Category Archives: ROW80

July 3, 2013

WIPpet Wednesay: Dressing Up

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!

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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 19, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday: Flashback, and a Farewell to ROW80

By Kate Sparkes

You may recall (and you’re forgiven if you don’t, I know how busy you are) that this month I’m working on a few projects. I’m making good progress in my editing on Bound, and yes, added words are being counted toward my word count for JuNoWriMo. I’m not adding a lot; I’m really trying to cut down on the total word count. But sometimes more needs to be said, and today’s WIPpet Wednesday offering is one of those passages. Will it stay? I don’t know. But experimenting is fun. 🙂

So, the WIPpet math for 19/6/13: 19 paragraphs +6 paragraphs -1 paragraph -3 paragraphs. Don’t worry, it’s mostly dialogue. (Aren’s POV)

–

My return to town was quiet, made late at night and in the midst of a street festival, but Severn knew I was coming as soon as I dropped the magic dedicated to blocking his awareness of me. He had me brought to his chambers before I had a chance to unsaddle my horse. The only reason I made it without a beating was that the palace guards feared me only a little less than they did Severn.

He dismissed them with a wave, and they bowed as they left us. The room was uncharacteristically cluttered, littered with half-empty wine bottles, and I wondered how many other people had been sent away before my arrival. “How wonderful,” Severn drawled after the guards closed the door. “Just what I wanted for my birthday. A ghost.”

I didn’t speak. I’d learned over the years that if I didn’t have an answer that would satisfy him, it was best to give none at all.

“We thought you were dead,” he continued, his voice as cold as I’d ever heard it. “It’s not like you to disappear.”

“I was injured escaping from the mountains. I needed time to recover, and had no way to contact you without being seen.”

Severn poured two glasses of wine and offered me one. I drank the full glass, not because I wanted it, but to show that I trusted him not to poison me. That, or I feared him enough to do as he wished with no thought for what might happen to me. It didn’t matter to Severn; respect and fear were nearly the same thing to him. “I searched for you. There was no sign.”

“Perhaps the distance interfered with your perception. I can assure you that at no time was I dead.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “You weren’t blocking me?”

“I don’t think I could. You know me too well. And I had no reason to.” I held my body still, and kept my eyes glued to his. I have nothing to hide, I thought. I did, of course, but Severn wouldn’t be able to see far into me. He lacked that particular set of skills, and that made me useful to him— and him mistrustful of me.

It was several uncomfortable moments before he released me from his gaze and sipped from his own glass. “You’re ruining my party. Tell me what happened, and go.”

“Annyk is dead.”

“You killed him?”

“His brother did.”

Severn sneered. “I’m not sure whether I’m impressed by your skill or disgusted with your continuing unwillingness to dirty your own hands. Either way, it’s done.” That was the most praise I could expect from him. “Any sign of more magic?”

Now I would have to tread carefully. Severn might not have been able to see my thoughts, but he would know if I lied to him outright. Half-truths would be better. “I think I found someone, but I was attacked before I could bring her in.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Her? Interesting. Where?”

I fought back the tension that cramped my shoulders. There was no chance I was going to let him take her. Not after she saved me. Severn would never understand that, though, and there would be no stopping him if he learned there was an unidentified sorceress in Qittavia. “In the mountains,” I lied. “And well-hidden.”

“Obviously, if Annyk didn’t find her.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

“No.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” Familiar energy began to build, infusing the air in the stone-walled room, causing the hairs on my body to stand up and remembered pain to race through my body. He wouldn’t be afraid to hurt me if he thought he wasn’t getting what he wanted.

“There’s nothing. I’ll go back and find her again, or I can tell someone else where to search.” The energy leveled off, but did not disperse, and my body broke out in sweat as I fought to not react to the pain.

–

Want to see more from the other WIPpeteers? Click this link to connect to MORE links that will take you to them (updated all day, so check back!), and be sure stop by and maybe leave a nice fruit basket at our host blog, My Random Muse.

