What Will 2012 Bring?

A better title probably would have been What Will I Bring to 2012?

I was reading Diana Peterfreund's Blog this morning and saw a detailed list of what she as hoping for in 2012. I thought that was a great idea, so I'm going to do the same here. I'm so looking forward to the new year, and figure maybe if I write down my own bullet list of the things I want out of 2012 I just might achieve some of them.


Work

•  A kind word costs nothing but is worth so much to the receiver. Remember everyone likes to be shown appreciation for a job well done.

•  Delegate. Delegate. Delegate. They won't learn the job if you don't let them.

• Help plan a Holiday Party for 2012. It has been too many years since we had a sit down dinner for everyone. 

• Have fun with the new Newsletter . 

Home

• Set up my craft room/writing room instead of using it as the catchall room.

• Take all of the boxes of crafty items and all of the unshelved books scattered throughout the house and put them way in their proper places in the new improved craft/writing room noted above. (Once it is set up of course)

• Sweet talk ChopSuey into knocking down the wall. Yes that one. 

• Get the forced air vents and furnace professionally cleaned. We've been here 14 years. I guess it's about time.

• Turn the basement into the Family Movie/Game Room. 

• Move AlleyCat into the room off the balcony. It's about time she has a real room of her own.

• Get the other garage door hung. We've had it in the garage for what, 2 years now? This will be the year to hang it.

• Take better care of the yard. It's not going to do it by itself. (Though I wish it would)

Family

• Get our Will set up. I can't believe that we have never followed through with this before. We aren't getting any younger and need to make sure both girls are taken care of.  All parents need to consider doing it, but I think parents with a special needs child/teen has to take extra precautions and make their wishes known.

• Work with Peanut on her communication skills. We got her an iPad for Christmas this year. She has been using one at school for adding to her vocabulary and improving her communication skills and we want to continue it at home. When she turns 18 she will have an opportunity to participate in a school to work program, but I've already been told that her ability to communicate would have to improve. 

• Finding more Me and AlleyCat time. She's at that angsty age of 14 and I'm scared one of these days she won't want anything to do with me. We need to continue to make sure AlleyCat knows just how proud we are of her. She is such a great kid, awesome student and fantastic sister. Book signings is something she loves to go to, so I will have to research what authors will be here in 2012. (It's a win/win for me too!)

• Try to get Chopsuey to go out of town with the girls and I, even if it is weekend trip to the ocean or the mountains or somewhere in between. 

• Spend more time with mom and dad. I hate to hear  it said my sister who lives four states away spends more time visiting than I do at forty miles. (Actually I improved on that greatly since 2010 but sadly it was on account of my mom and a bout of that dirty beast cancer).

Self

• Get to know more online people in the writing community. Make connections. Look for critique peeps.

• Find the time to write. Quit coming up with excuses and continually proCASStinating with Twitter and sit down and write. Come up with a schedule with Corbin and go back to our weekly writing sessions via phone. 

• Be more active. I have got to get this butt off the couch and outside walking. I can't keep going on like this. Something has got to change.

• Go to SCBWI-WW conference this spring. I just saw the line-up and laughed when I realized I already follow about half of the speakers on Twitter.

• Make more items for my etsy shop. Of course my version of  the ClockWork Angel Pendant has been a hit, but I'd like to fill the shop with the other book inspired items I've been making.

• Post more here on my Blog. Maybe it will be my own spin on Field of Dreams - If I write it, they will come.

What are you looking to get out of 2012?

Happy New Year To All!

Sacrifices?

Over at one of my daily stops http://www.nathanbransford.blogspot.com/ (sorry I wish I knew how to link to the exact post - but I'm still a bit old school at this) Anyway - his "You Tell Me" for today was "What have you given up for your writing dream?" Last count he had 216 comments.

