Ok, ok. I lied. No post on World Building today. Instead of crafting a post I got lost in North Druid Hills, returned a rental car to the airport, went to class, and got groceries. This is what happens when you've been gone for a week, your roommate's car breaks down, and you have to return a minivan.
But next week you will get posts. I promise.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tomorrow and the Next Week
So I literally just got back from Albuquerque, NM and wasn't able to post in advance today like I did on Tuesday. Therefore, my planned post on World Building will be put up tomorrow instead of today.
In addition, I read a ton of books on my trip, which means a lot of Book Reviews. But I don't want to flood you with a million Book Reviews in one day. So I'm going to spread them out. Basically this means you'll have one post every weekday until I run out of book reviews. Tuesday/Thursday will be our regular posts and MWF will be Book Reviews, until I run out.
Alright, that's all I have to say tonight. See you tomorrow with a post on World Building.
In addition, I read a ton of books on my trip, which means a lot of Book Reviews. But I don't want to flood you with a million Book Reviews in one day. So I'm going to spread them out. Basically this means you'll have one post every weekday until I run out of book reviews. Tuesday/Thursday will be our regular posts and MWF will be Book Reviews, until I run out.
Alright, that's all I have to say tonight. See you tomorrow with a post on World Building.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A Story Idea
In my last post, we talked about the very beginnings of an idea and how it begins to develop. Usually I get the spark by asking myself a question, but a question is not enough to make an idea for a novel, not even a short middle grade one. So how does it go from question to idea? Well, you saw the jumpiness of my mind in the last post, how I was suddenly creating things, but I'm an engineer so let's make a formula. First I'll define the variables:
The Question: the spark of the idea
Example: For Spirit Riddled the question was "What if people in magic were viewed as demon possessed, sort of like the Salem Witch Trials, rather than seen as a higher class in society (as is often the case in fantasy)?"
The Character(s): the people who will act in a story to help me explore this question
Example: A society that views magic as evil gives us Jess, a girl who is abandoned by her parents because of her abilities. However, it also gives us Mage--the man who has used his abilities and the fear others have of him as a bargaining chip to rise in society.
The Setting: where the story takes place, the setting that creates such a question
Example: We need a SOCIETY that views magic as evil. Bam. That's the setting right there. Magic means its a fantasy type society. But if a society hates magic, how will that work--how will they keep magic down? Perhaps the priesthood would do it....this leads us into World Building, which is a post for another day, but it also brings us back to The Character(s) because now I need a High Priest who will work against Jess and Mage.
The Conflict: the action/driving element that explores The Question, The Character(s), and The Setting simultaneously. Characters can be in conflict with each other and the Setting. So in Spirit Riddled, Jess is in conflict with the High Priest, Thief King, Mage, herself, but also at conflict with the Setting--her society.
The Question: the spark of the idea
Example: For Spirit Riddled the question was "What if people in magic were viewed as demon possessed, sort of like the Salem Witch Trials, rather than seen as a higher class in society (as is often the case in fantasy)?"
The Character(s): the people who will act in a story to help me explore this question
Example: A society that views magic as evil gives us Jess, a girl who is abandoned by her parents because of her abilities. However, it also gives us Mage--the man who has used his abilities and the fear others have of him as a bargaining chip to rise in society.
The Setting: where the story takes place, the setting that creates such a question
Example: We need a SOCIETY that views magic as evil. Bam. That's the setting right there. Magic means its a fantasy type society. But if a society hates magic, how will that work--how will they keep magic down? Perhaps the priesthood would do it....this leads us into World Building, which is a post for another day, but it also brings us back to The Character(s) because now I need a High Priest who will work against Jess and Mage.
The Conflict: the action/driving element that explores The Question, The Character(s), and The Setting simultaneously. Characters can be in conflict with each other and the Setting. So in Spirit Riddled, Jess is in conflict with the High Priest, Thief King, Mage, herself, but also at conflict with the Setting--her society.
So a Question leads to Characters, Setting, and Conflict and...
Character + Setting + Conflict = A Story!
Look forward to more exploration of our "variables" in future posts.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Inception (Not the Movie)
So I just thought of a new idea for a novel at the beginning of this week, and I thought this would be a good chance to take my readers through the process of creation that happens in my mind. For those of you who are writers, it'll just be a curious glimpse into another writer's process. For those of you who aren't writers, it will help you to understand the chaos of my mind.
