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Fantasy Romance

romance author

Wunderlist, Where Have Thou Gone?

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BabyCrying
Me, trying to learn something new when I don’t want to.

Microsoft bought Wunderlist. Of course they did. Wunderlist was awesome, and Microsoft’s offerings…were not. Wunderlist was voted best product, Microsoft wasn’t. So, as is the case these days, the giant consumed the little guy.

I have been using Wunderlist for almost two years to help keep me on track with writing goals, and this year especially, I have used it as a motivating tool. I have even shared progress reports to help keep myself accountable.

September Update
Like this one.

Of course, I have no idea what Microsoft will do with it. For the moment, I can still access my stuff. Not sure how long.

But I can see the changes coming.

One of the things I loved about Wunderlist was that it was platform neutral because it was all on the web. I could access it from my android phone, my iPad, my laptop, or my MacBook. It was always the same exact screen.

The very first thing the new Microsoft platform wanted was for me to download the app for my specific device.

Uh, yeah, no.

Looks like it still has a web component. For now.

Maybe it will be as easy to use, maybe not.

I get progress, I really do, but I am not sure this is progress. The original program was terrific, met all my needs, and was easy to use. I don’t really want to spend brain power re-learning how to use something I understood before. I just want the darn thing to work.

Of course, I can’t tell you how well the new program works. Because I have to go back and figure out all of the passwords I had simply saved as part of my keychain.

Yeah, I know.

I am the weakest link. But I figured if someone really wanted to steal my To Do list, they could have it. Maybe they’ll even do it for me.

A Bit of a Change

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As I had previously mentioned, it is that time of year where my day job gets insanely busy. I will be putting in long hours at work, trying to balance family life, and still attempting to put forth some fresh words on a page.

time2
About right.

I have new characters flying through my head, new kingdoms within my world, and new villains.

I am trying to keep the creativity lit while still meeting my other demands, and some of these characters won’t shut up.

Not a bad fate, except I have two other first drafts already in the works that I need to finish before I get to them.

I am not complaining about the plethora of ideas coming my way. What I need is more time…

Time
Where, oh where, can I get some?

For now, these new characters have been giving me snippets of their life and backstory on my commute into work, in the shower, while I make dinner…you get the idea. Whether any of these character will ever get their own book, I don’t know. Even if they do, how much of their story will stay the same, I don’t know.

But I thought it would be fun to share them with you. Give you a little glimpse of the madness that is being a writer as your characters are talking in your head.

I have precious little time lately, and rather than fight these shots of creativity, I am going to embrace it. See where it leads.

With that in mind, my blog posts for a bit will be shorts of all that they are showing me and telling me as I let them take over.

As always, let me know what you think.

If any of them sound particularly interesting, I will listen to them a bit more.

writers-block-when-your-imaginary-friends-refuse-to-talk-to-24442489
Not suffering from this!  Just need more time!

Serial Micro Fiction: Enemy Lines

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Thomas2-1

The pieces of wood that had seemed so foolish strapped to his feet in the throne room were a boon on the endless expanses of unbroken snow.

But Prince Thomas didn’t mention it, nor did the two shadow warriors he traveled with.

For the best. They had all crossed enemy lines three moons ago, and Prince Thomas had no idea when or if he would see his home again.

Writing Update: September

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Things were going okay until they weren’t.

September Update
Thank goodness I worked ahead a little.

Work has been crazy, and I have been struggling to feel even remotely creative.

We tend to play video games as a family, and some of that game time crept into my writing time as it was easier to consume creative content than to produce it.

Still, all in, I am on track for the year, but only because I worked ahead earlier in the year.

I am halfway through Prince Thomas and Mage Purple Class Claudia’s story. Finishing it in November is my goal. I hope to make it, but work will only get busier. I have a huge deadline on November 15th, and a “drop dead” date on December 19th. I am marching to those orders now.

We all know stress kill creativity, but with so many other things going on at work, it is absolutely overwhelming right now.

stressed
Me right now.

