Surprise!

My editor sent me an email reminding me my book was due. I had it on my calendar for a month later. Ack!! Fortunately, I had it mostly ready. I finished it, and sent it off. Whew. Here's the impressive part: I didn't beat myself up over thinking it was a different date. I corrected it, and moved on.

Registration for the Desert Dreams Writers' Conference is still open.
http://www.desertroserwa.org

The Maiden Warrior by Mary Reed McCall is featured over at Medieval Novels blogspot. I haven't read it or anything by Mary Reed McCall, but it's an interesting post, and the book is on my wish list.
http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com/

Interview with Jean Thompson Kinsey. http://faith-fiction-friends.blogspot.com/2012/03/lightkeepers-daughter-by-jean-thompson.html

Do you like preview's? Reading a scene that isn't available to the world, until now? Gail Delaney's "Phoenix Rising Book One: Janus, out in May (Yes, I enjoyed it.):
http://thewriterlimitsauthors.blogspot.com/2012/03/only-three-people-have-read-this-scene.html

Friday! Made it!

What caught my attention was her talk of taking care of her horse. I miss it. Some of the post did warrant the squeamish warning she offered, but I marshaled on. I'd been reading about Navy SEALs. Ick, but worth the read. http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/

Lynette has a special interview with Mary Louise Marion who has written When I Died What I Learned in Heaven http://lynetteendicott.blogspot.com/ She knows about hands. :-)

FINALLY!! I finished my editing. Brutal. It isn't due for a few months, so I'll let it sit, and then do another read through before sending it on. What a relief to have it done. Time to move on to the next one.

I also finished reading The Warrior Elite by Dick Couch. I am such a wimp. God bless 'em.

No more revisions...

I went through all the required documents, today, endeavoring to make each the very best I could. Then there comes that feeling that nothing more can be done without chasing my tail. So, off it goes. Breathe in... breathe out...

All is in God's hands. Turning everything over to God is not my forte, but I am endeavoring to learn.

Tomorrow, I have plans to visit with one of my dear friends, in the morning. I'm looking forward to the gab fest. Then it will be home again and back to work. Book three needs to be finished, and there are two first-draft manuscripts in need of revisions.

Thanks to Funny Cat Photos for the heartwarming smile:

Editing - done...

The whole of the day was spent finishing the first round of editing for book 2. Whew. Now, I'll put it away for a week or two. Then I'll open the document again and do another edit.

I added a bit to book 3 over the weekend.

Other projects are also progressing.

My brain is fried, in a good way. :-)

Always more to do...

Book 2 is off to my first reader. I had planned on taking a break. I did; yesterday. Today, I had stories running through my head, again. Yes, stories, as in plural. I had two ideas, book 3 and another. So, I took up pen and paper, and jotted down the ideas, including a bit of brainstorming. This whole week will be spent on prepping for book 3, but I'll not ignore any other ideas that come along. The joy of having a writing notebook, a place to keep all the ideas.

The Project is also moving along, and I'm learning a lot from it.

Draft one is complete...

The first draft, beginning to end, is done. For the next two days, I'll read through it, to see if it holds together, see if there's anything missing, and probably add more. But, for all accounts and purposes, it's finished. And yet, it isn't. Funny, as I write each book, the story doesn't really end in my head. I still imagine the rest of their lives, though not in the same detail as when I write the initial story. It's like the characters become a part of me... well, they actually are a part of me. I want them to be happy and fulfilled. One of the nice things about writing is that I'm able to do exactly that, give them a HEA.

Good work done...

Another 10 pages edited, and over 1,400 words added to the current WIP. Homework done. The Project taking shape. Thank you, God, for a bit of inspiration. Only God would nudge my mind with the realization that my completed manuscript was missing a detail, and where it belonged. Done. God also blessed me with wonderful friends who lift me up, encourage me, and strengthen my faith in God's loving plan for me.

Still moving along...

