The Moonlight Cafe is Complete!!

I wrote the last chapter last night. It wasn't the final chapter in the novel, rather one that fit somewhere in the middle. But it's really done! Some people from my writing group are going to read it through start to finish, so I'm going to wait to start sending query letters until I have their input. But for all intents and purposes, it's complete! Yay!!

Almost Finished

I have one more chapter to write in The Moonlight Cafe. I hope to finish it this week, but I have a pretty full week ahead of me, so carving out time might be tough. But one more chapter. That's totally do-able. Then I'll have to rework my query letter, update my research on agents - I have a list of agents to query, but it's been a while, so I want to make sure they're still accepting queries - and start mailing out query letters again. Very exciting! Then I'll have to decide which project I'm going to work on next. Do I get back to work on Discovering Family? I hope it's not dead in the water; it's been so long since I looked at it. Do I start Vincent's novel? That's the one I'm leaning towards. Or will something completely different come to mind? Ah, the possibilities.

New Quote

Yes, I've been remiss in updating my quote of the week. The last time I changed it was almost 2 months ago. I'm sorry. I have a new one there now. I'll try to get back to changing it every week.

You can tell how progress on my novel is coming by my blog posts. I've noticed that when I work on my writing more often, I also post more often. I have something to post about then, and since this blog is mainly about writing, that's no surprise. I have 3 more chapters, maybe 4, to write, and Moonlight Cafe will be done. I've written tonight, but not for my novel. I had a scene pop into my head I wanted to get down. I don't know what the scene is for. There's no plot for a story, just this scene or 2. But I wanted to write it down, and file it away. Sometime I'll use it, I'm sure. And no writing is ever wasted, even if it goes unused. I write because I love it, not because it has to have some deeper purpose other than pure creativity.

I'm off to finish the scene, then take Tiberius for a walk. Neither of us like this July heat, so I wait until the sun goes down to walk him. I also get up early in the morning to walk him, before it gets too hot (though this doesn't alway happen...those of you who live in St. Louis know it can be perfectly miserable at 6AM.)

July Gathering

We gathered at Sylvie's house this past Saturday for our monthly writing day. We missed Mary that day, who stayed home rejuvenating from a tough week at work. Sylvie made the BEST sausages in a blanket and scones. We talked, ate, wrote, ate some more (pizza for lunch), and shared our writing. I had been feeling completely stuck on my novel. I finally printed the whole thing out and started reading/editing on paper. I read some new chapters on Sat, and the group gave me wonderful insight on what is missing, so I finally know what to do to finish it. I'm excited once again to work on it! I finished my read through yesterday, and marked a couple places where I need to add chapters.

I'm so thankful for our monthly gatherings. They always help move me along when I'm stuck, and the group lets me know what's working and what isn't. I've incorporated my edits into my computer file, and marked 5 areas that need additional chapters. Then, it will be finished!

Writing Days

Last Saturday (the weekend before July 4, that is) was our monthly writing day at my apartment. It was, as always, a great day, and so fun to show off my new place to the group. I wrote a new chapter for Moonlight Cafe, did some editing. I have some fact checking to do, and bit more editing, maybe one more chapter here or there, but the end is in sight. We have another writing day at Sylvie's this weekend. Last month's was later than usual, this one is earlier, so they ended up 2 weeks apart. You won't hear me complain though! I've been having a bit of trouble focusing, so I need these concentrated writing days to see me through the end. I think this novel is almost done for me. I've been working on it for so long, doing rewrites and editing, I'm ready to see it complete, for real this time, and get back to Discovering Family. I just hope after being away from that one for so long it isn't dead in the water. Or I might keep that one on hold for now and start my next young adult novel. Hmm, decisions decisions.

In the Moment is Here!!

Announcing In the Moment: Writing from a Spacious Mind. My writing group's anthology is finally here, ready for purchase by you, our loyal readers. :)

http://www.lulu.com/content/2346480

We've worked long and hard putting this together, especially Mary who did the formatting and publishing. Thank you Mary!

Tell your friends and family, and let me know what you think. I'm so excited about this!

Progress

Saturday I sat on my balcony for several hours working on The Moonlight Cafe. It was a beautiful day, and I made a lot of progress. I still have a few more chapters to add in to flesh out the story, to make it more real, but the majority of it is there. The story is complete. The word count is a lot less than it had been, but it's all it needs to be.

Tonight I reread the final third of the novel, the part that was almost completely new. I made a few edits here and there, added a few things, but all in all I am happy with it. I'm hoping to have it ready to send out in a month. Or, to start sending query letters again, anyway. I am very excited. I can't wait to share my new chapters with my writing group next Saturday.

New Digs

Well, it's been quite a while since I last posted. I'm finally settled in my new apartment. When I bought my house 3 years ago, I swore I'd never go back to apartment life. But now I like it! I'm on the third floor and have a wonderful balcony. I'm sitting on it right now. It's covered and shady, and I can sit outside even if it's raining. Tiberius also loves being out on the balcony, watching the people walk by below. He's adjusting quite well to his new home. I wake up early every morning to take him for a walk, since he doesn't have as much room inside to run around. And in the heat we've had here in St. Louis, I can't walk him in the afternoons because he doesn't deal well with it (and neither do I!) So he gets morning and evening walks.

I'm much closer to work...I only spend 20 minutes on my commute each day as opposed to a full hour or more, so that gives me more time for writing and everything else. I'm slowly getting back in the writing groove. Since our last writing day on May 10, I hadn't written anything until this past Monday. I managed 1 chapter. I've also written a little bit not related to my novel. Probably nothing that will ever see the light of day, but writing nonetheless. Once I finish this post I'm going to try my hand at another chapter of Moonlight. I must say, I can't wait for our next writing day, which is June 28. I get to host it this time! I love hosting it, and it's even more exciting this time because I'll get to show off my new place.

