It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Trees are decorated, lights are up, fires are lit...and everywhere in town is crowded with people. Where do they all come from?! Traffic is absolutely horrifying and nearly every store and restaurant is packed, and Christmas is still a week away!

Maybe all these people are like me and they only go shopping when they realize procrastination is no longer acceptable. I, for one, still have not done any shopping whatsoever, though I think I have an acceptable excuse. I don't think it's wise to go out by myself, especially near a holiday when there are tons of people about.

Also, I hate to drive. ;)

Thankfully, my sister and I are going to spend all day Monday getting our gifts for everyone. We'll see how that goes.

I've not had the opportunity to take many photos recently, though last week I helped out at a benefit concert by taking some pictures for my friend's family, which is a wonderful singing group. I thoroughly enjoyed being there, and I'm so glad I was asked to come! Thank you, Rachel, for having me!

Though I've not been taking pictures lately, I have been sketching quite a lot. I've decided that it's time I kick into gear and get my first book edited and published. And, silly me, I've even decided to make the cover for the book myself. What have I gotten myself into?! I can already tell this is going to be quite a chore.

The cover so far:

I actually figured out how to scan the drawing onto the computer, so at least that's one down! Now I just have to decide how to go about adding the color...which I have never before  tried to do. Wish me luck! :)

November Ends

...and I am still writing!

Both this year and last year, I participated in NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month. Never heard of it? Well, allow me to explain. Every November, thousands of people participate in NaNo by attempting to write a 50k novel. Sounds crazy, right??

Well, yeah. Most of us that participate are a bit crazy. Myself included.

This year, I decided to write a sequel to last year's NaNo, and it's going quite well. I'm loving my main character and the plot is revealing itself to me as I go, so it's pretty fun. I'm one of those writer's that just fly by the seat of her pants (also called "pantsing"). I've honestly tried several times over the past years to plan out my novels with notes, timelines, and character sheets, but it just doesn't work for me. For some reason, I go much better if I just let my characters do the talking.

That especially goes for this year, as my main character is somewhat a ham and can't help but get himself into some pretty strange--and often funny--situations. He's one of my favorite characters to write (shhh! Don't tell the others!).

Since my mother's out of town for the time being, she had to take my notebook computer with her...which just so happens to be my notebook in which I write. At first, I was at a loss of what to do when she left, as the smart drive I have all of my books saved on doesn't work on our main computer, but I finally came across this ancient, dinosaur computer that manages my drive nicely. It's sort of a pain to lug around (I don't like writing at the same spot for too long) but as long as I'm able to write, I'm happy.

Not sure if you noticed, but I changed my blog header! I thought the old one was, well, old and a bit too spring weather-y, so I tried to change the mood of the blog to a bit more autumn feel. Let me know what you think of it! I appreciate feedback.

Another thing I appreciate? Sleep. And I've been failing that class, I think. ;) Best get some shut eye. Goodnight, my friends.

A Rainy Day

It's been raining nearly all day, which is the sort of day I love. I love everything about rain.

Another reason I should move to Ireland. I will not give up on this!

Now that the weather is finally starting to act like it should in November, I'm afraid I won't be doing any photo shoots for a little while. I've really been needing to get some pictures taken of my family, but the time has escaped me. My mother will be out of town for a bit, anyway, so I know when she gets back I definitely won't be getting any photos taken of us all. I don't think my parents would be too willing to sit in the snow while I set up my tripod.

So I guess I'll just be spending my liesure time writing. I started a new book a couple of weeks ago (as if I don't already have enough started!), and I'm really enjoying writing this character. He was a secondary character in the last novel I wrote, but now I'm writing the new book in his perspective and he has a very interesting personality. If you're not a writer, you may be thinking I'm a bit crazy by saying that a figment of my imagination has an "interesting personality", but I promise you I'm not! It truly does seem that my characters all have minds of their own.

If that makes me crazy, then so be it. I think all writers must be crazy, anyway, to be able to create and write about so many things.

