Lost in a never-ending chasm of rewrites.
Posted: March 4, 2013 Filed under: Hunt, Odds and Ends, writing, | Tags: Hunt, revision, rewrites Leave a commentAt least it seems like it. For the last several weeks (pretty much since the first of the year,) I’ve been working on revisions of several projects. I move back and forth, rotating with whichever is on my mind at the moment.
I have had a couple of new ideas, I took careful notes and I’m letting them build, but they’re not quite ready yet. In the mean time, I have deadlines and a publication date to meet, so revisions it is. Revisions are just as important as drafting, as they’re where you make it good. First drafts are crappy, they’re supposed to be crappy, but through revisions and rewriting we turn crappy drafts into something that sparkles and shines.
To me, progress on revisions is less obvious. At the end of the day you don’t have a significant word count added to what you started with, and if, like me, you don’t work in software that gives you pages(except for the final revision), you don’t have a page finished count. That doesn’t mean it’s not just as, if not more, important.
So back I go into my seemingly bottomless pit of revisions. When I come out I’ll have at least one fresh, clean manuscript ready for the publisher.
How do you do it?
Deep sigh of relief.
Posted: January 3, 2013 Filed under: Escape, Hunt | Tags: beta readers, Escape, Hunt, project, sequel, series, writing Leave a commentI just sent Hunt out to my beta readers. Honestly? It feels great. I need to set a release date and work on the cover, as well as a couple other smaller details, but Hunt is mostly done. I need to decide which of my other ongoing projects to focus on next.
I’m seriously considering going back to my NaNo book, which is a longer sequel to Escape, not in the way that Fight and Hunt are sequels to Change, but still a series. The new book focuses on Steve’s story. Considering his position in the Chanat, we get to see quite a bit of Nick and Rebecca, to follow their continuing story, but they aren’t the main focus. I’m enjoying learning more about Steve and I hope you will too.
November, and NaNoWriMo are over.
Posted: December 2, 2012 Filed under: Hunt, NaNoWriMo | Tags: edits, Hunt, Nanowrimo, November, rewrites Leave a commentI did manage to make my 50k words, though, it was only due to some marathon days at the end. I’m glad it’s over and we’ll have our TGIO party next week.
Now, however, it’s time to go back to Hunt and finish my rewrites. I started today and I already have several chapters done. I’m eager to finish this so I can send it out for edits and then get it out to you. I’m hoping you’ll find it as intriguing and absorbing as I did… Now I just have to get it done so you can find out.
Downtime. We all need some.
Posted: October 21, 2012 Filed under: Hunt, Odds and Ends | Tags: Hunt, knitting, life, ML, musings, Nanowrimo Leave a commentI’ve been pushing hard for the last couple of weeks to finish the first draft of Hunt before NaNoWriMo gets here. At the same time, nothing else has stopped happening, in fact, I’ve added even more.
In addition to my every day life with a family, school, extra-curricular activities, etc. I’ve added in Book tour host, (as you can see from the rapidly filling schedule to the right,) as well as working on scheduling all the events for NaNo, as I am the local ML.
It’s been a little stressy and a little crazy and some days I don’t know if I’m coming or going. I must say that my Cozy calendar has saved my butt, more than once. Because I’m able to put the entire family’s schedule in there I can see what everyone is doing, and here’s the big one, have reminders sent to my phone, aka, my brain. On Sunday it sends me an email with the week’s calendar so I can plan important things, like dinner, around what’s happening each night. Let me tell you, with three kids, on three teams in two different sports, that practice on opposite ends of town, that’s sometimes harder than you would think.
Where was I again? Oh, yeah. Downtime. Since finishing the first draft of Hunt (yes, there’s still lots of work to be done,) I’ve been taking it kind of easy. No, the rest of my life really hasn’t slowed down, but I’ve not pushed prepping for NaNo either. I know I can do NaNo totally seat of my pants, though it’s a lot easier with some planning. I do have some planning done, as I plan on working on a concept I’ve been putting together for a few months now, in the background. But it’s different, I’m not intently focused on what comes next. I’ve picked up a new book and starting to read it, and I spent all day yesterday sitting on the couch, watching TV with the Other Half, and for the first time in months, knitting. Yes, I knit, but in working on my writing, I’ve lost the time I spend on knitting, I love it. Knitting relaxes me and puts me in that zen place like nothing else I’ve ever found, I just flat haven’t had time.
All in all, I’m enjoying a little downtime before my next big rush. I know it’s coming and I’ll enjoy it when it gets here, but in the mean time, I needed this.