Its done!!! 59,017 words and the first draft is done!!! Now I send it off to my beta readers and see what they think.
Thank goodness for my daughter who nagged and pushed me. Thank goodness for my characters who I thought were off the rails but who came through in the end!
Now I send it off to the beta readers and I don’t touch it for at least three days (longer if I can stay away) and I work on something else. I’ve got two good hours of writing tonight.
Once I’ve let it sit for three days, I’ll read through it, do a spell check, and then start the editing process. Hopefully my beta readers get back to me ASAP so I can make any adjustments they spot. Then I do another edit, spell check, and adjust. I’m pretty sure I have question marks for names in one place. I should fix that. And that’s done while I think about it. Minor characters sometimes get that if I’m in the flow when I’m writing. I go back and figure out a name. When I wrote later, I came up with one name so the other was easy enough to fill in.
YEAH! This comes off my to do list. All my client work is caught up so more writing for me tonight.
There are days when you’re writing that it flows with such ease you cannot get the words on the page fast enough. These are golden days meant to be maximized. The more of these you have the more likely you are to finish things – at least that’s the theory.
Today was one of those days. One scene flowed into the next and the next. The first sex scene I wrote – needs work – it’s too fast. It’s a little awkward but I’m okay with that part. First time sex with a new partner is often a little awkward. But the timing isn’t quite right. I’ll fix it in editing I think. Unless I mull it over and go back to it.
Today I got more alone time to write. I wrote two plus chapters which is fantastic. It’s coming together better but I still don’t have my climax (in my sex scene I do) and I’m not sure if the plot is going the way I expected it too. I’m laughing at that. I know better than to plan things – the characters are totally in control and these are determined.
As I usually do, I reread part of the manuscript I’d previously written. This gives me perspective and gets me back into the world. I made some adjustments and found some errors which I fixed.
My progress has put me in a good place. I’ve written nearly 9900 words and total count I’m at 45K. This means I’m easily going to hit the mark. I just have to see where the characters take me.
My writing time has been infringed upon. We’ve hit some bumps in the renovations we’re doing so much discussion has been needed and this has pushed into my writing time. By the time we’re done discussing, I’m so tired, I’ve not been able to write much.
Tonight I put my foot down and kicked people out. In a little over two hours of writing, I’ve made progress. The first love scene is coming up and then from there, I’ll start adding a hint of danger and throw in a few conflicts and bumps (and probably another love scene).
I’m edging towards the finish line. The funny thing – the scenes I thought were absolutely going to make it in are probably not going to. This is why I don’t plot out my books – the characters take me on their journey.
Tonight that journey included about 2500 words pushing me up over 35K. I’m to the back half of the book. Hopefully by the weekend, I am done with the rough draft. Fingers crossed…. I won’t know until the characters tell me their story…
Procrastination is a great tool if you don’t want to accomplish anything. Today I set up posts for my blog, did some promoting on some of my books, celebrated my first hardcover book and a variety of other tasks in order to avoid writing.
I had a lot of excuses – my female character is too… I hate my story which is me being unsure of whether I’ve got the right tone. So I putzed in the story. A bump into encounter which lead to breakfast… a conversation with her daughter…. texts from her ex (bastard that he is) and more.
I whined to another author about being outside my comfort zone in genre, and so many aspects of the story. Finally my little Bash Bear (one year old kitten) came and lay on my lap for attention. He wanted Grammy time. He snuggled in and I pet him, scritched his chin and gave him love.
When he had enough Grammy time, I realized I needed to stop my bitching and just get it done. Now it’s 2 am and I’m headed for bed. I’ve written 6752 and I’m up over 11,500 for total words. All good and I am starting to like my female character more. I also like how my characters are syncing with each other. Only 38,500 left to go. Hopefully tomorrow I get some good writing time in. This will be my focus all week. If I can get somewhere between 3-5K words each night, I might be able to finish the rough draft in a week. Fingers and toes crossed but we’ll see whether the characters will cooperate with me.
Ken has been busy on this project. He’s had help… thank you Zack!!! Electrician and plumbers are done until we get work done.
Drywall in bedroom
The walls are done in the bedroom. Mudding and tape next. Ken was slowed down by covid vaccine shot 2.
Today Zack and Cristina arrived to help again. Ken and Zack worked to get all the green board up in the bathroom. Walls and ceiling done. Next step… lay the membrane for the wet room. That needs inspection so I’ll call on Monday.
bathroom facing into the wetroom and then from the wetroom towards the outer wall
Once the membrane passes inspection we’ll be tiling wetroom floor and walls. Then I think the plumbers can come back.
