Here’s a quick little post about the Universe once again giving me some feedback 🙂
Last night, I gave myself a bit of a break and played some video games in front of the TV (decadent!). I have so many projects in the works right now, with edits for the spider-headed zombie romance underway, the next book already unfolding in my mind, and a launch coming up on Monday (seriously?? already??), but I really needed to rest and unwind. Continue reading “Messages from the Universe”
Earlier this year, I moved away from using a planner for a while. That was a Very Bad Thing. It wasn’t just bad in terms of not knowing where and when I needed to be places or what I was supposed to be doing. It was bad for my motivation.
Without goals written down where I could look at them every day, I didn’t make the kind of progress I need to—that I know I’m capable of. I wasted time, and time is the most precious gift we all receive.
When I’m actively planning out my days, I’m much more likely to move forward on a path to what matters most to me. Continue reading “Planning to Plan”
A while back, I blogged about watching the first space shuttle launch while standing in a small patch of trees lining the water across from Cape Canaveral. I had no idea what my dad was so excited about or why he kept making us look at the island across the way so we didn’t miss anything. When the shuttle launched and we watched it with our own eyes—striving for the sky, reaching for space in a way no one had ever reached before—I understood. It was an amazing experience, and one I’m extremely grateful for.
I was also living in Florida when we lost Challenger. Continue reading “Remembering Challenger”
When I became serious about my writing, I knew that two skills would be more important for me than any others: to write well, and to write fast.
I love my stories and want to give them the best form I possibly can. I want readers to love them as much as I do (okay, at least come close 😉 ) For that to happen, I need to keep my prose clear, my pacing tight, and my characters fully-developed.
I also have a ton of stories to tell, so I knew I needed to be able to write well quickly. Continue reading “Speeding Growth”
The more I make a decision to do something, the easier it is to make in the future. If I decide to go for a walk, it’s easier for me to decide to go for a walk the next day. Some people talk about this in terms of building habits, but I prefer to think of it as building muscle. The more consistent you are with your workout, the better your muscles will respond.
I’m focusing on the things that are important, and building those decision-muscles. Yoga, exercise, eating well, going to bed on time, and, of course, writing. The more I make the decision to do those important things, the easier it becomes to say no to the things that don’t matter.
I re-read my earlier post about not writing during edits, and realized that the word “editing” covers a wide variety of tasks for me. There’s the initial quick-edit of a piece after the first draft is done, just to get in those changes I don’t want to forget. I generally think of this as finishing up the first draft. Then there’s the first round of line-edits and whatever re-writes are necessary after it sits on the shelf for a few months (if my schedule allows for it). This is what I think of as the real editing – the intensive stage where I find it very hard to be writing something new. Then there’s the final polish before sending it out.
Now, I’m entering an entirely new stage of editing – working with an editor (Holly Atkinson!) on Wandering Soul! It is extremely exciting, and I can’t wait to learn more about this part of the writing and publishing process.
I’m also excited to be returning to the world of Wandering Soul and getting to spend more time with these characters that I love so much. The foundation is laid for both sequels, with plenty of back story written out (close to 20,000 words worth!). The outlines for the next two books are nearly complete. The books occur during the same time period, with events affecting both plot lines, so I need to be sure to get their continuity straight. The second book is speeding along, and I hope to have the first draft finished sometime in February.
Now I get to see how well I can jump back and forth between editing with Holly and writing a new piece. I’m keeping plenty of notes on the sequel in case I need to shelve it at any point during the editing process. No matter what I do and learn, I plan to have as much fun with these stories as I can. Wishing you all tons of fun with your stories and characters, too!
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