Hello New Year

Happy 2020!

I wanted to have a prolific post for the new year. Or even a lighthearted one full story of Roaring 20s references. 

But the sad fact of the matter is I’ve hardly slept since before Christmas, I feel like a half dead dog who’s been run over by a semi truck and run through a meat grinder (twice) and I just don’t have that poetic and witty post in me. 

I just read through last year’s first post and it could almost exactly be used for this year as well. 

We’ve got 15” of snow, we’ve had the usual Christmas gatherings. 

But some things are totally new. We’re in a new house and I’m loving it. Our new baby will be joining us in just a few weeks. Life is good. 

Yes, there’s been stress, but there had also been growth. It’s been a wild ride of a year. I’m excited to see what this new year brings. 

I’ve got a few goals, but I don’t know that I’d call them resolutions. I haven’t been writing this past month, and I want to get back to it. Blood and Dust is out on query again, and I’m hoping to revise Mad Hatter and Bad Boy in the meantime. If I’m really ambitious maybe I’ll even draft the Viking story, but we’ll see. 

I want to get some more things set up and decorated with the house, and I want to enjoy this new season of motherhood. 

I want to learn (again, because it never seems to stick) to be happy and content. To give the reins to God and not be so determined to fight my own battles. Or create them. 

So here’s to 2020. Let’s do it. 

Another Month Bites the Dust

So....it’s November already. I’m kind of in shock. 

Have things gone according to plan? Absolutely not. Has everything under the sun happened in the space of three hours? No, but it feels like it. 

What went on:

October brought two trips to the pumpkin patch, which was super fun. My sisters took a bunch of pictures of me that I’m assured were super cute, but they haven’t actually sent any of them. So just know, I looked stunning. 

Harvest was completed! It was a little rough. Things weren’t great due to some of the weather mishaps that struck early this year, but they could have certainly been worse, and we’re all glad to have the corn in the bin instead of buried in a snow bank. 

It did snow. Only a skiff of it, that melted in a day, but Henry was thrilled with it. 

My mother in law came for a week and we worked on painting the ranch house we plan to move into. There’s still a ton to do, but I’m so thankful for all of her help, and I’m hopeful we will be moving in the near future. 

I was supposed to finish my line edits of Blood and Dust in October, but alas, I did not. I’m close though. Should be finished this week and I can put together the new and improved synopsis and proposal. 

Karen was here for Halloween, so she got to enjoy trick or treating with Henry. We only made it to about ten houses before the grumpy little pirate got cold, but that was more than enough candy for me and him to share. 

My oven, can opener, hot water heater, and bathroom fan all quit at the same time. I was thinking I should write a survival manual or something, but my secrets aren’t that great. Call the electrician. Buy a manual can opener. And make sure you have all the extra kitchen appliances. Electric griddle, toaster oven, crock pot, instant pot—get it all. Can’t go wrong with microwaveable food either. Well you can, but you know. Survivalists can’t be picky. 

My sisters came over for a Halloween sleepover. We watched Shutter Island and The Woman In Black. Both excellent, edge of your seat movies, with terrible, throw up your hands and scream into the void endings. 

I don’t even know. It feels like everything came crashing down in October and now everything is hanging in limbo November, waiting to see what happens next. 

I’m not doing NaNoWriMo. I had planned to work on Mad Hatter for it, but like I said—things didn’t go according to plan. 

I’m ready for Thanksgiving. I don’t even know why, I just know I’m ready for it. Comfort food. 

I also want to sleep for a week, but no one can seem to accommodate that. 

Oh well. Such is life, I guess. 

My dad and sister both have birthdays coming up this month, and I’m trying to find birthday presents, but apparently what I want to get doesn’t exist, oh and by the way, Christmas shopping is coming up too and I’ve got no time and money so if someone could just put me out of my misery, please and thanks. 

Current Mood: 

A Guide to Major Book Revisions

Hi guys! 

I am thrilled to announce that I finished the major revisions on Blood and Dust. 

I’m now working through and doing a line edit, checking for areas where I pasted something together and got a stray word in there, and for minor inconsistencies with the new storyline. My goal is to have it polished enough for #faithpitch, #pitmad, and querying in general. 

I’m actually pretty thrilled with myself, as I’ve never done major revisions—or book surgery, as the gals at Go Teen Writers like to call it. Editing, yes. I’ve gone through a novel and tightened up prose and fixed major plot holes. But never have I taken the bare bones of a story and taken it in a totally new direction. Quite frankly, the idea was absolutely terrifying up until last week when I finished it. 

I learned a couple things along the way that made it easier for me, and might be of value to you guys with your own writing. 

