The thing about reading a really great book is that it makes me realize just how far I have to go to improve my own writing. I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job and then I go and read something really wonderfully and richly written, like Deborah Harkness' "Shadow of Night" and I think that maybe I should just give up on my own writing altogether, because I'll never be that good.
But then, when I really think about it, most writers who are fortunate enough to get their work published are not nearly as good as Deborah Harkness at putting you so deeply into the sights, sounds, smells, feel and taste of a story's characters, time and place.
It's kind of like how I try to remind myself when I'm at the beach in my conservative bathing suit, wishing for even more fabric to cover my flabby thighs, that I am not the worst-looking woman chasing after her child in the sand that day. And all I really have to do to feel better about myself at the beach is keep exercising, attempt to eat better and/or buy a more flattering bathing suit.
So, I guess that means I'll keep going, keep practicing my "show, don't tell" writing, and hope for the best.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Finally, Some Inspiration
For the first time in a while, I thought of a new book idea that feels like it has some promise. I know, I know, I need to concentrate on my two books that are finished, but still in need of editing.
As I've noted several times here in the past few months since I started my new job, motivation has been lacking for me to focus on my two completed novels, even though I really want to finish editing them each one last time and send the first few chapters off to some of the agents and editors I met at a writing conference in January. Yes, yes -- tick, tock, tick, tock. They've probably long forgotten that they met me, I know.
But I had a breakthrough today after I thought up a new book idea, so I sat down and wrote, almost non-stop, for two or three hours. It felt good. Really good. I got eight reasonably strong pages written (about 3,000 words, I think). I'm going to let them sit and few days and see how they look after I've had time to think about the story a little more. I don't write with an outline. I jot down notes (mentally and physically) then dive in to the story and see where the characters take me.
So, I'm feeling pretty good. Almost sad that tomorrow I'll be away from my computer most of the day. But it'll be nice to get out of the house and spend some time with friends and family. And I already feel a little lighter having the weight of a long break from writing lifted from my shoulders.
Now, on to spend some time reading "Shadow of Night," Deborah Harkness' sequel to "A Discovery of Witches," as a little reward for my effort today.
As I've noted several times here in the past few months since I started my new job, motivation has been lacking for me to focus on my two completed novels, even though I really want to finish editing them each one last time and send the first few chapters off to some of the agents and editors I met at a writing conference in January. Yes, yes -- tick, tock, tick, tock. They've probably long forgotten that they met me, I know.
But I had a breakthrough today after I thought up a new book idea, so I sat down and wrote, almost non-stop, for two or three hours. It felt good. Really good. I got eight reasonably strong pages written (about 3,000 words, I think). I'm going to let them sit and few days and see how they look after I've had time to think about the story a little more. I don't write with an outline. I jot down notes (mentally and physically) then dive in to the story and see where the characters take me.
So, I'm feeling pretty good. Almost sad that tomorrow I'll be away from my computer most of the day. But it'll be nice to get out of the house and spend some time with friends and family. And I already feel a little lighter having the weight of a long break from writing lifted from my shoulders.
Now, on to spend some time reading "Shadow of Night," Deborah Harkness' sequel to "A Discovery of Witches," as a little reward for my effort today.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Slight Regression
Wow, that was fast! The very next day after I pledged to quit my day job by 6 p.m. each day, I ended up finishing a project for work after dinner and now I have no time to work on my own personal writing before I go to bed. Oh, well. I'll try to get back on track tomorrow. *Sigh*
Monday, July 9, 2012
Slight Progress
So, OK, I still haven't done much writing at night, but I'm making progress. I've decided that I don't have to finish every single work assignment I take on each day. If it's 6 p.m. and I still have one more story to write for work, well, it's just going to have to wait until the next day. After all, I turn on my computer at 7 a.m. to start work each morning. I do take breaks to take my son to school and eat lunch. But, hey, 6 p.m. is not an unreasonable quittin' time. OK, with the rare exception for really important stories ... I know, I'm weak.
I can happily say that I have read some really fantastic books lately. Lots of young adult novels, but some regular fiction as well. If you have a chance to read John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars," stop what you're doing and start reading. You will not regret it. I laughed, I cried ... to the horror of my seat-mates on a flight to Boston ... I loved, loved, loved it. The best cancer story you'll ever read even without the kids finding miracle cures for their diseases (that's not too much of a spoiler, I hope).
I just finished "Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi. It was a really excellent, un-put-down-able book. The beginning was a little shaky, but by the end I was saying to my son, "OK, buddy. I'll get your medicine in a minute, but just wait a minute ... mommy's reading." Marie Lu's "Legend" was equally compelling. I'm already looking forward to reading both first-time writers' sequels.
Unfortunately, I did not love "The Street Sweeper" by Elliot Perlman. It was beautifully written, but one of the main characters was really great and I could really route for him, but the other main character was hard to love. And then, the story moved waaaaayyyy too sloooowwwwllllyyyy to keep my attention. I made it about two-thirds of the way through the book then did something I never do -- I flipped through the last 200 or so pages to see if the story ever actually progresses. It doesn't. No one has any kind of revelation or closure in the end. Maybe we all know a little more about the Holocaust and the Civil Rights movement, but come on, those are not exactly little-known historical events. In fact, those aspects felt a little preachy in a "You're preaching to the choir" kind of way.
Up next: "American Dervish" by Ayad Akhtar. It's fiction, but apparently it is loosely based on the author's life. It ought to be fun speculating about which events actually happened to him. I love a good coming-of-age story. Hence, my interest in young adult fiction.
I can happily say that I have read some really fantastic books lately. Lots of young adult novels, but some regular fiction as well. If you have a chance to read John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars," stop what you're doing and start reading. You will not regret it. I laughed, I cried ... to the horror of my seat-mates on a flight to Boston ... I loved, loved, loved it. The best cancer story you'll ever read even without the kids finding miracle cures for their diseases (that's not too much of a spoiler, I hope).
I just finished "Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi. It was a really excellent, un-put-down-able book. The beginning was a little shaky, but by the end I was saying to my son, "OK, buddy. I'll get your medicine in a minute, but just wait a minute ... mommy's reading." Marie Lu's "Legend" was equally compelling. I'm already looking forward to reading both first-time writers' sequels.
