Monthly Archives: November 2010

Filling up the Tank

Posted on November 29, 2010 by bethanyrsmith

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I’ve had a good reason. I’ve posted before about my firm belief in the importance of taking breaks. I’m not one of those writers who think you should write every single day. I do believe the maxim that "writers write" but I also believe "writers read" and "writers watch movie/tv/other forms of media" as well as "writers clean the house" and "writers hang out with friends and family". So, basically, my thinking is that in order to write about life you must first have one.

So that’s what I’ve been doing since I sent out my queries (nothing new to report on that front, but last week was thanksgiving in the states so I wasn’t expecting news). I’ve been watching movies and tv, reading, buying Christmas presents and hanging out with friends and family. Filling up the tank, so to speak.

Also, there’s this thing that always happens to me at the end of my exams. As soon as I feel like I can finally relax, I suddenly contract some form of flu/cold/bug and start coughing up a lung. Now, I wasn’t at uni this semester, but finishing up my book happened to coincide with the uni exam period, and sure enough, as soon as I put down that red editing pen, I got sick. I’ve eaten nothing but soup and soothers for days.

Resting and ‘filling up the tank’ has the wonderful side effect of blooming inspiration. Two weeks ago I was feeling incredibly tired and burnt out. I was actually scared I may never get excited about a new idea. But as I spend time filling up on beauty and wonder and fabulous stories, I’ve started getting that old itch back…

Oh, and I’m so excited about Christmas coming! We’ve decorated the house, put up the tree, wrapped presents and bought a cute little nativity scene. Soon we’ll be planning our Christmas dessert menu and cleaning up the yard for the fabulous outdoor feast we always host for our family and friends.

And this time next year we will be in New York, finishing up our holiday in style.

But for now, I’m resting up, filling the tank and trying to get rid of this ugly bug I’ve got.

Happy Holidays everyone!

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Tiger Eye Stats

Posted on November 16, 2010 by bethanyrsmith

Tiger Eye is done and away so I thought I’d list a few stats.

Initial idea: January 2009, Movie World

Cultivation of idea: January – July 2009

Began Writing: August 2009

First Draft: 6 months (August 2009 – January 2010)

First Draft word count: 69,000

Second Draft: 3 months (March – May 2010)

Second Draft word count: 71,000

Months with critique partners: 3

Third Draft: 1.5 months (September – October 2010)

Third Draft word count: 78,000

Final read through/edits: 1 week (November)

Query drafts: about a zillion

Sent to first 5 agents: 15th November

First response: 16th November (partial request!!!)

Here’s to many more statistics in my writing career!

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Major Achievement

Posted on November 15, 2010 by bethanyrsmith

I just pressed ‘send’ on my first query for my very first manuscript.

(Or rather, Michael pressed send as I was too scared to do it)

Holy freaking crap.

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Happy-Making List

Posted on November 9, 2010 by bethanyrsmith

Thing 1:

Yesterday my lovely mother-in-law and I had manicures! It was my first, and as I’m not a big nail person, probably my last for a very long time, so I decided to pick a crazy colour. I asked for watermelon but the colour turned out more what I like to call ‘harlot red’. My MIL’s colour, while much more subtle than mine, had a very interesting name that I promised I wouldn’t tell, but is a word I would never use to describe her – making it all the more hilarious.

harlot red!

The colour is also rather Christmas-y, in a "I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus" kind of way, which makes me happy because…

Thing 2:

I’ll be getting a nice big tax cheque in the next few days which means I can do my Christmas shopping early! I’ve noticed a fair amount of bah humbugging around these parts, but I for one love Christmas. I’m so excited it’s coming to this time of year, largely because:

Thing 3:

It’s so beautifully warm today! It’s the kind of weather than makes me remember why I live in Australia rather than anywhere else on the planet. I love rolling out of bed and pulling on some jean shorts and being completely comfortable. I only wish it were this lovely all year ’round. Yesterday, after the manicure, we went to the beach for a short walk and it was just achingly beautiful. The water is still a bit cool but come December I’ll be living at the beach.

Thing 4:

My bestie Lena is finishing her exams on Wednesday so we can hang out again! I see many movie marathons, coffee dates and beach trips in our future. Oh, I love summer!

Thing 5:

Work managed to squeeze me in for a massage this morning and I’m pretty optimistic it will have taken care of those disabling headaches I’ve been getting, allowing me to enjoy all of the above.

Thing 6:

I might just finish my read-through of Tiger Eye today, which means I can start sending it off on the weekend :)

Thing 7:

This weekend my husband is running a LAN at the church which means very soon all his hard work over the past few months will come to fruition and I will have my husband back at last :D

And I think those are enough things for the moment. What’s your happy-making list?

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Twenty-One and Disney Princesses

Posted on November 5, 2010 by bethanyrsmith

Twenty-One is, I think, an age of ‘becoming’.

Through most of your adolescence you have worked on figuring out who it is you want to be. At eighteen you are suddenly declared an adult, and thus starts the testing stage. With a slew of new responsibilities and opportunities you start making the choices that will define who you become.

