by Sarah | Mar 3, 2014 | 500k, Books, General, Writing
A few weeks back I wrote a post about the 2014 forecast for me and my writing. I figured now would be a good time for a “where I am now” on those goals and lists. I’ll admit that February didn’t come out quite as I’d hoped, but I still have gotten a bit done in the weeks since I wrote the forecast–and I’ve added some new items, because apparently I didn’t think I’d overwhelmed myself enough.
So first, the overall goals I’d set – with where I am now.
- I’ve challenged myself to write 600,000 words in 2014. (140,975 WC as of 3/2/14 4:40PM)
- I will finish books 4 & 5 of the Dominion Falls series and submit by February 8th – I didn’t get this done by Feb. 8th, but I did get it done. Submission went in February 17th.
- I will fine-tune and perfect Leap (Hidden Senses #.5) for publication. I’m doing one more round of edits, then sending it to the proof-reader.
- I will build my audience and work harder at promotion. I am not doing enough with this. Need to get out more.
- I will find focus (see below), and figure out how to USE it. I had GREAT focus in January, too much in some ways. February, not so much. Hoping March will find me that happy medium.
And for my list of projects. Items in RED are done. Items in ORANGE are in progress (or progress notes). Items in BLUE are new. Some of the new items are in blue with the progress I’ve made in orange.
- Runaway Train (Dominion Falls 5) – 113k
- Stalled Independence (Lake Point #3) – 30k (6348 done)
- Katherine’s Story (Dominion Falls Prequel) – 25k (5329 Done)
- Into a Mirror Darkly (Morgana Chronicles 1) – 100k (~10k done)
- Witch Way (Lake Point #4) – 30k
- A Thorough Thanksgiving (Lake Point #5) – 30k
- The Wolf (The Tribe #1) – 100k
- Natural Selection – 40k (6621 done)
- Hybrid – unknown…going to do as “Chapters” not full length novel.
- The Dead Past (Dominion Falls 6-temporary name) – 100k
- The Chief (The Tribe #2) – 100k
- The Raven (The Tribe #4) – 100k
- Escaping Humanity (Co-authoring w/ Mary Terrani) – 100k (9,002 done)
Surprisingly so far I’ve only added the one story, although I have ideas for more rambling around in my head. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done so far. I love that I’m already at 140k for the year, but hope to get even further this month, and to finish both Stalled Independence and Katherine’s (as yet unnamed) story.
Overall, my progress is good, but I’d like it to be better. I’d really like to work on building my audience, and I’m hoping my plans for the next few months help me do that.
by Sarah | Jan 13, 2014 | Books, General, Writing
2013 was a heck of a year for me, writing-wise.
I saw my first book published, and then the “Complete” (for now) series of that same book.
I wrote my first ever stand-alone book – which was a big challenge for me.
I started a new series, an actual contemporary romance (another first), and the first book was published in December, with another due in February (then July, October, November and December again).
I have been published in three very different anthologies – women’s history, horror, and motherhood stories.
I went on the radio once, and classed up the show by declaring “I’m a whore” on live radio. I’m awesome that way.
I challenged myself to write 500,00 words – and succeeded in writing 413,286 of those words.
I had ups and downs and some pretty major struggles, but it was a good year.
Now it’s 2014, and as I’m sitting here with my leg in an air cast after foot surgery, and many words already under my belt for 2014, I realized I haven’t yet declared my writing goals and aims for 2014.
- I’ve challenged myself to write 600,000 words in 2014. (41,631 WC so far)
- I will finish books 4 & 5 of the Dominion Falls series and submit by February 8th (4 is done, 5 is at 36,343)
- I will fine-tune and perfect Leap (Hidden Senses #.5) for publication. (1 edit round done. W/ an editor now)
- I will build my audience and work harder at promotion.
- I will find focus (see below), and figure out how to USE it.
