Day 23 - 3,356 words. Taking the total to 15,739 words. Five chapters and I think 74 pages. If I keep up the pace I'll go close to making the 50,000 but at this point with only 7 days left I'll be happy to make the half way mark.
Keep the dream alive.
Rachel.C
Friday, November 23, 2007
Did you miss me?
Well? Did ya?
I know I miss me.
I've discovered a bit about myself this month that I really could have done without. Oh, not altogether, just after Nano. I sooooo wanted to make the 50,000. I bet you all thought I was shut away somewhere tapping away at the keyboard. Don't I wish. No such luck.
My boy and his girl arrived from Sydney on the 6th of Nov and we went as a family to Phuket for a week on the 8th, which, if you remember I accounted for those lost days of writing. So I was cool with all that. You know I made the 5,895 on the first day, I didn't tell you about the 3,104 on the fifth day, taking my total to 8,999 before going on hols. Manageable. Doable. (did I just make up a word?) What I didn't count on was a health crisis. Day surgery and a bacterial infection that's slowly eating my insides. Not as bad as it sounds, so don't panic, but it is an eye opener. Top that with being weighed down with multiple amounts of antibiotics, enough to kill a small nation, and you have a recipe for lots of lazing around. I'm on the road back to good health even if a do rattle a bit with all the tablets I'm taking, and I've got some good things going on as well.
I had such a wonderful time with Tim and Tam, and seeing how it was the first time in 6 months we've been together as a family, it was balm to a very sorry for herself mum. Getting the news of the impending hospital visit before they arrived I think gave me a push to really enjoy just being with my family. Not knowing what any of the outcome would be was enough to get me to forget about all the shit happening and just be with everyone and enjoy ourselves. And enjoy ourselves we did. Phuket was a blast.
Having them still here when I went in was both a pain and a comfort. The only down side was having to say goodbye to them last Sunday. It didn't help that Chris flew to Sydney for work half an hour after they left. My results weren't all in yet and I spent a very sleepless night on Sunday and a restless day Monday till the doctor rang with the good news. And really, if it wasn't for the fact I was looking pregnant but losing weight I probably wouldn't have gone to the doctors when I did. But eating enough to feed a small nation and still losing 2 kilos in one week has got to be a wake up call. It seems I've been feeding a greedy nation of bacteria and leaving nothing for me. Typical mother behaviour. So now it's all about me. That small nation is being evicted as I write.
So I'm back in the hot seat and I've managed to get some writing done on my Nano project. Day 19 I did 3,384 words and already today I'm over the 3,000 mark. Now if I can just stay awake to get the words out. That's the most frustrating part. The story is there, finished, in my head. I'm just too exhausted to sit and write it. (killing a small nation is tough work) But I'm happy with where I am because of where I've been. And even if this doesn't get finished at the end of Nano and I don't make the 50,000, I still have a really great story that I didn't have before. One good enough to be polished and submitted. Remember this started life as one line for the Karin Tabke one line comp. I'm pleased to say, that as of this week I'm still in. The next round comes out Monday night US time. Fingers crossed for that.
I mentioned in an earlier blog about two pieces I'd entered in another contest. Well, I got those results during my troubles and haven't had a real good look but so far, even though I didn't make the cut, I'm happy with the judges comments. And the scores. Particularly on one that hasn't even been polished yet. I only did the bit needed to enter it.
Well, I'm off to do some more writing to crank up the word count and hopefully I'll be able to stay awake long enough to get to 50,000. Not today, I'm not that hopeful. I just want to get to the 50 by the time I head to Oz for Christmas. I'd be happy with that much.
'See' you all soon.
Every breath you take is precious, use it to the fullest.
Rachel.C
I know I miss me.
I've discovered a bit about myself this month that I really could have done without. Oh, not altogether, just after Nano. I sooooo wanted to make the 50,000. I bet you all thought I was shut away somewhere tapping away at the keyboard. Don't I wish. No such luck.
