NaNoWriMo: Debrief
National Novel Writing Month is over and I am a winner. Which is to say that I got the 50,000 words from scratch. My thoughts about this process? I’m glad that I made my personal goal much higher. As I strived for 80,000 words, it made it a lot easier to reach the official goal. Despite a very detailed outline, there’s a lot of mess. This book will take a long time to clean up. However, like people say, I did find out new things about my characters and my plot as  I went. Struggling to get a scene to 1,000 words forced me to explore and test out some new ideas. For most of my books, those new ideas come from brainstorming and imagining, but not actually writing anything down until I know what I want. This time I made discoveries on the page, which is...
Read MoreSix Sentence Sunday: Nano Four
For this week’s  Six Sentence Sunday I have another six from my current NaNoWriMo work (click to learn more about the plot, in case you are very confused!) This being NaNo, it has not been edited at all yet 🙂  This is the last Sunday of November, so the last one from Parallel Loves for a while! ### Roland bent down in front of Reece, still holding the gun, and took hold of his left leg with the other hand. Reece licked his lips. He could see a line of sweat along his father’s reeceeding hairline. “Dad, please, don’t do this.” Roland gave a firm yank and pulled the wooden leg off. “You will listen to me,” Roland...
Read MoreFriday Excerpt: Reece Asks Too Much
An unusual proposal in today’s NaNoWriMo excerpt! Â Full plot summery available here. Word count: 485 ### “I need to go with them,” Faith said. “When the time comes. But when you get this plan of yours figured out, come for me. I don’t care what I’m doing or how old I am, I’ll go with you in a heartbeat.” “It’s not enough.” “It’s all I’ve got, Reece.” He sighed. “I know. It’s not your fault.” The words sounded like they were choking out of him. She tried to distract him, snuggling against his neck and kissing his cheek, but he seemed to be somewhere else. She could picture the gears in his mind turning as it desperately tried to think of a solution to their...
Read MorePeople Don’t Care
Some days I feel like I’m pushing a huge boulder up a hill and it’s never going to make it to the top. Â I guess you have to watch for small victories. The other day I was sitting at work when I overheard a coworker telling a new person about computer systems he’s been reading about that allow brain waves to be recorded. The technology is being developed partly as a new way to move wheelchairs, to replace the sip and puff style. Coworker: “…So paraplegics can use it.” I stop typing and frown. What?! Given the pride associated with being able to use a manual chair and then add the expense that this technology will no doubt cost and I can’t imagine a para using it. Â I call over, “I think you mean quadriplegics.”...
Read MoreSix Sentence Sunday: NaNo Three
For this week’s  Six Sentence Sunday I have another six from my current NaNoWriMo work (click to learn more about the plot, in case you are very confused!) This being NaNo, it has not been edited at all yet 🙂 ### On the far side from the bed was a chest of drawers and sitting on top was a picture. From the corner of her eye Faith saw him tense as she noticed it. Her fingers gripped the window ledge more tightly when she realized what it was. In charcol gray she saw her own face. Her thirteen year old self was staring back at her, eyes wide and lips slightly parted. Tears pooled in her ten years older eyes as she turned back to the man who had captured what she looked like the first moment she saw...
Read MoreProgress Trackers
At proofreaders; available for pre-order
What Is Meant To Be
Second draft
Homework & Homicide (working title)
Second Draft
Book Montage
RFW winner October 7, 2011
