Oh my Word.

Found this really entertaining java application via Nathan Bransford’s blog, and I thought I’d try it with Sapphire Stars to see whether there were any problem words repeated too often.  So this script, Wordle, takes a chunk of writing (in this case, 83,000 words) and counts them all, then picks out the ones you use most often, then turns it into  a prettified graphic.

Here’s the first, NOT INCLUDING commonly used English words.  Pretty appropriate for a romance novel where the hero’s name is “Jek” (Jeksob) and the heroine is Anynka.  Sorry it’s so small.  Please click to make it bigger.  I don’t know how to do screen captures with macs yet.

Then here’s the one that does include commonly used words. (I was a little amazed, not gonna lie.)

 

Back

I have returned from my jaunt through South Korea!  Wahoo!  I’m alive!  I’m connected to the internet!  I’m back on Iki!  My house smells like mold!

Well, that last one isn’t very exciting.  But it’s my fault for not replacing the ghetto dehumidifiers.

Some highlights:

• Okay, this has nothing to do with Korea, but my crit partner landed an agent!  HUZZAH!  Fireworks everywhere!  She totally deserves it.
• The DMZ is surprisingly upbeat in a hilarious, doesn’t-quite-match-the-vibe sort of way.
• Seoul has fantastic greek food.
• Really, Seoul’s selection of foreign food is just amazing overall.
• I am really out of shape.
• I don’t like traveling somewhere where I don’t speak the language.  Still not learning Korean until after I, 1) “perfect” Japanese and Chinese, and 2) get a good conversational start on Farsi, as that’s next on the list.
• The coolest and rudest people in Korea are the “Ajumma,” married women over the age of 40 who wear this outrageous visors and heftily mismatched print clothing (flowers and leopard print?  Awesome).  They pretty much do what they darn well please.
• I have a freaking good deal here on Iki.  My life is amazing.
• Everything in Korea, at some point or another, was destroyed by invading Japanese.
• They use really cool colors in their temples.
• I like Busan better than Seoul.
• You meet the most interesting people by traveling.
• I’m really amped to study for the Foreign Service Exam now.
• While there may be good hiking in Korea, there is not so much good directions (especially in English) on how to accomplish said hiking.

So please tell me your fantastic news!  Or even your not so fantastic antics over the last ten days.

I’m ready to get back in the thick of life on Iki: planning lessons, writing my book, and fundraising for charity: water.  Apparently the article I wrote on that topic hit the newspaper last week.  I’m a little worried because I wasn’t here in case people asked questions, but I’m hoping I got some donations anyway.  I guess I’ll see when I go to school tomorrow.  If not, well, I’ve just gotta keep trying.

 

Please Note

The new progress meter to your right.  This is for my WIP that I’m committed to finishing.  No stop and start and stop crap that I did with The Wife Hunt, Untitled Future Earth 1, and Christmas Cookies.  Nope, we’re gonna get this thing done.

So please pester me about it.  Because I’m very lazy if it’s just me.

That is all.

(Oh, in case you were wondering, this is another futuristic romance.  And I guess you could throw in some paranormal.  Sorta.)

 

And in that ever-declining free time, I…

Play video games.  Almost entirely.  I got a package from Play Asia, a site that ships American/English based video games to countries all around Asia, that contained my shiny new copies of Sonic: The Dark Brotherhood and My Japanese Coach.  Both are entertaining, and the latter has certainly re-jump started my Japanese studying.  If you’re thinking on studying Japanese, I’d recommend it, though not by itself.  I think it moves a little fast and its examples/stroke order/translations are sometimes wrong.

In any case, what does this mean for the rest of my life?

Well, I’ve fallen into a rut with writing.

After finishing Steady in a Firestorm, I find myself unable to figure out where to go from here. I really ought to write it’s sequel, especially as it’s hard enough to sell a necessary series (though this is only two books), but when one of them isn’t even finished…  Well, that is something I should do if I want to make FS viable.

