Stellar Gift of Death Post 77

Stellar Gift of Death 2011 Revision

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 0
Edited Chapter Three total words: 1461
Total words for the new draft: 9255
Total words for the last draft: 58,916
What I hate: Family emergencies turning my scheduled plans upside down. Good thing I got the house chores done to a maintain-this-level-of-cleanliness standard last weekend.
The Good: Chapter Three is finished for this go around. It needs a journal entry and possibly more words to make it even with other chapters, but the scene that was throwing off the beat sheet has now been banished to the rough draft folder for ideas to mine later.
The Bad: I haven’t had much luck on finding that dedication and distraction-free time.
Fave line: “I’m definitely buying a bigger flashlight,” she muttered and it nearly echoed.
What I'm looking forward to: Editing the rest of the story. :p
What I'm not looking forward to: Paying bills, packing to go to Texas, and an eight-hour drive with my mother.

2011 Fiction Word Count Week 25

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy Metrics Post 09

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 1602
Total words for the first draft: 10,952
What I hate: Not having a three-day weekend, so one day can be spent cleaning, the second writing, and third relaxing. Course, when I do have three-day weekends, I never end up doing that, so it’s a moot point.
The Good: Finished Part 11. I also figured out the disease. Good thing because one of the library books is due back this week.
The Bad: Reached the end of what I have drafted already. I need to outline the scenes in my head to make sure I don’t forget anything.
Fave DG line: “Thanks, Az. Now I’m going to find my bed in this place. You get them started and spend some time in yours or I’ll tell them to sedate you. I love you and give my love to everyone else.”
Fave Azkadellia line: “But our mother deserves a state funeral and our customs--” She faltered when he swiveled his very Cain-like stare on her. “The people can’t know she was cut up!”
Fave Hank line: “Not the ones who locked up Lieutenant Dan then, good.”
Fave Emily line: “I figured that’s where DG had gone, especially since her cohorts didn’t want to say.”
Fave Ahamo line: “What’s a little more vivisection on your record?”
Fave Connor line: “If I must,” Connor said in Cain’s softly dangerous tone. “Your grief is no excuse to tear into your daughter like that.”
What I'm looking forward to: Getting to the scenes, I’m a bit more sure about.
What I'm not looking forward to: The next scenes is from Connor’s POV and getting into his head while he’s doing an autopsy. Still working on that.

2011 Fiction Word Count Week 24

Progress Bar from Writertopia

At some point this year, I'm going to stop falling behind and maintain everything I'm supposed to be maintaining without all this catching-up.

It'll be right after I win the lottery I don't play. :p

My biggest gains have not been in Stellar Gift of Death, but in the two fanfiction projects I turned to as stress relief. *headdesk* I fell victim to the sexy new idea, twice!

All is not lost though. This week has progress on Stellar's edits to mesh with the new beat sheet. I'm a few chapters away from having to write new material, but I am moving toward it. WOOT!

Stellar Gift of Death Post 76

Stellar Gift of Death 2011 Revision

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 0
Edited Chapter Two total words: 3831
Total words for the new draft: 7794
Total words for the last draft: 58,916
What I hate: My brain has been playing the distraction game. With the sink project that took too long and the wardrobe/closet clean-out that took too long, my inner has started reflecting the chaos of the outer. This weekend will be one of getting the outer in order so I can focus again.
The Good: I jumped back into editing and marked up chapters two and three before I had to switch gears to the paying job. I finished making the corrections to chapter two’s file.
The Bad: Dedicated and distraction-free time to work on it is the key. I found it Monday morning while I’m waiting for the computer to go through its turning-on sequence (takes about 30 minutes with the virus checkmates the IT department installed). Unfortunately I only get this time once a week. That has to change.
Fave line: “You have integrity, something that is lacking in the members of my organization. One of the drawbacks of appealing to the baser desires such as greed and anarchy.” His violet eyes bored into hers. “You’re brimming over with integrity. You want to hate me and your integrity won’t let you because I’ve done nothing to deserve it.”
What I'm looking forward to: The cleaning spree this weekend so I can make a fresh start: stay on top of chores so the house doesn’t fall apart, dedicate writing time so I can actually finish this, see where I can make more income.
What I'm not looking forward to: 1282 lawsuits waiting for me to process. Actually doing the house work. :p

