WIP Wednesday

First off - Happy Birthday to my awesome stepson!! He's 21 today, which is blowing my mind. When I married his father he was this adorable freckle-faced little 10 year old :) Now he towers above all of us and has turned into a wonderful young man. :)

Now....in writing news - things went wonky LOL I'm rewriting a novel I wrote a few years ago (as I've told you before). Revisions have been going very well. Then I realized that while they were going well for the OLD storyline, I was getting way off track for the NEW storyline. Not that anything was horrible, and I'd added quite a few new tidbits. But I was 100 pages in and the real crux of the new stuff hadn't really started yet and was bogged down in all this stuff that, while I liked it and it worked well for the other story, was pretty irrelevant to the new story.

I always block out my scenes on post its and put them up on my cork board during revisions, so I can see what I have and more easily determine what needs to change. But for this problem, those didn't really help.

So...I typed up a little mini synopsis for each chapter, printed it out, put it on my cork board, and started rearranging and cutting. It was kind of fun. I had my tape, scissors, red pen, and push pins all laid out. I cut one entire chapter and took another one, cut a few bits out of it and taped them into the synopsi (?) for 2 other chapters...and got rid of the rest of that one. Then I moved a few chapters around so their content fit the flow of the story better.

And then I took all that, made a new little synopsis for each chapter on a post it (one for each chapter), put those on my main cork board, opened my files and went to town. It probably sounds more complicated than it was LOL But it worked great! I'm a very visual and hands-on person. If I can see it and DO it (as opposed to just reading it) I can work things out much quicker.

So, I am now well on my way to getting this puppy where it needs to be :)

Do you have any special little tricks like this that help you when it comes to revisions?

WIP Wednesday

Well, I actually managed to stop procrastinating and start working on my WIP :D My goal is to revise a chapter a day (I'm rewriting the book but salvaging what I can so some of these "revisions" are really totally gutting and rewriting but keeping track by chapter is still much easier than by word count) and so far I am a chapter ahead. So I'm pretty happy with myself for the moment.

This is a partial verse novel and I am having a blast writing it. I just hope other people will like it LOL

How are you all doing on your projects?

WIP Wednesday - What Kind of a Writer are You?

Non-fiction update: Edits with my developmental editor are complete and I am now working with a fabulous line editor. A few revisions led to a much needed new Chapter 1 :D Things are looking good!

As to my question for the day, we talk a lot about being a pantser or outliner, but I've been thinking about another kind of writer lately.

My crit group started up again recently, and this time, I didn't have a finished project to post. So I've been writing as I go along, sometimes finishing my required pages the day I'm supposed to post.

Now, I knew this about myself before, but it's really been driven home lately - I am a layer writer.

My first draft is generally nothing but getting the actual blow by blow scene down. She did this, he said that, they went here, she said something else. It's flat but it gets the basic scene done. Then I go back and add some emotion to it. Give the characters reactions, feelings. Then I'll usually go back and add more action or motivation or anything else that's missing.

I try to do all this on the first try, of course. But invariably, I usually end up with a flat, bare bones scene that needs a few more layers to really make it work.

I can tell when I've had the time to go back over my weekly post several times, because the comments I get from my awesome crit partners on the emotions and tension and action in the scene are generally better than when I posted at the last second.

And when I post for my second crit group, after I've revised several times incorporating awesome main CPs' corrections and suggestions and added layer upon layer, I can really tell a difference.

I have improved a bit over the years. And if I go slowly and think about every line before I write it, I can get some of those layers in there the first time around. But when I do this, my projects have a tendency to fizzle out. I lose interest in them. Because I'm spending too much time trying to get them perfect the first time around.

If I just word vomit the scene and worry about adding the layers once I have the basic structure set, I have a much better completion rate. And I enjoy writing the story more as well.

How about you? Do you layer with each revision or can you get it all out with the first draft? (and I envy you if you can!) :D

WIP Wednesday - Let the Plot Points Flow!

