Category Archives: Bound

January 2, 2014

So Long, Farewell

…Kind of.

I’m going to be somewhat busy this month as I attempt to prepare a 100,000+ word novel for editing. I thought at one time that I was done, but I’m now aware of plot issues that I can’t just let go. Why pay someone to tell me what I already know, right? So back in I go, no doubt bashing my head into the desk at regular intervals, as soon as the kids are back in school next week. The good news is that I’m having a good time reading it over, in spite of the fact that I should be sick of it by now. So hooray for that!

I’ll be doing a big post on things I’ve learned from this process some time in the near future. SO MUCH LEARNING I AM DOING, and it’s only beginning. The next few months should be quite intense.

I’m not complaining about the work. It’s a puzzle, but the answer is there. I just need to find it. And I did sign up for this, after all. But it’s going to be busy, and I’m on my first real deadline since I started taking my writing seriously. So what I’m saying is that I might not be around a lot between now and mid-February, as this has to take precedence over blogging. I’ll try to be here for WIPpet Wednesdays, and I should be around to read blogs and like/comment when I can. There will likely be a few spontaneous posts. I just can’t stay away, and I wouldn’t want you all to forget me completely. *sob*

Otherwise…

9 Comments | posted in blogs, Bound, Revision, writing

September 18, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday: Pulling Teeth

By Kate Sparkes

Have no fear, we’re not actually pulling anyone’s teeth out today! But I’ve been working on revisions and drafting a new scene, and though I feel like the past few days have been productive, every word I’ve typed has been like pulling teeth from a reluctant dragon.

A reluctant mama dragon with halitosis, even.

So here’s nine sentences from what will be chapter four, if it stays in the story, because September is the ninth month, and that’s all the math my poor, abused brain has energy for right now.

I’m thinkinnnnng… no context. Just words. First draft warning applies.

—

Her head rolled back as I lifted her, leaving her throat exposed. A strong pulse pushed against the fragile skin, and the collar of her shirt pulled open where she’d neglected to close the top few buttons. At any other time such vulnerability would have seemed pathetic to me, but I found myself pulling her close to my chest, wanting to protect her. It’s her magic, I reminded myself, and released the breath I’d been holding. Of course it was still affecting me. Completely natural. Regrettable, but natural. It will pass, and no one has to know.

I gave into it for another moment and made her as comfortable as I could, removing her boots, loosening the ties at the waist of her trousers (careful to ignore the sliver of bare skin that appeared above them), and pulling a blanket up to her shoulders.

—

Bonus awkwardness points to this character, who doesn’t want to be here and happens to have no clothes to wear. AWKWARD.

I love my imaginary people.

Feel like joining in on WIPpet Wednesday? Head on over to the linkie to see what the WIPpeteers are up to, stop by and give a high-five to K.L. Schwengel to say thanks for hosting, and add your own link. Post a short excerpt from a work in progress that relates to today’s date, link up, and you’re in! It’s that easy, and so much fun.

“Holy Crappola!” she said in the classiest way possible, which as it turned out was not very classy at all. “It’s the last update for this round!”

Well, I can’t say I achieved everything I wanted to, but it’s been fun. I did get one novel out to beta readers and back, so that’s big. 1,000 words a day happened sometimes, but not other times. Better than nothing, right? I got my other creative stuff done. Here’s the other pony (it was raining the day I had to wrap the presents, so no nice pics for this girl):

You get the idea. I did it, I finished the pony and the doll and a bonus pony. It did put a dent in my writing, because as I’ve said before, I can’t switch gears between writing and customizing.

The good news is, I think I’ve switched back. All it took was being stuck at the car dealership for 2.5 hours with nothing but my computer, a synchronized-snoring elderly couple, and soap operas for company. I got chapter one re-written, and better yet, got the ball rolling on the whole fiction thing again. It feels good.

So would I call this round a success? I don’t know. I’m not as far ahead as I hoped to be, but I also haven’t burned myself out, which is important. Much as I want to treat writing like a job and be professional about it, I’ll give up if it’s not feeding me anymore. The approach I’m taking now isn’t the most efficient, but it’s working for me.

