100th Post Celebration

Guys, we've made it.

This post officially marks the 100th post I've made since I started my blog on July 1, 2014.

I've come a long way from Going Official, and so many things have changed!

Help me celebrate this exciting achievement by entering a contest for a $15.00 Amazon gift card! Plus, if you send me your first chapter before August 28th, I'll do a free critique!

Here's to another 100 posts. Who knows, by then I might be... *GASP* ... An agented writer!

LET'S PARTY!

All For Naught

I'm behind on my CampNaNoWriMo word count. That's what happens when you take a three day break.

Woops.

I planned to do some serious catching up last night to the tune of 2k. Did I write that much? Totally. Does it sound good? For a rough draft, yeah. Am I going to keep it? No.

The direction I was trying to take the plot in made no sense. I had my characters trying to get off a train without being seen. They decided to wait until it was moving to crawl out an escape hatch. I got them on top of the train (after a heart-pounding almost fall, of course). Then what? They were stuck! I literally wrote myself into a corner.

                                   

Hello, delete button. Cue throwing self on floor, chucking laptop at wall, and stuffing chocolate in my face. Okay, not really. I wouldn't have minded the chocolate though.

Deleting those 2,000 words wouldn't have been a big deal during a normal month. But July isn't a normal month. It's Camp NaNoWriMo. I have to earn my t-shirt!

At first I wanted to do this:

                                    

But then I realized writing my characters on top of that train had some positives.

  1. I learned where I did not want the plot to go.
  2. I leaned action movies that have characters leaping off moving trains made no sense. (When did they ever?)
  3. Finally, I learned the best direction to take the plot. No daring stunt acts involved.

Sometimes writing in the wrong direction is exactly the thing writers need to get themselves going in the right one. Even if it's totally aggravating and sucks up three hours of your life.

                                  

Trust me.

So worth it.

On a super exciting side-note, my gift card giveaway ended today. The lucky winner is Michelle. Michelle, keep an eye on your email. You'll be getting the gift card shortly.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated. Consider connecting with me on other social media. I'll be having more contests in the upcoming months!

It's Official

First. Post. Ever!

This is pretty much the most exiting thing to happen to me all week. Not that there's much competition. I do work at an accounting firm. But still. Yay!

                                        

Actually, it was pretty ridiculous how thrilled I was to even have my own domain name. It's the little things.

To celebrate my first post on my new blog, I'm doing a giveaway! Check out the nifty PunchTab Giveaway box to your right. $20 Amazon gift card. You know you want to enter. The giveaway will be running from today (July 1, 2014, so you don't have to check your calendar. You're welcome.) to Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at 3 p.m. EST.

Self-centered, Emily Layne time. Since you wonderful darlings will (hopefully!) be reading my future posts, you should know a bit about me. Or, really, the "About Me" that you can't find stalking social media sites. Don't worry, I've limited myself to five facts.

1. Emily Layne is actually a pen name.

2. I once ate so many cherries that I had an allergic reaction and got hives. We're talking 100+ cherries in less than 24 hours. Clearly I have a problem.

3. Sunscreen is disgusting. I avoid wearing it whenever I can. Summer started two weeks ago, and I've already been majorly burned four times. I know I need to wear it, but... Bleh. When I was a kid I could throw a temper-tantrum and avoid the sticky stuff. But apparently that's not acceptable anymore.

4. On that note, I love the sun. Scratch that. I love being outside. During my lunch break at work, I will sit in my car with the windows down and eat, even if it's 85 degrees outside.

5. Though I love the traditional flowers: roses, lilies, orchids, my favorite is a weed, typically known as a flowering clover. They smell like summer and can be tied into pretty awesome jewelry.

...Annnnd finished! Not so bad, was it? Now you know how weird quirky I am. But don't let that stop you from entering the giveaway. Or from reading my future posts. This blog will focus on the Journey of Infinite Perils, otherwise known as writing. You'll join my adventure as I finish my current WIP (work in progress), tackle that nasty query letter, and hopefully snag the representation of a fantastic agent.

So, what are you waiting for? Come on! The Journey of Infinite Perils (JIP) awaits!