Tin Man: Prince Metrics Post 07

Tin Man: Prince of the Outer Zone

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 567
Total words for the first draft: 3625
What I hate: Forgetting to do this right after I finish the day’s progress so I have to come back and try to remember.
The Good: Sink project done, closet project done.
The Bad: I haven’t started on the rough draft of chapter two yet.
Fave Ahamo line: Ahamo muttered something under his breath about never being listened to.
Fave Galinda line: Now Galinda could finally get a word into the conversation and all she had available was a sharp “Dorothy Gale!”
Fave Gruffudd line: “Your Highness really must stop equating alliances with foreign governments with slavery.”
Fave Cain line: “Who gave you the authority to arrange that on behalf of our son?”
Fave DG line: “I must? Since when do dukes tell princesses what to do?”
Fave Jeb line: “That does not run in the family.”
Fave Miriam line: “I didn’t say anything, Major.”
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the floor plans for Kiamoko. I think I’m finally at the point where I can start dealing with what rooms are on which floors. Finish the style sheet. Start chapter two. Cleaning the house this weekend.
What I'm not looking forward to: Cleaning the house this weekend, but it must be done.

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy Metrics Post 08

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 652
Total words for the first draft: 9350
What I hate: Catching-up.
The Good: Finished Part 10.
The Bad: I have been ignoring Stellar Gift of Death completely.
Fave Natalie line: . “It’s hard, doing what we do, fighting time and microscopic infectious organisms to make people better, and watching as our best efforts don’t always work. But none of that is more important than you are to your father. He just doesn’t want to scare you or make you sad about our work.”
Fave Jack line: “My dad tackled a meth dealer.”
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out what the disease is. And posting, hopefully someone else will like the fun besides me.
What I'm not looking forward to: The point where the scenes I have in my head don’t fit with the prompts.

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy Metrics Post 07

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 2570
Total words for the first draft: 8698
What I hate: Catching-up.
The Good: Finished Part 8 and 9. And after trips to two different libraries, I found The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dangerous Diseases and Epidemics. So hopefully I can make the M.I. team sound intelligent.
The Bad: I have been ignoring Stellar Gift of Death completely.
Fave Zero line: “First, it was to only ask why that Gale bitch had gone to the Other Side and brought you to the Outer Zone. But now, you maybe more useful than that. What is your specialty, Dr. Durant?”
Fave Natalie line: “I trace diseases through the affect they have on the human body. I perform autopsies to figure out cause of death.”
Fave Jack line: Maybe Natalie and he could escape and find their way out of this forest. Avoiding all houses made of gingerbread, he thought.
Fave DG line: “Everybody with blue eyes stop yelling at me!”
Fave Jeb line: “And you didn’t shoot him?”
Fave Frank line: “Forget last Halloween’s accident with the face paint, Cowboy Stephen is the most bizarre sight I have ever seen.”
Fave Glitch line: “They’re alchemists, all right. Always focused on the zipper.”
Fave Cain line: “You made him look like me!”
Fave Connor line: “So you want to sacrifice my son and my… coworker while you hide your leader, who didn’t tell us she is the government?”
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out what the disease is. And posting, hopefully someone else will like the fun besides me.
What I'm not looking forward to: The point where the scenes I have in my head don’t fit with the prompts.

Tin Man: Prince Metrics Post 06

DUF: Tin Man: Prince Metrics Post 06
Date: 06/13/2011
Tin Man: Prince of the Outer Zone

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 520
Total words for the first draft: 3058
What I hate: Not accomplishing what I needed to accomplish this weekend.
The Good: Sink was installed and working finally last Monday. In the story, Jeb and Miriam are wishing they had skipped this dinner.
The Bad: I haven’t started on the rough draft of chapter two yet.
Fave Ahamo line: “He has that reaction to every name you’ve tried?”
Fave Galinda line: “Your grandfather was a good man, DG.”
Fave Gruffudd line: “Your nurse doesn’t know when to get the child?”
Fave Cain line: “After four cycles, Prince Junior is starting to sound fine,” Lord Wyatt finished.
Fave DG line: “Ssh, ssh, it’s alright. She wasn’t serious. Don’t worry, we’re going to name you something I can spell.”
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the floor plans for Kiamoko. I think I’m finally at the point where I can start dealing with what rooms are on which floors. Finish the style sheet. Start chapter two. Finding an overall title for the BDPT project.
What I'm not looking forward to: The errands I have to run tonight. 1457 Orleans lawsuits that are the last of the backlog.

