Tag: Wayfarer

Write, Edit, Publish, Repeat….

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Writing has been on my mind and keeping me busy.  I have five projects I’m working towards the production phase.  They’re all written and edited.  The next steps are to enter changes on the computer, do spellcheck, read through a final time, write a summary, create a cover, and production.

For Wayfarer Freedom I’m at the production phase.  I have to sit down at my computer at home to put it through the production steps.  For the other ones, I have various steps to get through.  I’m hoping to finish as many as possible so when I do production, I can do a number of them all at once.

Once these are off my plate, I will go back to writing and crocheting.  I have a number of projects for crocheting that are grumbling at me.  My brain wants to work on them but I haven’t had time.

I have to come up with a name for Wayfarer 9.  I’m considering suggestions from my test readers and what sounds right with the book.  I also have to figure out what I want to do for a cover.

I also need to work on marketing again.  It’s never ending but much needed.  There are times when all the tasks I need to do get to be overwhelming but I just keep plugging away at  it.

Writing Tasks

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Wayfarer 8 will be Wayfarer Freedom.  I’m nearly ready for production.  I have a group of short stories ready for production but I don’t have a name for the book.  I also have to think about a cover and name.  These stories have gone to my test readers.

I have a second set of short stories which I have to edit, then I will decide whether they will be individual short stories or if I will do them as a book.  Wayfarer 9 has gone through a number of edits.  I need to come up with a name.  I have several in mind but I’m not in love with any of them.  I also need to work on the cover.

I’m apparently in edit mode right now because I keep working through all of these different manuscripts.  I’ve got a number of projects going and I hope I can get some of them cleared up in the next couple of weeks.

Hopefully in the next month, I’ll be able to get the four projects (two Wayfarer novels and two short story groupings) completed and through production.  I’ve also got a number of marketing things I’m working on for getting people interested in my crochet patterns.

I have to keep reminding myself it’s one step at a time.  I can only do one thing and keep moving forward.  It’s a matter of working hard, keeping focused, and keeping at it daily.

Right as Rain??

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

When I wake up at 5 am and can’t go back to sleep, I just know it’s going to be a blah day.  Errands are run, bills got paid yesterday, and Ken and I are back home.  He’s mowing the yard and I’m doing the grocery list.  I clipped some coupons but mostly I just want a nap.

My joints hurt today, have been hurting all week.  The damp weather is wreaking havoc on them.  The only thing I can do is keep the worst of them warm and hope the dampness will end soon.  I’ve gotten through several levels of editing both Wayfarer 8 and Wayfarer 9.  I’m hoping to put the final touches on Wayfarer 8 this week and work on production at some point in the very near future.

I finally dug out the other short stories I want to publish.  I’m going to start the edits on those and see how it goes.  A few of them are flash fiction which means they are extremely short.  I may put them into a short compilation of stories so I can make it economical for people to purchase.

I dug up a bunch of leads for marketing my crochet patterns.  I just need to figure out how to do some of them.  I’m hoping if I can get them listed in a couple of more niche oriented places sales will improve.

It’s only 10:30 but I feel like I’ve put in a full day.  I guess that comes from waking up too early.  It probably doesn’t help that sleep was nearly non-existent last night.  This is the way it goes with me.

The sky has gone from gray and gloomy to blue with a bit of white clouds.  Perhaps we won’t get the rain they said but I’m not holding my breath, my joints say rain is coming.  

Ode to Cheetos

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

There are just times you have to have something.  It doesn’t matter how good or bad for you it is.  You MUST have it.  I’ve been craving Cheetos.  Ken was a sweetie and got me some on Monday.

I don’t know what they put in them but I’ve eaten a full bag of Cheetos since Monday and still I want more.  I have a bag at work which I’ve been nibbling on.  It’s a little harder at work as there is the orange finger issue.  
Last night I had no Cheetos.  I was a little disappointed but I worked through one of my obsessions.  I got the first round of edits done on Wayfarer 8.  It took me until about 10.  Next step is a hard copy edit.  This one is about 20,000 words more than what I aim for but as I was editing last night I looked for scenes to cut.  I thought – I could take out this one or that one but the flow of the story was good and there weren’t any superfluous scenes.  As I was editing, I looked for shorter ways of saying the same thing and did manage to reduce the word count slightly but not by even a couple thousand words.  
The decision has to be made then of whether I will just have this one be longer or if I will try to cut the scenes?  I’m going to do the hard copy edit and see how I feel about it.  I wrap up a number of ongoing story lines which is why I think it is longer.  
The question becomes now do I start the edits on Wayfarer 9 which the rough draft is already done or do I wait until 8 goes into production?  The searches I do take me a couple of days and the first read through usually takes a day sometimes two.  
I’m still working on Wayfarer 10 and Defenders 3.  Part of my problem with writing Defenders 3 is because I’m so wrapped up in the Wayfarer series.  
I need to go back and do a clean up edit on the published Defenders novels.  I think once I’m immersed in the story again the last book will flow better. In the meanwhile I keep writing a scene here and there.  
Fortunately, I’ve wiped all the orange Cheetos residue from all of my devices and I’m getting over my craving (maybe) and will go back to trying to eat healthy.  

