Slaying Them Goals

Hey there!

Fantastic news! Edits for my novel are nearly complete! I'm still waiting on another Beta to forward their notes.
Writing life is ggooooooooooood!
Now I've compiled a new query letter. (Anyone what to take a look at that?)
So onward forth to find a worthy champion, I mean agent.
Remember my last post about turning over a new leaf? Yeah I'm turning them leaves!
(I may or may not have had too much coffee this morning :) )

For all those writers (even those who refuse to call themselves so) you can do this. You can finish that novel, poem, short story, or any other work you pen. Trust me. It gets better. You'll find the time or carve it out. You'll push through the grunge & be right beside me pursuing publishing.
It's tough but it'll make you tougher. It will make your writing better.

Anyways, I got work to do & you do too.

#keepyourpenup

What About Turning Over a New Leaf

Year 2017.
Would ya look at that? Did you ever think you would make it this far? I did but not necessarily in the way I thought I would.
Old me would  be graduating from veterinary school, interning somewhere familiar and starting my life.
The me now? Nowhere near those goals above. And I'm okay with that. :)

Thanks to a few encouraging people, cheer-leading on the side, I've accomplished far greater tasks than in the past. Do you know the anxiety and struggles of handing your novel over to Beta Readers?!
Intense! Would have ever done this in the past? No. Nope, aaaaaaaand nope.
Then I realized something this brand new 2017 year.
How exactly did I expect my novel to be loved by others if I don't share it?
If I don't share it, how do I expect to be published? No agent nor publishing house is coming to knock on my front door (AS IF they could find me out here in rural Bible Belt), ask to read my novel then offer to publish it.
My solution to all of this; buckle down hard.
The Betas provided very good feedback. No, not all of them raved about my book. They offered very constructive criticism. Something I discovered, I may ACTUALLY have excellent material. Not only is it worthy of reading, it's so polished it's near publishable state.
Hiding away in the closet, showing not a soul, under the box of keepsakes, are my beloved stories.
All the hours, sacrifice, questionable strips of my novel have paid off.
This year. This 2017 will be my year to pursue publishing. I won't stop working, editing and re-submitting until I win.

#keepyourpenup

What's Going on in the Neighborhood

Hello!
Yes. Yes the light is bright. Much different than the blue light from your screens.
How did NaNoWriMo go for you?
Any of you succeed?
I'll tell you where I ended up...somewhere between 8-9k. Way further than I anticipated yet not nearly close enough to be finished.
*high fives for those who participated* NaNoWriMo is a huge commitment in my writing career. Some may not think so but it is. I may not have a finished novel to hold but do you know what I do have?
A spark. NaNoWriMo ignited a spark for writing, again. Any writer knows the ups and downs of writing. It's been extremely difficult for me. How do I balance the day-to-day operations, challenging toddler & writing?
Anyways,

#keepyourpenup

Day One: NaNoWriMo

Quick and easy for the first day of NaNoWriMo.
Be prepared for short little posts of nothing but a word count.
Such is my life as things start to pile around the house. Oops. Sorry honey if you can't find your socks!

Word count for today:
1,043

Yay! Let's celebrate! That's about 1,043 more words than I thought I would get accomplished.

Good luck all!

#keepyourpenup

Please Excuse the Mess; Within the House and Within My Head

Hello again!
Glancing at the calendar hanging on the wall behind my laptop, I had an urgency hit me like none other. This day is the 26th of October. 26TH! (I so desperately wish there were capital formats of numbers as there are for letters.) The countdown for NaNoWriMo is less than a week.
All these "mini-projects" I promised myself I would get done...yeah, not even close. I'd say 10%.
YIKES! I know right.
I have made more progress than expected in some ways. I've briefly outlined small sections of my NaNoWriMo project. Being a pantser by nature it feels like a huge accomplishment when in reality it isn't even close to my goal. (Say it with me; over-ambitious.)
Now, off the rabbit trail.
Among my impending looming possible doom of NaNoWriMo, I've opened up to a family member about writing. More specifically accepting then embracing the fact I am a writer. This pivotal moment lead to some underlying disappointment about my first novel, my first love of writing.
(Hang in there I'm getting to my main theme.)
I have revised my first novel, which I believe is totally necessary. But it was how I revised it that is causing my grief. I've dreamed about my first novel turning into a trilogy. I have always wanted that for my character's story. However, while keeping in the "loop" of trending things in publishing I discovered the general audience didn't want to commit to such an undertaking of reading. With many big name series out there, the whole "series thing" was old news. What did I do you ask?
Crammed what is suppose to be a trilogy into one book. Escalating situations in certain chapters, skimping in others to allow it all to be accomplished within 100,000 words.
Cue the advice section, listen to your gut. I should have never condensed my novel. I see now it has strengthened my novel tremendously. But I got caught up in the moment of what some expert was saying I lost sight of my true intentions. Isn't that why any of us write? To show our true intentions.
I will revise yet again for the umpteen time then expand my novel into the original format to let somethings fester, simmer, and turn out amazing. All of this work will have to wait. NaNoWriMo is coming as sure as winter does in GOT. I want to be as ready for it as possible.
Please excuse me as I will be boarding myself away for NaNoWriMo, maybe I'll check in on all of you, maybe not. There are endless possibilities.

#keepyourpenup

The Topic That's About To Get Old

NaNoWriMo kids is right around the, book end.
Let's talk genres & potential novel starts. I have so many seriously I can't stop!
Just to throw a few out there for you:

• Urban Fantasy based on cultural meths and legends featuring meek & mild protagonist young adult.
• Urban Fantasy based on current culture trends and may or may not have been inspired by the election. Features strong willed rebellious twenty-something woman caught in vicious realm. 
• Full bodied Fantasy based on a dream of a friend. (This one can go many ways) could be young adult or new adult. Shy and introverted young adult. 

See what I mean. Lots of possibilities, lots of out comes. Now I have other starts but these are my top picks. I'm leaning toward the middle one. It has the most meat so far & taking on a challenge like NaNoWriMo, I want as much fleshed out start as I can get!

What are you considering for NaNoWriMo?

#keepyourpenup

Maybe Next Year, Maybe This Year, Maybe I'll Die Young

So I've been thinking a lot about NaNoWriMo. (Anyone have a countdown?) I've decided this year is not my year to participate. As I'm typing, I'm making a mental list of all my projects. Over-ambitious as I am, well I could fit NaNoWriMo in somewhere! Maybe this year. Having an imagination is good as a writer, right?!
What if I die young?!
What if I write a slamming novel during NaNoWriMo?!
What if I never get published because I didn't write said novel from the previous question?!
Okay, the last part is way out there, but still.
Here's the bottom line.
GO. FOR. IT.
Who cares if you work forty or more hours a week. Who cares what your home looks like. What matters is pursuing your dream of writing. I have let my love for writing fall, soar, and die at times in my life. But if I only dream about it, it won't ever happen. Doesn't matter what the "it" is.
I'm not sure how I will do participate in NaNoWriMo, but I will.
I'm not sure which started piece of scrap novel I should choose, but I will.
Hey there you should too. Best of luck to you as well.

#keepyourpenup