I have plans for two other books in the works: Christmas Cookies and The Wife Hunt.  The problem with the former is that I can’t quite figure out a synopsis that I like.  The problem with the latter is I just don’t feel comfortable writing in the era.  I’ve also come up with a cool premise for a world, but I don’t have much in terms of plot or characters.  Though if I keep working with it, something might come.

I mean, this isn’t the biggest deal.  Writing, though wonderful and fulfilling, is not my ultimate dream/career path in life.  At least not at this point.  I would love, adore, to be published.  But it’s not necessary for my worth as a person to be so, nor towards my overall happiness.  (Though it might help that whole loan repayment business, and that would very much improve my happiness, as then I could travel through Japan and Asia more.)

Yet, at the same time, I do feel a bit disappointed with myself for lounging away my free time with the DS.  Sure, it’s a nice way to unwind, and an excellent (legitimate) distraction while at work–I don’t think any of my schools mind me studying Japanese.  But I sort-of miss writing, if you know what I mean.  It was cathartic.  And as much as I try to write at work, I just end up staring at a blank page, wondering how to begin.

Eh, maybe I’ll get back into it once I start editing on FS.  Scheduled to begin this weekend!  Eep!

 

Open a bottle of Champagne!

BECAUSE I FINISHED* MY BOOOOOOOOOOOOOK!!! 

FS, otherwise known as Steady in a Firestorm, the epic first chapter (of two) in the series The Storms of Te’Rin, is complete!  After eight years of plotting and plodding and thinking; restarting and editing and dreaming.  I honestly had no idea that I could write “The End” on this mofo.  (The end, by the way, is a misnomer as technically, the second book, QS, will be The End.)  Oh, how I have agonized over this story. 

Currently, it clocks in at approximately 90,000 words (Microsoft Word count) which, in case you were wondering, is about 30,000 words too long for most Young Adult novels.  All I can say to that is: Thank God for JK Rowling. 

Because FS is my baby, I will not be sending it on the agent rounds until I can unclench my spidery fingers from it.  In fact, the plan of action is to keep planning (and hopefully someday selling) romances to land me an agent who will, obviously, Instantly Love FS and Sell It (along with my romances) at Auction for a very High Number at which point I will become the next Tamora Pierce. 

In the meantime, I will edit it, chop it to bits, edit it some more, sew it back up, and then begin entering it in contests.  Yes, contest is the magic word.  I will close no doors, bite no leashes, only get several accolades for FS so when it’s prised from my fingers like a child from the womb, it’ll turn straight into the next Elvis.

Oh… how I know it’s not going to turn out like that at all. 

In any case, to celebrate I bought more books, of course!

Graceling

Coraline

From London with Love

Young adult novels and Neil Gaiman and romance, oh my!  Trust me, I have plenty of literary fiction here in Iki.  Apparently the ALTs before me have been too cool for genre fiction and/or “Kid’s books.”  Well, I’m not.  I’ll take the mindless pleasure of romance, the knowledge of a happy ending, over the oft-times thought provoking and/or depressing literary novel.  And hey, I’m still growing up, so Young Adult novels tickle my fancy.  (In fact, I doubt I’ll ever finish “growing up,” so damned if I won’t be wandering into that part of the bookstore when I’m grey and cranky.) 

All of the books look like they’re going to be very enjoyable, and if I have the time (which I anticipate I will, knowing my life on Iki), I’ll stick up some of my thoughts regarding them here.   There are six (!) total, enough to keep me busy for at least two weeks.  Although I said that about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell,  an excellent book in case you were wondering, and I breezed through that one in four days.  Couldn’t put it down.  In any case, I am so excited! 

…except now I have to wait for probably three or four weeks because Amazon Japan takes friggin’ FOREVER.

*In other words, I’ve typed the words “The End.”  Except there’s at least one chapter that I have to change from one main character’s POV to another, add some back story on him, and all that jazz.  And there’s eleven handwritten pages of Chapter 16 that I have yet to type up.  But still…