Just Some of My Current Reads!

My favorite current reads: VOICEPRINT edited by Brown, Morris, & Rohlehr (Caribbean poetry anthology), 

MEET CUTE by various (Short stories Romance anthology), ENEMIES by Svetlana Chmakova (Graphic novel), DISABILITY VISIBILITY edited by Alice Wong (Essays collection), 

and 

TAKE A HINT, DANI BROWN by Talia Hibbert (Romance novel)

Inktober 10/12/16 - Submission #8

My protagonists from novel. This piece needs so much more but I'm pressed for time. I think I made Slasher's paw too large though he has large paws. I do like drawing them together and writing about them.

Stacey & Slash Castellano (c)

Review of my dear friend, cohort, and fellow alum's SECOND BOOK

mdpaust.blogspot.com

When I first met my friend, and I can now say, fellow cohort as we graduated TOGETHER, she was sophisticated, demure, intelligent, and a consummate pro. I was happy to meet and be in the same grad program as her. There are some people that one meets in a lifetime that one just wants to GROW UP and BE LIKE THEM or just glean as much to work on oneself. My friend and cohort Nancy Stancill is one such person. I read her "Saving Texas" when we basically both started in the MFA program. I was highly impressed and more so that I got to know her before reading her first novel.

The book proved so incredible that I read in just a few days and asked her at our next semester to sign it for me. Now, her own talent and hard work and with the help of our grad school mentors, she has written another page-turner.

Here is my review of "Winning Texas":
Annie Price is back and she's more satiated into her role. Price is fully-realized and the reader gets a sense that she has grown in a real-life sense.

The sensory experience in this book gave this reader a tantalizing taste of Texas culture and the immediacy that this is very much a contemporary tale. In no way did I doubt the author's narrative power. Nancy Stancill took my hand and led me through this tale of intrigue, politics, adventure, and suspense.

As with her previous book "Saving Texas", the characters are highly likable and highly visible. Stancill's view on her cast is sympathetic, humane, and sincere, which means when there is a kidnapping, murder, and other inhumane acts against them or that they commit against others, it's sudden, crushing, angering and sad.

Stancill's "Texas" is of course, diverse, cosmopolitan, and very much real in grit and substance. Characterization is done in just a few sentences and I got the sense that if I visited Texas, I would meet these same individuals. Bravo to Nancy Stancill for a compelling sequel that has enough bite to it that the story can stand on its own. I'm ready for a Third Act! Or, even a completely different story in a different 'universe'!

It is available on Amazon and where ever books are sold!

Camp NaNoWriMo - Day 10

I joined Camp NaNoWriMo if my badge on the right wasn't a dead giveaway! Now, I'm just trying to adjust the image's size. Oh well. In the meantime, here's another badge I need to upload. And then, back to writing my novel!

This is subject to change

When doing freelance writing, there are so many rules. These standards are not etched in stone and may be subject to change, in case you didn't pick up why I used such as my post title.

Peruse my below list I gathered from search engine research but know that different publishers have different standards and guidelines. And remember! This Is Subject To Change.

Short story - 1,500 to 30,000 words
Novelette - 8,001 - 17,500 words
Novellas - 30,000 to 50,000 words
Novel - 55,000 - 300,000 words

The THESIS Is Done... Well, to a certain degree. Rewrites will follow.

Yesterday morning, some time after 2:30 am, I completed my thesis and submitted 50 pages to mentor and 141 pages (that includes cover sheet, preface, revised prologue, abstract and lucky 13 chapters) to the university's BlackBoard. 

I had uploaded a draft version but panicked and officially submitted it. Any changes to be made, I will let the school deal with me being able to re-upload. 

This has been a struggle and has taken plenty out of me. How my favorite writers churn out books seems beyond my mortal ken. Just writing, rewriting, work-shopping and researching has done me in more than any other writing endeavor I've undertaken. No wonder I immediately gravitated towards short stories!  