When I read the responses to his post, and learned what some people have given up all in pursuit of their dream, I felt like a total fake. Maybe I don't want my dream badly enough? Trust me, I want my dream to be fulfilled, but not to the point that I feel the need to give up my job. Sure, it would be nice to be able to write all day long, but my job contributes to 1/2 of our household income and additional insurance for our family of four. That job allows for the added expense my dream has brought to our household: Joining critiquecircle.com, joining SCBWI-WW and going their upcoming conference (16 days and counting). All the paper & ink I have been purchasing. All of the writing books I have purchased. So instead of giving up my job, I write when I can where I can, and that works for me. Maybe this means that in pursuit of my dream, I have given up less time for the dream then some, but kept financial stability.

Looks like this is going to be a long one. I'm in the rambling mood.

I was recently at http://www.misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/. Though it's a favorite of mine to visit, I had not been over there since before the most recent secret agent competitions were over and the agent was announced. After reading Authoress's comments that this agent may not have sugar coated her responses, I found myself looking for the agents comments, and then going back to read the entries. Probably not the right way to do it...

Wow, Authoress was not lying. This agent didn't sugar coat a thing. Am I am glad I don't have a finished MS or I would have entered, and undoubtedly cried. Again. I learned so much from her responses though. I learned that I once again was not ready. Nope. I wasn't ready to submit my 1st page entry to SCBWI Western Washington but I did anyway. Of course I didn't even go to MSFV's blog until the day after I put my submission in the mail. I'm pretty sure that if/when they read my submission I will be told that my narration is off kilter. My MC is not narrating, so I should not have referred to Mom & Dad (as their names) it should have been her Mom and her Dad, etc. Ahhh I have so much to learn. But that's okay. That is why I scour the Internet looking for writing Blogs and information. That's why I buy book after book (or borrow some - my little brother is in Bagdhad and has left all of his writing books in my care until he returns, then yes he will demand I return them :-}).

Even though I will most likely look like a fool if my page is read I'm still terribly excited about the upcoming conference. I am looking forward to meeting other writers and learning more about the craft. Maybe even find a local crit group. All in all, I am looking forward to dedicating an entire weekend to my dream. To have a conference right here locally, how lucky am I?

I joined facebook a week or so ago. It appears to be a great place to find old friends and make new ones. So far I'm up to 13 friends. Maybe after the upcoming conference, I'll be able to add some more.

Are you on facebook? I am. Maybe we can be friends - just look for Cassidy Finn.
Are you going to any conferences? Which one(s)?
Do you have a favorite Blog you visit? Which one(s)

Thanks for stopping by!
Cass

Busy Writing

I've been spending all of my spare time writing. That's good right? I got blocked a while back on my WIP One Wish. Try as I might, nothing and I mean nothing would come to mind. Then just like that, I'm in the car with the girls and it hits me. So you don't have anything to say in One Wish, that doesn't mean you need to stop writing. I got home that night and picked up the laptop and began a new story.

That was Thursday, April 2nd. By Sunday the 4th I had written 12,000+ words. I was on fire. Now it's Tuesday April 21 and as of last night I'm at 21,000+ words. That's an average of a little over 1100 per day. I am ecstatic. Best thing is, It's still flowing. I think this is it. This is the story. Wish me luck though, since I'm not even half way there.

I'm going to change out the word counter for One Wish, and put one in for "Streaming Through The Rift" which is the title of my WIP. It's a Young Adult Fantasy Adventure. Takes places on several different worlds. Hmmm, you say.

I'm going to be needing some feedback, hopefully I can find a couple more readers. I need to get back on Critique Circle too and submit there. My problem is I want the help, but don't want to crit others. Selfish I know. I think I have to change that about myself.

Big news - I mailed off my submission today for the First Pages Panel at SCBWI Western Washington. Hopefully I will be one of the lucky ones picked for the Agent/Editor to read.

Soo excited to be going to my first Writers Conference. Counting down the days!

Are you writing? How is that going for you?

Thanks for stopping by,

Cass

Drop the Needle

I so wasn't ready. My writing wasn't ready either.

