Ready! Set! Go!

Nooo.... Wait!
I'm not ready. I've changed my mind, I know, nothing new there, but I have. I want to write a different story. Well I'm gunna and you can't stop me. So there! (do I sound like a two year old?)
The new title is up on the Nano site. Yep, On a Wing and a Prayer. At least that what I think I'm calling it. It'll do for now.
Everyone is nervous, especially all us virgin Nano participants. We're all madly sending good luck email to the loop, going no-mail on our e-groups and updating our blogs. If fact one has even gone as far as to say she's not available for anything until Dec 1. I'm with her on that. Don't ring me, don't email me, oh, no, hang on, if you're a publisher but all means ring me, email me. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. Well, I am, we're off to Phuket next week but I'll take my phone. I'd hate to miss THAT call.
Okay, so we're all straight on what's happening. That's good. Now if I could just remember.....
I know I'll write it down. Stick it to the wall in front of me. There, now I won't forget what's going on. All right, now for the good bit. Writing. Lots and lots of writing.
50,000 words in 30 days.
We can and will do it.
I'll leave you with the sign I think I'll put on the office door. Actually, I can't decide which one so I might rotate them so people know I'm still alive in here.

Out of my mind back in 30 days.
or
Out to lunch, back in an hour.

Rachel.C

Where have you been?

I bet you all thought I'd gone off the deep end and they'd locked me up. No such luck. I've been busy. Sorting things out ready for the beginning of Nano. Thursday is D Day! I've worked out I need about 1700 words a day to meet the target of 50,000 in 30 days. No problem. Well I'll need to minus a day for a short story workshop I'm doing with Alison Stuart, then there's the seven days we're in Phuket. Oh, and the six days my son and his girlfriend are here. So that makes...... 14 days, okay, 30 minus 14 is 16, 50,000 divided by 16... does anyone have a calculator? Hold on.
Got one. 50,000 divided by 16 = 3,125.
Oh God!
No way!
I'm not gonna winnnnn........
Wait a minute, hyperventilating here.
All right, fine now. I can do this, it's not like I have to go to work, this is work. And there's nothing else I have to do during November. Well, there is the reviews for FAR, plus I've signed up to interview an author, but that's online so I don't need to leave my chair. Plus there's the hand I waved in the air to help with the Passionate Ink newsletter, and it's not like I need any sleep. Or food. Or drink. And if I'm not fed or watered I won't need to go to the bathroom, which means more time in the chair. And nobody wants any Christmas presents this year, do they? No, no, I'm sure they'll be happy to know I've spent the time on my writing and not on them. It's not like I know what to get anyone anyway. So, in November you'll find me with my butt glued to the chair, (is that starting to sound like the one at the end of death row? It sure is starting to feel like it), with my finger busy tapping away and a smile on my face because the words are flowing so freely. And any minute now I'll wake up and find I haven't signed myself up for something I don't have time for. Damn, it sounded so doable (is that a word?) when I signed on. I guess it doesn't matter if I win or not, it's the writing. I just hope it's not one more thing that will have to be locked in the bottom draw.
On to bigger and better things.
I entered Karen Tabke's One Line comp. On a whim. It was posted on the ROMAUS e-group and I had a look and went of what the hell, you only live once. I posted my first line and thought this will be funny, I'm gone in the first cut. Ten lines go, then everyone left adds their second line, another ten go and everyone left adds their third line, you get the picture. So I'm still in after the first line, I have my self a laugh and post a second. Let me just say that these lines are coming off the top of my head. Never been heard from before and each Tuesday I think up the next one. So imagine me sitting here this morning with my mouth hanging open because there's my lines. Waiting for the third to join them! Okay, now what? I don't have a story. I don't even have an idea! So I sat on it for about three hours then added the next. Still have no idea where we're going or what we're doing. The more I look at the lines the more I realise they could actually be going anywhere. And I chose to do this now! Did some say insane? I'm sure I've heard that before somewhere. Oh well, just keep plodding along. What else can I do? I'm not going to pull out of anything, I might fail at some things but I don't quit them. So I'm getting ready to have an intense couple of weeks and I'm not sure I'll be around much but I'll get the Hubby to post if it all gets too much and I just head down to the pool with a drink.
'See' you all around cyberspace.

My quote this week is from me and it's not really a quote, it's kind of the way I'm going to treat things the next couple of weeks.
When the hurdles in my life are too tall to get over I'm improvising, I've bought my shovel, I'm going under the bloody things.