I also need to tackle a series of promotion stuff I tend to be less enthusiastic about doing. I need to set aside some time to just do it, and I am hoping that will happen late in December. Work will not quiet down until next April, so I have to figure out a way to push through this. I also need to start a lot of the bits of publishing a Knight’s Redemption ahead of time so it doesn’t derail me like publishing Knight of Valor did this year.

Yes, I finished my December goal. It was a rewrite I worked on while I was delayed with Knight of Valor.

As I am reviewing this year’s goals, the one thing I have to admit is revising take a lot more time than I would like.

Once I complete Thomas and Claudia’s story, I will have written three first drafts this year. But I was only able to publish one book.

As I take a look at next year’s goals, I think I need to reduce my number of first drafts to two. I wanted to publish three books per year, but the editing time doesn’t permit that with my other obligations. Perhaps if I only write two in a year, I can then have the time to do all the edits on them so I can release two in a year.

Something to ponder.

I do enjoy the thrill of crafting a story fresh. It’s one of the best and most exciting parts of writing.

But there is also something gratifying about a final draft.

Given how goal oriented I am with my day job right now, might not be the best of times to make such decisions.

goals3

Why Romance Writers Shouldn’t Play Fire Emblem

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I mentioned here that romance writers shouldn’t be gamers.

That wasn’t correct.

Really, what I should have said, was romance writers shouldn’t play Fire Emblem games.

I try to mitigate any spoilers ahead, but fair warning, I do talk about some later game stuff.

FireEmblemFates
Yes, these.

I struggled with my playthrough of Fire Emblem Fates Birthright when the game killed two of the main characters and I could do nothing to save them. In the Fire Emblem franchise, characters can die. Permanently. However, you can usually avoid this by having an appropriate “rank” with them. Or not getting them killed in battle. This was different.

Then Fire Emblem Fates Conquest killed a different two characters. Both games sit unfinished because I just can’t…I have Revelation, which my husband says I should just play as it’s the “canon” version and no one has to die, but I haven’t yet.

Then I bought Fire Emblem Three Houses that just came out.

FireEmblem3Houses
This one.

A strategy game with a complicated admin system, more lovable crazy characters, and a female House lead?!? YES, please!

As I played through the intro, I discovered you must pick one path, and one of the three paths you can pick is leading knights.

You wanna talk about my catnip!

CatNip

Sorry Edelgard, there are knights over here.

Except, I should have known better. Remember the other games? Remember the issue with basic writing even in a sandbox world?

I am over half-way through the playthrough, even with all of the min-maxing I have been doing. Why do so many games have a fishing component?!?

But I digress.

At this point, I want to slap the main character I am supposed to be helping.

Dracor help me, but if he doesn’t stop whining, pick himself up, and be the savior king so many people have sacrificed so much for, be the king his people desperately need, the king he promised he’d be…

If I were allowed to go off the gaming rails, my character would first try to help him. I know, novel thought, right? Why isn’t that an option?!? Her charisma is through the roof.

Anyway, if kindness didn’t work, she would slap him. Hard. Her strength is through the roof, too. And she’d make him get a haircut. At least look like a king. Seriously. My character would be kind enough to have a super mutant follower, but she is not going to tolerate abusive and self-harming ways. Kingdom harming ways.

sword-2140940_640
Suck it up and be a knight.

I am not certain the writers can save the knight who is supposed to become king in my eyes. I guess we’ll see, but given previous game writing, I am skeptical. When you have made a character fall so far, become so unlikable, the plot crucible it takes to bring them back is that much greater.

I understand that he is probably suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome and crushing depression. I get it. But I still need him to be redeemable instead of a homicidal maniac I wouldn’t put in charge of a boy scout troop much less an entire kingdom.

This game has become a family affair as I have been playing it on the big screen in the living room, and my family will not let me put it down half way.

But I want my happy ending. I want my happily ever after. I want the characters to have earned it.

Yes, I already know this series isn’t known for that. And I figured out character recruiting late…

I want the same cathartic release I get when I finish a book, but on a grander scale as I have put so many more hours into this game.

I should have picked Edelgard.

Edelgard.jpg
Yes, you should have.