writing

Procrastination, Rewrite Update, and Arizona Always Does Its Own Thing

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ 2 Comments

And because I’m behind on blogging this month and I want to procrastinate actually working on my novel, here’s a second post for today. 🙂

On the writing front, I’m still slogging away on that giant rewrite. I’m just about to start chapter five of part two, and there’s fifteen chapters after that, so I’ve still got a ways to go, blech. I reallllly want to be done with this draft by the end of March, so I’d better get cracking. Trying not to think about how I get to go through it again after that because this rewrite is so massive it’s like 50% brand new material which needs editing and pondering and possibly rearranging and rewriting. Oh man this is so much work. You see why I’m procrastinating??

I’m so ready to be on to something NEW! Trying do decide if I’ll start writing a brand new novel (from last year’s set-aside short story), finish off my draft from November, or Something Else Entirely. So many possibilities!

Meanwhile, Arizona has forgotten it’s February and has decided to skyrocket into the mid-to-upper-80s, which is making me grumpy because summer is coming soon and WE NEVER HAD WINTER!!!!!! >:-( It’s so weird to me that the rest of the country is wreathed in eternal White Witch Narnian winter, and Arizona is all like “la dee dah, let’s break some heat records for this time of year.” Anyways. I REFUSE to turn on the air conditioning. You know. In the house. It’s definitely on in my car…

So. There you have it.

Older and Wiser… ?

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ 1 Comment

So on Monday I turned THIRTY. Isn’t that weird?

Last weekend my awesome husband took me on a hot air balloon ride to celebrate, and it was SO AMAZING!! I now want to travel everywhere by balloon!

Our balloon.

On top of the world!

And on my birthday he got me an oh-so-delicious giant cookie cake from Paradise Bakery. It was all I ever dreamed it would be!

Because all the cool kids wear Disney shirts on their 30th birthday

In writing news, I have made some progress on the revision. I’m almost finished with the first chapter of Part 2, and also ruminating on some changes to the end of Part 1. Still a long way to go, but I think I’m going to make it through this thing!

Here’s to a (hopefully!) awesome new decade!

Notes from the Revision Trenches

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, I finished Part One of my epic rewrite, and it was awesome, and I’m so proud of my changes!

Today, I remembered that I only have a few brainstorming notes about Part Two, and I don’t really know what I’m doing to it, and there is SO MUCH LEFT to rewrite it’s kind of giving me a headache. Yikes.

This is my third major draft of this manuscript—I first wrote it during NaNoWriMo 2006, and I rewrote it in 2008. I dearly love its core elements and I know I’ve already made it better, but WOW, the second half is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Not to mention I’ve yet to 100% decide on whether or not I’m drastically altering the ending…

In addition to the major scene changes and a vast amount of rewriting, I’m also trying to cut as many words as possible. I’ll be able to focus on that more once I have the whole draft down and can judge what’s working and what’s not, but the good news is Part One is 3K shorter in this draft than it was in the previous one, so that’s encouraging! I would dearly love this to end up around 90K, but if I’m being honest, I’ll be happy to get it down to the 100K mark. We shall see!!

On a side note, I’ve been rereading my NaNo part-of-a-novel from November, and while it definitely needs some help here and there, it’s a lot better than I thought. I’m digging it!

Okay. Back to sorting through this second half.

It’s January Already!

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ 2 Comments

So, so, so, welcome to the second day of 2014! It’s sunny and seventies in AZ, which might make a lot of you jealous, but I really wouldn’t mind some clouds and snow and a roaring fire and some hot chocolate. I am drinking black currant tea with cream, though, so that’s something!

On the roster for 2014:

  • I’m turning 30 in twenty-five days. That sounds really old. 0_o (Obviously this isn’t a goal, just an inevitable event.)
  • Whale and the Tree revision. Hoping to be finished circa April, although this draft will need at least another pass after that. Really proud of my changes so far! I think it’s already a much stronger manuscript.
  • Another novel. Possibly another revision, possibly a reworking of last year’s short story idea, possibly something completely new. We’ll see!
  • I have a ton of books I want to read, including but not limited to: The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Sorrow’s Knot, The Bitter Kingdom, Shadow and Bone, The Fault in Our Stars, Unthinkable, The Name of the Wind, The Night Circus, Reflections (Diana Wynne Jones on writing), and whatever else has yet to tickle my fancy! (Book suggestions always welcome!)
That’s it for now. More later if I think of anything! Also, my tea is gone, so it seems a fitting place to end.
Go forth and be awesome, everyone!

2013: The Year in Review!