And for those that don’t know me, I have an attention problem. I jump from project to project and lack focus. I have about 6 books started that I’m currently working on – and probably 3-4 that I started and back-burnered. In my attempt to focus, I’m going to post those books, projected word counts, and try to work my way through them over the course of the year.
- Runaway Train (Dominion Falls 5) – 100k (36,343 complete)
- Stalled Independence (Lake Point #3) – 30k
- Into a Mirror Darkly (Morgana Chronicles 1) – 100k (~10k done)
- Witch Way (Lake Point #4) – 30k
- A Thorough Thanksgiving (Lake Point #5) – 30k
- The Wolf (The Tribe #1) – 100k
- Natural Selection – 40k
- Hybrid – unknown…going to do as “Chapters” not full length novel.
- The Dead Past (Dominion Falls 6-temporary name) – 100k
- The Chief (The Tribe #2) – 100k
- The Raven (The Tribe #4) – 100k
- Escaping Humanity (Co-authoring w/ Mary Terrani) – 100k
Obviously I don’t know that I’ll finish them all in this year – but I’m going to make an effort to work my way through them. I have several stories on backburner (Like Ice Age, Broken Windows and Hex Ranch) that I also dream of approaching, but I have to focus for a change and do one book at a time. Especially since I already have ideas for carrying my contemporary holiday series into 2015!
All right. My goals are out there – it’s time to get back to it! Runaway train is 1/3 done now, and I have lots of words ahead of me!
by Sarah | Dec 31, 2012 | 500k, Books, Challenge, General, Writing, writing tips
A week ago my joy and confidence was bursting forth.
I said that after 2012, I was ready for 2013. I laughed in the face of danger (yup, quoting Lion King here, times are desperate). I told 2013 to “Bring It”.
I made the monumental and overwhelming decision to join the 500k in 2013 writing challenge.
In brief it doesn’t look so bad. 1370 words/day? Easy peasy.
500k? Holy cow what was I thinking?
Then a couple of days ago my confidence was squashed under a thumb and my muse got grumpy and I got grumpy and I pretended the challenge wasn’t real.
My confidence is still a little shaky, but I am determined to work through it. I have my new series to work on, and with 500k staring me in the face I could write 5 books in the series with that much playroom.
It’s a lofty goal that I’m certain I could accomplish if I got in “the zone”. After all about 3 years ago I wrote about 500k in 4 months time when I really got into my stories.
So off I go. Send caffeine, chocolate, and prayers for my sanity.
Because if the 500k doesn’t make me insane – my characters’ trauma drama will!!
by Sarah | Nov 9, 2012 | Books, General, Writing, writing tips
This is what my desk looks like.
This is my research.
There are days when writing is the worst job in the world. When your inbox is a mine field of rejections or dead silence. When you get notes from your editor that rip your plot to shreds and leave it bleeding. Or notes on your grammar and technical issues that leave more red on the page than black.
When you sit and stare at your screen knowing in your mind what you want to write but the line of communication to your fingers is broke.
Of course – then there are the days when you hate everything you have written and want to throw it all away.
Then there are days like this. When you have ideas brewing so fast you can’t keep track.
Or – when you have to research those ideas.
Reading fairy tales as research?
Native American Mythology?
Hells yeah.
Most of my research in the past has centered around the 1800’s. The Wild West. I love that period and research is almost secondary now to knowledge (although there’s always more to learn) I have been so deeply enmeshed in that time period since my youth.
To research new ideas, and go into new genres that don’t get close to my original genre – it’s a daily bit of excitement.
It’s in those moments that I really do just love this job.
by Sarah | Oct 2, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, General, Hex Ranch, Writing, writing tips
[flickr id=”6367108607″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]You work diligently on a piece. At times you’re almost frantic.
You edit. Refine. Perfect.
You send it off into the world.
Breathe a sigh of relief.
And freeze.
What next?
You have to wait.
Sometimes it’s days, others it’s months or even years (I waited almost 2 years for a reply on a full before throwing in the towel – not without hesitation and sadness).
