Tag Archives: writing

One Step at a Time…

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Have you ever had one of those days, where every inch of your body and soul wants to be creative, but the world around you is just fighting you every step of the way?! Yeah, well that’s where I am today…

I have been sitting in front of my computer; with a story line, a plot, and a goal, for the last hour. Yet every two minutes one of my kids bursts into the room yanking me out of my concentration and forcing me to listen to their whining and complaining.

I thought that taking them for a mile and a half hike through the cold caverns would wear them down and make them lethargic enough to sit on the couch and rest for a while, but no such luck! Apparently exercise only invigorates my children’s sense of adventure and energizes them to make it through the rest of their day.

Thus, meeting my goal of making it through chapter eleven of my book seemed to quickly be slipping away. That was until I discovered the power of Pepperidge Farm cookies. That’s right, Pepperidge Farm cookies happen to be a lot like crack to children. They love them, and will do just about anything for them, to include sitting quietly while watching a movie so that mommy could get some quiet time. Ah, the power the cookie.

I hammered my way through chapter eleven, and quickly moved on to chapter twelve. Who knows if any of it is any good… I certainly don’t, but I’m enjoying the process, and to me that is the goal! At least for now. When I’m done the goal will be to publish, but for now I’m taking it one step at a time…

WRITE… Write… write…

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Okay… let me start by saying, I miss my husband! He recently started classes toward his masters program, and he attends classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening. I know what you’re thinking, “Tuesday and Thursday? Is that all?” and you’re right. It’s only two days a week, not bad at all. Yet, still… I miss him when he isn’t home with me and the kids. Although above even that I am incredibly proud of him! Going back for his masters isn’t going to be an easy road, by any stretch of the imagination, and the fact that he is doing it with a full-time job, two kids, and a sometimes needy wife, I commend him!

Now, as I sit here and sulk… I can do one of two things. I can literally eat the pan of brownies in the kitchen and watch television until he gets home – not a bad idea, or I can pull out my computer and get to work! I am choosing the second option. I am always struggling to find time to write, and now with him going back to school I have been given two evenings a week, after the kids are in bed of course, to do just that. So, take advantage of it I will.

My goal is to see significant progress by the end of this coming weekend… which is to say that I will finally get through chapter eleven!

I think that my creativity has maybe taken a brief vacation, and left me in somewhat of a stump or creative block. I shall hammer through it this week though, and come out victorious! lol… That actually sounded confident. This just may work. If not, I might just cry… I figure if I don’t get to work soon, then when I receive my editor’s notes next weekend I really will cry. I am expecting them to be detailed and extensive, because that is what everyone had told me editors like to do. I have mentally prepared, but who knows how much that will really help. Although, I do look forward to the suggestions. I am excited to get book one in the Blood Angel series ready for the publisher, and an editor is just one of the many steps so… BRING IT ON!!!

Finding the time…

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It seems as time goes by my days get shorter and shorter, and I am having less and less time to write. It makes me sad to think I have spent less than an hour writing over the last two weeks! How am I supposed to get through this project if an hour or two a month is all I have to devote to it?!

It’s no ones fault but my own! No pointing fingers here, it just is what it is. I have a family and at the end of a long work day it’s hard to want to do anything but spend time with them. How do you tell your kids, “No sweetie mommy still has to work, I can’t cuddle or draw right now.” I can’t do it. They give me those puppy dog eyes and I just melt!

So, now I have fallen behind, WAY BEHIND on my self-set goal of having book three in the Blood Angel series complete by the end of August. I’m only on Chapter Eleven… with so much story left to tell.

Please send me out good creative thoughts to help me get through the rest by my newly set goal of November 26th MY BIRTHDAY!!! Because what better birthday gift could I give myself than finishing the book?!

