanted a little Gizmo doll but they just looked all wrong, and very uncute. I even purchased one about seven years ago when we took a trip to Queensland and went to WB Movie World. Except, he was a little too rigid and is now in my daughter's room. So when the new dolls were released last year the hubby insisted I buy one... and ended up with three!

They sit in our room, near the computer desk to boost my productivity.

I think this is a true gem from the decade that was the 80s.

Tuesday 7 March 2006

Sunny...

After today's chunk o' words:

(##============== )
9,337 / 80,000 : 11.7%

As you can guess from the post title -- it's very sunny around here, which is great. It's given me a chance to hang out a lot of washing during the last few days. It's hard to clean sheets and put them out to dry on the balcony when it's cloudy and cold. And that's the other reason why I'm enjoying the sun so much, because soon autumn will kick into gear.

So we watched a little of the Oscars last night and I gotta say - boring. Honestly, it was one set of clips after another. The host wasn't funny either, what's his name Jon Stewart or something? The Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep handing out an award intro was funny and cleverly done. Jennifer Garner almost tripping on her dress (can't stand her!) was also funny, but other than that, not very exciting. We switched it off and went to sleep.

The writing's moving along and new things are continually forming in my mind. So I'm very excited and once again losing myself in the process of writing this new first draft.

Monday 6 March 2006

Here we go

Okay, so there weren't any cool quizzes to do during the weekend, so I skipped it!

It's so hot today, feels like we're in the middle of summer and the sun's so bright. Gee, what are we doing to nature when the seasons don't act like they're supposed to? Makes me a little sad to think about it.

Anyway, I started vamp3 today. And here's the progress so far:

( #============== )
5,156 / 80,000 : 6.4%

I pretty much woke up with the first scene firmly inside my mind. It was so strange, but I could see and feel exactly what was going to happen and how. Even who was in it and why. When a storyline and the characters invade your dreams I guess the muse is working overtime, right? So it's probably a good thing I decided to get started today instead of next week, the old muse would've probably made me into a cranky person until I gave in!

Things are moving along nicely and I'm right in there with the character's voice like I didn't even have four days away from it.

Strange, but cool!

So did everyone have a cool weekend? Mine was nice with the hubby and daughter. My hubby finished reading demon and he really enjoyed it. Makes me smile when he enjoys it.

Anyway, got a few non-writing related things I need to get done before the hubby comes home.

Friday 3 March 2006

Feels like nothing

That's exactly how today's feeling. Like nothing's going on. And well, although technically it's not correct because I did get my daughter ready for school, folded some laundry, had lunch, finished reading AMD, posted something about the book below and picked up my daughter from school... it still kinda feels a little hollow.

It's that post-first draft thing. Weird.

So last night I purchased some more books:

Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow
Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth by Simon R Green
Cell by Stephen King
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

Cool collection there! Can't wait to check 'em out, though it might help if I read Odd Thomas first, since it's been sitting on the shelf for a while now. :/

My daughter's learning how to read. She started bringing home books with hardly any writing on them, just enough for her to recognise and remember them. And a bunch of pictures corresponding to the words. It's a really cool way to learn how to read. Y'know what's funny? I don't even remember learning to read. Out of everything that I can remember - sometimes the oddest things - that's something that kinda feels automatic. Like one day I just learned how to read! I know that's not how it happened, but I honestly can't remember how it did.

Anyway.

I think I'll take some notes a little later today, some to do with the approaching WIP and some to do with a new idea that formed inside my head recently. It's about a completely different character, but she lives in the same world as vamp. In fact, I think she might make an appearance in the third novel.

I'm also looking forward to start reading another book tonight. Next on the list is Moon Called - can't wait! Been reading some really good things about this one, seems like everyone's either reading it, looking forward to reading it or already read it! :)

Now, if you haven't read Awaken Me Darkly - you just gotta.

Have a GREAT weekend everybody!

AWAKEN ME DARKLY


Okay, so this book was the first reading reward for myself after finishing the first draft mid-week. And hell, was it an AWESOME reward.

Mia Snow is an alien huntress who doesn't like other-worlders and works for A.I.R. in the city of New Chicago. In a time when aliens walk amongst us. She heads an invastigation about a series of killings involving something that goes much deeper than first appears and winds up affecting her personally on many levels.

This is my first Gena Showalter book and I will definitely return for more. And not only to the Alien books! She delivers a wonderful, layered and rich story weaved with mystery and terrific characters. The A.I.R agents are a total blast -- all of them! And Mia Snow is as tough as nails, though she's usually underestimated by the opponent.

I loved the voice, it was flowing, smooth and richly descriptive in a way that made my senses tingle like I was in every scene - watching from a corner. Such an amazing experience reveals a deep character with flaws, real pain and a past that had me sighing, WOW! I just didn't want to put the book down until I knew what was going to happen... and so I sat down until I got to the end today. And wasn't disappointed.

And let's not forget about Kyrin en Arr. Woah, excellent character and I love the way she described the Arcadian race. Beautiful. Mia and Kyrin have a great love-hate-can't-stop-fighting-each-other chemistry that sizzles -- of course, she's doing most of the ass-kicking!

I definitely RECOMMEND this book to absolutely anyone and everyone! You just gotta check it out... NOW!

Thursday 2 March 2006

A little lost and change of plans...