In my novel Spirit Riddled, which I will very soon be furiously revising, a girl is taken off the streets by a mysterious man who most of the world thinks is evil--but he's not. At the beginning, the main character doesn't know if the mysterious man is evil or not. One of my critiquers commented "I really hope [mysterious man] is evil and in the end [main character] has to kill him."
My response was "No. No. No. No. No. Never in a million years would that happen in Spirit Riddled. That's a completely different story." And then I never thought about that comment again until this week.
Sometimes my mind does curious things. I was sitting in my lab, messing with the star tracker, when the comment popped back in my mind. And you know what, it is a different story. A kid gets taken in by someone he thinks is good but who turns out to be bad. Sure, a stereotypical twist maybe, but its just the beginning of an idea. Its the initial thought that can spring into a 50,000 word novel.
I immediately assumed this story would be Middle Grade, like Spirit Riddled, though I had recently been working on a lot of adult stuff. I really do enjoy writing Middle Grade and I really wanted to write this story from a boy's perspective. I suppose I could have done YA and made my MC (main character) 15 years old, but every YA I've started to write has given me tons of trouble. YA just has themes and issues that I don't really like to deal with. Middle grade, however, is perfect. Then my themes can be family and familial betrayal, something I know a surprisingly lot about.
As soon as I decided the MC would be a boy, the name Joshua almost immediately popped into my head. I think it was because V started up again, and Joshua is the name of the doctor alien who was part of the 5th column. I really like the name Joshua, but its one I haven't used before, and I refuse, as a matter of rule, to reuse names I've used in past stories. Once a name is associated with a character, its retired.
I needed Joshua to be dumped by his parents somehow early on, in order for him to be taken in (both literally and figuratively) by someone new. But I didn't want to have him actually abandoned, since that's Spirit Riddled's thing. My next thought was dead parents--dying in some sort of tragic accident. And instead of a stranger taking him in it would be his estranged uncle. And to add to Joshua's internal conflict, I decided his mother would have died long ago, leaving him with a father who is still mourning her death. His father wastes away their money trying to forget the mom, and the family is in poverty. Poverty is really all Joshua has ever known. When Uncle comes for him, Uncle is rich.
Hmmm....too like Spirit Riddled. Uncle isn't just rich. Uncle is part of an elite ruling class of their society. In a society that has a chasm-like split. There is the rich wealthy fabulous ruling class, and the impoverished everyone else. Two classes in one nation, and the two classes have completely different cultures and ways of life. So it's not just that Joshua goes from poor to rich. He goes from one culture and society to another. Suddenly, I'm world building.
And world building is a post for another day.
In my novel Spirit Riddled, which I will very soon be furiously revising, a girl is taken off the streets by a mysterious man who most of the world thinks is evil--but he's not. At the beginning, the main character doesn't know if the mysterious man is evil or not. One of my critiquers commented "I really hope [mysterious man] is evil and in the end [main character] has to kill him."
My response was "No. No. No. No. No. Never in a million years would that happen in Spirit Riddled. That's a completely different story." And then I never thought about that comment again until this week.
Sometimes my mind does curious things. I was sitting in my lab, messing with the star tracker, when the comment popped back in my mind. And you know what, it is a different story. A kid gets taken in by someone he thinks is good but who turns out to be bad. Sure, a stereotypical twist maybe, but its just the beginning of an idea. Its the initial thought that can spring into a 50,000 word novel.
I immediately assumed this story would be Middle Grade, like Spirit Riddled, though I had recently been working on a lot of adult stuff. I really do enjoy writing Middle Grade and I really wanted to write this story from a boy's perspective. I suppose I could have done YA and made my MC (main character) 15 years old, but every YA I've started to write has given me tons of trouble. YA just has themes and issues that I don't really like to deal with. Middle grade, however, is perfect. Then my themes can be family and familial betrayal, something I know a surprisingly lot about.
As soon as I decided the MC would be a boy, the name Joshua almost immediately popped into my head. I think it was because V started up again, and Joshua is the name of the doctor alien who was part of the 5th column. I really like the name Joshua, but its one I haven't used before, and I refuse, as a matter of rule, to reuse names I've used in past stories. Once a name is associated with a character, its retired.
I needed Joshua to be dumped by his parents somehow early on, in order for him to be taken in (both literally and figuratively) by someone new. But I didn't want to have him actually abandoned, since that's Spirit Riddled's thing. My next thought was dead parents--dying in some sort of tragic accident. And instead of a stranger taking him in it would be his estranged uncle. And to add to Joshua's internal conflict, I decided his mother would have died long ago, leaving him with a father who is still mourning her death. His father wastes away their money trying to forget the mom, and the family is in poverty. Poverty is really all Joshua has ever known. When Uncle comes for him, Uncle is rich.