Tommorow is the last day of this round of A Round of Words in 80 Days. It’s been fun; I’ll do things a bit differently next time (starting at the beginning, setting clearer goals at the start), but I’ll definitely do it again. I’ve found some interesting bloggers to follow, and it’s always nice to just go through and visit someone new. I like being reminded of how many of us are in this together, writing and struggling and loving it.

As far as my own goals are concerned, I’m catching up on my JuNoWriMo word count, which means I’m currently trying for more than the 2,000 words a day that I’d set as my goal. My reading didn’t have as measurable a goal, but I’m getting it done when time allows. I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying Matched; it really didn’t seem like my thing at all, but I like the set-up of the Society (and some of you know how picky I am about that sort of thing), and I like how Cassia is developing as a character. Now, I’ve heard from several people that the other two books in the trilogy are a big disappointment, but I’ll at least try the next one. This is one advantage of library books, isn’t it?

School is almost out here; Simon gets a day off on Thursday and only goes in for a few hours on Friday, so I guess today is really the last day of school. We’ll see how having both kids home will affect my productivity. We also have a week-long vacation planned for the end of July, and I don’t see myself getting a lot of writing done there (not sure if I’ll even take the computer), but I can read.

Annnd… that’s about it. Thanks for stopping by, and don’t forget that the next round of ROW80 starts next month. 🙂

18 Comments | tags: fantasy, magic, WIP, writing, YA | posted in Bound, JuNoWriMo, ROW80, WIPpet Wednesday, writing

June 16, 2013

ROW 80 Update: This does NOT happen edition

By Kate Sparkes

So my husband came home last night, long after I was in bed and asleep. He’d had a long, difficult weekend already (and it was barely even Sunday), but he managed to take a few minutes to stop by the goodbye party for the guy he works with. He told me, “there’s a surprise for you in the fridge.”

I LOVE fridge surprises! I did mumble something about how if it was roadkill I’d be very disappointed, but really there was only about a 14% chance of it being that.

And then, being mostly asleep, I forgot about it.

This morning, AJ said, “did you look in the fridge?”

“No!”

I ran to the fridge like a hyperactive little kid hunting for Easter eggs, expecting maybe a chocolate bar (because sometimes AJ’s cool like that) or a bit of dessert from the party.

I was not expecting… THIS:

Pardon my language, but HOLY SHIT THAT’S A WHOLE LOT OF CRAB LEGS.

There was also deep-fried turkey, hashbrown casserole, and… I don’t know, ham or something. I kind of forgot about all of that when I saw the HOLY SHIT CRAB LEGS.

Do you guys have any idea? DO YOU?! The fact that I’m yelling might tell you that I like crab legs a lot. What you might not have guessed is that I haven’t had them in years. They’re expensive, and there aren’t many restaurants around here that serve them (at least, not at a price I can pay). I think the last time I had them was at Mandarin Buffet in Ontario, when my mom and I pretty much ate everything.

I’m not ashamed of that.

Not all of the surprises I wake up to are pleasant; cold cat barf squishing between my toes comes to mind when I consider the less-pleasant ones. But today… today shall live in my memory as a day of celebrating fathers (hi, dad!), unexpected blessings, and HOLY SHIT CRAB LEGS! God bless generous people with too much food at their parties.

—

Now, about that Round of Words update (now that I’ve frightened everyone away): through an intense regimen of BICFOC* and all but neglecting my children, I’ve passed the 20,000 word mark for JuNoWriMo. There’s still a long way to go, and I’m not quite on track, but I’m catching up. I’m reading a little when I can, but on rainy days when I’m stuck inside, it’s all about the writing right now. I’ve started looking for an editor for Bound, though I won’t need one until after this round of revisions and a blasting from beta readers… and then more revisions… but I’m putting feelers out there. That wasn’t a goal, but it’s related, so there you go. Also not an official goal, but I’ve been reading a bunch of ROW80 blog updates from people whose blogs I don’t normally follow, and commenting. I feel good about that, and it’s fun; you never know what you’re going to find out there in Blog Land.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more running around in circles and screaming to do before I go warm the butter.

