Tales of Deadlines Passed

Well...here we are, January 31st. Still not a publishable manuscript in sight. I'm closer now! Closer is good. But not there yet. Truly, I can't bring myself to be down about it. January has been a darned good month as far as editing goes. And as I was just telling Chie the other day, if nothing else, this book has taught me a LOT about editing.

And considering that I actually started this book (as in, the idea entered my brain) on May 20th of last year, I've spent less than a year on this and come up with what I still think is something great. (y'know, except for the times that I'm sure everything I've ever written is total shite) Before this, I was never sure if I could write an entire book in under a year. Now I know I can. Somehow, this makes me feel fulfilled.

So, my next deadline? Haven't figured that out yet. Maybe I should set it as May 20th to start my next book. Not only does it seem to be a good day for writing, but it's my wedding anniversary and therefore easy to remember.

Good Day!

Ok, so Mondays are notorious for not being super spiffy keen, but today hasn't been bad!

First off, I woke up this morning to find that I was one of the winners in C.E. Murphy's book give away! Nothing is better than finding out you get a free book from an author you truly enjoy.

Then, Saint Nathan Bransford started his First Page contest today. Yes, I submitted the first page of Project 2. I have to practice getting over butterflies somehow, yes? Start small, grasshoppah! I believe I'm comment 109 out of a rapidly growing list. I hope I can find time to read all the entries myself.

This weekend, I worked on my query letter. It isn't done. It's not even good, really. But it's WAY better than my original pathetic attempt. I posted it up at Absolute Write, and got some really great feedback and pointers on what direction I need to take next.

AND... (I know you don't have to stop for breath when typing, but it sure feels like it) I had a really good idea for an additional scene at the end of Project 2, which will not only bump word count, but offer some more insight into one particular character that my betas just can't seem to get enough of.

So, yes, I'm going to miss the January 31st deadline on having this whole book thing ready to go. But you know what? It isn't because I've been slacking.

Editing Blows

And no, that's not a noun, that's a verb. I am seriously sick to death of editing. I do believe that everything I've done so far is making the book better, but part of me wants to kick my own butt because I didn't think of this stuff the first go round. Mighta saved a lotta people some heartache and tons of lost reading time.

The January 31st deadline looms, and I am confident in saying I will NOT make it. My goal had been to have a submit-able manuscript, as well as a good query letter and synopsis written by then. The manuscript isn't ready yet, the query letter is...pathetic, and I haven't even tried a synopsis yet. (the query letter has made me condense-shy)

Makes me wish I could buy Cliffs Notes for my own book.

Baby it's COLD outside!

Ok yeah, I should be used to Midwest winters, but every now and then it jumps up and slaps me in the face. Luckily, me and my Explorer can go anywhere, so while everyone else was spinning their tires on hills this morning, kiddo and I got to the daycare and bus stop just fine.

I've finished another major addition to Project 2 that I am REALLY happy with. (Thanks to Auggy for the idea, and Theo for helping me flesh it out in my head) Now, I'm idly perusing through the manuscript to see where things are a bit sparse. There's one particular chapter ending that I've sicced my betas on, because I hated it when I first wrote it, I hated it when I revised it, and I STILL hate it. So hopefully, one of them will help me get a fresh look at a solution.

Slowly but surely, my word count creeps up. I figure, if I can hit 70K words, I'll be content. (not happy, but at least content)

And where does it all come from?

While my unbelievably saint-like betas have project 2 yet AGAIN, I've been pondering which project I want to work on next. And Theo has suggested that I chat a little about where I get my inspirations.

And honestly, I get inspirations in weird places. For example, take project 5 (which isn't even listed, because right now it's only a premise, not a plot). The sole inspiration for that one came from a song by Loreena McKinnett titled "Stolen Child". (which, in turn, was originally a poem by William Butler Yeats)

The now defunct project one also took its inspiration from song, in this case, "Seven Deadly Sins" by Flogging Molly. I heard the word "avarice" in the lyrics and thought, y'know, that'd make a great name for a pirate ship, and it went from there.

I find inspiration in random comments from friends (Gita made some flip comment once that grew into an idea about two patients in a mental hospital and...never wrote it, but it was a cool idea). I dreamed up an entire world once, because there was a mist across my college quad one night that was just downright eerie.

There are times when I just sit and try to think of things I haven't seen before. A new take on an old standard, or something just totally bizarre and off the wall. Could I make it work? Who knows? I just like the brainstorming.

Anything can be an inspiration. A dream, a shadow, a certain tree in your back yard. (the sycamore out there right now is giving me a look, I just know it is)

Sometimes, it makes me dream up a person, and then I have to figure out where they belong. Sometimes, it gives birth to an entire world, and then I have to figure out who lives there. Either way, I love my random inspirations, and I've learned to write them down. Not only the idea, but what sparked the idea. With a photographic memory, I can usually revisit that moment as often as I want, to get the feel of that moment again. I may not use it right now. I may not use it ever. But I'll always have it, in case the perfect occasion presents itself.

Tick tock, Tick tock

Countdown to Deadline

I was able to sit down and read Project 2 from end to end today. It took me about three hours, which is pretty average for a normal book and me. I am currently standing about 62,200 words, which is still woefully short of my goal. At minimum, I want to add another 8K to it, but I've officially lost the ability to be objective. I've stared at it too long.

So, it's out to three of my betas again (the saints who have expressed interest in reading yet ANOTHER revision), and I've put a shout out to the Absolute Write crew to see if any of them want to beta for me too.

A big part of me is petrified that, even though this book is still better than anything I've written previously, it's still not going to be worth trying to publish. I wonder, if it's still short, should I bother sending it out at all? Not like I can come up with a decent query letter to save my life. This is apparently my day to kick myself while I'm down. Anyone else want a shot?

No surprise at all

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Literature Nerd   Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it's eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today's society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It's okay. I understand.
Drama Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Anime Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Musician
Social Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

BIC

No, for those not familiar, this is not a post about lighters or ink pens. BIC stands for Butt In Chair, and it's what I desperately need to do today.

I admit, yesterday was wasted. Well, not from a family point of view, but from a writing point of view. I flat out didn't feel like working on Project 2 (or any other project, for that matter) yesterday, so I did other things instead. There was a haircut for kiddo, a grocery store trip, and the watching of three rented movies in a row. Gratuitous laziness at its finest, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

However, that leaves me today to get some actual writing/editing done. I really want to get this round done in the next four days, so that I can spend my Thursday and Friday (that I have taken off from work) doing a deep read through and editing pass.

Part of me still wants to be depressed over the length of this one. Everyone says that "a story will be as long as it needs to be", which is true, but it doesn't mean it will be long enough to sell. And face it, that's my goal in the end.

Welcome 2008!

Well, it's official, I am old. Neither I, nor hubby made it to the lovely midnight hour. (though, I did wake up when the neighbors' fireworks went off, to tell hubbby Happy New Years)

I have decided that this year will be full of amazing things for me and mine. (and I extend "mine" to include anyone I've even remotely heard of) I have 30 days +hours to finish the revisions/query letter for project two. I have three new projects waiting in the wings. (yes, three! Just thought up another one yesterday, that might actually fall into a YA category.) Most likely, the most recent idea will be the one that sits on the mental shelf for a while, since it's really only a premise, not an actual plot. (Remember, I'm great with premise, but plot takes more work)

Anyway, big plans for 2008, with hopefully great results.

(And I'll update my wordcount thingy to the left as soon as Zokuto word meter starts working again. For some reason, it's not functional for me. Bleh)