I have been following Authoress on Miss Snarks First Victim Blog for a short time and love everything she has done over there. I just read the other day her Blog is less then a year old. She rocks!

She's the one who has gotten agents to agree to look at submissions (usually first 250 words of a completed manuscript) and then the same agent makes comments. Anonymously. Other readers can make comments too. Feedback. Isn't that what we, as writers, want and need?

Well, she also has contests she calls Drop the Needle - where she can pick anywhere in a book or WIP (doesn't have to be complete manuscript) and you submit your 250 words taken from whatever point she chooses. This time it was the last 250 words of any last page of any chapter. Cool concept.

I should have thought twice before submitting.

Actually I needed to hear that I used too many comma's, my punctuation in general was not so great. I should have given more "back story or introduction to the scene". But I didn't. Lesson learned. Not one of the commenter's said anything that was negative. And several we quite nice. I mean I know we are out there to get constructive criticism, but I have seen some crits that maybe just come off wrong. I'm glad that there wasn't anything to take out of context on the crits. They told it like they saw it. Exactly what I wanted right?

I was disappointed that some were confused with a characters speech. Had I given a decent intro into the story (Like Authoress gently requested) they would have understood the speech to be that of a developmentally disabled girl, not a robot or a hillbilly. I can giggle about it now, but reading those two comments made me cry at first, but I got over it real fast. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the comments. They told me how it came across to them, the reader.

Staring at the submission I tried to pretend that I have just dropped in and know nothing about the characters. I read it and I don't see robot or hillbilly. But who am I kidding? I can't fake it. I know the characters. I really know the characters. I couldn't put myself in the readers shoes, no matter how hard I tried.

There was one commenter who hit the nail on the head - they interpreted the speech to be that of a very young girl (toddler) or someone who was mentally challenged. Bingo! Developmentally Disabled. Had I introduced the character as such, the readers may not have been so lost. I also needed a better grip on my writing so the reader could see who the MC was and understand the POV. Needless to say I "head hopped" as a couple of commenter's put it.

Though no one stated it was the absolute finest writing they had ever seen, no one said they wouldn't read any further. That's good, right?

I still have to go back and read and comment on more. There are some good submissions. I wish mine had been one of them.

Do you ever cry unnecessarily?

Thanks for checking in.

Cass

Book Trailers

You know I was really surprised the first time I saw a book trailer. I was confused, and thought it was a movie trailer and couldn't wait til it came out. Then I learned to was Book Trailer and thought what a great marketing idea.

One of Ms Nelson's clients (I think it was a client) posted a book trailer recently on Pub Rants and I thought it was kind of cute. The author posted about the filming, how it was done, where it was done, etc. and the info was good.

I play with Microsoft Movie Maker and some of our family photo's to make slide show type movies with sound and wondered how hard it would be to make your own book trailer.

Remember me - putting the cart before the horse? Well, I'm at it again. I played around on the computer last night and put together a 4 minute (probably a tad bit too long) book trailer. Now of course this first time out was for my own amusement (I copied some pics I found out on the net and used a song from Blue October) so because of copyright laws, I can't even post it, but you will have to take my word for it IT WAS ACTUALLY OKAY. NOT GREAT, BUT OKAY.
Do you want to know the best thing about it? By the time I was done last night, I was inspired to work on my WIP, which in the end was a good thing. Every once in a while I need to have some inspiration, even if it is a book trailer that only I can watch. (okay, I was able to save it to my iTouch, so if you ask nicely I'll let you watch it :8])

Someday I'd like to have book trailers out on the web, and on tv to draw interest to my book(s), but until then I will just create my own to keep me amused.

Do you think of ways to promote your work once it's done?

Thanks for stopping by!

Cass

I received my first Critique! Yeah!