Stay tuned for more updates in this on going adventure…

Behind Locked Doors – Eternity…

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At the youthful age of 15 she was already a lady in the eyes of society. When her grandparents made the decision to move her to the new world she was frightened yet excited by this new adventure. The Titanic was a grand ship more beautiful than anything she had ever seen both inside and out. The moment she stepped aboard her life was changed forever.

Her heart skipped a beat as his cold hand gently brushed across hers and his piercing eyes seemed to reach into her soul stealing her love forever. He appeared to be her age, but something in his eyes gave away a wisdom far beyond her years. They were inseparable from the start. To her it felt like he was the piece of her heart she had always been missing.

As fear struck the hearts of everyone around them and the ship began to sink Eric offered her life after death. With just one kiss they would be together for all eternity. In her gutt she knew it was more than that, and still she didn’t care. Like a dagger his teeth slid into her throat, and she was out. She woke up laying in his arms, surrounded by nothing but sand and ocean.

Eternity was going to be a very long time…

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Behind Locked Doors – Lying in wait!

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They found her there, lying in the large dark oak bed, black silk sheets flowing around her, her golden curls wet with passionate sweat, not a piece of clothing covering an inch of her milky smooth skin. She looked to be dead, no pulse, cold flesh, and not a breath to escape her open lips.

There was talk of bite marks, drained blood, tenth girl this week… The conversation went on. Little did they know this beauty was like no other. For she was merely lying in wait, under a spell, in a seductive trance, waiting for the right moment to…

For she gains her powers from those she feeds on, and giving them her blood gives her more pleasure than pain you see. Once she has been bitten she’s ready to fight, and at the right moment she leaps from the bed and in seconds is upon them. Four men down with just a turn of their necks on the last one she’ll feed for his bloods is clearly the most intoxicating. She could smell it the second he stepped into the room.

Warm and fresh she takes it all in, drops his lifeless body to the ground and turns to leave. As she walks out the door she grabs her long silk robe, and wrapping it around her body… it clings to her curves as she disappears into the night.

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Two weeks and counting…

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I have a two-week deadline looming overhead. By Saturday August 6th, I am to have book 2 to my editor, and although it is already written I have not yet gone back through it to do a final edit on my own, and the people I have reading it have not yet gotten back to me! AHHHHHH

I’m not dragging me feet, really I’m not. It’s just that with two kids, a husband, a full-time job, a part-time job, and a house to clean there really isn’t a whole lot of time on my plate to write. I try to squeeze in time whenever I can… kids weekend nap time (right now!!!), after the kids go to bed at night (when nothing good is on tv…), etc. But, still not a lot of time to devote just to my writing.

I am making myself a promise, here and now! I will pick up book two this weekend, and get through chapters one through ten! Okay, maybe that is a little ambitious considering when I do final edits I tend to rewrite large portions, insert completely new chapters, and/or delete large portions… Okay, I’m still going to aim for chapters one through ten, but I am not going to be too hard on myself if its more like one through five. LOL

Okay, today is almost over, with the babysitter soon to arrive, so… I better be off to work. Wish me luck and think of me often.

Behind Locked Doors – The Dancing Nymph

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As a full moon shone bright, high in the midnight black sky painted with stars, she dances underneath the branches of an old oat tree. The wind blowing her fire-red hair wildly through the air, and her skin glistening as the stars shine down. Softly, sweetly raindrops began to fall, and gently land around her. Though never a drop on her skin as she breezes through the field in between drop after drop.

Suddenly, there in the distance, she sees him. Their eyes connect and moments later they’re standing side by side, hand in hand, lips to lips, and heart to heart! A connection like nothing she had ever known. More powerful than the call of the earth, more passionate than the song of the angels above, more violent than the rushing rapids. Her heart pounded in her chest, and he could smell the sweet honey of life flowing through her veins.

Those few seconds between life and death before she so willing gave in to his desires were more than she could have ever hoped for, ever dreamed of. Even as she lay on the forest floor, drained of all life and blood, a soft smile still remained on her once radiant face.

