Happy Halloween!

Nothing could be finer than to get past a writer's block. I finished chapter 18 in the big novel. Was able to get almost 900 words written. I read what I wrote to my daughter and she said, "You wrote that? It's really good." I love getting strokes.

I got to write the villian today, it was really fun. What's the point if the villian isn't villianous? There is no conflict without him, no sense of impending danger. What is there for the hero or heroine to triumph over without him? What is there to push the characters to go outside themselves?

I have disengaged my self from the online writing groups. For me they tended to just be distracting. I got some lovely feed back from one fellow, Bob and will definitely take his comments to heart. But for now I just need to write.

Progress

I worked today on the big novel. I organized it. Now my novel sits in two folders. Folder one has the first sixteen chapters (75,092 words). Folder two has chapter seventeen and will hold the other chapters as they are finished. The exciting part is I have finished chapters 23-28; have eliminated chapter 22 and am almost finished with chapter eighteen. That means I only need three chapters for the two parts to meet and then two chapters to finish. I am closer than I realized. I wrote 437 words today and why that little bit should give me such a thrill I can not say.

Mike Gordon and Sting

Daniel, my son, is a huge fan of the improv band Phish. Today he told this story. Mike Gordon went to see Police in concert and after the concert he got to meet Sting. Sting gave him this advice. Don't listen to any music for six months and every day write something even if it's gibberish. Like 'my dog walked the baby in the park'. Eventually he said to work at getting a song from the idea stage to the finished and ready to record in one day Sting said that's how he got his album written and recorded.

The little light in my head went on. Of course this would work for writing stories as well as songs. I have read enough books to last a life time. I don't need to read anymore, at least for a while, that way I can put all my energy into writing.

I have people in ten different states wondering when I will ever get these stories I keep talking about published. And the feed back I got from writing.com has been very positive and very helpful. As always I'll keep you posted.

writing.com

Where do would be writers go? Not authors who's words are published in the slick pages of magazines or in the bright white pages of hard back tomes, but the dabblers who's heads are full of stories, We are the glassy eyed who sit in a room but are not there, instead we travel the halls of far off kingdoms, battle against evil and fall unrequitedly in love. Here we can open a window into our souls and hope for a gentle word from those who stop to take in the view. Welcome.
This is my intro to my portfolio on writing.com.
I am going to try this forum out to see if I can get my writing reviewed by other would be authors and to keep me motivated. I have spent the day on the forum when I should be cleaning my house or writing so it may turn out to be just a big distraction.

Oh joy and rapture! Have I mentioned that I got a laptop for my anniversary gift? I can sit anywhere I am comfortable and write to my hearts content.
Since last I blogged I have sent Callen and Thayla shopping at a bookstore (Tree of Life)[Chapter 4], Rosanna has had a close encounter with a ferocious bear (One Kiss)[Chapter 9] and Braden has explained resurrection to Jazmire at his father's wake (Heir)[Chapter 18]. I also added a scene in the hospital to Character Sketch, it may not stay it really doesn't further the plot. I think I must resolve myself to the idea of that story staying at the novella stage.
Progress is too slow and not steady enough but still it's progress.