Thursday, September 26, 2013

70,000 mark

Wow. Just a few weeks ago I thought about stopping this novel. But I pushed through it and kept going and now I have to say I'm glad I kept going. I'm enjoying it. I only have 10,000 left to write. Or until I cram the last few important bits in. I would say no more than 20k. I'm glad to be ending this novel on a good note. I am excited to move on to my next project which i am trying to figure out if I will be writing it in first or third. It will be my fourth novel. I'm in love with the plot. It's nothing like anything I have ever read about. And believe me when I say I have read a LOT of young adult novels.


My plan is the same.

~Finish writing novel within a week or two
~Edit and reverse throughout the month of October
~Start research for fourth novel (looking forward to research German culture!)
~Start on fourth novel
~Enter fourth novel into NaNoWriMo

I think I'll go write some more tonight. Although I do feel very stressed I'm excited to finish the novel. That alone is pushing me forward and giving the strength to finish. I have a lot of research to do as well as reading some of my writing books so I can improve. So lots to do!

Thanks for reading!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

The good and bad

Today was....a mix of emotions. Let's start off with the good. A place called about a job offer. The bad? It was on the 17th. Again our phones did not ring. Luckily my dad was going through the calls, deleting the old when he saw they had called. I was horrified. That was how I lost my last job offer because the phone didn't ring. I'm going to call tomorrow, although I doubt a hiring manager is in on a Sunday but I won't take the risk. If not I'll call again on Monday and so on until I talk with her and explain our phone problem. I'm hoping the job is still open so I can go in on Monday and take the test and find out if I have a chance at this job. It would be amazing as it is a stable job. Which means my fiance and I will be getting married this coming April.


It also means I will be stopping the novel I am writing either to rewrite it in third person or start on my other one. I really feel third is what I am meant to write and I just can't handle first anymore. I have become too lazy. Writing in third makes me feel like a real storyteller, not the character saying what is in their head at the moment.

I can only hope that the job is still open. That i have a chance at getting it so our lives can finally start and I can become even more serious about my writing. There is a lot I want to do but I must take it day by day. Wish me luck as I will greatly need it.


Other news. I'll be attending WordStock in October. Hopefully my fiance has the days off as I wouldn't be able to go otherwise. There will be lots of workshops and authors, even agents. It'll be a great way to learn and meet some more local writers. I'm looking forward to it!


Friday, September 20, 2013

Third person

I think I know why I feel so unsure about the novel I'm writing. While writing it I'm also doing some layout work to my next novel and while trying to decide if I want to write third or first I realized I miss writing third person. When I first started writing I only wrote in third. Now I sort of miss that. It's much better, more detailed, longer, there is just more to it. Like my fiance said it's like a camera I can zoom in on the main character then zoom out when I want and focus on the whole picture. I think that's what I've been missing. First is great and it worked well for my first novel but I've become lazy with it.

I do remember reading a few articles about agents wanting more third person so maybe that's where I can turn my attention to and try improving so I can get published. I do agree with third person novels being very slim pickings these days due to everyone writing in first. Which isn't an issue. I enjoy both. But I will admit I do find a third person novel much more interested as they are normally longer and I read very quickly. So maybe this was how I was meant to write. I'll give it another try and learn more as I go on. I am almost done and hopefully can finish editing and revising within a month before NaNoWriMo!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Almost to 70k!

My novel is rapidly coming to a close. Tomorrow I will reach the 70,000 word mark. Today I was doubting myself. I wanted to stop, giving up and start on my next one. I hadn't felt like this for a long time. I guess I'm nervous. There is a lot I forgot to add, a bit to edit. I'm worried about how it would sell, that it would only target girls. I kept thinking "Is it too girly?" What if this and what if this. Then I snapped out of it and told myself it didn't matter. Finish the novel to prove to yourself that you can. So I won't give up. I won't stop. I'm going to keep trucking alone until this thing is finished, edited and I feel so good about it I feel comfortable enough to start trying to get it published.

It has at least another month of work ahead. Which is fine. I want to take my time and get it to the point I mentioned above. I want to be proud of my work and feel good about it as I send out query letters. I have lots of time before NaNoWriMo and time to edit. So I shouldn't be too worried just yet. And if it takes me until the end of the year to get it to that point, so be it. I'm going to take my time, work hard on improving it.

I am very excited for the next novel I plan on writing. But I can wait. I will finish this novel. I can and will. There is nothing stopping me but myself and I won't allow me to be the one thing that stops my novel from becoming what I know inside it could be.

I feel its important to share my doubts because I know a lot of authors go through the same thing. It may take me a few editing sessions before I am comfortable with the novel. But that's okay. It takes a lot of work to clear out mistakes, add in what has been left out and figure out what needs to be rewritten. I can do this.


Monday, September 9, 2013

The final few chapters

I am more than half way to my goal of 80,000 words. Now the reason I use a word goal is mainly for out lining the last few chapters. When I am around the 60k mark I start out lining the last few chapters and fill in plot gaps. I do this to keep myself organized. I may not use everything, I may change it all. It's only a guild line for me so I can keep ideas down.

Normally I will write out one major plot event for each chapter and the rest I figure out while writing that chapter. I don't like firm out lines because I normally just change them anyway. This helps me make sure I mention the event and explain why something happened earlier. There are a lot of major events that are still needing to be written but I can already feel that the novel is ready to end.

So today in between writing, searching for new job leads and playing Saints Row the fourth (I'm a gamer what I can say?) It's bittersweet outlining the last few events, knowing I soon have to say goodbye to the characters to get ready for the next novel. But I am ready. I do love these characters, they are enchanting and strong but the next novel I am very much looking forward to write as it also gives me an excuse to finally start learning more German again. Which my fiance will be pleased about.

I want to be finished writing the novel by November for National Novel Writing Month, as I plan on writing my other novel for this event. It won't be a 50k novel, it will be much longer but it is perfect timing to write it. I love fall and seeing as that novel will start in fall I have a feeling I will get lots of inspiration writing it in the same season.

My plan is still the same, finish next month, start editing, let a few people read it, edit again and start working on the query letter and synopsis while doing all that, then ship out query letters to agents.


But for now I better go work on my outlining. There is a lot to do.


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Up-coming post- How to research agents

I've had a lot of people ask me how I go about finding information about agents. So I thought why not, I'll post a blog about using literary agent books and how I plan out and go about doing research about the agents I think may be interested in my novel. This post will be fairly long and very detailed. I may split it up into sections to length it out into many different posts. It will not be posted until I decide on how I am going to write it and when I have time to take pictures.


I will be using this book as a reference.


You can buy this book here 


I will only be giving examples for finding agents for a young adult novel.


See you soon!