That’s not a euphemism.

–

*Butt in chair, fingers on keys

14 Comments | tags: Crab, surprises, writing | posted in random, ROW80, Torn, writing

June 12, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday: Consequences

By Kate Sparkes

Last week’s WIPpet snippet was short. Of COURSE I’m going to give you something massive this week. I won’t be offended if you skip it. 🙂

This is from chapter… probably three. I’m not too clear on chapter divisions yet. This is extremely rough, please excuse the everything. Set up: things haven’t been going well since the end of Bound (so much for happily ever after, right?). So SPOILER ALERT I guess, if you don’t want to know whether people survive that one.

Still with me? Good. Rowan has convinced Aren to take a walk with her on the beach, saying she wanted to search for treasure. He doubted they’d find any, but went along anyway. He doesn’t get to spend much time alone with her these days.

12 + 6 paragraphs for 12/6 (plus one line so it makes sense)

—

Rowan seemed to be trying to get her bearings on the beach, running back and forth, looking down, when she suddenly dropped to her knees to rake her fingers through the pebbles. I jogged toward her, holding tightly to the cloth-wrapped item in my pocket. She stood and held her hand out to me. “Told you there was treasure.”

Glass. Two pieces, one green and one brown, the edges smoothed and the surface dulled by the rocks and water. “That’s it? This is what you were looking for?”

“Mm-hmm. I didn’t think you’d come with me if I told you.”

“What, that we were looking for old garbage?” She looked at me expectantly, and I sighed. “No, I still would have come along.” I fell in beside her as she walked closer to the water.

“It’s not old garbage.”

“It’s broken glass that somebody threw away, or that floated off of a shipwreck. It is the very definition of garbage.”

She stopped to pick up a few more pieces, and motioned for me to hold out my hand. “No,” she said. “This is garbage.” Clear glass this time, and new, probably tossed over the cliff recently. I closed my fingers around it, and the point of the triangle bit into my skin. When I opened my hand, blood welled up from a tiny puncture. Rowan frowned. “I wish you wouldn’t do that. I can’t heal it, you know.”

“It’ll go away on its own soon enough.”

She shook her head, and a sudden breeze off of the ocean blew her hair around her head until she caught it and tied it back with the ribbon she kept in her coat. “This, however,” she continued, “is treasure.” Clear glass again, but turned white by its pitted surface. It was perfectly smooth, and aside from its colour was indistinguishable from the round pebbles that littered the shore. “I suppose it was garbage once, but after a while it becomes beautiful. Don’t you see it?”

As she added to her collection, I started to see. No one would ever mistake the glass for gemstones, but they were beautiful in the same way that someone like Rowan thought beach rocks were beautiful, or a mossy forest, or the swirling patterns in driftwood. I didn’t notice those things the way she did, but I was learning. It reminded me of her; if the women I’d known in Luid were diamonds and sapphires, she was the amethyst-coloured glass she handed to me, which seemed to glow in the fading sunlight and became more interesting the longer I looked at it. She was a strange person, but in ways that I liked very much. I thought again of leaving, and felt ill. I didn’t know how to bring it up.

A dull flash of green caught my eye. “What about this one?” I asked.

She turned the glass over in her hands. “Almost there. See how this edge is clear? It probably broke off of something not too long ago, and the ocean has to work on it a bit more. It’s a shame; the colour’s good.”

I sat on a weathered log that had landed above the tide line, and Rowan followed. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?” she asked.

“It’s time,” I said. She was silent for a few moments, then smiled, sadly.

“What, just when things are going so well here?”

I took her hand. It was so small in mine. “I would stay if I thought it would help you, but I think I’m just in the way right now. I’m not doing any good here. I’m tired of being unwanted and useless. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing now, but it’s not this.”