I’m no master, obviously. I’ve only accomplished this with one novel, and the jury is still out on beta readers how successful I was. But finishing that first round is the first step. So if you’re terrified to take the first step, like I was, these tips might be just the boost you need. 

1. Get feedback. It’s hard to know what to revise in a full length novel—especially a messy one—if you don’t have some outside eyes on it. Over the course of Blood and Dust’s life, it has been through several rounds of beta readers, I hired two editors to go through my first couple chapters, as well as hiring Kara Swanson to do some coaching sessions where we tore my plot apart. Due to my pregnancy causing exhaustion and lack of funds, I wasn’t able to continue those sessions as long as I would have liked, but the time spent with Kara was invaluable. She was such a help to this story, and in general a sweet soul all the way around. If you are in need of some one on one help with your writing, I would highly suggest her coaching services. I also entered the first two chapters of Blood and Dust in a contest, not because I thought it would win, but because I knew all entries got extensive feedback from multiple judges. I also had some feedback from an agent I had queried. 
2. Assemble and prioritize the feedback. Now that you’ve got all the feedback, start going through it. I wrote my list out on paper, but you could do it on the computer too. Any issues that came up from more than one person I paid special attention to and set as a priority to resolve. Things that came up occasionally but were valid points got jotted down to try and resolve as well, and some critiques that just didn’t fit got discarded. Having the revisions prioritized gave me a clear vision of what needed to be done, on a full story scale or simply clarifying one scene. 
3. Brainstorm and outline. I’m not a major plotter for first drafts, but Kara helped me realize that it’s kind of necessary for major revisions. We’ve got these major problems that need logical and exciting solutions. It takes some forethought. Kara and I brainstormed a whole bunch of ideas. I bounced them off of what I knew about my characters, as well as some of my beta readers that had read the full story and knew it well, then decided which ones I’d like to pursue. One thing I did that was super helpful was write a basic chapter by chapter outline of what happened in the current story. Then write a chapter by chapter outline of what I wanted to happen, noting old scenes that should be kept or discarded. Seeing what I had to work with helped me come up with good alternatives that stayed in character. It also helped me see unnecessary subplots and scenes, since one major issue agents had with the story was the length (123k). 
4. Save the darlings. Before starting out slashing the story, I created a duplicate version of Blood and Dust and named it Revisions. I’ve got the full original in case there is a scene that got cut that I decide I want back. I also created a scrap file for scenes I was cutting out of their current place, but knew for sure I could use in a different place. That way they were all right there and I wouldn’t have to dig through the original story to find them. 
5. Kill the darlings. Start writing. Or chopping. Whatever it takes. I kept my list of critiques handy, as well as my two outlines, and tried to weave in the new themes and plot lines string from the beginning. There were a lot of scenes and plot lines that I was fond of, but  that just honestly didn’t benefit the story. So I cried, said a few words, and hit delete. And told myself I still had the original version safe and sound. 
6. Don’t worry. I set out to trim the story down and in the first few chapters it gained 25k words. That frightened me and I was hesitant to write the new material that needed to be included. But trust me. I’d you’re really honest about each scene, you’ll be able to chop it down to proper size as the story progresses. Currently Blood and Dust is sitting at just over 90K—over a 30k drop. Whatever issue you might be worried about, don’t. You’ve got yourself covered. You saved the original. No change is permanent. You can go over it again. Just keep writing. 
7. Make notes. A couple times later in the story I realized there were some things I forgot to foreshadow earlier, so I made myself a note to go back and do so. Or to check the description of a character who is present in the beginning, but then doesn’t return until the end, to make sure I’m consistent. I won’t remember. You probably won’t either. Make the note. 
8. Talk to people. I sent chunks of the revised story out every so often so the people I knew liked the original story could give me feedback on if this was staying true to the heart but improving the issues. You don’t have to send out chapters yet, but keep open dialogue with writer friends you trust to give solid advice as you encounter issues with plot and character. 
9. Ta-da! That’s it! That’s what I did. Like I said, it’s not done, I’m still going through minor tweaks, but the major word chopping revisions are done, and I’m so happy. 

What about you? Have you undergone major book revisions? Any great tips that helped you through? (Coffee. Coffee helped me through.) 

Hello October

Hello everyone! 

I can’t believe it’s already October. I thought I was so ready for fall, but it’s 48° outside. Two days ago it was 90°. I can’t handle changes that drastic. Especially when I have nothing to wear! 

I’m not a sweatpants kind of person. I think I own one pair. But I’m also in a weird stage where maternity jeans don’t fit well enough to stay up, and my regular jeans are too tight to wear. 

I think I’m going to start a petition to make all maternity jeans have belt loops. I’ll wear a belt low on my waist if it means I don’t have to hike my jeans up every thirty seconds. Also, they need pockets. 

