I am having trouble getting into editing "Red." I think it is partly because I have had an idea for another story and had to get it down on paper (or into a file as it were). So, I have been putting fingers to keys and getting the idea into a form that I can remember before getting back to “Red.”

Of course, I also need to take another look at my second “dragons” story (part 2 of a trilogy). It is mostly done, but it is in that two-month window where I don’t want to look at it. I need time away from a story so that I can see the problems in it – all those holes that need to be filled. Gain some distance, I guess you can call it.

This new story idea is about a male character. I dreamed a dream and I was a guy. My husband laughed when I told him. He wonders how I can write from a male’s perspective since I have so much experience as a male. Har har.

I told him it was a story and that is what writers do. They don’t write from their own perspective – they have to write from their character’s perspective. Otherwise, they would be writing their own story over and over and that would get boring pretty quick.

So, as I continue to procrastinate about “Red” I am tinkering with other projects. Maybe it is because “Red” is so old for me now – I mean, I wrote it 15 years ago. I am having trouble getting into the character’s head to see the world (a science-fiction world) from her point of view.

I will keep trying though, at least until I am ready to take my second look at “Dragons 2”. Kaalinda deserves it.

Okay, so I took a day to make a web site. They say that authors should have a web site already made before they approach a publisher. I did a bit of research, and since I am not making any money yet from my writing, I had to go on the cheap. I researched (i.e., read web articles) and found suggestions to not just use price, but also reliability, as a factor in deciding on a web host.

How do you determine reliability? There are sites out there that track that, and I found some and checked out what they had to say, and made a decision. Quickly. I don't want to waste time on decisionmaking when I could be writing.

So, now I have a web site. Check out http://hstrial-taramoeller.intuitwebsites.com/ and let me know what you think. I figure it's a start anyway.

Getting to my revision, I haven't had a whole lot of luck there. I have reread chapter one, and made a couple of slight changes, but not a lot really. The assessment of an excerpt stated that it needed more dialogue.

But, the main character is in a situation where she can't talk, and those around her aren't. That's the scene. So now I am brainstorming ideas on how to get more dialogue into that chapter (and the next to be honest) without having the main character do the speaking.

I'll let you know how that goes once I have figured it out...

Life, liberty and the pursuit of publication (which is what would bring me happiness!)

I have always put stories to paper, and I have always wanted to get published. In fact, more years ago that I want to admit, I actually got a couple of things out there – a short story, a poem and a “guest column” in a newspaper. Then, life happened. I’m sure you know what I mean – a child, a couple of dogs, my “real” job…

But, when I turned forty (!!! when did I get that old!!!) last year, I decided that it was now or never. That may be part of the reason that the average age to get published is 42. This statistic came from a creative writing instructor from a class I took, again, more years ago that I want to admit. I intended to be an exception. At this point, the exception will be that I will be OLDER than 42!

So here I am now, blogging away instead of working on my manuscript (hey – I need to gripe somewhere). So join me as I share my experience of rewriting the manuscript I wrote all those years ago (I hate counting) and get it ready to send off to a publisher.

To be truthful, I have another manuscript that I have sent off to a publisher, and I am anxiously awaiting to hear from them, so this manuscript is not the only thing I have going. I just don’t think any of you would want to read about me waiting to hear from a publisher. I think that would get old pretty quick.

So, last week (on Thursday) I went to a writing workshop about the “Sense of Style” and I realized just how much I have forgotten from that long-ago creative writing class.
So my first task will be to go through my first chapter, and check out the verbs I used, getting rid of all those passive and nonaction ones.

I’ll let you know how it goes….