I'm going out of town with Hubby for a few days. Not sure what my Internet access will be like so I thought I'd quickly catch you up on the writing before I go.
In the last two days I've pumped out over 4,000 words on Flash Point. A lot I've done in word sprints with my cyber-buddies Sandie and Diane. We have so much fun working 15 or 30 minute sprints and before you know it your word count is screaming along.
I plan to take lots of pix while I'm away so I'll blog some when I get back.
Don't do anything I wouldn't do while I'm gone.
Make the most of every minute, they're all precious.
Rachel C
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Thank you.
I wanted to say thank you to all who wished me well with this latest health issue I've had to address. I'm pleased to tell you all that even though I'm not out of the woods yet I'm walking along a clearly marked path and the weather is good, we're equipped with all the necessary gear if it turns bad. At this point it's a watch and wait scenario.
So things have been busy on a personal front, we've got three kids heading of to school camps this week, two have already gone, and I'm heading to Bangkok for three days to visit a friend and her 1 year old daughter. I haven't seen Jade since she was 6 months old so I'm looking forward to that, oh, plus the shopping. Ann always knows the best places to shop.
I've been reading and reviewing and I finished with the judging last week so on Saturday I took some time to read a book I'd actually bought! I can't remember when the last book I read was one I'd purchased. Anyway, I read Discovering Dani by NJ Walters, (her website is in the sidebar) it's the first in her Jamesville series. I have the others and there's a new one coming out soon so of course I'll be buying that. I loved it, I wanted to start the next one straight away but I couldn't find it on the PC. Talk about panic mode. I even went into my account at My Bookstore and More to see if I'd really bought it, I had so the search was on. I found it this morning. On the laptop. Not sure how it missed going onto the USB or how it missed being transferred to the PC. I think I'll start it later today, after I do some writing.
Speaking of writing, I've been involved with some wonderful Aussie writers since last years Nano and we thought we might like to get together and do our own writing challenge, so Rachael asked who would like to join us and at last count there's about 30 of us. Which reminds me, we named out challenge. 50ks in 30 days. Yeah, we're heading for the magical 50,000 words in a month, we're doing it in June. Which for me might be a bit of a problem because the 14th is my 20th wedding anniversary and Hubby and I are off to a tropical island resort for a honeymoon, and before anyone says don't you mean second honeymoon, no! We never had a honeymoon. So we'll be going on our honeymoon. Back to the June challenge, we've started a blog, www.writeinjune.blogspot.com and if you're keen to join us pop over there and leave a comment. We'll be leaving interesting posts and some of our seasoned Nano participants are going to drop buy and tell us about their experiences.
My own writing is going well, I've had a new character pop up, never good when the bus is already so crowded but she's caught in a very interest situation and her story needs to be told. Flash Point is coming along well and I'll update some word counts after this.
Well back to get some writing done so I can reward myself with NJ's next book.
Wide-awake, I can make my most fantastic dreams come true. - Lorentz Hart
Rachel C
So things have been busy on a personal front, we've got three kids heading of to school camps this week, two have already gone, and I'm heading to Bangkok for three days to visit a friend and her 1 year old daughter. I haven't seen Jade since she was 6 months old so I'm looking forward to that, oh, plus the shopping. Ann always knows the best places to shop.
I've been reading and reviewing and I finished with the judging last week so on Saturday I took some time to read a book I'd actually bought! I can't remember when the last book I read was one I'd purchased. Anyway, I read Discovering Dani by NJ Walters, (her website is in the sidebar) it's the first in her Jamesville series. I have the others and there's a new one coming out soon so of course I'll be buying that. I loved it, I wanted to start the next one straight away but I couldn't find it on the PC. Talk about panic mode. I even went into my account at My Bookstore and More to see if I'd really bought it, I had so the search was on. I found it this morning. On the laptop. Not sure how it missed going onto the USB or how it missed being transferred to the PC. I think I'll start it later today, after I do some writing.
Speaking of writing, I've been involved with some wonderful Aussie writers since last years Nano and we thought we might like to get together and do our own writing challenge, so Rachael asked who would like to join us and at last count there's about 30 of us. Which reminds me, we named out challenge. 50ks in 30 days. Yeah, we're heading for the magical 50,000 words in a month, we're doing it in June. Which for me might be a bit of a problem because the 14th is my 20th wedding anniversary and Hubby and I are off to a tropical island resort for a honeymoon, and before anyone says don't you mean second honeymoon, no! We never had a honeymoon. So we'll be going on our honeymoon. Back to the June challenge, we've started a blog, www.writeinjune.blogspot.com and if you're keen to join us pop over there and leave a comment. We'll be leaving interesting posts and some of our seasoned Nano participants are going to drop buy and tell us about their experiences.
