Editing Slots, Award, and Camp NaNoWriMo

First, I still have two slots for editing the first ten pages of a manuscript, if anyone else is interested. (It's first come, first served.)


Second, thank you to Sherry Ellis at Mama Diaries, who graced me with the One Lovely Blog Award. ^_^

Third, is anyone participating in Camp NaNoWriMo?

 

It's basically a NaNo in June, but I'm not using it as NaNo. I mean, I'm not like "WORD COUNT! MUST GET WORD COUNT!" I did sign up because a) I'm still writing Rising Book 2, so I might as well and b) so I can offer encouragement to anyone else doing it by writing with them. But I'm just going to take this book the same way I've been taking it: one chapter at a time.


I have about 91,000 words on Rising Book 2. I have about twelve chapters and nine flashbacks left to write. I'm also up to my eyeballs in editing, which is why I haven't gotten as much writing done. And my husband and kids and I just went on a weekend vacation to visit some of his family in Ohio. The trip was awesome and so much fun, and it was great to see family. I'm in Vacation Recovery Mode right now--I love traveling; it's just very tiring!

"Write Like You're the Only Person in the Room." Also, links to blog tour stop #2 and a giveaway.

Aside from the release of Rising Book 1, this week has been full of awesome stuff. First, I was hired as a freelance editor for Whiskey Creek Press, which I'm super excited about. I get the opportunity to combine three things I love: editing, reading fiction, and helping other writers with their books. I'm really looking forward to working with this publishing company and being a part of the process of helping authors get their books ready for publication.

Second, my son (who is turning nine in a few weeks) passed his most recent belt test in Taekwondo. He's a green belt now, so he starts advanced classes, and I have to get him sparring gear. My husband and I passed our tests as well and got our yellow belts. The helpful thing about having a son who's more advanced than us is that when we get stuck on a new pattern, we can be like, "Um, help, please?"

I did a post before on how Taekwondo is like writing. I've learned another thing about writing from Taekwondo, which ties in a lot with the Darth Vader/Comfort Zone stuff I was talking about recently. I've never done well when I have to perform in front of people. When I took gymnastics years ago, I was always super self-conscious about the fact that even mothers were watching. Well, when my son and I went to take our belt tests the week before last, there were like three hundred people there. About a third of them were testing, and about two thirds were watching, and there I was, a beginner student, expected to get up in front of judges and the whole room and show what I'd learned. Granted, they did have us test in groups of three or four, but I was so nervous when we walked into that room. I was self-conscious about even practicing in front of all those people. I leaned toward my son and told him, "I am so nervous. I'm going to forget my patterns or something. There are all these people watching!"

My son looked at me very earnestly and said, "Mommy, you just have to imagine you're the only person in the room."

My husband (who couldn't make it to that testing) told me pretty much the same thing when I frantically texted him before testing started.

So I took a deep breath and did just that. And I did fine. Then I used the same analogy recently in discussions with a fellow writer, because it's completely relatable to writing. Those scenes that make me nervous, I will remind myself to write as if I'm the only person there. I mean, I'm the only person looking at these scenes as I type, but I write them knowing that soon they'll be going to family and friends, and eventually, they'll be released into the world.

Those invisible eyes can be daunting. If you find yourself questioning what you're writing or worrying what other people are going to think, my advice to you is this: Write like you're the only person in the room.

Do the invisible eyes get to you or do you already write like you're the only person in the room?

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And finally, today's Rising Book 1: Resistance links and information:

1. Yesterday there were people who participated in the release event for the book. I had been going to give away several e-copies of the books and announce the winners today, so here it is: everyone who participated in the Rising Release Event will receive an e-copy of the book. If you signed up and participated in that yesterday (or had told me you'd be doing it Monday or today), you should have received an email from me; if I somehow missed you, please email me at the address under "contact" at the top of my blog and let me know. Thank you all so much for your help in spreading the news!

2. Rachel Morgan is hosting today's blog tour. She's an incredibly generous and wonderful person and I'm thrilled to be featured on her blog. If you're not already following her, you totally should be. To check out my interview on her blog, go here: Blog Tour Stop #2

3. Laura, whom I met through Twitter some months ago, is giving away a paperback copy of Rising Book 1. She did this entirely on her own—she asked me about signing a copy of the book, but she put the whole thing together because she loved the book and wanted to share it. (Thank you, Laura!!) Her giveaway runs through this Sunday, the 26th, and you can check out the contest and enter it here on her blog: Rising Paperback Giveaway.

On Editing...and Editing...and Editing....

You know that phase of editing where you're analyzing everything? Yeaaaah. I'm there. I have nine more chapters to edit (out of twenty-nine) for Rising Book 1. I'm editing five chapters at a time, first on paper, then making changes on the computer. It is long and exhausting. It's a good thing I like words as much as I do. (I really, really do like editing. I like making something better. I like grammar. I just have a hard time resting when I'm at the end of an editing project.) When it came time to read to my kids at bedtime yesterday, it was so hard to not analyze every sentence I read. I've been searching for missing words (I've found several), extra words (found that too), and passive sentences (ohhh, way too many to count), and cleaning up text and smoothing out dialogue, etc., etc.

I was joined in my editing by Tonks, one of our cats.

"What is this mess? I can do better than this."

"Forget it, I'm taking over."

"Why are you still here? I've totally got this."

There's only so much editing a person can do on a book. 

