Happy Monday! This is pretty much the summer of vacations for me. I went on one at the end of June, came home for a week, and then left for the next. The end result is, my house is desperately in need of cleaning and I am so not motivated to do it. However, I've been really productive in the book department, so I'm happy about that!
What I’m working on: Now that Creators is finished and published, it's time for me to turn to Contributor. I entered it in ABNA this year, so I'd already done several rounds of edits, but I'm going to put it on my Kindle and do another round of edits. I've found that doing this is a really effective way at catching small errors (i.e. using "or" when I meant to use "of"), and it also lets me see how the book will look once it's finished. I'll also give that one a spin through SmartEdit as that program was extremely helpful when I was doing the edits on Creators.
What I hope to achieve: This week, I'm scaling back my expectations because I did just publish another book. The problem I find with writing is that I feel a sort of compulsion to work constantly. If I'm not writing, I'm feeling guilty about not writing. However, as with any job, it's also important to have some down time and to do other things like reading or exercising or cleaning my house. If I don't take the time to relax, I start feeling really frazzled and stressed out and that really does nothing to improve my writing. So, for this week, I'll maybe read a few chapters of Contributor.
What are my challenges: House cleaning. Seriously. It takes up so much time it's unreal. Also, as I mentioned, I need to give myself permissions to just relax once in a while.
What freaks me out: I'm not sure if it's because The Eye of the Beholder has already been out there for a while, but I'm not quite as terrified of bad reviews this time around. Granted, I know it'll be tough to get bad reviews, but I think publishing that first book was the point where I really stepped off the cliff.
My one big worry about writing a trilogy is maintaining consistency. I never thought about how HUGE writing a series is until I start writing one. Now I worry a lot about readers contacting me saying, "In book 1, character A says this but, in book 3, they do something that totally contradicts it." I once read there was an editor whose sole function was to read all of J.K. Rowling's books to make sure the spells were consistent throughout the series. It seemed kind of strange to me at the time, but now I totally get it.
What’s making me happy today: Having another book published, of course! And the fact that I've already had my first sale. I'm also very pleased that The Eye of the Beholder continues to sell a few more copies each month. Progress is good!
Teaser for Tuesday: Tomorrow I'll offer a first peek at Contributor. Though Creators is part of the universe, it's a standalone story, so Contributor will offer the first look into the meat of the trilogy.
Showing posts with label Motivational Mondays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motivational Mondays. Show all posts
Monday, July 16, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Motivational Mondays:
Happy Monday, everyone! Hopefully the horrible heat wave has ended in your neck of the woods. I know I could use some cooler weather! Still, the heat does make it appealing to sit in my darkened, air-conditioned office with the ceiling fan going full blast while I plug away at my latest manuscript.
What I’m working on: I'm in the middle of final edits for my Creators manuscript, with a targeted release date of July 21st.
This time around, I had the idea of putting a rough copy of my manuscript and editing on the Kindle, and I was very happy with the results. This not only gave me a feel for how the formatting looks, it also helped me to spot some additional errors. I can only stare at my PC screen for so long before small things begin to slip by me. With the Kindle, I could highlight the problem areas and make comments on the fly. Bonus: I could do editing while lounging on the couch!
I also found a link to a great program called SmartEdit. It's an amazing tool that analyzes your document and then gives you a report detailing things like how many cliches it found, how often you use adverbs, which words you use the most, etc. This is a real boon as it's sometimes hard to notice these things in your own work. Best of all, it's free! I highly recommend checking it out, even if you're not a creative writer. It would also be great for analyzing papers, work reports, etc.
What I hope to achieve: I hope to put the finishing touches on Creators and finalize the cover design. I'm also hoping for a few more reviews of The Eye of the Beholder, and I certainly wouldn't mind a continuous uptick in sales!
What are my challenges: I'm continuing to work on how to best market my novels. I've been really inconsistent with my blog, and I'm determined to try to make better use of it. Overall, I really just need to get more organized. It would be great for me to establish a schedule so I make the most of my writing time without allowing marketing time to dominate my days.
What freaks me out: I'm still dreading negative reviews but, overall, I'm feeling really positive. Though I am by no means a best selling author at this point, things have been going better than I expected, and that's always a good thing!
What’s making me happy today: I'm really excited at the thought of releasing two more novels. Every time I check Goodreads and see that someone else has added my novel as "to-read", it's a thrill. Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of becoming an author and having people read my book, and I can honestly say that the reality is better than any fantasy I ever constructed.
Teaser for Tuesday: Tomorrow's post will offer one last preview of Creators. It's a prequel novella to Contributor, a YA trilogy set in a postapacolyptic/dystopian future.
