Goals.

I don't know about you, but this year seems to have been pulled right out from under my feet. Summer is almost upon us Down Under and Christmas is but a blink of an eye away. Another year - just a memory of  dreams not quite reached. 2009 has been an interesting year on many counts. I have met all of you on blogger and many more on twitter. Sharing views and words of wisdom. Keeping me up when I have felt down. However, it has also been a year in which I have greatly slipped behind. My interest in the publishing industry appears to have overshadowed my writing.  It is my skills  I should be sharpening, after all.

With this in mind, my goal for 2010 is to cut down on the number of blogs I read (which is now over 100) and concentrate on getting my novel polished to a high shine. I will leave the industry news securely in the hands of those to whom it rightly belongs. I will only read blogs which inspire and entertain, (all of you who follow me), comment less frequently, tweet less and write more.  It is the only way. The clock is ticking. And I don't mean my biological one either...

If you do not see my name in the comments of your blogs, know that I would have read it. If you do not see me on twitter often, know I am lurking in the background. And lastly, if you never see nor hear from me again, please send for the emergency services.....

What are your goals for 2010? And like me, do you feel you have too much on your plate?                                                                    
Below. My furry family of Shih Tzu's:
                                                   Cabana

 Oblio

 

Coco

Me. A flightless kiwi bird looking for her wings.

Critique

Five years ago I sat at my kitchen table deliberating what to do with my life. At the time I ran my own beauty business. It had crossed my mind on numerous occasions that I would rather stick pins in my eyes than continue to deal with finicky vain woman to whom I had nothing in common. To say I was sick of it would be an understatement. I wanted out. My only reprieve from the mundane drudgery was my writing. Anyway, back to the kitchen..... The idea for my story literally popped into my head. The ending came first then a little while later, the beginning. I've been filling in the blanks ever since.

Over the years that acorn of an idea grew into a massive 180,000 word novel. As my protagonist is only thirteen years old, the book obviously had to be shortened considerably for the younger audience in which it was aimed. So down it went. Cut, cut, cut. Consequently the overflow of 100,000 words spilled into books two and three. However, with so many edits I have been left with a patchwork quilt effect. To me, it all makes perfect sense, to others, not so apparently....

I have entrusted only one other person with my precious MS. This person may not be in the publishing industry, but is eloquent, well-read, open minded and honest to the core. So away he went, mentally prepared with my bundle of paper stuffed under his arm whilst I chewed off my fingernails in anticipation.

Conclusion....
- Too much passive voice. (Fine. I can fix that easily enough).
- Characters mentioned at beginning of story and not mentioned again. (Oops!)
- Dialogue for the sake of dialogue. (Really? Hmm....)
- Too much 'Tell and not enough Show'. (I'm beginning to sweat)
- Too long. (Really! What do you know??)
- Flashbacks not in the best of places. (Migraine now setting in)
- Younger readers maybe confused with story. (What!)
- Apart from the above, it's bloody good. (Trying to get back in my good books)

After downing a handful of Panadol and quite possibly a stiff drink (or two) I simmered down and pondered the advice. And you know what? He was absolutely right - dare I say it - in every respect. It isn't back to the drawing board, however, I still have much to do. Sure, there are problems. But even surer still, I can fix them. Make it better than before.....

Have you had your book critiqued? And if so, how did you deal with criticism?

PS. Thought I'd end this post with a few more pics from home. Enjoy :)

Digging my toes in the sand. Per usual....

Gorgeous picnic spot.

Not sure where that was taken. Nice though!

Frolicking Dolphins. 

 

                     Moor up. Crack open the Chardonnay and enjoy.

Something a little bit different.

As I have nothing informative, thought-provoking or remotely interesting to write about this week, I am unashamedly going to post some pictures of my beautiful country instead. Hopefully the fog in which has assumed control over my normally active brain will return in the fullness of time.....

Auckland city at night.

One of the beaches I walk along.

Traffic jam in NZ.

Steaming hot thermal pools.

Common footwear. The gumboot.

The Auckland harbour bridge.

One of our many ski resorts.

