The glory of the delete button

That's right, revision notes, I haz dem! Yay!

And really, they're not scary at all. It's mostly little stuff, things I can expand or clarify. And even better, I'm EXCITED again! Just looking at the notes The Editor gave me, my brain is already clicking through the different ways to fix/change/remove the things she's asked about. Guess I know what I'll be working on at karate class tonight.

Biggest news is that it looks like the title, A Devil in the Details, is definitely a go, and that I will be published under the name K.A. Stewart. (pending approval, of course) Now, I just have to come up with a name for the series as a whole (suggestions are welcome) and I think I'll probably start kicking around titles for Son of DD, too. Again, suggestions welcome.

Luckily, I DID pass 20K words on the Son of DD last week. In fact, I ended the week with 22,632 words. I'm gonna put it on hold for a little bit while I hash out these DD revisions, but I'm hoping the excitment will carry over when I return to it.

I have discovered, however, that methodical revisions seem to trigger my more...neurotic tendencies. I spent quite a few hours today working out a timeline on when my protagonist shaves, for Pete's sake, to make sure I get the continuity right.

There are times when I wonder about me.

And as a side note, on Twitter, I participate in a group that can be found by searching for #wordathon. This is mostly a group of folks who keep each other posted on their word counts during a set period, as a way of encouraging and motivating each other. This is all organized by the wonderful Julie Butcher-Fedynich ( @jimsissy on Twitter). This past week, we did a five-day wordathon, with the added bonus of prizes! And somehow, I managed to win the "best paragraph" prize. So if you want a teeny weeny tiny sneak-peek at Son of DD, you can head to Julie's blog and check out that one random paragraph. And if you're a writer, and on Twitter, the next time she declares a wordathon, just hop on in! There are some great people there.

This week is also the San Diego Comic-Con, and let me just say I'm so jealous of all who are there! (Including The Editor. She has been given instructions on what to tell John Barrowman should she run into him)

So much going on

My head is swimming.

I've had one more back-n-forth with The Agent on more last second tweaks. I think I got it all figured out and sent back today. (he said it was fine before I did this last bit, but I really wanted to try and make it perfect) I hope the next e-mail I get from him is saying that he's sending it out to publishers.

The dudes from the water company were here today, and they painted more marks on the street. I'm assuming this means that they really are going to dig it up and fix the year-long water leak. PLEASE let them fix the water leak. I'm so sick of ice and water, I'm ready to move to Arizona.

We also have a man from the city coming on Saturday to look at our damaged foundation/driveway/garage door (again). I just want it fixed. That's all I want.

My revisions on Project 3 have stalled a bit, and I've been toying with Son of Project 2 at least in outline form. I'm still not pleased with my potential plot. (I've come up with some REALLY great stuff for book 3 in the series, though. Nothing like getting ahead of myself.)

I think I shall take the rest of this week/weekend off (yay Superbowl!) then get back to doing SOMEthing on Monday, be it revisions or outlining sequels.

Wish me luck!

Tweak!

It's been a long, exhausting week, and I got very little done in the way of writing. Sometimes, the events of the real life just zap you that hard.

I'm still working my way through Project 3. I've finished 8 of 24 chapters.

I also just got an e-mail from The Agent on a few more tweaks he wants me to do, and then he says "We'll be ready to go." Part of me still boggles at the fact that someone else might want to read one of my little stories. Hopefully, lots of someones.

I still have the plan to add another section to my sidebar for my writerly friends, but I've honestly been too drained this week to do it. This weekend, hopefully. As I stay inside, huddling out of the nasty nasty cold. (and watching the driveway freeze over again)

Changed my mind, wanna come down

Bonus points to anyone who can ID that quote. (hint: It's from a cartoon)

So, after several frustrating hours yesterday where I stared at Project NaNo, knowing what was wrong with it but unable to figure out HOW to fix it, I decided to open up Project 3 a little and read. I mean, I hadn't even looked at it since the beginning of October, so it had time to ferment, etc.

And you know what I discovered? It's not that bad! Not nearly as bad as I remember it being.

So, today I started revising Project 3. Most of what I'm doing for this round is cosmetic (changing some terminoloy/caps lock/italics decisions), and adding in some details that I thought would flesh out the world a bit more. I am planning on it taking me two weeks, then I'm going to ship this puppy off to betas and see what they think. (They're probably going to think that I'm very very strange)

And to my very great delight, somehow in the process of revising chapter 1, my antagonist has increased in creepiness. Like, creepiness x5 instead of x2.

