WEBSITE AND NOVEL

The website has all its links now, and most of them have lots of content. Others have a description that's waiting for content. I've posted order information for the ragdolls and commissions and plenty of paintings and traditional artwork that may or may not be for sale. Fun stuff. Check it out at www.tamarahensonstudios.com!

Next up, we're polishing the site, finishing pic uploads, and programming the cart feature for on-site orders through credit cards, debit cards or PayPal. Then we have to start an ad campaign to drum up some sales. I'm also thinking of setting a few base prices for artwork and setting up a prototypes section for Myth-Babies.

And I've stalled on the novel. I don't even have writer's block. Just haven't worked on it, even though I'm so close. I think it's a different anxiety and starting other new things. But I'm just a few hours away from finishing the draft. What gives? I may just lock myself in my bedroom and refuse food and restroom privileges until it's done. Hmmm... I said that as a joke, but it sounds like a plan! :D

Cuddles,

Tamara

WEBSITE!

Workin' on the website today. A link-less home page and zero active content currently are all you see. But behind the scenes, a whole lotta uploadin' and tweakin' going on!

Go see it at tamarahensonstudios.com!

SO CLOSE!!!

At 46,051 words, this novel is nearing a good YA length. In the writing, I've realized how close I am to finishing the actual story! I haven't been focusing on the word count as much as finishing the story. As a result, the writing is less frantic and maybe even higher quality. I had expected my wordiness to take me up to 60K or more-- a no-no for YA novels. (Ummm... then I think of JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer and it worked for them...)

I've fought the urge to begin a full rewrite before I have the last few thousand words written. That's the thing that grinds progress to a halt. I did rewrite the eyesores called the two opening paragraphs, and Ryan says they're much better. And they don't read like Wuthering Heights. (Compliment, taken!)

But I have noticed some things about my writing and the editing process of this book versus the last:

1. The first draft is closer to what I want in a finished product, with an overall streamlined storyline that doesn't jump around as much as the last one. (The now-volume-two book has been gutted to more resemble the structure of the new book.)

2. In both books, the first-draft action scenes I write are better and take less editing than the rambling gushy stuff. Most of the latter gets cut out altogether or tightened up considerably. Considering I'm writing for boys, I guess this is good to point out.

3. It's not a heavyweight compared to the last one that WAS over 100K words. Not as daunting, much faster-paced, and I've actually got stuck reading through passages because the writing was actually engaging. 

4. Less pretentious, more straightforward writing. Not as many "darlings" to cut out later. "Writing well" is in a different league from "Writing accurately." I'll refer back to the crap novel I wrote in high school: good story, imagery and characters with potential, "accurate" writing, horrible to read. A++ grade. Flowery garbage compared to my preferences today.

5. My writing has improved, my voice is more obvious, and I don't make as many silly, time-consuming mistakes. Considering this is officially the third novel I've written (one in high school, the now-sequel to the current novel, and the current novel), I guess that should be a given. If anyone has any inkling of talent in a field they love, then they will improve with each effort. If they don't improve, they're in the wrong field. 

I'm really playing with the idea of pitching this as a novel with illustrations, but I don't know how that'll fly. At the very least, illustrations will help me to become more immersed in the world of my characters. So I'll play around with some sketches that I'll turn into finished illustrations. And also some cover art...

I expect to get the novel WRITING done very soon, since I'm writing every day instead of once a week or so. Moe says "Done is good." I agree.

Speaking of illustrations: The comic is only 10-pages-drawn and line inked, with two pages inkwashed. No lettering yet. I'm trying to get as much work as possible done before I go back to work in a couple weeks. I'll post some updates at that point.

Cuddles and hugs,

Tamara

WRITING!

One guess as to what I'm doing tonight... Yep. I'm actually writing. Not making dolls or inkwashing comics, but actual novelist things. So this is the plan all weekend. And when I've finished writing, I'll do more writing. And perhaps finish that issue of the comic I started... And dolls. But I can't sell squat until my website is up and running. If my website issue isn't solved in a week or two, Etsy, ahoy!

Real-world job, ahoy! Except I can't get anything with decent pay (even non-teaching jobs) until the end of August. Kinda sucks. So here I am, looking for restaurant work temporarily. Not in the same way that aspiring actors take a waitress or waitor job in the big city. But more in the same way that a poor girl who didn't get a teaching job still has to pay the bills, and has moved back to a small town where there isn't much work, and whose fiance isn't making enough dough to foot all the bills, but she still writes and draws in her spare time, hoping that all her query letters aren't rejections! Yeah. Kinda like that! :)

HERITAGE COLLECTION RAGDOLLS

I'd like to fall uphill for once. That's my plan. All my work toward getting the real-world job I wanted fell into unreceptive hands. No teaching job for me. But educational politics aside, I've still got that grain of faith and gallon of hope that say perhaps something much more lucrative and special is out there for me. So while I struggle with finances and trying to find a job that will pay the bills, I've devoted myself to the Big Three: Finishing Novels, Making Comic Books, and Dollmaking. Throw in a little intent-to-paint, planning a wedding, and settling into a new house, and I'm booked through the Fall. Oooh! And see my doll ad below:

