Category Archives: The process

One Step at a Time…

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Have you ever had one of those days, where every inch of your body and soul wants to be creative, but the world around you is just fighting you every step of the way?! Yeah, well that’s where I am today…

I have been sitting in front of my computer; with a story line, a plot, and a goal, for the last hour. Yet every two minutes one of my kids bursts into the room yanking me out of my concentration and forcing me to listen to their whining and complaining.

I thought that taking them for a mile and a half hike through the cold caverns would wear them down and make them lethargic enough to sit on the couch and rest for a while, but no such luck! Apparently exercise only invigorates my children’s sense of adventure and energizes them to make it through the rest of their day.

Thus, meeting my goal of making it through chapter eleven of my book seemed to quickly be slipping away. That was until I discovered the power of Pepperidge Farm cookies. That’s right, Pepperidge Farm cookies happen to be a lot like crack to children. They love them, and will do just about anything for them, to include sitting quietly while watching a movie so that mommy could get some quiet time. Ah, the power the cookie.

I hammered my way through chapter eleven, and quickly moved on to chapter twelve. Who knows if any of it is any good… I certainly don’t, but I’m enjoying the process, and to me that is the goal! At least for now. When I’m done the goal will be to publish, but for now I’m taking it one step at a time…

WRITE… Write… write…

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Okay… let me start by saying, I miss my husband! He recently started classes toward his masters program, and he attends classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening. I know what you’re thinking, “Tuesday and Thursday? Is that all?” and you’re right. It’s only two days a week, not bad at all. Yet, still… I miss him when he isn’t home with me and the kids. Although above even that I am incredibly proud of him! Going back for his masters isn’t going to be an easy road, by any stretch of the imagination, and the fact that he is doing it with a full-time job, two kids, and a sometimes needy wife, I commend him!

Now, as I sit here and sulk… I can do one of two things. I can literally eat the pan of brownies in the kitchen and watch television until he gets home – not a bad idea, or I can pull out my computer and get to work! I am choosing the second option. I am always struggling to find time to write, and now with him going back to school I have been given two evenings a week, after the kids are in bed of course, to do just that. So, take advantage of it I will.

My goal is to see significant progress by the end of this coming weekend… which is to say that I will finally get through chapter eleven!

I think that my creativity has maybe taken a brief vacation, and left me in somewhat of a stump or creative block. I shall hammer through it this week though, and come out victorious! lol… That actually sounded confident. This just may work. If not, I might just cry… I figure if I don’t get to work soon, then when I receive my editor’s notes next weekend I really will cry. I am expecting them to be detailed and extensive, because that is what everyone had told me editors like to do. I have mentally prepared, but who knows how much that will really help. Although, I do look forward to the suggestions. I am excited to get book one in the Blood Angel series ready for the publisher, and an editor is just one of the many steps so… BRING IT ON!!!

Finding the time…

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It seems as time goes by my days get shorter and shorter, and I am having less and less time to write. It makes me sad to think I have spent less than an hour writing over the last two weeks! How am I supposed to get through this project if an hour or two a month is all I have to devote to it?!

It’s no ones fault but my own! No pointing fingers here, it just is what it is. I have a family and at the end of a long work day it’s hard to want to do anything but spend time with them. How do you tell your kids, “No sweetie mommy still has to work, I can’t cuddle or draw right now.” I can’t do it. They give me those puppy dog eyes and I just melt!

So, now I have fallen behind, WAY BEHIND on my self-set goal of having book three in the Blood Angel series complete by the end of August. I’m only on Chapter Eleven… with so much story left to tell.

Please send me out good creative thoughts to help me get through the rest by my newly set goal of November 26th MY BIRTHDAY!!! Because what better birthday gift could I give myself than finishing the book?!

Stay tuned for more updates in this on going adventure…

Bad news?

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Is it bad when your editor pushes back your deadline? She was going to get her edits to me the first weekend of August but pushed it back to the first weekend of September! I hope it’s not that she hates it but how can I be sure?

Okay… I’ll stop freeting!

I’m at the beach with my amazing husband Eric, and am not going to worry about what may or may not need to be changed in the book! I plan to edit, rewrite, and edit some more when I get back home!

I’m going to just love my vacation now!

Patiently Waiting

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Its Sunday now, August 7th. I sent my manuscript off to my editor on July 15th with the knowledge that she would send it back with editor’s notes by Saturday August 6th.

The fact that it hasn’t yet arrived in my email box feels like bad news, but I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything. We all have deadlines, other commitments, distractions, etc. I’m sure that she has dug in and is on her way to completion. I don’t want to be the writer that hounds her, because I think that good work takes time, and I want to know that I am getting everything she has to offer me. And yet, I still feel this appending doom headed my way when I do see her email pup up.

So, to distract me until that day happens… I shall write.

I have finished the rewrites to book two, and plan to send it off to said editor as soon as book one is back in my hands. Until then I am picking up book three again, and starting off where I left off… Chapter Eleven! That’s right, I set it down ten chapters in and havent touched it since. It has been about four or five weeks… I hate when I have to stop for such a long time. But, I did good work on book one and two during those weeks.

Back to book three… Today is rewrites on chapters one through ten… Okay, I do have a husband, two kids, and a full-time job. Rewrites will take me a couple of days. Then, later this week I will continue where I left off with chapter eleven! I am super excited where this book is headed, and can’t wait to have someone’s feed back. Book one, got great feedback from close friends and family… Book two, is still being read by a number of people, but my sister (and lawyer) finished it and says its amazing… Book three, is so far my favorite of the series… Then again, I love them all, but I’m the author, lol.