My submission (1/2 half of 1st chapter to One Wish my WIP) went on line last night at 10:00 p.m. my time on http://www.critiquecircle.com/ . Of course I had to get out of bed and stare at the screen for a bit to see if I was receiving mass compliments, but after twenty minutes or so, I decided it was better to give it a while so I went back to bed.

Yes, sure thing, I check first things this morning. I had received my first crit. Okay - I have received feedback from friends and family, but for me this was my first official critique, and a positive one at that. How lucky am I? Someone I don't know, have never met liked my writing. Liked it enough to do a 427 word critique on it. She really went out of her way. I must return the favor when her submission comes out. Turns out the critter was a teacher, and she felt the narrator had an engaging voice. Yippeee! Okay - 1 critique so far for my first submission. Here's hoping for more.

I did receive a comment from another poster feeling I listed it under the wrong genre. Didn't say anything else about my writing, just that I listed it wrong. Hmm. I wish they had at least said it rocked! Just kidding.

The CC site has Children's and then they have YA. I am writing MG at the time and I always see MG and YA thrown together. Needless to say I submitted it as a YA then as a sub I said MG Fantasy. Mistake on my part I guess. I just wish they had a MG genre for the site. Wonder how many crits I will lose out on because of the mis-labeling?

I critted another story tonight and enjoyed it alot. Again I'm hoping the feedback I give is appreciated. So far I have now critted 3 stories.

I will have to keep an out for a particular blog poster. I think their icon is pair of legs with striped socks on the feet. Can't even remember the posters name, but I think that is who subtly mentioned CC. I must thank them the next time I see a post.

I received a package in the mail today. Yes it was expected. I ordered it. In the story I am currently working on, there is a bit of magic in the MC and her family, but she doesn't know it. She is given a gift that turns out to be a key to her magic. I decided it would be a glass ball that "glowed" in the hands of it's intended. I was doing some research on-line last week and guess what. I found glass balls that glow. Yes, you read me right, glass balls that glow. So of course I had to go off an order it - for inspiration. It is truly too cool. A little bigger then what I had originally intended, but then I am writing a story, not filming a movie right? But....I have to admit I already have plans for a little home made book trailer to put here.

Yep, that's me. Always putting the cart before the horse. Don't have the MS done, but am planning the book trailer.

Do you try to bring certain things to life from your writing?

Thanks for stopping by.

Cassidy

Wow - 17 days and nothing from me here. Will you allow the excuse "I've been busy?" I have. Really busy.

I can't get my story out of my head. Not the right thing to say exactly. I get it out while typing, but then go to work (I wish writing was my job), or go out for date night with the LH and find myself always always going back to the story. I come up with a new spin on it, or something I want to add. Luckily my iTouch (Christmas present) has a notepad app and I find myself making notes there all the time. This is good right?

One of the things I have found myself doing is not so good though. I have a stand alone computer in one room, then I have a personal laptop, and then I have my work computer (which of course I only use at lunch ;-]. I have found myself transferring files from one to another with a flash drive but have discovered I don't always transfer the changes I make back. Actually thought I was going bonkers and had imagined a nice writing burst until I double checked each one and found what I was looking for. New rule - write on one computer only. I used this weekend to consolidate the files onto one computer and then cull through them and get rid of duplicate pages. Yep, combining three computers did leave me with a whole bunch of duplicates. Don't worry I didn't delete the dups (just in case there was some hidden treasure) I named a folder "Possible Duplicates" and put everything there.

I also joined Critique Circle http://www.critiquecircle.com/ and critiqued two stories there. (These were my first crits I have given on any ones writing. I hope they found my input helpful) I submitted the first half of the first chapter of my WIP One Wish and it comes up for review tomorrow Wednesday February 18 2009. I am so very excited.

