Saturday, July 30, 2016

Closing up shop, reopening another

http://daraworksonlife.blogspot.com/

That's the new home.

Kinda letting go of the "writer" persona.  I just want to do stuff and things and.... yeah.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Gettin' a little Grey Gardensy over here.

I think there's a raccoon living in the comments section.

*shoos with a broom*
*gets scratched*
*falls into puddle of leaked anxiety and depression tears*

OH GOD!  IT'S IN MY RACCOON WOUNDS!



Hi!  I'm alive.  Mostly.  Kinda sorta.  In the physical sense.  With an extra 30 pounds.

No, I did not have a baby.  Fuck that.  I simply got fat.  I've learned when you start a home bakery, you gain weight, and it's not from eating your own food - I cut sugar out of my diet years ago somehow.  When you're on your feet all day and baking all day, the last thing you want to do it work out and try to make something to eat.

My downtime has been consisting of Dollar Menu, video games, and napping.

Cross stitching, too.  That's another post.


So here's my plan.  Expect 2 posts from me a week.  No idea about what.  Most likely stream-of-consciousness bullshit.... which are most of my posts to begin with, let's be honest here.

Nuggets of knowledge?  You're funny.  More like posts from me about being the poster child for not doing whatever I end up doing.

Nag me on Twitter, @DaraTheWriter.

Stalk me on Tumblr, darathewriter.tumblr.com.

Leave me alone on Facebook.  Seriously.  That's for people I know.  Sorry not sorry.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

*Crickets*

Happy NaNoWriMo!  I figured this would be a fun day to confirm I have not died nor have I been put into an sort of institution.

I won't be participating in NaNoWriMo this year, first off.

Secondly, while I have completely disappeared and not even read a single one of the blogs I follow since..... oh geez, May probably, I do want to continue to write and finish my novel from last year.  Have I kept up any sort of writing habit?  Hell no.  Reading?  Nope.  What have I been doing you ask?

Baking.
As in breads and cookies and carrot cake and pumpkin rolls with buttercream frosting.
That's my big news and what's been going on.  I've started my own bakery business.

Back in April for the A to Z Challenge, I did a post for P, and it was about my kick-ass great-grandmother (who's still with us).  Her actual first name is Florence.  She used to bake a ton.  Breads, cookies, carrot cake, oh god it was all so good.  It took me a few years but she finally began to share with me all her recipes.  Because when she's gone, we're going to want some god damn carrot cake.

I cannot cook to save my life.  I cook better with my character in World of Warcraft than I can in real life.  So you can imagine how shocked Adam and I were after I made said carrot cake and it was the best carrot cake we've ever had,  I knocked all her recipes out of the park.

With a little brainstorming, math, and a big, terrifying jump, I began the journey of Flo's Bakery, baking out of my home to pay my bills.  I left my old job at that car dealership mid-August and haven't looked back.  That position began sucking the life out of me where I'd be coming home either in a fit of rage or a ball of tears, so there was no desire at all to write.  Since then I've been caught up in the business.

Also, Adam and I did tie the knot in September.  We leave for our honeymoon next week, which is another reason why I'm not doing NaNoWriMo.  Blizzcon, Disneyland, and we even get to see Metallica.  BLAM!  Best trip ever!

So that's what's going on here in Michigan.  Dara the Writer isn't writing a whole lot, but Dara the Baker showed up out of nowhere.  After our trip I do want to get into a routine again and start writing again, getting back into that mess of a supposed novel and complete it somehow.

Place your bets for when I'll post here again.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Thirsty Thursday: STELLA!!!!



Oh Marlon, you were once so attractive.  We miss it.

Anyway, beyond a Tennessee Williams play, here's our beverage of the Thursday.

Devil duckie not included.

I found Stella Artois by accident.  I was at one of my favorite bars back in Chicago (Prarie Moon, go if you can) and I asked for Harp.  No Harp.  Well, shitballs.

"If you like Harp, try this," smartest bartender ever.  All bartenders are smart.  Great people.  Tip them well.  Because they introduce you to magical things.  Like this beer.


Have any suggestions of what I should be drinking?  Let me know in the comments!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

I wrote stuff last night!

Don't get too excited for me, I'm not sharing any of it here.

I got in a good hour of brainstorming/writing last night.  Considering I work late Mondays and had a crummy day at work, I'm proud I got that much done.

I bounced ideas slash asked what I "should" be doing with Adam last week and determined I should first complete the WIP from where it's at.  Literally get to a THE END point.  That itself is a struggle as I haven't built up enough already written to get to an ending that makes sense.  So much is still in my head but I don't want to go back just yet to re-work everything.

Already I'm going over what needs to be re-worked.  The antagonist needs to be more of the main antagonist and not just a looming/empty threat.  My protagonist needs stronger motivation that fits with the plot.  Those are really the big things, those two characters.  If I can get the two of them nailed down, I'll be golden with the rest of the story and it'll all come together.

Channeling Chuck Wendig:
"Plot is like Soylent Green: it’s made of people."



Thursday, May 8, 2014

More on the WIP goal and Thirsty Thursdays

If it's one thing I do understand about setting goals is that I need to be clear and specific.  If I come up with some general, bland, blanket goal, you bet your ass I'll find a way to meet it in the most minimal way possible.

And that's not what I want to do.

I promised for myself to have "a manuscript complete by September 6."  Why that date?  It's our wedding date.  I figure it's fitting.

More importantly, I need to define "manuscript" for myself.  Not for you, for me.  Right now, the WIP is the super-ugly draft as it stands; plot holes, name hole, scene holes, a whole lot of holes.  I want to complete the story from where I left off.  Get to some sort of ending where I can say to myself, "Alright, Dara, it's over.  You can go curl in a ball for the next week and then get back to fixing the mess you have there."

Phase 2 will involve going back to the start, notebook at my side, and fix things.  Not all shiney and fancy, but certainly have it flow a lot better.

THAT is what I want to have done by September 6.  Ideally, from that point, I will be ready to hunt down a critique partner or editor or whatever the hell the next step would be.

I don't know, I've read so many articles on the writing process, it's all mashed together into a lump in my brain.  What's a good step-by-step for a newb?



Thirsty Thursday: Pacifico

A belated Cinco de Mayo theme.  Although when I had it, it was Cinco de... Tres?


While I'm not a fan of Dos Equis or Corona, I will drink the crap out of Pacifico.  It's labeled as a "Mexican pilsner-style" beer, which I find funny because I personally don't like pilsners.

I'm not planning much on Thirsty Thursdays other than sharing with you a different drink each week and whether I enjoyed it or not.  I would love some suggestions!  I get a bit stuck in my ways so any recommendations of beer would be welcomed.  Yes, beer.  We'll start there and see where that can expand to.

Anyone have their own favorite they'd like me to feature?

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

IWSG - May 2014



The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the sexy creation of Alex J Cavanaugh.   Its glorious purpose is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!  Visit the website and/or join the Facebook Group.



Oops!  Well then!

My insecurity this week is forgetfulness.

Because while I rocked scheduling two posts for the week, I neglected this month's IWSG.

This will be one of the shortest posts ever as I did want to participate this month but didn't pay attention to my schedule.

June will be way better, I swear.  Hugs and kisses.