Tag: writers

My Weekly Update – Reflections on Campnano

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments

Well another writing challenge done and another win.  Yea me.  Not an enthusiastic win, but a win, nonetheless.  It was not as easy or as successful content wise as June.  But, again, I won.  I have to keep reminding myself there are more words on the page today then there was 30 days ago.

I learned a few things about myself as a writer during this challenge.  I learned I can write even when I’m not 100% certain whether the story will work, not 100% certain that the story even makes sense and not 100% certain there is enough content to even be a story.  Those concerns were rolling around in my head all month and still I won.

I missed not having the daily connection and support from other challenge participants during the process.  I just felt more connected to other writers during Junowrimo.  You could always go online and find a sprint to participate in.  It wasn’t as easy to nail down writing groups this month.  I also enjoyed getting to know the other participants during June.  My cabin mates were not the most talkative people.  I guess they were busying writing.

But, I now except the fact my mind seems to like deadlines.  And, the 50K in one month challenge is still the best opportunity to get a novel written in one month for me.  Now I am looking forward to finishing this story in September and on to the next one in November.

I have to admit, after November, I hope no one creates another monthly writing challenge.  I think I will need a break until Junowrimo starts next summer.

Here is a small excerpt from my 2nd novel.  Enjoy, because that’s all you are going to get:

“Be careful getting up.” When the blood rushed back to the rest of my body and I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to pass out  I walked over to the mirror. I couldn’t speak. And, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.  It was beautiful. I looked beautiful.
“I look fucking hot.” The shop started howling. I turned to Thomas. “What do you think?”
“Wait, what the hell are you asking him for?” Sebastian said.  He looked defeated, like I kissed his best friend.
“You don’t like girls with tattoos.” Bass scrunched up his face and shook his head.
Two of the shop guys high fived, laughed and pointed at me. “She’s got you down, Bass.”
“Shut up,” Bass said and walked over to me. “Who told you I don’t like girls with tattoos?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” I was enjoying myself. “Ok, what do you think?”
Bass was standing to close behind me. To close for someone who I just meet and I realized I was standing in the middle of shop with no shirt on and my bikini top tapped on.  “This tattoo was made for you.  You look beautiful.”  We held each others stare in the mirror to long for two people who really didn’t know each other.  But, I wasn’t going to look away first.

Post to Watch

Ironic because two posts that caught my attention this week were on people watching.  It is one of my favorite past times.  When I move to a new city, I always scope out the best locations to people watch.  It gives me such insight into characters, dialogue and even the nonverbal way people interact with each other.  Plus, I am a nosey person by nature.  You can learn a lot about people just by watching them.

Snotting Black is one of the first blogs I started to follow and last week she posted an interesting letter to the guy whose date she observed from a distance. Check out Notes I Took While Watching Your Date.

Carol Kilgore wrote an interesting guest post on My First Book blog about people watching, event watching and names that as a writer I found helpful.

My New Followers
I hit over 4,000 followers on twitter last week.  How cool is that?  Thank you to my tweeps and to my new followers; The Inner Wild Kat & E.K. Espinoza.
 
Next Weeks Schedule
Monday – Summer:  Fact or Fiction – Post #1
Wednesday – Summer:  Fact or Fiction – Post #2 & Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Friday – Summer: Fact or Fiction – Reveal Post
Sunday – My Weekly Update
*Tattoo Tuesday will return next week. 

My Weekly Update – What the Heck is it?

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle13 Comments

What the Heck is it?

Hint: It’s not a science fair project.

I have lived in China for over 5 years and, I have eaten my share of weird stuff.  Coagulated pigs blood, anyone. But, this ‘what ever the heck it is’ was a first for me.  So, I decided to use it to spur on a little competition.  Can you guess what this is and/or what’s in it? 

If so, I would be happy to beta read, edit or critique a short story or one chapter of your WIP.

I beta read a story for one of my blog friends and really enjoyed it and learned a lot. And, I am testing out my edit and critique chops, so we all win here.

I will keep this contest open for a week.  And, if no one can guess what it is, I will take the most creative answer.  Have fun.

The Posts

Ava Jae wrote a great post on How to Read Your Writing Objectively.  Great read for me as I will tackle the art of editing my first novel in September.

Jeff Goins posted My Morning Routine in 10 Simple Steps this week.  My biggest struggle is getting going in the morning.  I need a routine.  The post includes several links to other writer’s morning routines.  The one thing they all have in common, waking up early.  Why can’t a morning routine start at 11:00 am?  It’s still morning.

