Happy Halloween- A WIP Put Aside.

I was blog hopping and came across Natalie Whipple's blog. Her post today is a WIP she lost interest in. I thought the post was a great idea. I have a WIP that I started off really strong and then put it to the side and have yet to go back to it. I think it is because it is about witches and so far from anything I have ever attempted before. I thought why not post it. A short witch tale for Halloween. So here it is the first few pages of a witch story I started and never finished. Keep in mind it is rough.  

For a girl who despised working out Addison was running an awful lot. Though, when you had an overzealous group of deranged witches trying to capture you, there really was no other option.

So as her foot smacked down onto the damp moss covered ground she found the strength to propel herself forward.  If she could just loop around the wooded area of her job she could get to the safety of her car. Even better she would be on her way to Brian’s.

One kiss from him would wash her mind clear of the mess she had gotten herself into. With the lingering thought of his soft lips pressed against hers her body became frozen in place.

A tingling frost washed over her every limb as she tried to fight free of the magic. No matter how hard she concentrated. No matter how hard she tried to fight, she couldn’t move, not even a single finger. Her eyes, however, were able to scour through the hundreds of oak and pine trees that were surrounding her.

The desperation in her smoky grey eyes began to fade as they darted up the tree trunks to the night sky above. She inhaled a deep calming breath and began to chant.

Above her the sky whirled into a fiery grey. Flashes of light striped the sky in long jagged bursts. As the last word left her lips a bolt streaked from the sky. Sparks of bright white and the smell of burnt wood permeated the air as a severed tree limb fell to the ground.

Heat surged through her veins as the magic holding her in place discharged from her body, flinging her to the damp moss below. How was she going to explain the dirt stains on her jeans to Brian? It was a problem but one she’d have to think about later.

Pushing the exhaustion away she rose to her feet and ran as fast as her perfectly toned and tanned legs could carry her. Her necklace, the one her grandmother gave her, was violently swinging on her chest every time her foot made impact with the ground. As she ran she lifted the long pewter chain that held a pewter medallion over her head and stashed it in her pocket.

When she arrived at her car she whipped open the door and took off before even getting a chance to pull the door completely shut. A victorious giggle slipped out as she pulled the door shut and fastened her seatbelt.

“Stupid witches when will they learn? I outrun them every time,” she said to herself as she turned onto the main road, her heart still rapidly beating as she nestled into the butter soft leather seat. “I didn’t even break a sweat.”

The road was dark in front of her. The few streetlights that lined the road gave off minimal illumination. However, she knew every curve like the features of her face. In which she knew very well since she spent hours a day examining it in her compact mirror.  

The first curve glided around the woods, she just came running from, in the shape of a horseshoe. It was the first of many. She loved this particular road. Growing up with a father who lived and breathed race cars made it impossible for her not to share his passion of cars and the open road.

As the curve of the horseshoe framed the growing wall of rocks, a point when most people would slow down, Addison sped up. The combination of adrenaline, fear and the excitement of the unknown fueled her desire to go faster.

  She closed her eyes allowing the feel of the road to guide her. A very slight disturbance in the smooth ride alerted Addison that she was around the first bend and coming up on the next. This time she opened her eyes wanting to see the shadows of the trees pass her by. Instead, the shadow of a dark figure, in front of her captured her attention.   

Without being able to see the squared chin or the outdated greased back haircut clearly, she knew it was Marcus, the leader of the psycho witch brigade, and the most powerful warlock of the clan, in front of her car. Her foot pressed down on the accelerator her only option was to kill him. Put an end to the whole fiasco. But killing Marcus wouldn’t necessarily end it. If anything it would only make matters worse.

As the engine gunned, pulling her closer to vehicular manslaughter her eyes fixated on Marcus’ outstretched hand. She had a split second to make a decision. Press down harder on the pedal or use the skills she learned on the track and pull a 180 and high tail it out of there.

It was a no brainer.

She chose option two. In one quick motion she yanked the E-break turning the steering wheel at the same time. When the malevolent expression on Marcus’ face was behind her, she sighed a breath of relief, before flipping her visor down and checking her makeup.

