This week is the last time our critique group is meeting before nano. As a rule we don't keep up with the critiques during nano because there's really not enough time for all of us to complete our nano goals and try to keep up with critique group.
I have mixed feelings about this. While I have a bit of a break -- not having to worry about getting the critiques done, or even what I'm going to submit -- at the same time, those critique groups helped my writing more than anything I've ever done. I've learned about my own writing more from hearing what other people have to say about it than while writing any of the multiple novels that I've managed to complete the first draft of.
That being said, sometimes I feel like I'm a little stuck. I'm going through a routine of writing in November (or during camp nano) submitting to critique group, and possibly getting to a second draft, but I never seem to get any further than that.
I want, more than anything, to be a published author. I want my name to be printed on the cover of a book. I want to be able to walk in to Chapters and find my books alongside my favourite authors. I want a complete stranger to read my books because someone recommended it to them.
So how can I do that when I can't even get to a third draft?
In order to get published, I have to submit my manuscript to someone. As I want an agent, it would be to the agents I would love to have as my own. Before I can submit, I have to actually like my manuscript. Which is probably only going to happen after I get feedback from my betas. In order to get feedback, I have to send out my manuscript to my betas. And to send it out, I really have to get it to the third draft.
Of course, I had a goal. I wanted to finish my third draft of Pandora by the end of this month. I managed to finish the second draft at the very beginning of the month, and I thought that I might actually get done this third draft in order to send it out.
I haven't. I'm not even done going through it to see what changes I still need to make. I'm about halfway through reading it and I don't foresee myself actually making it through the entire manuscript before November gets underway. I'm not even entirely sure I'm going to be able to finish the list of changes before then.
It's a disappointment. I want to have it ready for submissions by January, but it is what it is. I can accept that I didn't get as much done as I wanted. I think I took on too much this month anyway, so I'll get by.
What I won't be able to forgive myself for is if I don't get this manuscript done and sent in to an agent. This is probably the best book I've written to date, and I just can't wait to see what other people think of it.
My critique group is filled with amazing writers that have given me great insight in to my work. And if I never go any further with it, what am I saying about them? About the time they've invested in to my novel? I can't do that to them any more than I could do that to myself.
So while I may not finish my editing quite as quickly as I had hoped, I'm going to finish the third draft, I'm going to get it out to betas, and I'm going to find an agent for it. No matter how long it takes.
Are you a part of a critique group? Have they helped you as much as mine has?
Showing posts with label B.A. Matthews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B.A. Matthews. Show all posts
Monday, October 22, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
The Epic Month of Posts
I thought I would begin this post by telling you all the story of Nano 2011. For me, of course. I'm sure there were a million story's during nano 2011. Anyway, this is my story of Nano 2011.
It was my second year of Nano, and my first year had gone relatively well. (Okay, so I tripled the goal for the month...at the time I had absolutely no idea that I was even capable of such a thing. Who knew.) Anyway, as it was my second year and had managed to get so many words, I decided I was going to up that goal. Just by a little bit, and I decided to set it at 200k words.
So, I was on about day three, and I had already written 30k words. I was ahead of the game, and pretty happy with my progress thus far. Then I started talking to one of my nano friends online. She had decided that her goal that year was to beat me, and she already had 20k.
I'm told that this was the point where I overreacted. I disagree. I think what I did was perfectly rational, but I suppose I have to concede to the majority.
At this point, she was only 10k behind me, and I might be just slightly competitive, so I decided right then and there that 10k a day wasn't so bad, and I could keep that up for the entire month and write 300k.
I did it. The girl who got me to raise my goal, she didn't even make the original 200k. But it was a great month, and it's going to be something that I'm repeating this year.
So why am I telling you this now when nano hasn't even started? Because of what else I did during Nano 2011 that will also be happening this year.
A friend of mine (not the same girl that managed to get me to write 300k words...) told me about a week before Nano started that she was going to write a blog post a day during the month of November. I scoffed at her and told her she was crazy (I had only written about five blog posts total at this point). Then I decided I was going to join her.