Anyway, enough of wardrobe lamentations. On to the actual blog post. 

We found out we are having a girl! Beyond excited about that. Everything has been checking out good and healthy, and we’re neck deep in the struggle of choosing a name. Apparently I’m a modern gal who married an old soul. Our name tastes are so different. He’s also got to deal with my writer side, and endure all the weird literary names I come up with. 

Canning. Lots of canning. Tomatoes, apples, you name it. My house has been a sticky, delicious smelling dungeon all month. They’re talking we might have record snows this year. Gotta stock up on salsa and jelly if we’re going to survive. 

We chopped silage and Henry and I got to be the cook crew. Casseroles and cookies and Gatorade, oh my! 

It’s one of my favorite and most stressful times of the year. 

Henry has been loving having a friend over every day to play. I love it too, except for the weekends when Henry asks where Lige is every ten minutes. 

My sisters, Henry, and I went Junk Jaunting, which is like state wide garage sales. Henry made out like a bandit, with new tractors and a spring horse, and I found a few treasures for the house we’ll be moving into sometime this winter. (The bear did not come home with us.)

We watched lots of Husker football. We laughed, we cried. It was intense. 

October started off raining. And it hasn’t stopped yet. I so want to get outside and hang Halloween decorations, because as fun as Christmas is, I firmly believe the other holidays should be enjoyed first—looking at you, Hobby Lobby. 

We did start on decorating inside the house. I’ll save the really insane decor for closer to the week of Halloween. My mother in law will be staying with us during that time, so she’ll get to appreciate the full extent of my weirdness. 

Weather permitting, there should be more harvesting and cooking this month. Cooking for the harvesters is a little more low key than for choppers, since they eat in the tractor to harvest. Sandwiches and chips are a staple, though I try to mix it up with runzas and sliders. 

I’ll be hitting the third trimester, which is exciting and horrifying. It seems like this pregnancy has gone so fast. I don’t have anything ready. 

I got a bunch of awesome books last month and I’m hoping to read some of them. 

Last month I revised Blood and Dust like crazy, and I’m currently forty pages away from the end. That number will fluctuate as I cut and add scenes, but I’m getting close. I plan to have it done this month, and rewrite the synopsis, etc, to start querying and pitching in November. 

Speaking of November, October may or may not be a prep month for nanowrimo. Though I’ll for sure be a nano rebel if I do participate and work on editing Bad Boy or Mad Hatter instead of writing a whole new draft. I’m not super inspired on any of my new ideas currently, so I need to get those old ones done before they go too long and stagnate in the swamp of unfinished stories. 

How is your fall going? Do you love fall? Hate it? Love it but need a slower transition into the cold weather? I’d love to hear. 

September Language of Worlds Linkup

Hello everyone! Happy official fall! 

It was downright chilly this morning, and I love it. Around here we’ve started chopping silage, so I’ve been spending most of my days at the outdoor kitchen making obscene amounts of casseroles for the guys, and hauling my laptop back and forth with me. 

It’s once again time for The Language of Worlds, hosted by Liv K. Fisher. Today I’m going to focus on Calgary from Blood and Dust. She’s my favorite. 

1.Your character is in crisis! Who is the first person they turn to?

Blake or Gil. Blake is a fellow saloon girl and downright sassy. I love her so much. She’s not afraid to tell anyone exactly what she thinks. Gil is the gang’s official messenger boy—except she’s actually a girl in disguise. Calgary falls back on both girls a lot when she needs help. Later in the book Cole also becomes a key support, but by at first. 

2. Who has their unconditional loyalty?

Gil. Calgary guards her secret with a passion. 

3. What cause do they believe in? Why?

She believes in Cole’s cause, to take down Dermott. It’s because she thinks it will help her find her missing friend, as well as gain her freedom to a life with more than killing. 

4. Are they easy to get along with?

Calgary is one of those people that would take the Facebook test to see how belligerent they are, thinking it was going to rate 100% and it would actually be more like 40. She’s a spitfire to be sure, and she makes life difficult for Cole, but in context of dealing with the Guns and Mr. Dermott, she’s pretty quiet and obedient. 

5. Are they a night owl or morning dove? (Or “weird daytime pigeon”?)

She’s both. Helping in the saloons she has to stay up late almost all the time. But she also gets up relatively early to start the next days meals and tend to her own work. 

6. What do they consider most vital to their health? Are they right?

Staying on Mr. Dermott’s good side, and washing her hands. She’s right on both accounts. Dermott is the “god” where she lives. Make him mad and you’re likely to disappear. And it’s a post apocalyptic setting with diseases running rampant. Cleanliness is next to godliness. 