Meanwhile Ken will work on drywall, mud tape the closet. Vicki can start painting as soon as mudding is done.
It’s progress. Two rooms are coming together nicely.
Update – membrane down!!!
This means Ken will be working on the drywall on the walls in the closet, taping and mudding. Then Ken and Vicki will work on painting in the bedroom and bathroom. Another big step forward – Thank you Zack and Ken!
For two years I’ve been trying to get contractors to give us a reasonable price on remodeling our basement to include a bedroom, closet and bathroom. Two years!!
We’ve bought all the finishes. My two nephews came out to help lay floor in the living area of the basement and in the process redo some of the drywall. So the living room area has been mostly done for a bit. They came out a couple weeks ago and helped lay floor in our family room and work on framing in the bedroom/closet area in the basement. These two men are fantastic. I cannot say how much I appreciate them.
New Egress Window
In early April we got the egress window put in. I was furious because we told everyone – please put up plastic to keep the dust to a minimum. They didn’t. All of my daughter’s things were covered in concrete dust. In case you didn’t know, concrete dust is cloying and difficult to clean up. My daughter breaks out in hives every time she touches concrete dust or wood dust or anything like that. We told the estimator, the company, and it was in the notes for the installers but they disregarded it. The company sent out cleaners and they did a good job but again cloying concrete dust.
Somewhere in all of this, we discovered the previous owners didn’t get a permit to do any of the work in the basement. OY!! and that’s the nice language. So we had an inspector come out. Found out most if it was illegal – the paneling, the wiring, and pretty much everything. So Ken tore it all out. We got a dumpster to put all the debris in.
Last Sunday, one of my nephews came out and we got the rest of the framing done. I should back up to say my niece gave me the names of contractors – plumbers and electricians.
Underground work
I called on a Friday, got a call back on Monday. Tuesday we had the estimator out, and by Wednesday we had an estimate from Dave Jones in Madison. Anyone who knows me knows I always have questions. I emailed my questions. I got answers – which of course meant more questions and still got more answers. Then we signed a contract with them. The price – more than I hoped but less than I feared.
So they came out to dig up our basement area for the bathroom. In the contract, I had the estimator put that we wanted plastic put up and the estimator ordered an air purifier. These men came out. Tore up our floor and we had minimal dust so both my daughter and I were able to breathe and she wasn’t covered in hives. They warned us when they were going to make a lot of noise or cut off the water. Additionally, instead of going in and out of the doors, they went in and out of the egress window. This kept the dirt down and the debris contained in the construction area. Oh and the most thoughtful thing they did – when they needed to leave the doors open, they asked us first and waited while we scooped up Ava (Bash was already in the office with mom (my daughter) because he doesn’t like men / strangers) and put her in the office with mom (my daughter) so she wouldn’t get out.
First session of framing
Separation between bedroom / closet
Additionally, they left the air purifier going overnight to help with any lingering debris. They fixed a crack in our stack – which the previous owners knew about and covered up. Also when it came time to put in a stop for the sewer (note I don’t know the correct terms here. I’m the money person not the plumbing person), they had two choices. Per code it had to go into the bathroom down there so the sewer wouldn’t back up into the bathroom. But the other option was to put it so it wouldn’t back up into the house, which is the better option and that’s what they did.
Bathroom
Bathroom
Bathroom
Looking from bathroom through closet into bedroom
Bathroom from storage room
Somewhere in the mix we had the HVAC guys come in to run venting legally to the bedroom / bathroom. Now today, the electrician is coming in. By the end of today, I hope we’ll have updated and legal electrical work in the basement, our garbage disposal properly wired, and safe smoke and carbon dioxide detectors.
Next week the plumbers come back to do the rough ins. I’m not really sure what that involves – and I’m okay with that. Then we have to put in the membrane for the wet room (a wet room is where you have an open shower and bathtub in one place and everything in the area can get wet) before we do tiling. This has to be inspected.
These are the next steps for us….tiling in the wet room – meaning floors and walls, and floors in the other area of the bathroom, drywall (which will start after the electrician is done (bedroom/closet area), plumbers back for installation of finishing (after tiling and drywall), floors in bedroom and closet, painting (the one thing my daughter can do without breaking out in hives), installation of closet organizer and barndoor, and finishing.
I hope the project will be done at some point this month. I’m not holding my breath.
If you’ve been with me since the beginning, you know I have health issues which affect my mobility. The less I’m able to get around the more certain issues become important to me. I can’t do much physically.
I hate talking about this. I don’t want or need pity nor do I want people to think I’m using my health as a way to avoid working. At the same time, there are things which have become exceedingly difficult for me.