It's so exciting to see the story unfolding. I'm still holding to writing over 1,000 words a day, but Sunday. I try to make it a day of rest, though I find I'm unable to stop the ideas niggling, so I pull out pen and paper, jot it down, and add to the document the next day. I'm endeavoring to take to heart God's admonition to rest on the Sabbath.

The Project is ready for a thorough re-read through, from beginning to end. I haven't done that since I've shared it with my readers. I made changes one chapter at a time, without looking beyond the chapter I was working on, because it's too easy for me to become distracted.

TIP: From Barbara Kingsolver, guest at Writers In The Storm blog: Don’t wait for the muse. She has a lousy work ethic. Writers just write.

It's in the mail...

Nervous and excited, I handed over my query letter, synopsis, and SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) to the man at the post office. I wanted to be sure it made it that far without being lost. Now, it's out of my hands and into God's hands, beyond my control. I know the hurt of rejection, and actually I'm really glad the first book wasn't accepted. It was lacking. I struggled to recognize that rejection for the gift it was. Self-examination is actually something I endeavor to do on a regular basis, but examining my creation wasn't as easy, or co-creation as Tolkien liked to say, because we are co-creators with God. God is the Master, and we the follower. I could not have accomplished what I have without God's guidance and inspiration, including the amazing and wonderful people God has brought into my life.

The waiting begins, but not idly. I'm doing a rewrite of what I have of book two, because in my honing of the plot things have changed. Sketching the outline for book three is also on the table, and maybe a Christmas short story as a bonus. I hope it's enough to keep me busy.

One more day...

The synopsis is printed and so is the query letter and the envelopes. Keep breathing. Tomorrow, it's into the mail, and entirely out of my hands. I'm endeavoring to turn my fears and my hopes over to God.

Today was spent working on the next book. I learned a lot about the main characters I didn't know. They aren't entirely what I thought. I'm liking them better. A character I thought was secondary, I've discovered is the main protagonist.

All the feedback is in...

I've incorporated everything. Reworked everything. Fiddled and re-arranged and shuffled. I think the synopsis and the query letter are as good as I am able to make them. I'm going to put them aside for a couple of days, and then take one last look before mailing. I already know that rejection is a possibility, and it scares me, but it won't keep me from making the effort. God gave me a gift, and if I'm rejected this time, so be it. I can't MAKE anyone like my stories.

Keep on, keeping on...

I made a word change in the WIP. It's done, and ready for a request. Now, to finish with the editing of the synopsis. *worried face* Nothing to do, within my power, so I started on the next book, in the trilogy. It's a seventh written. I plotted it out a few months ago, so I need to review and revise. Today, I'm simply editing what's already there.

Eep! Found another word that HAD to be changed. What a blessing the Online Etymology Dictionary is proving to be in this endeavor! How the meanings of words have changed, over the years!

Done but not finished...

Yes, everything is written, but I'm into editing now. As I edit the WIP, I wonder if I ought to change it, here and there. I found it curious as I read about other authors developing the habit of leaving a book when it's finished and never going back. I love re-reading good stories. Now, I'm beginning to understand. It isn't that you don't love the work any less; it is a matter of coming to the realization that one is for ever finding a way to make a story, maybe not better, but different, thinking of little details that would be fun to add, which make other details already written less significant. Deep breath, and let go.

Done...

Mentor stuff is sent off. Now, I wait, except I'm not really waiting. I'm editing the WIP, because I still need to cut about another 500 words from the MS to meet the word requirement.

As I worried about what I'm doing, and wondering what I was thinking when I started all this, fretting that I'm out of my mind to think I'm capable of doing this, my dear friend reminded me, "Remember when you thought you couldn't right dialogue?" It's a standing joke. When she asked me to help write a LOTR fan fiction, I told her she'd have to write all the dialogue because I couldn't write that kind of stuff. Surprise! I'm very comfortable with dialogue. In fact, I prefer it. Live and learn.