Unfortunately, I did not love "The Street Sweeper" by Elliot Perlman. It was beautifully written, but one of the main characters was really great and I could really route for him, but the other main character was hard to love. And then, the story moved waaaaayyyy too sloooowwwwllllyyyy to keep my attention. I made it about two-thirds of the way through the book then did something I never do -- I flipped through the last 200 or so pages to see if the story ever actually progresses. It doesn't. No one has any kind of revelation or closure in the end. Maybe we all know a little more about the Holocaust and the Civil Rights movement, but come on, those are not exactly little-known historical events. In fact, those aspects felt a little preachy in a "You're preaching to the choir" kind of way.
Up next: "American Dervish" by Ayad Akhtar. It's fiction, but apparently it is loosely based on the author's life. It ought to be fun speculating about which events actually happened to him. I love a good coming-of-age story. Hence, my interest in young adult fiction.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Mid-Year Resolutions
I'm four months in to my new job, my work trip to Boston has come and gone, my in-laws are back in Iowa, and I'm learning to stop working at a reasonable hour each night so that I have time to spend with my husband and son, and maybe do a little housework so that I don't have to do it over the weekend. That all means that I'm out of excuses.
I've decided to set some mid-year resolutions to work toward some longer term goals: lose weight, be more engaged with my family and spend more time writing for myself, not my job. These are my resolutions: 1) Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. 2) Snack less (or replace pretzels with fruit). 3) Work less, play more. 4) Spend a few minutes each night on a worksheet or practice reading with my son so that he doesn't forget everything he learned in kindergarten over the summer. 5) Schedule more dates with my husband. 6) Write, write, write, write, write.
I've been reading a lot, so much so that I can't even remember everything I've read. I've burned through the "Beautiful Creatures" series, made it to the last of the paperback books in the "Fallen" series, re-read the first and sped through the second book in the "Divergent" series, laughed and cried through John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars" (read it now if you haven't read it), started and quickly stopped "Swamplandia," read the short and sweet "The Girl Who Chased the Moon," and the list goes on and on.
Right now, I'm reading "The Street Sweeper" by Elliott Perlman. It's pretty literary for me. I feel like I should love it, but so far he's flipping back and forth between characters so much that I wish he'd chose a story line and stick with it. I'm 100-plus pages into the 617-page novel and can't decide if I should continue on, so I keep reading more, hoping that it will grow on me. I'm still waiting.
For tonight, I'm not going to work on any of my own novels, because I'm too tired to write. At least I've written something here after a month-long hiatus. That's an accomplishment, relatively speaking, anyway. It's a start!
I've decided to set some mid-year resolutions to work toward some longer term goals: lose weight, be more engaged with my family and spend more time writing for myself, not my job. These are my resolutions: 1) Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. 2) Snack less (or replace pretzels with fruit). 3) Work less, play more. 4) Spend a few minutes each night on a worksheet or practice reading with my son so that he doesn't forget everything he learned in kindergarten over the summer. 5) Schedule more dates with my husband. 6) Write, write, write, write, write.
I've been reading a lot, so much so that I can't even remember everything I've read. I've burned through the "Beautiful Creatures" series, made it to the last of the paperback books in the "Fallen" series, re-read the first and sped through the second book in the "Divergent" series, laughed and cried through John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars" (read it now if you haven't read it), started and quickly stopped "Swamplandia," read the short and sweet "The Girl Who Chased the Moon," and the list goes on and on.
Right now, I'm reading "The Street Sweeper" by Elliott Perlman. It's pretty literary for me. I feel like I should love it, but so far he's flipping back and forth between characters so much that I wish he'd chose a story line and stick with it. I'm 100-plus pages into the 617-page novel and can't decide if I should continue on, so I keep reading more, hoping that it will grow on me. I'm still waiting.
For tonight, I'm not going to work on any of my own novels, because I'm too tired to write. At least I've written something here after a month-long hiatus. That's an accomplishment, relatively speaking, anyway. It's a start!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Well, I, uh ...
I'm out of excuses. I'm down to just one plain and simple excuse: I spend so much time in front of my home computer, now that I work from home, that the last thing I want to do at night is spend more time at my computer. So, I haven't been working on any of my personal writing projects. Every now and then I sit down and pull up one of my novels-in-progress, but it doesn't take long before I'm too tired to focus.
I've been reading a lot, however. A lot of young adult fiction, actually. I've been requesting books from the library rather than buying them. I'm reading "Beautiful Chaos," the third book in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's "Beautiful Creatures" series (YA) and next I'll read "Swamplandia!" by Karen Russell (fiction), which will be a nice break from all of the addicting YA series I've been reading lately.
Otherwise, I've been working and planning for work travel, family visits and my son's sixth birthday. I've been busy, just not busy writing.
I've been reading a lot, however. A lot of young adult fiction, actually. I've been requesting books from the library rather than buying them. I'm reading "Beautiful Chaos," the third book in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's "Beautiful Creatures" series (YA) and next I'll read "Swamplandia!" by Karen Russell (fiction), which will be a nice break from all of the addicting YA series I've been reading lately.
Otherwise, I've been working and planning for work travel, family visits and my son's sixth birthday. I've been busy, just not busy writing.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Work-Life Balance
I'm still trying to figure out an appropriate work-life balance for working at home. People ask me if I'm tempted to goof off or do housework, since I'm home all day, rather than work. Actually, I have the opposite problem: I don't know when to stop working.
I want to show my editors that they can rely on me to work pretty much unsupervised at home, which means I feel like I have to cram 10 hours into an eight-hour day to show how hard I'm working. Of course, there's also the fact that I'm still getting used to a new job, so work that I should be able to finish in eight hours is taking me 10 hours. Not every day, but a lot of days. More than I'd like.
I keep telling myself that eventually I'll get into a groove where I have a good understanding of the science involved in my news reporting. And I won't have to keep second-guessing what I'm putting into stories, because I'll have figured out what my editors are most interested in. Only time will tell.
So, my own just-for-fun, maybe-someday-to-be-published fiction writing has suffered. A lot. By the time I finish my work day, I'm not terribly interested in spending even more time in front of the computer. My poor butt is already flat enough. But what do I do instead? I sit on the couch and read. Excuses, excuses.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Big Ole Stack of Books
I need one of those shock collars -- or maybe just some kind of alarm on my cell phone -- that goes off when I feel the temptation to buy another book, because I have a stack of books (and several requests pending at the library) that I haven't read, and that stack keeps getting taller and taller.