So today marks the end of my second week at the new apt. I spent the first week unpacking. It pretty much feels like home, but I left my computer desk behind, and need to buy a new one. It won't feel completely homey until I have my writing space set up. The room that will act as my office is extremely empty right now. It has my bookshelf and nothing else. I bought some chairs for my balcony yesterday, but still want to find a little table to keep out here. And here's the biggest shocker of them all...for the first time since I moved out of my parents' house seven years ago, I have cable. I even have a Tivo. It's pretty nifty, joining the 20th century like that. :) I haven't watched a whole lot yet, but having the Discovery Channel rocks! Just in time for "When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions" which started last Sunday.

Well, time to do a bit of writing. Now that I'm mostly settled, I should be able to write, and post, more often.

Congratulations Sarah!!

One of the members of my writing group finished her novel on Wednesday!! Sarah has handed her manuscript to her editor for review! Way to go Sarah!

Writing and Music and Moving, Oh My!

I know, it's been too long since I've posted here. I've had a lot going on. I'm moving in 2 weeks, for which I can't wait. I'll have more time after the move, because I'll be 5 miles from work (and everything else I do) instead of 30. That adds almost an hour to every day. I've been spending most of my free time packing and getting ready for the move. I'm getting rid of a lot of stuff. I'm going from a house to an apartment less than half the size. I also realized that this will be my 7th move in 7 years. That will cure almost anyone of the pack-rat mentality. Anyway, I'm going to try to make up for my lack of posting with a longer than usual post tonight.

Last Saturday was our monthly writer's day. It was an amazing day! I was the first to show up at Tina's. She opened the door in surprise and exclaimed, "Is today the day?!" We had originally planned to meet on May 17, but changed the date to May 10. She still had the original date on her calendar though, so wasn't expecting us. Her day was clear, however, and the spontaneity was fun. It also gave her the blessing of not having to spend the entire next week cleaning her house in preparation for us. Mary brought a copy of 'In the Moment' for us to proofread. We all went through our poems and marked any necessary changes. Mary will make the changes, and then it will be available for purchase! I'm so excited! This will be my first publication. As soon as it's ready for purchase, I'll post details here and on my website. The cover is gorgeous. Mary's husband Tony is a professional photographer, and did the most beautiful picture of a tree for us. The whole thing is beautiful.

Soon after everyone arrived, we got to watch a parade! The grade school down the street from Tina was having their picnic, and the parade went past Tina's house. We stood in her front yard waving to the kids and collecting candy. We gathered a bowl full by the time the parade had passed. Just as we were about to go back inside a tree in Tina's front yard showered us with helicopters! I can't remember the name of the tree, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about...the seed pods that spin down from the branches like a helicopter blade. It was like a snow shower, but of helicopter pods instead. It was gorgeous, worthy of a poem. Poetry isn't my strongpoint, but I just may have to give this one a try.

I only managed to write one new chapter of The Moonlight Cafe during our writing time. I know what to do for the rest of it, but the details aren't all solid yet. And with everything going on in my life, I had a hard time concentrating. I got an easy chapter done, but the next one wasn't as clear in my head, and my thoughts were scattering every which way like ping pong balls, never resting in one place long enough for me to form a coherent sentence. But at least I made some progress. And once I'm done moving, I'll have more time, and hopefully a calmer mind, to focus on finishing Moonlight.

Our next monthly meeting will be at my new apartment. I'm very excited. I haven't held our gathering since last...April, I think. It was supposed to be at my house earlier this year (February?), but everyone was sick, so it was cancelled. I love hosting our writing days, and will be excited to show off my new place in the process.

I'll continue my extra long post with a non-writing related subject, though it's still creative. Music. I got to see my favorite band this weekend - Dream Theater. Sadly, they rarely stop in St. Louis on their tours, but I love them enough to travel. I've only seen them in St. Louis once. This time around the most convenient location was Cleveland, OH. (translation: required the least amount of time taken off work.) Yes, I drove 8 hours to see a concert, and it was worth every gallon of gas. The show was amazing. I love music, especially live music. This is the third time I've seen Dream Theater, and I'm sure I'll see them many more times - as long as the keep putting out albums, I'll be there. This was the second leg of their tour for this album. I saw the first leg in Chicago last fall. This show was very different, but great. I hadn't expected the set list to change so dramatically. For me, one of the most energizing experiences is seeing a good live show (one of the most energy-draining is seeing a bad live show.) I went with someone who loves Dream Theater even more than I do, and it was an amazing experience. I've seen shows with people who are there just because, and it's great, but seeing it with someone who loves it as much, or more, than you do is an awesome experience. The energy of who you go with can add a lot to the overall experience.

In my last post I wrote about an "aha!" moment with my novel while I was out driving. I had another of those - I now call it a Big Bang moment - on the way to Cleveland yesterday. This was for a part I didn't even consciously realize needed fixing, but this idea just popped into my head, and everything became clear, and I know it will be smoother and more coherent. I can't wait to get back to work. I shall have to remember that, when I suffer writer's block, driving seems to be a catalyst for brilliant ideas.

About the only thing that has stayed the same in my life recently is my job. Almost everything else is changing. But with change comes opportunity and the chance for new experiences, and a lot of things seem to be falling into place, like 'In the Moment' nearing publication. I've had many moments of muddy thinking (that's the best way I can think to describe it) in my life, but lately I have been blessed with some clarity, aided by a lot of hard looking into myself and introspection. I've learned some tough lessons with this self-examination, but the lessons have been valuable beyond measure. I will keep these lessons in mind as I move forward.

Once I am settled into my new place I will post more regularly. I hope this tides you over until I make it on again.