I admit, I took a break. An "I'm going to read fun books just for fun" break. And I did. And it was fun. And then, of course, my kids got sick. So I took an "I'm going to take care of my sick kids" break. And then it became an "I need to clean my house" break...which really isn't much of a break at all, is it? Well, I'm back! And I have continued second edits. Because of the breaks, release for Guardians: Revenge maybe pushed back about a month. It depends on how focused I can be and if the sickness decides to make one more round.
Oh, and Happy First Day of Spring! :)
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Schedules
If you have been following my updates, you have probably noticed that I don't post on the exact same day every month. I have discovered that I can maintain a schedule for so long (about a month) and then I have to switch it up. If I do not switch it up, I stop doing the activity. I have no idea why that is. It's just a part of me that I've discovered and learned to deal with. What about YOU? What's something random about yourself that you've noticed and how have you dealt with it?
The Guardians: Gateways is receiving a bit of a face-lift. I'm re-editing the story. It needed it. If you bought through Amazon, you will have the option to "upgrade" your book for free. Don't worry too much, though. I'm mostly fixing typos. There are a few sentences I've added for better description, but nothing story-altering. I did add a "sneak peak" chapter for The Guardians: Revenge. I'm 96% done.
The Guardians: Revenge is now in beta-reading. Yeah! One beta reader has already returned the manuscript. I'm so excited to publish this story! The April and Eddy relationship develops a bit more. April develops a lot more, discovering her independence in spite of her circumstances.
The Guardians: Life is still in outline phase (okay, I'm also thinking about calling this one Hope or Past or something). I believe I am finished with chapter one, which I have included at the end of The Guardians: Revenge. This will be the final book in my Guardians trilogy. Then we'll see what happens. :)
Happy reading!
The Guardians: Gateways is receiving a bit of a face-lift. I'm re-editing the story. It needed it. If you bought through Amazon, you will have the option to "upgrade" your book for free. Don't worry too much, though. I'm mostly fixing typos. There are a few sentences I've added for better description, but nothing story-altering. I did add a "sneak peak" chapter for The Guardians: Revenge. I'm 96% done.
The Guardians: Revenge is now in beta-reading. Yeah! One beta reader has already returned the manuscript. I'm so excited to publish this story! The April and Eddy relationship develops a bit more. April develops a lot more, discovering her independence in spite of her circumstances.
The Guardians: Life is still in outline phase (okay, I'm also thinking about calling this one Hope or Past or something). I believe I am finished with chapter one, which I have included at the end of The Guardians: Revenge. This will be the final book in my Guardians trilogy. Then we'll see what happens. :)
Happy reading!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Progress Report
The Guardians: Revenge is almost done with the first draft! I have a few more chapters to finish tweaking and then the book will sit for a bit before I begin another round of editing.
Does it ever seem strange that you would let something sit? I used to. Until I actually let it sit. Then I realized how important the sitting is. When you set something aside for a brief time (at least sleep on it!), you are able to look at it with fresh eyes. Often this allows you to spot errors that your tired eyes may not catch. Or delete sections that you were emotionally attached to, but did nothing to help your story.
It's the same with a lot of aspects in life. "Let me sleep on it." "Count to ten." "Take deep breaths." All of these have the same idea behind them. "Let it sit." That purchase you want to make? Not worth it. Or so totally worth it that you're even more excited the next day. The guy who cut you off in traffic? Breath. Count. Whatever you need to do. Road rage will only blind you and make you more susceptible to an accident.
In the moment, however, we often don't realize how important (or unimportant) something is. Some might say, "But what about that once in a lifetime opportunity?" Hey, if it's too good to be true...it probably is too good to be true. There are strings attached. And if it's meant to be, it will come back to you. Be patient. Good things come to those who wait. Trust in time.
And get excited. Guardians: Revenge will be out before you know it!