2011 Fiction Word Count Week 23

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy Metrics Post 06

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 1227
Total words for the first draft: 6128
What I hate: Catching-up.
The Good: Finished Part 7. And what a dousy of a part it is.
The Bad: I have been ignoring Stellar Gift of Death completely.
Fave DG line: “Take this truck to Neverdale or I’m dumping your ass out and taking it myself!”
Fave Jeb line: “Dad’s driving?”
Fave Frank line: “We have to go after them!”
Fave Jack line: “Dad, look, two moons!”
Fave Eva line: “Think about all the times Connor yelled at you,”
Fave Miles line: “Without anesthesia!”
Fave Raw line: “Bullet must come out first!”
Fave Glitch line: “Not until you’re safe.”
Fave Cain line: “Make her put us down NOW!”
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out what the disease is. I need a For Dummies book on infectious diseases.
What I'm not looking forward to: The point where the scenes I have in my head don’t fit with the prompts.

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy Metrics Post 05

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 1910
Total words for the first draft: 4901
What I hate: Catching-up.
The Good: Finished Part 5 and 6.
The Bad: I have been ignoring Stellar Gift of Death completely.
Fave Connor line: “You need a first diagnosis before you can get a second opinion.”
Fave DG line: “Which part is harder, magic is real or he doesn’t know what licorice is?”
Fave Jeb line: “Dad?”
Fave Frank line: “You call cynical, I call being prepared for their teenage years.”
Fave Jack line: “Dad, it’s cool that you’re letting me come. You don’t have to throw in Mars too.”
Fave Natalie line: “You can’t treat this many all by yourself, Stephen.”
Fave Eva line: “No plans here,” Eva said. “Looks like you’re stuck with all of us, Boss.”
Fave Miles line: “You can’t leave me behind; I’ve never been to an alien planet before.”
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out what the disease is. I need a For Dummies book on infectious diseases.
What I'm not looking forward to: The point where the scenes I have in my head don’t fit with the prompts.

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy Metrics Post 04

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 590
Total words for the first draft: 2991
What I hate: Catching-up.
The Good: Finished Part 4. Also made this a semi-three-way crossover by introducing Margo from my Evil Jack Biker Mice series as a childhood friend of DG’s.
The Bad: I had planned for each of the prompts to be around 500 words. This is the first one that is close.
Fave Margo line: “Dropped off the planet more like it. Nobody has heard from you in forever.” A machine beeped for Margo’s attention. She juggled something before coming back. “You weren’t abducted by smelly, fishy aliens, were you?”
Fave DG line: “Don’t suppose you dated somebody who works for the CDC?”
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out what the disease is. I need a For Dummies book on infectious diseases.
What I'm not looking forward to: The point where the scenes I have in my head don’t fit with the prompts.

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy Metrics Post 03

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 741
Total words for the first draft: 2401
What I hate: Catching-up.
The Good: Finished Part 3.
The Bad: Still no clue when I can post.
Fave Cain line:“Be careful over there. And… and take care of her.”
Fave DG line: “Oh so we must be fighting? Mentioning the Other Side makes your father twitchy.” DG spun around and pantomimed Wyatt Cain in hyper-vigilant mode, including fingers wrapped around an imaginary holstered gun. Jeb grinned despite wanting to keep the conversation serious. “The only people that trigger happy here are soldiers in combat and criminals.”
Fave Jeb line: “That’s where you grew up?” He gestured at the cottage. She nodded. “It’s not what I had pictured.”
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out what the disease is. I need a For Dummies book on infectious diseases.
What I'm not looking forward to: The point where the scenes I have in my head don’t fit with the prompts.