I didn't quite make it. I ended up missing two days, and not all of it was good (more than a couple days was nothing more than 'here's my word count, I'm going to bed) but it was what really got this blog started. It was because of those 30 days that I even considered getting the posts on a schedule of sorts.
Of course, last years we didn't have any rules. This year we have a couple:
1) The post must be up on your site before midnight in whatever time zone you happen to be in.
2) All blog posts must be a minimum of 50 words to be considered a post (yes, this is short, but we might just up this count next year.)
This year we're also inviting other people to join us in our blogging efforts. I'm keeping a list of all those involved on the sidebar on my site, and B. A. Matthews is doing the same. So you can follow anyone whose going to be posting a blog a day and see who actually manages it.
Or you can sign up for it yourself, either by commenting on this post, contacting me via twitter (@DanniM86) or talking to B. A. Matthews.
We would also appreciate anyone who would like to spread the word. I'm calling it the Epic Month of Posts, but feel free to come up with your own names for it.
I'm excited for this year (as I've upped my goal to 320k of my own free will, rather than being goaded in to it), and I can't wait to see the posts that come out of it. I hope that we get a few of you to join, because it's going to be great!
It was my second year of Nano, and my first year had gone relatively well. (Okay, so I tripled the goal for the month...at the time I had absolutely no idea that I was even capable of such a thing. Who knew.) Anyway, as it was my second year and had managed to get so many words, I decided I was going to up that goal. Just by a little bit, and I decided to set it at 200k words.
So, I was on about day three, and I had already written 30k words. I was ahead of the game, and pretty happy with my progress thus far. Then I started talking to one of my nano friends online. She had decided that her goal that year was to beat me, and she already had 20k.
I'm told that this was the point where I overreacted. I disagree. I think what I did was perfectly rational, but I suppose I have to concede to the majority.
At this point, she was only 10k behind me, and I might be just slightly competitive, so I decided right then and there that 10k a day wasn't so bad, and I could keep that up for the entire month and write 300k.
I did it. The girl who got me to raise my goal, she didn't even make the original 200k. But it was a great month, and it's going to be something that I'm repeating this year.
So why am I telling you this now when nano hasn't even started? Because of what else I did during Nano 2011 that will also be happening this year.
A friend of mine (not the same girl that managed to get me to write 300k words...) told me about a week before Nano started that she was going to write a blog post a day during the month of November. I scoffed at her and told her she was crazy (I had only written about five blog posts total at this point). Then I decided I was going to join her.
I didn't quite make it. I ended up missing two days, and not all of it was good (more than a couple days was nothing more than 'here's my word count, I'm going to bed) but it was what really got this blog started. It was because of those 30 days that I even considered getting the posts on a schedule of sorts.
Of course, last years we didn't have any rules. This year we have a couple:
1) The post must be up on your site before midnight in whatever time zone you happen to be in.
2) All blog posts must be a minimum of 50 words to be considered a post (yes, this is short, but we might just up this count next year.)
This year we're also inviting other people to join us in our blogging efforts. I'm keeping a list of all those involved on the sidebar on my site, and B. A. Matthews is doing the same. So you can follow anyone whose going to be posting a blog a day and see who actually manages it.
Or you can sign up for it yourself, either by commenting on this post, contacting me via twitter (@DanniM86) or talking to B. A. Matthews.
We would also appreciate anyone who would like to spread the word. I'm calling it the Epic Month of Posts, but feel free to come up with your own names for it.
I'm excited for this year (as I've upped my goal to 320k of my own free will, rather than being goaded in to it), and I can't wait to see the posts that come out of it. I hope that we get a few of you to join, because it's going to be great!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
The Next Big Thing
I have been tagged in another challenge, and I thought it would be fun to post it. So, here it goes. I'm going to use the book that I'm currently editing and hoping to query in January.
What is the title of your book?
Pandora - Book 1 of the Jayne Pheare Series
Where did the idea come from?