Authoress of Miss Snarks First Victim runs a monthly Secret Agent contest titled "Are You Hooked?". She has gotten Agents to agree to crit submissions and give feedback. This is above and beyond what Agents tend to do unless it is work they love and are looking to represent. The contest is held towards the first of the month, so I was also was trying to rush and compelte my WIP because I wanted to be able to enter. Only writers with a complete MS ready for submission is allowed. There is a chance the Agent is interested in your work and wants to read more. I wonder how many people decide to ignore the Rule and enter anyway. How sad would that be if an Agent shows interest and then you don't have enough to show them. I think it would make me cry.

Okay, rushing didn't work for me. Needless to say I could not enter. I recognized the Secret Agents remark(s) "I'm on notice" in particular. Turned out to me none other than Kristin Nelson of Pub Rants (another agent blog I follow). I really wished that she could have held off until I was ready to enter my first page, but no such luck. See she has posted several times over the last 2 months what Publishers are looking for. Middle Grade was big. Middle Grade with a Girl protag big. Middle Grade Fantasy big. I'll just have to query her the old fashioned way when I am ready.

Oh, have I told you what I was writing about? MG Urban Fantasy inspired by a family trip to the ocean last October. Okay enough - I'll tell you more of the story later.

Last but not least I signed up for a writers conference. SCBWI Western Washington 5/16/09.
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators - Western Washington. How cool is that. A conference for Children's Book Writers right here practically in my own back yard. And guess who will be there holding a session or two there. Nathan Bransford. (Yep, another agent blog I follow). Of course there are many more talented Agents - Editors - Publishers - Authors - Illustrators that will be there. I will pull my registration papers and write more about it tomorrow.

Yes tomorrow. I want to post some of the crits I receive (or hope to receive on my story)

Okay so in the last 17 days I have consolidated all my writing onto one computer; joined a critique group and submitted my first writing, signed up for a writers conference. What have you done?

Thanks for stopping by.

Cassidy

Things to do while you write that novel

As I said the other day I like to check out other Blogs and Literary Sites out here on the internetosphere Yes, I borrowed that word from NB's blog. Did he coin that word? Does he have copyright on it? I don't know. I hope not because I liked it so I'm borrowing it. He if asks, I will return it though.

Anyway, it seems if you want to write a book/novel/novella and get published there are a few things you need to do besides the obvious - Finish Writing The Book.

Of course, I had read about these few things before I decided to blog my journey. Now I will have to venture back into the internetosphere (yes like I said I like the word) and search for them so I can blog about them here.

One of the things that was suggested somewhere (and when I find it, I will link it back here) was to start a blog. Make sure the blog is pertinent to you as a writer and or your writing. With a blog you can build up a fan base and with the tricky little gadgets on blogger now you can actually see who your fans are (or in case of the gadget - your followers). You can also see how many people check your profile, which helps you see how many people might be stopping by the Blog even if they don't comment. Though that one isn't a real fair number, because you can increase the "Profile Views" by just refreshing the screen. ;0}.

I'm writing my story. I'm blogging my journey. Am I building up a fan base? Only time will tell.

Are you writing a story?

Thanks for stopping by.

Cass

Nathan Bransford's Blog

I stumbled across this Agent's Blog some time ago (roughly a year), and admit I go there daily. Yes daily. I even check in on the weekend on the off chance that Nathan has decided to leave us with tidbits of information during "non business hours". So far no such luck. I know, he has a life too.

I even entered his "First Paragraph Contest" he held recently, and though I was not selected as a runner up or winner, I felt good about the entry. I have lots to learn, but feel I have great stories to tell and as I continue to write them, the writing improves.

Yesterday he ran a poll asking the readers of his blog if they each (individually) thought they were better writers then a majority of the other blog readers. Wow, some of the comments. I thought it was a fun question. I answered yes. Like a few commented, maybe he should have had a 3rd choice. I probably still would have answered yes. Fooling myself maybe? I don't know.

After I answered, I sat and thought about it a bit more and realized that my entry into his "First Paragraph Contest" definitely was not better then the average entry, But I did feel I was just as good as most. But I keep looking past my first paragraph. I know where the story goes, but anyone reading that first paragraph certainly did not. I have a great storyline, but it definitely did not show in the first paragraph. Since the contest, I have revised it to include what I'm hoping will be "the hook". Gotta get that hook in early or the reader may not be interested.