If I got a Nook, that might solve part of my problem (my two brand new bookshelves are totally full), but then I still don't have enough time to read all of the books I want to read (or write). It's my ongoing struggle.
That said, I've read a few good books lately. "The Gap Year" was pretty slow to start, but it got better in the end. I'm reading "Beautiful Darkness," the second book in Kami Garcia's and Margaret Stohl's "Beautiful Creatures" series. It's also been slow to start, but halfway in it's getting to the good stuff, just when I was thinking of giving up on it.
I've been on a witches/mystical creatures streak for a while, ever since I read "A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness a few months or so ago. I just picked up "Torment," the second book in the "Fallen" series by Lauren Kate. I've been on the fence about reading the second book, but it was in paperback at Target, so I bought it today.
Two books along the witches/demons/angels/ghosts theme that I liked recently were "The Name of the Star" by Maureen Johnson and "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs. Both set in the UK, both with ghost-type mythologies, both intriguing and relatively quick reads.
How I wish I had the kind of imagination that could think up these kinds of story lines. Well, I do have a ghost story that I haven't worked on in a while ...
Thursday, April 19, 2012
A Little Pat on the Back
I'm proud of myself. Tonight will be three nights in a row that I've worked on one of my books. Honestly, tonight I don't know how long I'll last, because I have a raging headache and I've spent most of the day sitting in front of my computer, but I'm going to attempt it.I don't know why I'm always surprised, but when I jumped back in to my novel after several weeks away from it, I was pretty happy. I had that feeling of, "Wow, we've come a long way, baby," because the writing seemed so much more developed than when I started the project. Then again, I guess it should be in pretty good shape now that I've been working on it for a couple of years.
So, I guess I better get started for tonight ...
Monday, April 16, 2012
*Sigh*
Where has my motivation gone? I continue to be focused on my new job and not much else, aside from my husband and son.
Well, that's not true. I have been reading a lot.
*Sigh*
Maybe my motivation will return when I finish reading my current library book, "The Gap Year" by Sarah Bird. We'll see ...
Well, that's not true. I have been reading a lot.
*Sigh*
Maybe my motivation will return when I finish reading my current library book, "The Gap Year" by Sarah Bird. We'll see ...
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Southern Inspiration
I just finished reading "Shine" by Lauren Myracle and now I'm inspired to work on a book I started writing a few years ago in which the central character is a similarly unfortunate young woman living in the South.
"Shine" is about a girl on a mission to find out who attacked her gay former best friend in a small Southern town where many people could be suspects in the hate crime. And, of course, she's dealing with her own past trauma and poor circumstances. As sad as the story sounds, it's not in the end. There is some hope that at least a few of the young people in this poor North Carolina town will rise above their economic disadvantages.
The novel is a good example of how well-written young adult books can be. I often find that in the young adult category the stories are really engrossing, despite writing that is only so-so. Instead, "Shine" paints a vivid picture of the town, its people and their awful surroundings without being overly descriptive or unnecessarily mysterious. And as Cat continues her amateur investigation, turning up all kinds of things she didn't know about her friends and family, you find that you just can't seem to put the book down for fear that she will really get into trouble and you'll miss it.
And now, I must admit, I'm at a crossroads (as usual, I guess) in my own writing. Yet again, I want to pick up where I left off on an old project -- or start a new project -- when I should be finishing the two books I've written all the way to the end. I should incorporate feedback I've gotten on those novels and send them in to agents and editors who said I could solicit them (although I'm sure they forgot about me almost as soon as they gave me their business cards).
Instead, I'm thinking about giving up on my first novel altogether and focusing on my other books with more colorful characters and more interesting plots. So, unable to make up my mind, I'm once again paralyzed by indecision, so that I'm doing nothing rather moving any of my projects along.
Well, not nothing ... I am reading a lot ...
"Shine" is about a girl on a mission to find out who attacked her gay former best friend in a small Southern town where many people could be suspects in the hate crime. And, of course, she's dealing with her own past trauma and poor circumstances. As sad as the story sounds, it's not in the end. There is some hope that at least a few of the young people in this poor North Carolina town will rise above their economic disadvantages.
The novel is a good example of how well-written young adult books can be. I often find that in the young adult category the stories are really engrossing, despite writing that is only so-so. Instead, "Shine" paints a vivid picture of the town, its people and their awful surroundings without being overly descriptive or unnecessarily mysterious. And as Cat continues her amateur investigation, turning up all kinds of things she didn't know about her friends and family, you find that you just can't seem to put the book down for fear that she will really get into trouble and you'll miss it.
And now, I must admit, I'm at a crossroads (as usual, I guess) in my own writing. Yet again, I want to pick up where I left off on an old project -- or start a new project -- when I should be finishing the two books I've written all the way to the end. I should incorporate feedback I've gotten on those novels and send them in to agents and editors who said I could solicit them (although I'm sure they forgot about me almost as soon as they gave me their business cards).
Instead, I'm thinking about giving up on my first novel altogether and focusing on my other books with more colorful characters and more interesting plots. So, unable to make up my mind, I'm once again paralyzed by indecision, so that I'm doing nothing rather moving any of my projects along.
Well, not nothing ... I am reading a lot ...
Monday, March 19, 2012
St. Patrick's Day Resolution
For my St. Patrick's Day resolution, since it's a few months past New Year's Day, I'm going to make an effort to write something every night that's not work-related.
The trouble with working from home is that you don't feel pressure to hurry up and leave the office so you can make it home at a reasonable hour, because you're already home. So then you -- at least in my case -- just keep right on working past 5, 5:30 or 6 p.m. ... or even later.
And then after you've spent 10 hours in front of your computer, like me, you don't want to spend anymore time sitting at your desk, even if you're writing something fun.
Needless to say, I'm still trying to figure out the right work-life balance for working from home. I hope I figure it out soon, because I don't feel all that balanced right now.
The trouble with working from home is that you don't feel pressure to hurry up and leave the office so you can make it home at a reasonable hour, because you're already home. So then you -- at least in my case -- just keep right on working past 5, 5:30 or 6 p.m. ... or even later.
And then after you've spent 10 hours in front of your computer, like me, you don't want to spend anymore time sitting at your desk, even if you're writing something fun.
Needless to say, I'm still trying to figure out the right work-life balance for working from home. I hope I figure it out soon, because I don't feel all that balanced right now.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Busy, Busy, Busy
The new job has been a whirlwind during the last few weeks. A story every day. A conference in San Francisco. Etc., etc., etc.