And at twenty-one you start becoming that person.

(For an only slightly related but very interesting discussion on child prodigies see this link).

Of course, this could all be hogwash, but it’s true for me from my rather limited point of view. Maybe I will look back in 50 years and say I never really stopped ‘becoming’. Maybe 30 is my year. But for now, at twenty-one I feel like I really am becoming the person I want to be.

To take a potentially deep conversation in a very silly direction, this train of thought began after taking a ‘Which Disney Princess Are You?’ quiz. Now, I doubt the accuracy of any of these quizzes, but the result of this particular one really made me think. Normally when I take a Disney Princess quiz (yes, I have taken more than one. What can I say? I grew up in the 90′s) I get Belle. Or Cinderella. Now these are perfectly lovely princesses. Most of my friends would take Belle in a heartbeat, but I admit I was always disappointed.

Belle is not the kind of hero I want to be.

Belle wants "adventure in the great wide somewhere" but she never actually takes up the challenge – at least not on her own. She only acts when forced to move out of her comfort zone after her father goes missing. While she is very noble and self-sacrificing once she finally takes action, even this choice – to take her father’s place as a prisoner – is rather passive. Things happen to Belle. She doesn’t make things happen.

I once had a long argument with a friend over which princess is better – the one who chases after what she wants (the prince) or the one who lets the prince chase her. Now it’s all lovely and romantic being wooed by a prince, and obviously the best kind of romance has two parties who are equally devoted to one another, but I much prefer the princess that makes things happen for herself.

 

I’m not sure if you’ve guessed but my favourite Disney Princess is Ariel. 

For one thing, how cool is her castle?

But more importantly, you could never accuse Ariel of being a passive hero.

According to the quiz:

Ariel

You are one stubborn, headstrong girl who is determined to follow her dreams. You would do anything for love, even risk her peoples’ health and happiness, albeit unwittingly. You would also do everything you can to correct mistakes or misunderstandings, even taking on infamous and dangerous… witches. Deep down, like any true archivist, you seek the truth in things and follow your heart. Hopefully, eveything will work out for you like it did for your avatar.

Okay, so hopefully I never risk my family’s health and happiness for my dreams (which I’m not convinced Ariel was doing – I think it is clear that only fear divided merpeople and humans, not hatred or danger) but I’m pretty chuffed with this result.

I lived most of my teenage years being passive and fearful, to a degree. I dreamt my dreams in private. I didn’t have a whole lot of faith in myself to make things happen.

When I was eighteen I took some big steps forward. I got a job that was way (way, way) out of my comfort zone. I started uni. I got married. I started taking chances. I decided I would no longer let opportunities slide by. I was probably a lot like Belle.

But this year, at twenty-one, I am finally becoming the person I want to be. I am confident in myself and in my goals. I am determined to pursue my dreams, to make sacrifices and to keeping trying no matter how many times I am knocked back. I am just about to submit my first novel.

All my life I’ve wanted to be Ariel. I’m only just getting there now.

And if you read the prodigies article, I’m thinking that’s a good thing.

Here’s to active heroes, determined princesses and being twenty-one.

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Summer Goals

Posted on November 2, 2010 by bethanyrsmith

Today has felt a bit anti-climactic after the high of finishing my third draft yesterday, which always seems to happen when I complete one of my goals. The only cure I’ve found is to make new goals, which is what I am devoting today to.

Now summer is my absolute favourite season. I love everything about it. I love the heat. I love summer storms. I love the beach. I love Christmas. I love the humidity. I love ice blocks. I love airconditioning. I love driving around with the windows down. I love sunglasses. I love sun screen.

I think you get the point.

The only problem is that summer is way, way too brief. I blink and it’s over. I never do all those summery things I spend the rest of the year planning that I’ll do. But this summer will be different. Because I have goals.

For your pleasure (well, more for mine, but anyway) I present my Summer Goal List:

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1.     Complete proposal of Summer Book (by Christmas) (This equals 3 chapters, a query and a synopsis)

2.     Reach the halfway point of Summer Book (by the end of summer)

3.     Wear a bikini at least once

4.     Go to the beach at least once a week

5.     Host a kick-ass Christmas

6.     Go on an overnight trip with The Boy

7.     Go snorkeling/ scuba diving

8.     Day trip to Nelson Bay

9.     Have a Disney Movie Marathon with my girls

10.  Read 10 books about the sea:

-       The Odyssey

-       Moby Dick

-       The Old Man and the Sea by Hemmingway

-       Robinson Crusoe

-       Treasure Island

-       Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea

-       The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

-       The Shipping News

-       The Complete Idiots Guide to the Oceans

-       Some other book I will find about the sea

I’m very excited about this. Especially the Summer Book part. I’ve been waiting for quite a while to get a crack at that story.

I’m going to make this the best summer ever! Who’s with me?

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Wheeeee!!!

Posted on November 1, 2010 by bethanyrsmith

78000 / 78000 words. 100% done!

That is all. Off to celebrate!

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