What I’m working on: I'm in the middle of final edits for my Creators manuscript, with a targeted release date of July 21st.
This time around, I had the idea of putting a rough copy of my manuscript and editing on the Kindle, and I was very happy with the results. This not only gave me a feel for how the formatting looks, it also helped me to spot some additional errors. I can only stare at my PC screen for so long before small things begin to slip by me. With the Kindle, I could highlight the problem areas and make comments on the fly. Bonus: I could do editing while lounging on the couch!
I also found a link to a great program called SmartEdit. It's an amazing tool that analyzes your document and then gives you a report detailing things like how many cliches it found, how often you use adverbs, which words you use the most, etc. This is a real boon as it's sometimes hard to notice these things in your own work. Best of all, it's free! I highly recommend checking it out, even if you're not a creative writer. It would also be great for analyzing papers, work reports, etc.
What I hope to achieve: I hope to put the finishing touches on Creators and finalize the cover design. I'm also hoping for a few more reviews of The Eye of the Beholder, and I certainly wouldn't mind a continuous uptick in sales!
What are my challenges: I'm continuing to work on how to best market my novels. I've been really inconsistent with my blog, and I'm determined to try to make better use of it. Overall, I really just need to get more organized. It would be great for me to establish a schedule so I make the most of my writing time without allowing marketing time to dominate my days.
What freaks me out: I'm still dreading negative reviews but, overall, I'm feeling really positive. Though I am by no means a best selling author at this point, things have been going better than I expected, and that's always a good thing!
What’s making me happy today: I'm really excited at the thought of releasing two more novels. Every time I check Goodreads and see that someone else has added my novel as "to-read", it's a thrill. Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of becoming an author and having people read my book, and I can honestly say that the reality is better than any fantasy I ever constructed.
Teaser for Tuesday: Tomorrow's post will offer one last preview of Creators. It's a prequel novella to Contributor, a YA trilogy set in a postapacolyptic/dystopian future.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Motivational Mondays: Good reviews bring great joy!
Well, it's Monday again, so here's hoping none of you are having a case of the Mondays! For those of you new to the blog, Mondays are the day where I talk a little about what's motivating me for the coming week.
What I’m working on: I'm still working on Creators, which I plan on finishing today. I'll then begin the editing process and try to get everything ready for a late June release.
I'm also planning on going back and reading through Contributor one last time. I did extensive edits on it before entering it in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, so it's pretty much ready to go, but I did cut one chapter that I'm thinking about reinserting. Having had some distance from the work is a good thing, as I think it'll help me make a good decision as to whether or not that chapter is really appropriate any longer.
I am really excited about releasing Creators and then Contributor. I've really enjoyed writing them!
What I hope to achieve: I hope to make good headway with the editing of Creators. I'm also hoping to work some more with my cover artists on the art for both Creators and Contributor. I'm also hoping to see a bump in my sales of The Eye of the Beholder, and I think the fact that I now have a couple of reviews should help.
What are my challenges: This is the last week of school, so finding a good routine and rhythm over the summer is going to be a challenge--but I'm not saying anything any other parent doesn't already know!
In addition to having both of my kids at home with me, I've also got a couple of trips planned and the usual summer festivities such as graduation parties. Summer is always such a busy time, so trying to be disciplined about my writing is an especially high hurdle in the summer.
What freaks me out: I'm feeling more relaxed this week, so I'm not as worried. I got my first couple of reviews under my belt, so at least the stressful wait for feedback is over!
Naturally, I am still dreading the first negative review. As much as I like my novel, I know not everyone will, so I'm trying to keep that perspective. I also want to keep my head on straight so that I can learn from my negative reviews. If I have one mega-fear, it's that I will stop growing and improving as a writer.
What’s making me happy today: I am over the moon about getting my first two reviews for The Eye of the Beholder. One was a five star, the other a four, and they're both really beautiful and made me feel great. There are few things more gratifying than working really, really hard to make a work the best you can make it, and to find out that others enjoyed it. As much as I appreciate my family and friends reading my work and giving me feedback, it's even sweeter to get positive reviews from people who don't know me because they are more objective.
Teaser for Tuesday: For tomorrow's Tidbits Tuesday post, I'll be featuring an excerpt from my work in progress, Creators, along with a little commentary on it.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Motivational Mondays: Are pantries organized in dystopian universes?
Because I’ve been so inconsistent with my blog, and because I want to put it to better use, I’ve decided to do regular posts on weekdays, and each day will have its own theme. Today, I’m debuting my Motivational Monday theme. It’s my hope that this post will get me geared up for a week of productive writing, as well as encourage some discussion.