And no, I’m not taking time off between rounds. Nex round (if I participate again), goals will probably include getting a story or two up on Wattpad to try that out, finishing revisions and getting a novel out to different beta readers (so as not to torture the same poor souls again) and to try out a few editors. Editors as in ones I’d like to hire, not as in submissions. How terrifying. 🙂

More ROW80 Updates here (I’m going to get to as many as I can today, what with it being the end and all). Thanks to everyone who has stopped by and supported me this round! You guys are the best.

18 Comments | posted in Bound, ROW80, WIPpet Wednesday

July 19, 2013

Holy Crap, Did I Finish Something Before the Deadline?!

By Kate Sparkes

*deep breaths*

Friends, it’s as done as it’s going to get for now. I’m in the process of contacting people who have so generously offered to beta read for me (let me know if I miss you, my notes are gone), and then I can get to work formatting for them, sending it off, and then cowering in my basement while I wait for them to beat the crap out of me my book.

Actually, this is good timing. I’m going on vacation next week. I’m going to be reading (finishing one book, alpha reading another), resting, hanging out with the best family in the world*, and trying to give my brain a break.

My brain might not want a break, which could be awkward, but we’ll try that.

And above all, NOT thinking about my book.

HAHAHA! Just kidding. I’ll be worse than a new mother who’s sent her baby to live at the circus for a while.

*Sorry, other families.

11 Comments | tags: beta readers, editing, revising, vacation, writing | posted in Bound, critique

July 17, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday- Giving Up & #ROW80 update

By Kate Sparkes

No, not me. I’m not giving up. Not yet. But there comes a time in every story (or at least, there should) where a character reaches a point when he or she is ready to give up, when things can’t get any worse, when they’d do anything to get out of a situation.

I was just revising this last week, and it’s still wandering forlornly around in my brain during quiet moments. This is Aren again, a guy who never expected to care this much about anything. He’s done something stupid, and he and Rowan are both paying for it.

Thirteen sentences from chapter 26 (curse you, chapter 26! And you too, 27, I’m still watching you). Today is 17/7/2013… 1+7+7-2-0=13.

Isn’t WIPpet math the best?

This is all I’m going to give away from this part of the story, because we’re (obviously) getting into spoiler territory. I like to think the book would be enjoyable even if you knew the ending, but why ruin the fun, right? Sorry I left something out here…

–

I’d exhausted my supply of magic in finishing *wee spoiler*, but that didn’t leave me completely helpless. I curled my body around hers, wrapped my cloak around both of us, and channelled what magic I could take from the land into producing heat in my own skin. Still the cold night air pressed in around us, greedy, stealing everything I created.

My people know a number of deities, the great unnamed Goddess and a seemingly limitless pantheon of lesser gods. It had always seemed to me that they’d shown little concern for me over the course of my life, and for the most part I’d shown them the same courtesy. Now, though, I closed my eyes, and I begged. Get us through this night. Let me help her to safety. Keep Severn away, and I’ll do anything. I’ll change. If you demand it, I’ll go back and face whatever I now owe to my family. Just let her come back, let her live. I didn’t even know who I was praying to, only that I needed to hold onto those thoughts to keep me from going mad.

–

Man, I need to post something less depressing soon. Where did that mer-people party get to?

And should that be “whom” in the last sentence? I suck at whom.

So anyway, if you’ve been around for a while, you know the rules, and you know you can join right in any time. We don’t bite. We might cookie-dough-and-glitter you (this is the new tar-and-feather, it’s much more fun), but that’s about the worst you’ll get from the WIPpeteers. Post an excerpt from a work in progress that relates to today’s date, add your blog link through the linkie you’ll find at My Random Muse, and be sure to drop by and comment on other people’s stuff. Seriously, join us. Best part of my week.

–

#ROW80 Update

OK, we need a Round of Words update today, don’t we? Man, Wednesdays are busy around here!