Does it ever seem strange that you would let something sit? I used to. Until I actually let it sit. Then I realized how important the sitting is. When you set something aside for a brief time (at least sleep on it!), you are able to look at it with fresh eyes. Often this allows you to spot errors that your tired eyes may not catch. Or delete sections that you were emotionally attached to, but did nothing to help your story.
It's the same with a lot of aspects in life. "Let me sleep on it." "Count to ten." "Take deep breaths." All of these have the same idea behind them. "Let it sit." That purchase you want to make? Not worth it. Or so totally worth it that you're even more excited the next day. The guy who cut you off in traffic? Breath. Count. Whatever you need to do. Road rage will only blind you and make you more susceptible to an accident.
In the moment, however, we often don't realize how important (or unimportant) something is. Some might say, "But what about that once in a lifetime opportunity?" Hey, if it's too good to be true...it probably is too good to be true. There are strings attached. And if it's meant to be, it will come back to you. Be patient. Good things come to those who wait. Trust in time.
And get excited. Guardians: Revenge will be out before you know it!
Monday, January 6, 2014
And We're Back!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope we've all had a good time with the holidays. I hope you even took time off of work to enjoy the holidays. I know I did. :)
Status Updates on books: Totems: The Sword and the Shield is sitting still. I believe it's complete, although I will read through one more time just to check. Bernie's character needs a little tweeking, I think. Also, I'm considering changing the title to Totems: The King's Treasure. I believe The Sword and the Shield will work better for book 2.
Guardians: Revenge is about 8,000 words shy of being complete. Then it will sit for about a week before I begin serious editing. After the rough draft, I tend to edit as I go so editing should be relatively quick. Then it's to Beta Readers. I hope to have it published by the end of March. Also, Guardians: Gateways may receive a slight revision. There are a few typos that I would like to fix.
Publish Guardians: Revenge by the end of March happens to be one of my New Year's goals. I would say resolutions, but that does not fit. As one author has stated, a resolution is something you do to better yourself. A goal is how you might reach your resolution. For example: I want to be healthier in 2014 is a resolution. The goals might be based on eating habits or exercise or weight loss.
My second goal is to submit my work to a writing contest. I've found a local one and I think I'm going with the short story category. They have not updated rules for 2014, but last year submission was from April through June.
All in all, I'm very excited for this year. There's a lot of promise for things to be done. A lot of excitement. It's going to be great!
Do you have any writing goals (or other goals) that you want to share? Comment below!
Status Updates on books: Totems: The Sword and the Shield is sitting still. I believe it's complete, although I will read through one more time just to check. Bernie's character needs a little tweeking, I think. Also, I'm considering changing the title to Totems: The King's Treasure. I believe The Sword and the Shield will work better for book 2.
Guardians: Revenge is about 8,000 words shy of being complete. Then it will sit for about a week before I begin serious editing. After the rough draft, I tend to edit as I go so editing should be relatively quick. Then it's to Beta Readers. I hope to have it published by the end of March. Also, Guardians: Gateways may receive a slight revision. There are a few typos that I would like to fix.
Publish Guardians: Revenge by the end of March happens to be one of my New Year's goals. I would say resolutions, but that does not fit. As one author has stated, a resolution is something you do to better yourself. A goal is how you might reach your resolution. For example: I want to be healthier in 2014 is a resolution. The goals might be based on eating habits or exercise or weight loss.
My second goal is to submit my work to a writing contest. I've found a local one and I think I'm going with the short story category. They have not updated rules for 2014, but last year submission was from April through June.
All in all, I'm very excited for this year. There's a lot of promise for things to be done. A lot of excitement. It's going to be great!
Do you have any writing goals (or other goals) that you want to share? Comment below!
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The Sun Was Shining
Where I live, we frequently have ZERO sun in the winter. So after a week of grey days, yesterday the sun shined! It was amazing! I was warm (sort of) and cleaned our downstairs.
And then I heard the water running...from my furnace closet...from the ceiling. But the sun was shining.