All is in God's hands.

Synopsis and query letter, done...

I finished writing the synopsis for the WIP I'm submitting, and I'm worrying: Did I do the best I know how? I'm happy with the query letter, but uncertain of the synopsis. I'll be using the Desert Rose Mentor Program once more. I'm only allowed to use it twice a year. This will be twice. I'll have made everything the very best I'm able. Then it's in God's hands.

Done, again...

The re-write is done. I still need to edit more words to meet the requirement, but that's simple enough to do. Tomorrow, it's time to write the synopsis. My heart and head fill with dread. I've written chapter by chapter summaries, but never a proper synopsis. I'm scared witless. But, tomorrow it is. We'll see how I do.

God is always right...

"God may not come when you call, but when He does come, He's never late."

When I decided to submit my novel to the Mentor Program I was nervous. I knew the Desert Rose meeting was the last Tuesday. I wanted to be ready. I was, pretty much. I talked to Laurie, who was very helpful. I decided I'd turn it in by Friday. Wednesday morning, I woke up with a bee in my bonnet, and simply had to turn it in that day. By Wednesday evening, it was done. On Thursday, it was discovered that somehow the attachments hadn't made it. So I sent them again. On Friday, Laurie kindly informed me that I'd gone overboard on the synopsis. Instead of a synopsis, I'd submitted a novella. I re-wrote, and re-submitted. Friday. And it's done, really done, exactly like that first impression. Had I waited until Friday, It would have been next week before it was all straightened out. Whoohoo!! I listened and obeyed. I'm feeling much calmer about it all. The fun part was rereading some of the story, and finding there are parts that made me laugh out loud. With that comes the little thought, "Did I really write that?" Yep. I did it. I'm a writer. I really am.

Oh! I also worked on the next book, tweaking the first two chapters, working on the third, and starting the synopsis. I'm actually finding the synopsis is very helpful, at least the novella ones are because they cut out the cute, fun, catch-your-attention stuff and focus on the plot.

Ah, the way of technology...

The attachments didn't make it! So, I resent them, this evening. It wasn't nearly as nerve wracking. I did my PTBW, though it's not really paying the bills anymore, but something is always better than nothing. Then I started on the second book in the trilogy. I brainstormed with my dear friend on the plot because my original plan wasn't particularly solid. I'm a bit of a pantster (writing by the seat of my pants). I tend to go where the story takes me, which is fine if you have thousands of pages to meander wherever the story takes you. However, when there's a limit, you have to reach the point eventually, and preferable before the last page. Nothing worse than a book that leads you along only to do an information dump on the last page. In our discussion, I also came to realize that I tend to start a story, and then I need to write the end, so I know where I'm going. Interestingly enough, I also tend to write the story backwards from there. What led to that last scene? And what led to the second to last scene. The book finished yesterday ended up with chapters being cut and the last eight chapters being rearranged, except for the final one. I love the whole process.

It's begun...

Today, I finished the re-write for my inspirational historical novel that I may be publishing under my real name. I'm still waffling about that. I'm allowed. I also finished the synopsis. I've never written one of those before, so I have no idea what I'm doing. Actually, I had to write a one-page synopsis for this very story when I submitted it to Harlequin. Now that I know more, I understand why it was rejected. This synopsis is a lot longer. I put the synopsis, the first three chapters, and my application all in the proper format (I hope) and emailed it all off to the Mentor Program offered by Desert Rose, my local chapter of Romance Writers of America. A published author will be matched with me, and give me a critique on the material. I expect a lot of red marks on the synopsis. I've talked about it with published authors, but I'm really completely clueless. I understand the overall idea, but putting it into practice is presently an exercise of shooting in the dark. I am very happy with my re-write. The books is so much better. And yes, I expect red marks on that, too, only hopefully not as many. Thank you to the judges in the Phoenix Rattler Contest, offered by the Christian Writers of the West chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. Their suggestions were invaluable.