Writing: Trying to get 4 chapters a day ready for beta readers. Actually, I should be doing that right now… Other goals are good, see you later!

(Oh, and I’m adding the goal of visiting three or more ROW80 blogs every Sunday and Wednesday… since I’m doing that anyway. Looking for more updates? Here’s the link!)

32 Comments | tags: fantasy, spoilers, WIP, WIPpet Wednesday, YA | posted in Bound, Revision, ROW80, WIPpet Wednesday

July 11, 2013

Oh, Happy Day

By Kate Sparkes

Eight pages, guys.

Eight pages until I’m done this *expletive deleted* round of revisions. There are still a few changes to make in the last chapter, but the end (or rather, The End) is so close I can smell it.

And folks, it smells goooood.

I can’t type fast enough to keep up with all of the exciting that’s happening right now. I know how it ends, and I’m still getting all twitchy. It’s a great feeling.

Know what else is a great feeling? This:

Last night, my brother called me. This doesn’t happen often, but wasn’t entirely unexpected, since we’re staying with him and his adorable family when we visit Ontario later this month. But one of the reasons he called this time was to inform me that my sister-in-law had got a hold of my book. It was an old version, the first one I sent out to volunteer ~~victims~~ readers for feedback, but which my brother hadn’t had time to read (true fact: no one in my family had read it up to this point). I got quite nervous when he said that.

Verdict?

Apparently I have two weeks to finish the next book so she can read that one, too.

Yaaaaay! I mean, that’s impossible for me, but that’s a great reaction!

Gotta love when that happens. It wasn’t just that someone said that they enjoyed the story and wanted more, but that it came out of the blue, from someone who had no obligation to read or to give me feedback. I wasn’t waiting to hear what she thought, because I didn’t know she was reading it. If she’d hated it, she could have said nothing and told my brother to chuck it in the garbage. Instead, he’s going to read it. I told him to wait for the revised version, but he’s thinking about reading both and letting me know what he thinks of the changes.

Wow.

So that’s one more person who’s going to beta read for me when this thing gets wrapped up. For anyone else who’s waiting, the plan is to finish what I’m doing now (probably tomorrow, if I can sleep tonight and not get up to write), then go through backwards to polish everything up right nice n’ shiny, and then I’ll be in touch to see if you’re still interested and to find out what format you want it in.

And then I’ll hyperventilate until people get back to me, and then I’ll probably cry a bit, and then I’ll get back to work.

Sounds like a plan?

20 Comments | tags: beta readers, Critique, editing, fantasy, goals, writing, YA | posted in Bound, Revision, writing

July 10, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday: Destruction

By Kate Sparkes

So… it’s Wednesday, and you all know what that means.

GARBAGE DAY!

And also WIPpet Wednesday, where a bunch of crazies (and a few normal people, you know who you are) share a bit of a work in progress that related in some way to today’s date. I’m having one of those days where I’m skimming chapter 10 and going “this sucks, sucks, sucks” and am ready to delete the whole thing. As in the entire work, not the chapter.

LOVE those days. But it will pass… it usually does. Still, I’m feeling a bit ruthless, so I’ll let Aren give you a few lines from chapter 10 of Bound while I try not to do this to my work:

–

The men were easy to locate. Not Severn’s, as I had expected, but local guards sent to search the woods for us, careless and unaware of how close they were to success. I heard and saw them long before they knew I was there.

“Do you see anything?” His Qittavian accent made it come out “D’you see hennyting?” His thoughts were easier to follow than his words.

“Same as. We going to turn back? I’m about ready to get back to my Mary and a home-cooked meal.”

“Give it another few. We’ll never hear the end of it if we’re first back.”

“Imagine if we did find them?”

The first speaker snorted, then wiped his nose on his sleeve. “Gawd, I hope not.”

They certainly hadn’t located us through any skill of their own; more likely they’d been sent off in our direction, picked up a few signs of someone passing, and followed because they’d been instructed to follow every clue. What a shame for them that they were so keen on doing their duty.