Rowan squeezed my fingers. “It’s not getting any better, is it?”

“Did I ever tell you what Mariana and Arnav said to me at the Grotto?” She shook her head and sat beside me. “They said that it was admirable that I wanted to renounce my past, but that I needed to learn what I was living for. Right now I have nothing but you. I think I could spend the rest of my life living for you, but-”

“…but that’s not fair to either of us. I know.”

—

Life is hard, kids, stay in school and don’t fall in love too quickly. Quality advice from Auntie Kate, right there. I have a big problem with stories where people fall in love too quickly and then that’s it. I will NOT have codependent characters. *end rant*

And yeah, I know, it’s wordy and needs editing. I’ll get back to it. 😉

Want to join in the WIPpet Wedesday fun? Head on over to our host’s blog (KL Schwengel at My Random Muse), click on the linkie and share the love with the other WIPpeteers, and add your own link to a bit of your work in progress that relates to today’s date in some way (12 lines, 12 words… 12+6 letters, something from chapter or page 12… whatever).

Treasure ahoy!

I guess I owe a #ROW80 update, too, especially since I missed Sunday’s check-in. JuNoWriMo is putting the pressure on, but I’m behind. I need a few good days with no distractions to get caught up. 2,000 words a day is just not happening right now. I’ve given up on reading Fallen (see here if you really want to know why) and have started Matched, which I thought sounded very not me, but I’ve enjoyed the first few chapters. Housework is going well, too, even if I refuse to acknowledge that as an official goal.

22 Comments | tags: beach, fantasy, fiction, romance, sea glass, writing, YA | posted in ROW80, Torn, WIPpet Wednesday, writing

June 5, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday: First Five (and tiny ROW80 update)

By Kate Sparkes

*sings* Wednesday, Wednesday, gotta WIPpet on Wednesday…

Since it’s the fifth, and since this is the first Wednesday of JuNoWriMo, here’s the first 5 lines of this month’s work in progress, Torn. This is a few months after the end of Bound, and Aren gets to start this one off.

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“Just try to relax.”

“I am relaxed.”

“No, you’re not. You’re thinking about it too much. If you want it too badly, you’re never going to get there. Don’t try to do it, just let it happen. You’ve almost got it.”

She shot me a look that told me to shut up before I said something she’d make me regret, then closed her eyes again.

–

Yep, starting with dialogue. Because I’m a rebel like that.

Want to join in the fun? Every Wednesday the WIPpeteers post a selection from a work-in-progress that relates in some way to the day’s date (today could have been something from chapter 5, page 56 [for the fifth of June], yadda yadda). To see what everyone else is offering today, head on over to our host blog, My Random Muse (and check out a fun new option today!), and click on the linkie in the side bar. Feel like contributing? Come on in! After all…

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Now, as for my ROW80 update: JuNoWriMo is in full swing, and I’m doing… OK. It’s going. I’ve been having trouble squeezing writing time in, though. Also, yesterday I had the stupid. No, I didn’t DO something stupid, I had a bad case of it. My brain got borked, yo. The weather changed overnight in a big way, but instead of a headache, Mother Nature gifted me with a thick mental fog that made me feel like Back Seat Guy in the opening scene of Super Troopers, except less paranoid. Everything anyone said to me sounded like “Littering and? Littering and?”

(warning: drugs and swearing)

So no writing for me. O.o

But I’ll get there. The story is coming along, I’m almost on track for words. The reading goals aren’t happening so much as I might like, but you know how that goes.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I gotta go put out the garbage.

24 Comments | tags: Aren, fantasy, fight, magic, Rowan, WIP, writing | posted in ROW80, Torn, WIPpet Wednesday

June 2, 2013

Sunday #ROW80 Update: Writing, Reading, and… Cleaning?!

By Kate Sparkes

Hello! First Round of Words update since JuNoWriMo started yesterday, so I guess it’s time for those updated goals, isn’t it?

Yes, Kate. Yes it is.

