You don’t need to tell me that I’ve been pretty absent from writing on this blog. Trust me, I definitely know! Between keeping up with my writing group blogs The Writer Diaries and YA Stands, sometimes I don’t really have much else to say (or the time to say it).
But I want to get back into writing on this personal blog because that’s what it is. It’s personal. I don’t have any specific “types” of post I have to put up here, I’m not required to do it because of a commitment I made to a group. It’s just me sharing my journey all alone here on my personal blog.
To catch you all up on what’s been going on in my writing, it might take a few posts of complaining and crying and shouting for joy and then crying again. It’s been kind of a roller-coaster over here. Basically, this:
- I planned to have my manuscript ready for the Midwest Writers Workshop I was attending in July **DID NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE I SUCK**
- I attended the Midwest Writers Workshop and learned SO much and met SO many awesome people. **Yay!!**
- At said conference, I signed up for a query critique with an agent hoping to at least get some feedback on what I had come up with for whenever said manuscript is finished. She loved it and said to send a full when I was done! **OMG CLOUD NINE**
- After a pitch session with another agent and a manuscript critique with a prominent young adult author at the conference, they advised me that the one perspective out of my dual narrative idea was more interesting than the other and I should just stick to the one POV for the whole thing. **UHHHH, ummm, okay so should I rewrite it or not??? Commence panicking because I’m the worst decision maker of all time.**
- Come home and go back and forth between writing on the version I had already going that was dual narrative and writing on a new version that was just from one POV. **Officially go crazy because of my indecisiveness and just stare at the computer screen for days with no progress**
- Finally decided that I wasn’t able to finish the first version because there was something fundamentally wrong with the manuscript and where I was taking it so…I decide to take the pros advice and go at it from just the one POV **bites nails as I dive into a whole new storyline**
- Decide that I really need to try to give myself a deadline and make it happen if I’m ever going to finish this book. **Wonders AM I ever going to finish THIS FREAKING BOOK?**
So there you have it. You are caught up with me to my current present day tribulations in my writing world! So now for that deadline? Hmmm, well I would really love to try and participate in a contest so I’m looking at The Baker’s Dozen, hosted on the Miss Snark’s First Victim – which my entry would be due in November 5-7th. That’s really pushing it for me to have it polished and ready by then and it will also depend on how fast my critique partners/beta readers get back to me with their comments. And I guess also how much they tell me needs re-worked. And also – OKAY, okay. So a lot of things are dependent on me reaching that goal that don’t necessarily involve just me delivering. But I have to start somewhere. Plus, the actual agents don’t start bidding on the projects until December 3 so I would have a little wiggle room to polish things up just a bit more.
So when does that mean I should have the first draft done by? I’m thinking like September 30th? That gives me about 6 weeks to finish it up. No big deal, right? I’m already at 40K words with this new version so how hard could it be? Oh my God this is going to be so hard!!!
Okay, regroup. Be calm. We can do this.
I should probably leave at least 2 weeks to edit what I can….so….technically a month to write 20-30K more words. So I need to try to write like 1,000 words a day right? I can do this **looks around for a bag to breathe in** I can SO do this.
Well, this post has turned out to vividly show my self-doubt and yet, determination to finish this book. That means there is only one left to do:
J.A. Ward Writes 
Oh man, your GIFs rule, I LOL’d so hard and inappropriately at the car/tsunami one.
I found that one and KNEW I had to fit it in somewhere hahaha
OMG ::hands you over a bottle of wine:::
Exciting, scary, frustrating and exciting again! You can do it!!!! I think going with the Pro’s advice is wise, have fun writing and pulling your hair out. You have a doable goal and huge ground work already. You got this 😉
Thanks, I sure hope so! It will feel so good to have a story start to finish in my hands. Err, on my computer screen. I can’t wait!
LOVE THIS POST!
The honesty about meeting your writing goals is very refreshing to see (I took 13 years to go from idea to book contract, and was always cringing at posts where writers talked about writing several books a year) and those GIFS are making me laugh so inappropriately, and then drag the hubby in to see them with me too.
Never give up! You will finish if you never give up!
Christi Corbett
Thanks so much for the encouraging words, Christi! Yes, I see those posts about writing a whole book in a few months and I want to cry in the corner haha ….but everyone is different!
lol Like the others have said, your gifs are hilarious. And also, YOU CAN DOOO EEEEEEET!
Hahaha, thanks 🙂 …I should use GIFs more often. They seem to be a hit around here! You can’t really go wrong though with Jennifer Lawrence, Game of Thrones, and tsunamis hahaha
Way to go you! Saying hi from Pitchmadness – can’t wait 🙂
Why, thank you! It’s been fun so far! 🙂
Great post, J.A. We’ve all been there. Good Luck.
Thanks for stopping by and for the good luck!
Glad you’ve decided to not drop out of your personal blogging, though I do understand it takes up lots of time. Great feedback you got from the conference, even if it did spin you into a tizzy for a while. Deadlines can be harsh lord masters, but they can also prevent so much procrastination and letting the plot “marinate” times. I’ve got a deadline for my WIP, but it’s way too loose and I need to tighten the deadline up some. I’ve got to let that marinate.
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I’m supposed to be on a break! Don’t tell anyone, but I really am. Glad you took one for yourself and are back.
Firstly, don’t give up you will get there in the end and don’t worry about other writers or how many books they are churning out a year, everyone is different and everyone works at their own pace. Just try to think of the joy that comes with a publishing deal and holding your first book in your hand. I used to be just the same as you and never thought I would be published. But this year I got to hold my paperback in my hands and it was an amazing feeling. You’ll get there too, so just keep smiling.