Hmmm....too like Spirit Riddled. Uncle isn't just rich. Uncle is part of an elite ruling class of their society. In a society that has a chasm-like split. There is the rich wealthy fabulous ruling class, and the impoverished everyone else. Two classes in one nation, and the two classes have completely different cultures and ways of life. So it's not just that Joshua goes from poor to rich. He goes from one culture and society to another. Suddenly, I'm world building.
And world building is a post for another day.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
A Treacherous Walk
I drive my car the entire 1.6 miles to work every day for a very good reason. Living in the border between midtown and downtown Atlanta isn't exactly safe. However, recently, the an apocalypse of snow and ice has hit Atlanta. Georgia Tech has been closed for two days. TWO DAYS.
In all my 5.5 years at Georgia Tech it has never closed. Not for tornado warnings, snow, ice, or anything. But we have gotten 4 to 5 inches of snow covered in a nice thick layer of ice. Georgia Tech is closed.
However, if you read last Thursday's post, you know that my research team is crazily trying to finish building a satellite which means shortly after I learned Georgia Tech was closed on Monday I got an email from my project manager that said, "You WILL be coming in to work tomorrow."
Of course. Let me just drive my little car up the icy, hilly streets and...yeah that's not going to happen.
So instead I pulled out my boots, my scarf, my hat, my long john's, my turtleneck, my sweater, and my jackets and bundled up like that kid in a Christmas story. I then walked the entire 1.6 miles in the snow with no problems.
That was yesterday. Today was a little different because you see while yesterday I walked to work in snow, today I walked to work in ice.
There were literally parts of my walk where I was sliding down the sidewalk, praying that I wouldn't fall and break something, and using a nearby building to balance.
I watched a car spin out and nearly take out a few other pedestrians.
I was then walking by a church when I heard a strange sound. I looked around in alarm, fearing that a car was careening towards me when suddenly I was being pelted by icy, hard snow. Snow was falling off the roof of the church and on to me.
Once I finally got to the AE building, I couldn't actually get to the first door I tried to access, because the door is on a slight incline that was covered in ice.
Man, I hate the snow.
But it did give me a lot of perspective and great ideas for a new story I'm writing. (I know, I know, I'm always writing a new story. Doesn't help my New Years Goals). Snow isn't something I have a lot of experience in. Atlanta, GA is the furthest north I've ever lived. My life was spent everywhere from Hawaii to Florida, but no where that has snow regularly. And my new world I've created is a cold one. It can't help it. That's just the way the orbital mechanics of the world is.
I now know what it feels like to have snow crunch under my feet (walking in thick snow is kind of like walking in sand, which I have a lot of experience with). I now know the dangers of snow falling off roofs. I now know how terrifying having no control on your footing because of ice can be.
Yes, lots of good ideas came from my rather treacherous walk this morning. Hopefully I'll get even more ideas on my way back...and less bruises.
In all my 5.5 years at Georgia Tech it has never closed. Not for tornado warnings, snow, ice, or anything. But we have gotten 4 to 5 inches of snow covered in a nice thick layer of ice. Georgia Tech is closed.
However, if you read last Thursday's post, you know that my research team is crazily trying to finish building a satellite which means shortly after I learned Georgia Tech was closed on Monday I got an email from my project manager that said, "You WILL be coming in to work tomorrow."
Of course. Let me just drive my little car up the icy, hilly streets and...yeah that's not going to happen.
So instead I pulled out my boots, my scarf, my hat, my long john's, my turtleneck, my sweater, and my jackets and bundled up like that kid in a Christmas story. I then walked the entire 1.6 miles in the snow with no problems.
That was yesterday. Today was a little different because you see while yesterday I walked to work in snow, today I walked to work in ice.
There were literally parts of my walk where I was sliding down the sidewalk, praying that I wouldn't fall and break something, and using a nearby building to balance.
I watched a car spin out and nearly take out a few other pedestrians.
I was then walking by a church when I heard a strange sound. I looked around in alarm, fearing that a car was careening towards me when suddenly I was being pelted by icy, hard snow. Snow was falling off the roof of the church and on to me.