Okay, I know you've heard this from me before...but I think I really did find a way of outlining that I like! I always knew I was a visual person, but I didn't realize just how strong that trait was until recently. I'm sure many of you partook of the awesomeness that was WriteOnCon. I loved each and every minute of it! And I took away a ton of useful information and tips to use in my writing.

The one bit of awesome that inspired my newfound love of outlining was the post on revising by associate editor Kendra Levin. In that post, she had a little flow chart depicting a format for creating an effective plot. (READ HER POST AND SEE THE CHART HERE)

Now, I'd heard this information before, seen it in written form (beginning, two turning points, climax, ending, etc) - and I'd tried to use this in my rough outlining. But for some reason, just having it written down did nothing for me. But plugging my plot points into this chart.....holy moly, let the writing flow! The light bulb went on, the muse put on her party hat and started shaking her booty, I was EXCITED to write and the rest of my story points jumped from my pen onto my fun little chart.

I really should have figured this out earlier - I mean I have always been one of those people that does better looking at the picture than just reading the instructions. But I suppose sometimes you have to fail a few hundred times before you get it right :D

I took the cork board that I had attempted to use  for outlining and I drew the chart form onto the board. It looked like this:

Then, I wrote my plot points onto little notecards and added them to the correct points on the chart. Now it looks like this:

Isn't it pretty!!? And now I have a complete flow chart for my story. It's not heavy duty outlining, but I know where I'm going, when I need to be building tension, and what major points to be aiming for. And suddenly I feel like I can actually finish this story.

It's amazing what a little picture will do for you :)

How about everyone else? Does anyone else use this method, or something similar? Am I the only person out there that has to have a picture to look at before they GET what's going on? :D

WIP Wednesday

Oops, it's Wednesday. LOL Oye, real life getting busy :)

Well, quick WIP update....I'm loving outlining...but I'm not so sure it works for me. But I want it to - badly. I spend a good 8 months on revisions after the initial 2 or 3 months of writing draft. I do NOT want to spend an entire year on one manuscript anymore. But outlining seems to kill the drive to write the story.

So, I have two options at the moment.

1. Word vomit draft one and then outline during the beginning of the revision process (thanks for that term, Elana LOL). This option is what I'm leaning toward as it will allow me to get the story out but still organizes things in time to be efficient in the revising arena.

2. Continue trying to outline before draft 1. This one I'm not so sure about. However, my fabulous crit partner and agent buddy Christine recommended an outlining book that is on its way to my house as we speak. I will give it a shot, 'cause hey, I'm will to try just about everything once :)

So, for now, no progress on the fiction WIP. The NF book is getting much closer to being done but work stalled out for a week or so as I dealt with some Real Life stuff. IF I can get all my ducks in a row here, I should be done with revisions on that this week and then will just need to finish up the 4 new chapters we are adding (and they are, thank goodness, at least partially finished).

Then, manuscript off to my editor and I can focus the summer on fiction. Woohoo!

How about you all? How are your projects going? Have any of you tried outlining to find it just doesn't work? Do you outline at all, during any stage of the process?

WIP Wednesday

Oh, my WIP.....oye. Okay, I have been enjoying the outlining, and I will continue to work on it. But, I have changed gears and am working on something else :D For two reasons. (We'll call the first project Project A and the new one Project B)

1. While I am really liking the outlining thing, for Project A at least, some of the urgency that I had to write the story seems to have dissipated a bit in the process of getting down all the details for the outline. Now, I say for Project A, because I've written just as many notes for Project B and I haven't come across this problem yet. So, I'm thinking it is the project, not the outlining.

2. There are two very different directions I can take Project A and I can't decide for the life of me where I want to go. I can't decide which side of the fence I want my MC on - which is a pretty big decision as who (or rather, what) she is determines the rest of the storyline. I have actually outlined both scenarios....and I just CAN'T decide. Which leaves me sitting in front of a blank screen pulling my hair out.