I've never been a huge fan of this question, but that's mostly because I don't always remember where I get my ideas from. Thankfully I do actually remember where this one came from, so I can answer the question. Last nano I was hanging out in our chat room (which I may be slightly addicted to during November) where we have an awesome name generator for all of those character naming emergencies you have during nano. (If you've never done nano, trust me, these do happen. More often than you would think.) Anyway, one of the other regulars (we're having the room tested for drugs...so far it's clean) was randomly generating names. I don't know if he was actually looking for a name, or just procrastinating, but regardless, many a name was being brought up, most of which were being made fun of or just out right rejected. And then Jane Fear popped up. I was hooked immediately. I knew I had to make that character, though I honestly didn't know anything else about the character (as you may have noticed, I have since changed the spelling of the name.). I took the idea and ran with it.
What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy
What actors would you chose to play your characters in a movie?
Honestly, this is probably the hardest question on here, as I don't cast my characters before I write the book. I prefer to imagine them exactly the way I want them, rather than equating them with a face that isn't exactly right. But, as it's a question being asked on a challenge I've committed to doing, I suppose I'll do my best, though I guarantee nothing.
Jayne - Eriko Tamura
Dax - Chris Pine
Ashley - Brian Tee
Zane - Chris Hemsworth
Lashon - Kristen Bell
Mac - Rupert Grint
Reggie - Malin Ackerman
Jerri - Michelle Williams
Brooks - Michael Ealy
Yep, I was right, that took me longer than all the other questions I answered. But that's my cast. I thoroughly enjoyed casting my characters ^^
What is the one - two sentence synopsis for your book?
A conscience can make an assassin's job hell.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I'm definitely hoping to be represented by an agency. Not that I have anything against self publishing, and will probably self publish if the traditional route doesn't go anywhere, it's just that I don't particularly trust myself to do everything correctly. To have a solid book that I wouldn't cringe while reading if I had bought it. To be able to advertise it enough to make any kind of profit. So, I would prefer to have an agent and publisher.
What else about your book will pique your readers' interest?
While assassins and werewolves have both been done, putting them together isn't something you see very often. Add in a conscience, some sexual tension and a bit of a mystery, and I think this is a book any Urban Fantasy reader would love.
The Tags
Alright, so here are the tags. The person who tagged me tagged three people, so I'll do the same:
B.A. Matthews
Eric Satchwill
Breeana Putroff
What is the title of your book?
Pandora - Book 1 of the Jayne Pheare Series
Where did the idea come from?
I've never been a huge fan of this question, but that's mostly because I don't always remember where I get my ideas from. Thankfully I do actually remember where this one came from, so I can answer the question. Last nano I was hanging out in our chat room (which I may be slightly addicted to during November) where we have an awesome name generator for all of those character naming emergencies you have during nano. (If you've never done nano, trust me, these do happen. More often than you would think.) Anyway, one of the other regulars (we're having the room tested for drugs...so far it's clean) was randomly generating names. I don't know if he was actually looking for a name, or just procrastinating, but regardless, many a name was being brought up, most of which were being made fun of or just out right rejected. And then Jane Fear popped up. I was hooked immediately. I knew I had to make that character, though I honestly didn't know anything else about the character (as you may have noticed, I have since changed the spelling of the name.). I took the idea and ran with it.
What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy
What actors would you chose to play your characters in a movie?
Honestly, this is probably the hardest question on here, as I don't cast my characters before I write the book. I prefer to imagine them exactly the way I want them, rather than equating them with a face that isn't exactly right. But, as it's a question being asked on a challenge I've committed to doing, I suppose I'll do my best, though I guarantee nothing.
Dax - Chris Pine
Ashley - Brian Tee
Zane - Chris Hemsworth
Lashon - Kristen Bell
Mac - Rupert Grint
Reggie - Malin Ackerman
Jerri - Michelle Williams
Brooks - Michael Ealy
What is the one - two sentence synopsis for your book?
A conscience can make an assassin's job hell.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I'm definitely hoping to be represented by an agency. Not that I have anything against self publishing, and will probably self publish if the traditional route doesn't go anywhere, it's just that I don't particularly trust myself to do everything correctly. To have a solid book that I wouldn't cringe while reading if I had bought it. To be able to advertise it enough to make any kind of profit. So, I would prefer to have an agent and publisher.