My own writing is going well, I've had a new character pop up, never good when the bus is already so crowded but she's caught in a very interest situation and her story needs to be told. Flash Point is coming along well and I'll update some word counts after this.
Well back to get some writing done so I can reward myself with NJ's next book.
Wide-awake, I can make my most fantastic dreams come true. - Lorentz Hart
Rachel C
Friday, April 11, 2008
Great news!
If you read my last post you'll know my good Buddie Devon has been playing with a publisher. Well, no more playing! It's now serious. The Wild Rose Press have requested the full MS! YAY!!!
Excuse me while I dance around the room.
Right, so what does this mean? First she has to send the full MS, then she has to wait again. Yeah, lots of waiting in the publishing game. Anyway, this request is NOT a contract. But it does mean that they really liked Addicted. Woohooo.... Told you it was good. After she sends the MS and waits, she'll either get a thanks but no thanks, OOOORRRR, a contract!!!!!
This so exciting and it's not even me! I'm a basket case for her imagine what I'll be like when it's my turn.
I'll keep you posted.
Excuse me while I dance around the room.
Right, so what does this mean? First she has to send the full MS, then she has to wait again. Yeah, lots of waiting in the publishing game. Anyway, this request is NOT a contract. But it does mean that they really liked Addicted. Woohooo.... Told you it was good. After she sends the MS and waits, she'll either get a thanks but no thanks, OOOORRRR, a contract!!!!!
This so exciting and it's not even me! I'm a basket case for her imagine what I'll be like when it's my turn.
I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Getting in on the ground floor.
I've had the pleasure of reading a MS by my best Cyber-Buddie Devon Gray. Addicted is a piece she started out of no where and couldn't stop. I'm so glad she couldn't. I remember her being a little concerned by it as the style is different to her norm and getting to read the first bit to give her my opinion. I think I may have threaten bodily harm if she didn't keep going. Good thing too, Addicted was finished the other day and Devon sent it over. I think if this is not Devon's normal style she needs to rethink her style cause this thing rocks! Yep. It's hot and deep an such a great read. She's already had an editor friend have a look and she agrees with me on the rocking score. Once it's been read through and all spelling/grammar errors removed Devon will be sending it off to a publisher. It's gonna sell. There's no way they'll let this thing get away. I can't wait to see it up on a website, whether Devon's or the publishers, it won't matter. I love Devon to pieces but right now I think I hate her. LOL I've said from the beginning she'd be published and now I have to follow it up with getting published as well. It's kind of like a lucky charm thing. She gets published, I get published. I get published, she gets published. So now one of us is that much closer the other one has to put her head down and bum in the hot seat and follow.
Damn! She's gonna be a hard act to follow.
Damn! She's gonna be a hard act to follow.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Growing old gracefully.
You know I'm a firm believer in growing old gracefully, none of this plastic surgery or miracle turn back the clock creams for me. No sir. But you know if my body throws one more getting old thing at me I just might throw it out the 11th floor window. Only knowing my luck I'd bloody survive! A week ago last Monday Hubby and I toddled off to the doctors for these youbutesuperdooper health checks. Now we know I have the bone thing going on and the little trip to the hospital last year for the stomach thing, well now it seems I've got a female plumbing thing going on as well. I know, everyone's cringing, no one wants to hear about my plumbing problems. I'm with ya, I don't want to hear about it either. I've no plans to go into details I just wanted to explain where I'd been the last week. So back to Monday week ago, off we go having eaten nothing from the night before, or had a morning cuppa. I have to say right there is where the problem is. No morning cuppa!!! So off we go, we get weighed, measured, poked, prodded, listened to and drained of enough blood to feed a vampire colony for a month. They were nice enough to feed us breakfast, mind you it was the least they could offer. So Hubby comes out and well we all know he's got weight issues, only now the doctor says, 'you've got weight issues' and he's listening more carefully. The doc says everything looks good for me make your follow up appointment before you leave. So we make our appointment for the 24th April. There I am in my own little world, started the multi-vitamins the doc recommended and I'm feeling good. Until Thursday. That's when my little world imploded. The nice receptionist asked if I could come in to see the doctor next week because of some of my results. Sure, when. Thursday. End of phone call. What?!?! What results? What's wrong? What can't wait two extra weeks? Now for those that haven't got the picture yet, I'm a writer! I write fiction, that's made up stuff. I have a very good imagination. The damn thing went wild. I've spent the last week locked inside my own head and I have to tell you, it's scary in there! Basically I closed all the windows, drew the blinds and sat in the dark corner of my mind where no bad things could get me. Well, no more than were already in there anyway. The upshot is I have significant cell changes and need to see a specialist. Cell changes for me would come under significant so when the doctor says they're significant changes what the hell does that mean? Cause for me I'm thinking things are gonna have to come out. I don't want any changes, I don't need any changes! GET THEM OUT!! But noooo, it just means another doctor who will look into it further, charge me more money and then probably tell me I'm okay, lets just watch and see what happens. But I'm getting ahead of myself again and that bloody imagination is tearing off down the road and hitting all the potholes. So I'm taking a breath and going with the everything is fine because when I get to the specialist next Friday, (yes a whole week away) I'm going to say take it out! I don't care what you say, I'm finished with it and changes are significant, significant changes suck!I digress again, this post was meant to tell you all where I'd been, so close your eyes and imagine the worst kind of hell you can think of and you'll find me in the corner. But now the doctor has opened a blind and let in some light things don't look so scary and I'm hopping up and opening the rest of the blinds today, and tomorrow I just might throw open the windows too.
