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Month: June 2016

The Thrilling Ride Continues

Published by Jessica on June 23, 2016

Life often seems like the world’s most terrifying rollercoaster ride. Sometimes when I look ahead, I cannot see how all of the moves will complete without severing limbs or chopping heads. Yet somehow, each time, all that must be done gets done.

Why Yes, Bluebeard, I’d Love To was completed on time. Those last 500 words (which ironically were scattered throughout to connect the scenes rather than in a single spot) were among the hardest, but after I got feedback on it, I wound up having to revise the ending almost entirely. But it became much stronger. Between my friend, Debbie, and my husband, James, I realized that the ending needed a stronger tie in with the beginning.

Having those trusted people whom you can rely on to give their honest opinion are invaluable. I am so grateful for them.

In the revision process, I realized that I have at least two other stories that will come from this. The first is what happens from Silas’s perspective with his djinn friend, Hupomone. The second is what happens when Hupomone intervenes and what happens to Peter after she finishes with him.

Until then though, I need to locate the final draft of Parnimo’s Prize. I wrote it in a notebook while in Reno, but I can’t find the notebook now. It’s somewhere. It has to be. Worst case scenario though, I’ll just rewrite it again. I’ve rewritten this ending almost twenty times. Only seven chapters. How many times can it be rewritten? Apparently at least twenty-one.

The time isn’t wasted though. Multiple rewrites used to frustrate me. Each one has value. And each draft gets saved. There are many ways to end this story, and I can’t use all the ideas. Playing with them to see which one works and which one has the best flow has been time consuming but invaluable. The ones I don’t use will get woven into another story. Or perhaps they’ll get their own spin off.

On the bright side though, I am nearly done with my Wattpad Block Party Summer Edition II. This will be my fourth party, and  my readers, once again, have given me insight into what they want. Diamond Dust also went live on Sun Kissed Romance today, and I can’t wait to wrap up that novel. It’s different writing a spy novel, but I’ve always wanted to, and I’m finding it delightful. Now, in addition to the other novels, I’ll need to find time to finish my fantasy story for the Sun Kissed Fantasy anthology.

Anyway, I hope to have an exciting announcement soon. We shall see. Have a beautiful day regardless!

Sauntering Through the To Do List

Published by Jessica on June 8, 2016

I have concluded that at this point in my life, there is no such thing as being ahead or all caught up. Certain areas may be successfully managed and perhaps kept to a certain standard, but in general, there will always be something nibbling and whispering or shrieking and begging for attention.

As it stands, I have less than half a week now to finish off Why Yes, Bluebeard, I’d Love To, and despite having set aside time for writing, the law firm among other things has become quite demanding. It’s as if the other tasks can sense that this one must be done, and so they now all clamor for attention.

It doesn’t matter though because in the end, the story will be finished. I’m becoming quite adept at shuffling tasks around and squeezing out usable moments wherever possible. I wonder if perhaps this is part of what it means to turn 30. It’s not that one has life figured out but that one better knows how to manage what it is.

So I am not panicking. I’m just sauntering through the to do list, keeping focused and on point, taking one task at a time except in the cases when I can efficiently multitask (there are a few instances where that’s possible without decreasing effectiveness). If there’s one thing to give up when I reach my thirties, I’d like it to be stressing over what must be done rather than doing what can be done and making do with the rest.