The lipgloss she applied before the dreadful run in still shimmered and her blonde hair still fell in loose curls on her shoulders. “Not bad for out running a group of deranged witches,” she said as she admired her reflection.

Now that they were behind her she could get in a good few hours of a make-out session with Brian before she had to be home for curfew. It was just another day.

Ever since she started dabbling in black magic her life was anything but uneventful and she liked it that way. Besides it’s what gave her the supermodel body, Pantene Pro-V ad worthy hair and silky smooth skin. It also helped her get Brian to notice her. He loved her, though it had nothing to do with the magic. He just needed to be able to see her clearly and all she did was give him that Windex wiped window to see her through.

Yup her life was perfect with the exception of the psycho witch clan, that for whatever reason would not stop chasing her, but she was getting used to them. Every time they chased her she got away. Every time they shot lightening out of the sky she shot it back with more intensity than they ever could muster up. Every time they thought they had the upper hand she showed them up and she knew it pissed them off and she loved it.

In less than fifteen minutes she would be in Brian’s bedroom and nothing else would matter. As she took the bend in the road, the same bend that she looped around for as long as her and Brian had been together, eight months and seventeen days, it was strangely different.

The rocks on her left seemed more serrated than usual, sharp almost blade like. The cliff to her right seemed narrower as if somehow someway the road was closing in on her. At first she thought it was her imagination playing tricks on her, but when Marcus floated out in front of her car again she knew it wasn’t her imagination.

It was real.

Very real.

 Only this time she couldn’t yank the E-brake and pull off a 180 unless she wanted to end up at the bottom of the cliff. With no time to react, she did as she did before. She pressed her foot on the accelerator until the black of the pedal met the black of her custom made floor mat.

First time was attempted murder this time she would succeed. She had no other choice. She didn’t have the time to use her magic or the resources to cause as much damage as she needed. As the curve in the road closed in on her she gripped the steering wheel and instead of a chant she said a prayer.

The jagged edges of the rocks pierced her car ripping and tearing away at the bright red paint. In her mind she begged the higher powers to forgive her. Swearing she would never misuse the power she was given again.

No one responded.

No words.

No miracle.

She closed her eyes accepting her fate as her car slammed into the rocks.

Some of My Favorite Fall Moments From Years Past

Because it is Halloween I thought I would post some of my favorite fall/Halloween pictures. Originally I was going to post pictures of my costumes from years past but I can't seem to find all of them. I'll add them if I find them.

My first and last attempt at carving a pumpkin. (Awful)

I was an Elf who worked in wrapping.

 Best Scarecrows Ever! (New Hampshire)

 Lucy and Madonna

 Pumpkin Picking

 Hay Ride to a Corn Maze (New Hampshire)

Rastafarian and School Girl 

 Frank the Warlock

 Eric pumpkin picking

 Hanging out in the pumpkin patch.

Pumpkin Picking

What are some of your favorite fall memories? Favorite costume?

Inspiration for NaNoWriMo

I have been doing a lot of research in preparation for NaNoWriMo and wanted to share some of the pictures I will be looking at for inspiration. Some people are big with music and making playlists. Me I look through images on Google. For this particular WIP I have my favorite pictures saved in a folder so I can flip through them when I get to a particular scene or just need a little inspiration.

This post has been sitting in my drafts for a few days now and yesterday while hopping through the blogosphere I found a similar post over at YAtopia. Click here to check it out.

Do you look at pictures for inspiration? 

If so, where's your favorite site to visit?

If not, where do you get your inspiration from? 

Don't Judge Me by My Email Address

I was on Twitter and read a tweet by an agent who basically said if someone sends a query with an AOL email account a red flag goes up and she has a hard time taking them serious. My heart stopped. Eyes bulged and panic set in. Seriously!

I'm aware that many people have switched over to Gmail and some people haven't used AOL since middle school, but I'm not one of those people. I have had an AOL email address since the beginning. Granted the names changed several times since my over dramatic middle school days but it's still an AOL email address. I'm used to AOL. I like AOLmail so should I really be judged based solely on what outlet I choose to use?