A typical sandy beach.

Hole in the rock. Bay of Islands.

The Beehive - Parliament building (Wellington).

Sunset on Muriwai Beach.

Lake Tekapo.

Kayaking (not me).

Oneroa Bay.

Sometimes the grass IS greener on the other side.

That's it from me. Perhaps if the book doesn't work out I'll become a tour guide! Hope you enjoyed the pics.

The secret to publication

There's only one sure way to be a published author and that is having something to say. Remember, it is not the volume of your voice but the clarity in which you speak. Here is my advice....

1. Write.

Thanks for dropping by :)

The Honest Scrap Blogger Award

A fellow blogger and a jolly nice chap, W.Z.SNYDER, #167 Dad, http://griggits.blogspot.com/ whom I get enormous amount of pleasure from reading has bestowed upon me The Honest Scrap Blogger Award. Thank you so much :)

Here are the rules of the award:

1. 'The Honest Scrap Blogger Award' must be shared.

2. The recipient has to tell 10 (true) things about themselves that no one else knows.

3. The recipient has to pass along the award to 10 more bloggers.

4. Those 10 bloggers should link back to the blog that awarded them.

Right, here are 10 things you don't know about me. This is going to be a hard one as I already posted 7 things in my previous blog. I will have to dig deep.

1. I'm rather partial to raw onions.
2. My favorite colour is black.
3. I do not like sticky buns/cakes of any sort.
4. Almond icing should be banned.
5. I'm not a big fan of bananas.
6. I'm a cheap date. Just give me a glass of wine, a wedge of ripe blue cheese and pop me into a corner and I'll be happy :)
7. People who shout or argue in public make me feel physically ill.
8. I abhor racism.
9. I dislike red cars unless they're Ferrari's.
10. I have a fetish for candles, since having recently come to the conclusion that the older you get the better it is to be cast under the soft light of a flickering flame. Preferably not too close.

And now to the best part. Bloggers who I think MORE than merit 'The Honest Scrap Blogger Award'. In no particular order:

1. JemiFraser. MUSINGS OF AN ASPIRING AUTHOR. http://jemifraser.blogspot.com/

2. TERRIBLEMINDS. Chuck Wendig. Freelance Penmonkey. http://terribleminds.com/ramble/

3. THE NATIONAL AFFAIRS DESK. Contributors: Joseph, Ddjango, Matt Byron, GgSpiritWrites, David Hunter. http://thenationalaffairsdesk.blogspot.com/

4. RABALLARD. I CAN'T BE OCD (THE LETTERS AREN'T IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER I AM CDO) http://raballard-mymind.blogspot.com/

5. Iapetus999. THE WRITERUNNER. I write. I run. I do my best writing while I run. http://blog.dawnsrise.com/

6. GOONERJAMIE. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A HOUSEHUSBAND. The trials and tribulations of a dad who is just trying to do his best. http:goonerjamie.blogspot.com/

7. CALISTA TAYLOR. A STEAMPUNK REVERIE. A writer's reflection on Steampunk and romance. http://asteampunkreverie.blogspot.com/

8. Gerry Huntman. THE CHRONICLES OF EVYNTYDE/ Musings and bloggings of Gerry Huntman. http://gerryhuntman.lovejournal.com/


9. JUSTSAL. JUST MY THOUGHTS. The knots in the pit of her stomach, attempt to stitch up the hole in her chest. http://justsalsthoughts.blogspot.com

10. CATE PEARCE. I'LL THINK OF A TITLE LATER. I may write about anything and everything, or nothing at all. http://catep36.blogspot.com/

I hope you check out my recommendations. You will find a little bit magic in all their blogs.

Kreativ Blogger Award

On the eve of Halloween, I received a comment on my blog from the lovely Jemi Fraser, saying, 'I have a little gift for you in my blog'. Obviously I rushed over there immediately! Much to my delight and surprise I had been given the Kreativ Blogger Award, along with six others whom I am awed to be in the same company.

To have been awarded the Kreativ Blogger, I must now pass the baton onto 7 others who must follow these instructions.