A general shout out to Wise, Ink. An indie Author’s Best Kept Secret ( I hope it is ok to tell). They are a great resource for any and all things writerly and recently posted two articles to help us Authorpreneurs.

New Followers
Elana Millman at Man on Top
Jeni at Joy and Woe
Vergielyn Cubol
JB Rowley
Ronald DeStefano
Donnie Dark O Girl
Give More Get More
 
Next Weeks Schedule – I seemed to have moved Friday post to early Saturday morning.  Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.
Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday – A proud mother shares her son’s art work
Thursday – Sydney Quotes the Movies –
Friday/Saturday – Blog Post
Sunday – My Weekly Update – Look at goals for September and I need to have put a dent into my Campnano WiP or I am toast. 

Sydney Aaliyah is a Guest

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle10 Comments
I hijacked Arlee Bird’s blog; Tossing it Out 
Looking for Direction – Writing Careers
I figured that giving the opportunity to reach an audience considerable larger then my own, I would seek some advice on writing careers.  I have been researching careers in writing for some time now. And, all I need is something to tide me over until I become a famous author.  The choices are a little confusing or maybe I am lazy, but I can’t seem to find a job that quite suits me. You be the judge?
Please check it out and let me know what you think.

My Weekly Update – Future, Present and Return to the Past

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle15 Comments

 Future

A wise friend once told me not to make promises I can’t keep, not even to myself. I made some goals for myself at the beginning of the summer.  And, I did pretty good until August hit and then my life seemed to get caught in a tail spin.  Nothing tragic or anything, just out of my control.  I think I need to change my tactics.  So, here are my goals until my trip home on December 6th.

  1. Write for 2 hours per day.  Win Campnano.
  2. Sweat for 1 hour per day. Exercise in any form.
  3. Post on my blog 4 times per week.  Quality post, no fluff.
  4. Stop buying books until I read the ones I have.
  5. Pay off my credit card (3,012.05 down from 10,000.00 at the beginning of the year). Which means stop spending money. Which means, when I am bored, see 1-4. (READ, WRITE or SWEAT).

What do you do when you feel your life is going off track?    

Present

The move to Shanghai is under way and I figured if I was going to be living in a new city, I should learn a little about it.  Five facts about my new home town:

  1. There are 23 million people in Shanghai. That’s a lot of people.
  2. 20,000 jews fled to Shanghai to escape the Nazis. I didn’t not know that.
  3. Parents still gather at the Shanghai Market with the resume of their unwed children in the hope of finding them a spouse.  I need to tell my mother. 
  4. KFC showed up in Shanghai 5 years before McDonalds.   I wonder if it’s real chicken. 
  5. There are 2.5 female toilets for every 1 male toilet and about 80% of public toilets are ‘squatters’. If you have never had to squat to pee, count yourself lucky.  
     

    Bonus:  I think I mentioned it before, but it’s worth repeating.  My new home is a high rise apartment on top of a mall with a movie theater.  Sydney Quotes the Movies will get a boost in frequency.

Return to the Past – Blog Love Returns

Daddyknowsless.org – The adventures of a single father and his 8 year old son and other really funny/amusing/sad/sexy stuff.
torcivia.com – Author Phil Torcivia – “I’m one relationship disaster away from my third cat.” Another male blogger who writes about relationships and life and calls people on their stuff.  Really good writing.
Sevastian Winters – “Blue Print for Building a Better me” – Great lessons in this post.
Mikereverb.wordpress.com – “F-ck It” or A Treastise on Procrastination – I can procrastinate with the best of them, so Mike told me I needed to get to that point where I say “F-ck it” and get to writing.
Michaeljholley.com – Great post on “Why a Daily Routine is so important.”
Amschultz.com – I know you are probably thinking by now “Why does AM seem to have a mention every Sunday”, but what I can say, he writes quality.  I am all about quality.  ‘Wired Writers:  Why do Writers Drink so much Coffee?’ – No need to wonder any longer.  AM breaks it down.
Look at the guys representing.  
 
New Followers
Tammy Salyer
5 Things to do Today
jenniferlee.myrandf
Carlos Irwin
Arlee Bird
Book Endings
 
Next Week’s Schedule
Monday – Guest Post on Tossing it Out – super excited about this.
Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday
Friday – Blog Post
Sunday – My Weekly Update