Okay, off to work I go.

Goal Update…

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Well, I didn’t quiet get through ten chapters over the weekend like I had hoped. However, I did get through nine, so not bad. (Giving myself a small pat on the back!) This morning I finished chapter ten (bigger pat on the back!!). It was only two days behind schedule, and since I hardly ever have time during the week to write… Success!

I plan to get through another chapter or two this evening, putting me well into my goal of finishing by the end of this weekend, and then I can move on to book three. Well, move on to book three, while sitting around patiently and eagerly awaiting my editor notes on book one that should be in my email by the weekend of August 5th! No one ever told me how stressful waiting could be.

Okay… so, maybe patient isn’t the best way to describe it. Its more like biting my finger nails, sitting on the edge of my seat, and praying that she at least likes it. I know I have to expect lots of edits… all the editors I have spoken to say that’s just the way it goes. Writers have told me that they receive pages and pages of editor notes. I have received good advice, “Take your editor notes as constructive criticism.” Easier said than done I’m sure, but that is just what I am going to do. I figure the more notes, the more opportunity to improve what I’ve written. At least it can’t hurt right?

Well, it’s that time… time to write!

Two weeks and counting…

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I have a two-week deadline looming overhead. By Saturday August 6th, I am to have book 2 to my editor, and although it is already written I have not yet gone back through it to do a final edit on my own, and the people I have reading it have not yet gotten back to me! AHHHHHH

I’m not dragging me feet, really I’m not. It’s just that with two kids, a husband, a full-time job, a part-time job, and a house to clean there really isn’t a whole lot of time on my plate to write. I try to squeeze in time whenever I can… kids weekend nap time (right now!!!), after the kids go to bed at night (when nothing good is on tv…), etc. But, still not a lot of time to devote just to my writing.

I am making myself a promise, here and now! I will pick up book two this weekend, and get through chapters one through ten! Okay, maybe that is a little ambitious considering when I do final edits I tend to rewrite large portions, insert completely new chapters, and/or delete large portions… Okay, I’m still going to aim for chapters one through ten, but I am not going to be too hard on myself if its more like one through five. LOL

Okay, today is almost over, with the babysitter soon to arrive, so… I better be off to work. Wish me luck and think of me often.

Dug In…

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So… Following the advice of a good friend, I dug deeper! I actually spent the last eight days reading, reviewing, and editing my manuscript. My goal wasn’t to add fluff just to make it longer, but instead to add only content that would benefit and add to the story line. I think I succeeded, but only time will tell.

After completing the first version it went through multiple levels of editing; the first being myself reading and editing it many MANY times, the second being my close (in proximity) friends, the third being my distant (again proximity) relatives, and then finally my good friend out in California who finally gave me advise I could use. That advise was what lead me to ‘Dig Deeper’. Now that the digging is done, I have finally sent my manuscript off to my editor.

Now I sit, dug in, and wait… and wait… and wait!

I would love to say I’m not nervous, and party of me isn’t, but the other part… well it is. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that a professional editor is a MUST, and I truly believe that I have picked the right one for my project. I’m excited and scared, but I can take criticism as long as it’s constructive, as I’m sure it will be. Therefore I am eagerly awaiting her edits, thoughts, and recommendations, as I push forward and ‘digging deeper’ into manuscript number two!

Now I’m off to the trenches to write…

Dive Deeper!

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The other day I received some heartfelt constructive criticism from an old friend, and by old I don’t mean hunched over covered in wrinkles and walks with a cane. However, just for fun I do like to call him Gramps every now and then. Yeah, you know who you are!

After reading my novel for the first time he told me to ‘Dive Deeper’. Now, at first criticism can be a little hard to stomach, but honestly I have been looking for someone to tell me the truth for a while now. I have had a number of people read the book and they have all told me they love it, the story is great, they can’t wait to read book two, etc. etc. etc. What I really need as a writer is to hear some real honest to goodness not trying to be nice kind of constructive criticism.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Now, there are three things you can do when you receive constructive criticism. The first is run and hide pretending that you didn’t hear it, and that your story is perfect without any changes. The second is accepting that everyone has their opinion, but decide that you will graciously decline the help others are willing to give. The third, and my choice of action was to accept that all things can use improvement, and seeing my book through someone elses eyes is a wonderful way to improve upon what I’ve already built.

So, I am taking this week to reread my manuscript… again, and try to dive deeper!

Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for being the kind of friend that believes I can do better, and will tell me I have to dive deeper into my work to make it the best it can be!

Miss you Gramps

 

Got an Editor!

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Very exciting day!

I am two and a half books into my series ‘Blood Angel’ and I am so excited to announce that today I found my editor. I have been talking with numerous editors over the past few months, to find the perfect one, and this weekend it happened. I had a conference call with her this morning, and book one is already in her hands. Now I just hold my breath and wait… Not my strong suit. However, I am looking forward to the constructive comments, and this amazing new step toward my books future.

I am excited to introduce Jamie Aitchison, who works out of Chicago, IL. She is a copy editor who provides clear, concise syntax while maintaining the author’s unique voice and tone. She takes pride in being highly meticulous, detailed and organized in her proofreading work. With her Bachelor of Arts in theatre arts and creative writing with a concentration in journalism, from Eastern Michigan University, she not only brings an amazing imagination and open mind to every project she also has a very strong focus on punctuation, grammar, spelling, voice and word choice.

I plan to share this process, ups and downs, as things unfold. So, come on this journey with me one step at a time. hopefully when it is all said and done Mrs. Aitchison will grace us with an interview and share some of her trade secrets for how she does what she does, and why she loves it so much.