1. Copy and paste the pretty picture in which you see on the top left corner onto your own blog.
2. Thank the person who gave you the award and post a link to their blog.
3. Write 7 things about yourself we do not know.
4. Choose 7 other bloggers to award.
5. Link to those 7 other bloggers.
6. Notify your 7 bloggers.

Before I continue I would like to give Jemi Fraser, a big thank you! You will find her wonderful blog Just Jemi. Musings of an Inspiring Author at:http://jemifraser.blogspot.com/

Seven Things You Don't Know About Me.
1. I would rather chew off my own foot than eat spinach or dates.
2. I was born in London.
3. I believe in ghosts/spirits.
4. The film 'Jaws' made me terrified of the ocean. I love looking at it. Love paddling up to my knees. Love being on top of it (preferably in a luxury yacht), but hate being in it, unless in a submarine.
5. I was a very good horse rider in my younger days.
6. I lived in Australia for 3 years.
7. I hate it when people say the word, veg instead of vegetables.

So, to the following bloggers whom I get an enormous amount of pleasure from reading, I now hand over the Kreativ Blogger Award. Drum roll please.....(Note: they are in alphabetical order)

1. David Douglas who will be publishing his book, Demon's Bane, in a couple of months. You will find his blog at http://blog.daviddouglasbooks.com/

2. Merrilee Faber Her blog, Not Enough Words, is a treasure trove of information :) http://notenoughwords.wordpress.com/

3. R.B.Holbrook. A published author of two books. Children of the Sun, Shadows of Fate, and a third due to be released over the winter, Dawn of Illumination. Her blog is Scribeyond at http://rbholbrook.wordpress.com/

4. Sage Darien. A Novelist's Journey to Nirvana. This blog is a must read. http://sagedarien.wordpress.com/

5. Sara McClung. You will find her over at the Babbling Flow of a Fledgling Scribbler. Sara's blog is thought-provoking with a nice edge of humor. http://babblingflow.blogspot.com/

6. Sheri. The Uneasy Writer http://theuneasywriterdiaries.blogspot.com/ There's always something interesting to read whether it be, holidays, animals or writing.

7. W.Z.Snyder. You will find him at W.Z.Snyder, #167 Dad: http://griggits.blogspot.com/. As he says in his bio, 'I'm just a regular guy trying to feed a bunch of kids'. Who, I think also happens to be a great writer as well.

Well, that's it for now. I hope you enjoy my recommendations as much as I do.

Finding the time to blog.

I've become increasingly concerned with my lack of updates, due to those of you I follow (you know who you are) who somehow manage to post juicy morsels every other day. Yes, you heard right people. Every other day! Instead of writing in the morning I am now sidetracked by blogs I subscribe to in Google Reader, in which I pore over incessantly. All fifty five of them, thank you very much. Then, if that isn't enough of a distraction I then pore over the comments for further inspiration after I've expressed my own. Not on every blog, but certainly as many as I can. Sometimes it's just nice to sit back and enjoy the post. After all there is no point in commenting if you have nothing constructive to add. Unless it's on this blog of course, in which case please feel free to comment away!

As for twitter.... What is the fascination? Isn't it just a time waster? Invented by those with no lives? People chiefly concerned with 'me me me'? Modern day peddlers flogging their wares? Beastly spammers with nothing better to do or delinquent spotty-nosed teenagers posting their social engagements? Well, initially that's exactly what I thought twitter was all about. How wrong I was...

Up until fairly recently, I've had my eyes wide shut. Soldered together. Nailed closed. Twitter and the world of blogging has changed my life. I am no longer 'little old me' on the east coast of New Zealand, on the verge of being eaten alive by sheep. No longer a hermit tapping away in her tiny loft dreaming of publication. And certainly no longer alone. I am part of the 'big wide picture'. Distance is no longer an issue on account of two simple activities in which I have joined. Twitter and Blogger.

I wouldn't change my mornings for anything. The more I learn from others, the less mistakes I hope to make in the future.

Just one more thing before I sign out. HOW-ON-EARTH, do you all find the time to blog so prolifically?