They hadn’t thought to send word back to anyone else. I know, because the second one told me before I cut his throat.

–

*ahem*

Love that guy.

So anyway, that’s it from me this week. Be sure to have a look and see whether anyone else is posting something more uplifting here, and if you’d like to join in, follow the instructions above re: the date, or start a new work and post that. Bow down before the Queen of the WIPpeteers here. Bring gifts.

ROW80 update: Things are going. Slowly. Not doing so well, actually. Slowly getting through edits, but like I said, it all seems pointless right now. Just going to try to ride this one out. Not reading anything ATM, but I got Crossed from the library; we’ll see if it’s as disappointing as people say. I’ll try to go into it with no expectations. I have heard, however, that Ally Condie did dual-first person narration, like I’m doing in my fantasy stories; seems like a strange change to make for the second book of a series, but it could definitely be interesting, so I’m excited to see that.

As for non-writing goals, this week I’m kind of forced to do extra stuff with Ike while Simon’s off at summer camp (for the first time, GAH!), so that’s going well. Took him to a few local spots, nothing fancy. Still, better than a kick in the pants!

Walking Jack at the pond near our house

shipwreck, anyone?

This is off the end of my street. I love this island!

So there you go. Photographic proof that I’m achieving my goal of doing crap with my kids. Yay me!

To see what other ROW80 participants are up to (ROWers? ROW, ROW, ROW-your-boatists?), take a gander at this here linkie.

Thank for stopping by! Off to do battle with chapter 27 now. *loads word-blasting gun*

48 Comments | posted in Bound, ROW80, WIPpet Wednesday, writing

July 3, 2013

WIPpet Wednesay: Dressing Up

By Kate Sparkes

OK, Wednesday again! I chose this snippet last Wednesday while I was editing (and having a great day with it, I might add!). Seventeen lines (in WordPress, on my computer) for our first entry in the seventh month. 1+7= 17… in WIPpet math. 😉

Rowan is getting ready for a party with a whole bunch of mer-women (who are currently wearing legs, I should add), and she’s trying to enjoy herself in spite of the fact that she’s having mixed feelings about how things are going in other areas of her life. She’s lost confidence in herself, but it’s hard to be un-cheered when you’re surrounded by new friends like these. 🙂

–

The mer women were calling for me to come back and find a dress and have my hair done, and to admire the beautiful mother-of-pearl necklace that Niari wore. I’d never enjoyed dressing up and going to parties; I always felt like I had to impress someone, but no one here seemed particularly concerned about that. They were excited to have an excuse to wear beautiful clothes and to make themselves look good, but there was no sense of competition, of deciding who looked the best. It seemed impossible; in my world there was always a competition, always someone wondering who you were good enough to marry. I decided to go along with it, to try to set my sadness aside for a while and have fun with my new friends.

I joined in admiring what everyone else was wearing. When Dianna said a dress looked beautiful on me I said “thank you” instead of deflecting the compliment like I normally would. When I looked in the full-length mirror, I saw that she wasn’t wrong; the strapless dress was an incredible peacock blue color that flashed green when I moved. It ignited the normally dull red undertones in my hair, and added a blue tint to my grey eyes. The fabric wrapped tight at my waist and fell straight from my hips to the floor in folds of rich color. Even before Niari found me a pair of gold shoes that matched the stitching in my dress and swept my hair back in a sapphire and emerald comb, I felt more beautiful than I ever had before. The girl in the mirror looked like some princess I’d never met, until I smiled and recognized myself.

–

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to stop and see what the other WIPpeteers are offering today at this link. Big thanks to the fantabulatastic KL Schwengel for hosting this carnival of crazies! If you’d like to join in, just post a section of a work in progress that relates in some way to the day’s date, then add your own link to the list. Don’t have a WIP? Start one!

–

Mmmkay, ROW80 update.