How can someone like me give back? I’m not out running or biking some race or run. I can’t walk to my bathroom some days. So how can I help out? Of course – the only way I can help out is to write. So I’ve been writing.
I was asked to join an anthology to support people with disabilities. All I had to do was write a story. So I did. It will now appear in this anthology:
WHAT LIES WITHIN – NOT YOUR AVERAGE ANTHO
This thrilling and inspiring collection of stories, features a strong set of characters that each face their own challenges and perceived setbacks in life. Find out What Lies Within each of these inspiring stories and watch as the characters learn to accept what makes them all that more special. This collection features a series of fascinating short stories and excerpts for upcoming novels – all written by your favorite authors!
Releasing: November 13, 2020 Link: https://geni.us/EileenT-WLW
Featuring: M. Sinclair Bee Murray L. Starfyre F. East AJ Macey Melody Calder Everly Taylor Lara G. Elmore Ashley Amy Eileen Troemel
Pick up your copy today – all proceeds will be donated to Epilepsy Foundation.
Although technically I am only required to take 13 days of furlough – I’m counting weekends.
I’ve been super busy with writing. I got a couple more read throughs of the Wayfarer series done. I accepted edits in Seven Sisters which is the next read through. I have been setting up all sorts of things for The Dragon of Frendur release.
Mostly I’m staying inside and away from people. It’s nice to get things done and not worry about anything outside my to do list.
Ken hung pictures in our bedroom. They look great. It brightens the room and I really like the pictures we chose.
My sleep schedule is messed up. I’ve been staying up till 1 or 2 or 3. Going to bed to get up around 6ish. I stumble out to the living room and take my meds and curl up in the recliner. This is normally okay – except today I slept until 11. So my to do list didn’t get a lot of attention.
On top of which, my computer is being a dick about everything. I’m going back to my recliner and work on the read through. Tonight Vicki and I are doing a paint night again. I’m looking forward to it.
The rest of my furlough time will be prep for my book release – both of them.
I’ve been super busy. I finished the 80s! Or the photo albums from the 80s. The 90s box is out. I’ll probably tackle some of them tomorrow.
My middle daughter and I went to the farmer’s market. We wore face masks as did all the vendors. We even had some vendors who had double wide tables to keep customers further away. Our Jam lady and our cucumber guy were happy to see us. I’m excited for fresh local produce again.
The phrase – going to – has become my nemisis. Apparently I use it a lot in my writing and I’ve been cleaning up manuscripts and I hate this phrase now.
Last night I did a great one. I’m on the read through part of my Wayfarer novels. So I started Immemorial. I was hoping to get all the way through it. I was getting into the groove but I kept thinking – I thought I changed this. I dug out the manuscript with the edits and sure enough I had. I went looking and discovered two files for the same book in the folder. So I’d gotten a third of the way through. Now I would have just discarded but I liked some of those changes. So I stopped last night and this morning came to my double screened computer and worked on a compare in Word which helped me work my way through. Shortly I’ll be reading through the rest of it. I hate when I do dumb stuff like that.
This morning I made bacon for breakfast while my daughter made biscuits. We had jelly (yup from our Jam lady) on biscuits with bacon. It was good.
I’ve updated two of my Ava books – new edits and new covers! Eaten by the Wolf and Big Bad Wolf Tames Red both have been updated. I love the covers!
I spent minimal time on Facebook to check on my groups and such. This is the extent of my social interaction today. I’m totally okay with that.
It’s raining so that means I’m aching. I’ll go to the recliner, cover up with a blanket, and work on reading Wayfarer books!
I finished five photo albums! The pictures have been scanned and uploaded to Shutterfly for the family. The 70s are done! At least the box marked with the 70s is done, whether they were in there or not. The next box is the 80s and only has three albums in it. There may be another 80s box but I’m taking the stance that there are only three until I find another box marked 80s.
Wayfarer novels have all had the edits accepted! Next step – read through all of them. I’m also working on re-writing the blurbs. I think there’s three more steps to get through – reading, formatting and uploading. Progress made and will continue to be made.
This morning I spent time answering emails, setting up arc reads for my arc group, and setting up posts for my book tours and interviews. I have one more interview but I’ll set it up tomorrow to come out in a couple of days.
I have some marketing to do and Facebook to deal with but then I’ll be reading Wayfarer Immemorial. I’ve started reading this four times and gotten sidetracked. Mostly because I’ve started it when I’m tired.
Tomorrow I’m venturing out of the house but only to go to the farmer’s market. We will be practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Plus we’re going early to hopefully avoid the crowds!
I’ve got a general routine which I’m trying to stick to so I can accomplish as much as possible. Fingers crossed I’m super productive while I’m on this furlough.
