Tag: Mandy Webster

Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge

Write Your Novel this Summer: It’s time for our first check in!

Mandy Webster
kitty
Kitty says, “Stop looking at me and get back to writing!”

Well, it has officially been one full week since the start of our summer writing challenge. I plan to check in once a week on Fridays throughout the entire summer. Since I really haven’t accomplished anything yet, this week I will simply report on my starting point.

I started the summer writing challenge with a total of 65,128 words written. That’s about 240 double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt font pages.

While figuring out where to jump back into my story this week, I read my last few chapters and did a bit of surface editing here and there. I have also done a bit of freewriting, which I will not add into my word count. I am still in the freewriting stage at the moment, trying to get back on track with my story. Hopefully by next week I will be cranking out some actual chapters again. Continue reading “Write Your Novel this Summer: It’s time for our first check in!” →

Novel Writing

I am back to the writing board and struggling to move my story forward

Mandy Webster
Sitting here watching the flowers grow when I should be writing
I hate to admit it, but yesterday I spent more time sitting here watching the flowers grow outside my office window than I spent writing.

Yesterday I began working on my novel again. I didn’t realize how long it had been since I’d looked at it. I first had to dig around in my computer files to make sure I was working with the latest version of my document. Next, I had to find the notebook I was writing in so I could figure out where I left off. Then I had to read the last few chapters to remind myself what was going on when I last looked at it. After that, I needed to figure out where my story needs to go next to keep it moving forward. Then I spent the rest of the day alternating between staring at my computer screen and staring at my notebook (and staring out the window.) Continue reading “I am back to the writing board and struggling to move my story forward” →

Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge

There is no better day to start writing your novel than today.

Mandy Webster
Writing table of Marie-Antoinette by Riesener ...
It’s time to sit down at that desk and get some writing done! | Writing table of Marie-Antoinette by Riesener (1783), Petit appartement de la reine, Palace of Versailles. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

June 21st was the first day of summer and officially the first day of the Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge. I meant to do a big kickoff on the 21st, but as I mentioned in my last post, life kinda got in the way. I’ve spent the past few days since I returned from my disappointing journey unpacking and trying to put my life back together. I still have a bit of unpacking and organizing to do, but I have decided today is the day I need to get back to writing. If I don’t do it now, I’ll just keep putting it off, and summer will be over before I know it.

I doubt I’m the only person who got sidetracked and didn’t jump right into my novel on the first day of summer. I’m here to tell you it’s okay if you haven’t started yet. Just because you missed the first several days of the challenge, that doesn’t mean you now have to wait until next year. But you should force yourself to sit down and start as soon as possible. How does today work for you? Continue reading “There is no better day to start writing your novel than today.” →

Employment

Today’s top four signs you should turn down that job offer

Mandy Webster
The Office cast in the third season
My job interview was like something you might see on an episode of The Office. | The Office cast in the third season (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have been looking for a full-time job in my area for about four years, with no luck. I seem to be overqualified to do anything but teach, and full-time faculty positions are hard to come by. A few weeks before graduation, I decided to open up my job search to a slightly larger geographic area to see what would happen. Within two weeks I was offered what sounded like the perfect job for me. I began to make arrangements to transition to this job, and things were finally looking up. After several weeks of preparation, I arrived at my destination. Then my dream job quickly deteriorated into a nightmare. Continue reading “Today’s top four signs you should turn down that job offer” →

Writers on Writing

Wannabe Writer Wednesday: An interview with James Hedrick

Mandy Webster
Writer James Hedrick
James Hedrick is a PhD Candidate in Political Science living in Washington, DC. He spends his days writing about politics and his evenings writing about anything but. He will soon self-publish the first book in his urban fantasy series Hell Against Texas entitled Cauldron Bubble.

Welcome to Wannabe Writer Wednesday! This week’s interview is with urban fantasy writer, James Hedrick.

1. Tell us a little about your current work in process.

I’m currently working on an urban fantasy series titled Hell Against Texas. I submitted three short stories in the universe to Sword & Laser’s Anthology (fingers crossed) and I’m almost done with the final draft of the first book in the series, Cauldron Bubble. The first draft of Book Two, Shepherd’s Crossing, is about halfway done and I’ve got a couple chapters of Book Three, Fire Burn, drafted. I’ve outlined a couple of books passed that.

2. What’s your day job?

I’m a PhD Candidate in Political Science and will soon be starting a consulting job in the Washington, DC area.

3. When do you find time to write? Continue reading “Wannabe Writer Wednesday: An interview with James Hedrick” →

Novel Writing, Writing Prompts

Writing the rebirth plot arc: Rathilde

Mandy Webster
School Building
This building is very much what I imagine the Good Citizen Center to look like in my WIP. | School Building (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a recent blog post titled, “The 7 Basic Plots: Rebirth,” Liz Bureman of The Write Practice discusses the structure of the rebirth plot type and challenges the reader to “write a rebirth arc for a classic villain in literature or film for fifteen minutes.” Rather than writing about a classic villain, I thought it would be interesting to write a rebirth arc for an antagonist in my own work in progress (WIP) and share it on my blog.

