Well lookie here! New website! If the DNS ever stops throwing an error.

We use Squarespace at work so I’ve already been a fan of it for a while. I’d originally asked a friend to help me put the site together, paid work, not for free, but I was subjected to a disappearing act after the first scope of work call and it’s been like two months so... I just went ahead and built it myself.  

Blogger was great to get started but as my confidence grows, feeling much more in control of my writing and where I’m going with it, I felt the need to redo my website for a sleeker, less amateurish look. I like how it turned out. Simple, to the point. Best of all, it only took about an hour or so.

I just need the DNS and certificates to finish resolving correctly so there’s no authentication error and I’ll be happy. 

Anyway... 

I’m in a good place, mentally, for writing. The writing coach sessions are awesome and I feel I’m learning so much, while applying it directly into my novel. It just really feels like I’m making measurable progress. I’m actually feeling good about having a completed first draft of the novel this year. 

It might be to the detriment of short story writing, sure, but I’m riding a pretty good wave. The chronological timeline is done, 3 parts well defined with arcs and every single plot point broken down into scenes. I’ve basically already written the cliff notes version of it, I’m just discovery writing the in-betweens. Exciting!

On other news, I took the scalpel and hacked one POV out of EGtH, cut about 4K words down to a respectable 12k. Nicole, my writing coach, wants to do a comparison, to help me submit it to WoF. I’m excited about it but at the same time hurting. I really liked that POV. I keep thinking of turning around and blowing it up into novella length, just for kicks. Could just be the high I’m riding talking, though.

I’m going to try to pick up the blog posts, too. By separating the stories into their own place, I feel I can manage things better and any writing counts as practice, right? 

I’m still doing my 1hr a day religiously, well, working my way back. I had a week in Dallas for work where I wrote zilch, but I’ve bounced back. 

Definitely focusing on one POV in the novel all the way through until I reach the end of Part I at least, then doing the girl’s POV. Kinda looking forward to it, despite my doubts about having her voice well defined. 

Tip from my writing coach (she was quoting someone else but I forget who so I’m giving her credit): a great way to center yourself in a POV‘s mind is to interview them after the story has ended. So, for Auralee, I’m going to sit her down on a table, give her a cup of tea and ask her what she’s been up to since <SPOILER> 

hahaha... 

-chair!