50,000 words in a month breaks down to 1667 words a day, which isn’t so bad on good days. Sadly, they’re not all good days, so I set my goal at 2,000+ words a day so that there’s some wiggle room when family stuff comes up and I can’t write, depression decides to kick my ass into the corner, my personal muse decides to sit his own ass in the corner and pick the dirt from under his fingernails instead of doing his share of the work… whatever.

So here are my goals for June (which will take me past the end of this round of ROW80):

write 2,000 words a day on TORN
read one novel a week
continue edits on BOUND after writing is done for the day so I can get that out to my dear darling special reader friends and start looking for an editor (eep!)

We’ve had some not great news concerning my husband’s job. He’s not losing it, and I’m probably not supposed to share details, but it looks like he’s going to be having a very stressful summer. Not pleased. So in addition to my writing goals, I’m making a set of goals focusing on making his home life easier and less stressful, since there’s bugger all I can do about his work life. He’s been my biggest supporter (and to be honest, my hero) through a lot of my tough times. Now it’s my turn to be at my best for him. It might affect my writing, but there’s not much I can do about that.

full menu plan for each week with healthy meals (eating out/getting pizza still allowed, but should be planned)
10-minute tidy (or 15 on bad days) with the kids every day before AJ comes home (clutter REALLY stresses him out) and before bed
get the basement in shape so the kids want to play down there more and keep the upstairs tidier
save extra money so when he does get days off we can get out of town and he can relax (I hope), and also to buy an elliptical for days when he can’t get out to exercise (and days when I can’t get out with Jack)

That’s all I’ve got for that so far. I know from experience that if I set my goals too high I’ll fail and give up, so I’ll leave it at that for now. If you have any suggestions, though, I’m open to them, and prayers and happy thoughts over the summer would be much appreciated. And no, he’s not a drinker, so I can’t greet him at the door with something alcoholic in hand when he gets home (and he’s going to be on-call anyway, so no drinking even if he did. Which he doesn’t. I, on the other hand, might take up drinking as a hobby. YAY!)

So what have I achieved since my last update?

Not much on Thursday or Friday, but yesterday was a good day. I woke up with a migraine (bloody weather), but I took a frightening amount of painkillers and cranked out 3800 words over the course of the day. Were they good words? Darned if I know. I think they were.
Started reading Fallen. It starts out with one of my least favourite set-ups (people who are DESTINED to fall in love and they JUST CAN’T HELP IT!), but I like the writing, and I’m going to keep going to see what happens. It might lose me if an IMPOSSIBLY GORGEOUS AND PERFECT BOY shows up, but I’m giving it a good chance. 🙂
Still struggling with reading fiction on the Kobo. I’m about 12 chapters in on First of Her Kind by K.L. Schwengel. I like the story, but the format makes me put it down a lot, and that makes me sad. Would be better if I was travelling. Great for reading in the bathtub, though (except that my husband thinks I’m nuts for having the Kobo near water)
Holy crap, how is the living room a mess again? Nobody is doing anything! Ugh, guess I should go round up the troops to take care of that…

I hope you’re all having a fantastic weekend wherever you are, whatever you’re doing. Take care, and I’ll see you later (I’ve scheduled posts for Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Will there be Engrish? Stay tuned to find out…)

6 Comments | tags: #ROW80, goals, home, JuNoWriMo, migraine, work | posted in books, Bound, domestic goddess stuff, Headaches, Home Life, JuNoWriMo, ROW80, Torn, writing

May 29, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday: Back at it

By Kate Sparkes

*scrambles for something to post*

Yep, this one sneaked up on me, mostly because I fail at writing right now. Since I can’t handle that, I’m reading over Bound and making more notes (the never-ending cycle), which makes that my active work in progress, which makes that the one I’m posting from this week. Apologies to anyone who wanted more vampires, I’ll get back to them after JuNoWriMo. Probably.

