Monthly Archives: June 2010

The blinking cursor

Posted on by Sherri
12

I’ve stared at this blinking cursor a long time, so I guess I’ll just start. I do have things to say, but I think I addled my brain with all the nothing I’ve been doing.

It’s been a week since I turned in my manuscript. During that time I’ve basked in the glow of satisfaction, and also have identified some missed opportunities with the story. I could beat myself up about them, but I know those opportunities would never have become apparent if I hadn’t let it go. Having been through this process before, I know there’s always something I could have done better. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s that way with most writers, not just me, so I don’t worry about it too much. I did what I did and now the book has to stand up tall, or fall over like a drunk girl on a slippery barstool. (Those days are long behind me.)

Anyway, it’s done for now.

I’ve really enjoyed my break from writing. So much, in fact, that the first few days I started to worry I was enjoying it a little too much. Maybe I wouldn’t want to start a new project, or maybe I’m out of ideas, or…whatever. But by Friday I was feeling that familiar pull to the computer, and then over the weekend little random ideas started pinging my brain, and last night I even thought about brushing off an old middle-grade book I started a few Nanowrimos ago.

I’m not ready to dive into anything just yet, but at least the desire is still there.  The blinking cursor no longer mocks me. That’s nice.

Preparing for success

Posted on by Sherri
10

You probably saw a new theme every time you visited in the past three days. I think I’m going to keep this one for a little while, see how I like the layout and what kind of tweaks I might need. It has no theme options available, and while I usually look for a theme with as many as possible, I spent a little time learning some more CSS last night. I love doing that stuff, when I take the time to do it. So actually, this theme not having options may be a good thing, as it’s forcing me to learn how to tweak things myself. That way, if I decide to keep it I will already know how to change the graphics into something more Sherri-flavored.

I’d been toying with the possibility of having a static front page, but I didn’t know what to put there. I like the way this one’s laid out. Of course, when I start promoting a book I’ll probably have to get a real website built based on that, but this will work for now.

So apparently this is a time to prepare my external persona for success. If you’re on Facebook, I have an author profile that will go active if I get a publishing contract. I expect it to be the easiest place to do news updates and such, and an easy way for people to connect to me. Log in to your Facebook account, click this link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherri-Cornelius/#!/pages/Sherri-Cornelius/91241069662?ref=ts

and then click the “Like” button, and you’ll be all signed up. If you “like” my author page it will show up in your friends’ news streams, and that’ll spread the word.  Some of you are already on there, and I thank you. Also thanks to those who gave me notes on this theme. (Talking ’bout Soho Serenity.)

Time to go eat lunch with the hubs.

After-the-book ponderings

Posted on by Sherri
5

Last night I cleaned out all the notes I’ve accumulated over the couple of years of writing this book, including handwritten, typed and printed pages, note cards and scraps. The pile filled the gerbil’s old 10-gallon tank. That’s a lot of trash. I did keep some notes, the ones showing the link between thought and finished product. Those were about five pages.

I’ve been working on this book so long, some of my newish blog buds might think it’s my first. There was another before BVA, a magical romp with a young lady on the run, forbidden love and fireballs. It was called Stolen Magic at first, and later changed to Ea’s Gift to avoid duplicating another published novel. This is the effort that caught my agent’s eye, even though it went nowhere and was eventually shelved.

Writing EG was fun and exciting. I thought every book would be that way. Hahaha, what a silly goose I am.

Writing BVA felt like slicing open my own gut, pulling out my intestines, measuring the entire slippery length, then hauling them back in and stitching the wound myself. I didn’t realize till I finished that sentence how true it is. Now that it’s finished I can see why it was so hard, but that will be a post for another day.

Avatar: It ain’t people running around in alien suits

Posted on by Sherri
5

I watched Avatar for the first time (the blue people one, not the last airbender one) with the family. Normally I don’t let the kids watch PG-13, but this was a special occasion. My son in particular has been bugging me to get it from Netflix–in fact, he watched it again this morning, and will probably watch it again before it’s gone–but I think we all ended up loving it just as much as he did. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually a good movie. I’d expected it to be a cookie-cutter special-effects blockbuster with a superficial “save the planet” message. What I found out, though, was a great story supported by heartfelt, emotional performances–with the added bonus of the OMG OUT OF THIS WORLD FANTASTIC special effects. Did I say OMG?

The Na’vi were so realistic that it gave me the hope that my work-no-longer-in-progress could someday be made into a believable movie. The last thing I’d want for a movie made out of my book is a bunch of people running around in lizard suits. Is that so much to ask?