Wait, let me rephrase: There's only so much editing a person can do on a book before they have to let it go into other hands. Writers will pick and tweak and edit and revise and set their books aside and then do it all over again...and again...because a book is never really done until it it has to be, until it's time for it to go to the printer. And even then, there's much nail-biting. "What if I missed something? What if people pick out a mistake and that's all they notice? What if I forget something? What if, what if, what if..."

I'm sure I've said this in previous blog posts, but sometimes you really just need to smack those what ifs in the face.

It takes a lot to write a book, a lot more to edit and rewrite, and I think sometimes that (annnd I'm editing while I'm blogging O.O) it takes a backbone of steel to let the book go out of our hands and into someone else's.

A lot of you are in various stages of book writing. Starting the first draft of your first book. Working on your tenth novel. Rewriting. Editing. Putting it through beta-readers and critique partners. Perfecting a query. Looking for an agent. Self-publishing. Signing a contract with a publishing company. Handing out review copies. Marketing. Whatever you're doing right now, it takes a lot of work and a lot of courage, so be proud of yourself that you're doing it.

Now I am going to attempt to get some sleep so I can work on more editing tomorrow. Then I get to move on to final blurb tweaking. Oh, joy. <---*sarcasm*

Hope you all have an awesome weekend! ^_^

of rambling, links, and contest reminders

*waves to everyone* And welcome to my new followers! You guys have put me over 150 blog followers! Thanks to all of you. ^_^

I have been allowing myself a break from writing/editing/blogging this week. Instead, I read several delightful, refreshing, heart and humor filled books and I'm now swinging back around to try to be productive with editing and rewriting. And yes, blogging. ;) I'll be starting homeschooling later this month. I can't believe it's already August! I've got all my schoolbooks and registration done, so I'm all set to go.

I feel like all I've been doing lately is announcing book-related stuff, but I did want to update everyone on my book's final links and post a couple of reminders:

First, Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School) is now available in print:

Confessions Paperback

And to update the ebook links:

Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
Smashwords

Second, there are still two in progress contests for a signed paperback copy, one on blogspot and one on DeviantArt:

Barbara's Contest on Blogger
Holly's Contest on DeviantArt

And now I'm back to edting and rewriting my last manuscript. Or I should say, editing and rewriting it for the millionth time.* What are you all working on this month?

*This might be a slight exaggeration.

I'm Still Here

Can I just say: moving takes a lot out of a person. I've been moved for two weeks now and my brain feels like a giant puddle of mush. It seems like it's only been a couple of days and then I'm all "AHH! My blog is so neglected! I'll post something soon!" and then I'm all mushified. (Why, yes, mushified is a word. *adds it to dictionary*)

Then yesterday I got hit with some virus or something. My head feels like it's stuffed with cotton and I'm achy and my voice is all funky. Basically, if i hadn't already felt like a giant puddle of mush, this would have made me feel that way anyway. Huzzah. ;)

I have been doing a ton of editing. And rewriting. And more editing. And some plotting. And did I mention editing? I've been working on two different novels--the one that I said I was going to self-publish has been passed off to my final editors and as soon as I can decide on how to approach the cover, my wonderfully amazing artist friend is going to work on the cover art. My goal it to have this sucker published by the end of July or sometime in August. It's kind of hard to think right now. O_o  I've also been working on rewriting/tweaking one of my other novels so I can start writing the sequel in July.

In July, I plan to be writing like crazy. My goal is to get half of my next book written. I have several writer friends who are joining in with their individual goals--some writing books, some doing rewrites or whatever else they've been wanting to do. I find it incredibly helpful to have people working on goals side-by-side with me--it gives me a good push and holds me to my goals and allows me to encourage others to stick to their goals.

Do any of you have writing plans for this summer? What are you working on right now?

I have a list of writing topics I want to discuss on my blog, and I am going to do my best to get one written and posted within the next few days. I'll be back soon. :D

E is for Editor* and Edible

*Specifically, first all of the wonderful people who beta-read for me and edit my books and rip them to shreds before they ever go anywhere. Second, Ramona Tucker, Editorial Director and co-founder of my publishing company, who goes through them all again before they go to print and does SO much more.



Dear beta-readers/critiquers,

Thank you SO MUCH for all the time you spend reading my books. Thanks to those of you who read the first drafts, or the drafts-in-progress that are subject to change as I go, or the third or fifth drafts. Thank you for being honest with me and telling me what you think is working and what you think is crap. Thank you for ripping my books to pieces so that I can put them back together and make them better.

You are all awesome and I would not be able to write without you.

Laura


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Dear Ramona,

You are incredible. You handle so much and work insanely long hours, and I have no idea how you do it all—but not only do you do it, you accomplish everything with such patience, grace, and kindness. Thank you for all of your hard work. Thank you for taking my books and helping me make them better. Thank you for your time, enthusiasm, and persistence, and for believing in my stories. You not only brought me through my first journey of publication, but you made it a beautiful one, and I look forward to the next journey.

Thankfully,
Laura



**Question for others: Do you have people who help you along in your editing process? How do you edit?  I have a whole post somewhere on here about having a support system--do you have one as you write?  I'm always curious about how other people go about writing a book and whipping it into shape.


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 Dear Wall-E Cake,

I will likely be eating you for breakfast (why yes, I am so very healthy), because it is my daughter's birthday and my kids get to have cake first on their birthdays. ;) You were a lot of fun to make, and even though your eyes turned out funky, my daughter is happy with you, so all is well.