So, of course, I haven't done much writing for my own benefit or satisfaction, here or anywhere else.
* Sigh *
OK, so I'm going to make myself a promise. The week after next week (since I have another conference this week), I'm going to start writing every night again. I have to. It's killing me not to do it. The guilt is weighing heavily on my shoulders that the feedback and advice I got at the SDSU Writers' Conference was all for naught, since I haven't put it to use.
... But there are just so many darn good books that I want to read too ...
* Sigh *
So, of course, I haven't done much writing for my own benefit or satisfaction, here or anywhere else.
* Sigh *
OK, so I'm going to make myself a promise. The week after next week (since I have another conference this week), I'm going to start writing every night again. I have to. It's killing me not to do it. The guilt is weighing heavily on my shoulders that the feedback and advice I got at the SDSU Writers' Conference was all for naught, since I haven't put it to use.
... But there are just so many darn good books that I want to read too ...
* Sigh *
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
'Lucky'
Today, I've been thinking about all of the ways that I am lucky. I have a great new job, a wonderful husband and partner, and a beautiful, smart, happy, loving and -- most importantly -- healthy son. Not to mention my terrific, supportive friends and family.
And, ironically, as I write this I'm listening to "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.
I've been thinking about my good fortune today, because I found out my friend's 5-month-old son may have a really terrible health issue. This beautiful little boy, really just a tiny baby, will have surgery in two days to explore a mass in his abdomen. His parents are consulting with oncologists -- cancer doctors. It's every parent's worst nightmare.
He's not even my child and every time I think about it I start to cry. I cry for his pain and suffering, his worried parents, his big sister, who must be very confused. And I cry because I know it could happen to me, too. All of a sudden something really terrible could be wrong with my little boy with no warning whatsoever.
But instead of dwelling on the what might happen, I'm trying to focus on what I have, because what I have is pretty great and I don't want to take it for granted.
And, ironically, as I write this I'm listening to "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.
I've been thinking about my good fortune today, because I found out my friend's 5-month-old son may have a really terrible health issue. This beautiful little boy, really just a tiny baby, will have surgery in two days to explore a mass in his abdomen. His parents are consulting with oncologists -- cancer doctors. It's every parent's worst nightmare.
He's not even my child and every time I think about it I start to cry. I cry for his pain and suffering, his worried parents, his big sister, who must be very confused. And I cry because I know it could happen to me, too. All of a sudden something really terrible could be wrong with my little boy with no warning whatsoever.
But instead of dwelling on the what might happen, I'm trying to focus on what I have, because what I have is pretty great and I don't want to take it for granted.
Monday, February 27, 2012
A Little Hiatus
My head is not in the writing game. At least not fiction writing. I have a new full-time job, so for a week or two I was preparing my home office. Then during the past week and a half I have been settling in to the new gig -- getting back in touch with my contacts, doing research, scrambling to write one or two good articles every day, etc.
As a result, I barely have worked on any of the books I've written, despite the great professional feedback I got last month at the SDSU Writers' Conference. I am exhausted. My brain is so tired at the end of the day, I have no motivation to work on anything for my own pleasure. All I want to do after work is watch Downton Abbey or read a library book or do a little research for my new job.
So, until I can find my motivation again and/or start feeling a little more comfortable in my new job, I'm on a writing hiatus. I'm going to try not to make myself feel guilty or worry that the agents I met at the writing conference forgot all about me (I'm sure they forgot about me within days of the conference), but I know the guilt and worry will gnaw at me anyway.
* Sigh * Yawn * Shrug *
As a result, I barely have worked on any of the books I've written, despite the great professional feedback I got last month at the SDSU Writers' Conference. I am exhausted. My brain is so tired at the end of the day, I have no motivation to work on anything for my own pleasure. All I want to do after work is watch Downton Abbey or read a library book or do a little research for my new job.
So, until I can find my motivation again and/or start feeling a little more comfortable in my new job, I'm on a writing hiatus. I'm going to try not to make myself feel guilty or worry that the agents I met at the writing conference forgot all about me (I'm sure they forgot about me within days of the conference), but I know the guilt and worry will gnaw at me anyway.
* Sigh * Yawn * Shrug *
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Tiger's Wife
I'm on the fence about "The Tiger's Wife" by Tea Obreht. I saw a couple of rave reviews about it, so when I saw it at the library, I checked it out. It's due back at the library on Sunday, but that doesn't seem to be enough motivation to make me read it faster.
I don't know how to categorize it -- high concept? Literary fiction? Whatever it is, I think the story meanders a little too much for me. I mean, the writing itself is well done, but the story is kind of confusing. She talks about present day then goes back in time for a while, so by the time your time and place changes again you've forgotten who some of the characters are.
I want to love it, because Obreht is a new, young writer who's done really well for herself. Then again, I want to hate her because she's only about 27 years old and she has a critically acclaimed novel and several published short stories. But I just don't love her book, at least not yet.
I'm about a third of the way in and I'm thinking of giving up on it. And at the rate I'm going, I don't know if I'll finish it before it's due at the library anyway. Frustrating ...
I don't know how to categorize it -- high concept? Literary fiction? Whatever it is, I think the story meanders a little too much for me. I mean, the writing itself is well done, but the story is kind of confusing. She talks about present day then goes back in time for a while, so by the time your time and place changes again you've forgotten who some of the characters are.
I want to love it, because Obreht is a new, young writer who's done really well for herself. Then again, I want to hate her because she's only about 27 years old and she has a critically acclaimed novel and several published short stories. But I just don't love her book, at least not yet.
I'm about a third of the way in and I'm thinking of giving up on it. And at the rate I'm going, I don't know if I'll finish it before it's due at the library anyway. Frustrating ...
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
I Was Going to do Some Writing Tonight, But ...
I watched the season finale of Downton Abbey tonight instead of sitting down to work on one of my books. True, it was on my DVR, so I could've watched it any time, but I watched it anyway.
The thing about working from home is that once I'm done working, I don't really want to spend a few more hours sitting at my computer, where I've sat all day.
But now, I've got Downton out of my system, so I'll write tomorrow. Then again, I've got a library book that's due in six days ... Uh oh ...
The thing about working from home is that once I'm done working, I don't really want to spend a few more hours sitting at my computer, where I've sat all day.
But now, I've got Downton out of my system, so I'll write tomorrow. Then again, I've got a library book that's due in six days ... Uh oh ...