I don't know what it is about the playground at my daughter's school, but there are always a whole bunch of crows hanging around there. Not magpies - we've got a lot of those around here, but actual crows. They're huge, and their feathers so black and silky-looking they tinge more towards blue. Such beautiful birds. I've been meaning to write a story involving a crow for a while now. It's in my idea file... and every time I see these creatures, it reminds me of it...

Anyway, I find it really bizarre that today I felt a little lost. Unsure of what to work on. I was hoping to do pretty much nothing, but for some reason I just can't sit there and do nothing. Or waste the day away watching all those horror movies I've been meaning to watch for over a year now. My mind's awandering but I'm not surprised. It's how I usually feel after writing a first draft. I don't really feel this way after the revision process is over and the novel is done. No, it's just after first drafts.

Strange... but leads to my change of plans.

I was initially going to take a week off after writing this draft to take it easy and take a breather in between. But since I finished a few days early, I've decided to take today, tomorrow and the weekend off before throwing myself into the next first draft. And since it's the next novel in the vamp trilogy, it's probably a good thing since the characters are still pretty fresh in my mind.

It all sounds a little like insanity, I know, but I'd like to have this draft done in 4 weeks time. My daughter gets two weeks off during the Easter break in April and I don't want to be working on writing madly and trying to meet word count requirements for myself every day. I'd much rather spend that time with her and even squeeze in a little revision, since I know I can't just stop everything writing for two weeks cold. Just can't do it.

So what did I do today, huh? Well, I spend a little more time than usual on the internet this morning before wandering over to my writing computer. I picked up my ghost MS and fixed all the typos etc. the hubby found during his reading of it. He picked up some really silly things I didn't. It's very helpful. And now it's done and the pages shredded and placed in the recycling bin! The word count changed slightly too - it's on the sidebar. :)

Then I re-read and revised a short story and even spent an hour or so reading a little more of the kickass book I mentioned yesterday. Things are really heating up, I'm loving this one.

Well, tonight we're going to drive into Sydney to pick up two of the books I ordered yesterday. Very cool, they're already here. Two out of three ain't too bad. Now to find the time to read 'em all. *scratching my head*

Wednesday 1 March 2006

Deadline Met!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

As you can probably guess from the start of this post, the first draft is done. I not only managed to write this draft in 4 weeks, but also two days ahead of time! I'm very excited and to celebrate I watched the last two season 4 Six Feet Under episodes I had left. So it was a day of finishing things for me.

The final word count is: 78,689.

Sure, if I posted the progress bar today it would say I'm 98.4% done. But that would be wrong because the draft is D-O-N-E! *dancing around the living room*

When I finished the first draft for the first novel it was 73k but after the revision process it passed the 80k mark by 600 words or so. And besides, I've already thought of places that need a little more description etc. So I'm not too concerned - it's done!

And another reward I want to give myself is some well-deserved reading. I've been so caught up in the writing, my mind just didn't want to engage in anything else. Last night (because I knew today was the day!) I started reading Awaken Me Darkly by Gena Showalter. WOW! Got 50 pages in and am absolutely LOVING it. Mia's a kick-ass character and I love the world Gena's created. If I hadn't been so tired last night, I would've stayed up a lot longer to read and find out what happens next.

There are several other books I've got on my reward list and I'll keep you guys posted as I read them. Also ordered a few books from the fave bookstore this morning - three for this month so far! :) And I got an email telling me I'd won a Bombshell book from the fab Bombshell authors.com website. Wohoo!

I've gotten three annoying calls today, where I answer the phone and no one speaks. I swear these kinda calls really shit me. I mean, what's the point of doing that to someone? It bugs me. I've got a feeling it's telemarketers. We've been hounded by them several times before and I think there's a time delay thing - can you believe it just happened again, right now?!? - that makes it sound like no one's there before they speak. Gee, how annoying...

Anyway, I'm in a good mood today, so I'm not gonna let that bother me much.

80s Wednesday

Some Wikipedia facts:

Bon Jovi's third and most commercially successful album Slippery When Wet was released on August 18, 1986. It sold over 12 million copies in the U.S. Today it stands as one of the six best selling hard rock / heavy metal albums ever, and spawned two #1 singles, You Give Love a Bad Name and Livin' On a Prayer. Slippery When Wet hit #1 for 15 weeks, the record for a hard rock album on the Billboard Top 200.

Every song on this album was GREAT! I loved listening to this album, and watching the corresponding filmclips. It goes without saying that I had a certain obsession with BON JOVI during my teenage years and this album was to blame!
Honestly, it's great!
Here's a list of the tracks:
"Let It Rock" (JBJ, Sambora) - 5:25
"You Give Love a Bad Name" (JBJ, Sambora, Child) - 3:42
"Livin' on a Prayer" (JBJ, Sambora, Child) - 4:09
"Social Disease" (JBJ, Sambora) - 4:18
"Wanted Dead Or Alive" (JBJ, Sambora) - 5:08
"Raise Your Hands" (JBJ, Sambora) - 4:16
"Without Love" (JBJ, Sambora, Child) - 3:30
"I'd Die For You" (JBJ, Sambora, Child) - 4:30
"Never Say Goodbye" (JBJ, Sambora) - 4:48
"Wild In The Streets" (JBJ) - 3:54
Awesome!
Favorites More