And then, while researching for Project A I came across something else that sparked a new story idea, one I am VERY excited about; one that I still feel that urgency to write, even with all the notes and outlining.

So :D Looks like I'll be working on the new idea instead. Though I do still really want to write the other WIP...and if I can ever figure out which way to take the story, I'll jump right on it LOL

Has this ever happened to you? Have you been working on something and had an idea for something else that you just couldn't ignore?

I'm excited, don't get me wrong. But I do feel incredibly guilty about Project A. Maybe I can keep working on a few notes here and there so it won't feel left out ;-)

WIP Wednesday

Well, it's been a while, but I actually have a new WIP! Woohoo! I am, of course, still working on polishing up my NF manuscript for publication (I still need to add a couple new chapters, but the book should *fingers crossed* be completed by the end of the month).

So! I have decided to *gulp* outline my new YA. I don't know what's possessed me (maybe the desire to cut my editing time down to six months LOL) but this time around, I am going all out on the whole outline process.

I've set up a cork board with cards on each of my main characters, their characteristics, motivations, etc. The other side of the cork board has a card for each of my chapters. I have my story arc written (the main conflict, two main turning points, the climax and the resolution) AND I have a basic synopsis written.

I have an idea of how long I'd like the book to be so I will try and break down the events in the book by chapter and get those on the cards.

Now - do I think this will work? Not a clue. It's never worked before, though I've never tried to prepare a book to this extent. Then again, I've never had a clear idea before of exactly how the story will be, from beginning to end. Normally, I have a scene or two in my head and I just sit and write, building on those scenes. And then I generally end up cutting half the book and doing major rewrites and spending months filling plot holes and fixing other glaring problems. I am trying to solve a few of those problems before they start.

This time, I know where I want it to start, what I want to happen in the middle, and how I want it to end up.

This may be because I've been thinking about this story since December. I've never given that kind of thought time to a book before. I may have ideas and jot down notes and think of it now and again, but I really have been seriously stewing on this story for months now.

So, hopefully all this careful preparation won't be for naught once I start the story and the characters take over. I will admit that I am enjoying having a specific checklist of points to hit in the book. That must be the OC list maker in my personality, sighing with giddy delight at my mad organizational skills :D

Well, we'll see how this goes.

On a weird and slightly annoying note - I started writing chapter 1 and it came out in present tense. I don't like present tense as a general rule. Not horribly fond of reading it (though I've had my exceptions, and I have read more of it lately, so perhaps that is feeding into the strange and new direction my writing is taking). I've never written in present tense, so this could be interesting :)

How about you? Do you outline? If so, do you do a basic sketch or really dive in?

And have you ever found yourself changing from your preferred tense into something you've never before attempted...or wanted to attempt?

WIP Wednesday

Soooo....are we all ready for NaNo? :D I am cautiously optimistic. I have a fairly good synopsis for my new book and an outline of sorts. It's more of a "This happens then this happens then this happens" type thing, but hopefully it will help give me an idea of what to write :) I'm sure the story will mutate at some point, as it always does, but at least I've got a starting point.

I'm curious to see how this will work for me. I've never tried outlining before, at all. My stories always turn into something completely different than what they started out as. In fact, my first two books both started out as sort of "coming of age" stories about a girl and a few of her relationships. Somehow, that storyline turned into a historical romance with a treasure hunt and a YA paranormal with gods and cool powers. Go figure :)

But, I've never had this much of an idea of where I wanted the story to go. It was always a general "I want the story to be about this." This time, I actually have the whole story mapped out. Not specifics necessarily. I don't have any of the chapters fully outlined with minute details. It's more of a "Chapter 1 - The MC meets character one at the bookstore - he follows her home" "chapter 2- flashback to how she got where she is - meets up with character 3"...That sort of thing. But it's much more defined than anything I've ever done before. I am actually really excited to see if this method works well for me :)

My current novel is just about done. I've done all the major revisions it needs (I think). My main group only has about 30 pages left to go through, and my second group has about half the book, but as they've only been finding minor things here and there (commas and dialogue tags that could go, etc), I'm pretty confident that this book (which finally has a title!!!) is ready to fly the coop :)

How is everyone else doing? Present projects making progress? NaNo novels prepared to go?