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
New Job, New Outlook on Writing (I Hope)
I'm starting a new job tomorrow and the thing I'm most looking forward to is that I get to work from home.
I'm probably overestimating how big of a perk this is, but right now I see lots of benefits -- less time commuting to and from work, more time at home with my family, financial savings in terms of wardrobe (I can wear jeans to work and my boss won't care) and gas, etc., etc., etc.
I just can't emphasize enough the time savings. The time I won't spend sitting in traffic or waiting to leave the office at an acceptable hour is remarkable. That's time I can spend with my husband and son, and time that I can spend writing or reading. It's time that I can spend on chores so that I have more time to spend with my family or writing.
I hope to be less tired from racing to the office in the morning and racing home at night -- at a snail's pace in heavy traffic -- so that I can stay up late and write. I'll wake up early, but not as early as I used to, to get my day started. Perhaps I'll end my day early enough that I have time to put some thought into dinner and set aside some time to exercise in the afternoon or evening, rather than at an obscenely early morning hour.
The possibilities seem endless, but I know there's only so much I can do with the extra time I'll have. I'm excited to see how it all works out and I'm beyond hopeful that I'll be able to carve out more time for writing. Let the next adventure begin!
I'm probably overestimating how big of a perk this is, but right now I see lots of benefits -- less time commuting to and from work, more time at home with my family, financial savings in terms of wardrobe (I can wear jeans to work and my boss won't care) and gas, etc., etc., etc.
I just can't emphasize enough the time savings. The time I won't spend sitting in traffic or waiting to leave the office at an acceptable hour is remarkable. That's time I can spend with my husband and son, and time that I can spend writing or reading. It's time that I can spend on chores so that I have more time to spend with my family or writing.
I hope to be less tired from racing to the office in the morning and racing home at night -- at a snail's pace in heavy traffic -- so that I can stay up late and write. I'll wake up early, but not as early as I used to, to get my day started. Perhaps I'll end my day early enough that I have time to put some thought into dinner and set aside some time to exercise in the afternoon or evening, rather than at an obscenely early morning hour.
The possibilities seem endless, but I know there's only so much I can do with the extra time I'll have. I'm excited to see how it all works out and I'm beyond hopeful that I'll be able to carve out more time for writing. Let the next adventure begin!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Lots of Distractions
My writing life is in a bit of upheaval right now, because I've got a new job that I'm starting next week. I'll be working from home, so I've been working on getting my home office in order, which means I haven't been writing.
I feel like I've taken a big step back since the writing conference last month. That should have been a big motivator, but instead I feel like I have a lot more work to do before I can send anything to any agents or editors -- even the ones who requested my first three chapters.
I need to work on both books before I send anything out, but I haven't had the time or motivation, even though I'm worried that the agents and editors I met will lose interest if I wait too long to get in touch with them. On the other hand, I don't want to send chapters off to them until the entire book is ready to read.
What if their interest is piqued by the sample chapters and I'm not ready to respond promptly when they ask for more? It's a long shot that they'll be interested, but I want to be ready in case they are.
Maybe when my new job gets sorted out ... yeah, I've used that excuse or something like it before.
I feel like I've taken a big step back since the writing conference last month. That should have been a big motivator, but instead I feel like I have a lot more work to do before I can send anything to any agents or editors -- even the ones who requested my first three chapters.
I need to work on both books before I send anything out, but I haven't had the time or motivation, even though I'm worried that the agents and editors I met will lose interest if I wait too long to get in touch with them. On the other hand, I don't want to send chapters off to them until the entire book is ready to read.
What if their interest is piqued by the sample chapters and I'm not ready to respond promptly when they ask for more? It's a long shot that they'll be interested, but I want to be ready in case they are.
Maybe when my new job gets sorted out ... yeah, I've used that excuse or something like it before.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Shouldn't Have Had That Glass of Wine ...
What goes great with a hot, steaming plate of spaghetti? A nice, cold glass of wine.
What goes well with a couple of hours at the end of the day to write in peace? Not a glass of wine.
Darn it!
I've realized during the past few weeks that my age (I'll be 36 in September) is catching up with me, physically anyway. I used to be able to go to sleep at 11 p.m. and wake up at 4:30 a.m. to go to the gym. Clearly, I can't do that anymore.
I wake up at 4:30, get to the gym at 5 a.m. and have a great burst of energy to get me through until, oh, about lunch time. Then my body starts to tell my brain, "Hey, fool, you can't get up at 4:30 if you're going to go to bed at 11 p.m. We need more sleep than that!"
So, I have another little burst of energy while I make dinner and coach my son through eating his meal. Then, after his bath, we sit in the rocking chair in his room and read half a dozen books before he goes to sleep ... and that's when I start to nod off too. Right around 8:30. Arg!
I think I have a solution: I have a new job and I'll be working from home. That means I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to exercise, because I don't have to commute to work. And, hopefully, that means I'll have more time to exercise without squeezing it in to the start of my day. And then I'll be awake enough to write at night. Right? Let's hope so.
What goes well with a couple of hours at the end of the day to write in peace? Not a glass of wine.
Darn it!
I've realized during the past few weeks that my age (I'll be 36 in September) is catching up with me, physically anyway. I used to be able to go to sleep at 11 p.m. and wake up at 4:30 a.m. to go to the gym. Clearly, I can't do that anymore.
I wake up at 4:30, get to the gym at 5 a.m. and have a great burst of energy to get me through until, oh, about lunch time. Then my body starts to tell my brain, "Hey, fool, you can't get up at 4:30 if you're going to go to bed at 11 p.m. We need more sleep than that!"
So, I have another little burst of energy while I make dinner and coach my son through eating his meal. Then, after his bath, we sit in the rocking chair in his room and read half a dozen books before he goes to sleep ... and that's when I start to nod off too. Right around 8:30. Arg!
I think I have a solution: I have a new job and I'll be working from home. That means I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to exercise, because I don't have to commute to work. And, hopefully, that means I'll have more time to exercise without squeezing it in to the start of my day. And then I'll be awake enough to write at night. Right? Let's hope so.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Damn Good Book!
I'm reading a really great book. But, damn it -- it's not one that I wrote! My motivation is still lacking, despite a genuine effort last night to write until I started falling asleep at the computer.
