So, aside from next month's Secret Agent Contest, pretty much all my behind-the-scenes hullabaloo is in preparation for ON THE BLOCK.
First things first. Submissions for the August Secret Agent contest are on MONDAY, AUGUST 8. Submission guidelines will post on MONDAY, AUGUST 1.
A reminder that YOU MAY ENTER BOTH. No worries.
*ON THE BLOCK UPDATE*
I've got 12 agents confirmed for this year's ON THE BLOCK auction. I will be posting the line-up in a couple weeks. STAY TUNED!
We will also having LURKING EDITORS, same as last year.
I'm adding a THIRD FEATURE, to be announced soon.
READ THIS TO LEARN WHAT ON THE BLOCK IS.
READ THIS FOR HELP ON CRAFTING YOUR LOGLINE.
OTHER THINGS
If you missed Wednesday's post about the one most important thing you need to do to fix the dialogue in your novel, READ IT HERE.
As for me, I've come down off the high of having seen Peter Gabriel and Sting in Chicago last weekend. (I said that rather calmly; actually, it was INCREDIBLE.) Mr. A has had a harder time reintegrating this week, as he would have been happy to stay in Chicago indefinitely.
I'll confess--it was my first trip to Chicago! We walked 8 miles the first day, and I foolishly didn't have a water bottle with me. I (literally) staggered to a table at an outdoor restaurant, languishing by the moment while I waited for the server to bring a glass of water. (I tend to pass out easily, and I'm surprised--and grateful--that I didn't.)
Other than that, it was a fabulous getaway. I didn't bring my laptop--didn't write a single word for 2 days. And considering that I'm in the middle of drafting, that's pretty darn good.
As for the drafting--I'll be hitting 15,000 words today, so I'm on target. The euphoric honeymoon phase has passed (alas!), but I still love my story, and I'm ready to push through the first draft yucko-phase, as always.
So, hey. Will any of you who are also drafting right now sort of wave your arms and jump up and down a little? I find (and I'm sure you do, too) that there is certainly strength in numbers when it comes to drafting (and, for that matter, any aspect of writing). Let's tweet at each other...cheer for each other...poke and nudge each other when necessary.
And now I think I'm make myself a nice cup of (decaf) coffee with (grassfed) cream and a touch of vanilla.
Have a glorious weekend!
I hope to draft soon! I've committed to outline first and it's taking WAY longer than I thought.
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
I am ALWAYS drafting something (and revising something else). I cannot remember a time I was not doing this. Maybe when I was eight. So here I am, waving furiously!
ReplyDeleteNormally I love editing and polishing, but right now I envy you, because I'd rather be drafting!
ReplyDeleteAnd I would be doing both, like Petre Pan, because that's typical for me as well (since I always have multiple projects in the works), but I'm behind schedule on the final edits for the novel I'd hoped to have finished last year. So although there are some days when it really feels like a chore, I have to focus all my writing time and energy on getting that project done -- and I can't wait to get back to writing something new!
*waves hands* I'm drafting as well. About 56k in. But the finish lines FEELS so far away.
ReplyDeleteDrafting as well! And I also passed the 15,000 mark recently. The honeymoon is definitely over.
ReplyDeleteI'm drafting and I have to say this is the hardest book I've ever drafted. I'm 27K words in and it is such a struggle. Usually my drafting is fairly smooth and exciting. This manuscript is the difficult child, the one that makes you never want another one ever again. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteDrafting as we speak! Already 20000 words in! ��
ReplyDelete