Rachel.C

No, no, don't answer the door!!

Damn, why did you answer the door? I know I wasn't here but really you shouldn't have answer the bloody thing. Now look what you've done!
No I'm not having a conversation with myself, I'm talking to my muse. At some point she opened the door and let in Procrastination. I've warned and warned Muse but it's like talking to a brick wall. I she let the bitch in while I was at the dentist getting tortured with needles and drills and cement, is it just me or should those things have nothing to do with the mouth? So here I am home and the pair of them are having a cuppa and a chat. I can't even have the cuppa, half my face is numb and what isn't numb hurts like hell. So I've shooed them off the couch so I can get some work done which is fine except Procrastination took Muse with her! Now what? Me head hurts, I can't drink or eat for a couple of hours and the pain killers are wearing off. Now they're back but we're not fighting, I'm co-operating, hopefully if I do they'll be nice and Procrastination will leave so that Muse and I can get back to work. Picture if you can, me pushing furniture around constantly wiping my mouth and nose with a tissue because I still can't tell if either is running, the sun is streaming in making the room hot without my physical activity and that pair telling where they want everything to go. All I wanted was to move my desk out of the morning sun. Since we headed into autumn I've got sun coming in on the desk which means I can't see the laptop screen without squinting or getting my sunnies out. Oh yeah, go on, laugh. I'm laughing with you, I can only be grateful that no one's home to take pictures. Anyway, we've rearranged and I still have the sea view if I turn to the right and the ocean breeze blows straight across me to keep me cool while writing all those steamy scenes. I'm ready. Okay, Muse.... I'm ready.
What do you mean you're busy? You're what? Going out? No you're not. Get back over here, we need to get this story finished before November 15 or there's not point writing it. Miss the deadline and we wait till next year to submit it. Yes I know no writing is pointless but it was your idea to do a piece with a valentine theme...... (hear me whine. Loud.) All right! Fine! When will you be back? What? You don't know? How could you not know? Damn lady you are going to be the death of me. Okay. I'll read then. I've got two books to review I don't need you to be here to get work done. I'll read then review them and if you're not here when I finish I'll start on the next one. Oh, right, now that I don't need you you're ready. Well that's just typical isn't it? Where's your friend? She's gone? Really? Oh, oh, okay then, what are we doing? Right, right, I'm getting off. Yes I'm coming, let me just say goodbye.
I'm going. She's ready. I knew if I had a bitch about her she'd get back here, sometimes she's sooo predictable. Off to get some words on the page.

Immature love says, "I love you because I need you."
Mature love says, "I need you because I love you."
Erich Fromm

Rachel.C

We're out of control...Somebody stop us!!!

Well here's a taste of a girls weekend. I thought it best not to blog any of the incriminating photos so here we are, from left to right, Miz, Jody, Danielle and Me, waiting to board our boat on the Mekong River. We had great weather and even though we were a little under par from the night before we still managed to get up at dawn and drag our butts down to meet our own personal tour guide. Yep, just the four of us, how cool was that? The Mekong is amazing and I'm still not over going there. We spent the day on the river going through the channels between the islands that make their home along the Mekong. I had no idea how big the Mekong is. When we arrived on the Friday the first thing after checking in was shopping. Woo hoo..... I love the markets and Miz and Jody both agree that it's better shopping in Ho Chi Minh than Bangkok. And the art work, let's just say only one of us came home without some. My painting is going up in the bedroom and once I've done that I'll have to go back for more, couldn't fit anything else in the luggage if I tried. Then we found this little spa place where we had foot massages that included legs, arms, back and neck. Mmmm.... sounds like a full body massage to me, anyway, $5 later (yes, US) I splurged on a manicure. Almost broke the budget though at another $5 I had to really think about it. NOT!!!!
We're getting together this week to have lunch and exchange photos, if you're lucky I might tease you some more with a photo of us at the spa.
We're busy planning the next weekend away, although I've got Phuket in two weeks and Danielle wants me to go with her to Cambodia to drop off some things to the orphanage where they're adopting from, plus I fly back to Oz on the 16th of December for Christmas. None of us wanted to get on the plane to come home but we had to. If you're looking for somewhere to go I recommend Vietnam, this was my second trip and I'm definitely going back.

Rachel.C

GOING AWOL!

