This isn't a bad thing. It's just a thing. For some (publishing houses with January releases), the wind-down is more like a breakneck sprint, with deadlines looming. For others (agents who close shop until the New Year), it's a time to play catch-up. And for aspiring authors? It's an excellent time to assess your progress this year, and what your goals for next year will be. It's also a wonderful time for those of you with almost-ready manuscripts to whip them into shape in preparation for January querying.
So, what does your last-two-weeks-of-December look like? Are you finishing something up? Taking a much-needed break? Waiting with bated breath for news you're sure will come after the New Year?
Share! Your own approach to the rest of December might inspire someone else who needs a little direction. (Because sometimes holidays can be overwhelming -- yanno?)
As for me? I'll be writing 1000 words a day on my (YA dystopian) WIP. By the Christmas tree, of course. I can't tell you how good it feels to hunker down and do this! Even though starting this new project has been like cutting wisdom teeth.
(I have all 4 of mine. Isn't that odd? I'm still waiting for the wisdom...)
Happy weekend!
Oh, don't mention wisdom teeth! I'll be watching my poor son suffer with the removal of four, three days before Christmas. No turkey this year, unless it's a puree. Does the thought of that make you gag?
ReplyDeleteDoes me!
So am I letting them pull out the wisdom I hope he'll one day have? Gosh I hope not!
Wisdom is tough. Wisdom to know when something is ready. Wisdom to know when it's not!
Wisdom to understand when to step up or step back.
Wisdom is tough.
I'll be working on wisdom in the new year - that and my final revisions!! : )
I'm on the second revision of my ms, hoping that this might be the final 'big picture' edit and that there won't be too much more work before it's submission worthy. That's my next two weeks, writing -wise.
ReplyDeleteBut even if I have to do ten more revisions, I'm still going to go ahead and hope that 2012 brings a sale to a publisher. It's Christmas, I'm allowed to hope :D
I'll be working on my current WiP, trying to really get in a good groove on it, while waiting for crits to come in on something else. And, while it may be premature, I'll be playing around with a query letter on that something else.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Christmas tree!
I have all 4 of wisdom teeth too! And my hubs does too! Sadly, I have not felt any extra wisdom either... On the break, I will be trying not to check my e-mail and reading!! I'll probably do a little writing on my new WIP and catch up on some much needed sleep. Good luck on your WIP!
ReplyDeleteHave a great holiday, everyone ;o)
This will be helpful to no one, but I'm doing virtually nothing these last two weeks...but I was prepared for that months ago--last spring, as soon as I realized I was having a baby in the last few weeks of the year. :) Life first, then writing...perhaps not the recipe for a best seller, but definitely necessary to keep sanity!
ReplyDeleteSince I missed NaNo because I was editing in November, I committed to writing 50K in December. So, for the rest of this month, I'll be sprinting to finish.
ReplyDeleteMy last two weeks of December will be filled with assorted Christmassy things, lots of beta reading, and probably some work on a commissioned novella.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I'm also doing the waiting-with-bated-breath thing... for news I know will come after the New Year ;)
AUTHORESS. I just finished my first draft of my second MS. I am so so excited, that is like a Chanukah present to myself. I don't know why I thought you'd be excited about this, but...
ReplyDeleteAnyway. I just wanted to say thanks again for your insane amount of awesomeness this month. Because of you, my first MS has escaped its saved spot in the drawer for a few more weeks. My darlings thank you, and I am speechless.
Merry Christmas. <3
My goal is to finish my first draft of the WIP by the end of the year. So close...
ReplyDeleteWriting by the Christmas tree sounds like a very good idea.
I'll be getting my WIP ready for beta readers and drafting the dreaded query.
ReplyDeleteI have a WiP at 116,000 words... and it's starting to worry me. The end is in sight, but that's still a mammoth of a first draft, and it's going to be a real pain to edit. Then again, I floundered a lot at the beginning, and will probably just cut 5-10k right there...
ReplyDeleteThree guesses what I'll be doing these next two weeks, when I'm not dealing with family!
We have decided to take a little trip to visit Mickey and Minnie in Florida so we will spend a good bit of time in the car. (I wish I didn't get car sick reading and writing or I could really get a lot done!)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and best wishes for great writing and representation to all in 2012!
I'm editing and revising and rewriting my WIP while waiting for news I hope will come before Christmas (although I'm beginning to doubt it).
ReplyDeleteI had all 4 wisdom teeth removed years ago, which may be why I'm not at all wise...