To me it's like judging a book by its cover. If you automatically dismiss someone just because of who they choose to have an email address with, you can be missing out on something great. Shouldn't my query and sample pages be the only thing I'm judged on? There are so many rules when it comes to querying. The last thing I ever imagined being a problem was having an AOL email account.

Would love your input on this one. What email account(s) do you use? And do you judge me because I never switched from AOL?

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction is the third and final book in Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry Series. In the first book, Perfect Chemistry we are introduced to the Fuentes family as the book focuses on the oldest brother, Alex. The second book Rules of Attraction focuses on the middle brother Carlos and this book follows the youngest of the Fuentes brothers, Luis.

A quick overview from the Barnes and Noble website:

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that hasn’t stopped him from other thrill-seeking behavior—like scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut. Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says "I love you," and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex’s wedding, and suddenly she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a south sider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world?

I absolutely love the Fuentes brothers. Alex is still my favorite and I love how his story continues through to this book.

While I didn't love this book as much as I did Perfect Chemistry I still really liked it. I loved how Luis and Nikki first met, their first interactions and how she wouldn't fall for his charm. I liked how Luis wasn't the typical Fuentes brother. He participated in sports, cared about his grades and had dreams and aspirations.

The last hundred pages were amazing, but the pages before that, weren't as amazing. I felt like the amazing parts were rushed and could have been drawn out a little more. Mainly because I wanted more of the action of the story lines that I came to love in this series. There was a lot of buildup to the action, but with Perfect Chemistry the buildup added to the action, in this book I felt like it slowed me down in getting to the action. If that makes sense. I don't want to give specifics for those that have not read it yet, so sorry if what I'm saying sounds vague.

Still Simone Elkeles created characters that are easy to fall in love. Characters you root for from the very beginning and she brings you into their world. I could visualize the story unfolding as if I was watching a movie. Hollywood seems to be lacking for movie ideas lately and I think this series could be a hit on the big screen.

If you have yet to enter the Fuentes' world don't wait another minute. You will love these boys and their stories.

Currently Reading:

Holly Lane by Toni Blake

 I was lucky enough to win an ARC E-book of Holly Lane by Toni Blake through one of her contests on Twitter. Toni Blake is one of my favorite authors and definitely my favorite romance author. I was ecstatic. I have been waiting for the release of this book, the fourth in her Destiny Series, since I finished the last installment of the series, Whisper Falls. And considering the book comes out TODAY I figured it was the best time to post my review.

A quick overview from Toni Blake's website:

The weather outside is frightful, but kisses by the fire are so delightful …

Sue Ann Simpkins is working hard to rebuild her life and find some holiday spirit. A weekend away from Destiny in a cabin on nearby Bear Lake seems like the perfect Christmas gift to herself—until her ex's best friend, Adam Becker, shows up at the door, claiming the cabin is his! And if that's not trouble enough, how had she never noticed how gorgeous he was?


Alone for the holidays and forced to play a reindeer at the local department store, Adam's been feeling rather Scrooge-ish himself. But finding the smart, sexy woman he's admired since elementary school waiting in the house he rented is helping to brighten his humbug mood. And when a sudden snowstorm strands them together in very close quarters, leading to one very hot night together, Adam soon realizes that what he really wants for Christmas is a second chance at love. Now all he has to do is convince Sue Ann…

Toni Blake, Christmas and a hot romance, three of my favorite things rolled into one, make for a perfect read. Toni Blake is a master when it comes to creating interesting characters and developing relationships. I loved the chemistry between Adam and Sue Ann. The fact that she is the ex-wife of his best friend made for an interesting story line. What I loved most was that they never noticed each other in that way, but when you take away the barriers that were preventing them from doing so the chemistry is so obvious. 

I fell in love with Adam. Granted he was cranky through a majority of the book, but when you take into account what he was cranky about, it only made me love him more. And hey nobody can be perfect all the time so give the man a break. The relationship he has with Sue Ann's daughter, Sophie, also his god daughter, really shows his tender side. And I loved reading their interactions and everything he did for her in order to make what could have been her worst Christmas after her parent's divorce, the best Christmas possible.

If you have read the series from the beginning like me, you would know that each book focuses on a specific character that lives in Destiny. In the first book One Reckless Summer we are introduced to Jenny and Mick and I was thrilled to see that not only were they back but they also had their own subplot.