My other project to work on tonight is to add another link bar to the left side, linking to all my writer friends from AW and beyond. Stay tuned!

Bouncy bouncy!

Ok, Project 2 revisions are officially done, typed up, and sent back to The Agent. I'm pleased with them, especially since it added another thousand words to the total. (I'm up over 78K now, a very respectable book size)

Sorry for the blog silence. December's always a rough one for me, between shopping, and the Real Job (tm) being more chaotic, and...bleh. I saw a Santa hat at the store the other day that had "Bah Humbug!" embroidered on it, and I thought, "Hey, that's my hat!"

Now that I'm done with Project 2 for the time being, I am going to try and finish the Project Formerly Known as NaNo. I'm only a chapter and a half away from the end, and I know Chie is just champing at the bit for me to finish it. Then, my plan is to revise it, send it out to a larger group of beta readers, and revise Project 3 while they're reading that one. If I don't watch it, I'm going to have two more completed and polished novels.

Right now, I have to get kiddo and I dressed, so we can head out into the madhouse that is Wal-Mart on a pre-Christmas Saturday. I know, not a brilliant move, but there are a couple more presents I still have to get. Wish me luck!

Bad bad bad...

Ok, I admit it, I've been bad this week. I haven't really touched my project 2 revisions at all, and I'm really kinda kicking myself over it.

I DID have a really good conversation with Chie about them, and I think she helped me hash out some of my stuck places, but I still haven't picked the book up to implement them yet.

I'm just so...ugh. Project 2 is still a good story. I realize this every time I pick it up and read some of it. And the revisions I'm making are going to make it even better. But still, the thought of picking it up yet again is just...ugh.

I need to just push through them and get them back to The Agent. Then I can settle in and finish the Project Formerly Known as Nano, and begin revisions on it and Project 3.

And somewhere in this, I have to finish Christmas shopping. I solved the problem of when to put the tree up by simply leaving it up since last year. (yes, my Christmas tree has been up ALL year. No, it is not a real tree. Yes, I will be taking it down after this Christmas. The novelty has worn off)

Ever just feel like you keep putting one foot in front of the other, 'cause if you don't, you'll fall flat on your face?

Sluggish Tales of the Sluggish Slug

Ok, I have been working on my revisions. I swear I have. But since I'm working in hard copy (much harder to hide from prying eyes than a window on a computer screen) I'm limited to my lunch break. And one hour goes by so fast!

I'm happy with what I've done so far. It's amazing what a difference one sentence changed or added can make to an entire novel.

So, my goal is to wear my pajamas all day tomorrow, settle in, and get the rest of these things hashed out. I'd really like to have these back to The Agent as soon as possible.

Sadly, The Project Formerly Known As Nano is languishing in an unfinished state. Only a chapter and a half left to go, and it's just sitting there. It'll have to wait until I'm done with Project 2 again. On the upside, I have had a few great ideas for things to add to the world I've built, and today I even got a really great idea for book two in that series (y'know, 'cause there's always a series). So, I journey on.

I have also succumbed to peer pressure and joined Facebook. What is the world coming to?

Also adding some Halloween pics of kiddo, late but better than never. I have to say, the fanged one is kinda scary.

Cool stuff from Cool people

Today, a friend from the Absolute Write boards linked to this blog on her blog. That's just unspeakably cool, for starters. I'm unbelievably stunned that she even knew about my blog. (which is dumb on my part, since I link to it in my sig on that site)

But not only did she have links to my blog (and LOTS of cool others, check them all out seriously), but the post itself was pretty awesome.

I intend, in the near future to do a "what did NaNo teach me" post. I also intend to write a couple short stories for my WoW friends, finish The Project Formerly Known as NaNo, edit said project as well as project 3, AND finish this round of revisions on Project 2. (project 2 gets priority)

I promise, meaningful blogging is to come! Sometime...

I haz notes!

And it just proves that no matter how often I have things critiqued and ripped to shreds, and nitpicked into oblivion, there is still this initial gut reaction that wants to stomp out of the room and throw a hissy fit.

So, I will sit and let these notes process through my increasingly mushy brain. Some of the things I can already see are "tweaky" and easily accomplished. Some are simply things that need further clarification in text. And some... I don't know. I suppose I'm always within my rights to say no. But before that, I think there will need to be multiple back and forths with The Agent to hash out some points I'm leery on altering.

In the meantime, I shall NaNo on. It is possible that I will not only hit the 50K, but that I will soldier on and finish the entire novel within the month. This amazes me no end. And I have to wonder, have I always been capable of this output rate, or is it the fact that I had a REALLY good outline before I even started.