Go on. I dare ya!
Go over to my other writing blog and check out the great post on never taking yourself too seriously. S.J. Willing is a futuristic erotic romance writer who had an interest answer to a reader question on one of the loops I belong to. Pop over to www.rachelcharlton.wordpress.com and check it out.
Laughter is the best medicine and I needed some today so when S.J. had me cracking up I had to share.
Rachel C
Laughter is the best medicine and I needed some today so when S.J. had me cracking up I had to share.
Rachel C
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
How did I get here and why do I keep going?
How did I get here and why do I keep going?
It’s an interesting question and one I’m not sure I can answer well. You see I don’t know how I got here. Well I know how I got here, there’s my mum and my dad, and well you get the picture. I’m talking about how I became a writer and I’ll be honest, I haven’t got a clue. I’ve always done it. Whether stories, poetry or just random thoughts, I’ve always written. Now the question of how I decided that’s what I’d be when I grew up is confusing. I don’t recall making the decision, ever. But here I am tapping away at the keys of my computer and writing with pen and paper. Always. And if I’m not writing I’m thinking about writing. I’m always thinking. That explains why I don’t sleep very well and why I’m always tired, so why am I still here and why do I keep going? I guess it comes back to the always writing and thinking. At the risk of sounding insane, there are just too many people in my head. They’ve got to come out or I’ll be pulling out my hair and heading for the alcohol. I can be doing anything when scenes start rolling in my head, that’s what it’s like, I’ll suddenly have front row seats to someone else’s life. I don’t plan; in fact when I try to plan those pesky characters never go along with me. I’m sure they do it on purpose. I guess the answer to why I’m still here is that I can’t not be here. It’s who I am and what I do and whether it ever leads me to publication remains to be seen but even if it doesn’t I’ll still be here. Writing. And even when life throws things at me that make me want to quit I know I’d never be able to because I’ll never be able to stop writing. I stopped for years when the kids were young and as soon as I started again it was like an avalanche, pouring out of me. Most of it was crap and will never find its way out of the bottom draw but it was the beginning of what was to be my trip down the publication road. The road is bumpy, has detours, potholes and all sorts of debris lying on it but I keep going. Through rain, hail, sleet and snow, and of course the wonderful sunshine. Even when I feel like I’m carrying the weight of the world and dragging my feet I keep going because no matter what gets in the way or what I have to carry with me the dream is always there. And without that dream I wouldn’t be me.
Keep you dreams alive. They're who you are.
Rachel C
It’s an interesting question and one I’m not sure I can answer well. You see I don’t know how I got here. Well I know how I got here, there’s my mum and my dad, and well you get the picture. I’m talking about how I became a writer and I’ll be honest, I haven’t got a clue. I’ve always done it. Whether stories, poetry or just random thoughts, I’ve always written. Now the question of how I decided that’s what I’d be when I grew up is confusing. I don’t recall making the decision, ever. But here I am tapping away at the keys of my computer and writing with pen and paper. Always. And if I’m not writing I’m thinking about writing. I’m always thinking. That explains why I don’t sleep very well and why I’m always tired, so why am I still here and why do I keep going? I guess it comes back to the always writing and thinking. At the risk of sounding insane, there are just too many people in my head. They’ve got to come out or I’ll be pulling out my hair and heading for the alcohol. I can be doing anything when scenes start rolling in my head, that’s what it’s like, I’ll suddenly have front row seats to someone else’s life. I don’t plan; in fact when I try to plan those pesky characters never go along with me. I’m sure they do it on purpose. I guess the answer to why I’m still here is that I can’t not be here. It’s who I am and what I do and whether it ever leads me to publication remains to be seen but even if it doesn’t I’ll still be here. Writing. And even when life throws things at me that make me want to quit I know I’d never be able to because I’ll never be able to stop writing. I stopped for years when the kids were young and as soon as I started again it was like an avalanche, pouring out of me. Most of it was crap and will never find its way out of the bottom draw but it was the beginning of what was to be my trip down the publication road. The road is bumpy, has detours, potholes and all sorts of debris lying on it but I keep going. Through rain, hail, sleet and snow, and of course the wonderful sunshine. Even when I feel like I’m carrying the weight of the world and dragging my feet I keep going because no matter what gets in the way or what I have to carry with me the dream is always there. And without that dream I wouldn’t be me.