Nathan has a great Blog, like so many other agents and writers. They freely give information on their sites to help others striving to enter and excel in this industry. I'm slowly but surely culling through all of the links from one site to another, and adding them here as Blogs or sites I visit frequently. I encourage you check these out if you haven't already.

Do you have a favorite Literary Blog you follow?

Thanks for stopping by.
Cass

What do I write about?

Last spring I found myself talking at work about dreams I had. Not the dreams-of-what-I- want-to-be-when-I-grow-up kind of dream, but the pictures-that-run-through-your-head-when-you-are-sleeping kind of dream.

These were a string of dreams I have like a "to be continued" television show. These dreams were in no way new to me, in fact I had similar dreams dating all the way back to my childhood. There might be weeks, months or even years between episode's of the "show in my head", but when the next dream came it was like the show was continuing, with maybe a blurb at the beginning of the next episode like 6 years later.... The dreams are always very vivid, and I enjoyed retelling the previous nights dream escapades to co-workers.

The nuts and bolts of the dreams had to do with lights in the sky, and visitations from outer space type beings (Sadly not Time Traveling Alien Vampires though). Anyway someone mentioned that the whole thing might make for a good written story, so I decided to write it down. Very excited was I to take on this new creative outlet. I happily set about putting my most recent dream on paper as I could not wait for glowing reviews from my co-workers. When I was done with that first evenings entries, I went about counting each word. Yep, you guessed it, by hand. Shouldn't even admit it, but at the time I was unaware that there was even such a thing as "proofing tools." Actually, I knew that there were proofing tools, but hadn't really needed anything other than spell checker.

Getting those first words on paper (into the computer, then printed on paper) was exhilarating. I could not believe how much I enjoyed it. Since that first night there has been times of not so much joy, but that is part of the journey right?

The dream story ended on a big cliffhanger this summer, and I have been waiting for the new season to begin. I guess you might say that the "show in my head" is still in production.

I'm working on another storyline right now, but willing to get back to the dream story when it is ready for me.

What do you write about?

Time Traveling Alien Vampire

Sound's kind of like a character in a story maybe? Actually it is what my loving hubby had inscribed on the back of my Christmas present, an iPod Touch. Apple allows for free personalization and he took advantage of the opportunity. Story goes he tried to have something "off color" inscribed on the back, but the system wouldn't allow certain words. Hmm. Can I say "Thanks Apple!" Not sure what he would have put on there.

Time Traveling Alien Vampire - so where does that come from? Well, he knows me well is all I can say. I love stories about all three and if I can ever find one that includes all three, I think I will have hit the jackpot.

Did you all have a nice holiday - which ever holiday you might be celebrating in your family? I hope so. My whole family was able to get together this year with the exception of two. My 91 year old Poppa Harry from Billings Montana who doesn't like to fly anymore, and my baby brother Corbin who is off serving his country in Baghdad. Both were greatly missed. Learned that my little sister Cinnamon and her husband Doug are expecting a new addition this summer. I can't wait to meet my new niece or nephew.

I love the fact that I can use this blog as a way to talk about the sheer joy and despair I have found in my new creative outlet - WRITING. I have always loved telling stories; embellishing tales what have you, but actually writing it down? Well wasn't that a novel idea! (did you get the pun?)

Maybe I will make some friends here, I hope so. I have found this Internet to be a wonderful place with a community for just about every need a person could have. I have a need to network with writer type folk and thankfully have discovered that the Literary World has a huge community and have stumbled across a treasure trove of information from various Literary Agent's Blogs or Agency and Publisher Websites.

Thanks to Justin (earlier post) my computer is up and running again, and I did not lose any of my files. YEAH! Now I can continue with the journey.

Thanks for stopping by!