I got nuthin’ as far as writing goes, because I was a fool (a FOOL, I tells ya!) and picked up this book*. what was I thinking? This one kept me awake way too late two nights in a row. I guess this counts as my book for the week, so there’s one goal accomplished. On the other hand, I was so tired this morning that I forgot about the oatmeal on the stove, and this happened.

Burned oatmeal =/= one of my goals. Not for this round, anyway.

But yeah, loved the book. After I’ve finished two other first-in-trilogy books recently, I’ve said “yeah, I’ll pick up the next one some day.” With this one I’m going “WHY DON’T I HAVE IT NOW?!!” in that really whiny voice you should all be glad you can’t hear.

So that’s my update. Need to get back to writing, but big old check-mark on the book for this week. DONE.

–

*If you’re not feeling clicky, I’ll tell you that it’s Unwind by Neal Schusterman

18 Comments | tags: Bound, dress, fantasy, friends, YA | posted in books, Bound, ROW80, WIPpet Wednesday

June 30, 2013

Writing and Reading and ROWing, Oh My!

By Kate Sparkes

Hey, look at me, being ready to get in on something at the beginning!

Since I already have two posts scheduled for tomorrow (the actual start date for this round of “A Round of Words in 80 Days”), I’m going to post this today. It’s Sunday, right? Regular update day.

GOALS

Writing:

Bound: finish editing this draft and have it out to readers by August 1. This should leave time for the fine-toothed comb treatment if I use my time wisely, but will depend on what I can get done before we go on holidays at the end of the month.

Torn: finish a full draft by the end of this round. This is a challenge for me, as this is another thing that was lost when I my own computer broke, so I’ve been starting from scratch. Big changes were coming, anyway, but it would have been nice to have my road-map…

Super Secret Project: Remember when I had those vampires bouncing around in my head, and I used them to take a break from my fantasy world? I have the beginnings of another world rattling around in my brain, and it all started to come together when I was walking the dog yesterday. No promises or goals, except to say that if I need a break, I’ll be working on this, and possibly offering an opening scene some time for WIPpet Wednesday. It’s not a genre I’ve had anything to do with in the past, so this could be interesting…

Disregard the Prologue: Yes, blog goals! I’m going a 31 day challenge in July, to keep me going through vacation and to allow me to schedule posts (because everything else is just going to be going SO WELL that I won’t need the distraction of this blog. HA!). So for July, I’ll make it a goal to post every day. After that… Well, I’ll readjust, and stop bombarding y’all with myself.

Other Stuff:

Art: I need to do a couple of custom My Little Ponies by the end of the summer, so I’m throwing that goal in here, because they’ll never get done otherwise. Two by the end of August, for sure, and if I can find time, there’s a personal project I’ve been itching to get to. This is what happens when you have a friend who sells doll hair, and you can’t stop yourself from buying all the pretty colours.

Family: Throwing a few more personal goals in here. Meal planning every week, one big, fun outing with the kids every week of vacation, reading one book (or chapter of a book) with each of the kids every day. Yes, we’re sometimes bad about that, especially when they forget to remind be until it’s quarter-past bedtime.

Reading: A book a week. Shouldn’t be too hard, but sometimes I get off-track when nothing’s grabbing me. I’ve got a ton of books waiting, though, so it should be fine. I have one book I’m alpha reading for someone this summer (I didn’t even know that term until she asked me… I’ve only used beta readers. You learn something new every day, don’t you?), I have my new paperbacks, I have a few books to finish on my kobo, and a bunch stranded in the Kindle app on my computer… plus the library. This should be doable, especially if I sit outside and read when the kids are playing.

–

So that’s the big, overarching goals. As far as time spent/word count, those goals will have to be broken down as I go along. My word count goal for July’s Camp NaNoWriMo session is only 25,000 words, and I’m cheating (editing/partial rewrites), so my goal should be 1,000 words a day… unless you account for vacation… so still 2,000 words a day. After that, who knows? Maybe I’ll go easy on myself in August, or maybe I’ll have to write my poor little heart out to distract me from the torment of hearing back from beta readers (who I love. Have I mentioned that I love you all?).

