Farewell 2010

2010 was kind of a bad year for me. It was like a tail spin of unmade decisions and loss. Great loss. I went through a tough time finding a job, couldn't make up my mind about which book to write, couldn't return to college this past fall, and just this past month, my beautiful siberian husky, Luke, passed away...



You may remember him from my post "Why I Should Join IPCA" when I entered the PARANORMALCY ARC contest. He was 9 years old. I don't want to get into the details because it makes me cry every time, but he was beloved. I picked Luke out on Halloween night when I was ten years old at Pet City. It was this cute little pet shop in the mall where we lived in Boise, Idaho at the time. He was just so adorable and so breathtakingly beautiful (er, I mean handsome. Guys prefer handsome, correct?) I just couldn't walk out of there without calling him my own. My dad caved. He'd always loved huskies. And ever since then, Luke had been more than a friend or a companion. He'd been family. It's amazing that he lasted so long. He was known for getting his stomach pumped at the vet's office. He'd tried to eat chocolate covered raisinets, batteries, and fireworks. Yes, people... fireworks. That dog was a wanna-be curious cat. And I loved him so much...

I don't want to make this blog post too depressing, and I want to TRY to keep my eyes dry if at all possible, so... I will carefully segue into a farewell to the past year.

Goodbye to:

Uncertainty.

Indecision.

Inconsistency.

Hello 2011...

This is the year that I will walk forward with sure steps.

Wishy Washy

That is exactly what I am.

I can NEVER. EVER. NEVER EVER make up my mind.

For the past four years I have been jumping between two story ideas. One includes my personal therapy, and yet extensive religious research. The second one was a spontaneous reaction to what one of my "supposed" side characters would do in a certain unwanted situation. And I find that once I choose one, I constantly think about the other. It is a vicious conspiracy that works against me to make sure that I NEVER finish a single book. And I hate that it's working.

I suppose the smart choice would be to continue on with my second story idea, which so far has about eighty five pages done, and work on researching/outlining the first idea at the same time. Since neither will shut up for the other. But will this really work?

I guess we'll find out.

*insert dramatic closing sequence here*
To be continued...

Outline

I don't know about you- but I like my sleep. I just happen to like coffee too though. Why can't ANYTHING be simple? :)

There are so many different ways to write a book. One of the questions I asked you about, oh I don't know SEVERAL weeks ago, was whether or not you were a plotter, or one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writers. I do believe that there is a type of writer that can be both though. I'm probably one of them, though not a very good one when it comes to choosing the ladder.

During the last week of June, I finished outlining my novel. "Finished" is a very fragile word though and I don't like using it, because truly, when is a writer's outline every TRULY finished? Never.

I used the afore-mentioned handbook that I purchased from Amazon "The Author's Outline..." by Abra Ebner. It helped me IMMENSELY! You have no idea. I'm the kind of writer that's not used to planning every step of my book out. Hence, why I have not been able to actually finish a book perhaps? I believe so. But the truth is, you can outline, write three chapters, fifty pages, have a whole WORLD full of ideas inside that pretty little head of yours and STILL not be able to get it out on paper...

Writer's block is a b*tch.

I think, since we've discussed "doubts" in the previous post and all that THAT entails, you can understand where I'm coming from and why my words are NOT. Pesky little issues that writing deals with, I tell you. But I am trying. And I will keep trying. I think one must set their own deadline in order to truly get it over with. I have so many dreams concerning the literary world with my book in it, and I need to get them realized.

Excuses can be a problem as well. You see, for the past ten days I have had my best friend visit me all the way from Boise, Idaho. Now THAT is a very viable excuse for my lack of writing in all areas (*cough* blog included *cough*) and therefore, I think that I can get away with June's lack of a fourth post :)

I love writing. And I dream of a completed book. Soon hopefully. I give myself one year to have at LEAST one fully written, possibly un-edited manuscript!

And with that goal being written, I will continue discussing outlines. I get so easily steered off course with these posts...

Outlines. Outlining. It is no easy task. I forced myself to finish outlining my novel, because let's face it, it is LONG overdue. So, the steps that I took (using my nifty little handbook- thank you, Abra) were first characters and their descriptions (including their goals in the story), THEN the setting/stage for the story (whether it was real or imaginary- plot that all out), and of course the plot (including whether or not one had several points of view or just the main character's). Inside the plot section there came to be a planning of chapters. This takes the longest (or at least it did for me). It was weird when I was finished outlining. I have this whole skeleton of a story laid out before me and I have to liven it up with all that words can spice? It was more daunting than relieving. Maybe, I just scare easily, but... at least part one of the journey is complete! Now it is writing :) Back to it then!