mintbaby

My friend SirLadySketch just laid on me another sketch of the main characters for my fantasy To Save a Soul. I have commissioned her for quite a few pieces, two of which are going to be used in the 3rd version of my book trailer currently on YouTube. Here are the b/w sketches:

Update: 11/1/09 - National Novel Writing Month has begun! My NaNovel for 2009 can be found on my website, http://www.nonaking.com/bookshelf.html, or on my blog pages (link listed below).

The majority of my blogs will be at http://nonaking.com/blog/, although I will continue to update here when I work on fanfiction projects.

Yes, I'm exaggerating. :)

I AM happy with this new layout shared by NonaKing.com. It makes navigation much easier! Plus, for those of my peeps that have only ever paid attention to the Final Fantasy fiction, now they can see the other games I've written fiction for.

Who knows? Maybe they will even venture onto those pages as well!

In other news: not only have I redone The Mintfield, I have also managed to complete A Different Daydream. This leaves me open to complete another lingering fiction: My Happy After. Why I stopped writing this one, I have no idea. There were only a couple chapters remaining [if I remember correctly]! Hopefully I can complete MHA before the close of this year, thereby fulfilling my personal resolution to complete my unfinished fanfiction.

Of course, that will more than likely result in a spin-off or three.... Ideas always come when I finish others. Not necessarily a bad thing, understand, but I would like to finish a few of my ORIGINAL fiction novels as well. :)

Go figure!

My 2008 National Novel Writing Month novel is now available for sale.

Where can you get it?
CreateSpace.com
Amazon.com

How much is it?
$10.95

How big is it?
204 pages

What genre is it?
Fantasy / Ghost story

What is it about?
The 15-year-old daughter of Lord Pomeroy has gone missing the day before her wedding. But even six months after her disappearance, no one can find her body and the locals say she now haunts what was to be the newlywed's home. Para Sedi and Munwar Meek are hired to solve the mystery while trying not to start a feud.

Once you have read To Save a Soul, please leave a review on Amazon.com. :) Even bad press will help me sell books.

My 2008 NaNoWriMo novel is being published!

What? you exclaim.

It's true! The winners of the 2008 NaNoWriMo competition were given a free proof copy of their NaNovel from CreateSpace.com, an Amazon company.

Since December I have been working on editing, revising and correcting To Save A Soul to prepare it for publication. There has also been the adventure of designing a cover at CreateSpace.com's website using the Beta of their cover design program. It has all been an enjoyable process -- even a fun one!

Now all my hard work is beginning to pay off!

The proof copy has shipped today, so I should receive it on Friday. That will give me enough time to review it, make any necessary corrections, maybe even have another critique partner review it, and then upload an updated/corrected PDF as the final. My goal is to have the final uploaded, printed and shipped to me in time to enter the NaNovel in the Self-Published Book Awards by Writer's Digest that begins May 1.

Once the final PDF has been uploaded and I have sent the book off to be finalized with CreateSpace, they will make it available for sale at Target.com, Amazon.com, and on their own E-Store. Purchasing information is currently available at my website, and a summary of the book is on CreateSpace.com's E-Store site. PLEASE BUY MY BOOK when it comes available, of course!

Want to view the results of my NaNo writing adventure so far? You can read my NaNo updates on my writersprite  Livejournal page. I will keep track of my word count as well as post my writings for that day.

:)

I've written 1499 so far today on A Different Daydream, the alternate reality for Zell and Sally. I wrote more than 1200 yesterday.
*happy sigh*

It's absolutely fantastic to be writing daily again. And if writing my fanfiction is what it takes to remember why I love writing, then bring it on! I've been empty and lackluster for a year [or more] and am done with it! Cat and I have been getting together over chat to try and resurrect the plans for the story. While it leaves us wishing that we had the others present, it's still a key to good memories. :)

In fact, this Saturday I get to meet up with one of my Mintfield Flowers, Bergamot, who crafted the FF8 Database of characters. I found out that he lives really close, and so M and I get to meet his new family. :) Hurrah!

>.>
Now I better get back to ADD.....

I've been working like a fiend on A Different Daydream the past few days. The most gargantuan task at hand has been the attempt to get it all back in my brain.

>.< Why did I stop writing it in the midst of a re-organization?

It has been fun working on it again; fun to get back into my old habits of thinking about my writing as I'm driving down the road. Such a relief to be back in the saddle again! I want to find my writing passion again, and I'm not going to let go this time.

My only challenge at this point in time is balancing my time writing with time spent with my husband. I definitely don't want to get into the habit of not spending time with him. My first priority is husband and then writing. Always. I've got 'My Happy After' and, like Sally Regal-Dincht, I'm going to fight to keep it.

I'll post the newly revised chapters of ADD soon.

The balancing act between life, job, editing, and new writing is a tough one. Juggling? Me? Before marriage the most I juggled was a 3/4 time job, occasional jaunts with my sister, and writing a new fanfiction novella every 3 weeks at the same time I was writing or editing my monster of a fantasy adventure or romantic drama.