I'll admit that Tessa and Lucky from the third installment, Whisper Falls, are still my favorite couple, but I still loved Sue Ann and Adam. Then again I love all the characters of Destiny. They are all perfectly flawed and as crazy as it sounds I feel like I know them.

Holly Lane is a great holiday read and just a great read in general. It really put me into the holiday spirit and I can't wait to see what happens with all of the characters I have grown to love in the next installment of the Destiny Series, Willow Springs out July 2012- not soon enough.

If you are a fan of romance and have never read a Toni Blake book, what are you waiting for? The Destiny Series is the perfect series to be introduced to her flawless writing and swoon worthy characters.

Tomorrow's Review:

The Bronx Zoo

The greatest thing about living on Long Island is that I am surrounded by amazing places. One of my favorite places in New York is the Bronx Zoo. Among the chaos and hustle bustle of life in the city there is this serene haven of beautiful creatures. It's a must.

I try to go twice a year. It's been awhile since my last visit so I couldn't wait to get back. A few weeks ago I made the trip in and visited all of my favorite spots.

We'll start with the obvious. The lions and tigers and bears, oh my! For the first time ever the tigers were front and center. It took a long time to get the perfect picture since hundreds of people were trying to do the same, but my patience paid off. I think my picture came out pretty damn good.

My favorite bear is the polar bear. Most of the time it's sprawled out on a rock, basking in the sun. This trip was no different. However, in my attempt to get a picture, the polar bear gave me a little glance over the shoulder. Okay maybe it wasn't a glance, but it was better than the back of its head. So I'll take it.

The place that I love the most is in the Asia area of the zoo. It used to be free to access but now they charge to get inside. I wasn't exactly thrilled about that at first but once inside I was actually grateful for it. I went to the zoo on a beautiful day and it was crowded. And when I say crowded I mean people pushing their way past you in order to get a glimpse of whatever animal you are trying to see. So when we got inside and there wasn't a million kids running in circles or pushy parents, the money issue was no longer an issue. In a way by making us pay, the zoo was preserving my favorite spot. Now for the reasons of why it is my favorite spot in the entire zoo. I' won't tell you. I will show you:

 

 The Bronx Zoo is huge. I haven't even touched on half of the exhibits. So if you ever plan on going make sure you wear sensible shoes. The best time to go is when the air is slightly cooler. If you go in the summer when it is hot and humid you will have wet armpits and you will be miserable. You can do it. I have. And that is why I am warning you against it. You can do with my advice as you wish. Just know you have been warned. Honestly my favorite time to visit the zoo is when the weather is much cooler. Winter coat cooler. It's cold don't get me wrong, but the zoo is quiet. Who is crazy enough to go walk around a zoo in a New York winter? My point exactly. You can walk for hours and not see a single person. Some of the exhibits are closed during this time. It doesn't make it any less of an experience. It makes it more. The giraffes are in an area where you can get up close and personal and you can stand there for hours just admiring how amazing they are. While I recommend the zoo in the winter I do not recommend the light show they have for the holidays. The last time I went half the lights were broken and there were so few of them that it really wasn't worth it. Go for the animals. Nothing else. And you will love it. 

Have you been to the Bronx Zoo? What is your favorite animal to see?  What is your favorite zoo?

Tomorrow on the blog: Holly Lane by Toni Blake

Pumpkin Picking

For me, pumpkin picking is a tradition. I am huge on traditions. As soon as the calendar changes to October I have to go. And not to break tradition I go to the same farm my parents brought me to every year since I was a baby, Helen's.

The thing about Helen's is it's not just the fact that I have been going my whole life it's the fact that you actually pick the pumpkins off the vine. They are not randomly thrown in a field where you go pick out the best looking one and leave. Oh no. Going to Helen's is an adventure. You get a wheel barrow and you head into the actual field where the pumpkins are grown. Through mud, vines and more times than not rotting pumpkins, you keep your eyes open looking for the perfect pumpkin to pick off its vine. Some times You can find the perfect pumpkin already taken off its vine, but I leave those there for the people that are looking for convenience.

