The middle of patience

If you didn't get a chance to check out the entries for the Crazy Holiday Blogfest, please go here. A big Thank You to all of you who participated, and all of you who commented. The entries were awesome. Great job everyone!!

So, I'm in the middle of WiP #1 revisions. It's not that I'm stuck, just wanting to move on. I think because I basically re-wrote the whole story so I'm ready to finish it. I've thought about putting it on the shelf, but that sounds criminal. It's like I'm sending it to jail because it's being bad. The MCs do talk to me, quite often, but WiP#3 is tempting me with chocolate. Lots of battles here. Plus, it's testing my patience.

I'm trying not to rush revisions though, considering this is my first finished story. I'm just nudging them a little. I'm learning there are no shortcuts, no ways to make it painless, no way to hurry my creative process, only practice and time. I will admit, I'm slow at a lot of things, but I tend to try and rush them. This makes things careless and messy, not to mention life just goes by in flash as it is, so why push it. Only time will tell, and like I said, practice and time.

In the meantime, I continue to listen to my inspiration music, eyeing every detail, listening for each word as it's spoken (in my head), twisting and wracking my brain on how to make this story the best it can be. So thank you to all the musicians out there. You inspire my whole creative process and without it, life would be boring.

How about you?  Let me know your progress or inspirations.

I will leave you today with lyrics, that's right, lyrics. I read a lot, but I listen to music even more. So, when I quote it's usually from song lyrics. I may start to do this on a daily basis, if it bothers you, well, just let me know. Today, I leave you with this:

Best you've got to be the best

you've got to change the world

and use this chance to be heard

your time is now

From: "Butterflies And Hurricanes" by Muse

And this:
When you think you've tried
Every road, every avenue
Take one more look at what you found old
And in it you'll find something new

From: "One Caress" by Depeche Mode

Have a great day!

What would your soundtrack be?

I love music. Most of you know this. I took piano lessons when I was a kid but never stuck with it. I try to sing in the privacy of my own home and I can hear dogs howling miles away. So not really great at actually producing music just love listening to it. Anyone who is good at it --kudos --I highly respect you.  ***hands clapping***

Music can set a mood. Just watch a movie and listen to the background. If you took it away--it would probably be boring. Not that actors don't do a good job.  It's just adds something more to the scene. Another thing I'm so not good at--acting.  Tried that in high school too--it didn't turn out so well.

My brother is great at both --yea I'm jealous of him. jealous.

Anyway, music.

It is vital to my creative process. Everything I have written has a soundtrack. When I hear the songs that gave birth to the characters in my head--I can feel them, hear them, see them. It's almost scary. The soundtrack to my current WiP is listed over there ===> (on the sidebar). I would hope (I'm dreaming here) if my WiP was ever loved by an agent, and published that maybe if there was ever a movie deal (see told you-- dreaming here)-- that some of these songs better be on the soundtrack.

So, I thought I would point out the most important songs. The songs that still give me chills and let me see, feel and hear my characters vividly.

 1. Panic Switch--Silversun Pickups.  (song #12 on my playlist). This is the song that struck me with the whole idea. The rest of the album Swoon pretty much help write many chapters, along with Carnavas (another album of theirs). I'm in love with this band. I guess their recent album's name sums it up--Swoon. :)

2.Quiet in my Town and Letters from the Sky by Civil Twilight.  Another band I'm in love with. My CPs know my Chapter 3 and well Quiet in My Town is what played when I wrote it. Letters from the Sky just puts me in a zone (eyes glare over) because I can see my MC so clearly --it's scary. Two other songs are inspiring on this album. Human (#44 on the playlist) --which I'm writing a chapter to now and Next to Me (#38 on the playlist). The rest of the album is great too.  Quiet in my Town (#1 on my playlist) and Letters from the Sky (#11 on my playlist). The links I gave you --You may have to hit play or just go to their website http://civiltwilightband.com/

3. I will follow you into the dark--Death Cab for Cutie-- (song #28 on my playlist) This band in general has way too many songs to choose from for this WiP, but this song would describe my MCs to a "T". I don't want to say too much about this one. Gives too much away.

4. M79-Vampire Weekend. (song #11 on my playlist) O.k. I will admit part of my initial attraction to this band was their name. Now, I'm a full blown fan. Absolutely love them and this song helped a very cute chapter.

5.Knights of Cydonia-Muse. (song #21 on my playlist). This band is just awesome. This song sparked a huge scene which I can't say too much about. Many of their other songs do help too. Hysteria being one of them. (song #24 on the playlist).

So there are the major players. The other songs over there remind of my MCs and all the other characters that invade my brain. All of the songs set the mood for my current WiP. I put where they are at on my playlist if the links don't work.

On some of the links you may have to press play (not to buy the song-- just to listen) or you can find it on my playlist.

 Since I'm posting M/W/F this will be up for a couple of days. This week is also hectic cause I have family stuff so it may be up a little longer. ***I thought you guys can post any songs that you would love on your soundtrack (particularly for your story). Either post them in the comments below or post about it on your blog and leave the link in the comments below. I would love to check it out. I'm a music lover of all kinds of music so don't be shy. :)

Also, I missed out on Arlee Bird's many blogfests and blog hops. A lot of them about music. Sorry. I hope to join in on one soon. I think he may have one going on now. Check out his blog.

Hope you have a great day!

Food for Thought.

Lately, my WiP has been wanting a hearty meal. It's understandable it's growing. Each chapter seems to be a different recipe for a meal that will fill  my baby up. Plus, my muse is constantly pointing the needs of these chapters out to me--whispering in my ear to get crack-- a --lackin.

Chapter 1 has been driving me crazy.  I know,I know here she goes again about her revisions. So sorry if I'm repetitive. I had to change my original version because --well-- it had something every other YA book probably had--a car crash. So I changed it but my heart was not fully in it when I originally wrote it and it  seems flat.  My decision to feed chapter 1 anymore has ceased. I decided to cut up the meat and let it marinate. It needs to sit and brew for a while.

Chapter 2 is different.  I tore all the ingredients apart and started over.  Now all it needs are the spices to make the flavor pop. It's a new and improved recipe that I'm experimenting with and I think it tastes pretty good it just needs a little spice.

Chapter 3 --oh --chapter 3 you just need some sprinkles because you are sweet ---for now.

Chapter 4 is just like chapter 2 but I still need to get to the store to buy the ingredients. The list is in my head and all I have to do is buy the stuff and mix it together with a little TLC.

Once each of these chapters are finished, I will be an excited little cook-- I mean writer. Then I can move onto the other hungry chapters because my baby wants to feel full.  Plus, my muse needs to be satisfied. He  keeps bugging me not only to work on my WiP but to get on with the other work I have to do.

 Who is my muse you ask? Well, the main one who bugs me most is my MC Ian but check my boyfriend book because some of the others (ie. Edward) on that list come to bug me too.  All of them are hungry, so I must go make them a snack.

How do you satisfy your WiP? and your muse?

What chapters/revisions are bugging you? or have left you with delight?

Also, I apologize if you are vegan or vegetarian--please substitude the meat with something you would prefer to marinate.  I'll be posting next week on some awards that I received this week. Thanks guys!

Have a great weekend!