I've been playing with a 30-day free trial of Novel Factory Online, and I gotta say, it really works with how my mind works. The organization of it, the Roadmap that walks you through the process, the way you keep building your book's structure step by step, the ease of moving pieces around...I'm not a fan of subscription-based software, but I think I'm going to bite the bullet on this one when my trial period is up. I think my second complete (hopefully!) novel will be much stronger and tighter than my first, because of this software.
FINALLY finished a first draft of a novel. I've started several over the years (this one for NaNoWriMo 2009), but until today, I had never, ever written the final word.
Now to revise. At least I've got several built-in beta readers in my sisters and nieces. One niece has already read the first few (unrevised) chapters and is excited for the rest of it!
I still consider myself more of an editor than a writer...now let's see if I can turn that editor's focus on my own work!
For the first time ever, I'm nearing completion of a novel manuscript.
And so, my thoughts turn toward beta readers (after rewrites/self-editing, of course). But since I'm living in a foreign country writing groups aren't really an option. Anyone know of any online writing groups or beta readers who may be interested? Or is anyone reading this interested in being my beta reader?
It's sort of a chick-lit mainstream type of book, but involving bizarre news articles from the Darwin Awards website (which makes it really hard to classify).
Gah! I need some brainstorming help. My female lead has just spilled her guts about her childhood trauma: the murders of her parents. This prompts the very private male character to share in turn his big secret about his past. But Jamie, darn him, still hasn't told me (I met him just before NaNo 2008) what that is! I outlined around this minor fact, and made the 50k for NaNo that year. But now I'm (finally) at that point in writing the novel, and he STILL won't tell me. So I thought maybe some group-think might help me out.
So what kind of past trauma might he have experienced? I need something that's on a par with the murder of Alyce's parents (so to speak). Something that he's never talked about with anyone, but because she opened up to him, he's decided to open up to her. So it needs to be something fairly big, a bit life-changing.
The Knight Agency (literary agents) is celebrating 20 years in business. To kick off the celebrations, they held a first-ever Twitter pitch session. Between certain hours on 29 June, you could pitch your manuscript in Twitter with a given hashtag. If an agent "liked" your pitch, you then emailed the first 3 chapters to the agency with a query letter.
Sooooo...I mailed the first 3 chapters of my novel from NaNoWriMo 2008 to a literary agent. A first for me.
Our residence cards are finally ready! We'll pick them up tomorrow morning.
I had my first interview for this job on the last Friday of March. Maybe I'll actually be able to start working next week! Four months seems a bit excessive, nem?
No, we were in Budapest for a month in October while I took the CELTA course, then we were in a small town where I was teaching. Now we're back in Budapest as of Saturday, in a temp flat until we move into ours on 1 June. Visa process, then start working at Nokia!
Last night my cat had a stroke. His left side is paralyzed. I allowed the vet this morning to convince me to give him a chance with some injections. Buckey's not better; he's worse. This will be a horrible night, but tomorrow morning we'll stick with our original instincts and not put him through any more. Fifteen and a half years is a good run for a cat. He's traveled more than most members of my family, and he's been very happy. I will miss him more than I can say.
He is blessed that he had a loving a family and he lived a full life. Suffering is not how he should end such a wonderful travel. I feel for you. They are family. Just know he will be chasing chipmunks and butterflies, for all the days long.
Making non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner (chicken - it's just for 2, but it IS stuffed), in Nowhere, Hungary, after working today. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Apparently I have the job in a small town in Hungary...now I just have to complete the application! (Oh, and *pass* the CELTA course so I'm actually CERTIFIED to teach!)
Saw our best friend in Paris for the last time tonight before we leave. This SUCKS!!!!!!!! But she's planning to come visit us, either in Budapest or after that if I get the job.
In three days at this time, we'll be most of the way to Budapest (but still on a VERY LONG train ride). The cat suspects something's amiss, and he is not happy...but then, neither are we! I will really miss Paris!
No absolutely definite email yet, but they've sent me a bunch of stuff about Hungary and invited me to a FB group for 2013-2014 teachers...so I guess that means I've got the job?
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, it's actually the one you started reading many, many years ago...I'm just finally going to actually finish it. 
un: 
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