My boy and his girl arrived from Sydney on the 6th of Nov and we went as a family to Phuket for a week on the 8th, which, if you remember I accounted for those lost days of writing. So I was cool with all that. You know I made the 5,895 on the first day, I didn't tell you about the 3,104 on the fifth day, taking my total to 8,999 before going on hols. Manageable. Doable. (did I just make up a word?) What I didn't count on was a health crisis. Day surgery and a bacterial infection that's slowly eating my insides. Not as bad as it sounds, so don't panic, but it is an eye opener. Top that with being weighed down with multiple amounts of antibiotics, enough to kill a small nation, and you have a recipe for lots of lazing around. I'm on the road back to good health even if a do rattle a bit with all the tablets I'm taking, and I've got some good things going on as well.
I had such a wonderful time with Tim and Tam, and seeing how it was the first time in 6 months we've been together as a family, it was balm to a very sorry for herself mum. Getting the news of the impending hospital visit before they arrived I think gave me a push to really enjoy just being with my family. Not knowing what any of the outcome would be was enough to get me to forget about all the shit happening and just be with everyone and enjoy ourselves. And enjoy ourselves we did. Phuket was a blast.
Having them still here when I went in was both a pain and a comfort. The only down side was having to say goodbye to them last Sunday. It didn't help that Chris flew to Sydney for work half an hour after they left. My results weren't all in yet and I spent a very sleepless night on Sunday and a restless day Monday till the doctor rang with the good news. And really, if it wasn't for the fact I was looking pregnant but losing weight I probably wouldn't have gone to the doctors when I did. But eating enough to feed a small nation and still losing 2 kilos in one week has got to be a wake up call. It seems I've been feeding a greedy nation of bacteria and leaving nothing for me. Typical mother behaviour. So now it's all about me. That small nation is being evicted as I write.
So I'm back in the hot seat and I've managed to get some writing done on my Nano project. Day 19 I did 3,384 words and already today I'm over the 3,000 mark. Now if I can just stay awake to get the words out. That's the most frustrating part. The story is there, finished, in my head. I'm just too exhausted to sit and write it. (killing a small nation is tough work) But I'm happy with where I am because of where I've been. And even if this doesn't get finished at the end of Nano and I don't make the 50,000, I still have a really great story that I didn't have before. One good enough to be polished and submitted. Remember this started life as one line for the Karin Tabke one line comp. I'm pleased to say, that as of this week I'm still in. The next round comes out Monday night US time. Fingers crossed for that.
I mentioned in an earlier blog about two pieces I'd entered in another contest. Well, I got those results during my troubles and haven't had a real good look but so far, even though I didn't make the cut, I'm happy with the judges comments. And the scores. Particularly on one that hasn't even been polished yet. I only did the bit needed to enter it.
Well, I'm off to do some more writing to crank up the word count and hopefully I'll be able to stay awake long enough to get to 50,000. Not today, I'm not that hopeful. I just want to get to the 50 by the time I head to Oz for Christmas. I'd be happy with that much.
'See' you all soon.
Every breath you take is precious, use it to the fullest.
Rachel.C
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Day one.
Day one.
What can I say?
I'm shocked, I mean I know when I write it always surprises me when I check the word count but today I got the surprise of my life. See the thing is, when you look at where we are and how far we're into the story you think, not much there. Well, d'oh, yeah there is. So far we've had heroine and three lines. Yep, that's where we started. Remember this is the entry I've got going in the Karin Tabke one line comp. And each week I've added a new line. Off the top of my head, no clue about a story, no ideas about a story. So when we start with that we can be forgiven for hesitating when stepping up to the keyboard. But the show, or in this case story, must go on. And go on it did. We've had the heroine, Lana, hiding from the bad guys. Meeting of hero, Trey, and then escape with hero. Zooming off into the dark of night to end up in hero's shower, with hero (no hanky panky). Then sleeping in hero's bed naked, without hero. Waking in hero's bed naked, with hero, who is fully clothed (mmm... something wrong there). Anyway, that's where I've left them, in bed. Again for the slow ones, no hanky panky. (Definitely something wrong there.) Think I better have a word with Lana tomorrow, I mean Trey is one hot dude, what is she thinking? Oh, I know what she'd thinking. No hanky panky. Mmmm.... these people really do take on a life of their own. Trey is big and dark and for some reason I'm thinking of Vin Diesel when I write. Not so much the face but definitely the bod. And Lana is coming across as a tiny blonde. She may be tiny in size but she's not tiny in spirit. So, doesn't seem like much yet, I mean I've just summed it up in a couple of sentences, right? Wrong.
