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What's Up Wednesday: CP's and New Projects

It's Wednesday again. What's up, everyone?

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 My writing goals for the week:

 - Do 2 Examiner reviews (0/2)
- Keep working on Contracted
- Resist the temptation to further edit The Book
- Transfer my longhand pages of The Other Book to the computer version.
 
This is a bit less ambitious than last week's goals, thankfully. I've also met last week's goal of "write 5 pages on another project" with Contracted. Hooray!

 What I'm Reading

 I'm reading The Ear, the Eye, and The Arm by Nancy Farmer, an MG science fiction novel set in a future Zimbabwe. I LOVE it. I'm also still working through After the Snow, which I also love. However, I didn't feel as strongly about The Reformed Vampire Support Group, and I'll probably review that this week. It was one of those books where I felt betrayed by the ending. It had so much promise to both be hilarious and explore moral and existential problems...and it fell a bit short on both counts. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't read it again and I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

 What I'm Writing

 I have a critique partner looking at The Book now -- hooray! Now that I have the insight of a new pair of eyes, I'm sorely tempted to start editing again according to her notes. I shouldn't, though. She's critiquing the WIP I have now -- not the WIP I have after sneakily editing ahead and then giving her more pages. Also, I need time to think and plan the next edit. It's a relief to take a break from my WIP. I need the insight that time and distance offer.

 In the meantime, I've picked up Contracted again. You know how when you're on a roll and you're afraid to stop and lose the momentum, so you just keep going faster and faster? That's how it is right now. I hope it stays that way. Contracted is a long story about assassins, arranged marriage, and evil stepmothers -- a bit of an adult Red Riding Hood spin-off but with more gruesome death. No wonder I'm having fun!

 What Else I've Been Up To

 The family I babysit for has the most depressed-looking rescue dog ever. He is very sweet and friendly and tolerant of small children, but still scared to death of everything. Today, he decided he liked me. I was trying to lure him outside with some treats so that he could do his business in the yard, but he was afraid to come all the way down the stairs. So I finally scooped him up and put him outside. Apparently that meant that I had asserted my Alpha-ness, because he followed at my heels whenever I walked around or played tag with the kids. He even came when I called. Then when we went in, he didn't flee up the stairs. He stayed downstairs with me and the mom. Yay! This baffles me, because I've never been a dog person and a dog has never liked me before. But it's cute.

What Inspires Me Right Now

 Last week it was Lindsey Stirling. She always inspires me, but this week it's The Piano Guys. This video will blow your mind.

Comments

  1. Alison MillerWed Jul 10, 08:23:00 PM CDT

    I'm so glad you had such a good dog experience! We're dog-sitting right now and these big guys are so friendly and wonderful - it's been TOO LONG since I've had a dog and I miss it.

    Sounds like you have some awesome goals for the week! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraWed Jul 10, 09:29:00 PM CDT

      It' funny, you know? Normally I am ambivalent at best towards other people's dogs. I might like to have a dog myself in the future, but I'm more of a cat person. This dog is really nice and sweet, though. He looks so sad all the time that it's really adorable when he starts to actually have fun and warm up to you. :)

      Good luck to you too!

      Delete
  2. Raven MWed Jul 10, 08:39:00 PM CDT

    Contracted sounds amazing! You had me at assassins and adult Red Riding Hood.

    It is cute that the dog follows you around now. Maybe he'll start coming out of his shell and stop being so scared of everything.

    Good luck with writing/meeting your goals this week! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraWed Jul 10, 10:37:00 PM CDT

      I am definitely guilty of WIP favoritism. At the moment, Contracted is my favorite.

      The owners say that the dog is getting a little better every day. :) He was a rescue dog, had to switch shelters many times, ended up in a low-quality shelter where they eventually found him, and who knows what his previous owners did in the past. I think it is quite likely that he was abused by his old owners, considering how timid and submissive he is. That's such a shame. He's such a sweet dog. It's impossible to get annoyed with him even though he sometimes poops on the floor because he is literally too timid to scratch at the back door when he needs to go outside. :(

      Delete
  3. RaeFri Jul 12, 09:50:00 PM CDT

    I love the Piano Guys, but I haven't heard as much of their music as I should. LOVE that song!!
    Taking a break is good, although it's different for every story. That's great that you can work on different projects and still stay occupied while taking a breather on a different WIP. Good luck with your writing this week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraSat Jul 13, 10:14:00 PM CDT

      "Moonlight" is one of my favorite pieces by them. :)

      Taking a break has let me think about some things I could change based on my CP's notes. I'm not sure whether I'll jump back into editing or wait for the whole MS to be critiqued.

      Delete

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