Thursday, August 22, 2013

Where have you been?

I suppose the title is sort of misleading. You see, I sat in my car, getting drenched by monsoon rain while throwing newspapers and contemplated the last couple of months. I finished a manuscript, received dozens of rejection letters and began a new manuscript. It occurred to me, as I contemplated all these things, that I've been missing my blog, so really It's "where have I been?" and I owe you an explanation.

My grandma is 92, almost 93 years old. She fell and broke her shoulder. Right now she's in a rehab facility, but her house and dog are just sitting, waiting for her return. My parents work, so I'm doing my best to help out. Really, I'm sort of upset about the whole thing. This is the third time in two years she's fallen. She lives alone. I keep waiting for the parental units to take charge and do something about her living situation, but they won't. And my grandma suffers from a stubborn streak that I may, or may not, have inherited (I admit to nothing!). So that's where I've been. I also want to let you know that my laptop, the nice, shiny new one hubby bought me for our anniversary, is broken and being sent in for warranty repairs so I'm writing this on my phone. And writing manuscripts on my phone. The phone is sighing in exhaustion.

Anyhoo, my oldest started school at the beginning of this month, 1st grade, and I've been rushing around like a mad woman trying to catch up. I finally think I am so I figured I'd give you the down-low, as my young women at church say, on the haps peeps. Words like this make me feel old. As I said before I finished DA. I love it, but it needs to be Beta read. You hear that anyone out there? I need beta readers! If you're interested email me: nikimcluff@gmail.com.

I started a new manuscript and I'm roughly half way done. It's a dystopian, scfi, political YA. Half elemental, half machines that hook into the nervous system to make them more acurate. Machina is what I've decided to call it, though that may change in the future. I've really enjoyed writing something new and venturing out of my paranormal romance rut.

While spending time with grandma I brushed up on my artistic and sewing skills. Grandma wrote poems when she was younger and always dreamed of being published, but was too afraid. When I started to follow my dream, she was my biggest supporter, even through the rejections. I told her one day I'd have a book with my name on it for her, dedicated to her. I'm still attempting that dream every day. Of course that isn't good enough for grandma. "You're a talented young woman and you're letting your talents rust," she said to me yesterday when I saw her. What is she referring to, you ask? I sketch. I've been sketching since I was 8 or 9. About as long as I've been writing. It's a talent I put on hold to write. So she ordered me to draw a few things for her.

And that's what I've been up to. What have you all be doing?

Attached below are pictures of what I've done. A Yoda I drew for my son a church, some burp rags I made, a dish towel I made for grandma and a drawing I did for a Twilight themed baby shower I threw. Yeah. She picked Twilight.

2 comments:

  1. 1) You are writing on your phone? WOW. That is a lot of thumb work.
    2) Your drawings are wonderful! You are so talented! Maybe a picture book is in your future! Combine your talents!
    3) I'm just starting my first book, and realizing how incredibly hard it will be to finish it. I can't even think about publication yet. I am in awe of you and anyone who has actually completed a manuscript, now that I know what a huge effort that is.
    4) You go girl, and don't slow down. It will happen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, Laurel, for the compliments. I feel like a jack of all trades, master of none. I appreciate your comments. It will happen for you as you get further into your story. The difficult part, to me, it editing. Cutting things out always makes me a bit sad. Thank you for the cheerleading! I hope to see writing from you soon!

    ReplyDelete