(my vote is for the outline)

Needless to say, all future projects will be outlined this way. This has gone SO smoothly.

Friday

Well, here we are, and still no notes. A bit of a let down really, but at least I have no reason to feel guilty about continuing to work on my NaNo project. I mean, what else am I going to do?

Pounded out 3,222 words today. I think my hands are going to go on strike. The lucky thing is that it puts me about a day and a half ahead of NaNo schedule, so I could take a break this weekend if I have to.

Other than this, not much to report.

Back to the grind!

Well, I heard from The Agent today, and he hopes to have editorial notes to me by tomorrow afternoon. Guess that means playtime is over! I'm anxious to see what he's got to say, mostly because I'm dying to know if my revisions matched what he had pictured in his head when he suggested them. Then again, I'm also terrified that he's going to say "Nope, that was all wrong, start over!"

I managed to catch up with NaNo today. Not sure what the new revision notes are going to mean for my progress there. Since next week is pretty much a wash due to holidays and birthdays, I'm wondering if I can get away with finishing NaNo before I go back to Project 2. (well, yes I can, but the question is how guilty will I feel doing so?)

Even if I had to stop working on the NaNo project immediately, I'm still extremely pleased with myself and what I've accomplished. I don't know that I want to work at this pace ALL the time, but it's nice to know that I can if I have to.

Why am I not in bed?

Ah, that's right. Because I was doing some last minute obsessive tweaking on Project 2 revisions before I sent them back to the agent.

Well, they're delivered now. I'ma go sleep.

ZZZZzzzzZZZZzzzzZZZZzzzz

Like a hole in the head

So, daydreaming during my morning bus ride inexplicably resulted in an idea for yet another book. (because I obviously don't have enough to work on as it is) At first, I thought that it was such an obvious idea that SURELY someone else had already written something similar. But a day of practicing my google-fu (and polling the Sci-fi/Fantasy readers over at Absolute Write) has proven that no, this idea has not been touched on yet. At least, not like I want to do it.

So, I dutifully spent my lunch break finishing up the revisions on Project 2 (go me!), but the rest of my "free time" making world-building notes for this other thing. I swear, I'm such an addict. I could sit and world-build all day and never come up with a plot. Speaking of...anyone have a plot? This thing is shaping up to be an alternate-history fantasy/western. With a jackalope. Don't ask.

I'm going to let the Project 2 revisions sit for a few days, then see if I can't look back over it one more time with an eye for flow and blended..ness... (What? It's a word if I say it is!) I'm debating on whether or not I have time to shoot it to a couple of my betas before I send it back to The Agent. I guess it'll depend on whether or not any of them feel they have time to completely read and comment on the book within two to three days of receiving it.

I mean really, who has that much time? Everyone besides me has a life.

Gloom, Despair, & Agony on Me

Yes, I freely admit I am old enough to remember Hee Haw.



And I still know all the words to this song.

I am five chapters away from being finished with these revisions. (meaning, I've got them all scribbled out on the hard copy, I just have to type them in.) It also means that I have to take something that says "Expand on XYZ here" and make it into actual prose.

The problem is that now, I'm being beset by the doubts. What if these revisions are nothing like The Agent pictured? What if they're REALLY REALLY lame? What if I haven't blended the changes in as neatly as I think I have, and they stick out like a sore thumb. (like someone will be reading along and say "Holy crap, someone stuck a page from a different book in here!")

What if, what if, what if. Bleh.

Minor Accomplishment

I finished the last of the six new scenes today. Go me! Also puts me about 100 words shy of 77K (just like I predicted! Yay, I got one right!) I have about 8 chapters of "blending" to plan out (and 10 chapters to actually implement). I'm now shooting for a 78K total on this revision.

Yesterday, I admit I called in to work. But in fairness to me, I really was sick! I just also happened to spend all day working on the first 13 chapters of already-plotted tweaks. And honestly, I'm starting to be very happy with what I've come up with, especially for my MC and his wife. It's making them much more rounded folks.

Trapped hubby in the car for an hour drive to the hometown this weekend, and we hashed out a lot about future books in this series and where we see the big meta-plot going (and ending! Oooh!). I'm actually excited about this again, whereas about a week ago, I was so sick of it I could have cheerfully chucked it in the bin and started over.

('cause really, I'm sure my agent would have understood that completely. Oi)

Conga Rats go out to Crayon who got the job she applied for a few weeks ago. Gita has declared this a September to remember, and is hoping for good things for herself too.