I'm working on a revision that I hope to be able to send out next year. So I guess it's a good thing I wasn't hoping to send it in December. :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on getting started with your new WIP. That's always such a great feeling.
Depending on whether my current freelance contract ends or not, I will probably take a break from continuing to edit my novel & relax. (And jobsearch. Which is not relaxing.)
ReplyDeleteHopefully, it'll help refuel me to jump back into editing (which is SO much more time-consuming than simply writing the actual story).
Happy Chrismakkuh, Festivus, & New Year! :)
I'm in the waiting with baited breath and realizing I'm going to have to wait until 2012 probably category. On sub, but also drafting a brand new contemp. YA.
ReplyDeleteWe just got back from DisneyWorld, so after I finish doing the backstroke through the piles of dirty laundry, I need to get going on this WIP. I'd set Groundhog's Day as my goal date to have the first draft done, but that's looking less and less likely.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is at my house this year -- lots on my "to do" list, but I love having everyone under my roof. I'm taking a writing break for the holidays, looking for a great new story idea to emerge. I do have three chapters being read by a wish list agent...
ReplyDeleteAll I want for Christmas is world peace, and an agent to sign me! :)
I will be forcing myself to sit down and focus on the new WIP--it got lost somewhere between work, holiday parties, physical therapy, a broken car, a leaking shower, and breathless email-checking thanks to a certain auction ;-). But I'm going to focus! Really!
ReplyDeleteRight after I check my email one more time...
My goal is to finish up my second draft by the end of the year. It's my first novel. After tearing the first draft to shreds, I'm rebuilding it into something I really like. I would love to make it my Christmas present to myself. :)
ReplyDeleteI finished my second draft earlier this week, and I'm letting myself have a week off to gain some space, and then I'm off to work on it, and hopefully get it all prettied up in draft three so I can query in January.
ReplyDeleteI'm awaiting comments from crit partners and beta readers for a revised manuscript I plan to send out in 2012. Thanks for all your advice and encouragement on your blog. This is a great community of writers. We love to know we aren't alone amidst all the hard work and waiting! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm putting my next cozy mystery on hold until January. Congrats on being productive.
ReplyDeleteAnn
I had five wisdom teeth O_O And I'm still waiting on the wisdom as well ^_^ (I had four removed, but a silly little fifth one grew out of no where).
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your WIP, I'm hoping I can get back into the swing of things since NaNo has cooled me down a bit.
And since I lost my job recently, I hope to find a new job. Or maybe sell a manuscript so I don't have to go back to the 9-5 (it's such a drag).
My wisdom teeth were dug out when I was about 12, so maybe that's my problem!
ReplyDeleteAs for writing, dealing with life, death, a serious illness and a near-death kinda kept me too busy and emotionally discombobulated to accomplish much of anything in 2011. I haven't even got a chance to read all the entries from the BD yet, but I did notice a favorite got picked up in full- yay for them! But I hope to have learned something from my experiences this year, lessons that will come across in my future works, because life, after all, is the ultimate classroom.
Merry Christmas to you all, and thanks Authoress, for another great year!
PS~ R.A. Desilets: My wisdom teeth never grew back, but one tonsil did!
I was determined to finish the first draft of a new novel before going home for Thanksgiving - and then our apartment sold, and we ended up having to move TWICE, with vacation in the middle of it all, and now we are trying to do up the new house, which is massive in comparison to our old apartment. I feel like I haven't properly rested for months. So this Christmas will be catching up on sleep, backlogged chocolate (I always bring loads of American junk food back with me from the States), and home decorating. And maybe, MAYBE, I will get my new writing office set up in the house and get to do a bit of work on that first draft. :) Happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteI will recommend my friends to read this.I will bookmark your blog and have my children check up here often.
ReplyDeleteI won't tell you how they had to crack my jaw and break my wisdom tooth into 3 pieces to get it out. I ate baby food for 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on final edits to one WIP, and polishing another WIP to start pushing into the cold, cruel world. LOL
I only have the two lower wisdom teeth. The uppers were pulled last year because they were behind my cheek bones. I lost all my higher wisdom!
ReplyDeleteI have book one out with beta readers, working on the query. Book two is about 21k words so far, and about a quarter done, I'd say. Having a hard go on it, though. I went away for a week for my sister's wedding, and didn't write for five days. Worst idea ever. It's getting better, though. Working right through the holidays sounds good right now.