A New Take On Editing

Well March is almost done and my edits are not. This is the point I would usually be freaking out, but I've developed a new belief system when it comes to writing and it's simply to "Let the words come."

I don't know about you all, but I have spent countless hours staring at my unchanged pages, trying to forced something to come to me which is usually doesn't. I panic, diagnose myself as mentally challenged and profess that I will never be blessed with another good idea again.

I completely stress myself out over it and in the end, the only thing gained were increased levels of self-loathing and carbs.

So here's my new plan:

1. Chill Out: a fruitless writing session doesn't mean I'm finished.
2. Dig Deeper: I find that most of the scenes that give me anxiety are simply because I haven't put myself in the characters shoes. If I what readers to believe it, I have to make it believable.
3. Take your time: Setting deadlines is important to this business, but I once hear an editor say to enjoy the freedom you have. Write at your creative pace. Sleep with a notebook beside your bed and jot things down in the dark.

Overall, I've learned that pushing back from the keyboard is less stressful than trying to force my imagination.

So I've still got 100 pages left to edit for UNDISTURBED, they just so happen to be the most crucial part of the book. If I rushed through them to meet the deadline in my head, I wouldn't be confident in the choices I make. Plus, it's not like a Novel is ever really finished. three years later and I'm still thinking of lines and scenes for my very first novel.

The key is Quality. Most of us prefer a good product to a rushed one, and you can always tell can't you. nearly 90,000 words written, revised, cut, and re-written is a very, very large investment of time and energy. It's the reason why writers get so bummed out when their hard work is some easily rejected.

I say make your investment count by taking your time to create something entertaining, well developed, and professional quality, even if that means missing a deadline or ten :o)

Lucky 7 Me :o)

Kelbian Noel tagged me over on her blog. She's introduced me to something called the Lucky 7 Meme. I'm supposed to do something really embarrassing. Share a sample of my unedited writing. Yikes! I figured what the hell. It's kind of fun looking at your story in snippets.

I decided to pull a excert from my revision of UNDISTURBED.

The Lucky 7 Meme:Rules

Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
Go to line 7
Copy down the next 7 lines--sentences or paragraphs--and post them as they're written. No cheating.
Tag 7 authors
Let them know

Here goes nothing:

That had to be a hallucination.

“Please, please don’t let it really be there,” I whispered. I would have preferred psychosis to any possibility of the flashes I’d seen or the fear collapsing my chest being real, but when I opened my eyes the card was there.

#

This was stupid, probably the stupidest thing I could be doing today, but I needed feel something other than sick to my stomach. My head was still spinning over my family reunion/ambush and Tony was my only diversion. I’d been sitting outside the boy’s locker room for twenty minutes and cursing myself the entire time. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t this girl, but I needed him.

(P.S. it's one line over, but I refuse to break an excert mid-sentence)

Here's my Tags:

Bekah Snow

Lori M Lee

PK HREZO

Angela McClanahan

Dawn's Rise (Andrew Rosenberg)

Naomi Canale

Author Beth Elisa Harris

Bummer sunday, brighter lining

Well, bad news is I didn't get into the 2012 SCBWI Mentor Program, but the good news is now I'll have more time and funds to put towards the GRIEVANCE launch.

I'm taking my own advice from the quote I posted earlier this week. Yes, a huge part of the writing process is dealing with rejection. It does make you question what you're missing, but the truth is that it's all so subjective. One person's "No" doesn't speak for the entire world. And honestly that's a hell of a lot of weight and power to give one person, or in my case two.

One of my favorite quotes is:

"Stopping to count your stumbles will prevent you from finishing the race."

I believe in it more as a writer than I even did in college, because it's about the time and dedication I give to my stories. The life events I've missed out on, the friendships I've neglected. If I were to give up after a few rejection letters, I would be saying all of it was a waste.

I may be a severely delusional optimist, but I honestly don't know how to believe in anything other than succeeding. It's true no one wants to envision their own failure. I'm sure there are those who fought for their dreams with everything they had and didn't live to see them come true, but I like to believe that they were at least proud of their efforts.

And that's really what it's all about, living a life you can be proud of.

For me, that's sharing my stories with as many people willing to read them. So everyday I write, read, and learn how to make them better. It may take a thousand or more No's before I get there, but I'll never give up.

Quote of the Day :o)

It's natural to become disheartened when faced with mounting rejections. Fight like hell to be the exception.

The hunt for an Illustrator

Hey Peeps,

I'm off to the Mesa Comic Con today in search of an illustrator for my e-series GRIEVANCE. With the launch slated for Sept. 2, 2012, I've got no time to waste. Everyday is full of planning, sketching, research, and web designs. I really can't wait to share this amazing story with you all.

If you know of an illustrator, preferably a teen, I'd like to give some young artists the opportunity to display their talent, please have them Contact me .

11 Lessons Learned in 2011

2011 Taught me so much about writing, querying, rejection, recovering, revision, and perseverance, but the 11 lessons I take away from this year are:

1. Follow your heart, or more your characters heart. Tell what their willing to share and let their heart be at the core of your story.


2. It's not about what your character sees, but rather how their affected by it.


3. It doesn't become a novel until revisions.


4. A draft is meant to suck, that's why you're not supposed to share it with anyone.


5. You can't write without reading. How else will you know what's out there?


6. Take a break and step outside. You never know what will inspire you out there.


7. Reward your accomplishments; no matter how small.


8. Cherish your writer friends. They're the only ones who speak your language.


9. Take beta reading seriously.


10. Don't be afraid to experiment outside your comfort zone.


11. And lastly Never, ever, ever GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I look forward to learning even more in the coming year and wish you all the best best for 2012.

I did it :o)

So I was on such a high from NaNoWriMo that I decided to write another novel in December, a Christmas Romance. Well, folks I'm proud to say that I met my deadline with 30 minutes to spare. This was my first Adult Romance and there were real challenges. I definitely have noticed the difference between YA and Adult, the older you are, the more you know better. It's as simple as that.

It was cool to sort of see an adult relationship and it's struggles. How two people still fall in love after everything they know about it, is very fascinating to me.

All in all it was a great experience and I'd definitely try it again.