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Don't Forget!

Just a friendly reminder that my first blogfest is this Wednesday!! There are 25 bloggers signed up to participate, and I can't wait to read all of your letters to your future selves!!

Some of the comments y'all have made are fantastic. These letters really will be like time capsules for us to look back on later.

If you'd like to join in the fun, click here to sign up!

Only 54,902 words to go...

So, my goal for my WIP is 70k words, since that's a pretty standard word count for YA. This week I'm just over 15k... and I'm starting to panic. The first book I wrote (and shelved) at one point was over 90k (then I revised and brought it down to the 70's, revised again and brought it up to the 80's, revised again trying to make it YA instead of adult and then set it aside because I'm not sure it's worth all the work), so I know that it's possible to write that much... but since it's still so early on in this project, I'm very confused as to where all these words are actually going to come from.

I'm sure it will get done... it's just hard sometimes to look to the future and realize that all those words have to come from me. From my brain. They have to be GOOD words. Arranged in ways people want to read!

How do you tackle the task of meeting your word count? Do you fly through your first draft to get down the bones, then go back and add the fancy stuff later? Do it all at once the first time around? Overwrite then clean it up?  

Twitter is like a club...

At least, it seems that way.

Yep. I just got a Twitter account a couple days ago. I finally caved. 

Being a writer, I've found myself following authors, agents, editors... and while part of it I find fascinating, I also feel like the kid sister whose fake ID (manuscript) isn't quite cutting it past the bouncers (agents). So while I get to see what the big girls are doing (the authors that ALL seem to know each other and tweet to each other all day every day constantly) (when exactly do they write all those books??), I'm not quite in that circle yet. 

Of course, I need to have a completed manuscript to present in the first place, but wowza, if you've been lazy and want the fire under you to finish a project, follow authors on Twitter. You'll work your butt off to be part of that club. 

Are you on Twitter? My username is @kristincreative so let's follow each other! 

Technological Age. And the Wonder that is Netflix Mobile.

A couple of days ago, I was watching an old black and white movie with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball, and something Bob said made me laugh out loud. I don't remember it word for word, but it went kind of like this: "We're in the age of technology. I'm only allowed to talk to my kids during commercials."

Oh, if he only knew what was coming...

We look at the way of life fifty years ago as borderline primitive compared to the conveniences we have today.  Every third person has an iPhone, a Blue Tooth in their ear, several home computers, several televisions (now in 3-D!), wireless internet, internet in general, thousands of television channels...  I'm going to venture to say that THIS is the age of technology. We've been trained for constant stimulation. We can't sit idle for two minutes without whipping out our phones and to play Angry Birds to pass the time, or we're too lazy to cook so we buy frozen meals and heat them up with controlled waves (not gonna lie, microwaves FREAK me out. I don't use ours much). Instant gratification is the order of the day.

I guess I don't have a real point here, except that no matter how advanced we are in the present, there's always something more crazy around the corner. Bob Hope's character could only speak with his children during commercials. Well today we fast forward through them, so when do kids talk to their parents now?

Here's one technological advancement I'm in love with. Netflix for the iPhone... I completely forgot about it until today, and let me tell you how much faster three miles goes when you're watching a movie!

What technologies of today do you love?  For me this week, it's Netflix, earbuds small enough to fit in my tiny ears, and the EFX machine at the gym!

Because Lauren Oliver Told Me To...

I usually come away from an author event on a writing high, and meeting Lauren Oliver on Friday last week was no different. Here are a couple of things I accomplished this weekend, thanks in part to Ms Oliver:

I wrote around 3,000 words (which is a lot for me)! Lauren spoke quite a bit directly to writers, and she really encourages a daily word count goal. She meets hers every day, no matter what. And she travels a LOT. She said she's spent 10 days in her own bed in 2011. One point I found very interesting, is if you limit yourself to where you will write, like if you say you will only write at your desk at home and no where else, you're limiting yourself too much and leaving room for too many excuses NOT to write. She wrote parts of Before I Fall on her Blackberry! Sounds crazy, right?! But really, the more flexible we are with our writing atmosphere, the more opportunity we have to actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keys). I've set my daily word count goal at 500. My hope is to surpass it, but the goal has to be doable and not challenging to the point of stress.    

 

I also got my gym membership back. Wha?? I know, random. But several times while Lauren was speaking, she mentioned running and the gym (she is in SHAPE too), and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I had a gym membership for several years and loved it, but when I lost my job, it was one of the things I cut out to save money. But I've missed my group kickboxing classes, the weight machines, the treadmills, the EFXs... the motivation I get seeing the skinny girl a few machines over that never slows down. It was time to get all of this back. I eased back into it on Saturday--some cardio, some weights. Then yesterday I jumped back into Turbo Kickboxing. A whole hour of serious moving. My face was a tomato (it's very embarassing, but it's the way I am I suppose... I also blush VERY easily.). And today, I am sore in every single muscle in my body. And it feels incredible. Got another Kick class tomorrow and I can't wait!

Lauren was super friendly and funny, and it was so sweet the way she gushed about our southern hospitality. She got a gift at each event from the hosts, and at an event at a high school here in Houston, she said the kids were all so polite with their "yes, ma'am"s. The kids where she's from in New York say, "So are you rich now? Can you give me a dollar?" Ha! Proud to be a Texan! We are a rather friendly bunch, if I may say so myself. :)

Thanks for the encouragement and motivation Lauren! You ROCK!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! CLICK HERE to sign up for my Letters to the Future Blogfest if you haven't done so yet!
 

My First Blogfest!! Letters to the Future!

To celebrate 300 followers, I'm hosting my very first blogfest!!

Recently, here on my blog, I apologized to my future published self for my lack of confidence and laziness in the present, seriously delaying my career as an author. Several of you thought that was a fun idea, so I decided to make it into a blogfest so we could all give it a try!   

The rules are simple: 

1) Sign up for the blogfest on the Mr. Linky widget below.

2) On Wednesday, May 25th, write a letter to your future self and post it on your blog. It doesn't have to be an apology like mine, it can be about anything! 

3) After signing up, comment on this post (leave your email address!) if you'd like to be entered in a giveaway for the book of your choice from The Book Depository (must be under $15 and TBD must ship to you for free)

4) Help me spread the word! It's a fun and easy blogfest that your followers might like to join too!

Thanks so much for following!! I can't wait to read all your letters!