What else about your book will pique your readers' interest?
While assassins and werewolves have both been done, putting them together isn't something you see very often. Add in a conscience, some sexual tension and a bit of a mystery, and I think this is a book any Urban Fantasy reader would love.
The Tags
Alright, so here are the tags. The person who tagged me tagged three people, so I'll do the same:
B.A. Matthews
Eric Satchwill
Breeana Putroff
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A Sad Oversight
It was brought to my attention the other day that I have allowed a terrible lapse to occur. I am going to attempt to rectify this horrible mistake.
A few months ago (well...it might have been more than a few months ago...probably since about August?) I had the house to myself for a few days, and I was telling my friends about it. One such friend (You all know her as B.A. Matthews) suggested that they come over for a party. I couldn't because I had to work the next day, and told them about how I would be kicking them out after only a couple of hours.
Though we discussed still getting together to do some writing, in the end we decided to instead have our party on twitter. It was going to be a friday night, so originally we were just going to hash tag it Friday Night Party.
When it came down to it though, the hash tag ended up being #FNTWP. Friday Night Twitter Writing Party. And it was awesome. It also attracted far more people than I had thought it would.
After a night full of great conversation with other writers, insight into what others were doing, and even my own work, and actually getting some writing done, one of the final comments was 'see you next Friday.'
Of course, we had never planned for this hashtag to end up being something we did every single week. We were just going for one good night to get together while still being able to do all of the stuff we needed to do at home. We did, though. We started putting it on every single week. Even during nano, those five hours every Friday night served as a time when we could talk to fellow writers. Relieve the stress of whatever was going on with our lives. Work on whatever we were working on at that moment.
It was fantastic.
To this day we still run #FNTWP on Friday nights. We aren't always both there. Sometimes I work late, so I don't get on until about nine, but someone is usually there. If not, if you hang out long enough, eventually someone will get on.
I would encourage any writer to join in the conversation. We have a great time, and I never go away without feeling like I got something out of it, even on the nights when I don't actually get anything done. I love it, and I feel like everyone should get a chance to experience it.
Anyway, if you can't tell, I love #FNTWP. If you want to see what it's all about, drop by any Friday night between seven pm and midnight (mountain time). We'd love to see you!
A few months ago (well...it might have been more than a few months ago...probably since about August?) I had the house to myself for a few days, and I was telling my friends about it. One such friend (You all know her as B.A. Matthews) suggested that they come over for a party. I couldn't because I had to work the next day, and told them about how I would be kicking them out after only a couple of hours.
Though we discussed still getting together to do some writing, in the end we decided to instead have our party on twitter. It was going to be a friday night, so originally we were just going to hash tag it Friday Night Party.
When it came down to it though, the hash tag ended up being #FNTWP. Friday Night Twitter Writing Party. And it was awesome. It also attracted far more people than I had thought it would.
After a night full of great conversation with other writers, insight into what others were doing, and even my own work, and actually getting some writing done, one of the final comments was 'see you next Friday.'
Of course, we had never planned for this hashtag to end up being something we did every single week. We were just going for one good night to get together while still being able to do all of the stuff we needed to do at home. We did, though. We started putting it on every single week. Even during nano, those five hours every Friday night served as a time when we could talk to fellow writers. Relieve the stress of whatever was going on with our lives. Work on whatever we were working on at that moment.
It was fantastic.
To this day we still run #FNTWP on Friday nights. We aren't always both there. Sometimes I work late, so I don't get on until about nine, but someone is usually there. If not, if you hang out long enough, eventually someone will get on.
I would encourage any writer to join in the conversation. We have a great time, and I never go away without feeling like I got something out of it, even on the nights when I don't actually get anything done. I love it, and I feel like everyone should get a chance to experience it.
Anyway, if you can't tell, I love #FNTWP. If you want to see what it's all about, drop by any Friday night between seven pm and midnight (mountain time). We'd love to see you!
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