Since I haven’t revised chapter 29 yet (and I’m fiddling with chapter divisions, anyway), let’s go with the 29th scene, which also happens to be the one I was revising when I decided to take a little break. Coincidence? Absolutely. 🙂

Just a few things you need to know: Rowan and Aren are on the road, trying to find a cure for her *mumble mumble* and headaches before Aren’s brother finds them, and he wants them because of all of THE EVIL REASONS (I swear it’s explained better in the story). They were stuck out in a rainstorm with a lame horse and with people chasing them, so when the opportunity to spend the night with a group of semi-nomadic performers presented itself, Rowan decided they should take it, in spite of Aren not wanting help from anyone he doesn’t know and trust. They were welcomed by a man named Bartilae, who is the community’s leader, and Rowan gave him fake names when she introduced herself and Aren. We already know that Bartilae’s daughter is named Patience… and I think that’s all you need to know. Oh, and this chapter is told by Aren.

–

A thin-faced girl with bright ribbons braided into her hair stumbled out of the crowd of running children and dropped onto the cushion between me and Bartilae. “Will we have a show, Father?”

“I think not tonight, my love. We haven’t unpacked here, an our guests are weary from their travels. Another day.” The girl pouted, and when the children passed by again she flounced off to join them. Bartilae sighed. “Sometimes I wonder why we name our children before we know them well. I’m not holding much hope of that one growing into hers.”

When the meal was finished, many of the adults bundled into their shawls, capes, or jackets and headed out into the storm. Two white-haired old women stayed behind, huddled close to a cluster of burning torches, and half a dozen other adults sat talking, occasionally sending curious glances our way. The tent smelled of damp wool and burnt wood, but it was far more pleasant than being outside.

Rowan scooted closer to me. “How was your meal, dear?”

“Just wonderful, Penelope, oh light of my life,” I replied dryly, and she stifled a giggle behind her hand. “Nice names. Where did those come from?”

“I once had a goat named Penelope.”

“And Doug?”

“I have no idea.”

I didn’t want to talk too much about what we were doing, not with other people possibly listening, but it couldn’t be avoided completely. “We can’t stay here. We know nothing about these people.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you think everyone is after us? They’re Wanderers. I really doubt they’re working for Severn; they barely acknowledge a king on either side of the mountains. If anything, they’re staying out of it. They don’t know who we are, anyway. You’re too suspicious.”

“And you’re too trusting!”

“Well, I guess that evens it out then, doesn’t it?”

I didn’t know how to answer that. There wasn’t time to, anyway; a woman we hadn’t met yet was coming toward us with clothing folded over both arms. “Hello, my dears. I’m Alys. Jein thought you might like to borrow some dry things while your own are drying.” I reached into my pack. Everything was damp.

“Thank you,” I said, and she nodded.

“If you go through the door over there you can get changed in the storage space. It’s small, but I don’t suppose that will be a problem.” She winked, then walked toward the old women. Rowan flashed me a smug smile and carried both piles of clothing toward the storage room.

We took turns changing in a small space that was packed with piles of boxes and burlap sacks, and that smelled of onions and spices. Alys took our wet things and disappeared through another flap in the side of the tent, returning moments later. “How big is this place, anyway?” Rowan asked me, stretching to try to look through the doorway.

“It’s probably a few interconnected tents. I’m sure when you spend most of your time traveling, you figure these things out.”

“I guess. Bartilae was right, though. Odd time of year for them to be out. Wanderers only ever visited in the summer, back home.”

Patience dashed in out of the rain wearing a pink dress that she had to hold up to keep out of the mud, and a floppy red hat that dripped rainwater everywhere. She was followed by a motley band of seven other children, the youngest just a few years old, all dressed in odd and colorful clothes. “Ladies and gentlemen and extinguished guests!” she bellowed, and Alys chuckled. “Preeeeeesenting the finest show in the entire world!”