Tin Man: Prince Metrics Post 05

Tin Man: Prince of the Outer Zone

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 528
Total words for the first draft: 2538
What I hate:The sink project from hell.
The Good: Working on this story has made me much happier about today. I also finished a story beat sheet out for the whole things and it fits together snugly.
The Bad: I will get home late thanks to all the errands I have to run. Only one is for the sink project.
Fave Ahamo line: “Have you seen him?” Ahamo asked Major Cain. “Her Majesty is worried he has two heads because we haven’t seen him yet.”
Fave Galinda line: “DG! You haven’t named your son yet?”
Fave Gruffudd line: “I’m not much of a hunter, your Highness. And it’s no hardship to help her Majesty with anything. What is the young Prince’s name, so I get it correct on the announcements?”
Fave Cain line: “She started calling him that before he was born. I told her the O.Z. doesn’t name children after other people until they are dead first.”
Fave DG line: “Doesn’t matter,” DG shrugged as she sat down. “He’s okay with Junior but he hates Wyatt.”
Fave Jeb line: “I told you it wouldn’t take ten minutes. Pay up.”
Fave Miriam line: “My purse is up in my room.”
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the floor plans for Kiamoko. I think I’m finally at the point where I can start dealing with what rooms are on which floors. Finish the style sheet. Start chapter two.
What I'm not looking forward to: More plumbing nightmares.

2011 Fiction Word Count Week 22

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy Metrics Post 02

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 918
Total words for the first draft: 1660
What I hate: Catching-up.
The Good: Finished the second part.
The Bad: I haven’t started my disease research so I have no idea when I can start posting.
Fave Glitch line: “DG, you’re in charge, you can’t just leave.”
Fave Raw line: “DG desperate, not crazy.”
Fave Azkadellia line: “You can’t let anyone else come in here! They’ll get sick!”
Fave Cain line: “You want me to be a distraction while you take my son to the Other Side.”
Fave DG line: “Earth has no political stake in the O.Z., doesn’t even knows it exists. And there are doctors who only study diseases. I just have to find one with some vacation time and bring him or her here for a working one.”
Fave Jeb line: “And how are you going to do that?”
Fave Hank line: “DG!” He let her go to search her face. “You don’t have that Captain Tripps, do you?”
Fave Emily line:. “Ever since he saw that King Stephen miniseries, he has always been afraid you would catch that.”
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out what the disease is. I need a For Dummies book on infectious diseases.
What I'm not looking forward to: The point where the scenes I have in my head don’t fit with the prompts.

Tin Man & Medical Investigations Alchemy Metrics Post 1

Tin Man & Medical Investigations: Alchemy

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 742
Total words for the first draft: 742
What I hate: Catching-up.
The Good: I signed up for the TM Challenge 4th Annual Big Damn Challenge because they said crossovers were okay. The words have been flowing out on this little idea I had been kicking around in my head.
The Bad: Like I didn’t have enough to already write. *headdesk*
Fave Glitch line: “There’s no way to keep a trip across the deserts secret, DG. Not with the levels of protection you’d need.”
Fave Raw line: “Witch hunted healers who refused to join her,” Raw answered.
Fave Messenger line: He didn’t mean to gape, but how did she know?
Fave Cain line: “You better get some tiktoks here before the Council arrives and mucks things up.”
Fave DG line: “When will the doctors get here?” She stomped her foot at the blank stares. “You know, doctors, people who study diseases and how to heal people.”
Fave Jeb line: “So far the Consort and Princess Azkadellia both say they’re okay, and they’re the only ones who aren’t sick or dead in the entire town.”
What I'm looking forward to: Figuring out what the disease is. I need a For Dummies book on infectious diseases.
What I'm not looking forward to: The point where the scenes I have in my head don’t fit with the prompts.

Stellar Gift of Death Post 75

Stellar Gift of Death

Progress Bar from Writertopia
Stellar Gift of Death 2011 Revision

Progress Bar from Writertopia

METRICS
New Words: 63
Edited Chapter One total words: 9363
Total words for the new draft: 9363
Total words for the last draft: 58,916
What I hate: Never having enough time to do what I want to do as opposed to what I have to do. Oh and lawsuits.
The Good: Finished the beat sheet for this story and pegged where I was going wrong. So now I’m going back through what I have already written and making it match.
The Bad: It took a lot longer to get through Chapter One than it probably should have if I had ever had the time to just focus on the chapter and nothing else.
Fave line: Sacrificing innocent sentients for a reason that only works in the murderer’s head is still on my top ten list for why murder is bad, but my last case knocked it down a few spots.
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the editing so I can jump into Chapter Fifteen where it should be and chug away to the end.
What I'm not looking forward to: Plumbing tomorrow. I’m getting a new bathroom sink, which is a yeah. But the time to put it in is a boo.