Well, it looks like I caught the bug too! I always enjoying NaNoWriMo and even though things have been insanely busy, it seems I can’t escape the excitement of NaNo coming around the corner.
The story is still in pieces in my brain, but I started doing character profiles yesterday in my notebook and things are starting to come together! I’m getting excited for it, so let’s see where it goes.
How’s everyone else’s NaNoWriMo plans going so far?
Someone at my Livejournal blog (which I keep specifically for fandom and personal rantings) posted about what characters in fiction share your Myers-Briggs personality. I admit, I had to take the test all over again because I did not remember what I was.
(If you don’t know either, take the test here.)
I’m an INFJ (Introverted, iNtuition, Feeling, Judging) which according to several internet sites is a rare personality type among the 16 types.
*
Here is INFJ in a nutshell:
INFJs are creative nurturers with a strong sense of personal integrity and a drive to help others realize their potential. Creative and dedicated, they have a talent for helping others with original solutions to their personal challenges.
The Counselor has a unique ability to intuit others’ emotions and motivations, and will often know how someone else is feeling before that person knows it himself. They trust their insights about others and have strong faith in their ability to read people. Although they are sensitive, they are also reserved; the INFJ is a private sort, and is selective about sharing intimate thoughts and feelings.
*
This describes me to a T, and actually it’s a little frustrating to see myself so plainly spelled out, but it made me think that perhaps a lot of my stress and woes really tries into my nature of wanting to be everyone’s counselor and fix everything in life that’s broken. Maybe I do care a bit of a superman complex as well, or at least a person so blindly dedicated to a cause.
And yet when I posted my results on facebook as well, I noticed at least three more INFJs, which makes me wonder if we really are that rare, or that it really is true about INFJs when it comes to friendship, that we’re very particular and like to collect friends with perfectly aligned interests.
I thought it was interesting. Here are the famous people that are also INFJs that I like:
Mohandas Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Emily Bronte, Carl Jung, Florence Nightingale, Shirley MacLaine, Jimmy Carter, and Edward Snowden.
And then of course, here are the fictional characters that I know which are also INFJ:
Yue and Roku from Avatar: The Last Airbender
Paige Matthews from Charmed
Bruce Wayne from The Dark Knight
John and Anna Bates from Downton Abbey
Walternate from Fringe
Peter Petrelli from Heroes
Merlin from Merlin
Anthy Himemiya from Revolutionary Girl Utena
Christine Chapel from Star Trek: The Original Series
Kes from Star Trek: Voyager
Ezri Dax from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Ianto Jones from Torchwood
Jasper Hale from Twilight
Phil Coulson from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars
Allison Argent from Teen Wolf
Amy Pond Doctor Who
Find your fictional character personality types too HERE.
What personality type are you? Does it fit you?
Have a good weekend!
H.K. Rowe
I’m finally getting to this, but I was tagged by Leigh Michaels to show my writer’s workspace. Sometimes I can write pretty much anywhere as long as there’s a good environment, like in my spot on the bed or on the couch. I have a hard time with distractions, so couch-writing doesn’t seem to work out much anymore, especially with the TV on or the husband trying to make conversation. Writing is like reading to me, which means I dive into another world. Only my body is left in the real world after that… You might as well talk to a tree.
My main space is my studio. It’s our second bedroom in the townhome. It was always meant to be mine since hubby took over the basement for his mancave, and that’s fine. The house came with pink carpet in this second bedroom, which really seemed to fit me.
Here are some shots. 🙂
The window, along with stacks of art and writing stuff. What can I say…
Being an artist and writer takes up a lot of space, let me tell you, but I guarantee everything is organized!
Surrounded by books, books, and more books. And fannish things. It feels like home…
More books and my helpers. Malachy in front, my schnauzer/beagle mutt, and then Whiskey, beagle, on the go.