Yep, that's me. I'm going away, and before you ask, no the men in the white coats aren't coming to get me. I'm off on a girls weekend away. We're going to Vietnam! Woo hoo!!! I get to go on another plane. We leave in the morning, 7:25, so I'm trying to clear up everything before I go. I'm taking my new PDA, well it's new to me, it's a hand-me-down from Hubby, he got a blackberry. I swear, it's a good thing I don't have any buttons or do fancy tricks or he'd never leave me alone. The man loves gadgets. He's trying to get the PDA working so I can log on over there but it doesn't seem to be happening, nothing ever does when I'm around, maybe I'll tell you about zapping my laptop one of these days.
Anyway, I'm out of here until Monday.
Enjoy your weekend.

Some love lasts a life time, true love lasts forever.

Rachel.C

Got my bearings and moving forward.

For a while there things were a bit confusing, all turned around and nothing looked familiar. But now after some mad scribbling with pen on paper, things have become a little clearer and I'm not so concerned about being on a road not travelled before. As words and sentences began to take shape and a story unfolded I realised this was something that was going to push me out of my comfort zone in more ways than one. First, it's nothing like I've done before, scary enough by it's self. Second, it's definitely a single title, mmm.... 100,000 words is a lot of letters! And third? Research! Lots of research. In fact I would say I'm going to learn a hell of a lot about the 'conflict' my hero and heroine are going to face. I'm not even sure if it's going to have a happy ending, and that would have to be the biggest scare of all. The other major 'problem' I'm having with it is it seems to hit a little too close to home. Is that going to make it easier or harder to write? Time will tell, I guess. I'm not that comfortable talking about the subject matter yet and probably won't for a while. It's really hard to explain how this story has me all bent out of shape. I've read stories that have made my cry and stories that have made me laugh, I've even read a couple that have done both and it scares the sh** out of me that this is one of those. I'm still not sure I have the skill to pull it off. But I'll never know unless I try and so I go forth into the great blue yonder and read some more of my research. Damn there's a lot of it. I've only just scratched the surface. Back to the tombs. I mean desk. Actually, I think I'll go to bed and start fresh in the morning. With the kids back at school they're out of the house by 7:30 so there'll be plenty of peace and quiet.

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. (Les Brown)

Rachel.C

Change of direction.

For my first year in Nano I had a rough idea of what I wanted to work on, I will admit to the idea being around for a while and it even has the first scene written. (I didn't intend to count those words in my total) But then this afternoon, while in the shower washing my hair of all places, an idea began to unfold in my mind. The further the idea got the more I wanted to run with it, so I sat down to jot some notes. Only it didn't work out that way. The opening just flowed from the end of my pen and as usual I went with the flow. Now my mind keeps jumping forward and I jot a note on a separate page but then I'm back to the beginning and so it goes. The problem I'm having is that the more I write and the more I think up, the more I realise this is big. Bigger than anything I've attempted before. It's scares me to think this has come from me, I know I love to read the big emotional/dramatic stories that have a lot have heartache but always the happily ever after, but I've never felt the urge to write them. All my writing has be geared towards the erotic end of the market, and I know that that doesn't exclude them from having the emotional/dramatic story line, but I've never written that way. This story has the potential to be something I'm not sure I'm qualified to do. The fact that I'm sitting here getting teary and chocked up over what I'm writing and thinking, is enough for me to think, shit! Can I do this? I don't know that I can. But I've never stopped anything from coming out and appearing on paper or screen. So what do I do? Do I go with this for Nano because Nano is about getting words on paper and not quality or do I go back to what I'm used to doing? And why suddenly has this bigger deeper writing shown up? The only thing I can think of is a conversation I had some weeks ago with the lovely Melissa James. She was asking what I writing and then what I read and she actually asked why I didn't write something deeper and more emotional seeing how I love them so much. At this point I'm going the blame/thank her for putting the kernel in my subconscious. There's no other explanation.
As authors we live with the fear of rejection and I guess we live with the fear that the stories will dry up or in my case be to big for us. I'm left with not much choice, even if I don't use this for Nano I'm going to do it anyway. I have to. It's up there swanning around like it runs the joint, pushing aside everyone else and talking the loudest. If I don't listen I risk it getting so loud that nothing else gets through and that brings me back to the dam on my river. Why did I ever think of that? Now every time I think about stopping an idea I have visions of all these bare chested workmen building a wall with all my little people on the other side trying to peer round them while they work. All sweaty and muscles bulging.... Oops, got a little side tracked there.
So back to Nano. Should I work on this new direction? Is it the perfect opportunity to get words on paper to see if this is going some where? Do I go back to what I know? And if I do will I be stuck with this one running round my head screaming, 'pick me, pick me!'.
I'm counting on some advises from the elders in my buddy group, and I'd also like to know what the rest of you virgins think. I'm off to add more words before I need a panadol.