“Oh, I love the theatre,” Rowan said, and joined in the scattered applause that was nearly drowned out by the rain. Patience’s voice had no such problem. She bellowed out a rough program that sounded like it would drag on for hours. When she finished, Rowan clapped again, then stood. “Come on,” she said. “We should get better seats.”

“You’re joking.”

She frowned down at me. “Douglas Anderson, are you telling me that you’re too important and busy right now to enjoy a show performed by the great actors of the future?” Once again I didn’t know how to argue with her, and we took seats close to the area the children were clearing for their show.

–

I wish I could keep going; this leads into one of my favourite scenes in the whole book, an odd little semi-tangent with an entertaining and disorganized play, a bit of character development and OH THE FEELINGS, but I haven’t finished revising that yet. It would be too long to post here, anyway.

So that’s it for this WIPpet Wednesday. This little party is hosted by K.L. Schwengel over at My Random Muse; stop by to say hi, and click on the linkie to see the other WIPpeteers’ posts and to add your own if you’d like to join in. The only rules are that you post a bit from a work in progress, and that it relates to today’s date on some way (29 lines, chapter 29, something to do with a 5 for the the month… WIPpet math is very flexible!)

–

For today’s #ROW80 update… sadly, I’ve got nothing. I’m taking this week to do a bit more reading and revising on Bound (maybe… this is not a good time for me to be judging my own work) and to get my notes in order for working on Torn next month. I’m hoping I’ll get my writing mojo back so I can do my 2,000 words a day for JuNoWriMo (and OK, am I the only one who says that and hears Agador from The Birdcage asking why I’m not writing more? “Why ju no wri’ mo? When ju gonna let me be in your cho’, huh? Wait, dere’s CHRIMPS!”)

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16 Comments | tags: Agador Spartacus, JuNoWriMo, the birdcage, wanderers, WIP, WIPpet Wednesday | posted in Bound, ROW80, WIPpet Wednesday

May 26, 2013

#ROW80 Update- Depressed Edition

By Kate Sparkes

No, it’s nothing you did. It’s nothing anyone did, it’s nothing that happened. It just is what it is. It happens. I have depression, it’s being treated (usually very successfully), but there are days when my brain goes all wacky anyway. I think it might be hormonal. Who am I kidding, it totally is. Both times I was pregnant, I spend 40 weeks wanting to be dead. Not wanting to kill myself, just kind of not wanting to exist anymore.

Stupid chemicals.

So yeah, my brain is topsy-turvy today, which lets in the negative thoughts that I have to fight off, but also leaves me with no energy to do so. Nice twist there, Mother Nature. Send someone to attack me, and magically make all of the knives in my kitchen disappear and paralyze me so I wouldn’t have been able to use them anyway.

Not much I can do except keep pushing back (praying, reframing and challenging negative thoughts, breathing deeply and trying not to scream at my family to leave me alone), and reminding myself that it will pass in a day or two. And yes, even at times like this, I’m grateful for the fact that I can assume that now. One of the worst things in the past was not knowing if or when it would get better.

Seriously, guys, depression sucks. I son’t recommend it.

Anyway, #ROW80. I doubt I’ll get much done today… Wednesday’s write-in with the writing ninjas* was great; I was only on for an hour and a half and got 1,500 words in, which is 150% of my daily goal. I clearly need more small-group word sprints in my life. I doubt I’m going to finish this novella before JuNoWriMo starts, so that’ll have to be put on hold for a while starting on the first. I’ve decided to re-draft Torn for JuNo, which I guess means that WIPpet Wednesdays next month might take us back to the world of Bound, which will be fun. For me, anyway.

Since my word count goals will have to shoot up next month to 1677 words a day (I prefer 2000 to give myself some wiggle room), I’m going to give myself some time off this week. Not OFF off… I’ll still be writing. I’m just not going to put a lot of pressure n myself to get 1,000 words a day in. That’s the beauty of ROW80, right? Real life interferes, you adjust your goals.

As for my reading goals, I’m not getting much done there, either. I need to shut down the computer more often and just read.

