Every journey has its obstacles, and two weeks ago, I talked about my first major one. I ran out of outline, essentially, and without it, I just couldn’t write. In addition, school was about to start back up and one of my sisterfriends and her mom and bro came for the day on their way to Colorado; I HAD to clean before they came, and all of this presented me with no time or want to write. I had decided to use last week to work on the outline for the next couple of chapters, but I didn’t do it. So when this week came, and it was time for me to produce again, I was nervous.

But this is what I did: I read the last few pages written, and then I asked myself, “So, if this (what I just read) has happened, what would logically happen next?” Doing this helped me get through Tuesday’s and Thursday’s writing that was scheduled. For the two days, I wrote 2,400 words, almost 300 over my desired count.

This weekend, I write again, and good thing is I know what happens next; I left off at the good spot, which isn’t something I normally do. I like to end at the end of a scene or a chapter–not in the middle of something. But I figured these days, I need all the breaks I can get.

Current Word Count: 27,202 words

Percentage Written: 34%

When I get to 40%, this will seem more real to me.

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This evening, I was honored to be one of the first guest on author/host Samara King’s premiere show on BlogTalkRadio, inCharacterN10. Samara is already well known for her writing and for her hit BTR show SoundNOff with co-host Chamsil, and with inCharacterN10, Samara wants to go behind the scenes on the books authors write to delve into the characters they create.

Tonight, I talked about Jovan Parham-Anderson, the main character of Death at the Double Inkwell. I’m last in the lineup, but the entire show is top-notch and worth the listen.

Check it out below.

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Last night, I had the pleasure of talking with Ananda Leeke on her show, Sisterhood, the blog radio. She’s doing a women in social media series, and I was honored to be considered cool enough to be a guest. We talked about a slew of things in 30 minutes — from the social media tools that I use to why women should take on social media tools. Have to say the end is pretty funny as I got Ananda to try to multitask while conducting the interview. Check it out!

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Well, I have to say I was terribly skeptical at the idea that I would get any writing done during this journey (in case you’re wondering, What journey, check out the post from two weeks ago).

There have been many things to sidetrack me and my writing before the start of this journey, and I feared those things would keep me from writing. I think, in the end, writing kept me from being too sidetracked. Good ol’ writing. Always looking out for me.

The goal of this journey is to write an 80,000-word novel between now and November 25th. This comes to about 520 words a day, every day, until then. Including today, I should be coming to the table with a minimum of 7,800 words. I come to the table with a whopping 10,347 words!

I am beyond excited and happy for myself. To cross that first 10k mark is an exhilarating feeling.

Right now, because I didn’t have a fully-fleshed out outline, like I normally do, I’ve been fearing the writing is crap. Now, I do profess–and often–that writers should come to the page with editor off and realizing that the first draft will probably have a crap factor attached to it. This is a bit different. When I come to a writing project with an outline, there is a confidence that exudes from me because I have visualized the story for months, have edited in my mind too many times to count, and have a paper representation of that visualization. I know the writing will need to be tightened up, but I know also that the story is there. This go round, without the outline, I feel like I’m flailing a bit, and I so don’t like that. Once I finish this chapter I just started on, I will probably go back, read, organize what I have, see where I need to go with the next chapters, and move on.

What I am learning about this different process is that sometimes, you might just have to switch up what always works for you, and when you do, that means you need to find ways to be comfortable in that new writing situation to get some good writing done. Without a full outline, my “being comfortable” is writing a few chapters, going back to read and make sure it makes sense to me before moving on.

Before I cross the 15k mark, however, I do foresee me sitting down and outlining the rest of the story. It’s just what I do.

For now, I will revel in crossing the 10k and be ready to write my 520 words tomorrow!

Oh, and just in case you didn’t know. This book is the second in a series I hope to write called the Double Inkwell Mysteries. The first book in that series is already out, Death at the Double Inkwell, and you can read/listen to excerpts, read commentaries about the book, and get the link to buy your own copy of the book here on my site through this [LINK].

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In podcast #4 of The DDIW Chronicles, I’m offering yet another tasty excerpt of my solo debut project, the mystery Death at the Double Inkwell.

This podcast features the first couple pages of chapter two. If you haven’t bought the book yet, this excerpt will surely pique your interest!

You can check out the podcast through my one-stop DDIW shop here on my site [link].

You can also order YOUR copy of DDIW through Amazon [link].

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In the third podcast of The DDIW Chronicles, I talk about my agent experience with Death at the Double Inkwell.

You can check out the podcast through my one-stop DDIW shop here on my site [link]. Definitely consider ordering YOUR copy of DDIW through Amazon.com [link].

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One thing kept me fairly sane throughout the month of April – a month where crunch time is in full effect and plenty of major projects are coming due: working on my script for Script Frenzy [LINK]. Although I’m nowhere near DONE with the script [and much cutting is in my future with it], I did manage to cross the 100-page mark needed to win Script Frenzy!

I’m really proud of myself because it’s the first time I’ve written creatively since November with NaNoWriMo [LINK], and it’s the first time in about 9 months in which I’ve written something that I actually want to go back to and edit and revise and submit.

Below is an excerpt for the screenplay, the screenplay of NO NAME. LOL It will have a title some day, but the one I originally had, Hell’s Angel, doesn’t really fit the story or character any more.

Remember, this is a VERY ROUGH, haven’t looked at it at ALL draft of the script. LOL Judge accordingly if you must judge.

Here’s a quick synopsis of story: A woman returns to her life after a 10-year bid for killing her husband with one thing on her mind: reuniting with the daughter who hates her.

INT. COFFEE SHOP – MORNING

Peighton, dressed up, is sitting at a small table in the corner, typing on a laptop.

