11-3-09

I've been 'gone' for so long that I forget my LiveJournal password. Maybe that's a bad sign. Back to using my profile as a blog, I suppose!

So I haven't worked on TSO since around mid-July. I haven't even LOOKED at my story since then. That's probably a record.

Anyway, I glanced over my last couple chapters this evening, just for kicks.

I'm not quite sure whether to tear my hair out or die laughing.

That's probably also a bad sign.

5-28-09

So I'm finally doing what I should have done last winter and taking down the thing on my profile that says reviews returned. I'm sorry, but I just can't keep up -- and I tend to go all picky-perfectionist whenever I review, which means the whole process takes twice as long.

However, if you have left a review for me in the last however-many-months, I WILL do my best to return your review. I'm starting to work back through the list of everyone who's reviewed me. I'll try to do at least five a day - I should be done by the end of the summer, defs.

I am also starting a new series on my LiveJournal account called The things I learned in Fiction Class. Check it out if it interests you. I may post it to this site later, if I feel so inclined.

3-19-09

Finally, I got around to getting a LiveJournal so I can stop using my profile as one. Most of my ramblings will be on there from now on, unless it's something really critical. http://mirrordusk.livejournal.com/

2-10-09

I have good news, and I have bad news.

The good news is, I got into Fiction Writing! (The creative writing department at my college is rather competitive and you have to apply to get into their classes.) And I love it.

The bad news is, it's taking over my life. And I wanted it to be my fun class, because I decided (after finding out that I'd gotten in about a week ago) that I wouldn't be able to meet my major requirements unless I took five classes this semester (the normal load is four). So we'll see if I manage to update TSO anytime soon. I do have about 3 chapters lined up, in various states of edited-ness, so once they get beta-ed I'll be posting those. Magic and romance and poison, oh my! Fun times ahead.

The second piece of news is that Fiction Writing finally inspired me to take a stab at reworking the beginning of TSO, which (as anyone who's read it probably knows) might be the worst part of the entire novel. It's slow. It's dull. It assumes that readers can't handle meeting more than one character at a time without being deluged in a sea of names. Probably the exposition between the arrival at the palace and the ball scene can be at least halved.

I'm going to try to rework it without changing any vital events. Time frames might get shifted (i.e. having them arrive in spring, instead of winter -- because really, hanging around all winter at the beginning of a story is kind of dull). I'm probably going to chop Arnae's nighttime excursions, move her meeting with Timar to an earlier time, cut some of the nightmares - essentially, take out a ton of scenes before the ball. I probably won't get around to swapping new chapters in for quite some time, since I need to (1) write them and (2) work out the finer details of the process (and college is taking over my life). If it's any reassurance, this is going to be an edit for style; I'm not radically changing important content in any way.

1-25-09

TSO won first place for Best Long Story on the Time is Running Out Awards! A big thanks to everyone who participated!

As I rewrite TSO, I find myself continually surprised by how much extra stuff I end up adding. It's already about fifty pages longer than the original, and I'm only halfway through. But perhaps "only" isn't the right word. Events are progressing, and we are winding our way slowly but surely toward the inevitable conclusion. Still, now might be a good time to update the chapter count again - 50, perhaps?

Stuff:

I'm an 19-year-old female full-time college student. Likes: reading, writing, biology, neuroscience, swimming, and sailing. Dislikes: people who tell me I should major in English, excess swearing, and bigotry. Much of what I write tends to be fantasy, but I'm trying to branch out into other genres.

Constructive criticism is ALWAYS appreciated. Please be honest! If something is bad, say so. I'd rather find out sooner than later.

Stories:

The Sylvian Outlaws

A slave at the royal palace gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to switch places with the princess.

Chapters written: 33.5

Chapters beta-ed and posted: 32

Total length (estimated): Formerly 45, now something ridiculous.

Tales from Delmonica

Oneshots revolving around the lives and mishaps of members of the most ancient vampire family in Transylvania. Includes "Sanger" and "Artistic Melancholy" so far. To reduce confusion, I'd advise you to read them in that order.

Miscellaneous

Thrall, The Other Girl, The Trials of the Cursed. Not much to say on these - see for yourself.

For fun/reviews, you might want to check out...

Young Writers 101 - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youngwriters101/

Review Game! - http://www.fictionpress.com/forum/The_Review_Game/1867/

Review Marathon! - http://www.fictionpress.com/topic/1867/182555/1/

Pay it Forward (C2) - http://www.fictionpress.com/community/Pay_it_Forward/709/