My novel-in-progress has mutated in a wonderful way. It has metamorphosed from a half-eaten caterpillar to raggedy cocoon and finally a brightly-winged butterfly that is trying to get away from me. I wondered often why writing was likened to childbirth and child-raising and I have caught a glimpse, possibly a hairsbreath sliver of what mothers who have raised children must go through. To see a child one way and watch that child become a completely different individual than what the parent could have imagined.

This story has changed in gargantuan ways I didn't foresee. It has changed me in a shorter time as a writer than those sixteen years of professional writing I went through with my short fiction and handful of art. 

There can be no complete explanation of the changes that have also taken place within me. I feel more courageous, more daring and this contented introvert can risk humiliation knowing she has tried.   

And in the middle of what I coined "Thesis Mania", my writers' guild published a second guest post of mine. I will be uploading the link to my bibliography blog "The Angry Goblin". I completely forgot about this! Oh well. It's there and it does speak about my MFA experience and being an anthropomorphic writer.

All this maternal imagery and changes? Just in time for Mother's Day! :)

Still in Thesis *Crisis* Mode

I'm not making excuses, but last night's packet had already been ready for weeks. Everything was in order until I changed my annotation plans. Absolutely ridiculous. I had two chapters already ready and my annotations set up. Then I changed my theme. *Gag*
My thesis chapters are already lined up (for creative portion) and the next packets will be annotated by three books each. That is all.

I'm in my FOURTH term!!!

Well. This is it. I am in my fourth term in my MFA program and very excited.

In spite of the early mornings, the commando-style seminars, and the copious amounts of handouts, duo-tang folders and exercises, there have been exhilarating moments and being in the company of what one cohort said "my tribe".

Now my draft has crystallized into a different beast all together. It has been encouraged to stretch and morph. It has been overhauled and redecorated. Now I am in that mode where I will try out the ideas suggested to see if this will lead to a final product to springboard into a final draft.

Yikes, now I am sounding more academic because as I type this, I am in seminar, but I want to have more entries on this blog before this month concludes. There are too many distractions and asides to concentrate on. I am also concentrating on my future before I graduate next term (June). There needs to be self-evaluating even while I don't want to self-evaluate.

Eventually, this will end and I will miss it.

2nd Interview with Ms. MaryAnn Kempher!

As you all read, I interviewed my awesome tweep, MaryAnn Kempher, in April of this year to much fanfare of her debut novel,  Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder.

Now, the sequel Forever Doomed will soon be released! 

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Thanks so much for hosting me Carmen.

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1. We want to know, how has life changed for MaryAnn Kempher since "Mocha, Moonlight and Murder" debuted?

How has it changed? It hasn't. Right after Mocha was published, I started writing my next book; Forever Doomed.

2. Did you expect most of what came from that novel's debut? Or did anything in the experience of publishing a first novel take you by surprise?

Upon Mocha's publication, I was as happy and proud as I thought I'd be. What took me by surprise was that I think I had unrealistic expectations. I don't think I realized just how many books are out there for people to choose from, and how difficult it would be to stand out in the crowd.

3. We know characters are often a combination of people we knew/know or various aspects of ourselves. Were those characters based on people in your life? And/Or yourself?

Elements of my personality can be seen in Katherine. She's a little of a smart mouth, and so am I. The dialogue between her and Scott could easily occur in my house between me and my husband.

4. I was taken in by how breezy "Mocha" was. And with its unpredictability, family secrets, weird inner monologues, and self-doubts, I must tell you, the tone and its spirit felt very Japanese lit to me. What do you think of that assessment?

I like the term breezy. Mocha's not meant to be a "serious" book, with twenty-dollar words. It's meant to be fun, and entertaining, and something you'd enjoy reading at the beach or on the couch with a cup of cocoa. I'm not familiar with Japanese literature, so I don't know what you mean. :)

5. With all that was going on in "Mocha", the novel felt very grounded, not soap-operatic. How did you manage that?

Thank you. I think it's because of the dialogue, it's very realistic. I think it's how friends and family talk.

6. Now, "Forever Doomed" will be out! I'm excited about this! Is it a sequel to "Mocha" or a standalone? What can you tell us without spilling the beans?