Ran upstairs to discover 2 inches of water on my bathroom floor. In our house, it's not the cup that "runneth o'er." Oh no. We had an entire bowl running over. So we turned off that water, called maintenance, and got the carpet cleaner out. So glad we had a carpet cleaner. :) And the sun was STILL shining!
40-50 minutes later, maintenance guy shows up...and I am HOT from sucking up the water...at least, that's what I thought. Oh no. The water had gone down the wall in the living room downstairs and through our thermostat. It was 80 degrees and rising (the heat was still on). Hmmm...well, the sun was shining!
A couple of hours later, our toilet was fixed! And, even better, it wasn't our fault! Remember, I have three little ones (one who is 18 months and loves flushing and watching the water swirl around). A flushed toy or something else was a very real concern. Nope. Not that. The suction, lid-thingy in the toilet tank didn't close all the way. So when the tank tried filling up after flushing, it instead went straight into the bowl...and over. AND the sun was still shining!
Know what else? I have been editing The Guardians: Revenge. I've been a little down because I thought I was done and I wasn't thrilled with where I was at. (44,000 words was it? Really?). Plus, I felt like something was missing. That's when it hit me. April and Eddy get separated and Eddy wanted me to tell what happened to him during their separation. Of course! He's brilliant! AND I had not finished writing the last two chapters, so word count is going up and up and the story is feeling fulfilling. :) AND the sun was STILL shining yesterday! (Yes, sunshine in the winter is a big deal.)
Also, one of my friends gave me permission to base a character in Totems: The King's Treasure off of her. I'm so excited! She's going to be a blacksmith. :) All in all, a decent day. Except for the pepper that was rotting from the inside out and I bought for dinner. That kind of threw me. And the sun was not shining anymore while making dinner...LoL
And then I heard the water running...from my furnace closet...from the ceiling. But the sun was shining.
Ran upstairs to discover 2 inches of water on my bathroom floor. In our house, it's not the cup that "runneth o'er." Oh no. We had an entire bowl running over. So we turned off that water, called maintenance, and got the carpet cleaner out. So glad we had a carpet cleaner. :) And the sun was STILL shining!
40-50 minutes later, maintenance guy shows up...and I am HOT from sucking up the water...at least, that's what I thought. Oh no. The water had gone down the wall in the living room downstairs and through our thermostat. It was 80 degrees and rising (the heat was still on). Hmmm...well, the sun was shining!
A couple of hours later, our toilet was fixed! And, even better, it wasn't our fault! Remember, I have three little ones (one who is 18 months and loves flushing and watching the water swirl around). A flushed toy or something else was a very real concern. Nope. Not that. The suction, lid-thingy in the toilet tank didn't close all the way. So when the tank tried filling up after flushing, it instead went straight into the bowl...and over. AND the sun was still shining!
Know what else? I have been editing The Guardians: Revenge. I've been a little down because I thought I was done and I wasn't thrilled with where I was at. (44,000 words was it? Really?). Plus, I felt like something was missing. That's when it hit me. April and Eddy get separated and Eddy wanted me to tell what happened to him during their separation. Of course! He's brilliant! AND I had not finished writing the last two chapters, so word count is going up and up and the story is feeling fulfilling. :) AND the sun was STILL shining yesterday! (Yes, sunshine in the winter is a big deal.)
Also, one of my friends gave me permission to base a character in Totems: The King's Treasure off of her. I'm so excited! She's going to be a blacksmith. :) All in all, a decent day. Except for the pepper that was rotting from the inside out and I bought for dinner. That kind of threw me. And the sun was not shining anymore while making dinner...LoL
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Totems
I just finished the first revision of Totems: The Sword and The Shield! Ended up adding about three new chapters...Revisions don't end there, though! I've gone back to the beginning and will be working through again. Writing a book, I've learned, is only half the battle. Maybe even just a quarter of the battle. There's so much work that goes on after you type out the proverbial 'the end' that it's a wonder anything ever gets published! In a week or two, I plan on sending Totems to a proofreader. I'm excited and will talk more about the proofreader later. This will be the first time I've had another professional look at one of my books (okay, I've only published one so far, give me a break!). On the bright side, I'm still happy to be writing. I love Rael and Arianwyn! And, I have to admit, Arianwyn's name has been growing more and more on me. I would absolutely name a kid Arianwyn! Whether or not my husband agreed would be another story...