Wish me luck… and let me know if you’re participating so I can be sure to stop by and offer encouragement as the round goes on! I don’t always get updates on the blogs I’ve signed up to follow…

4 Comments | tags: #ROW80, goals, reading, writing | posted in Art, books, Bound, domestic goddess stuff, Family, NaNoWriMo, ROW80, Torn, writing

June 29, 2013

Motivation Tip of the Day

By Kate Sparkes

There’s nothing that lights a fire under your typing fingers like the realization that the printed-out draft you’re working from and making improvements on is the only copy of that draft.

THE ONLY COPY.

Please don’t ask how this happened. I usually e-mail drafts to myself, but I must have fallen behind. I back up on a USB drive… but that got damaged this winter and is completely corrupted. I had it in my computer, but it seems that when my netbook broke and the guys at the store transferred my files for me, that one got lost in the move.

I know, dropbox. I have it now, and I pray that I’m doing it right. Do you have to open the file through dropbox in order for it to update, or is it linked automatically?

I also have a new USB drive, and I’m e-mailing files to myself.

Still… until I get this thing done, all I have of my best draft so far is PAPER. Flimsy, flammable, blown-by-the-breezable paper.

My word count is SOARING.

^ Just this much to go…

3 Comments | posted in Bound, writing

June 26, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday 6/26/2013

By Kate Sparkes

Welcome, welcome to WIPpet Wednesday, wherein we WIPpeteers wage war on world-weariness with wild, wanton or wonderful works of writerly wit and wisdom (and once in a while a whale of a whopper will wing its way, from whence we know not where).

Also, some of us abuse the thesaurus horribly.

We share a small portion of a WIP (work in progress) that relates in some way to the day’s date, be it page number or chapter, number or words, lines, paragraphs, etc.

Today is the 26th. I’ll give you words: 26+6+2+0+13 for the date (and another for good luck.)

This is from Bound, the last section I worked on. Rowan is narrating and speaking.

–

“Right. I’m sure you’re always a perfect gentleman.” Aren’s grin widened, and I wondered what he was like with women when he was at home. Powerful, a king’s son, handsome in his own way, and terribly charming when he wanted to be? God help the women of Luid.

–

That’s it, that’s all. Stop by and visit the other WIPpeteers here, and if you’d like to join in the fun, just follow the rules as stated above (or if you have nothing to share from a current WIP, start a new one!), and add your own link. Thanks to KL Schwengel for hosting this shindig. 🙂

28 Comments | tags: Bound, fantasy, romance, YA | posted in Bound, WIPpet Wednesday

disregard the prologue

Category Archives: Bound

So Long, Farewell

WIPpet Wednesday: Pulling Teeth

Holy Crap, Did I Finish Something Before the Deadline?!

WIPpet Wednesday- Giving Up & #ROW80 update

Oh, Happy Day

WIPpet Wednesday: Destruction

WIPpet Wednesay: Dressing Up

Writing and Reading and ROWing, Oh My!

Motivation Tip of the Day

WIPpet Wednesday 6/26/2013

Vines and Vices (All the Queen’s Knaves book one)

Urban Fantasy (writing as Tanith Frost)

Bound (Bound Trilogy Book One)

Torn (Bound Trilogy Book Two)

Into Elurien

At Any Cost (Bound Trilogy prequel novella)

The Binding (Short Story)

Follow via Email

Kate Sparkes

Join the Fun on Facebook!

Recent Posts

Archives

Stories and Whatnot

Twitter

Blogs I Follow

Goodreads

Meta

disregard the prologue

Category Archives: Bound

Vines and Vices (All the Queen’s Knaves book one)

Urban Fantasy (writing as Tanith Frost)

Bound (Bound Trilogy Book One)

Torn (Bound Trilogy Book Two)

Into Elurien

At Any Cost (Bound Trilogy prequel novella)

The Binding (Short Story)

Follow via Email

Kate Sparkes

File Under:

Recent Posts

Archives

Stories and Whatnot

Blogs I Follow

Goodreads

Meta