Hey, ROW80, happy Sunday! I’ve been sick with something flu-like and yucky for the last few days; I’m starting to feel back to normal, but I haven’t accomplished much this week beyond drinking a lot of tea and watching LOTR.
Before I get into my check-in, I wanted to send up the batsignal for WANACon, the worldwide writers’ conference that is happening on February 22-23.
There’s a lot to love about WANACon. First off, it’s being held entirely online, and you know what that means: not only do you get to skip the expense and hassel of traveling, you can also attend in your pajamas, from the comfort of your home (or, you know, wherever you want to hang out while you attend online seminars and such).
Second, the WANACon schedule (which you can find here) is not only packed with incredibly useful seminars, but also provides attendees with the opportunity for pitch sessions with agents. To top it off, there will also be opportunities for networking and interaction with other participants.
Third, it’s affordable. The price for two-day attendance is $125 and $75 for one day, with an extra $35 fee for an agent pitch session. That’s a fraction of the cost for most traditional writing conferences. Better yet, attendees will be able to access session recordings after the conference is over.
If I haven’t convinced you, check out these great posts for more info:
- Marcy Kennedy’s “Are Online Writers’ Conferences the Wave of the Future?“
- Jenny Hansen’s “Wouldn’t You Love To Attend A Writing Conference In Your Pajamas?” (FYI: Jenny’s offering an giveaway in conjunction with the LinkedIn seminar that she’ll be teaching on Day 1 of WANACon. Visit her blog for more details)
- Kristen Lamb’s “And Now For Something Completely Different.” The WANAMama’s got all sorts of exciting goodies in store for conference attendees, which are listed here, along with many more benefits you’ll gain from the WANA experience.
If I have convinced you, then head on over and register for the conference! All the links you’ll need are below:
WANACon Registration, Both Days
WANACon Registration, Day 1
WANACon Registration, Day 2
WANACon Agent Pitch
WANACON Main Website
-oOo-
With that, here’s my check-in for the week:
DAY JOB:
Nothing much here. My bout with the flu kept me from getting anything done beyond working in the archive Monday and Tuesday. I’ll be playing catch up in the week to come.
WRITING:
Another week of no poetry, but I did a little more poking at TELL ME NO LIES, my steampunk murder-mystery WIP. I’ve combed through the 1st draft and salvaged some useful things that can be integrated into the current draft. I’ve also made a list of some things I’d like to do in the weeks to come, including:
- Work on atmosphere and setting through short sketches on locations, neighborhood, etc. TMNL is set in 1890s San Francisco (albeit with some significant changes, since this is alternative history), and I have this magical idea that the city itself should be a character of its own. Doing that, of course, is another matter entirely.
- Flesh out supporting characters and the inner workings of The Belladonna, the saloon where my protagonist works.
- Start hammering out the nitty-gritty details of the plot. I’ve got my whodunnit figured out… now I just need to map out how the investigation is going to unfold. (I’ve seriously been avoiding this part for almost 2 years, but I guess there’s no time like the present?)
SOCIAL MEDIA:
I’ve drafted 2 blog posts for the coming week, including an absolutely ridiculous one about fuzzy baby animals (it’s been a while since my last one), and one about some of the really good books I’ve read over the last few weeks. I’ve done some sporadic tweeting and sharing of links that come across on my FB and Twitter feeds, but not as much as I’d like to do.
SELF-CARE:
Being sick has meant that I’ve done nothing for the last four or five days but lay in bed… and I’m really lucky that I’ve been able to do so. There’s been lots of sleeping, some reading, tons of mindless action on Pinterest and tumblr and Facebook and G+, and vast quantities of tea. I can’t complain.
-oOo-
Don’t forget to cheer on our other ROW80 participants! And if you’ve got any WANACon questions, send ’em my way!
February 10, 2013 at 11:18 am
Sorry to hear you have been poorly, I think there is alot going around at the moment. Glad you are feeling a bit better but take it easy on yourself. Plotting out how you investigation is going to unfold is definitely a challenge! When I did mine for my NaNo murder mystery I was so glad it was set in 1920 so I didn’t have to include lots of modern methods but it was still difficult!
Have a wonderful week and don’t run before you can walk health wise!!
Em recently posted..ROW80 Check-in 10th February 2013
February 10, 2013 at 11:30 am
Thanks so much, love, and you are right–I was thinking about marching back into the archives tomorrow (where I got sick, incidentally), but my mom put a stop to that plan. I’m kinda glad to have her around, especially in times like this. 😛
I am feeling so uuuugh about having to write up this murder investigation, and am now wondering why I didn’t just stick with a frothy steampunk romance set in fancy drawing rooms. I just had to go and make it difficult on myself…
Have a great week as well, lovely!