Once I finally got to the AE building, I couldn't actually get to the first door I tried to access, because the door is on a slight incline that was covered in ice.
Man, I hate the snow.
But it did give me a lot of perspective and great ideas for a new story I'm writing. (I know, I know, I'm always writing a new story. Doesn't help my New Years Goals). Snow isn't something I have a lot of experience in. Atlanta, GA is the furthest north I've ever lived. My life was spent everywhere from Hawaii to Florida, but no where that has snow regularly. And my new world I've created is a cold one. It can't help it. That's just the way the orbital mechanics of the world is.
I now know what it feels like to have snow crunch under my feet (walking in thick snow is kind of like walking in sand, which I have a lot of experience with). I now know the dangers of snow falling off roofs. I now know how terrifying having no control on your footing because of ice can be.
Yes, lots of good ideas came from my rather treacherous walk this morning. Hopefully I'll get even more ideas on my way back...and less bruises.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Roadtrip
School did not start this week, yet I've spend everyday chained to my desk working diligently. Though I have no homework, I have something even more important: a research deadline.
My research involves designing (and fabricating when necessary) the attitude determination and control system for a student made satellite. This satellite is being built as part of the University Nanosat Program, which is basically a student satellite competition. That competition final (called Flight Competition Review or FCR) is on January 17th.
In case you've never been around a bunch of engineering grad students preparing for a major deadline, I can sum it up for you in two words: chaos and panic. We might seem calm. We might just be sitting on our desks working on one of the three posters we have to have, but our minds our reeling as we try to fathom everything we have to get done in the week we have left.
It's true that January 17th is more than a week away, but as of today we only have a week left. Because we have to drive to Albuquerque, where the FCR is. Why aren't we flying? Well....let's just say that none of us trust a satellite to be put under an airplane. That and the torque rods aren't allowed to fly until actual time for space flight, because time in the air can mess with the annealing we had done.
Albuquerque is really really far away from Georgia Tech. According to Google maps, the trip is going to take us about 23 hours, or 11.5 hours a day. That's not including meals, getting gas, and other rest stops.
So while we're preparing for the chaos and insanity that is FCR, we also have to prepare a roadtrip. Next Thursday is solely dedicated to packing the satellite.
For me preparation also requires one other thing. Books. Lots and lots of books.
I've done a lot of roadtrips with my family (roadtrips, moving, tomato, tomahto), and the best way for me to get through them is to read. However, I also read really really fast. So it's necessary that I get a couple of books. What's on my list for the total 46 hours (if you count both ways) I'm going to be in the car?
Then when I get back on January 21st, I will write reviews of all these books plus some others I've read and forgot to review. So be prepared. There is going to be a mass of book reviews posted on this website very soon.
Oh, and don't worry. I'm going to be in Albuquerque for a while, but I'm going to write all my posts for that time in advance and schedule them to post on the regular Tuesday/Thursday schedule.
Albuquerque here I come.
My research involves designing (and fabricating when necessary) the attitude determination and control system for a student made satellite. This satellite is being built as part of the University Nanosat Program, which is basically a student satellite competition. That competition final (called Flight Competition Review or FCR) is on January 17th.
In case you've never been around a bunch of engineering grad students preparing for a major deadline, I can sum it up for you in two words: chaos and panic. We might seem calm. We might just be sitting on our desks working on one of the three posters we have to have, but our minds our reeling as we try to fathom everything we have to get done in the week we have left.
It's true that January 17th is more than a week away, but as of today we only have a week left. Because we have to drive to Albuquerque, where the FCR is. Why aren't we flying? Well....let's just say that none of us trust a satellite to be put under an airplane. That and the torque rods aren't allowed to fly until actual time for space flight, because time in the air can mess with the annealing we had done.
Albuquerque is really really far away from Georgia Tech. According to Google maps, the trip is going to take us about 23 hours, or 11.5 hours a day. That's not including meals, getting gas, and other rest stops.
So while we're preparing for the chaos and insanity that is FCR, we also have to prepare a roadtrip. Next Thursday is solely dedicated to packing the satellite.
For me preparation also requires one other thing. Books. Lots and lots of books.
I've done a lot of roadtrips with my family (roadtrips, moving, tomato, tomahto), and the best way for me to get through them is to read. However, I also read really really fast. So it's necessary that I get a couple of books. What's on my list for the total 46 hours (if you count both ways) I'm going to be in the car?