Balancing Act

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

My searches in Wayfarer 8 are done.  Now I have to do a read through before I print for an edit.  I’ve also gotten about 15,000 words into Wayfarer 10.

My middle daughter sent me a blog from one of her favorite authors about how to handle being stuck in a story.  It was interesting and gave me some ideas for the Defenders series.  I’m hoping it will help me move forward with the story.  It’s ironic, I started this story in 2010 and couldn’t get it down on paper fast enough.  I saw the whole story at the time.  I still do.  My problem is getting from the point I’m at to the next step.  Once I figure out how I move forward, the scenes all but write themselves.  I think I’m just getting hung up on the transitions.

Last night Ken went to bed very early so I watched a Midsomer Murder episode and worked on another ruffle scarf.  I wasn’t quite done with it when the episode was done but I finished and moved on to writing.

Work has been busy.  I’ve gotten a lot done in this week.  It certainly makes the days go faster.  It also feels good to get stuff accomplished.  I love crossing things off my to do list.

Tonight will probably be more of the same.  Saturday I’m going to Madison with my sister to do a painting thing.  I’ll see how it turns out.  I’m not great at painting but I enjoy it so much I keep working at it.

I’m going to a place I’ve never been.  I’m concerned about being comfortable and able to get around in there.  There’s always this what if they aren’t handicap friendly or my scooter will cause more problems or…. the list goes on.  I’m taking it on faith I’ll be able to get in and be comfortable.  I’ll see how it goes.

Cross Off My Todo List Items

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

It’s done!  Wayfarer 9 is complete in the rough draft stage.  I sat at my computer yesterday, forgot to eat, worked on it for hours, ignored my phone and most other distractions and got 33,000 words done.  After 22 hours being up I sent off the rough draft to my test readers who can now stop nagging me.

When I sent it, I was in the “I’m done with this project and I don’t like it” stage.  My daughter always gives me grief over this because generally I’m okay with how things turned out, it’s just I don’t have enough distance to be objective.

I slept from 6:30 this morning until 9:00 which was a little disappointing as I would have liked a little more sleep.  I dozed until after 11:00 so I’m getting a slow start to the day.

I’ve gotten a bunch of admin work done.  I got my sales spreadsheet updated.  At some point, I’m going to shower and eat – maybe before Ken gets home.  Today I want to work on updating four through seven of the Wayfarer series so I can take this task off my todo list.

Since I’m working on such little sleep, I’ll probably nap at some point.  You never know.  I may get some inspiration and work on Defenders 3 as that is the next project I want to tackle.  I may just lounge about reading what I have done before I tackle the next stages of the novel.

I’m giving myself today and tomorrow to work on it.  Saturday I’m hoping to talk Ken into a movie (or two) and Sunday I have mom coming over for a bit.  I don’t know if I can finish Defenders in one day but I’m going to see how it goes and hope Wayfarer 10 stays out of my head until I’m done.

I also want to tackle the edits for 8, production on short stories, and a crochet pattern I’m midway through.  The list never ends.

Jammies All Day

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Last night I wrote until 12:30.  I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open but still I had three scenes I noted I wanted to write.  As soon as I went to bed I thought of another scene I wanted to include but I went to sleep and managed a whole whopping four hours.  When I woke up at five this morning, I tried to go back to sleep and did manage to doze for a while.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get back to sleep.  Eventually I got up and went to my office computer.  I paid bills, did some production, and worked on some administrative stuff.  I spent a good deal of time getting information like what books I sold in May (yes I was behind) and from which company I sold them through.

As I sat at my desk, I eventually realized it was nearly one in the afternoon and I hadn’t had breakfast or lunch.  I had brunch and wrote another scene for Wayfarer 9.  I got cold while I sat at my desk in the office, so I curled up with a blanket and took a nap until my daughter called me.