For more (and probably more cheerful!) Updates from the ROW80 crew, click here. 🙂

I’m going to leave you with a very deep thought that came to me through my “pending comments” folder. Somehow, this little gem slipped past the WordPress spam filter and made it to the “awaiting moderation” section.

“Your buy cheap viagra online chance to makeher adore you”

OH IF ONLY LIFE WERE THAT SIMPLE.

–

*Wednesdays at 8PM EST on Twitter, #NinjaWI. Sign up here… but I keep forgetting to update.

19 Comments | posted in Depression, ROW80

May 19, 2013

#ROW80 Check-In, WTF Snow edition

By Kate Sparkes

Good Sunday, all! Is that a thing? Wishing people a good specific weekday? It is now. Happy Sunday!

Just a quick check-in today. First of all, can I just say that it is SNOWING here? Like, beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-Christmas, oh-wait-it-wasn’t-this-snowy-at-Christmas snow. IT SUCKS. I’m sure the plants in the garden agree. There’s probably a writing metaphor in that, too, but I’m not going to think about that today.

The view out my front window this morning

Sick, right? I know.

But anyway, writing! I was able to join the Writing Ninjas in a twitter write-in on Wednesday night, which boosted my word count, and writing a few exciting scenes yesterday and on Friday helped, too. Friday was an over-2000 day, which is good for me. I hope those days will become more common when I have no-kids time during the day in September, but who knows?

Some days weren’t so great, but I think I’m still sticking fairly close to the 1,000 word a day goal if you average it out.

I’m not doing so well with getting up early to write, but that’s mostly because of the up-past-midnight writing sessions the night before, so I’ll give myself a pass on that.

I think I need to toss some reading goals in, too, since reading is such an important part of our development as writers. I’m going to say a novel a week; might not happen (depends a LOT on the book), but I have quite a few books waiting for my attention. Divergent kept me up late last night; I have problems with the story and particularly with the concept of the dystopia, but it’s a compelling read, even if so far it seems like a really, really long training montage in a movie. It’s interesting to read a first-person present tense story while I’m writing one, when the voices are so different. I think I’m getting used to reading this style.

So let’s go with that for this week. 1,000 words a day on The Vampire Thing That Refuses To Be Named (which is looking like it’ll settle somewhere in the 30,000 word range), finish reading Divergent and then move on to the next book I need to finish. I think I’ll finish all of the in-progress reads before moving on. Mmm-hmm. Orgainzation! Whee! Also, reasonable bedtimes and up early, except for maybe on Thursday if I’m up late at the write-in again on Wednesday.

Oh, and one more thing: apparently there’s a #ROW80 participant/sponsor/all-around good type named Lauralynn Elliott who’s having some trouble right now. Her husband is very sick, and they need help. She has several books out in the fantasy/paranormal/romance genres; I haven’t read them yet, but if anyone wants to check them out, here’s the link. Book sales can’t hurt! Here’s the most recent post on other ways people are looking to help (with incentives!), if you’re interested. Since I have no money, I can only help spread the word.

SERIOUSLY, IT’S STILL SNOWING.

*cries*

To see all of the other #ROW80 updates, click here. To join the fun, check it out here!

22 Comments | posted in Newfoundland, ROW80

disregard the prologue

Category Archives: ROW80

WIPpet Wednesay: Dressing Up

Writing and Reading and ROWing, Oh My!

WIPpet Wednesday: Flashback, and a Farewell to ROW80

ROW 80 Update: This does NOT happen edition

WIPpet Wednesday: Consequences

WIPpet Wednesday: First Five (and tiny ROW80 update)

Sunday #ROW80 Update: Writing, Reading, and… Cleaning?!

WIPpet Wednesday: Back at it

#ROW80 Update- Depressed Edition

#ROW80 Check-In, WTF Snow edition

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)

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disregard the prologue

Category Archives: ROW80

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

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Recent Posts

Archives

Stories and Whatnot

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Goodreads

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