Here we are--the last Friday before Christmas Eve!
I'm all about my Pandora Christmas station, sitting by the tree, drinking cocoa with peppermint stick melted into it, and finding the perfect treasures for Mr. A's stocking.
Yes, we stuff each other's stockings. It's one of the most romantic things we do all year!
And, too, it's nice to have a sort of winding-down feeling. Just last week, I was pushing madly ahead to finish the first draft of my WIP. Then I discovered the broken plot.
Yeah. Bad day, that.
So now I've started over, and the pressure to finish before the end of the year is gone.
Well, sort of gone. It's an ego, thing, really. I completed another first draft earlier this year (my dystopian's "book 2"), and wanted to pride myself on having written two first drafts in the same year.
As if that matters. I think I'm over it.
I think.
Anyway, my week-leading-to-Christmas is going to be much different than I'd anticipated. Much BETTER. Being dedicated is one thing, but I tend to pressure myself beyond recognition.
So there you have it. A calmer, less stressed Authoress. Anyway, it makes my husband happy.
What about you? Are you ramping down? Meeting end-of-years goals or deadlines? Plodding merrily along with thinking too hard about anything?
Share your journey points! It's a good way to collectively "take our pulse," hold each other accountable.
And have a joyous weekend.
I have edits on a story I absolutely love, so they'll be a joy to do. Plus! The insights provided to me by my editor are teaching me a LOT.
ReplyDeletePsst... I'll give you an early teaser, I've signed with Carina Press for a brand new sci fi romance series! *happy dance*
Official announcement at the New Year. ;)
Goal met: MAJOR discovery about WIP and restoration underway. That is success, in a big way. Congratulations. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteWorking on the first "tough love" edit on the WIP. Those pages that seemed to flow so well on the evenings that I thought of myself as a good writer seem a bit clunky in retrospect. Makes one nervous!
ReplyDeleteDesperately trying to finish first draft on my current WIP. I gave myself until the end of January, so I am still hopeful. It's a lot to ask for since I only have about a quarter done. It's almost like doing my own private NaNo.
ReplyDeleteIf it was in my usual genre it would be a piece of cake. But since it's in a totally different genre and is an emotionally charged novel, it is taking me much more time. As you said, sometimes we just need to get over it, if we can't do it.
Have a wonderful Christmas Authoress and may all your wishes come true in the new year.
Michael
I'm racing to finish a round of edits before Christmas so I can get my WIP off to a beta before Christmas. I realize she probably won't get to it until after, but I'll have a much happier holiday season if the manuscript (whom I affectionately refer to as Bob) is out of my hands over the break.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Authoress. Hope you have a lovely week.
I hid from the prospect of starting a new manuscript by writing a few animated videos that I was lucky enough to have go viral (So You Want to Write a Novel, So You Want to Go to Law School).
ReplyDeleteThat's been a lot of fun (and eased the pain of having to shelve my last manuscript this summer after I thought it was going to break through and find a home).
But after some down time for Christmas, it's back to the drawing board.
My end-of-year goal is to finish the first draft on the WIP I started in November. It's one of those stories that everything came together really great, so I should be able to wrap up the last couple chapters, maybe even by Christmas. You have a great holiday!!!
ReplyDeleteI need to go X-Mas shopping, and my family and I need to put up the tree. It's a tradition, decorating and dancing to X-Mas music. Today is the day. Real late compared to other years, but at least the outside of the house is festive.
ReplyDeleteMy WIP is on hold for now. I'm disappointed it's not finished yet. I finished my last one within a month. Edits, of course, took much-much longer, but I aimed for my new WIP to be done by now. Oh well, this is the time for family and friends, and to give thanks for our blessings.
This blog-community is the best. Thank you all, and thank you Authoress.
Happy Holidays.
After a very kind, personal response (read rejection) from an agent, I am taking her advice and reworking the opening of my novel. So, instead of prepping more queries and starting my next project, I'm revising (again), but it's for the best and I'm happy.