Edited to add this, for all the music majors in my life:

Chuggin' along

I finished new scene 5-of-6 today. One more to go, then I can start doing the nice blending that is required all around it. (and re-writing a big chunk of the final chapter to account for the changes I've made) I don't think I'll get the revisions done by the end of this week like I wanted, but if I get the big chunks done, the rest should be fairly simple (but will require a few solid, uninterrupted hours of my time).

I'm also just shy of 75K words. This makes me gleeful.

Anyone who keeps up with this blog (there's what...two of you?) might notice that I've adjusted my link list to the left. Check out Jay Lake, Cherie Priest and Janet Reid for all your agenting snark, author-y goodness, and random link needs.

Quite Pleased

I got one of my new scenes done today (for a whopping 1500 word addition to the manuscript), and I am very happy with what I've done. In this one at least, I know I've recaptured the protagonist's voice. I've been worried about getting back into it, since the voice for Project 3 is soooo very different, and face it, I've been away from Project 2 for quite some time at this point.

This brings me to almost 74K total word count, and I'm very excited about it. I knew this puppy was short when I finished it the first time, so anything I can add (without adding "filler") makes me just giddy. Looking ahead at the two new scenes I have left to write and the other changes I'm slipping in here and there... I think I can break 77K easily.

And it's a darned good thing I'm back to work again. I had an absolutely slack-tastic weekend. Seriously, I sat and did a North and South marathon. (I have loved those movies since childhood, and a lot of it makes so much more sense now that I'm an adult and I can grasp all the social implications of stuff) This also led to a half hour discussion with my five-year-old explaining just what slavery is. She was properly horrified.

Obsession

I haz it.

Seriously, these revisions are consuming all coherent thought for me right now.

As of tonight, I have decided upon (and pinpointed locations for) five new scenes. Two are actually reworkings of old scenes, and three are brand new. I have two of said scenes completed (one rework, one new) and I have three left.

My plan after that is to attend to the myriad of ripples said new scenes will leave throughout the book. So much foreshadowing to layer in, so many repercussions to work out. Most of that will be taken care of with altering mood tags, some random thoughts, things like that.

At some point after that, I need to stop and do a solid read through (no editing allowed) so that I can see where it flows, where I need to tweak, etc. There are things I need to flesh out, things that changing one sentence or one phrase will make a hold ton of difference.

Personal goal set: These revisions done by September 19th.

Another Monday, but not

So, here I am, my first Monday as an agented author.

I honestly didn't sleep well all weekend, simply because my brain would NOT shut off. Revision ideas for Project 2 have been running marathons in my head since Friday. Normally, I do my best creative thinking when I'm dozing off, but this is a bit extreme, hmm?

Been bouncing ideas off a few people these past few days, and I've at least come up with a few new scenes that I want to work in. (which will of course necessitate tweaking the rest of the book around it, but I'm talking just about the major chunks here.) I decided I'd write a few of the new things out just to see how I feel about them.

Today's effort was a reworking of the end of chapter 5, which added about 1,200 words total. I'm a bit stoked about that. The next new scene I want to try requires some deep thoughts about re-working my bad-guy hierarchy a bit, and I may kick that around with the beta crew first before I commit. (of course, there's nothing I can do that a delete key can't fix)

I think I really need to print out the whole thing again, get some paper in my hands. When I'm doing scene revisions, the computer is fine, but when I'm doing stuff that's going to require edits throughout the entire book, I need to be able to SEE the entire book, and there's nothing for that like paper.

Official Announcement

Ok, now that I have notified agents who had my work (and received congratulations from them, there are truly awesome people in this industry). Now that I have signed the agreement and faxed/mailed it back... NOW, I can make my announcement.

As of yesterday, I am officially represented by Chris Lotts of Ralph M. Vicinanza, Ltd. He has some great ideas for my book, and I'm dying to sink my teeth into the revisions.

Unfortunately, this means that Project 3 is on hold for the moment. Sadly, if I'd have finished it in August like I wanted, this wouldn't be an issue. On the upside, maybe a break will do me good. I can work on Project 2 for a while and return to 3 refreshed and eager. Or something.

I may or may not be having a website in development as well. The Intrepid Auggy is champing at the bit to design something for me, but at the moment I can't really afford to spring for the domain name. But we'll figure it out. And then maybe, at some time in the future when I get paid for this, I can afford to pay Auggy. (it's good to keep your pet code monkey happy, trust me)

So anyway, this is my news! Probably, when I stop to think about it, I'll be terrified.