Tag: Moments in Spirit

One Final Scene

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

Three weeks to write 90,000 words and complete a story.  I have finally gotten through the battle scene.  I have one more wrap up scene to bring together all of my plot points and then I’m done.  I should finish that today.

The full moon is on the tenth so I should have this done before then.  This weekend my plan is to work on the next poetry book.  I’m hoping to get final selection of the poems done.  I also think I can finalize the cover.  Then it will be time for production.  All the fun prep work before I can put it out in book format.

My Defenders series is grumbling at me.  There are so many layers to this series I need to get back to that to do list.  I have to make some final decisions on the content of the first book.  I have to figure out what I’m doing on the art for it.  I need to work on editing the second book.  I need to finish writing the third book. 

I’m hoping once I get the poetry book done, I can focus solely on the fantasy series.  If I become a bit obsessive about it, I’m more likely to get the work done. 

On the other side of life, I need to get my craft room organized and start thinking about holiday gifts.  It is already August and I’ve not decided what I want to do.  In the last three weeks, I’ve only made a wedding gift. 

I’m sadly lacking balance right now with writing being the focus of all my non-work hours.  Even Ken has gotten the “What do you need, I’m writing.” attitude from me.

Full Moon

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

August is the beginning of harvesting.  It is time to start gathering up what has been planted and grown all year.  The full moon, which is fast approaching, is about sharing the fruits of your labors. 

With the waxing moon it is a build up of energy towards the full moon.  It is about getting prepared to share what you have been doing and what you have accomplished.  As the energy shifts to the full moon, I’m starting to feel pressure to accomplish more. 

While I’ve been working on the creative story telling since the waning moon last month, I’m starting to feel the pressure to get some of the other things done on my list.  I have the third poetry book to finish selecting the poems, finalize the cover, work on the Defenders series, marketing tasks like press releases and a myriad of other things. 

This is the time when my energy becomes more frenzied with getting things done.  I usually feel like I’m not getting enough done and then when the full moon is full force I’m overwhelmed with all the energy. 

From the waning moon in July until now, I’ve been working on a story.  It is now over 83,000 words and I’m down to a final scene.  It is the culminating battle which is going to have a lot of layers to it.  I know what I want to happen but I’m struggling with getting it on paper.  One of the things I feel I need to do is map it out.  I’ve done this with other battle scenes.  Seeing on paper where people are in connection with each other and the landscapes helps me get it down on paper. 

I’m hoping to write the final scene, or section really as there will be a lot of little scenes within this last part, before the full moon.  I feel like it is the culmination of the dark moon energy that needs to be done by then.  I’ve got all the components it is just a matter of getting it all down on paper.  It will mean I’ve gotten a rough draft of a novel done in just about three weeks. 

Rough draft is one thing.  There are about a thousand steps from the rough draft to publication but I think this is a good start on this project.  I’m looking forward to seeing it through.  I guess I’m harvesting a novel with this full moon. 

Moments in Spirit

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

My second poetry book is now available.  This one focuses on poems that helped me grow spiritually. 

As I have learned about my own beliefs and refined my practices, I used many of these poems to focus my energy and my thoughts.  I strongly believe that no two people will connect with the divine forces in the same way.  However, I hope these poems will help make a connection for the reader. 

This is the second in my poetry series of Moments.  Moments in Nature is all about Nature and how I feel connected to it.  Moments in Spirit connects nature to the divine.

Moments in Spirit is available:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Moments-Spirit-Eileen-Troemel-ebook/dp/B00MDKBO5A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407159134&sr=8-2&keywords=Eileen+troemel
(The paper version should be available later today or tomorrow)

Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/461839

Juggling Tasks

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

Swollen ankle limits the amount of time I can spend at the computer.  This means I have to prioritize everything.  Which projects do I really need to be sitting at my desk for and which ones can I do from the recliner?

Friday my ankle had a large red splotch on it and was swollen as well as painful.  This is usually an indicator that my gout is flaring up again.  I have so many things on my to do list and time at the desk is crucial to accomplishing some of them.

This morning I’m going to work on production of the Moments in Spirit.  It is already available on smashwords.com.  I just need to work on the production for Amazon and Createspace.  Hopefully both of those will get done today.

I’ll probably hit the recliner after that though because I have the perfect scene in mind for the next phase in my story.  I worked on a timeline last night because I kept losing track of how much time had passed.  I wanted to make sure things lined up and made sense.  Normally this is an editing thing but I felt out of step with timing so I knew I just had to do.  The timeline is caught up to the story so it will be a simple matter of updating it as I move forward in the story.

It is wonderful that in my head I can see the next scene, I can envision what it would look like and the flavor I want it to take.  I’m working on another bad girl scene and loving it.  Manipulation isn’t something I do and she is a manipulator, she persuades (magically and mentally) people to do her bidding.  I’m hoping it comes across as almost seductive – the more she does it the more she likes it so the more she has to do it.

After her scene, I have an info dump scene which I think I’ve found the perfect solution for giving the information without it being a “hey listen to this” type of info dump.  This scene will provide background information, a little origin myth, and teach the main characters skills they are going to need soon.

Then it will be a scene of betrayal and escape with the bad girl.  She is going to do something really bad and run away from her dominating lover.  It will lead to a series of deeds that will shock the other characters and ultimately lead to the final battle.  I can see it all in my head, I just have to get it down on paper and hope it turns out as well as I think it will.