And then the computer where all the writing happens. It’s hard to tell but I have my self-publishing manifesto framed on the right. Marilyn Monroe graces my walls. It’s more of the “Marilyn Room” than my studio, but she was so ahead of her time, so independant and carefree, that she inspires me.
This is where 90% of my writing happens. I can shut the door, put on Spotify, and with sleeping guard dogs at my feet, I can travel into other worlds.
I’d love to tag Aether House for this. And anyone else who wants to do it and follows my blog.
Looks like I caught a virus. I think that it’s finally getting out of my system, but things are slow. At least I can properly formulate thoughts now…
Cheers,
HK Rowe
Real life continues to monopolize my time away from productive writing. I don’t know if everything I’m going through is supposed to be a challenge to that or what.
I’ve been sick for the past few days with a bad cold. I’m still getting over it. I’m hoping to get the energy and mental capacity to bring 100% to my edits. Until then, I just rest and let the medicine do its magic.
Work starts again tomorrow and I know I’m going to get pounded with work. Mostly because one coworker has left and I’ll be getting his work, plus the responsibility for looking for someone to replace him. Ugh. The trials of working for a small company. You get to wear many hats.
At least I have Doctor Who. Yes! I’m a huge Whovian. I can’t help it. The show is my balm to all my life’s trials.
I still plan on doing a Goodreads giveaway. The editing is just taking FOREVER per chapter. I suppose it’s good that it’s such a slash and burn. Something better has to come out of all that effort.
Until next update. Cheers.
HK Rowe
It’s been a frustrating September beginning. Ten days in and my edits for Killer Orange are going slow, and even though the fault is my own, I can’t take the full responsibility when real life rears its ugly head.
I have been absent from blogging because of my anxiety, a condition I have had to live with for several years. They have been less frequent since I moved over to my new job, but once in awhile panic attacks come back with a vengeance, mostly with a partner in crime – the migraine.
So I have a health excuse. My anxiety flared the moment I learned we’d have to deal with an selfish, uncaring neighbor who has let her toilet leak into our garage for over two years, something she was supposed to fix in the first place. Well, here we are, working on getting 2 years of black mold removed from above our garage. Whether or not spores have migrated into our house remains to be seen, which is another part of my anxiety of having to pay for unexpected tests that are not my fault.
Long story short, this neighbor is the WORST to deal with. She wants to fix our garage the cheapest way possible, she refuses to talk to us over the phone, and she warned us to NOT talk to her tenants that are living in her mold invested condo. Of course, the situation has escalated to barbs, yelling and name calling – and the worst is when she told my husband she had wished he had died from the mold “if he was so allergic”.
The rest of the story isn’t important. It’s a rant for another day, but it got me to wonder about characters, about how we write or imagine up despicable characters to become part of this story. Lately I’ve seen a trend of redeemable villains. I like that trend.
What I haven’t seen much in my own writing are the despicable just merely being despicable. Maybe it’s against my nature to think that some people are just terrible and have no softer side, have no love in them and are irredeemable.
Dealing with this land lady neighbor has changed my perception of that.
There’s basically nothing I can do to combat her. I can’t write my way out of this situation. There is no fiction here; there is no protagonist that can appeal to the better angels of a real life character who just happens to be a nosy, heartless cheap-ass.
I have to ride the choppy waves of dealing with this lady, and I can pray that this situation doesn’t get worse. I can hope that we will finally be done with her, and she will fix our stuff. I can hope she does something kind for once and takes responsibility for her own problems without creating ten thousand more.
Maybe I’m expecting too much from her, but feeling powerless in appealing to her better nature irks me. It pokes at the anxiety, yes, but it just aggravates me that as an adult, she can’t be reasonable.
The only thing this lady has inspired me to do is use her.
I’ve seen an article floating around, I think by Cracked, where writers have gotten their revenge on real people by using their names and personalities into their stories.
I definitely agree with this sort of coping mechanism. Some things are just out of our control in the real world, when writing lets us play a sort of god.