ReplyDeleteI've been listening to the Pandora Christmas station all morning--love it! I'm taking the next two weeks for family and down time, while I wait on critiques on my latest ms from my crit group. I'll be ready to revise come Jan. Happy Holidays! :)
ReplyDeleteI just finished a fairly massive revision based on feedback from agents and critique partners (removed 38 pages and changed the voice of my male leading character.) Then I sent the full manuscript to an agent who bid on me in the Baker's Dozen Agent Auction. Hopefully this is the one!
ReplyDeleteIf not, I'll go back to querying after the new year while I also start writing my third YA fantasy. This time I plan to write the logline and outline FIRST--which will be hard because I'm a pantser at heart. :-)
Happy holidays to all!
I'm so sorry Authoress! I hate it when the plot falls apart at the end. :(
ReplyDeleteIf you need any help, or fresh eyes to look at something, please let me know. I would love to help a sister out.
Sometimes things aren't as bad as you think, and you are too close to the project to see the simple solution.
Marytframe@hotmail.com
Happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to do one last round of edits on my oldest WIP, so I can get it out in the New Year. Hoping to have it all finished by Wednesday next week, so I can have a few free days to focus on Christmas.
I'm hoping to finish doing a major overhaul on a previously trunked MS. I'm really happy with most of this version, other parts, not so much. It has been a major painful struggle and for the last 2 weeks I have forced myself to take a step back and focus on a few things I've been neglecting...like my family.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to see what everyone is doing this time of year. After finishing Nano, I've decided to take December off. I tried to go back and revise my YA fantasy, but I just couldn't face it yet. Same goes for my other two projects. So, I'm relaxing, catching up and enjoying the holiday season. Good luck to those trying to finish something before the end of the year. 2010 was a good year.
ReplyDeleteI recently had the issue of realizing my plot was broken as well... about 56,000 words into the first draft. I don't know why I didn't catch it in outlining, but I didn't. I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteI'll be plugging along on my current project as usual. I try to write 2-3 pages a day, and my holiday schedule isn't any less hectic than my everyday schedule, unfortunately.
I had a writing deadline of Dec. 15 and met that. Then I wrote my annual Christmas letter (mine is funny, not braggy, and no, not from the perspective of the family pet) and just finished that today. Once I get them mailed, it's on to wrapping presents. Then the baking. Then Christmas will be here and I'll hit the couch for a day. Just my usual Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI told myself and everyone that listened (Most ran away) that I would be published by the end of this year, but time was running out. Plus after querying two other manuscripts for the past three years, I knew I wouldn’t make my goal without a magic wand. So after sending only three queries of each story to agents, I created my own magic and published one of my stories on Amazon, and one with a POD publisher. Okay, some may say I should've queried more, but I am 57 and didn’t want to wait another ten years to be published. And when I query my next four stories to agents and publishers, at least they can check out my sales.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don’t regret self publishing these two stories. My book on amazon only became available a few weeks ago, and I've already sold 21 paperback copies and 14 of the eBook. Plus I have over a dozen orders from people waiting for paperback copies. As well as that, I was able to order my own copies to hand out to all the kids in my family for Christmas. (My books are children’s stories.) Though most large bookstores don't sell POD books, some smaller ones do. A local Art shops accepts POD books to sell and some local stores, plus some local gas stations. The local libraries have also said they will accept donated copies. I've sold some by just by talking to people and I always carry a copy with me. My other book is with another POD publisher, but hasn’t quite made Christmas yet, but at least I have my author copy.
So, I am happy. I made my goal, selling on Amazon and I don’t regret it. I’ve already had kids asking me when I’m writing the sequel. Yay!
Have a wonderful Christmas, Authoress, and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to improve my writing by getting feedback from this wonderful community of writers and agents. I wish you all a great and successful new year.
Question to all (I figured this was a good place to put it)
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to have an agent request a partial from me. In her email she said that I should contact her after 8 weeks if I had not heard from her.
I sent her an email after eight weeks, and it is currently the first day of the ninth week- I have not heard anything.
What would you do?
I don't have a deadline for myself anymore, my laptop died on me yesterday. The good news is that I was able to have everything retrieved from the hard drive though. So happy, I thought it was lost. It could have been worse so I'm very thankful and have decided to relax and not stress out over it. Everyone have a Merry Christmas. ;-)
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