This year I went with the limit of three pumpkins set. I should know by now that no matter how many times I set a limit I will never stop when I get to that limit. So in true Theresa fashion or what I like to call tradition I went above my limit of three and returned home with six pumpkins and a pot of mums. It was a blast. Fall would not be fall if I didn't go pumpkin picking.

Do you go pumpkin picking? Do you have any fall traditions?

Kykuit- A Rockefeller Estate

On Columbus day I convinced my boyfriend to take a ride up to Sleepy Hollow, NY to visit Kykuit, a Rockefeller Estate. Our original plan was to go to Newport, Rhode Island and tour the mansions but plans got changed and we weren't able to go. Even though our plans had changed I still had the desire to explore a piece of history.

John D Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and one of the wealthiest men in America during his time, built Kykuit in the Pocantico Hills overlooking the Hudson and the NYC skyline in the far distance.

To get to the house you first have to go to the Philipsburg Manor where you take a bus up to the estate. There are several tours to choose from to accommodate different schedules and tastes. We chose the classic tour that was 2 1/4 hours long and cost $23 per person. I'm a history buff so when I take a tour I want to know about the people who lived in the home. I want to be able to close my eyes and be able to picture these people and how they played their lives out within the walls of the home. I didn't really get that with this tour.

I've toured the Newport Mansions and was surprised to find this home to be much more modest than the Vanderbilt's summer homes. Not to say that the house is small because it is far from small but when you compare it to say the Breaker's whose foyer alone is 50x50x50 it is surprisingly smaller than expected.   And because the rooms were small and with a group of close to twenty people it got cramped and made it difficult to admire the rooms. Plus I didn't want to be that person that stood in front of everyone admiring while others tried to look over my shoulder. So I looked, took it in as quickly as I could and stepped aside for others to have a turn. The guide talked more about the fixtures in the home than the family.

The grounds were beautiful. From breathtaking views to gorgeous landscaping, the grounds made it all worth it. I could only imagine how amazing the view would look with the all the changing fall leaves. I kind of wish we waited a week or two to visit so I would have been able to witness it in all its glory. Still, it really was amazing. The grounds were also adorned with sculptures. The Rockefeller's especially John Jr. was a collector. In the basement of the home is the gallery. Picasso and Warhol are just two of the famous artists that hang on the walls. It is a rather large collection and if you are a fan of modern art then I highly recommend checking it out.
For more information regarding Kykuit, you can visit the website:
https://www.hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/kykuit

Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, And the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz

When reading this book I was shocked at the amount of people that asked me, "What is a Flapper?" It wasn't just people in their twenties that had no idea what a Flapper was but people in their late forties as well.

The Flapper defined a generation and helped steer women away from uncomfortable and more times than not hazardous corsets. They also paved the way for women's rights, doing away with the Victorian mindset and pulling America towards a more modern time where women acted just like their male counterparts.

The book focuses on many of the individuals that helped define the flapper. The most popular being Zelda Fitzgerald, wife to F. Scott Fitzgerald, the writer most known for his novel The Great Gatsby. He is even credited for inventing the flapper, as his stories included rebellious woman who he based solely on one person, his wife, the ultimate flapper. It was interesting to read about the beginning of their relationship and how their love for the careless freedom of the era was ultimately the thing that ended them. It's in a way a tragic love story, but a love story nonetheless. And I really enjoyed reading about their rise, fall and their undeniable love for each other.

Lois Long is another person that this book focuses on. She was a young twenty something journalist who worked for the New Yorker and became famous with her column about New York nightlife. She partied at the speakeasies, drinking through the night, sometimes even showing up to work drunk, in the same clothes she wore out the previous night. Girls all over read about her exploitations and wanted to be her or at least be part of the scene that she glorified in her writing.

Hollywood helped put the Flapper on screen, first with Colleen Moore than with Clara Bow. With their dark bobs and shorter hemlines they brought to life the women that until that point were only imagined from magazine articles and advertisements. Both stories are interesting especially the time in which they were stars and the time after.

If you are interested in the time period and the people that defined it, I would highly recommend this book. While it took me some time to read, every time I picked it up I was captivated by the stories of these remarkable people.