- XVI by Julia Karr: If you like YA dystopian books, you should be following the League of Extraordinary Writers. If you like to write books, you should be following the League. In general, you should probably be reading the League. Julia Karr is the first of the League to get published this year. I've been dying to read this book since I first heard about it, and the temptation to read this book before my road trip has been overwhelming. I will not give in! But it will be the first book I read on my trip.
- The Scorch Trials by James Dashner: This is the sequel to Maze Runner, which left me completely hanging. Will Thomas and the Gladers survive yet another test? What has happened to the world? And are those crazed people zombies? So many questions. I hope this book will answer them all.
- I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore: This book has a movie coming out, and as a rule I like to read the book before the movie. I'm not even entirely sure what it's about. All I know is three people are dead, and the narrator of this book is going to be next. Seems interesting.
- Beastly by Alex Flinn: Yet another book with a movie coming out soon, and a movie that has one of my favorite actors in it: Neil Patrick Harris. He doesn't play the main character, but he's in it. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, in the modern world. I love Beauty and the Beast, so I'm sure I'll love this book.
- Alcatraz and the Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderson: The long awaited book four of the Alcatraz series! I need to know what happens! NEED TO KNOW! This might require me rereading all the other books on the trip as well. But I'm cool with that. I have plenty of time. Though the Alcatraz books have a tendency to make me literally laugh out loud. I hope the other people in the car don't think I'm crazy.
- The Soldier Son Trilogy by Robin Hobb: I've never read a Robin Hobb book, but she's published a lot of books and the back of the first book of this trilogy sounds really interesting. And it's epic fantasy written in first person. When does that ever happen? I also felt the need to round out my reading list with my usual genre. Epic fantasy. Yum.
Then when I get back on January 21st, I will write reviews of all these books plus some others I've read and forgot to review. So be prepared. There is going to be a mass of book reviews posted on this website very soon.
Oh, and don't worry. I'm going to be in Albuquerque for a while, but I'm going to write all my posts for that time in advance and schedule them to post on the regular Tuesday/Thursday schedule.
Albuquerque here I come.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Year's Goals
It's the beginning of a new year, and with that new year comes new hopes and dreams. At the beginning of each new year I see this vast blank page, waiting for me to fill it, waiting to to fulfill all my hopes and dreams.
I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions, but I always envision the incredible things I might do in the New Year. So this year, I am making New Year's Goals.
Since my life is divided in three main ways (Christian, writer, and engineer), I'm making those goals in those three categories.
And this year my friends is going to be a BIG year. Why you ask? Well, you'll have to read my goals to find out.
Engineer Goals:
1) Graduate in December 2011.
Wow. Graduation. Again. But this time, for realz. This time, I'll walk that graduation stage in a hooded robe to get my Master's Degree and there will be no going back. No going back to school that is. With that degree I'm going to be done, and I CAN'T WAIT!
2) Get a job at JPL.
That's a big one. A life goal actually. But since this is the year I graduate, this is the year to realize this goal. Fingers crossed my friends! Hopefully this time next year, I'll be looking for an apartment in Pasadena, CA.
3) Complete my design of R3's ADCS.
This one is sort of necessary to make either 1 or 2 happen. I can't graduate without completing it, because this is sort of my master's thesis. I can't get a job unless I graduate. And designing a complete ADCS system from scratch is a great way to get the attention of JPL.
Writer Goals:
1) Make the FINAL revision* on Spirit Riddled.
I don't know if my final revision will be the next revision or two more after that, but I want to get this story done this year. I've been working on Spirit Riddled for ages (school really slows down the writing process), and I'm ready to be done.
2) Start querying Spirit Riddled.
Yes, with final revision done I can finally query! For the non-writers who read this blog, that means I will start sending out a letter describing my book to agents in hopes that they will represent me. Woo! Perhaps this goal would be better if I said "I will get an agent for Spirit Riddled", but I've never seriously queried a book before** so querying is a big step for me.
3) Finish a first draft of ANY other book.
I believe I've expressed before that I have writer ADD. I have a hard time focusing on one story. School also sort of sucks all the time out of my life. Most of my stories make it to about 10 chapters in until something else takes over my life. Namely school. So I would like to have another first draft done, so once Spirit Riddled is done done I can start another set of revisions.
4) Not be a slacker critiquer.
If I've ever agreed to critique something for you in the past year, I apologize. I'm going to once again through school under the bus, but its the only real excuse I have. This year, I'm actually going to respond to the people I'm critiquing for in a timely fashion. Woohoo!
