The Dynamic Trio - Blog

Okay, so I’m sort of a 15 year old girl when it comes to my heroes - I admit it proudly. Anyway. So when I was working on dirty/bad/wrong it was Julian McMahon and holy cow why not? Youtube, you’re my crack. And now, with Standoff, it’s Dominic Purcell who’s my sex muse for Cade Warden. Just look at him…

Last night we took the kids to the pumpkin patch and had a lovely time. The weather warmed up and cleared although it was a muddy pit down in the field itself. Heaven for my sons. Of course we get everything weighed and see the “cash or check only” sign. Thank goodness the van had some cash and change in it or we’d have had to take a pumpkin back. Lawd, I can’t believe we didn’t even check beforehand. We do this every year, you’d think we’d know by now.

And then I wrangled them to eat, clean up and get in bed. Not easy when they’re all Halloween pumped.

I got 2142 written on Standoff last night. Cade is just about to meet our heroine. I’d originally called her Kate but I realize Cade and Kate is very close and sort of odd. Also I just wrote another heroine named Kate so I’m going to have to re-think her name. Still, it was a good writing session.

I also did some second round, quick edits on To Do List. I love finishing up a project! Although line edits are next so I’m not quite finished.

Anyway, more to do! I’ve got excerpts up at my messageboard! Don’t forget to enter the Raven Halloween Scavenger Hunt if you haven’t yet! Great prizes and tons of fun. YOu have until month’s end!!

How’s everyone doing? I know sometimes getting started on a new project or a challenge can be daunting and the pressure comes when you start overthinking and it freezes you up. Just try and relax and remember the Sven challenge is really about yourself and only yourself and your words.

Night before last I realized as I shut my laptop down, I didn’t have enough for the wordcount the short novel I was working on demanded. I brainstormed with my husband, who is always a great source of inspiration but it wasn’t quite enough so I woke up disgruntled and still searching for the thing that would give me the depth and layers I needed.

So I booted up the desktop and turned on IM and sent a note to my buddy Megan - I’m stuck and I don’t have enough meat for the story. She popped on about half an hour later and after I told her I couldn’t very wel have 50K words of fucking (well I could but it wouldn’t work for this story) we worked back and forth (our stories are interconnected) until I finally hit on what I needed, the hook, the layers that would bring the story’s heart to light.

By that time, a story I’d been struggling for a few hundred words here and there (but with a clear idea of what I needed which made it even more painful) loosened up and I got over 2700 words yesterday.

So while we can’t compare ourselves to others and find ourselves wanting when we talk about wordcount or book deals, we can reach out to others who know what we’re going through. Brainstorming and plotting sessions with a friend is something I’ve found to be a really big help and I highly encourage it!

This year, we’ve added five new sponsors to the challenge. Those of us running Sven’s gym are Alison Kent, Jo Leigh, HelenKay Dimon, Larissa Ione, Stephanie Tyler, Shiloh Walker, Lauren Dane, Diana Peterfreund, Jaci Burton, and Portia Da Costa. Expect to see us popping up on various sweating challengers’ blogs over the next 70 (93) days.

In addition there are nearly 300 sweaters and many of us know other authors who are willing to lend an ear and their creativity to help you out of a block or a tough spot. We’ve all been there so there’s no shame in reaching out. BTW, Megan is made of sparkly awesome for helping me.

We here at Sven Says Sweat invite you participate in round two of our Seventy Days of Sweat Writing Challenge. The challenge begins on Monday, October 15 and runs through Tuesday, January 15.

Yes, that’s 93 days. We’re giving you 23 days off to use as your personal holiday and religious circumstances require

For those participating in Nano who don’t want to start before 11/1, you can use the first 15 days to plan out your story, and then have 45 days to polish once November is over.

The goal is to have a completed manuscript at the challenge’s end.

The rules are simple. You agree to write from 750 to 1500 words a day (depending on your project needs) between the dates listed above. If you need to take off a day, you make up the pages another. Remember: You only have to do the writing for 70 days.

You don’t have to have a blog to participate, but we do want you to sign up below so everyone involved can get to know one another. And if you do have a blog, you can post the information there. Going public with your commitment is about owning it.

As far as reporting your progress, you’ll come back here each Wednesday and Sunday and post your total word count. Those of us sponsoring the challenge will be dropping by your blog (if you have one) and egging you on! And this year we have several co-sponsors who will also be checking up on you! (More on that later.)

The challenge is open to anyone writing in any genre, published and aspiring authors both. On the sidebar, you’ll find our logo if you’d like to put one on your blog. For now, let’s see a show of hands.

Who’s not afraid to sweat? Go here and sign up! I’m one of the author sponsors this round so I promise to poke at you and cheer on your successes too!