WIP Monday and a Reading List Update

Well, my turn for the blog chain falls on Friday, which pushes our Friday Funnies to Wednesday, which pushes WIP Wednesday to Monday....orrrr I suppose I could leave WIP Wednesday ON Wednesday and do funnies today...but since I've already started I think I'll leave well enough alone :D


This about sums up my week :D

Well, not totally true. I did finish going through my manuscript myself. My first crit group only has four more chapters to go through and the last crit group has 9.5 chapters left. I've been doing revisions as I go along, so, for the most part, I'm just about done.

Although...I may have run into a sort of major, but probably not as bad as I'm thinking plot thingy I may or may not need to fix. :D Confused yet? Yeah, me too :D So, I am holding off on any major rewrites until all groups are done critting. Then I'll see what the main concensus is :)

How is everyone else doing? Making more progress than me, I hope :)

Since I am waiting on crits, I got to read a little bit this week. I finally finished Echo in the Bone, the much anticipated new book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

Now, usually, I can polish off one of her 1000 or so page books in a day or two. This one took me a while. I'm not sure why. It may have something to do with the fact that all I've been reading lately are YA books. So I got used to the very quick pacing and the "only add what is necessary to the plot" type storylines of this genre. The Outlander series are much more involved than that.

It may also have to do with the fact that this book follows the perspective of four different characters or couples. Jamie (swoon!) and Claire, Roger and Brianna, Lord John, and Jamie's son William. Honestly, while all storylines were interesting, I think I would have preferred sticking to Jamie and Claire and Roger and Brianna.

I felt like every time I'd really get sucked into a storyline, it would stop and focus on another character. And when that happened, it was easier to put the book down for a few days as I wasn't totally swept up in the new storyline yet.

Having said all that, I did very much enjoy the book and will eagerly await the next (which will probably be several years in coming) as there were several occurrences in this book that desperately need to be resolved in the next.

I also spent the last two days reading Dan Brown's newest, The Lost Symbol. I am torn about this book as well. I enjoyed it, very much. But the pacing of the book kept getting slammed on hold by long passages of philosophical musings on Ancient Mysteries and Noetic Science. Don't get me wrong. I was fascinated. But it sort of felt like I was reading two different books: the intense story of Robert Langdon trying to solve the mystery before everyone dies, and a non-fiction book outlining the principles of noetic science, the Masons, Ancient Mysteries, the origins of our country, etc.

Now, those passages were interesting enough that I actually would like to go look up more information on all of it. But I think the story could have been more intense, or more consistently intense, without some of the "heavier" info dumps.

And *SPOILER ALERT!!! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING!!!!*  I'll still try to be a bit cryptic :D I had the location of the hidden item figured out very early on in the book, and have a hard time believing that the Masonic brothers would go through as much trouble as they did to keep the secret that they did, even to the point of giving up their lives, considering the item involved...seeing as how it is readily available to anyone who wants it anyways and was available (though admittedly, not nearly as much as in present times) at the time it was hidden. But that's just me :D

But again, I did truly enjoy the story, had several "Holy crap, no way!" moments, was brought to tears a few times, and think anyone who likes Dan Brown's previous books will enjoy it as well.