For this exercise, I decided to focus on Rathilde, a minor antagonist who does not play a huge role in this novel but will be a formidable figure in the third book of my planned trilogy. Rathilde actually attempts to help my protagonist in book one, but is unsuccessful and goes on her merry way to wreak havoc elsewhere while my protagonist lives through her own private hell.

I doubt that any of what you are about to read will make it into my current WIP, but it will give you a little insight into what I am writing. You will also have some insider knowledge when you finally get the chance to read my published novel (someday.) Here is my rebirth arc for Rathilde, according to the steps outlined by Bureman: Continue reading “Writing the rebirth plot arc: Rathilde” →

Domestic Violence, House and Home, Truth

Is it okay to wear a t-shirt that’s been laying around in a dusty box for 15 years?

Mandy Webster
Air Force T-shirt
The back of one of my Air Force t-shirts features my Training Instructors (TI’s), Tech Sergeants Hardy and Cute. TSgt Cute has to be *the* scariest woman I have ever met in my entire life. What I wouldn’t give to know that woman’s story!

In my quest to rid my house of stuff I don’t need, I’ve make several interesting discoveries and recovered many items I forgot I had. One of these items is a squadron t-shirt from my Air Force basic training days. When I found it, I laughed, threw it in the laundry, and then started wearing it non-stop. That’s not weird, is it?

When I separated from the Air Force, my ex destroyed most of my uniforms, my combat boots, and anything else I owned that might remind me I was ever my own person. Somehow, I managed to stash a couple of these shirts in a place where he wouldn’t find them. Continue reading “Is it okay to wear a t-shirt that’s been laying around in a dusty box for 15 years?” →

Writers on Writing

Coming soon: Wannabe Writer Wednesdays

Mandy Webster
Wannabe writer wednesday Wordle
Join us for Wannabe Writer Wednesdays.

Okay, so yesterday I put out a little teaser about a new blog thing I want to do. It’s called Wannabe Writer Wednesdays, and the goal is to highlight writers who are in the same boat I am in. In other words, I want to interview writers who either haven’t yet published anything or have published next to nothing. I want to highlight the wannabes like me rather than the already famous.

Why would I do such a thing? Well, several of the blogs I follow interview writers who are already publishing. These are usually writers who are marketing a newly released book. While I enjoy reading these interviews, and have even learned a thing or two from them, I think it would be equally interesting to read about writers who are still in the wannabe stage. Misery loves company, right? Continue reading “Coming soon: Wannabe Writer Wednesdays” →

Blogging, Holidays, House and Home, Parenting

Where have I been all this time? –And- My thoughts on STUFF

Mandy Webster
a graduate and her dad
My dad looks a little sleepy in this picture, but I look good, and he’s not online to see it and complain about it, so here ya go. I got my Master of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing from Mount Mary College on May 18th, 2013.

Hello there. I’ve been MIA from my blog for some time now. I hope you all didn’t miss me too much. This may turn into a long, rambling post with little to no point. I hope you don’t mind.

So, where have I been? First of all, I made it to graduation and crossed the stage on May 18th. I may now officially refer to myself as Mandy Webster, MS, MA. Wow, look at all those letters behind my name! I also got an A on my creative writing thesis (go me!) Graduation and all that goes with it is part of the reason why I’ve been largely absent from the blogosphere.

I was also wrapping up all seven of the courses I taught this semester (or quarter depending on which school I was teaching at.) Needless to say, after teaching seven courses and writing a thesis in one semester, my house was a bit of a wreck. Since graduation, I’ve been on a cleaning streak that has completely distracted me from all things academic. Continue reading “Where have I been all this time? –And- My thoughts on STUFF” →

Poetry

What makes a poem a poem?

Mandy Webster
Walt Whitman's use of free verse became apprec...
Walt Whitman’s use of free verse became appreciated by composers seeking a more fluid approach to setting text. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What is a poem? Some may think a poem has to rhyme. (I disagree.) Others believe the syllables must be counted, or that a poem must be stuffed full of alliterative language. But what about free verse? What makes a block of words, a sentence chopped up onto several lines, a poem, rather than a mere chopped-up sentence or a paragraph scattered over several lines?

To me, writing a poem is about capturing a moment. It could be a feeling, a natural occurrence, or a quick glimpse into the life of one person. Most of my poetry describes just one, very small moment. These moments might last only a few seconds, or as long as several minutes. Rarely does the poem capture more than a very short block of time. Continue reading “What makes a poem a poem?” →