For my book club, I'm reading "Once Upon a River" by Bonnie Jo Campbell. At first, the writing was so descriptive, but walking that fine line between "show don't tell," that I was torn about how I felt about the story. It was a lot of: "She got out of bed. She walked across the room. She looked out into the kitchen and saw him cooking bacon. She went to the bathroom ..."
Now, almost halfway through the book, the character is more developed, she's seeing things more vividly -- a beautiful blue heron, a pregnant doe -- and the story is getting richer. I've got to know what's going to happen to this girl next and how she's going to get through it, learn from it and move on. I'm itching to read some more after I fold a load of laundry, and then maybe I'll do some writing, maybe ...
I'm still disappointed that my motivation to work on my own books has been waning this past week since the writing conference. Part of me is tired, because of some things going on in my life, and part of me is daunted by the amount of work I still need to do to whip my books into shape.
And, damn it, when I read good writing like Bonnie Jo Campbell's it doesn't help, because I know my work isn't anywhere near that good. And then there's the fact that this particular book makes me want to revisit a character I created in a story that I put on hold a while back. But part of me knows I need to focus on my two finished books and make them stronger first.
*sigh* And yet, the laundry beckons.
For my book club, I'm reading "Once Upon a River" by Bonnie Jo Campbell. At first, the writing was so descriptive, but walking that fine line between "show don't tell," that I was torn about how I felt about the story. It was a lot of: "She got out of bed. She walked across the room. She looked out into the kitchen and saw him cooking bacon. She went to the bathroom ..."
Now, almost halfway through the book, the character is more developed, she's seeing things more vividly -- a beautiful blue heron, a pregnant doe -- and the story is getting richer. I've got to know what's going to happen to this girl next and how she's going to get through it, learn from it and move on. I'm itching to read some more after I fold a load of laundry, and then maybe I'll do some writing, maybe ...
I'm still disappointed that my motivation to work on my own books has been waning this past week since the writing conference. Part of me is tired, because of some things going on in my life, and part of me is daunted by the amount of work I still need to do to whip my books into shape.
And, damn it, when I read good writing like Bonnie Jo Campbell's it doesn't help, because I know my work isn't anywhere near that good. And then there's the fact that this particular book makes me want to revisit a character I created in a story that I put on hold a while back. But part of me knows I need to focus on my two finished books and make them stronger first.
*sigh* And yet, the laundry beckons.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Where Did All My Motivation Go?
Wait a minute, what happened to all of that energy and enthusiasm and motivation that I found at the SDSU Writers' Conference over the weekend?
While I was at the conference, I couldn't wait to get back to my computer to address the changes that agents recommended for my two manuscripts. Now that I have some time to write, I don't want to. Huh?
I'm going to blame it on the conference. I didn't really get a weekend, so now I'm too tired to sit in front of my computer without closing my eyes.
And I'm going to blame it on my book club, because I have to finish reading "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver so that I can read "Once Upon a River" by Bonnie Jo Campbell before the book club meeting on Feb. 12 and in time to read "The Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater before it's due back at the library.
And I'm going to blame work, because it's been pretty busy the last two days.
And, who else can I blame ... there's got to be somebody or something responsible for this lack of desire to work on my books. It can't be me ...
While I was at the conference, I couldn't wait to get back to my computer to address the changes that agents recommended for my two manuscripts. Now that I have some time to write, I don't want to. Huh?
I'm going to blame it on the conference. I didn't really get a weekend, so now I'm too tired to sit in front of my computer without closing my eyes.
And I'm going to blame it on my book club, because I have to finish reading "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver so that I can read "Once Upon a River" by Bonnie Jo Campbell before the book club meeting on Feb. 12 and in time to read "The Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater before it's due back at the library.
And I'm going to blame work, because it's been pretty busy the last two days.
And, who else can I blame ... there's got to be somebody or something responsible for this lack of desire to work on my books. It can't be me ...
Monday, January 30, 2012
I Am Exhausted!
I spent all day Saturday and most of the day Sunday at the SDSU Writers Conference, so I didn't really have a "weekend" to relax. I worked a full, busy Monday at the office today and now I'm too tired to write, even though I have SO much work to do.
I've got to do some revisions on both of my completed manuscripts before I send out queries and/or a couple of chapters to my new contacts, but I am just way too tired and have much too much of a headache to even attempt to do any writing or revising tonight.
So, I'm going to rest up tonight (by watching Downton Abbey on the DVR) and, hopefully, start fresh tomorrow before I lose sight of the re-energized forward motion that I built up at the conference.
I've got to do some revisions on both of my completed manuscripts before I send out queries and/or a couple of chapters to my new contacts, but I am just way too tired and have much too much of a headache to even attempt to do any writing or revising tonight.
So, I'm going to rest up tonight (by watching Downton Abbey on the DVR) and, hopefully, start fresh tomorrow before I lose sight of the re-energized forward motion that I built up at the conference.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Conference Over; Now the Work Begins
My head feels like it's going to explode (literally and figuratively, since I have a massive headache) from all of the information I absorbed during the last two days at the SDSU Writers' Conference.
I had great consultations with two agents about my two completed books and got good feedback from both of them. Now I need to incorporate their suggestions and give each manuscript at least one good read-through.
The agent who read my women's fiction novel asked me to send her my first three chapters after I revise the manuscript. The other agent ... didn't ... but I might at least query her after I revise my young adult novel and see if she's interested in reading the first three chapters. She liked my opening, but recommended some changes, and she seemed to like my concept when I explained the plot to her, so ... you never know.
All-in-all it was a good conference and money well spent. I met two other agents who said I could send them at least a synopsis, so I did some fruitful networking. Yay me!
Now, back to work!
I had great consultations with two agents about my two completed books and got good feedback from both of them. Now I need to incorporate their suggestions and give each manuscript at least one good read-through.
The agent who read my women's fiction novel asked me to send her my first three chapters after I revise the manuscript. The other agent ... didn't ... but I might at least query her after I revise my young adult novel and see if she's interested in reading the first three chapters. She liked my opening, but recommended some changes, and she seemed to like my concept when I explained the plot to her, so ... you never know.
All-in-all it was a good conference and money well spent. I met two other agents who said I could send them at least a synopsis, so I did some fruitful networking. Yay me!
Now, back to work!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
SDSU Writers' Conference Day 1
I spent all day at the San Diego State University Writers' Conference and came home energized about my writing. I went to some good sessions, got some great feedback on my women's fiction novel, and made some good contacts with agents and editors. Mission accomplished!
Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I'll meet with an editor to discuss my young adult novel. No one has ever read and commented on this book for me, so I'm kind of flying blind. I did give an editor a quick synopsis of the book and she seemed to think it was intriguing. She asked me to send her some pages. What more can you ask for after giving an elevator pitch?
It's a little different vibe this year than last year. Maybe last year I was intimidated, because it was my first time there, but this year the agents and editors seem nicer (and younger) than the agents and editors I met last year. They certainly seem more open to the kinds of things I'm writing and that I'm interested in.
The breakout sessions were a mixed bag. I went to three different panels on query letters and they were kind of repetitive. There are lots of sessions on self-publishing and e-books, but I only have enough interest in that topic to justify going to one panel.
I would have liked to have seen more panels moderated by agents and editors. This year, a lot of the speakers are writing coaches. There are a handful of them doing several sessions each. And they're all selling their writing books and classes. That's disappointing. I didn't pay $399 for the conference so that I could sit through a sales pitch.
One of the best things about last year's conference was panels of agents who would tell you what they're looking for and what's selling in the genres they cover. There are none of those panels this year. Perhaps it's because there seems to be fewer agents in attendance.
Oh, well. I still think it's been a valuable experience, so far. We'll see how tomorrow goes. Fingers crossed that it's as good as it was today.
Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I'll meet with an editor to discuss my young adult novel. No one has ever read and commented on this book for me, so I'm kind of flying blind. I did give an editor a quick synopsis of the book and she seemed to think it was intriguing. She asked me to send her some pages. What more can you ask for after giving an elevator pitch?
It's a little different vibe this year than last year. Maybe last year I was intimidated, because it was my first time there, but this year the agents and editors seem nicer (and younger) than the agents and editors I met last year. They certainly seem more open to the kinds of things I'm writing and that I'm interested in.
The breakout sessions were a mixed bag. I went to three different panels on query letters and they were kind of repetitive. There are lots of sessions on self-publishing and e-books, but I only have enough interest in that topic to justify going to one panel.
I would have liked to have seen more panels moderated by agents and editors. This year, a lot of the speakers are writing coaches. There are a handful of them doing several sessions each. And they're all selling their writing books and classes. That's disappointing. I didn't pay $399 for the conference so that I could sit through a sales pitch.
One of the best things about last year's conference was panels of agents who would tell you what they're looking for and what's selling in the genres they cover. There are none of those panels this year. Perhaps it's because there seems to be fewer agents in attendance.
Oh, well. I still think it's been a valuable experience, so far. We'll see how tomorrow goes. Fingers crossed that it's as good as it was today.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Late Night Writing
One of the things I love most about weekends is that I can stay up as late as I want and write to my heart's content without my son or my husband coming in to my office to ask me for some milk or what time I'm coming to bed. I'm pretty good at tuning them out when I'm in a writing groove, but not completely.
I've started a new book. Yes, a new book. I haven't gone back to one of the previous ones that I started, but didn't finish, now that I'm taking a break from my two completed manuscripts until after I get a little feedback from agents and editors at the SDSU Writers' Conference next weekend.
Well, that's not completely true. I hand-wrote the ending in my journal for one of my old ideas and it's perfect. I've been thinking a lot about how I'm going to develop those characters and that story. I think it's going to be really great.
But this new story is just pouring right out of me. I started it last weekend and I'm up to 55 double-spaced pages already. I've got lots of ideas written in my journal for the new book too.
If I ever do get a book published and have the opportunity to write novels full-time, I'll probably aggravate my agent, editor and publisher, because my mind is constantly jumping around to different ideas. I remember being frustrated at last year's SDSU conference when agents and editors said you pretty much have to find one genre and stick to it. That's just a ridiculously stifling concept to me.
Anyway, I'm having fun. But it's getting close to 1 a.m., so I guess I should get in bed. The "Awake" tea I drank around 10 p.m. is wearing off now ... zzzzzzzz ...
I've started a new book. Yes, a new book. I haven't gone back to one of the previous ones that I started, but didn't finish, now that I'm taking a break from my two completed manuscripts until after I get a little feedback from agents and editors at the SDSU Writers' Conference next weekend.
Well, that's not completely true. I hand-wrote the ending in my journal for one of my old ideas and it's perfect. I've been thinking a lot about how I'm going to develop those characters and that story. I think it's going to be really great.
But this new story is just pouring right out of me. I started it last weekend and I'm up to 55 double-spaced pages already. I've got lots of ideas written in my journal for the new book too.
If I ever do get a book published and have the opportunity to write novels full-time, I'll probably aggravate my agent, editor and publisher, because my mind is constantly jumping around to different ideas. I remember being frustrated at last year's SDSU conference when agents and editors said you pretty much have to find one genre and stick to it. That's just a ridiculously stifling concept to me.
Anyway, I'm having fun. But it's getting close to 1 a.m., so I guess I should get in bed. The "Awake" tea I drank around 10 p.m. is wearing off now ... zzzzzzzz ...
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Shockingly Poignant
My 5-year-old catches me by surprise with something he says pretty much every day. Most of the time it's funny, like the time he said he wished he was a "knock-turtle" so that he could stay awake all night.
But then there are times like tonight when he says something that just takes my breath away. He's been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. in his kindergarten and they obviously left out some of the tougher parts of the lesson. Here's our conversation from the dinner table tonight:
I wanted to cry and wrap my arms around him and protect him from all the horrible things in this world. But at the same time, I want him to know the truth. That some people are really bad people, but not as many as there used to be. That some black and white people don't get along, but these days most of us do.
Being as nonchalant as I could, I tried to turn it into a teaching moment. When he said, "But black peoples and white peoples are together now," I said, "That's right, because we're all the same, but we have different colored skin." Then he asked, "But are there other kinds of colors of people?" And I said, "Well, yeah. Asian people, like people from China, they kind of have yellow or tan skin. And Mexican people, their skin is kind of brown isn't it?"
By then, I started to kind of lose him, but he got the point. He said, "Like there's black dogs and white dogs and black-and-white dogs and brown dogs and they all get along." And I said, "Yeah, that's right." But then it devolved into a discussion of cats trying to get along with dogs, and cats eating mice, but they shouldn't and so on.
He's 5 years old. He has only so much stamina for these kinds of things. It does make me a little worried about and excited about the conversations we're going to have at the dinner table in a couple of years.
