Category Archives: First Novel Attempt

Coming Out of the Writer’s Closet

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So I’ve kind of been a closeted writer for over a year now and I’m thinking it’s time to come out.

There are a lot of reasons why people don’t shout from the rooftops that they are a writer and I am no exception to that. People have expectations when they hear “writer” …the questions that always come are, “When will your book be published?” or “Will you be going on a book tour?” or “Are you writing the next Fifty Shades of Grey?”

UGH.

Writing is a long and tedious process as is the publishing industry. Nothing moves fast at all. Also, people think once you have this massive first draft in your hands then it should be on it’s way to sitting pretty on the book store shelves in no time. SO WRONG.

And don’t even get me started on when people ask me what my book is about.

Usually I sound something like, “Well there’s this guy and he feels guilty about this accident he was in…but then there’s this girl…and you know, well they don’t really get along at first and…” YEAH, it usually doesn’t end up sounding much like a story you’d want to read. But I swear, it’s way better than my lame explanation 🙂

However, even if I do suck at explaining my own stories and even if I do get bombarded with questions from others about when they can buy my book (at best it will be years from now, people), it’s not really an excuse anymore to hide. I have a finished book. IT IS COMPLETED. Yeah, I’m still editing it here and there based on feedback I get from early readers but it’s a whole story. I’m proud of it. I’m delighted at this accomplishment. And you know what, that’s not something I should take lightly or hide away. It’s something I should share.

Maybe it will be two years until you see my book on a shelf, maybe it will be ten years. Who knows – but I have to believe if I don’t give up, the dream will be accomplished. To start that dream off right, I have to be open and honest with those around me about what I am.

I’m a writer.

There, I said it.

image

That Time I Wrote a Novel

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I will have a more serious post about this going up on The Writer Diaries in about a week but right now, I’m too tired for that. All I want to do is post what I said I was going to post when I finished the first draft of my novel. And that includes MERMAIDS and STRIPPERS.

This is how accomplished I feel, like a giant wave could surface behind me and make me look all majestic and hot while wearing a bikini made of sea shells.

And this one is just, well, I’m pretty sure it’s obvious. I think it captures my mood and excitement rather well. HAH!

Ugh, but I am tired after almost 12 hrs of editing and it is currently in my very capable CP hands to give me feedback, so there’s nothing more I can do for it now. Except shout: OMG I FINALLY FINISHED MY FIRST DRAFT OF MY FIRST NOVEL EVER!!! Okay, I’m done now I swear.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTT!!

Emerging Strong From a Writing Hiatus

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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: Continue reading →

To Be a Series or Not to Be a Series? That is the Question

Posted in First Novel Attempt, Inspiration, On Ideas/Planning, On Writing, Series by

Let me skip away from the title of this post for JUST a moment and then I will jump right back on task. I promise.

forever-book-trailer

When I first started writing THE BEHOLDER, it was kind of a side step to what I had really been wanting to do. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited about it and I thought the idea was pretty unique and had a lot of potential. But REALLY, I was more excited about the series idea (ELEMENTS) that I had been trying to write but was having a hard time plotting out. I had already spent months with those characters inside my head and they felt like the most awesomest cast EVER. To me, at least. I let a few CPs read the first 6 or so chapters I had churned out and a lot of the feedback was very positive and complimentary. But as a beginner writer, trying to tackle a series was a daunting task. I spent all of my time trying to figure out how each book would play out and how the characters would change from the beginning to the end of 300,000 words or so. It was mostly frustrating and sometimes insane. I felt completely and irrefutably over my head.

But I was determined to be a writer. It was in my blood. I knew I had the passion for it and I wasn’t going to let this hole I dug keep me down. So when I got the idea for THE BEHOLDER, I made the very difficult choice of setting aside ELEMENTS and all the wonderful characters I had created and started in on a new idea, a new cast. At first I didn’t know them as well but I came to know them. And I came to love them. And it was a lot easier for me to wrap my head around an idea that would only span one single book. Or would it? Continue reading →

Next Big Thing: The Beholder

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So I have seen this “Next Big Thing” post going around for awhile now and have been patiently waiting to get picked. However, when I saw my friend Tabitha post hers I pretty much begged her to pick me as someone to tag. She is a super nice girl so she obliged willingly. Thanks Tabitha!! 🙂

Now on to the questions! Continue reading →

When Someone Else Publishes Your Idea

Posted in First Novel Attempt, Misc., On Ideas/Planning by

No, I don’t mean literally YOUR manuscript. I mean when you are steadily working along on that WIP that is going to be your ticket into the publishing world, the idea that your new-found agent is going to swoon over for years. The “THIS IS THE ONE” one!

And then…you see a new book come out and you start to read the description and you think, hey wait a minute, that sounds awfully familiar! Continue reading →

30,000 Word Wisdom

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Wow, this was a big one. And hard earned at that.

30000 words

I honestly didn’t think I would make it. Well, let me rephrase…I set a deadline for myself and spent all day on the deadline date working towards this word count. I didn’t think I would reach it but in a last spurt of writing inspiration, I chugged on past my 30,000 word goal. And then Downton Abbey was on and so it was a whirl of celebrating in an English accent. Continue reading →

Building Up Your Story – Tension is Everything Pt. 2

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Let me start off by saying this: If you are in the murky depths of about 20,000 words or so on your novel and are kind of lost between the middle and the end, then this post is for YOU. If you missed Part 1 on this subject, no worries! You can find it here! Start there and then come back and rejoin us here on Part 2.

Waiting….

Okay, you back? Here we go! Continue reading →