What I’m working on: I’m plugging away at Creators, which is a prequel novella to Contributor, the YA dystopian novel I’m planning on publishing in July. Creators stands alone, so it’s not required in order to understand Contributor, but it does explain the origins of the world that is portrayed in Contributor. I’m really excited about Creators and the direction it’s taking. I think it’s going to help make the Contributor universe even richer.
What I hope to achieve: I hope to finish Creators and begin the editing process. I’d like to publish it sometime this month, and I’m currently working with someone on some concepts for cover art. I can hardly wait to see what those will look like!
What are my challenges: My biggest challenge right now is finding the time for writing! When I sit down to do it, I want to be able to focus and just pour my heart out into my writing, but that can be difficult with kids at home. It’s almost time for summer vacation, so this is going to be even more of a challenge for me in the upcoming months.
What freaks me out: Two things:
1) Getting my first review for The Eye of the Beholder. I want to be clear that I do want reviews because I am honestly eager for feedback from my readers—and not just the positive kind, though that is admittedly the nicest kind. In some ways, though, the negative kind is the best because it helps me to determine what I need to do to improve, and I never want to stop trying to improve.
2) Worrying about whether I can turn my love of writing into a full-time job. I’ve been scribbling ever since I was a kid, and being an author has always seemed like a pipe dream. I really want to make it my reality, though, so I have been working harder at this than I’ve ever worked at anything before, and I feel so fortunate to have a wonderful support system at home, as well as to have found several places where I can network with like-minded people. Writing is my passion, but it’s also my business, and I want to make it the best it can be.
What’s making me happy today: Seeing how much my daughter loves her new room setup. My husband and I spent hours working on it yesterday, and all she wants to do is hang out in it! Everybody needs a space of their own, so it’s good to know my little girl has found it in her own room!
We also put in a new pantry, and I’m really excited that it’s finally organized so that I’ll be able to find things quickly. The pantry used to be the place half-finished bags of chips went to die, but now I’ll know they’re there! It’ll also make it easier for me to indulge in my passion for cooking, because I won’t have to dig around to find the ingredients I need. I know. I never thought I’d be such a boring adult either!
Teaser for Tuesday: Tomorrow I’ll be debuting my Tidbits Tuesday feature. This week, I’ll be featuring an excerpt from my work in progress, Creators, along with a little commentary on it.
What I’m working on: I’m plugging away at Creators, which is a prequel novella to Contributor, the YA dystopian novel I’m planning on publishing in July. Creators stands alone, so it’s not required in order to understand Contributor, but it does explain the origins of the world that is portrayed in Contributor. I’m really excited about Creators and the direction it’s taking. I think it’s going to help make the Contributor universe even richer.
What I hope to achieve: I hope to finish Creators and begin the editing process. I’d like to publish it sometime this month, and I’m currently working with someone on some concepts for cover art. I can hardly wait to see what those will look like!
What are my challenges: My biggest challenge right now is finding the time for writing! When I sit down to do it, I want to be able to focus and just pour my heart out into my writing, but that can be difficult with kids at home. It’s almost time for summer vacation, so this is going to be even more of a challenge for me in the upcoming months.
What freaks me out: Two things:
1) Getting my first review for The Eye of the Beholder. I want to be clear that I do want reviews because I am honestly eager for feedback from my readers—and not just the positive kind, though that is admittedly the nicest kind. In some ways, though, the negative kind is the best because it helps me to determine what I need to do to improve, and I never want to stop trying to improve.
2) Worrying about whether I can turn my love of writing into a full-time job. I’ve been scribbling ever since I was a kid, and being an author has always seemed like a pipe dream. I really want to make it my reality, though, so I have been working harder at this than I’ve ever worked at anything before, and I feel so fortunate to have a wonderful support system at home, as well as to have found several places where I can network with like-minded people. Writing is my passion, but it’s also my business, and I want to make it the best it can be.
What’s making me happy today: Seeing how much my daughter loves her new room setup. My husband and I spent hours working on it yesterday, and all she wants to do is hang out in it! Everybody needs a space of their own, so it’s good to know my little girl has found it in her own room!
We also put in a new pantry, and I’m really excited that it’s finally organized so that I’ll be able to find things quickly. The pantry used to be the place half-finished bags of chips went to die, but now I’ll know they’re there! It’ll also make it easier for me to indulge in my passion for cooking, because I won’t have to dig around to find the ingredients I need. I know. I never thought I’d be such a boring adult either!
Teaser for Tuesday: Tomorrow I’ll be debuting my Tidbits Tuesday feature. This week, I’ll be featuring an excerpt from my work in progress, Creators, along with a little commentary on it.
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