Christian/Personal Goals:
1) Be a nicer person.
So 1/3 of my family thinks I'm like a really mean person. (1/3 being two people, so more than you might initially think). I'm going to work on that one. I don't mean to be mean (is that a pun? it's not intended). I don't think my friends think I'm mean, so maybe its just that I'm too harsh on my family. Maybe I expect too much of them? So this may actually come down to me not caring as much. (That's my little sister's advice). We'll see how this goes.
2) Actually have a regular quiet time.
Once again, I blame school for this not occurring. But by golly, I'm not going to continue allowing school to take over my life. I'm going to schedule regular quite times and its going to happen!
So that's my New Year's Goals. Any else out there have goals? Any thoughts on mine?
Happy New Year!
*By final revision, I mean my final authorial revision outside of the revisions my agents and editors will probably ask me to do. Most agents and editors do have suggestions and want changes. I'm cool with that.
**This is not to say that Spirit Riddled is the first book I've ever tried to write. I've always been a really harsh judge of my own writing and I've shelved numerous stories for various reasons. This will be the first time a story has made it this far in my personal judgment court.
I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions, but I always envision the incredible things I might do in the New Year. So this year, I am making New Year's Goals.
Since my life is divided in three main ways (Christian, writer, and engineer), I'm making those goals in those three categories.
And this year my friends is going to be a BIG year. Why you ask? Well, you'll have to read my goals to find out.
Engineer Goals:
1) Graduate in December 2011.
Wow. Graduation. Again. But this time, for realz. This time, I'll walk that graduation stage in a hooded robe to get my Master's Degree and there will be no going back. No going back to school that is. With that degree I'm going to be done, and I CAN'T WAIT!
2) Get a job at JPL.
That's a big one. A life goal actually. But since this is the year I graduate, this is the year to realize this goal. Fingers crossed my friends! Hopefully this time next year, I'll be looking for an apartment in Pasadena, CA.
3) Complete my design of R3's ADCS.
This one is sort of necessary to make either 1 or 2 happen. I can't graduate without completing it, because this is sort of my master's thesis. I can't get a job unless I graduate. And designing a complete ADCS system from scratch is a great way to get the attention of JPL.
Writer Goals:
1) Make the FINAL revision* on Spirit Riddled.
I don't know if my final revision will be the next revision or two more after that, but I want to get this story done this year. I've been working on Spirit Riddled for ages (school really slows down the writing process), and I'm ready to be done.
2) Start querying Spirit Riddled.
Yes, with final revision done I can finally query! For the non-writers who read this blog, that means I will start sending out a letter describing my book to agents in hopes that they will represent me. Woo! Perhaps this goal would be better if I said "I will get an agent for Spirit Riddled", but I've never seriously queried a book before** so querying is a big step for me.
3) Finish a first draft of ANY other book.
I believe I've expressed before that I have writer ADD. I have a hard time focusing on one story. School also sort of sucks all the time out of my life. Most of my stories make it to about 10 chapters in until something else takes over my life. Namely school. So I would like to have another first draft done, so once Spirit Riddled is done done I can start another set of revisions.
4) Not be a slacker critiquer.
If I've ever agreed to critique something for you in the past year, I apologize. I'm going to once again through school under the bus, but its the only real excuse I have. This year, I'm actually going to respond to the people I'm critiquing for in a timely fashion. Woohoo!
Christian/Personal Goals:
1) Be a nicer person.
So 1/3 of my family thinks I'm like a really mean person. (1/3 being two people, so more than you might initially think). I'm going to work on that one. I don't mean to be mean (is that a pun? it's not intended). I don't think my friends think I'm mean, so maybe its just that I'm too harsh on my family. Maybe I expect too much of them? So this may actually come down to me not caring as much. (That's my little sister's advice). We'll see how this goes.
2) Actually have a regular quiet time.
Once again, I blame school for this not occurring. But by golly, I'm not going to continue allowing school to take over my life. I'm going to schedule regular quite times and its going to happen!
So that's my New Year's Goals. Any else out there have goals? Any thoughts on mine?
Happy New Year!
*By final revision, I mean my final authorial revision outside of the revisions my agents and editors will probably ask me to do. Most agents and editors do have suggestions and want changes. I'm cool with that.
**This is not to say that Spirit Riddled is the first book I've ever tried to write. I've always been a really harsh judge of my own writing and I've shelved numerous stories for various reasons. This will be the first time a story has made it this far in my personal judgment court.
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