Category: Blog Love

My Weekly Update – Nano, Next and New

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle7 Comments

The alliterations are back ladies and gentleman.

NaNoWriMoDaily Update – Best of the week

Today’s Date:  November 8, 2012
Word Count:  2,132
Observations:  Spent 2 – 4 in my new writing spot; Baker & Spice.  I believe carrot cake is my preferred writing fuel.  Coffee helps, too.  I was writing  a scene today where my female MC and her father who abandoned her when she was a baby get it all out in the open.  It was a powerful scene and I love the way it turned out.  Great mix of back story, but told in a way that the MC was asking specific questions about it so it flowed well.  Then at the end of the scene, my MC and her father kind of take over and I end up talking about another character in the present story that actually put all this in motion 20 something years ago. What? Wait a minute. That wasn’t in the outline.  Where the hell did that come from?  It pissed me off, but then I continued to write it and I couldn’t be mad because it turned out to be really good.  Good plot twist I think is what you would call it. But, some rewrites in an earlier scene are going to be necessary for it to make sense.  Everyone say it with me, “That is what editing is for.” ;-)
I am pleased with how 2,000 words a day is a great pace for me in real life.  I have been pretty busy with work and preparing for an event.  My hope is that I continue to write 2,000 per day most days until I run out of words to say when I am like 80. 
Quick Hits:  Wreck-It Ralph is playing in the theater in the mall under my place.  I see a NaNoWriMo break in my near future. It’s for character research, really it is. 

 

NaNoWriMo Need to Know

Next 4 Years – It’s hard to pay attention to politics in America living in China, so I have to rely on my blog friends to inform me of the reality of the political landscape in America.  *The views expressed are not necessary shared by Sydney Aaliyah, but on the other hand, they are damn funny.  I always support funny.

New Followers
Kristina at The Bitter Sweet – A Writer’s Journey
Roxanne Crouse at Crouse Photography
 
Next Weeks Schedule
Monday – The Next Big Thing
Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday 
Thursday – Guest Post by Sevastian Winters – Ten Things Every Aspiring Writer Should KNow about Writing as a Profession – Part #1
Saturday – Guest Post by Sevastian Winters – Ten Things Every Aspiring Writer Should Know about Writing as a Profession – Part #2  *It’s that good, I had to split it into two post.
Sunday – My Weekly Update

 

Everyone still on track for NaNoWriMo?   Do your characters every take you to places you didn’t intend to go? 

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle17 Comments

Thanks to our Ninja Captain Alex and welcome, LG Keltner and CM Brown.  Apparently we have gotten so insecure, that Alex needed some help.  We are a difficult group to support.

I don’t have an insecurity this months so much as a revelation and a warning.

I had it in my mind I couldn’t call myself a writer until I had actually written something and in June I wrote my first novel.

But, now I am starting to think like a writer, too.

Let me explain what I mean.  I have been traveling in China for the last two days.  Something that isn’t easy to do in the smaller cities if you don’t have at least an elementary grasps of the language, but it is fairly safe.

Everyone once in a while, I get this anxiety fueled feeling that at some point I could be kidnapped.  That has probably more to do with National Geographic Channel shows like Locked up Abroad.  To my credit, I’m not stupid.  If you go to an airport with heroine duct taped to your abdomen, you deserve to be locked up abroad.

But, I was in a cab this morning heading to the airport and the thought creeped in my mind.  And, you know my next thought.

Thank God I backed up my current WIP before I left for this trip.

Now isn’t that just like a writer to think about her work before her life.

My warning:  Make sure you back up your work before you leave the house just in case you get kidnapped.  When you return, you won’t have to started from the beginning on your chick lit bestseller. Priorities.

Have a great month everyone and for those Nano’er out there, just keep writing. 

Quick Trip to see the Terra Cotta Warriors – Amazing!

My Weekly Update – November is going to be ________!

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments
Between Friends by Sandra Bell-Lundy

I will leave the end of this sentence blank in order to fill in the spectrum of adjectives that I will be using to describe the month of November.  I can foresee this month being amazing, creative, genius and frustrating, demanding and down right awful all at the same time.  But, isn’t that what makes life fun.

Hear is my month by the numbers:

      • 50,000 words to write for NaNoWriMo
      • 16 chapters to critique for my awesome CP’s
      • 8 chapters to edit for my awesome CP’s
      • 15 blog post to clean up and finalize – they have already been written 🙂
      • 2 Next Big Thing posts that I can’t put off any longer – Thanks Karen & Amanda
      • 1 Cool Writing Exercise Challenge – Thanks again, Karen
      • 2 NaNoWriMo Interviews – these are easy, I love talking about myself
      • 1 Guest post for Mischa at My First Book
      • 5 day business trip to conduct a 3 day golf show with 100,000 people
      • 2 day fun trip to Xi’an China – I am going to see 8,000 Terracotta Army Soldiers
      • 6 boxes to pack and ship to America from China – not as easy as it sounds

 Last Minute NaNoWriMo post – these are really different, so check them out.