And on that side note, being in sales and just my personality in general, I’ve been able to talk my way out of many sticky situations before without much fallout. In this situation, it seems I can’t.
So… you crazy ass diamond neighbor lady, I hope you enjoy your reign of terror on my anxieties and energies. Someday, maybe you’ll be somewhat famous. You’ll become the terrible plot device to move my story along, the first body on the scene of the crime, or the annoying character that just had it coming from the beginning.
It’s definitely the best solution I’ve come up with for dealing with such people.
I encourage other writers to do it (even if you haven’t already). It’s a great form of therapy.
Cheers,
H.K. Rowe
I admit… I have barely touched “Killer Orange” since I got it back from my Betas. I have thought about it, and I have even raged about it. I’ve pulled out Elements of Style and reread it. I have started reading other guides on character development and writing tips.
After all that, I was fully prepared to start editing Saturday and then I decided to rest. I slept, and I started to feel very anti-social, down in the dumps and just anti-everything. Sunday I napped more, I cleaned my house, and then I went to a friend’s party. I had a friend tell me how cool it was that I published a book and how they were proud for me.
I felt good and Blessed, but I also felt like a coward for waiting to work on my edits.
Today was Labor Day so of course I had no work. My mother and I went to the Renaissance Fair in Bristol, WI and enjoyed ourselves. I think my mom was really happy to go because I wasn’t sure I could go this year, not when I was pushing myself with getting my book out and having it be delayed anyway. Regardless, my mom was happy that she could go and wouldn’t be alone, and I felt like maybe delaying my book was meant to be. We HAD to go to RenFaire this year, and it was almost fated. Last year when we went, my father was still alive. He had stopped chemo treatments and could have a beer again. He bought my mom a big sword she really wanted. He was the happiest I’d seen him for most of the year. It was bittersweet because we knew it would be his last RenFaire yet he was so happy.
Two months later he was gone. Everything changed.
So we had to go this year.
Maybe I felt like this weekend was a break. I had a lot of time to reflect, and when I was feeling ill and tired, I took time for myself to relax. I utilized the true meaning of a Labor Day weekend.
Tomorrow I have to go back to work and also, I have to go back to editing “Killer Orange.” I need to face that computer screen, open that file, and deal with reality.
If I can move on for my father, then shouldn’t I move on for myself? I’m the one who still has a chance to accomplish something. I’m the one who has to battle different fears, which are so trivial in comparison of what many people face everyday.
I’m the one who has to actually DO something instead of saying I’m going release a second book. I need to make it happen. I need to face it, and I won’t get there if I cling to fears and let the demons win.
Cheers,
H.K. Rowe
I’ve been talking about this for a couple weeks now, but here is my official post. I apologize to those who have bought my first book “Unbridled” and have seen that “Killer Orange” was slated for release this month. With August gone and the second round of editing in full swing, this novel did not make the release date. I would rather give my readers a fully polished product than something I forced out there because of a self-imposed deadline.
By gaging the work this book needs, the release date will be end of October. It might even be a nice Halloween event, considering the subject matter of the book.
In the mean time, look for some quick upcoming updates. I’ll be doing a Goodreads giveaway for “Unbrided” and I will be doing a short-term lowered price of the book as well. I’ll be releasing the Cover page of “Killer Orange” in September as well.
As I go through edits, I will also be sharing some snippets of the book.
I’m both excited and nervous for this editing process. Only because I know my editors can be harsh, but I’m going to be even harsher on myself, now that the smoke has cleared.
Enjoy your holiday!
Cheers,
H.K. Rowe
It’s going to be a long editing process…
I’m getting more of my drafts back from my beta readers, and I feel like I still have a lot to learn about self-publishing, about deadlines and about editing and how much this process takes.
Editing is CRUCIAL, but what I’ve found that is also crucial is not to subscribe to tight deadlines UNTIL someone has read your draft. Someone other than your mother or your best friend, but someone else that you can trust tell you exactly how they feel about the story because they are experienced writers and readers.