At the moment ON A WING AND A PRAYER weighs in at: (drum roll)
27 pages
2 chapters
5,895 words
Now remember my aim is 1,700 per day. Whoa! That's nearly three and a half times what I need to put out. Now I'm sure this pace is not going to last, we have to get to the dreaded sagging middle yet, and then there's the days where I won't be able to write at all. So getting this much out when I can is probably a good thing. The scary bit is I wasn't really pushing that hard. I could have worked a lot harder and for longer, but once I started seeing how far I'd gotten I slowed down a bit.
For me Nano is turning out to be enjoyable and I'm thinking that this is probably the calm before the storm. So I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed.
I'm stealing my quote from someone but I don't know who so I'll just say it's not mine and leave you with it.
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
Rachel.C
What can I say?
I'm shocked, I mean I know when I write it always surprises me when I check the word count but today I got the surprise of my life. See the thing is, when you look at where we are and how far we're into the story you think, not much there. Well, d'oh, yeah there is. So far we've had heroine and three lines. Yep, that's where we started. Remember this is the entry I've got going in the Karin Tabke one line comp. And each week I've added a new line. Off the top of my head, no clue about a story, no ideas about a story. So when we start with that we can be forgiven for hesitating when stepping up to the keyboard. But the show, or in this case story, must go on. And go on it did. We've had the heroine, Lana, hiding from the bad guys. Meeting of hero, Trey, and then escape with hero. Zooming off into the dark of night to end up in hero's shower, with hero (no hanky panky). Then sleeping in hero's bed naked, without hero. Waking in hero's bed naked, with hero, who is fully clothed (mmm... something wrong there). Anyway, that's where I've left them, in bed. Again for the slow ones, no hanky panky. (Definitely something wrong there.) Think I better have a word with Lana tomorrow, I mean Trey is one hot dude, what is she thinking? Oh, I know what she'd thinking. No hanky panky. Mmmm.... these people really do take on a life of their own. Trey is big and dark and for some reason I'm thinking of Vin Diesel when I write. Not so much the face but definitely the bod. And Lana is coming across as a tiny blonde. She may be tiny in size but she's not tiny in spirit. So, doesn't seem like much yet, I mean I've just summed it up in a couple of sentences, right? Wrong.
At the moment ON A WING AND A PRAYER weighs in at: (drum roll)
27 pages
2 chapters
5,895 words
Now remember my aim is 1,700 per day. Whoa! That's nearly three and a half times what I need to put out. Now I'm sure this pace is not going to last, we have to get to the dreaded sagging middle yet, and then there's the days where I won't be able to write at all. So getting this much out when I can is probably a good thing. The scary bit is I wasn't really pushing that hard. I could have worked a lot harder and for longer, but once I started seeing how far I'd gotten I slowed down a bit.
For me Nano is turning out to be enjoyable and I'm thinking that this is probably the calm before the storm. So I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed.
I'm stealing my quote from someone but I don't know who so I'll just say it's not mine and leave you with it.
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
Rachel.C
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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
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
Monday, October 22, 2007
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
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
Thursday, October 18, 2007
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
Anyway, I'm out of here until Monday.
Enjoy your weekend.
Some love lasts a life time, true love lasts forever.
Rachel.C
Monday, October 15, 2007
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
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. (Les Brown)
Rachel.C
Thursday, October 11, 2007
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
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
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