It's both a sequel and a standalone. You can read Forever Doomed on its own, but a lot of the characters from Mocha are in it. If you read Mocha first, it's like running into old friends. You get to see what everyone is up to--but you don't need to have read Mocha to enjoy Forever Doomed.

7. This is a silly question, but what genre would you put your mysteries under? A lot of  times, readers tend to be very genre-centric.

I googled Mystery subgenre definitions. FOREVER DOOMED has the elements of am Inverted/Howdunit and a Whodunit.

8. Since we are a writers' and artists' blog, what compelled you to a sequel? I know, silly question, but it's different for different writers.

Once I'd finished writing Mocha, I realized that while I enjoyed writing the romance between Scott and Katherine, what I'd enjoyed writing the most was the mystery element. So, I decided I wanted to write another book that was more mystery focused.

9. I have to tell you, I don't read mysteries, I prefer to watch them on TV. But now, I know I will start reading them more because of "Mocha". How does that make you feel?

Very flattered. Thrilled that you liked it. Hopeful you'll like the next book.

10. Any words to the readers? And when can we get our hands on "Forever Doomed"?

I'm super excited about this book. If it's well received, it will be a series. I really like combining a scratch-your-head mystery with a dollop of romance. Forever Doomed should be available on the Kindle and Nook sometime during the first week of December. Paperback within the second week.

Bonus question (You definitely don't have to answer this one): How was MaryAnn Kempher's Thanksgiving?

Both good and sad. I'm very blessed and thankful to have a healthy, happy family, but we lost our very much loved dog to cancer just a few days before Thanksgiving. We will be forever thankful for the time Daisy was with us, but will always miss her.

Please be sure to visit my author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryAnnKempher?ref=hl

Once Forever Doomed is available, I'll be shouting it from the rooftops, or at lease on Facebook. :)

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Author MaryAnn Kempher

My Twitter handle is https://twitter.com/maryannkempher. 

The Art of Plugging Away - a side note

Wow. This novel is starting to get on my nerves. Not my characters, mind you. I enjoy them! I feel like the guest who has overstayed her welcome.
But have no fear!
I like to finish what I've started, especially when it comes to my writing and my artwork... So stay tuned.

Stay tune..

I have a faint feeling that before this novel is finished -Yes, it's official- I will be razzed for the title I've chosen.

1st part is winding down

Finally. Work is hopefully winding down. I don't just mean the J-O-B either.

The story (1st part) seems to be finished. Wow. That sounds magnanimous..but it's true! After reaching the 12th journal, what I'm writing seems to be filler, or added details.

Characters have been born, been killed, married, and in a few cases, divorced or separated. Now comes the hard part...

While typing, I will do more edits and categorize the references. The Dreaded Second Draft...Oy.

The novel.. Still plugging away.
Updates soon.

Those participating in NaNoWriMo, good luck and Godspeed.
One day. One day soon, I may take part... But until then, HAPPY WRITING EVERYONE.

Stay tuned for the rest of the illustrated series of sketches I'm doing for my novel.

Note to self

Organized my documents solely for this novel and realized that all three needed to be renamed.
I also began to highlight the side notes and footnotes within each document.

This is the second draft.

I'm doing first draft and second draft at the same time.
When I counted, the grand total came to 74 typed pages from over 1,600 (Yes, you read right) handwritten pages.

I'm about to shed tears.

Yikes. I just counted what I've typed of the novel so far and it comes to 59 pages.
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This is my song...

I understand what other writers mean that a novel is a different animal from a short story.
No, I do not mean that I don't understand the difference...It's simply goes to the fact that every writer starts out a reader.
And as a reader, you expect storytelling to give you certain things.
However, when you become a writer, now the expectations change, and you approach from a different angle. You are coming with different questions, and not the yearnings of a reader. You are now in the uncomfortable position of audience AND performer, and this is, while not always a happy place, an exhilarating place to be.

Dog novel & research has slowed to a crawl

I've reached journal #10 for the dog gangster story, writing time (which usually ran 3-5 pages a day) has slowed.
Also, researching has changed. I did commando-style skimming, flipping through certain chapters, trying to finish other chapters on a given topic.

Now, I do a more in-depth research, where I find time to read each reference as a novel.