Monday, January 25, 2016

Second draft

There's just not a whole lot different going on. I'm nearing the end of my second draft of R and I've slowed down. It's a combination of life and lack of motivation. There's nothing wrong with the story. I'm not afraid there's something missing or something big to be fixed. This is something to do with me.
Good news, cause I can't leave on a negative note... I still have feelings for a story I left unfinished in 2015. I do believe I'll come back to it as soon as I'm done with this second draft.
Trudging through like a deep dark winter night becaus to stop is to die.

Friday, January 15, 2016

A sigh of relief....

Okay, I didn't really breathe a sigh of relief but I definetly felt relief! I can force a story and I can sludge through the mud of drudgery but I also need those moments(I don't dare ask for more) of feeling the inspiration and knowing that I'm on the right track. I set aside a story that I had been working on because I was afraid I was beating a dead horse. I still longed for the story to go on but there were no moments.
I just had a moment!
I'm still going to let the story rest because I'm editing a different story that I am also having feelings for ;) but it is a relief to have two stories still "there" for me.
Don't give up!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Slow Going

Some things perpetually move slow, like editing.
In the far reaches of the back of my mind I am slogging out the background of the fantasy story I've got brewing.  I just know it has to be there, even if it's sketchy, for me to move forward with the story.
So the fantasy feels like slogging through mud.
Other troubles include a teething, snotty, whiny toddler and a high strung six year old.
So this horse didn't break out of the starting gate running.  That's ok because as long as I'm moving I'm headed in the right direction.
On a positive note I sent out ten more query letters!
Keep on keeping on!

Monday, January 4, 2016

Recap/What's up Now/Coming Soon

2015 is done and over, but not forgotten. I've accomplished a lot more than I ever thought I could. I've certainly not reached my ultimate goal of having an agent and getting published, so I'm constantly reminding myself of what I have done. Which is...
I have consistently wrote on my blog all year! Quite frankly this is more of a journal than a way to entertain anyone. I write as though someone might read it(ha!) because this is the internet after all, but mostly I'm doing it for myself. It's a good way to reflect and plan and vomit emotions about how I'm feeling about my writing journey.
I have "finished" a novel.
I have begun querying agents for above novel.
I have completed in the shortest time ever, for myself,a first draft.
I have written half of another first draft.
I have started editing my fastest first draft.
I have done some brainstorming and world building for another novel.
I wrote the first chapter or so of the above mentioned novel.
I have allowed myself the creative freedom to: stop in the middle of a 1st draft and let it sit,
stop editing to tease out the beginnings of another story, or in other words be more flexible.

     What's up now? The fantasy story of which I've written just a bit of is like smoke in the wind. I know the grand overall three word description but the rest solidifies randomly.  This story will take more world building than I've ever done before. Because of that fact, I am super grateful that A) I've become more flexible with starting and stopping a project even if it's not at an official stopping point(aka the end of a draft) and B that I have other stories to work on in the mean time.
I have the very beginnings of a second draft for my fastest written 1st draft.
I have an incomplete first draft that needs finished.

      My goals for 2016 are to:
1. Finish my incomplete first draft
2. Finish the 2nd draft of my fastest first draft
3. Query a total of  100 agents for the novel I finished in 2015
4. Tease out some sort of plot for my fantasy novel.
5. I would love to write at least half of a first draft for my fantasy.
I have to be realistic though. This year I will probably go back to work. I'm currently job hunting. These are lofty goals for a stay at home mom, let alone a working mom. I'm not going to sacrifice my family. And I'm not going to sacrifice this creative flexibility I've found.
Keep on keeping on! Reflect, set goals and be flexible!