Writing as a single woman is a whole world different than writing as a married woman, let me just say!

But I'm so proud of myself with my progress. Yes, the quality of my writing isn't nearly what it was 3 years ago when I was actively writing on a consistent basis, but I'm moving forward! That is always the correct direction to go when it comes to anything. :) What am I working on? Well, let me just say:

1) A new novel. No title yet, but at this point in time I think it's a sci-fi romantic comedy. I'm writing it long-hand in a writing journal I purchased this last weekend. No editing allowed--which is a huge challenge!

2) Editing my fantasy adventure for at least 15 minutes every day. If I get to the point where I hate it, I distract myself from it with something else. This something could be chatting with my online friends at the ChristianWriters.com forums, or watching a movie, or just hanging out with hubby.

3) Reading my alternate reality fanfiction, A Different Daydream, in preparation for its completion. Right now I'm trying to find the most complete version. Why do I save so many different versions of things?? >.<

4) Daily reading consists of my Bible and The Bastard King by Dan Chernenko.

Discipline and faith is the key to any type of progression in anything, and as long as I keep my focus on God, He'll help me through each challenge that comes my way. It's all a matter of keeping things in their proper [positive] perspective.

Update - 9/19/08: This is my submission to Marcher Lord Press for Resurrected Honor (book 1), my fantasy novel. They say it should take up to 6 weeks for me to hear back. Here's hoping!

Premise:
Jarvais escaped his island home of Igla at the age of 16, exchanging a life of privilege for one of adventure and infamy. Now, 15 years later, The Mighty draws him back to Iglan shores in search of internal peace. When he arrives home, however, he discovers that in order to find peace for himself and those he loves, he must stand against his father's grasp for power and prevent a war.

Hook: (10 word limit)
Forsaking his father’s destiny, Jarvais now fights for his own.

Christian Elements:
Eliahlocwa, the power of the spirit in each individual, is inspired by gifts of the Holy Spirit as exemplified by Christ and the disciples.

The deity, The Mighty, intimately involves Himself with the people, similar to the God of the Old Testament, and has many different names and aspects.

The basic struggle is that of darkness versus light. The Dark, manifests itself as beings of varying strengths called Shadow.

Throughout, there are struggles of faith, conversions, and theological differences.

Synopsis: (731 of 750 word limit)
As a young man, Inis Clemoun faked his death and escaped the island nation of Igla on a pirate vessel. He was determined to forsake the destiny his father designed to increase their family’s power. The Mighty leads him back to Clemoun as Jarvais, captain of a merchant vessel and no longer the “prideful wart” Inis.

Upon his arrival, an Inspector orders him to seek permission from the Lawgiver of Clemoun to travel the island. When Jarvais reports to the Lawgiver, he sees his childhood friend, Vail, arrested for non-payment of the yearly tribute. In her defense, she reveals that the populace is suffering from plagues and bad crops, receiving no relief from their Echelon protectors. Lawgiver Clemoun jails her with a promise of punishment before Jarvais can reveal his identity. When he reveals his identity to Lawgiver Clemoun, his father acts suspiciously unconcerned though Inis reportedly drowned 15 years before.

After Vail’s punishment, an Inspector escorts her out of the city. Jarvais intends to rescue her, but as he hurries to his room to gather his things, he discovers two strangers in his room. They urge him to journey to the Sanctur to receive truthful answers to his questions about what has happened in his absence. When they leave, his father arrives at the inn and tells Jarvais to journey to the Sanctur in answer to the Elder’s summons. When Jarvais refuses, his father reveals that his ship and crew will be held captive unless he agrees.

While traveling to the Sanctur, Jarvais finds a girl hiding in an abandoned barn. The girl, Ris, later confesses she is the sister of his childhood friend, Vail. As they journey together, she uncovers his identity as Inis Clemoun. Also, because of her gifts as Apprentice to the Elder, she meets the internal manifestation of Inis on an alternate plane. The two arrive at the Sanctur where Jarvais realizes he must forgive himself for his failures in order to put his past to rest.

As Jarvais returns to Clemoun the Y’Dir abduct him, the Y’Dir being a fanatic group exiled from the Sanctur during the last war. They lead him to a camp in the ancient Ruin Forest and ask him to lead their forces against the Echelon, the ruling class of Igla. Jarvais knows the Y’Dir caused the war within the Sanctur 50 years before and refuses their offer.

The confrontation with the Y’Dir causes another manifestation of Inis, this time in The Clearing, reportedly the source of The Mighty’s power. After a fight, Inis threatens to take full control unless Jarvais finds a way to make them whole. As Jarvais leaves The Clearing, one of the Laisom, another group broken from the Sanctur, help him escape.

Inis also manifests himself to Vail in a dream. He confronts The Mighty within the dream, demanding release from his torment as a trapped spirit. The Mighty, represented by white flame, agrees and makes Inis face his fear of a meaningless death in preparation.