Nothing endures but change. (Heraclitus)

Rachel.C

THE THREE P's!

I love the three P's, Patience, Persistence and Perseverance, there's just one problem. I've found another P. Only I don't like this one. In fact I want to beat the thing out of existence. Really!
PROCRASTINATION!!!!
Ahhh.....
I'm doing it. Big time. I'm bad, I know I am, but I can't seem to stop. Is it a drug? Well whoever the bastard was that injected me better watch out because I've had enough. I can't even seem to read a book, which anyone that knows me will tell you is unheard of. So, how did I get here and more importantly how do I get back? I don't like the view from here. Nothing is motivating me in the slightest. All I'm doing is going through the motions and anyone can do that so what I'm doing can't be that special. A little retail therapy didn't even help. (Books of course)
So, I'm sitting here with the ocean breeze blowing in the window, I've put to bed my latest FAR review and now I'm surfing the net. Now I'm not exactly the best surfer, in fact I'm surprised I haven't shut the whole thing down. Don't laugh, I did zap my laptop with static electricity once and shut it off. So I'm surfing and catching up with some of my favourite blogs when I got to Sandie's. Have I told you lately that I'm glad we're buddies? Sandie has written in her latest blog entry that things clicked after reading somethings on mine and Devon's blogs. Devon and I are on opposite sides of the globe with no chance of connecting in the real world but managed to get thrown together in an online course, we've been cyberbuddies ever since. Sandie I picked up in cyberspace as well, through ROMAUS, and she's rapidly becoming just as important as Devon. Devon always seems to be able to understand or sympathize with me and have me bouncing back in no time. Now Sandie has done the same without even knowing it. After commenting about how we inspired her to get back to the flow of things I was suddenly confronted with what I've known all along. I'm not a conformer. No way, no how. In fact, box me in and I'll come out throwing punches. I realised I've been sitting here doing exactly what I'd been saying not to. The old so as I say not as I do. Only I'm an idiot because I've never done anything any one's said, just ask my mother, so why the hell have I suddenly started trying to plot and plan?
Temporary insanity!
So I'm taking my own advise and letting it flow. And guess what? Those pesky people in my head just came out to play. I've managed to put down 2 pages of A4 notebook in ten minutes! Writer's cramp and shorthand are well and truly my friends. The thing is, it's not from anything I'm already working on. Nope. Whole new story. So, do I leave it and head back when Nano starts of do I keep going because that's what works best for me? And what about during Nano? Do I work on a few different stories, like normal, or do I attempt to focus on one? Remember that river analogy?
I will say this. I'm going to allocate time. Time to read and review, time to read for fun and time for writing. What? Oh yeah, time for family. As long as I spend the right amount of time on everything I should be fine. And seeing how I'm really good at going with the flow, it'll be easy to work around the fact that those pesky people have come out to play at 10:30 at night.
Here's hoping that the flow flows because time certainly isn't going to stop.

If it were not for hope, the heart would break. (Thomas Fuller)

Rachel.C

Kid in a candy store!

Yep, that's what I feel like. A kid in a candy store. I don't know which way to go first. I'm checking in on the blog and what do I find? Two, yes two authors have sent me comments. Breathing is under control now. It was touch and go there for a while. Friday night my time I hoped on to the Fallen Angel Reviews Chatter site to join in with the authors from Cobblestone Press. Oh what fun I had. These ladies were great, answering question, leaving excerpt of their work and just chatting back and forth. It took me a while to get up to speed but once I did I was off and running. I've collected a lot of new websites to check out and a lot of new titles for my list to buy. Budget? What budget? (LOL) So I'm chatting away and up pops a familiar name Karen Erickson. Another author I've reviewed, had to say hello. Then in pops Shelli Stevens and here we are talking in real time instead of by email. I have to admit to being a bit star struck and even though it was well after midnight there was no way I was going to go to sleep. Not that I sleep that much anyway, but I live in hope. I asked some questions, got some great advise and encouragement and now I'm getting ready to get where I want to be. Published. I've decided it's all in the mind, I want to be published so that's what I'll be. And as they say in Star Wars, 'may the force be with you'.
I'm going to ignore that pesky voice that says 'that sux! redo it!', I'm going to ignore the fact that I can't write and plot, I know, what do you mean 'no plot'? I can't, if I plot the whole thing falls apart. I'm a scener, no order and not always the same story, but I love joining the dots. It works for me and my best writing comes when I just let it flow. Kind of like a river. If you dam it up and force it to flow your way you take the life out of it. Then it just all builds up until it over flows and goes where it wants anyway. What a waste of manpower.
I don't even think I'm making sense now. Hope everyone has fun joining my dots.
I'm looking forward to the NaNoWriMo even though I'm not sure what I'm going to write. I guess I'll just wing it, it's what I do best anyway.
Enough of the rambling back to the writing. Oops, got a couple of reviews to do too.
To all the wonderful girls who were on Chatters on Friday, thank you for a wonderful time. It was great to 'meet' you all. To Shelli and Karen, I can't believe I did the pair thing. To Shelli and J.T. thanks for leaving a message on my blog, even if it did make me look like a two year old on a sugar high when I read them.