7. What was their childhood fear?

That she would make a mistake and Dermott would notice her. That she wouldn’t be able to learn all the medical things her mom was trying to teach her and she’d be forced into being just another saloon girl. 

8. What do they have nightmares about?

Her mom. Being taken away. Her friends being taken away. 

9. What sights/sounds/smells remind them of home?

Gunpowder. Dirt. Homemade candles. 

10. What do they love most about themself?

That she overcomes. She’s always trying to be better. To learn more. To stay ahead of the game and be useful enough to keep herself safe. So far she’s been successful. 

Check out Liv’s blog for the questions, and to see what other people are answering! 

I’m off to bake a casserole.

The Language of Worlds~ August

Hi guys! 

Forgive me for missing last week. I helped work cattle all morning, then had a doctor appointment that afternoon. 

Today I’m joining in Liv K. Fisher’s linkup The Language of Worlds. 

1. How long have you been writing this story? 

The first draft of Blood and Dust was written during NaNoWriMo of 2017. I’m pretty sure that’s the first year I ever won. It was called Young Guns back then buy ended up being changed to The Guns for awhile. 

2. Who’s your favorite character? Why?

Oof. That’s so hard. I love so many of them. Cole, Calgary, Blake. Jason is rapidly climbing the ranks as a favorite. I think Calgary is my favorite though. She’s sassy, and strong, but also broken, vulnerable, and scared. She’s a lot of fun to write. 

3. Which character do you consider the “goodest of the good”?

Definitely Cole. He’s almost always a gentleman and tries to do the right thing. Although that is getting toned down just a tiny bit in this latest version. I’d still consider him the “goodest” though. 

4. Which character is the “baddest of the bad”?

Well the main villain, James Dermott, is definitely the worst of them, technically. I mean, he’s the one responsible for all of the troubles to begin with. But my personal burning hatred is reserved for Ridge—a gun hand who is terrible to Calgary. He’s terrible. 

5. If you were to have tea (or coffee!) with one character, which one would you pick? Why?

First of all, it’s coffee. Totally coffee. Coffee is sacred in this book. Anyway, I think I would pick Jason. Because he’s my small, injured baby. There’s a lot of layers to his character. He’s strong in some ways, and completely helpless in others. Things bother him so bad, and yet he doesn’t let on to any of it. He’s starved for personal relationships, but manages to butcher every one he has. Sounds like a perfect coffee companion. 

6. Describe your storyworld.

My story world takes place in the near future, after World War 3 ended. America went through an invasion and suffered heavy destruction, losing most of their electricity and ability to connect with each other coast to coast. Cole lives in Tennessee where the majority of the eastern countryside has rebuilt and is fully functional with a government and technology. They are actively working to reconstruct the other states. Artificial intelligence is a big part of life, but the world is still very recognizable as earth I think. 

Cody, Wyoming is where most of the book takes place. It’s in the Bomb Zone where reconstruction hasn’t started yet and the people there are even more isolated than most others in the Bomb Zone are. They live a very old style life—cooking over wood stoves, living off wild game and whatever foods they’re able to grow from seed year after year. They use the natural sulfur in the area to make their gunpowder, and anything that can make bullets is guarded and recycled vigilantly. Gangs are constantly at war in Cody. There are three of them holding different territories, with The Guns being the most powerful. People die constantly, everything is a fight for survival, and the whole place is generally wild, lawless, and terrified. 

7. You’ve fallen into your book! Which place would you be happiest at?

Noooo!! I don’t want to go!!! I guess I would pick Tennessee. Where things are safe and stable. Though I’d totally miss out on all the action. I might also hide out in Yellowstone Park. It’s beautiful, and generally undisturbed, and all I’d have to look out for is wild animals. 

8. Which place would you like to avoid at all costs? (Or, explore to know its secrets a little bit better?)

Cody. I’m pretty sure I’d get killed pretty fast. Then again, that’s where all the action is, so that’s totally where the best exploring would happen. 

9. Share an aesthetic!

10. Share a snippet!

“Where do you think they went?” Gil flipped the limp rag over her shoulder and got to work slicing chunks of venison into thin strips. 

“The cooks?” Calgary quartered a lumpy potato and threw it in the big stew pot.

“Yes.” Gil wrinkled her nose. “I don’t care where the Guns go.”

Calgary bit her lip and shrugged. “Wherever they all go, I guess.” 

“You think they just disappeared?” 

Calgary rolled her eyes. “No one just disappears. You know what I mean. There haven’t been any raids—and why would they take cooks anyway? It had to have been the other thing.” It sounded ridiculous coming out of her mouth, but what else was she supposed to call it? Random disappearances of women, with most of them resurfacing in a few months with no clues to where they’d been? That was another thing.