The Parallels

So, I start with a good news update: we are in contract to sell our house!

It is all so surprising to us, because we were only on the market for two weeks, and also, the buyer agreed to a final sale price of only $1000 off our list price (which we worried might be too high.)So, yeah, we got soooooo lucky for this crazy bad housing market.

I have been thinking a lot about the parallels between selling your house, and trying to sell a novel, and I compiled a list of similarities.

1.You really really need an agent, whether you think you do or not.
2. The better the agent, the better chance you sell, and sell at a good price (to a good publishing house.)
We have a kind of high powered agent (who charged an arm and a leg--therein lies the difference, but anyway) and, in the end he was really worth his exorbitant percentage. We know people in our ward who have been trying to sell for months and months, and have come down in price, sometimes two times. And they live in the same
condo complex as us, so there are only subtle differences. That brings up another parallel.
3. Competition is fierce
4. The process of waiting is nerve wracking to the max.

Anyway, I could go on and on. It just made me kind of laugh at how similar the two processes really are.

Guess what I'm researching?

Prom Dresses. heh heh.

It's, unsurprisingly, a lot of fun. Here is a selection of dresses I'm thinking of for Jane. There are only two requirements: expensive and immodest (for reasons which I cannot disclose.)And, lest you think my research is pointless, I assure you, this dress is important.







Which one do you like?

Trub

And by that I mean, trouble.
That's what's coming for Jane. Mwa ha ha ha ha. *grins* I love writing this story.

In writing Newy, I have actually learned something about trouble. They say that the action should keep building until the climax, and well, I am learning that that is easier said than done. It really is a delicate process. You have to be constantly aware of what's happening and what happened and what is going to happen.

Also, Newy has a tricky climax, in that it is not the end of the book. Well, it's the end, but there are several significant things that have to happen after the climax. Tricky, tricky. I won't say much more. Wouldn't want to give it away.

So far, so good

I met my goal for today, writing almost exactly 2500 words. Unfortunately, I had was in the middle of writing, and something about the scene felt wrong. I just didn't like it. So, *sigh* I cut 500 words. It's not all bad, though. I ended up working out a way to make the important things that were supposed to happen in that scene happen somewhere else. . . . if that makes any sense.

In other news, I received an amusing letter today in the mail. It was congratulating me on my candidacy in the Cambridge Who's Who Registry Among Executive and Professional Women. Pretty sweet, huh?

I had to laugh. They weren't trying to get money, so I can't fathom what they were thinking. I kind of want to register, though, and have my profile up there, just for laughs.

A goal

I have always had this goal, lurking in the back of my mind: to finish Newy by the time I go to Utah. My family is still asking about Tristan, and that's not gonna happen. I want to be able to give them something.

And now that I know I am going to meet my two writer buddies (YIPPEE!!), I feel even more inspiration. Then we can all gab about each other's books. (Which we will do anyway, but still.)

So here is the break down, I am about 32,000k. An average book is 60,70k. So, I am about half way done. In order to finish in two weeks, (I'd have to give you girls time to read it) I would need to write 2500 words A DAY.

Hmmm . . . can I do it? I wrote 3000 words today. And, I do have it all plotted out to the end.

Double Hmm . . . this should be interesting.

A rose by any other name

Well, as requested, I added an Newy updater to my page. Should be amusing.

I also have a quick question for you. I am thinking of changing the name of my main character. Which do you like better?

A. Jane (the current name)

B. Jae (short for some fancy name)

C. Cay (short for some fancy name)

I am leaning to Jae right now, but . . . not sure. What you you think?

Why I love Chick-fil-A

Had another showing today. Yeah. So much fun. Only, this time, I had just two and a half hours to get the house ready. sheesh. Oh well, we made it. The house looked fantastic when I left. (It's already cluttered. Kids. Gotta love it.)

Anyway, one very good thing came out of it. I had to be out of the house for an hour while they showed it. It was freakin' hot here in Ohio, hot and muggy, so I couldn't take the kids to a park. Instead, we went to Chick-fil-A.

Aside from their good food, and the fact that they have Dr. Pepper on tap, the one near our house is a free standing location with an indoor playplace. So, I got myself a DP, and let the kids run wild and free and oh so contained for an entire hour.

With this lovely, glorious peace of mind, I found myself plotting out Newy to the end. It actually took me by surprise, because when I started writing Newy, I was aware that there were lots of ways the story could go and I planned on just seeing where the story took me.

However, as the story has gone along, I have gotten a pretty good image of how it's going to be. And, now I have a very very good image. In fact, I have a list of 49 scenes and mini scenes that take me to the end.

I am really excited. This book is gonna ROCK!

Sorry, my enthusiasm gets the better of me sometimes. Things are just coming along well. 27, 085k and still going strong.

Tease me

Well, I survived my day of house cleaning horrors. There was a breakdown, and a few tears in the eleventh hour, but I somehow pulled it off and was running out the door at 5:30. Seven and a half hours of cleaning, and they probably spent ten minutes in the place before saying, "Okay, let's see the next one."