She looks deep in thought.

DETECTIVE DEEKS

Good morning, Peighton.

Peighton looks up and is none too thrilled to see Detective Deeks before her.

DETECTIVE DEEKS (CONT’D)

You look nice.

Peighton doesn’t respond.

DETECTIVE DEEKS (CONT’D)

See you’re fitting into the world quickly.

Detective Deeks points at the laptop.

PEIGHTON

I used computers in prison…while I was getting my degree, Detective.

Detective Deeks looks outside the large windows and spots a motorcycle in a parking spot. He points toward it.

DETECTIVE DEEKS

Is that your cycle out there?

Peighton nods.

DETECTIVE DEEKS (CONT’D)

And you rode it here? Dressed like that?

Peighton looks up to him and nods.

There is a pause.

DETECTIVE DEEKS (CONT’D)

(clears throat) You mind if I sit here?

Peighton shrugs.

PEIGHTON

If you must.

Detective Deeks sits, stares at Peighton.

DETECTIVE DEEKS

I’ve done some research on you…

Peighton snaps her attention toward him. She’s angry.

PEIGHTON

What the hell for? I haven’t done shi…

Detective Deeks lifts his hands.

DETECTIVE DEEKS

I know you haven’t. I don’t suspect you of anything.

(softer) This is about your past. About what happened to you.

PEIGHTON

And why is that any concern of yours?

DETECTIVE DEEKS

Because my son is seeing your daughter, and I want to know everything about her. And that includes you.

Peighton returns her gaze to the laptop.

DETECTIVE DEEKS (CONT’D)

And I’m sorry.

Peighton eyes Detective Deeks.

PEIGHTON

For what?

DETECTIVE DEEKS

For seeing you just as a murderer when I didn’t know all the facts.

PEIGHTON

(shrugs) Doesn’t matter. Most of the world goes off indicting people without knowing all the facts. Why should you be any different?

DETECTIVE DEEKS

Because I work to be different. And I think you’re a good person.

PEIGHTON

And you tell me this, why?

DETECTIVE DEEKS

Because I don’t want you to get hurt.

PEIGHTON

By what?

Detective Deeks sighs.

Peighton shakes her head and points in his direction.

PEIGHTON (CONT’D)

Don’t even go there.

DETECTIVE DEEKS

I know things. Things you don’t.

Peighton closes her laptop and places it in her bag. She drops money on the table and stands.

She bends to Detective Deeks’ ear.

PEIGHTON

You just can’t believe people can change, can you?

Detective Deeks turns to face Peighton. Their faces are close. There is a pause as they stare at one another.

DETECTIVE DEEKS

I believe people can change. I don’t believe the people you hang out with have changed.

Peighton stands and takes a step back.

PEIGHTON

Well, they haven’t done nothing to prove me wrong yet.

Detective Deeks raises an eyebrow.

DETECTIVE DEEKS

Really? Nothing?

Peighton looks away.

DETECTIVE DEEKS (CONT’D)
Just protect yourself. If things start to feel funny, protect yourself and get out of the way of danger.

Peighton gives him a parting glance. Nods.

PEIGHTON

Heard you. OK.

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It’s been a VERY long time since I’ve been over here.

And school is the time-sucking culprit!

I’ve been busy with school and reading and research…and now am about to get into the part of the semester where papers have to be written, so it will get even more crazy.

HOWEVER, I do plan to work on a NaNoWriMo project for November. I’ve participated for the last four years and have “won” each year, and it felt wrong to at least not try to write something this month.

This is a challenge for me on several fronts:

1. Usually, I outline my NaNoWriMo projects. I’m going into this completely cold with a title, a character name, and fuzzy thoughts on what the story is about.
2. I’m in school, and school is like a full-time job plus double-overtime. It’s going to be rough.
3. I haven’t written anything creatively in nearly three months. A record for me, so I’m very rusty.

Because of this, my goal is to do a NaNo-Lite. No, this doesn’t actually exist. As we all know, NaNo has people attempting to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I’m going for 30,000 words in 30 days. Still a lot of words for a woman with barely enough time to do everything else in her life, but I think I really do need this so that I can feel – at least mentally – that I’m still creative.

I’ll be posting throughout the month, giving you guys updates on my writing challenges, of which I’m sure there will be at least ONE.

For now, I’ll leave you with my title: Educating Sophia.

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And thought I would remind you of that, LOL

I’m in the crazy process of moving from Louisiana to Texas to begin Ph.D. studies, so I haven’t been as creative as I would like to be, but once I get settled in Texas, things will change.

Have news and other things to showcase in the upcoming months – a novel being released next June, more screenplay ideas, more podcasts, more a lot of great things coming my way, and I want to share them all with you guys…SOON.

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, definitely check out the podcast site to my company CLG Entertainment:  CLG-E Podcasts.  Every first of the month, I do a The Write Life for You podcast that features advice on writing, and every 15th of the month, I do the Once Upon a Time… podcast that features poetry, essays, short stories, novel excerpts, and more.  Six episodes are already live, so listen in and leave comments.

If you’re a writer looking for even more advice, look to the right in the My Columns box where you will find links to places where I write articles.  Anything and everything from memoir writing to screenwriting, from developing scenes to capitalization can be found!

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In the midst of all the tragedies (RIP Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson) and the stumbles and falls that befell me today, I did receive a bright spot.

I learned my screenplay, The Problem with Being Happy, made it through the first round of the PAGE International Screenwriting Competition.

In ‘07, the pilot of a miniseries I wrote, Running from Miss Right, made it through the quarterfinals of this same contest.

I’m hoping to make it this time with HAPPY, but if not, this news is another whisper to my writing spirit that I’m on the right track, and my success is just around the corner.

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