We’re Moving!

Posted on May 24, 2010 by MAL

Tis the end of the lady who lunches era/reign/bubble…she will soon be a lady who busts her ass at a wonderful job in writing that she adores in Chicago (that’s the idea, at least). In six weeks, we will be on our flight back to Baltimore!

We’re ready to try America out for a while. It’s been a year and a half in lovely England, and it just feels like the right time to move. We’ve gone back and forth on this decision for many months, hence my lack of discussion on here.

I am ecstatic!

Jock will be doing his same job in the states, and I will have to find something new. Don’t particularly fancy going back to casting (although for the right job, maybe), and now that I’ve started my career in writing, I’d like to continue – magazine or newspaper would be ideal.

If I can get a book deal in the next couple of months, obviously that would help majorly. As you know from my previous post, I am working hard at getting that done. Any contacts or advice from the Chicagoans would be greatly appreciated!

Meanwhile, the first couple of months in America will simply be relaxing and traveling. Jock and I have managed to save up a good deal of money so we don’t have to worry about finding work right away.

We’re thinking – uncle’s house in Las Vegas, grandpa’s cabin in North Carolina, best friend’s apartment in NYC, perhaps the beach in Ocean City, MD, a friend’s wedding in Chicago and maybe grandparent’s house in Miami, oh and of course Baltimore for a couple of weeks!

So, although our flight home is in just six weeks, we won’t actually be living in Chicago until September. (Chicago is the place where Jock and I fell in love nearly two years ago. We considered moving back to LA, but I kind of feel like I’ve been there, done that. Plus, he has a lot of friends in Chicago, and it’s right in between my hometown of Baltimore and my college town of Los Angeles.)

Never thought I would say that about moving back to the states, but I can’t wait to have my family and friends around me, grab a big gulp at 7Eleven, dry my clothes in a machine and wrap myself in a freshly dried, soft, warm towel, sunbathe in the SUN on a sandy beach, and eat a butterfinger, buy cheap intercontinental flights to Miami, LA, NYC, Baltimore, etc., and to talk to strangers in the street.

Things I am not looking forward to: American television, every girl and their mother asking my boyfriend where he’s from (and then batting their eyelashes and swooning – I will knock them out with a bat if I have to! *random aggressive feeling*), portion sizes, American radio (except your show Tyler, I will tune in for country just for you), country music, that feeling I always get in America that I’m not doing enough and can always do better, talking to strangers in the street.

P.S. Watch out Chicago ladies, because I will be starting another ladies group when I get there. Need my women around me! But of course, I will miss the original Ladies Who…!

Editing and Re-editing

Posted on May 21, 2010 by MAL

Pin it

What draft am I on for my novel? Perhaps the 8th, 9th…10th….

Have just finished reading the book: Self Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself into Print . Honestly, if you’re going to read one book on editing, this seems to be the one. Already, I feel like my manuscript is being transformed, and the writers (who are professional editors) give you clear explanations and many, many examples of writing that shows you, rather than tells you (important element of book) how to incorporate it.

I’m happy the way I approached my novel because ultimately, I got it done. As I was writing it, I didn’t dwell on a “correct” way of writing a novel, I went with my gut and my instincts and wrote my novel. However, now that it’s complete, I see that I have a lot of work ahead of me, but ultimately it will always be mine. The editors from “Self-Editing” point out a lot of common habits of first time writers, and I’m finding I fall into some of those categories. It was hard to hear at first, but then the more I read, the more I realized how much insight I did have. So, it’s a confidence-builder and reality check at the same time.

The first three chapters have already been completely revised. (and I’m looking forward to the day I can say that about the rest of it.) But if my work ethic is anything like it was during Script Frenzy, I will have the re-writes complete in the next twenty days. I got thirty pages done yesterday, there are just over 300 pages in the book, and if I give myself some leeway…20 days is doable, right?

I also have to give a HUGE thank you to the ladies of the Lady Who…group, my mom and Courtney for giving me such good feedback. I have already incorporated a lot of it, and their words really have made me think. So, if I haven’t already said it, thank you a million times over! And don’t worry, your names will all be credited in the back of the published work!

(P.S. If you want to see some pictures on Flickr that I just posted, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladywholunches/ )

Script Frenzy Month of Chaos!

Posted on March 31, 2010 by MAL

Pin it

Tomorrow starts the month of torture – the best kind. Late night writing, outlining, tearing my hair out, eye crossing, caffeinated bliss. 30 days. 100 pages. A format I’ve never done before.

I’ve entered an international writing event called Script Frenzy in which the participants have one month to complete 100 pages of a script. It can be anything from a screen play to a play for the theatre.

Michelle over at Mid-Atlantic English emailed me last week asking me if I was interested in signing up with her, and seeing as I’m putting my novel down for now (i.e. it’s finished and a literary agent is currently reading it), I need an excuse to take my mind off the novel and the possibility of it being published and I’m always up for a good, old fashioned challenge.

And, as I’ve never attempted to write an entire screenplay, I thought, why the hell not? I certainly read enough of them when I worked in casting in Los Angeles. Plus, since I’ve just completed the novel, the story is fresh in my mind, and hopefully, I can more easily layout the scenes for the movie.

I already vision the first scene – hungover, makeup caked, pasty mouth, Las Vegas, diamond ring gleaming on floor next to best friend. Sounds appetizing, doesn’t it?

Throughout the month of April, I shall be posting updates on how it’s going – the good, the bad, the terror.

So, allons-y! You with me?

January Word Cloud

Posted on January 31, 2010 by MAL

Pin it

It being the last day of the month, the wonderful Michelloui over at Mid-Atlantic English tagged me to do a word cloud based on what January means to me – clever words I’ve read, seen or perhaps written?

She writes:

“The End of Month Collection Cloud is a New Thing. I keep collecting words and phrases that sound right, savvy, delicious or outright decadent. Time to share. And I’d love to read yours…For more about this share fest, go here.”

January, for me, means the finishing of my first novel. So, I randomly (well, kind of randomly) scrolled through the 225 pages of my novel, and picked a few sentences to share with y’all. Enjoy! (You must click on words below to enlarge!)