*grumbles under breath*

Oh well, onto brighter things. Like my Newy teaser. The first bit of the story doesn't really give away much more than a hint of the premise, so I thought I'd just give you the hook line I have been working on. Well, *gulp* here it is:

Jane Mitchell makes a wish that Brandon Drake will fall in love with her at a single touch, but her life is thrown into chaos when she realizes that not only Brandon, but every guy she touches will love her instantly.

My Hot Lover

All today, I have been laughing about the post on Natalie's blog that compares novel writing with love. So true, so true.

Newy is definitely my current lover, and we are burning strong. It just feels so good to be with him. Tonight, I hit 23,100k. And then, I emailed the first 120 pages to my twin sister.

I can't emphasize enough what a departure that is from the way I operated with Tristan. With him, I didn't even tell them what the book was about until I was practically done. I am not sure why I was like that.

With Newy, I am basically cramming my book down my sister's throats.

Newy

So, Sunday night I was talking to my sister Rebecca about Newy. Somehow, on impulse I told her I would send her what I have, which is about 100 pages, 19,300k.

Well, tonight she called me and said that she read it in one sitting and loved it. In fact, she gave it very high praise. *sigh* Becca is a dear, sweet sister.

Now, I know I should take her words with a heavy grain of salt. She is family, after all, and families are notorious for lavishing praise on a story because they love the person who wrote it. I don't discredit my sister's sincerity, but I do think her enthusiasm is enhanced by her sisterly affection to me.

And yet . . . I must admit that I did a giddy dance when I got off the phone. I think I will allow myself to be pumped by her assessment.

A quick survey

So, Newy is a contemporary YA, set in good old Columbus, Ohio. Here is the thing I am pondering. Right now, I have invented a High School and set it in an invented suburb on the West side. That's about as specific as I get.

However, I am wondering if I should set the story in an actual suburb, and actual High School. The location really isn't a big part of the story. I'm going for: every day American suburb.

So, what do you think? Real or invented?

BTW, in case the picture isn't clear, this is supposed to be a typical high school hallway.

Mean Wife

Tonight, right as I was about to go write, my twin sister called, somewhat unexpectedly. Well, I can't have a quick conversation with the girl, so we ended up chatting for over an hour and a half. We said goodbye at 10:30.

Ben was like, "Yay, now we can spend some time together." So, then we had an evening of stimulating conversation, sweet cuddles, and positive affirmations of our love to each other. Right?

Wrong.

I hemmed and hawed about how I really wanted to write tonight. Ben graciously encouraged me to do so. And, now, two hours later, he is asleep and I feel rotten.

*sigh* Sorry Benny, if you read this. I do love you, contrary to how it may appear.

I'm alive!

Hi folks, I'm back.

Well, it was quite a weekend for me. The relatives came in on Wednesday for 4th of July fun. And then, on Saturday morning we all drove up to Cleveland for a few days of extended family visitations.

It was all fun, though tiring. Let me put it this way, Ben's relatives all have really nice houses with lots of expensive trinkets, large, fenceless yards with swimming pools, and dogs. So, yeah, you can imagine me chasing around my little energizer bunny boy, and that's pretty much my weekend. :)

Hope you all had a good one. I am so happy to be back!

It begins

My relatives are in town. *sigh* Hope to check in on everybody while they're here, but they are staying in our basement, which is where the computer is.

Wish me luck. And I promise to make multiple comments when I can, just to make up for my lack of web presence.

New name, new template

*says in evil voice* I hate color! Color must be destroyed!

So, I've been wanting to change my blog name for some time. Books of my numberless dreams is so . . . grandiose. I figured I should go for something a bit more modest.

As for the template, meh, I'm not sure if I'll keep it. It's a bit dark. A bit colorless. You know me, I will probably change it in like three minutes. Oh well.

Impending Doom

Actually, it's not that dramatic. My In-Laws are coming into town for the 4th of July weekend. Don't get me wrong, I love them to death, but their arrival will mark several days in which I might not be able to write. THAT sucks.

I really really want to write too. I am still going strong on Newy. See, there is a large amount of guilt that I struggle with, since I haven't worked on, or even thought about Tristan. All I think about is Newy. Or Zombies. (Way to get your story in my head, Natalie :)

I told my sister that I was working on a new story, and she was like, "Oh, Renee." I think they think that I am just the impulsive type who will never finish a story. I mean, I did finish Tristan. But I haven't finish finished. Oh well. There is only one way to prove them wrong.

**QUICK DISCLAIMER** Becca: If you are reading this, I don't mean that you are the person who thinks I am "the impulsive type who will never finish a story." I think I might have phrased that wrong. Ben's the only one who referenced my "impulsive nature," however I worry that everyone is thinking it inside, even if they don't say it. Insecurities. Insecurities. You've always beleived in me, though, Becca. :) A fact for which I am always grateful.