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Dug In…

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So… Following the advice of a good friend, I dug deeper! I actually spent the last eight days reading, reviewing, and editing my manuscript. My goal wasn’t to add fluff just to make it longer, but instead to add only content that would benefit and add to the story line. I think I succeeded, but only time will tell.

After completing the first version it went through multiple levels of editing; the first being myself reading and editing it many MANY times, the second being my close (in proximity) friends, the third being my distant (again proximity) relatives, and then finally my good friend out in California who finally gave me advise I could use. That advise was what lead me to ‘Dig Deeper’. Now that the digging is done, I have finally sent my manuscript off to my editor.

Now I sit, dug in, and wait… and wait… and wait!

I would love to say I’m not nervous, and party of me isn’t, but the other part… well it is. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that a professional editor is a MUST, and I truly believe that I have picked the right one for my project. I’m excited and scared, but I can take criticism as long as it’s constructive, as I’m sure it will be. Therefore I am eagerly awaiting her edits, thoughts, and recommendations, as I push forward and ‘digging deeper’ into manuscript number two!

Now I’m off to the trenches to write…

Behind Locked Doors – Vampire Hunter?!

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“Shhh, it hurts less if you give in to it. Just relax” she said in a sweet, seductive, tender voice with his warm blood still dripping off her lips. His struggling slowed down then finally stopped as her fingers ran threw his hair and across his chest. He tasted good, better than she had in a long time! But the pleasures she was feeling wouldn’t last forever!

A stabbing pain suddenly without warning drove itself deep into the right side of her lungs. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, didn’t understand… Pain, confusion, need, want, help, wait… He fought back. No! Not now. Why? But… It came to her then… Vampire hunter?!

She pulled the splintered piece of wood from her side as she struggled to her feet. She had always been strong. She had always trained to fight back. Her cover was innocent and sweet but deep down she has always been a born warrior. She wasn’t going to die like this. When she goes down it will be epic! It will be fighting side by side with her family not alone in a dirty apartment somewhere.

Though the pain was more than she had ever felt before she stood before him ready for what ever his next move would be. When he lunged left she was quick to go right. Before he could grab her she was on top of him. Her razor-sharp teeth took but seconds to find their way to his warm flowing blood.

Her intentions were to drain him and leave him for dead, but with every ounce she sucked their minds connection grew stronger and stronger. A bond began to grow deeper and deeper within them until neither one of them could tell where one began and the other ended. She was no longer draining him alone – she too was feeding her blood, her life to him.

When finally they awoke wrapped in each others arms and covered in each others blood they could not explain the reason for this new connection. Both afraid of what this might mean and fearing for the others life they walked into uncertainty and toward a future they knew not of.

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Dive Deeper!

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The other day I received some heartfelt constructive criticism from an old friend, and by old I don’t mean hunched over covered in wrinkles and walks with a cane. However, just for fun I do like to call him Gramps every now and then. Yeah, you know who you are!

After reading my novel for the first time he told me to ‘Dive Deeper’. Now, at first criticism can be a little hard to stomach, but honestly I have been looking for someone to tell me the truth for a while now. I have had a number of people read the book and they have all told me they love it, the story is great, they can’t wait to read book two, etc. etc. etc. What I really need as a writer is to hear some real honest to goodness not trying to be nice kind of constructive criticism.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Now, there are three things you can do when you receive constructive criticism. The first is run and hide pretending that you didn’t hear it, and that your story is perfect without any changes. The second is accepting that everyone has their opinion, but decide that you will graciously decline the help others are willing to give. The third, and my choice of action was to accept that all things can use improvement, and seeing my book through someone elses eyes is a wonderful way to improve upon what I’ve already built.

So, I am taking this week to reread my manuscript… again, and try to dive deeper!

Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for being the kind of friend that believes I can do better, and will tell me I have to dive deeper into my work to make it the best it can be!

Miss you Gramps