What next?
Sure they tell you to dive into the next thing.
It should be that easy.
Unless you know – the wait is only a couple of weeks. Maybe a month.
When you’re waiting for each email alert.
It’s easy to get distracted.
Facebook. Twitter. Blog posts. Real life.
Sleep. Oh, sleep is beautiful.
No beating yourself over the head to write, or edit, to make each sentence shine.
You miss it – but oh the break is nice. It’s only a few weeks anyway. Who cares if you take a break?
Except you miss it.
The break is stupid.
But how can you write when you’re distracted by email alerts? Facebook games (just ONE more quest…then I’ll write. Oh, wait – that quest is easy, one more. I swear it.).
It’s time to regain focus. Time goes too slow when you’re waiting on word.
It’s best to get lost in a new world.
Meet new friends (i.e. Characters).
How do you do it? What tricks do you use to regain focus?
Me? Well, I’m dropping my Facebook games. I don’t need them clogging up my feed anyway. I’ll just keep one game that doesn’t clog my feed and takes forever to regain lives. That means I need to focus and get back on my schedule. I have plenty more stories in my head that need to come out.
But just one more quest before I quit…
Just one….
by Sarah | Jul 11, 2012 | General, Writing, writing tips
You’ve edited your manuscript to a fine work of art.
You’ve researched where you’re sending it.
You put your ‘baby’ out in the world.
Now what?
Authors, especially first time authors, have these horrifyingly bad-for-your-ego lengths of time where you wait.
Every email you get is hope that it’s “the one” followed by crushing disappointment that it’s spam, or just a family member, or anything other than the agent or publisher you’ve submitted to.
When the agents, or publishers, ask to see more there’s an even worse period. Now it’s more than the query. They have it all.
Having recently gone through a period like this (will not state whether or not I’m still in one) – I joked about a survival kit, and then got serious. I asked my friends what they’d put in a survival kit for an author in this position.
Overwhelmingly the answer was…
ALCOHOL.
Huh…go figure.
But we did get a few more fun & creative responses…
- Anti-depressants
- Man-candy (then again, we can use this all the time, no?)
- Chocolate
- Barf Bags
- A dark corner to put yourself in
- A box of tissues for your uncontrollable sobbing
- A book called “How to stalk potential editors – the RIGHT way (i.e. don’t be a creep)”
- Bath salts
- A movie with a kick ass heroine
- Video games (b/c those are always awesome)
- Tea
- Art/Photography – any visual stimulation
- The website One Hundred Famous Rejections
I think the most important thing that is missing from this list isn’t something you can put in a basket.
It’s friends who’ve been there. Who understand when you go to them and rail and cry and whine and let out those frustrations. Who support you and remind you where you’ve come from and how far you’ve gotten. Who don’t give up on you, when you’ve given up on yourself.
I’m grateful to have a circle of friends, old and new, that are right there fighting the good fight with me. That have been where I am, and both support me and offer me words of wisdom and helpful critiques of my work.
So…Mary, Jennifer, Fi, Eden, Sabrina, Ellie and Tonya…thanks for being in my life. On the days I feel like quitting – so glad I have you around to remind me why I’m where I am…and what’s coming just around the corner.
And lastly, the most important thing I have in my basket. The world’s most supportive spouse. Erik…you rock. When I had to make that incredibly difficult decision regarding my novel recently – you helped add in both a voice of reason and of incredible support.
So make up your basket today. Don’t forget that support system. It means more than all the man-candy and chocolate in the world.
A few weeks back I wrote a post about the 2014 forecast for me and my writing. I figured now would be a good time for a “where I am now” on those goals and lists. I’ll admit that February didn’t come out quite as I’d hoped, but I still have gotten a bit done in the weeks since I wrote the forecast–and I’ve added some new items, because apparently I didn’t think I’d overwhelmed myself enough.