All in all, two thumbs up on both of them :D

Also, though I was privileged enough to be able to read The Hollow, by the ever awesome Jessica Verday, several months ago, I can now add it to my list of new books read as it is actually out in stores now. Well, it has been since last month, but I forgot to add it to the list sooo I'm doing it now :D You can click on the picture of her cover on my sidebar to find a retailer :)

I started out the year going strong - but the end of the year is creeping up fast and I still have 18 books to go. I better get my butt in gear :) I have read a ton of other books, but they were all rereads, so I can't count them. Ooo, and I just realized the new House of Night book (P.C. and Kristin Cast) and the new Merry Gentry book (from Laurell K. Hamilton) are out this month! Yay!

WIP Wednesday

I don't really have a WIP anymore (not for a few more weeks). I am still editing, of course, and am about halfway done, I think. I've been trying to brainstorm ideas for another non-fiction book, but haven't really come up with much there. Well, I have one idea, but not sure about it. More stewage needed :D

So, I have moved on to researching (and outlining, as I mentioned on Monday) my new book. And I'm having a lot of fun with it, actually :)

But, until I actually start writing it, I just don't have much to report.

What has everyone else been up to? Projects going well? I didn't get to ask last week, so I expect much progress to have been made ;-D

WIP Wednesday

Weeeeel, to make a long story short, still editing, not getting too far  LOL Actually, I think I am making progress, but I've been rehashing a few chapters I thought were done :D You always find something else to change, right? :)

I finally got to read Blood Promise by Richelle Mead also. Loved it...not my favorite in the series, and she's breaking my heart with Dimitri!!! But great book :D

How is everyone else doing?

WIP Wednesday and a Reading List Update

Still plugging along on the edits...chapter 3 is making its last round through the crit trenches, chapters 1 and 2 are as good as they are going to get (for now) and I have made it through chapter 12 on my own last run through (chapter 10 is in the second to last crit round) :D

The new blog is up and running.

And I managed to read this week! I finished The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner. Very interesting, great book. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good historical. And I am currently halfway through Diana Gabaldon's new book in the Outlander series, An Echo in the Bone. Loving it as I have all the others :D

How is everyone else doing?

WIP Wednesday

I am happy to report that I am actually doing pretty well on all those nasty edits I've been slogging through :D I have now edited up through chapter 9 with chapters 1-8 making their way through their last round of critiques.

I think I might actually have this baby all polished and presentable by the end of the year LOL Woohoo!! Of course, I am aiming on having it done before then, but in an effort not to get ahead of myself, I'll just shoot for Dec 31st :D

I have also begun another project, a new blog called Papers, Prose and Poetry which focuses on...well, papers, prose (essays) and poetry :D It will work a little differently than this blog. I will only be posting three days a week over there, focusing on Papers on Mondays, Prose on Wednesdays, and Poetry on Fridays. (Starting on Monday Sept 21st).

My non-fiction book, From Papers to Poetry, will soon be making it's way through editors and this blog was created as a companion to the book. In it, I'll give tips for writing various forms of essays and poetry, discuss how to write research papers, give helpful hints on researching and writing these often painful assignments, and hopefully have a little fun with it all. I will be coming up with a few games and contests for my readers - I am looking forward to getting it started.

I would really like to set up a weekly poetry contest like the one they used to have on Poetry.com - I've posted some of the poems I came up with in the contest. It was just so much fun to be given a limited number of specific words and have to come up with something poetic :) If I can figure out how to do this on my own blog, it will definitely be there.

Anyhow, that was my week - how are all of you doing?

WIP Wednesday and a Reading List Update

Edits are still clicking along. I now have 5 chapters edited. Two of those are still making the crit buddies rounds, so there will be more revising, but the first three chapters are, dare I say it, POLISHED! Woohoo!! Well, let's be honest, I'm always going to find something else to tweak, but I think they are pretty decent. Finally. Now....I just need to get the other 20 chapters all nice and shiney and we are good to go. Ha!