Ahh! Not the Lunchroom Scene!

Recently I started reading over one of my WIPs I had put off and a few chapters in stumbled upon the dreaded cafeteria scene. Ahhh!! You know which scene I'm talking about. The one where your main character walks into the cafeteria and then gives a rundown of all of the cliques and where their designated area is. In my defense I started this WIP about three years ago and that was before I knew much about the YA book world. Now I can't even tell you how many times I have read a tweet or a blog from an agent that specifically points to this type of scene with a big red X through it. 

I've also read that it is not true and high school cafeterias are not set up this way. Um. This is where I disagree because my high school cafeteria followed this seating arrangement to a T. All the jocks sat together, the so called Goth’s all gathered at the same table, the trouble makers at another, the "Skaters" close by and then tables like mine where there was no defining characteristic among us but we didn't fall into the other categories. I'm not saying that there was no interaction with the other tables there definitely was, but every day for most of the period people sat with their cliques. So you can say it is cliché but for me it was reality.  


So I guess you can say I am on the fence about it. I can see both sides and I agree with both sides. On one hand it seems cliche to categorize students. But on the other isn't that how it really is? 

My WIP is about bullying and basically the hierarchy of high school and I feel like the cafeteria scene is important, especially since something big happens during it. I'm just thinking I may need to go about it a little differently. Kind of take the cliche to a different place. 

What do you think...Are the lunch scenes overdone? Did your high school cafeteria sit in cliques? If so what clique were you a part of? 

   

From Submission to Bookshelves in Three Months. Really, Gossip Girl? Really?

I don't know if any of you watch Gossip Girl, but I just need to write about last night's episode. For those of you that do not watch the show this particular episode had to do with writing a book and getting it published. And that is why I feel the need to discuss it.

A little back story to understand this episode: Dan Humphrey wrote a book loosely based on his life and his "friends" but kept it in a draw. He wrote it for himself afraid to pursue getting it published because he didn't want his friends to read how he portrayed them. Of course, being TV and all, that wouldn't work. So send in Vanessa, the girl I don't even know why is on the show. She takes the manuscript and submits it to a publisher. Now here is where I started laughing.

From the time she submits it to the publisher to the time they make a deal and begin getting the book ready for shelves is less than three months. Vanessa left at the beginning of the summer and two episodes ago their summers were coming to an end so that is what I am basing my time frame on. Now two episodes later Dan has an agent and the book is completed and his first signing is scheduled. Not to mention it was going to be published anonymously until the previous episode when he finally stepped forward to claim the book as his.

Now I know it is a TV show, but really? From submission to bookshelves in three months' time. As a writer trying to break into the business I know this is the farthest thing from the truth that I couldn't help but laugh. No edits were needed, no contracts, no negotiations no nothing. He wrote a book. It was submitted. Three months later it was on shelves.  Can anyone else see the humor in this?

Hello? Theresa, are you there?

I've been a little MIA this week. I do that on occasion. Nothing against any of you. I just finished a WIP and after rereading and revising a million times I needed a break. My eyes hurt. My head hurt. My brain was mush. So it's been about week since I have written  anything and now the itch is back. I need to write something! I thought I'd start out with a short post to say Hi! *Waves* How is everyone? Then from here I'll jump into another WIP.

During my little break I was wondering if anyone else goes through the same process as me. As a writer I hear the same advice all the time. "Write every day." Now don't get me wrong it is great advice, but I'm sure even the most successful writers go a day or four without getting a single word down.

After I finish a WIP I need time to regroup and to let those characters go before I can jump into a new world with new characters. The new characters need my undivided attention and don't need me daydreaming about the old characters. So once I finish I step away from writing. Sometimes I spend that time reading, other times I don't and prefer to veg on my couch and watch reruns of Jersey Shore. Why? I have no idea. That show is the epitome of garbage but once I turn it on I can't change the channel.

Usually after a week I'm ready to go. Sometimes it's shorter and sometimes it's longer. But I always know no matter how long it takes, the itch will always return. I'm a writer. I just need a break every now and again.

So I want to know. Do you take breaks in between WIPs? Do you take breaks while you are in the middle of a WIP? Or do you follow the advice of write every day?