Once Jarvais arrives at Clemoun, he reports that the Elder demands the Lawgiver’s attendance. Lawgiver Clemoun, Jarvais, and his caravan of Inspectors and soldiers leave immediately for the Sanctur. As they journey, Inis manifests himself to Vail’s sister, Ris, in a dream and they battle a Shadow of Death. During the fight, Inis realizes that the Shadow has no power over him. However, he also sees that he is powerless against it on his own.

At the same time, memories of Jarvais’ childhood begin to bombard him with a different perspective of his history. The Mighty confronts Jarvais with the hatred toward his father, which keeps him from being whole, and asks him to forgive him. Jarvais balks, but then is able to release the hate and forgive, defeating another Shadow. This launches Inis and Jarvais into a final confrontation with one another, this time manifested in a dream with the Elder.

This final confrontation reveals the doubts that prevent Jarvais from seizing The Mighty’s call on his life as Heiren of the Clemoun House. The Elder helps both Inis and Jarvais see that they both want the same things for their friends, family, and people. With this realization comes the final battle against the Shadow of Doubt, which Inis and Jarvais must fight together. When they are victorious, they become one: Jarvais Inis Clemoun, The Mighty’s Heart & Sword for His people.

Of late I have been battling not only a lack of motivation, but an extreme reluctance to write anything. I have looked at writing prompts, but I don't know if I'm ready for that particular step, judging by the strength of the reluctance/aversion. I write on my Livejournal, but long-hand writing has always been more motivating....

How do I get over this gargantuan wall of reluctance and aversion?

I popped into the chat on ChristianWriters.com/forums, a fun place filled to the brim with writers that I have been frequenting lately, and read something there that made me blink--Twice.

My paraphrase of the statement is as follows: "Writing is a muscle that should be flexed and strengthened on a daily basis, and not with editing but with writing new material. It accesses and builds pathways in the brain that are very important for a writer to keep up in order to continue writing well."

o.o

How long have I been away from the daily routine of working on writing new fanfiction stories at the same time that I have been editing my original fiction novels? Three years. How long have I been struggling with motivation and noticing a decline in my writing quality? About 18 months (give or take). How long after I quit writing fanfiction did the daily addition of new material to one of my original fiction projects wane due to living life? About 18 months (about the time I moved to Washington and started dating M).

That equals 3 years, I believe.

O.o

What am I going to do about it?

1. Pull together the fanfiction projects that have not yet been completed and picking up where I left off? Very possibly. With no editing allowed, I would only continue with the story. This would likely include 'My Happy After' and 'A Different Daydream'. It could also mean an expansion of The Story (for FFIV).
2. Participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this November, meaning that I will be writing a new novel (50,000 words is the winning mark).
3. Begin writing original fiction short stories inspired by the Writing Prompts on ChristianWriters.com/Forums/
4. Start a new novel? Perhaps even this.

Will this solve the problem? I certainly hope so. Will it be easy? Definitely not! Will it require research (i.e. playing the games again)? You betcha! Will it be a challenge to balance my fanfiction with my original fiction? You betcha!

Does mintbaby love a challenge? You betcha!

I've been going through a bit of an internal struggle regarding my writing.

After joining a writer's forum it has been made clear to me that although I have been writing for 20 years, I still have a lot to learn in regards to some of the "newbie mistakes" including adverbs, dialogue tagging, and passive voice usage. Many of these challenges could have been avoided ages ago if I had continued to meet (even online) with other writers that would have encouraged me forward. If I would have continued to read and study about the writing craft instead of assuming that I knew all there was to know about the craft. How could I have sunk so low in pride and laziness and fear as to allow my passion to become nothing more than a HOBBY?! A dabble. Where did my intensity vanish to? Why did my thirst for the telling of the untold tale disappear? Why is it that I no longer seek to improve my craft. Why don't I thirst for more?

After so many years of writing, what have I truly received from it? What have I given? What was the point if I still write as a novice?

However, M and my friends have been helping encourage me through this difficult time of self-doubt and despair in regards to my writing. It has been a challenge, but because I love writing I am willing to see it through to the end. In fact, to keep my heart encouraged and my head in the business of writing I have tried to shift my focus a little to reading/studying about writing and reading my Bible. I'm not certain when I stopped reading my Bible, but I do remember that when I was reading it, my writing was less a struggle and more a joy. It was a way of residing closer in God's attention, although I couldn't clearly explain why I felt that way. It was simply a truth I held onto. Since reading the Bible more frequently again, M says he has noticed a healthy change in my attitude, so it must be doing something!

Also, I've begun writing a synopsis for RH1 that I will use as a submission to Marcher Lord Press, a new speculative fiction publishing company that goes live on October 1, 2008. While they can't make guarantees of huge sales, they can make a guarantee of the largest royalty rates in the business, and I won't be required to pay them to publish, as I would if I went through iUniverse.com as originally planned. Also, they are currently working at building a relationship with a larger publishing company for those novels of theirs that they believe would do well in the larger markets.

Haven't I always said it's not about money and fame but about having my books out there? If I want wider attention, I can do marketing on my own, which wouldn't be a bad idea. Especially if I utilize my previous contacts in the fanfiction industry and announce that I have finally published a first novel. At least my fans know that I can write!