Wow, a post about writing? I bet y'all are saying, "I thought this had become a hiking blog." :)
Nah, not a hiking blog, but the blog of a writer who loves to hike.
Anyway, Seventy Days of Sweat Round Three ends on May 15. I've racked up 114,000 total words, half of which I had to scrap in order to restructure Heart's Chalice, and half of which applies to the rewrite.
The rewrite is going well. I'm still feeling out aspects of my story. Currently, I'm writing it from the protagonist's point of view. But I'm thinking of writing new chapters from other important characters' points of view to add richness to the story. Texture -- I love texture! But texture and layering take time. I intend to take the time I need.
Which brings me to the subject of writing challenges. When I finish rough-drafting Heart's Chalice, I'll have three rough drafts on my hands: Heart's Chalice, House on Bear Branch, and Beast of Stoney Creek (House on Bear Branch and Beast of Stoney Creek are working titles; I'll probably change both of them because they're cheesy). I don't need any more rough drafts, so I'm steering clear of writing challenges until I get my current stories revised and polished.
I'm glad I participated in Seventy Days of Sweat (all three rounds) and NaNoWriMo: they kicked me out of that awful writing slump I fell into last year. Before the slump I'd been productive; the writing challenges helped me become productive again and to rediscover my own comfortable and productive pace.
Here's what I hope to accomplish by the end of this year:
1. Finish rough-drafting Heart's Chalice.
2. Let Heart's Chalice simmer as I polish House on Bear Branch, get it beta-reader ready and submission-ready. I've found it's good to let a story simmer on my mind's back burner at regular intervals. Gives me a fresh eye for revisions.
3. Start querying for House on Bear Branch as I revise Heart's Chalice. Yes, I'm focusing heavily on Heart's Chalice; I have a good feeling about that story, and it gives me fodder for additional novels. One of its characters, in particular, is hollering, "Write about me next!"
4. Let Heart's Chalice simmer again as I revise Beast of Stoney Creek.
5. Let Beast of Stoney Creek simmer as I get Heart's Chalice beta reader-ready and submission-ready.
6. Begin querying for Heart's Chalice as I get Beast of Stoney Creek beta reader-ready and submission-ready.
7. Begin querying for Beast of Stoney Creek; do further revisions on all three novels as necessary, begin rough-drafting a new novel.
It'll be interesting to see what happens when I have three horses on the Query-Go-Round.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Three Rough Drafts
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9 comments:
Good for you. Ambition and a plan. I know you'll keep at it and do well.
I'm so impressed by your tenacity and commitment! It'll be great when you've got things ready to share, but mostly I'm just happy to see you back on track with your latest. :-)
Hi, Leah! Thanks so much. I look back on last year at this time, when I was deep in the dregs of my crisis of confidence, and I'm so glad to have my head back on straight. :)
Thank you so much, Bunnygirl, for your kind words! :) It feels great to be on track, with a plan in hand!
Like bunnygirl says -- I'm impressed! (jealous too ;)
Keep it up TL, cause when you sell your first, your adoring public will demand more more more!!
Awwww, thanks so much, Wylie! *big grin* Goodness knows, if I manage to sell a book one of these days (no, TL, think positively -- WHEN I SELL A BOOK), I'll have plenty more where that one came from! :)
I'm so impressed! Good luck with all three horses on the Query-Go-Round (love that image, it made me laugh).
Thanks so much, Crabby! :) I can't take credit for "query-go-round", though -- that wonderful term was coined by Bunnygirl! :)
Wohoo Thomma Lyn! You really have said good bye to procrastination - no one can put things off and get that much writing done :)
LOL, Harmony! :) Thanks so much. I have gotten much better about not procrastinating, which is a good thing, because there still don't seem to be nearly enough hours in the day! :)
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