I got a line edit back for Killer Orange and it looks like it’ll need more polish and TLC before my original release date. Am I sad? Not really. I’m cautious and thankful, and I feel a little foolish.
Am I going to make my self-imposed release on August 31st? Probably not – not with the scorch and burn editing I want to do, the submission back to a few beta readers AGAIN, and then the final polish. It’s going to take more loving care, as mentioned.
To make up for it, I’m going to do something for Unbridled. I think I’m going to do a promo during that first week of September at a lower price.
I thought it would be smooth sailing with this book, and I envy authors that can pump out three to four books a year. It boggles my mind. Of course they are probably full time writers, or at least have part time jobs. I can’t wrap my brain around it; I can only work on what works best for ME as an author.
I’ve learned a lot this past summer. I read at another blog that your first couple of books are going to suck. That your fifth book’s draft is going to suck, but it’s a journey and maybe someday I’ll learn and get to a point where I’ve hit my stride. Success for things like this do not happen over night (for those who do have such success, please tell me your secrets!). The original writing business is so SO much different than writing a mere drabble or one-shot of fanfiction for your favorite manga or TV series. There IS blood, sweat, tears, and feelings of complete self-loathing to this process.
The good thing is… I abhor self-loathing and I never dwell in such dark places within myself for too long. I’m ready pour myself a glass of wine, fire up the computer, hook up my dual monitor screens, and start slashing this baby.
But before I do that I have to finish my day job, go to my part job tonight, and attend a funeral tomorrow.
I’ll keep you posted on those upcoming promotions!
Cheers,
HK Rowe
Hello, real world! I hardly see you anymore…
My first beta draft came in last night and I’ve heard mutterings of more coming in at the end of this week. I’m excited to finally slash through this story and then work with the final edits. I’m going to make this release deadline for Killer Orange even if I lose sleep over it. Though lately it hasn’t been necessary. I just need to be dilegent in my free time to work on my book and only my book. Sorry but TV time and housework has to suffer!
I have also been struggling to sketch out what I want to do for the cover but this morning I had a moment of clarity and I jumped on iStock and found THE PERFECT stock photo to use. I will be doing some illustration on the background and style but it’s nice to have an image to work with that I don’t have to outright draw. My background maybe illustration but sometimes it’s hard to get back in the saddle when I haven’t been doing it for awhile. I’ve been doing a lot more UX design than actual traditional design and art, and therefore I’d be wary of drawing anything that I’d want to sell. And there really isn’t time to brush up on my drawing…
And I also kept feeling it wasn’t something that was appropriate for book covers. I’ll keep my illustration skills for commissions on Livejournal for now. 🙂
Anyway, I’m excited to sit down and use that perfect image. Fingers crossed my day job won’t be too draining and I will have motivation to do so.
I have my schedule cleared for outright author hibernation! I will have to decline a few social invitiations this months, and I will have to be adamant when people judge me for being an antisocial hermit, but hey, it’s book release time!
Do or die!
Cheers,
HK Rowe
Editing “Killer Orange” is going well, but the process is too slow for my tastes. Well, maybe I’m a harsh boss on myself, but I want it to be done and in my beta readers hands YESTERDAY. Does anyone have a TARDIS I can borrow?
“Blazing Heat” continues to grow, and I hate when the story is stuck in my brain ready to be typed and I can’t work on it. Time seems to be my enemy too.
The day job sucks up a lot of mental power, especially lately. I have two important UX projects with big clients, and then I have another project with a client that is prone to email chains of design changes. Fun.
Some days I stop and wonder, “Where did the time go? Am I getting older?”
More stories are coming! And I will be partaking in a Goodreads giveaway soon, and I’ll probably price Unbridled cheaper for a small amount of time when one of the other books come out.
To add to all that, I must be bonkers for consider squeezing in freelancing gigs too.
Well the family has to eat, I guess!
Until next time,
H.K. Rowe
H.K. Rowe 