Ken came home and I’ve spent time with him.  Now he is off to bed and I’m all alone.  Guess I could manage to write another couple of scenes or more.

It felt good to get the work out of the way this morning.  I feel like I got somewhat caught up.  I still have a binder full of edits to do for the Wayfarer series so I can update them.  I’m hoping to get that done this weekend maybe.

I texted with all three of my daughters today, wrote, did admin stuff for my writing, worked on production, spent time with my husband, played Peggle, and wrote some more.

Now I have my classical music going.  My hair is up.  The characters are grumbling in my head to stop writing this post and work on their story.  I may have stayed in my jammies all day but I have been very productive.

Little Sleep + 70,000 Words = new Wayfarer Novel

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

I’ve been putzing on writing the eighth Wayfarer novel.  I’d write a little and put it away.  That all stopped this week.  I went from 20,000 words that I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep to 70,000.  I think it’s a good one but I’m not sure.  I say this and I can hear other authors telling me to be confident in my work.

I am confident in my work but I just finished this one and I need some space from it before I can objectively judge the work.  I’ll wait for my test readers to tell me what they think.  I’m hoping by the end of the weekend.

Finishing this was supposed to get Wayfarers out of my head for a while.  That’s not happening.  I can already tell the ninth book will be started sooner rather than later.  I can feel it bouncing around in my head and wanting to be born.

I will attempt to set writing aside and finish a crochet project or two but the writing has grabbed me.  Once it starts, I have to write.  If I don’t I can’t sleep or focus on much of anything.

My goals for the weekend include finishing a baby blanket and starting a skirt.  I’ll likely write as well because I can already tell I’m going to need to.  I am working on editing the Wayfarer series – it is me being a perfectionist.  Even though the books are published, I reread them and discovered errors.  I decided to print, edit, and decide whether the errors merited going through the edit and republish process.  I’m on five and I’d love to finish them this weekend but we will see.

I liked the editing process.  I think rereading the books helped jump start the eighth book.  I’m planning to do the same with the Defenders series to see if I can get that story out of my head as well.  From there my to do list is long and complex but I am trying to be realistic and only think about the things I can actually accomplish in a short time frame.

Hermit Hole

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

Essentially I’m a pretty private person.  Now if you know me personally I’ll share almost any aspect of my life but if you don’t know me, I’m pretty private.  It is hard for me to be on social media.  It puts me out there to a lot of people.

When I went on vacation, I took a week off of social media, book marketing, everything except spending time with my family.  Social media and book marketing are key to getting my books sold.  I’ve been back a little over a week and just am struggling with going public again.

I’ve met some interesting people online.  One of my friends I met online only.  I’ve never met her in person but I feel we are closer than most people.  She is caring, giving, and understanding.  I can tell her anything and get no judgement.

I’ve been in my own little world the last week.  Enjoying the me time, the quiet time that I think my soul needs.  I’m feeling rejuvenated and recharged.  I finished off the JD Robb series – just waiting on the next one which comes out in September.  I’ve been going through the Wayfarer series and looking at edits.  I’m through two and half books.  There are only a few edits I need to make and I’m weighing that against the time it take to make the edits.

Next is to work on the next novel – either Wayfarer or Defenders.  I also want to work on the next Murder and Dragon Lord’s books.  These two haven’t been started at all though I have some ideas.

I have a pile of crocheting I want to work on.  Ideas are just flooding me.  I need to work on the baby blanket, skirt, and bibs for co-workers.  After that I have a list – a very long list – of things I want to get done.

Right now I’m just happy in my little hermit hole but I know reality will be climbing in my quiet little hole with me and pushing me out into the world to get things done.

Wayfarer Destruction

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Pre-order ended and is now available for sale in both ebook and paperback! 

This one was fun to write.  It is action packed with Adara, Decker and all their friends facing kidnapping, experimentation, and the Hettians.  While the Pritchard gets repaired, Adara and Decker fall into life at Command. Sabotage and danger shadow them on the station. Once the ship is repaired, Decker, Adara, their crew, and Adara’s pilots head out to make contact with the Hettians. Along the way, Rhia, Franklin, and Avin face a serial killer. Adara can’t shake her bad feeling. Oakes predicts another loss.

The end of their contract looms.  What will happen to the crew of her beloved Pritchard once the contract expires?  Check it out to see the next installation in Adara and Decker’s lives.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/533162
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VPJFS1G

You can see the rest of my books on my web site:
http://eileentroemel.weebly.com/