Once the story is complete, I am going to go back through and add in details and descriptions that have been glossed over.  But that is the beginning of the editing process which this project will have to get in line with the other projects I have going.  

Temporarily Stuck

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

I came to a transition point in the story I’m working on.  If I were putting chapters or parts to it, I’d say I came to the end of part one.  I knew where I wanted to go.  I know the next scenes but there were some details I wanted to get down. 

Briefly, the main character is transitioning from her old life to her new life.  During the first part of the story, she is traveling to her new town where she will take up a new powerful leadership role.  Part of what I wanted to get in was that she was feeling overwhelmed in her new role, new position, new relationship, and so on.  It is like that moment when you walk into a new job which you know is going to be great but you look at the tasks ahead and think – What the hell did I get myself into? 

At the same time, the reader doesn’t want to hear about the minutiae that goes into her daily life.  An awareness needs to be made and I don’t want it to seem like she stepped into the role and just ran with it.  It makes her more believable and likeable if she struggles.  Struggling is good.

Last night I was going to work on the story some more.  Repeatedly I reached for the netbook to open it and type but never could bring myself to.  I had essentially written myself into a scene that I wasn’t sure where it was going. 

I don’t consider this writer’s block mostly because it never lasts.  I consider it a pause in the process.  I knew what the scene overall was supposed to be and how it would transition to the next scene.  I just wasn’t sure of the details. 

Last night I putzed.  I worked on a couple of other things but was just tired and a bit growly.  I knew I was thinking about it too much.  I changed my focus and let it go.  Eventually I get a solution.  Either I talk it out with one of my people who listen to me ramble about writing or something just comes. 

This morning in the shower, I saw the scene in my head.  I saw my characters just as I had left them.  I saw the scene play out in my head.  My fingers itched to get to my computer.  Unfortunately I couldn’t immediately get it down.  I was a bit grumbly about this until I realized it just kept getting more detailed and fleshed out the more I thought about it. 

The scene I was stuck on is written.  It has led into the next scene which will allow my characters to give some background information without it feeling like an info dump.  The story just keeps coming and as it comes it just gets better.  It solidifies what I’ve already started and leads forward to what I hope will be a great climax.  I can’t wait to see where it takes me. 

Obnoxiously Early

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Sunday I was up at 6:30 which for me on the weekend is too early.  I slept from 3:00 am to 6:00 and would have liked more sleep but by 6:30 I knew it wasn’t going to happen.  The good thing about being up that early – I got a lot of writing things done. 

I finished another step in pre-production for another poetry book.  I redid the cover for Secret Past and uploaded it to all the places as well as several other items on my to do list.  I worked on production of Moments in Spirit and failed miserably at making it through the process.  It is available electronically through Smashwords but there are issues (background not with the text) and I need to spend more time on it. 

After a couple of hours fussing with the file trying to figure out what wasn’t working and not getting it to work, I gave up and hit my recliner.  I worked on the story I’ve been working on for a week.  I decided to show more of the antagonist in this story.  There are flashes of her throughout the story but I actually took the time to write up a synopsis of her. 

Normally I don’t do this as I like my character so just develop.  However, with her it will have to be more subtle.  I won’t be telling her story per se but overlapping her story with the protagonists.  This means I have to work harder to show who she is. 

Writing the synopsis and little scenes for her.  It helps me to keep her darker.  I haven’t written a lot of dark characters and it was kind of fun to tap into motivations that I don’t normally explore.  With good characters it is all about protection, overcoming, and higher purpse type qualities.  With a bad character it is much more self -motivated – gathering power, me oriented desires, and revenge at any slights, real or otherwise.

I don’t know that the little scenes for her will make it into the story. I think some of them will have to but they help me see how someone like her would work.  She’s power hungry and she likes being that way.  I like that. 

I know there are at least eight major scenes left in this book.  I’m sure there will be others as I illustrate how the main characters live and adjust to their new life together.  I’m already at over 43,000 words and can’t wait to move forward. 

I want to be careful not to let the details bog down the story.  No one wants to read lengthy descriptions on all the details in a life.  It gets tedious.  It will be a matter of finding the right balance between giving the details and keeping the adventure and action moving forward.  The more I think about it the more excited I get about it.  It will be fun to see it develop and expand into more than just some strange imagining in my head.

Back to Routine

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

Stephanie flies back home today.  Moo Shoo and Gus Gus (her amazingly cute cats) miss her.  I’ve enjoyed our time together.  We cooked supper together last night.  I chopped what was needed and she cooked.  She made a shrimp stuffed flounder, Parmesan creamy rice, sweet peas, stuffed crab and a salad.  It was delicious.

After I drop her at the airport it will be back to routine for me.  I’ll be heading in to work.  I’ll go back to looking at my long to do list and figuring out which will be my next task.  There are so many to choose from it won’t take long for me to settle on one or three.

Most likely I’ll be focusing on production of the next poetry book – Moments in Spirit.  I am also working on editing the second in the fantasy series.  I have so many decisions to make sometimes I feel like I can’t make one more decision or my head will explode.  Since that would be messy and probably slow down the entire process I try taking things one at a time.

My foot still twinges when I spend too much time with it down so I’m trying to take it easy and do as much as possible in the recliner.  This does make life difficult because I use two screens when I’m writing and doing a lot of production tasks.  However, it is better that I work with one screen than make my foot worse.

I’m going to miss Stephanie, her humor, her quiet assurance – pretty much everything about her.  But we both have to go back to the demands of life.  Her cats are probably going to scold her severely for deserting them for a week.