Life is like a cup of tea. It's how you make it!

Rachel.C

More bragging!

J.T. Schultz has also put my review up on her site, and like Shelli, I've added her link on the right side under author links. I'll have to check out all the other books I've reviewed and add any more that have kindly added me to their websites.

So many happy bubbles I could pose as a glass of champagne!

Rachel.C

Bragging rights!!!!

Woohoo......
Everyone knows by now that I'm reviewing for Fallen Angel Reviews (FAR), the first of my reviews went up on the site this month and I received a lovely thank you from one author. While browsing the Passionate Ink forum I came across a name that was familiar but I couldn't place it until I flicked through my little black book of reviews. So then I pulled up Shelli Stevens website and guess what? There I am! Yep. She's posted my review on her site. I reviewed her book Cabin Fever and now not only is it on the FAR site it's on the author site as well. All this is going to my head. Not sure how I'll cope when I finally sell, good thing my hubby knows CPR it just might be necessary.
It cheered me up to see this as I've been to the dentist this morning and now I have a numb face and it still feels like someone punch me in the jaw. And the best bit, it'll feel like that for a few days yet. I think I'm over teeth, I'm not really that fond of food anyway. (LOL)
Off to slurp up some soup.

Happy, happy, happy..... (no it's not the drugs!)

Rachel.C

Am I in over my head?

Today I signed up for National Novel Writing Month. It's in November and the idea is head down bum up write as much as you can for the whole month. The aim is to put out 50,000 words. Mmm.... Am I in over my head? Not sure if I'll make the 50,000, November is such a busy month for us. Timothy turns 18 on the 7th, Robbie turns 11 on the 8th, Sammi turns 15 on the 29th and we're taking a family holiday to Phuket for week on the 8th. I've signed up for a workshop with the wonderful Alison Stuart here in Singapore as well. I'm trying to get something ready to submit, I'm still reviewing (and loving it) and I'm thinking of joining a local writing group. Plus we've got visitors galore turning up, my mum's here now, when she leaves friends from Melbourne arrive, then I duck off to Vietnam for a girls weekend, then Tim comes up from Oz with Tamara. Hang on, just have to catch my breath. Okay, some serious organising needs to go into the next few months or I'll never be ready to fly home at Christmas. Christmas? Damn, when will I do the shopping?
Back to the National Novel Writing Month, I signed up and being completely unsavvy with computers, it takes me a while to get around and see what's what. So of course it had to me that had a problem. My profile won't show up. I can add buddies no problem, I can even edit my profile but the damn thing just disappears into cyberspace. I should be used to that by now but I thought I was getting better. In the end I gave up and asked the tech people. Guess what? It wasn't me. And I'm not the only one having the problem. (sigh of relief) It'll be fixed soon and then all the wonderful buddies I've added can add me. I'm not deluding myself about this event, it's more to get me a little more savvy with the Internet and hopefully get some words on the page. I'm looking forward to it even though I'm feeling a little intimidated by all the old timers. I'm over being the newbie everywhere I go.
The biggest news this week is I got myself the start of a website. Yep, registered my domain name and set up a page on it. No detailed website yet but I'm hoping to have it up and running by earlier next year, I'm in no rush, for now I've got the blog and the website points to that. I'm planning to know how the thing works and run it myself, so that'll take time to learn. Tim can probably help me with that. If you're interested in taking a look I've put a link on the side panel under author websites.
Time to get back to the words.

Love is life, miss love and you miss life.

Rachel.C