I got some more research done on my up and coming WIP - I'm excited about it! Which is why I have been pushing myself to get the edits on the current WiP finished. Time to focus on something else!! :D

Doing great on the reading list also. I read Scott Westerfield's Uglies series this week. Loved them all! I've also started reading The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner. I'm enjoying it, but I'm not sure I'm in the mood for an historical right now, so I may go book hunting again. Actually, I need to go get the new Vampire Academy book. That will be my goal for next week :)

How is everyone else doing? Read anything good lately? Getting those manuscripts written and polished?

Oooo, and Kat over at Words, etc. introduced me to a fun, new way to waste time :D Making a fake book cover! Here are the two I ended up with (I like the first one best):




To make your own, here are the directions:

1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” or click here.

The name that appears is your author name.

2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or click here.

The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.

3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click here.

Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.

4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.

5 – Post it to your site along with this text.

Have Fun!!!

WIP Wednesday

Well, still plowing through edits on the YA :) but making a little progress I think. My chapterage is all messed up at the moment, but I'm pretty sure I've got 4 chapters all nice and shiny, with hopefully another one or two done today.

The non-fiction book is finished, just waiting on a few endorsements and then I think we will be subbing it soon (terrified and excited) :D

And the new project is mostly percolating....it's about all I think about, but I'm trying to be a little more organized and get the plot down first before I jump in and start writing too much.

How is everyone else doing?

For my reading list, I was finally able to read Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr. I have mixed feelings about it. I really did enjoy it, as I have all the books. Maybe it's been too long since I read the first two - but I kept getting irritated with Ash's whining about loving Seth. I mean, I love Seth, I love them together, but she's a queen now.....suck it up and do what's best for your Court. Mwahahahaha - I'm so mean. But really, monarchs always marry for their country and then have someone they love (or at least a lover) on the side, so why can't she?

And *spoiler alert if you haven't read it* with Seth becoming a faery and having to spend what amounts to 6 human months of the year in Sorcha's court, it seems to be shaping up to be a Persephone/Hades type thing....maybe he and Ash will be together for the 6 months when he's in the real world (and Keenan can be with Donia) and then for the other 6 months Keenan and Ash can be together. Sounds like a perfect solution to me :D

Annnnyways :) speaking of the Persephone/Hades myth, next up on my list is Radiant Darkness, which is a retelling of it. *happy sigh* I love new books :D

Also, tomorrow I will be holding my first ever contest so come back for details! I'm stealing....er, borrowing the idea from a few other bloggers I've seen to make some space on my shelves for all these new books I've been getting. I have a ton of books I've either only read once or haven't read at all, including one I just bought yesterday (I then came home and realized I already had it). So I will be giving away a ton of books, many that are brand-new hardcovers, along with a few other trinkets as prizes.

Details Tomorrow!!

WIP Wednesday and a Reading List Update

Now that the non-fiction book is out of the way, I've been neck deep in edits on my YA. I think (think being the operative word here) that they are going okay. There is a lot, and I mean A LOT, to work on this time around. It's my first YA, my first book written in first person, and, coming from writing adult historicals where the style is much more formal, slower pace, etc, there is a huge learning curve I am trying to navigate.

My awesome crit partners are shredding away, making the pages bleed red, and I am so grateful for them I don't even know how to express it :) They are such an incredible help. I might end up with something half-way decent by the time they are through with it.

I have three, possibly four chapters edited so far....only twenty more to go! :D

And, despite my best intentions, I have started on my new WIP, though I am taking it slowly. I came across the theme song for the book :) and can't get it out of my head. So, what's a girl to do? :D I must write or go nuts....well, more so than I already am ;-D

I have also been lucky enough to be able to get some reading time in. I finally got to read the new book in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series, Skin Trade. I read a lot of terrible reviews on this book, and I can agree that some of the ends she tied up were a bit rushed (especially the killing of the huge, main villain for the last several books in a quick bombing that we didn't even get to see), and I would have liked to see some of the older characters I love and miss - but overall, I really enjoyed reading this book :)

I have a pile of others sitting on my desk, so I'm sure I'll have a few more to list by next week! :D

How is everyone else doing on their projects?