Speaking of writers, I am really looking forward to The Hunger Games movie coming out in March. The movie's based off the book by the same name (written by Suzanne Collins) and I think it's going to end up being quite popular. At least it should be, since the book series is so popular. Here's a link to the movie trailer.

I think I actually figured out how to make the link all fancy-fied! :O

Well, I suppose that's all for now. This isn't my best post but oh, well. Maybe things will slow down and I'll be functioning properly soon.

Almost Near the End

  It's strange. I started writing my book series nearly 5 years ago and now-- after all this time and effort, editing and re-editing, shaping and re-shaping my characters--I'm almost through with the last book. I suppose I should be jubilant...but, really, I just feel like I won't know what to do once I've written out the last scene. I've been with these characters for ages, grown to love and know them, and pretty soon I'll be done writing their story. I'll no longer have to worry about how they'll survive one day to the next, if they'll develop the way they should be developing...I'll most likely move onto new characters.

  But, in a way, my first characters will always have a special meaning to me. They were there when I first got the idea to start writing a book. They invaded my dreams and helped me power through my writer's block. They even told me what they were going to do when I had a very different idea for them(Zeke and Curran being the most persistent of the lot :).

  Perhaps this sounds strange to those of you who are reading this post that have never before written a book. Maybe you're starting to think I'm a little crazy. Or that it's a good thing I don't speak very often.

  If so, then I have two things to say to you.

One: Sometimes I wonder if I am, in fact, a little crazy*.
Two: Hey!

  I know that I'll be finishing this book within the year. I may be done by the end of summer or it may take me all the way till Christmas to get that last chapter finished, but I know it will get done. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything turns out for each of my characters; I really hope they don't make a mess of it all. Because, of course, I'm just the one doing the writing. They're the ones making the story.

  And when I do end up writing that last word and putting down that last end point, I'll probably sigh gently and read over the last few paragraphs, sadly happy that I've finally managed to get their story told. Then I'll shut down my computer and go to bed--because I most always finish a book at a ridiculously late hour.

  It'll only be in the morning that I'll fully realize I'm through with my last book of the series and that my characters will now be living their lives without me to write it all out.

  And I have no idea what I'll do then.

-------------

*Because, really, who gets surprised when a fictional character "decides" to do something you had no idea about? Oh, that's right! Me.*

My Unpredictable Muse

  I love to write. It's just something I do, something that's a part of me. Whenever I have free time, you'll most likely find me writing out notes for ideas I have, or writing in one of my books I currently have in progress. Yes, I have more than one book at the moment. I've finished two just this past year, and I have about five others that I've started. Crazy, I know. But I blame it all on my muse.

  Because just when I get comfortable in one of my books, I get an idea for another. And, usually, I can't just lay that idea to the side and wait until I have time (or, heaven forbid, I've actually finished a book) to lay it out. No, I have to set aside what I'm doing at the moment--even if I'm in the middle of writing a very crucial scene in the last book of a series--and start fleshing out that new idea. So that's how I came to have five books in the making. Sometimes I really hate my muse.

  You see, I am in the middle of writing the final book in a series, so I've been spending a lot of my time plotting out how it's all going to wrap up and which characters are going to play the most important parts...And just the other day, Muse had to butt in and say, "Hey, how about I give you another idea?". And of course I couldn't refuse. So now I have another book idea--but it gets even better.

  Not only is this new idea good for a book, for some reason I had to go and decide to write out the script version. You know, as in movie script, which I have never before tried to write.

  Why?! Can't I just for once finish a book without getting distracted along the way??

  So now, when I should be pushing my oldest characters closer to their Happily Ever After (Sort of), I'm instead writing a script for an action/adventure movie. And I'm actually enjoying it, which in no way helps that little voice in the back of mind that keeps reminding me about my important book I should be giving all my attention.

  Here's a quote I think sums it all up quite nicely:

  "Authors: Even the sane ones are nuts."

  I agree wholeheartedly.