Tama

I've got the new Heritage Collection series of ragdolls in production. There are 5 doll styles in the series: a brunette girl with green button eyes named Tama, a boy with light brown hair and dark green eyes named Bandon, a blonde with light blue eyes named Melly-Jane, a black-haired, brown eyed Ryan-O, and a dark blue eyed, redheaded Suzy-Sue. Tama, so far, wears a purple sundress with a green sash. Melly-Jane wears a pink princess-y dress. Suzy-Sue wears a yellow pleated skirt with a blue tank top. Bandon wears blue bibbed overalls. Ryan-O wears big shorts... with suspenders! :D

Bandon

Melly-Jane, no ribbons yet

Ryan-O

Suzy-Sue

They're all so cute! And since they're all prototypes, they have a lot more time and effort invested for a very high-quality product. If you're interested in purchasing a ragdoll that is here, or ordering a custom style, I'm pricing the prototypes inexpensively at $25.00 each plus shipping (unless I can hand deliver nearby). Please contact me directly with orders until my website's cart is functional. (hint, hint Ryan. Please don't let me make an Etsy store, cuz I'll have to raise my prices!)

DOLL DETAILS:

*Description: The Heritage Collection features ragdolls styled after myself and a few close friends. We're all from this country's heartland, and my ragdolls are designed after the traditional crafts of the country.

*Height: Between 17" and 18" not counting hair
*"Skin": Very soft cotton flannel
*Hair: Acrylic Yarn (sewn into-- as in Bandon doll-- or attached securely to head with thread.)
*Face: Hand-embroidered features, with button eyes
*Stuffing: Mostly acrylic fiberfill. Supplemented with fabric remnants in a couple dolls. (Fabric stuffing made a more traditional-feeling doll that was floppier!)
*Clothes: A variety of cotton and synthetic fabric blends, as well as additional buttons and ribbons.
*Overall Design: Ragdolls are lightly stuffed for cuddliness and floppiness. They are made as collectibles but built to withstand childplay. Bodices on clothing are lined and all skirt and pants hems are double-folded.

NOTE: Slight variations will occur with handmade dolls due to the process and availability of materials. Please ask about all-embroidered, small-child friendly eyes.

That's it for today. Save my website http://www.tamarahensonstudios.com/ to your favorites and keep checking! When it's shiny and functional, you'll get to see all the cool things we've been half-working on. Until then, email me at tamaravmhenson AT gmail DOT com with orders and questions.

Cuddles,

Tamara

LE MORTE DE DAY JOB

Numerous fringe benefits exist in the profession of teaching, at least under the current agrarian society, in that I can only work as long as the school year holds out. Unfortunately, as a non-tenured teacher, this means I'm unemployed at the time. Fortunately, while crossing my fingers and casting applications into the job market, I have dreaded "downtime." Since I'm a Creative, downtime doesn't exist. So, I've waited for this long to have a chance to frantically finish my several projects before I hit the blessed brick wall of new gainful employment.

Being broke has less stressful overtones than one would expect. My financial situation has presented me with the opportunity to tune out distractions and guiltlessly decline social invitations that cost money. All time belongs to me! Mwahahahaha! So I slept late the last two days... And tomorrow I have an honest-to-goodness alarm set, with actual intentions of getting up early and working.

And the compulsive lister in me won't shut up until I outline it:

ONE-WOMAN SELF-IMPOSED DOWNTIME SWEAT-SHOP

1. FINISH NOVEL DRAFT
2. REVISE/POLISH NOVEL DRAFT
3. SUBMIT COMPLETED NOVEL
4. PENCIL AT LEAST 1 CHAPTER OF COMIC BOOK
5. INK, SCAN, LETTER and COLOR COMIC BOOK
6. SUBMIT COMIC BOOK CHAPTER FOR PUBLICATION
7. CLOTHE 15 RAGDOLLS FOR SATURDAY EVENT

One of these I must get finished this week. After work and on weekends, I've made 15 dolls and all are nekkid, wearing nothing but embroidered smiles. Each needs un-nekkided and tagged by Friday night for a craft faire. We shall see!

I write best in the morning, draw best in the afternoon, and craft a'ight in the evening. At least that's what I'm going to tell myself, because that's the order of my focus, from the most mentally difficult writing to the easiest, more physically demanding crafting. Yep, this may be the best scheduling intention I've ever had. :-D

Love and cuddles to you all!

PREVIOUS WORD COUNT: 40,264

A Resounding "No Progress"

No writing done since last posting. Real-world to-dos kinda exhausting my reserves. Determination is a two-edged sword, apparently. Swing one way, and the blade does cut, but I can't use the other edge without removing the first. Trying to figure out how to just twist the blade! :-D

WORD COUNT BENCHMARK

WORD COUNT: 40,264

I finally reached the 40K mark, with a whole lot of busy times when I just didn't write, to a whole lot of times when I could but didn't have all the points clicking, to now when I just got mad and did it. With various distractions this day, most of which I ignored and some with which I will deal in a moment, I'm glad I finally dragged the carcass of my book over the speed bump into full action and adventure from here on out. I'm projecting at least 50K pages, but maybe more, depending, since I'd rather ramble and cut than come up short with content and have to write whole passages during editing.

WORD COUNT

CURRENT: 38,685

PREVIOUS: 38,146

UPDATE!!!

NEW CURRENT: 39,479

I'm finally just 10,500 words away from the NaNoWriMo goal. Ha! :) Just four months removed... Just finished a major section of the story. It's just some rising action, climax and denouement from here. Wait! That's MOST of a story...

WORD COUNT

PREVIOUS WORD COUNT: 36,890

CURRENT WORD COUNT: 37,300

Feeling under-rested. I'll try to do more later.