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ 3 Comments

Well, 2013 is just about over, and I thought I’d report on my goals for the year! Here’s my list from January:

  • Finish rewriting/editing Seer. It’s so close!!
  • Write something new.
  • Blog more.
  • Pay off my credit card.
  • Learn how to cook lots of delicious food!
  • Read good books!

 And here’s my end-of-the-year-accomplishments-list:

  • I finished rewriting Seer!! 
  • I wrote parts of something new, and might turn it into a novel when I finish my current rewrite.
  • Speaking of my current rewrite (though I didn’t list it as a goal on my blog), I’m nearly halfway through an epic re-haul of The Whale and the Tree, and I’m excited about it!!
  • Also not on the list, but I participated in NaNoWriMo this year and wrote 50K more for The Blind King. It’s not done yet, but it’s closer!
  • I blogged more, yay!
  • I paid off my credit card! Now working on my student loan and my husband’s credit card—we will be debt free eventually!
  • I learned how to cook a few things, so that’s good. 🙂
  • I read some awesome new books and reread some old favorites.
So, all-in-all, not too shabby! Happy New Year, everyone! 🙂

Once Upon a December

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ 3 Comments

Happy December, all and sundry!

I’m wearing a SWEATER today, which makes me happy. It’s in the fifties and cloudy and looks like rain, which equals winter in Phoenix. Might be going up north this weekend to catch some potential snow, which would make me happy. 🙂

In update-ish news, I DID complete my 50K for NaNoWriMo. I finished on the 20th in time to enjoy a visit from my sister and her husband and to eat lots of turkey without writing-related guilt. I did not, however, reach the end of the book. There’s probably 15-20K left to go, and my outline is reaaaaaalllllly sketchy at this point. Not sure where it stands in Writing Project Priority currently. I’ll probably put off finishing it for a while, at least until I figure out the outline. I have reread parts of it already, and there’s some glimmers of good scenes in there, so that’s encouraging.

Also, as per my author bio in the last post, I’m participating in Pitch Wars, which is an awesome writing contest hosted by Brenda Drake, which you can read about here. I think I’m giving myself an ulcer by obsessing over the #PitchWars feed on Twitter…

Oh, and the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special was FANTASTIC, as was Catching Fire. Frozen is next on my to-watch list, I keep hearing good things.

So I guess I need to get back to the novel revision I put aside for NaNoWriMo… And after that, I’m thinking about turning my short story idea from earlier into the year into a novel. I think it could be really, really cool.

And that, as they say, is that!

Silver Mines & Treason: NaNo Day 14

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ Leave a comment
Well, November is almost halfway over already—not sure how that happened! You’ll be happy to know that my novel is sitting pretty at 32,774 words, and I’m on track to finish by the 22nd. Hooray!!
The story is progressing pretty well, although I’m afraid I might get to 50K before I reach the end… Currently, two of my characters are attempting to escape from the silver mines, one of my characters just discovered the (partial) truth about her mysterious parentage, and one of my characters is about to commit treason against the king… or maybe warn him instead. 🙂 I’ve been posting tiny excerpts every now and again on my NaNoWriMo profile page, for the morbidly curious.
In other news, saw Thor: The Dark World this weekend and LOVED it. Also went to NASCAR for the first time ever and loved that too, although it was Quite Loud. Coming up on the roster: JJ Heller concert this Saturday, and on November 25th I’m seeing the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special IN THEATERS. Sooooo excited!!! There’s also Catching Fire and Frozen coming out soon. Busy month!
Okay. I did the dishes. I wrote this blog. I really should stop procrastinating and get back to writing!!

Bonus Handsome Cat Picture:

Update: Nano Day 5

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ 1 Comment

Well I’m thoroughly ensconced in NaNoWriMo and having a blast—so glad I decided to go for it! I’ve been languishing in revision purgatory all year and I forgot how much FUN it is to write first drafts!

Day Five Word Count: 14,097!! Trying to stay ahead of the game so I can finish my 50K by the 22nd, when my sister comes into town—so far I’m on track! Huzzah!

Oh and from the FYI department, here is my author page on the NaNoWriMo site.

I guess I should go to sleep now so I can get up and write some more!! Betrayal and war is coming soon to a novel near you…

Time Machine?

~ Joanna Ruth Meyer ~ Leave a comment

I feel like, literarily-speaking, at least, 2013 is turning out to be a rerun of 2006. I re-read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell this summer for the first time since 2006. I’m re-reading the Queen’s Thief Series, which I first read (scratch that—devoured!!) in 2006. And I’m currently revising my 2006 NaNoWriMo novel.

Perhaps that’s not the most amazing thing ever, but I think it’s slightly interesting. 🙂

Okay, I need to really get back to that revision…