I can't wait to see what kind of insights he comes up with then when he's had a little more exposure to the world -- both good and bad. So far, I think he's turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself.
But then there are times like tonight when he says something that just takes my breath away. He's been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. in his kindergarten and they obviously left out some of the tougher parts of the lesson. Here's our conversation from the dinner table tonight:
I wanted to cry and wrap my arms around him and protect him from all the horrible things in this world. But at the same time, I want him to know the truth. That some people are really bad people, but not as many as there used to be. That some black and white people don't get along, but these days most of us do.
Being as nonchalant as I could, I tried to turn it into a teaching moment. When he said, "But black peoples and white peoples are together now," I said, "That's right, because we're all the same, but we have different colored skin." Then he asked, "But are there other kinds of colors of people?" And I said, "Well, yeah. Asian people, like people from China, they kind of have yellow or tan skin. And Mexican people, their skin is kind of brown isn't it?"
By then, I started to kind of lose him, but he got the point. He said, "Like there's black dogs and white dogs and black-and-white dogs and brown dogs and they all get along." And I said, "Yeah, that's right." But then it devolved into a discussion of cats trying to get along with dogs, and cats eating mice, but they shouldn't and so on.
He's 5 years old. He has only so much stamina for these kinds of things. It does make me a little worried about and excited about the conversations we're going to have at the dinner table in a couple of years.
I can't wait to see what kind of insights he comes up with then when he's had a little more exposure to the world -- both good and bad. So far, I think he's turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Rebelling ... Against Myself
I am so tired of editing book no. 1 (and just tired in general) and I really, really want to start working on something new (or something I haven't finished, anyway) but I'm trying to be disciplined and finish one project before I start another. But tonight I'm rebelling against myself. I started looking around at random blogs that I haven't visited in a while (including mine). I'm thumbing my nose at book no. 1 and saying, "I don't want to and you can't make me!"
Then again, I just had a cup of "Awake" tea and I'm suddenly feeling much less sleepy, so ... back to reading and editing, I guess. Is it a bad sign that I'm weary of this book or good that I have so many other ideas I'm anxious to work on?
Yes, ideas. New ideas. I thought of a really great one just today after I read Jennifer Brown's "The Hate List," a young adult novel. She wrote about bullying and admitted in the author's note at the end that she was bullied in school. I started thinking about things that I went through in high school (not bullying) and I thought of a really great story with vivid characters, relate-able issues and some cool plot points.
But, there's that annoying book no. 1 whispering in my ear "Finish me," so I can't work on anything new yet. Arg!
Then again, I just had a cup of "Awake" tea and I'm suddenly feeling much less sleepy, so ... back to reading and editing, I guess. Is it a bad sign that I'm weary of this book or good that I have so many other ideas I'm anxious to work on?
Yes, ideas. New ideas. I thought of a really great one just today after I read Jennifer Brown's "The Hate List," a young adult novel. She wrote about bullying and admitted in the author's note at the end that she was bullied in school. I started thinking about things that I went through in high school (not bullying) and I thought of a really great story with vivid characters, relate-able issues and some cool plot points.
But, there's that annoying book no. 1 whispering in my ear "Finish me," so I can't work on anything new yet. Arg!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
One More Goal
My last post was about writing goals for 2012. I have one more to add: I want to write blog posts more frequently.
I always feel like I should wait until I have more than a few sentences to get off my chest ... and then sometimes I just forget how long it's been since I stopped by to chat.
So, here's me, just stopping by to say, "Hi."
Otherwise, I have nothing new to report. I continue to edit my first book based on the great feedback I got from a friend who read the manuscript. It's going well, though I'm in the middle of moving a few things around (she was right; that scene does come too early in the book) and I've added 12 pages. *Sigh* I guess I need to start thinking about what to cut too.
I always feel like I should wait until I have more than a few sentences to get off my chest ... and then sometimes I just forget how long it's been since I stopped by to chat.
So, here's me, just stopping by to say, "Hi."
Otherwise, I have nothing new to report. I continue to edit my first book based on the great feedback I got from a friend who read the manuscript. It's going well, though I'm in the middle of moving a few things around (she was right; that scene does come too early in the book) and I've added 12 pages. *Sigh* I guess I need to start thinking about what to cut too.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Writing Goals for 2012
With two books finished (although editing continues as if the process will never end) I have an ambitious goal for this year: to finish two more books. And I found a quote this morning that was particularly inspiring, considering my grand goal:
"The vitality of thought is in adventure. Ideas won't keep. Something must be done about them." -- Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher
I have four other books (and several ideas written in various journals) that I started months or years ago and I never got anywhere close to finishing one of them. So, this year, now that I have two full novels written, I plan to finish two more.
They involve characters or story lines that I absolutely love, but I'm still figuring out how to end their tales. I think it's time now to sit down with those old friends and see where they take me.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Looking Forward to New Projects
After I finish the latest round of editing for my first book -- and while my second book is being read by a friend -- I'll actually have time to work on a third project. Somehow, I just realized this fact today.
I've submitted the first 10 pages of my first two books for review by agents and editors at the SDSU Writers' Conference at the end of January. After I get their feedback, I'm sure I'll have more editing to do on both manuscripts. But if I finish my latest round of editing for my first book soon, I'll have a couple of weeks to work on book no. 3 before the conference.
Now, the hard will be deciding which unfinished project to work on next. I have a few partially written manuscripts that have sat untouched for almost a year as well as several ideas for other books, of course.
If only I could win the lottery ... well, that would mean a lot of things ... but if I won the lottery then I could spend all of my free time writing all of the different book ideas bouncing around in my brain and piling up in my journals and eating up space on my hard drive. I guess I better start buying lottery tickets.
I've submitted the first 10 pages of my first two books for review by agents and editors at the SDSU Writers' Conference at the end of January. After I get their feedback, I'm sure I'll have more editing to do on both manuscripts. But if I finish my latest round of editing for my first book soon, I'll have a couple of weeks to work on book no. 3 before the conference.
Now, the hard will be deciding which unfinished project to work on next. I have a few partially written manuscripts that have sat untouched for almost a year as well as several ideas for other books, of course.
If only I could win the lottery ... well, that would mean a lot of things ... but if I won the lottery then I could spend all of my free time writing all of the different book ideas bouncing around in my brain and piling up in my journals and eating up space on my hard drive. I guess I better start buying lottery tickets.
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