Keep you dreams alive. They're who you are.
Rachel C
Monday, March 24, 2008
I've been quiet.
Aren't you shocked? I know, you've been hanging out to see what's going on. Well, not much. No I lie. I've been so busy with end of month at FAR, reading the books for the competition and trying to fit in writing that I'm in need of oxygen. So for FAR I've done three reviews and umpteen pre-edits. I've read and judged three books. Plus I've managed to get 1,372 words written on Flash Point. I know not much writing but I only managed two hours. Remember everything I've just mentioned has happened since last Thursday morning, I think I've done rather well considering.
Once April is here I'll have all the competition books read and judged so that will free up some time for some personal reading. You know I sometimes wish I had more time to read without have to write a review or fill out a score sheet but then I remember what I'm like when I'm just reading for myself and I know it's a good thing I've got something to slow me down. I know I can get a bit obsessive.
I'm planning on some time down by the pool with a good book and maybe a drink once April arrives. Sure I'll still have FAR books to review but I don't have to do them every day, I can just do two a week. That should give me time for writing and personal reading. My TBR (to be read) pile is almost at the ceiling! Well not really, I've got about twenty e-books on the PC but then there's about 80 paperbacks to get through. sigh There really does need to be more hours in the day.
Don't forget to pop over to my other blog at http://www.rachelcharlton.wordpress.com/ to see what's over there.
Too many books, not enough time. Or money!
Rachel C
Once April is here I'll have all the competition books read and judged so that will free up some time for some personal reading. You know I sometimes wish I had more time to read without have to write a review or fill out a score sheet but then I remember what I'm like when I'm just reading for myself and I know it's a good thing I've got something to slow me down. I know I can get a bit obsessive.
I'm planning on some time down by the pool with a good book and maybe a drink once April arrives. Sure I'll still have FAR books to review but I don't have to do them every day, I can just do two a week. That should give me time for writing and personal reading. My TBR (to be read) pile is almost at the ceiling! Well not really, I've got about twenty e-books on the PC but then there's about 80 paperbacks to get through. sigh There really does need to be more hours in the day.
Don't forget to pop over to my other blog at http://www.rachelcharlton.wordpress.com/ to see what's over there.
Too many books, not enough time. Or money!
Rachel C
Thursday, March 20, 2008
On a high.
First, don't forget to visit me here:- www.rachelcharlton.wordpress.com
I'm still really excited about finishing On A Wing And A Prayer and I'm using that as the excuse for not updating you on my Sven efforts properly. So yesterday was a great big 4,331 words. Taking my Sven total to 12,490 words. Pretty cool. But I'm not letting things slide because I've done so well, nooo.... I'm moving over to Flash Point with some really great scenes rolling through my head. Hope everyone is having as much luck as me with their writing.
Nurture your mind with great thoughts. - Benjamin Disraeli
Rachel C
I'm still really excited about finishing On A Wing And A Prayer and I'm using that as the excuse for not updating you on my Sven efforts properly. So yesterday was a great big 4,331 words. Taking my Sven total to 12,490 words. Pretty cool. But I'm not letting things slide because I've done so well, nooo.... I'm moving over to Flash Point with some really great scenes rolling through my head. Hope everyone is having as much luck as me with their writing.
Nurture your mind with great thoughts. - Benjamin Disraeli
Rachel C
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
OMG!
I know I said I was heading off to get some writing done but I had no idea how much I meant. I've updated the word count and as of now On A Wing And A Prayer is finished. Sure there's the last few pages and then the edit and polish, but IT'S FINISHED!!!
I'm so excited by it. It's a good feeling to know they're riding off into the sunset for their happily ever after. Goodbye and good luck. You're gonna need it. The hard part is just about to begin. I'll keep you posted of their journey.
Rachel C
I'm so excited by it. It's a good feeling to know they're riding off into the sunset for their happily ever after. Goodbye and good luck. You're gonna need it. The hard part is just about to begin. I'll keep you posted of their journey.
Rachel C
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