And has anyone read anything good lately? I've got Scott Westerfeld's Uglies, Pretties, and Specials lined up along with Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman (a retelling of the Persephone/Hades story), The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner (historical about Joanna (or Juana), Queen of Castile, Leon, and Aragon), and Melissa Marr's Fragile Eternity. Always on the lookout for more good reads!

WIP Wednesday

I finally get to say the words I've been longing to say.....


I'M DONE!!!!!!!


The non-fiction book is done. Woooohoooo!!!!!! Ahhhh, the relief! :D

I am now focused on the major edits needed for my YA Urban Fantasy. I have a little poetry project in the works, but that is something I work on here and there, by hand, when I can't get to my computer. And I might get some research going for a new YA book, but I don't think I'll actually start on that until NaNo. I want the current YA done and submitted before any new fiction projects get started :)

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy having another book finished :D Yipppeee!!!

How is everyone else doing?

Oh, I think I forgot to mention it, but I also finished Libba Bray's Rebel Angels a couple weeks ago. I need to get some more new books read. I did take a writing break last week (being sick and all) and reread the entire Sookie Stackhouse series (Charlaine Harris) but I can't count them on my reading list as I've read them before :)

WIP Wednesday and PixelMags

Well, I was hoping to be able to report the completion of my non-fiction book today. However, a nice long weekend of being ill sort of ruined that plan. I am finally feeling mostly back to normal. Still some lingering fatigue but I can breathe again! Mostly :D

The good news is I only have one chapter left....that's right....ONE CHAPTER LEFT!!! I am so excited. I have a few minor tweaks to make on one section of the book (shouldn't take me longer than a day or two) and probably no longer than a day to finish that last chapter. So I should (fingers crossed) be done with the book by the end of the week.

Wooooohooooooo! I am gearing up for end-of-the-book party mode :D

Then I can focus on my poor YA that needs some major editing and perhaps start on my new YA project that I finally had a nice little epiphany on the other day. I also may have an idea for a new non-fiction book (thanks Christine!) All in all, things are looking pretty good at the moment :)

How is everyone else doing? How are those projects coming along?

Also want to give a quick shout out for my brother's new company, PixelMags. The press release announcing it just went live (I wrote it, so I'm counting it as a WIP) ;-D This is an awesome new product, check it out!!!

PixelMags Press Release in Forbes

WIP Wednesday

I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and am barreling ahead as fast as I can....well as fast as I can still doing the best work I can do, of course :D I have several more chapters finished. I now have only 5 chapters left in my non-fiction book, so it is 79% done. Woohoo!!

Well, that is unless I add another chapter I have been thinking of adding. And the intro... LOL still awfully close to being done though ;D

I am about half way through Rebel Angels by Libba Bray also - hopefully I can add that one to my reading list next week.

And once this non-fiction book is done, I will focus the vast majority of my energies on major edits for my YA before that too goes off to my agent in the hopes she'll want to represent my fiction as well as my non-fiction (can we say nervous!!!)

All in all a very good week :D How is everyone else doing?

I just have to post this for everyone - seriously a wonderful article. I laughed and nodded in agreement the whole way through. It's a definite must read (I even printed it out. Give them the finger! is my new motto) ;-D

The Writer's Middle Finger by A.S. King

WIP Wednesday

Another great week! The poetry section of my NF book is now complete and with my agent. The book is now 63% finished - I have nine chapters left until it is done. I'm very excited. Partly because I am a little burned out on it and just want it done already :)

Edits on the YA are going slow, but getting there I think. I'm having a problem with pacing and too much telling (as I always do...I am really hoping I get the hang of that the first time around one of these days) :D

And I have an interesting new idea that I'm not sure I can pull off....but I'm eager to try. Another incentive to get the NF done because I've kind of put myself on restriction in regards to new projects until it is complete :)

How is everyone else doing?