Monday, July 15, 2013
Busy!
It all happened so suddenly...one minute, we were living in one city, the next we had packed up, picked up, and moved out! We only just got our internet back (Phew!).
I've been working like mad on revisions/editing to Totems: The Sword and The Shield. I think Rael and Arianwyn are happy about that. I hope to finish this first round in about 3 weeks from today. Then I'll be sending it off to a proofreader (more on that person to follow!).
Guardians: Revenge has been coming along nicely as well. Eddy and April are quite demanding when it comes to getting their story told. April's had enough upheaval in her life that she isn't interested in sitting around. And let's not forget that Jason is still running around, causing havoc in the world. April definitely wants to stop that and Eddy is determined to help her.
On a more personal note...Argentine beef skewers with chimichurri sauce (all of it homemade) were delicious! Highly recommend finding out how to make it for dinner during these hot summer months. We added some corn on the cob and rice to go with it. Yum! Tonight is Chinese. Asian Mama's Chicken (it's like an orange chicken recipe). I love food!
I've been working like mad on revisions/editing to Totems: The Sword and The Shield. I think Rael and Arianwyn are happy about that. I hope to finish this first round in about 3 weeks from today. Then I'll be sending it off to a proofreader (more on that person to follow!).
Guardians: Revenge has been coming along nicely as well. Eddy and April are quite demanding when it comes to getting their story told. April's had enough upheaval in her life that she isn't interested in sitting around. And let's not forget that Jason is still running around, causing havoc in the world. April definitely wants to stop that and Eddy is determined to help her.
On a more personal note...Argentine beef skewers with chimichurri sauce (all of it homemade) were delicious! Highly recommend finding out how to make it for dinner during these hot summer months. We added some corn on the cob and rice to go with it. Yum! Tonight is Chinese. Asian Mama's Chicken (it's like an orange chicken recipe). I love food!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Totems Editing
Currently, there are 25 chapters in Totems and I just finished editing chapter 19. I have a feeling that there will be a few more chapters by the time I'm finished! I have this nasty of habit of moving to the main scenes of action and miss the opportunity to subplot and what have you. I've got some work to do, but I believe I'm getting better as a writer. Practice, practice, practice!
We all have dreams. Unfortunately, none of us are born with the perfect ability to do what we wish. We have to practice. I think we tend to have a 'knack' for those things that make us the happiest, an inborn indicator of what dreams we should follow. But a sword that has not been sharpened and honed will never be first choice when it comes to battle. Hahaha! Stupid analogy. But I'm not going to erase it. Maybe someone else will get a chuckle out of it. Again, I have practice to do, clichés to break and create.
I also need pictures! I've got to practice creating book covers, for one thing. And the pictures work well as book covers, in my opinion. Of course, I could be horribly wrong. No one has commented yet on my book cover...no news is good news? Or it could be bad in this case.
We all have dreams. Unfortunately, none of us are born with the perfect ability to do what we wish. We have to practice. I think we tend to have a 'knack' for those things that make us the happiest, an inborn indicator of what dreams we should follow. But a sword that has not been sharpened and honed will never be first choice when it comes to battle. Hahaha! Stupid analogy. But I'm not going to erase it. Maybe someone else will get a chuckle out of it. Again, I have practice to do, clichés to break and create.
I also need pictures! I've got to practice creating book covers, for one thing. And the pictures work well as book covers, in my opinion. Of course, I could be horribly wrong. No one has commented yet on my book cover...no news is good news? Or it could be bad in this case.
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