February 10, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Sorry to hear you’re still under the weather!! I really hope you’re 100% soon <3 Glad you got to work on TMNL and drink buckets of tea. This is being productive in my book 😀 Also, LOVE how you added the specifics of what you're working on writing wise. I'm always afraid I'll bore people, but I find it incredibly interesting myself…so not really sure what I'm thinking there! Thanks for letting us know about WanaCon too – it sounds wonderful!
Lauren Garafalo recently posted..Moving Right Along
February 11, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Oh, yay, I’m so glad you liked the writing breakdown! I added it on a whim–there is something about having to figure out all these layers that doesn’t feel like “real work”, but there’s no way I can actually get to the writing till these details get figured out. It feels good to start digging in, though. 😀
Hope you are having a great start to your week!
February 10, 2013 at 1:50 pm
Oh man, sorry you’re under the weather. Hope you feel better soon! Too bad we have to be sick to catch up on the social media, LOL. It sounds like you have a good plan for your WIP and I’m wishing you a productive week with it.
Raelyn Barclay recently posted..A Productive Week 4 of #ROW80
February 11, 2013 at 3:52 pm
Thanks a ton, Raelyn!
February 10, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Ugh, bummer about being sick – hope you’re all better soon! And wow, I’d say you did well to get anything done on your WIP having to deal with that. Here’s hoping you have a fantastic week to make up for the last one!
Jennette Marie Powell recently posted..Elmer Fudd and ROW80
February 11, 2013 at 3:51 pm
Thanks so much, Jen! I’m feeling much better today, though still a bit congested. I’m hoping to be back to normal by the end of the week.
Hope you have a great week!
February 10, 2013 at 3:30 pm
Drinking tea and watching LOTR when you’re sick? Best way to get better quickly 🙂 I hope you’re feeling better now. Have a great writing week!
EM Castellan recently posted..My Week In Review – ROW80 Check-In 5
February 10, 2013 at 5:33 pm
It was raining outside when I had my LOTR moment, which made it all even better. 😛
Thanks for the well-wishes, my friend! I am definitely on the mend, but I am trying to take it easy so I don’t relapse or anything. See you at sprinty time!
February 11, 2013 at 1:37 am
Oh I do hope your cold leaves you soon. I don’t know about you, but after a nasty bug I feel exhausted for weeks after that while my body gets over it all. You’re doing well, what with everything. I always feel the need to eat ‘chucky=eggs and soldiers’ when I’m ill… a thing from childhood. Always makes me feel better – it’s my chicken soup!
Your WIP sounds interesting and I’m loving the layers you’re adding. I sense you’re not ‘feeling’ it though, right now? Press on, it’s almost certainly because you’ve been so poorly.
Best of luck and get well soon, Shah. X
Shah Wharton recently posted..Trying hard & making progress #ROW80
February 11, 2013 at 3:49 pm
Hi Shah! I’m on the mend, though as you say, I get tired really quickly. But I am lucky in that I’ve been able to reschedule my research time and have lots of relaxation time at home.
Thanks for the encouraging words about my WIP. I am incredibly daunted by the process of trying to make this novel worth reading–so many layers to tackle! But breaking down my tasks but by bit helps, and makes the process more fun than scary.
February 11, 2013 at 5:33 am
Get well soon! The WIP sounds fascinating, and it sounds like you are definitely moving forward, despite job and flu.
Crossing my fingers for you that you’re out of bed soon.
Keep up the good work and have a great week!
Ruth Nestvold recently posted..Tales of Love and Magic: 99c Fantasy, 3 Days Only, Feb. 10-12!
February 11, 2013 at 3:44 pm
It’s been really good to get back to this WIP. Judging from my notes, I haven’t touched it since last spring, so it’s overdue for my attention.
Hope you have a great week, Ruth!
February 11, 2013 at 9:01 am
Hope you’re feeling tons better. Being sick is no fun, though getting to lie in bed for a few days and just rest – nice!
I love how specific your goals are in regards to your steampunk murder mystery (love steampunk!). Mapping out the plot of any mystery is always a challenge but so well worth it. I’m in the midst of doing the same with a mystery I’m working on.
Wishing you an amazingly productive and healthy week!
Melanie recently posted..The Ball is Rolling…
February 11, 2013 at 3:43 pm
Melanie, thanks so much! I ventured out of doors for the first time today, and it was soooo nice. I get tired pretty quickly, but I am definitely on the mend.
I have so much respect for everyone who writes mystery novels, but you are right — once the planning is done, it really will be rewarding.
Have a wonderful week!