 

Editing post – I am going to empty out my cache of editing post for you to enjoy and so I can stop thinking about this for November.  I still have some editing duties in November, but when I am writing I need to stay out of editing mode.   

 
New Followers
Audrey at A Place to Fall
Rita at New Partnership – The Wordy Photographer
Stacy Farr
Kirsten at A Scenic Route
Diamond Mike Watson
Terry Scott
Rebecca May
 
Next Week’s Schedule
Monday – Monstrous Monday
Tuesday – Prophecy of the Most Beautiful Blog Tour – Diantha Jones
Wednesday – OMAR Blog Tour – Craig Thompson
Thursday – 1st day of NaNoWriMo – See my Daily NaNoWriMo Updates here
Friday – The Grimoire Trilogy Blog Tour – S.M. Boyce
Sunday – My Weekly Update
 
 *Thank goodness for the scheduling feature on WordPress.  

My Weekly Update – Blog Hop’s a Plenty

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle5 Comments

I am participating in some fun blog hops over the next two weeks.  Join me!

October 15, 2012 – The Nineties Blogfest!

Dave invites us to post about our favorites things from the nineties.  Choose a favorite song, show, episode, movies, dance, etc for each year. I’ve been working on this post already and have some surprises.

October 17, 2012 – Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest

The Ninja and Knight have joined forced to host this great blogfest to support/promote other writers. I will be posting about a book I noticed recently.  I don’t do book reviews, so I am going to tell you about what happen to me when I read this book.  Can’t wait to share it with you.

October 26 – 29, 2012 – Spooktoberfest

 

Jackie and Dani have prompted me to write a 300 word Flash Fiction piece using the following words:  cobweb(s), cauldron(s),  jack-o-lantern(s), ghost(s), razor(s).  The story can be scary, comical, romantic, whatever I choose. Just be creative!  They will pick a winner on October 31, 2012.

October 29, 2012 – Monstrous Monday Bloghop

What kind of Monster?  Tim invites us to write about a monster we like/love/hate.  Well, I am going to tell you about a monster I hate.  And, this is going to be tricky because I am going to attempt to post a clip of this monster without me actually having to look at it myself because he/it creeps me out.

*Click on the badges for more information and to sign up. 

Post to Ponder
If It Makes You Happy – This post was so imaginative and I am happy I am not the only one who talks to her characters.
Scott Morrow’s Boost Blog Traffic Blog posted a great post by Chris Lappin 12 Blogging Mistakes That Make You Look Like a World Class Idiot. 
Kevin Hanrahan wrote How do our Troops Live Deployed? It got me into doing research on my new WIP.  A few of my characters are Marines.
New Followers
The Better Man Project – I linked his about page because it is pretty cool.  You need to check it out. 
Elicia M. Seawell
 
Next Week’s Schedule
Monday – Blogfest
Wednesday – Blogfest
Friday – Write Practice
Sunday – My Weekly Update

My Weekly Update – Daisies and Dinner

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle7 Comments

Daisy Award

One of my lovely critique partners, Kathleen,  has bestowed on me an award. Thank you, thank you. I happily accept the Daisy Award.  The rules:

  • Link to the person that nominated you. – done
  • List seven unusual things about yourself. – done
  • Nominate some worthy bloggers. – done
  1. I watch Of Mice and Men the other day and got a blog post out of it. Stay tuned.
  2. I watch The Hunger Games two nights ago and am not sure if I liked it or not. What did you think?
  3. I watch The Rite this week and I don’t care for devil movies much, but this one was interesting. Although in Anthony Hopkin’s character, let me know if  you saw Hannibal Lecter instead of Father Lucas at times.  
  4. One of the four English channels I have access to is the National Geographic Channel and have been utterly fascinated with shows like Locked up Abroad, Doomsday Preppers and Wicked Tuna. Is there something wrong with me? 
  5. I had tacos for dinner tonight.  We made them ourselves and they were so good.
  6. I finally wrote 1,000 words of original fiction today, the first time in about a week. It felt good. 
  7. I got to mark off an item on my restaurant Bucket List. Last night I went to Mr. & Mrs. Bund. Totally exceeded my expectations.  My favorite was the Corn Vanilla Veloute w/cornflakes.  Weird, but so so good. 
Dinner

More photos from my dinner last night at Mr. & Mrs. Bund.

The last two photos are of a desert called Lemon & Lemon Tart.  It’s a candied lemon skin filled with lemon sorbet and lemon curd and vanilla chantilly.  Now I am not sure what all that is, but it was yummy.
Blog Love
My blog love this weeks goes to WordFalls Services and her editing tips.  They have been super helpful to me during this month of editing. Check her out. 
 
New Followers and my nominees for the Daisy Award.
Steve Vernon from Yours in Storytelling
The Eye of Faith
Shah Wharton
 
Next Weeks Schedule
Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday
Wednesday – Sydney Quotes the Movies
Friday – Blog post
Sunday – My Weekly Update
 

What did you watch last week? What did you eat last week?  What did you edit last week?