I'm Moving!!

Song of the Day: Mr. Saxobeat by Alexandra Stan

I disappeared for a bit. Dropped off the face of the planet for a few weeks. Not cool, I know. On the plus side, there is a reason for it! I moved!!!

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years (or on another planet, maybe) the economy in the U.S. is not so great right now. Therefore, those of us graduating from college in the past few years have not had an easy time finding jobs. Spending a semester abroad didn't help to pad my bank account, either. So, when I graduated, I moved back in with my parents. (Horrifying, I know!)

I was lucky enough to find a temp job only a few weeks after returning home, but it didn't pay me enough to move out. Just recently, I was hired on to a big corporation and am finally earning a decent pay. My bank account is back up to acceptable levels, and I can now pay rent! Since the beginning of the month, I've been cleaning and fixing up the place and moving my things in. The most exciting part: I have an office! (Well, technically it's a second bedroom, but since it's just me, I'm making it an office.) I still have things to do, and I don't have internet service yet, but it's mine, and it's pretty, and it's quiet!

Since I've been so busy lately, the plot bunnies have been on the prowl, attacking at every chance they get. I now have a thought for an immediate prequel for my WIP, a far prequel/world building piece, several post...quels (is that a word?), and one that has nothing to do with that particular universe at all. Good thing I have markers, white boards, and flash cards, no?

What have you been up to?

AIM Day 30

Word Count: 11,062
Song of the Day: Fly by Sugar Ray

I spend a lot of time working on my current WIP. I should--after all, it is a work in progress. However, the question today is, do I spend too much time working on that particular project? It's not getting me to my word count goals, unfortunately. So, tomorrow, for my last day of August, I'm trying something new. I was given a Storymatic prompt a short while back, and I'm thinking this is the perfect opportunity to test it out. We'll see how it goes!

AIM Day 22

Word Count: 8,205
Song of the Day: Hell on Heels by the Pistol Annies

Today, my advice is to have obnoxious friends.

Okay, maybe not obnoxious...

I met Stephanie in high school. We've been friends ever since. Stephanie is one of those people who could be considered to have an abraisive personality. She doesn't sugar coat things, and if she wants something, she'll let you know. I made the fortuitous decision to let Stephanie read the first few chapters of my current work in progress. At the moment, I've been writing the "candy scenes" so that I could stall as I was figuring out the next chapter. I had dinner with Stephanie last night, and she let me know that she is none-too-patiently waiting for the next few chapters of my WIP. Seeing as I won't send someone a chapter when I'm in the middle of it, I need to get this chapter done so she can read it. In the mean time, I know she'll nag me until it's done. That's motivation, for sure!

Assassin Kitty

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Assassin Kitty, a.k.a Chloe. Don't let the cutesy little thing fool you; This tiny creature kills and drags home animals twice her size. Somehow she drags birds through her little cat door. My parents haven't figured out how yet. We're pretty sure she makes Pagan sacrifices, too, because she leaves the heart and stomach on our neighbor's steps.

Creepy, right?

My parents are out of town for the weekend, so I'm "grandparent sitting". This means that all those little "love presents" Assassin Kitty leaves on the garage steps for my parents? Yeah, I get to clean them up. When I came home from work, there were a number of feathers on said steps, as well as one small unidentifiable object. I couldn't even look too close at it. However, this super-sweet-looking cat likely dug it out of some poor animal.

I have a point, I promise!!

So, my MC is two different people. Super-sweet-looking mom, Kallen, raises two little girls and works as a Trauma Surgeon. However, in her past and upon the girls' death, she is Vesper, deadliest assassin in the known galaxy. She specializes in torture, and has let me know that in avenging the deaths of her daughters I will be "seeing" a lot of blood, guts, and gore. Woohoo. Psyched. At least I'll have a little practice, huh?

What's the grossest thing your characters have shown you?

Happy July!!

I have an announcement...I posted my first book review on Good Book Alert this morning!! It was an intriguing YA Fantasy read.

So, today being July 1 and all, I thought I would start the month with a new challenge. Last month, I had decided to try to write 30,000 words before today. I only managed a little under 8k. *sigh* Epic fail moment, I know. But, I thought I'd try again. However, I'll set my sights a little lower.

*Ahem* For the month of July, I, Traci Ferrance, challenge myself to write 20,000 words on my current work in progress.

Anyone else up for a challenge?