formerlybostonchile

Last time I discussed my writing, I was moaning about how overwhelmed I felt about editing. Well, this past week I stopped whining and consulted my expert researcher Ms/Mr Google - s/he is an hermaphrodite- and discovered a nifty book called Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. This book is so on fire that it impacted my writing before I even received it. How do I mean? Well, I read an excerpt of the first chapter online and realized what was wrong with my own first chapter right away. In a word -well several words- I was explaining too much and not letting the characters live. I was giving all kinds of background and history and what not. A whole lot of info that had me saying in my nephew's voice: "who cares?" I guess the avid reader in me knew the problem all along, but the writer in me resisted deleting a single word. I mean those words were agonized over and carefully chosen by committee. I was loathe to let even one of them go. But I ...

Haven't really been writing much, despite my resolution and despite my desires. I did finally read all the way through my first draft of The Cheat Reflex (tentative title). It wasn't as cringe inducing as I thought it was. It is ironic to me that the first few sections which I had already edited and had worked on for several months before the challenge were actually worse than the unedited words that I wrote during the NaNoWriMo challenge. Those latter words felt more ... livelier. I guess because those words were coming straight out, and had eluded the great internal editor! I don't know. Anyway, the hard work is now ahead of me. Of course I am trying to avoid it by reading about the process instead of being about the process. Sigh. Meanwhile, I have to get my act together. My thought life is neglected, I really have to work hard this year on destroying my addiction to the gossip blogs. I have too little time and I must be very stingy with it. But, it's hard th...

I have been trying to keep to my goals for the new year. As far as exercising and looking better and loving my hair by taking better care of it, i am good. As far as writing and blogging and non emotional eating, am not. I keep making excuses and finding reasons not to get on the ball. I need deliverance. This week I started a couch to 5K training program. I did my second little jog yesterday despite the bitter cold. I bundled up like I was going to be in subzero weather. I had on three sweatshirts, two tshirts, my hat, my hoodie, two pair of sweatpants, two socks, gloves. lol. i hate cold! and it is cold up in these mountains. But it's beautiful to exercise up here, and it's challenging to go up and down the little hills so I am not complaining. I love going uphill, and I love coming downhill as the sun is rising over the city. So pretty. Keep trying to capture it but it is hard to snap a pix when you are trying to walk/jog as fast as you possibly can. ...

I can't believe my last post was in November. Despite my good intentions, December was a wasteland in terms of my writing and life goals. I moved to my new apartment, came down with the flu or rather an influenza like illness, and have just been so blah. The cold weather is not helping either. I really cannot stand the cold, it tends to sap my energy. As always, I have a few goals for the new year. I already feel all kinds of stressed because it is already Janaury 4th and I haven't made any moves. I did do one half hearted workout the other day but it was bitter cold. I could actually feel the cold going through my hoodie, my t-shirt, my skin, my bones and grabbing my heart and lungs and squeezing them to death.  I scurried back home and vowed to buy some winter gear. Total mileage 1.6 miles. Yeah pitiful. My goals this year are simple: 1. Get with God and just delight myself in Him. Ps 37:5. I want to be serious about my walk with God this year. I promised myself last ...