I think I’ve decided on an ending for Book 5, I wanted more to happen, but guess it isn’t going to unless it goes really long (more than 100k words), so I decided to just end it at a good point (a nice climax) and then start working on the next. Who knows I may even finish it this coming week. Got a note from my editor the next round is going nicely, I’m getting kind of anxious, but I guess that’s something that goes with it.
It’s been awhile since I’ve given you my word count –
On the two combine days, I took parts from a previous stories and put them in a different point of view. Something new, different and I found it to be fun.
Colds Hold Up The Works. To Stay Fit and Keep the War Effort Rolling – NARA – 534133 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Got a summer cold and I don’t like it a bit. I can’t complain too much though, I usually get a couple of colds a year. Usually one in the winter and one in the summer. Not sure where I picked this one up at (my wife is a germ freak).
So yesterday, didn’t get my 3500 words in. So you know it must have been bad. Did manage to make it today. I’m on the last thread of the fifth novel. At least I think it’s the last thread. I’m going to have to cut some things, because it’s getting a bit long winded. I have introduced a new character in this novel, which I’ve really enjoyed writing.
Got book 2 back from the first edits. Going to work on trying to get four chapters done a day, should have that done by the weekend and then sent back for the next go round. I really don’t like the whole editing process very much, I need to learn how to like / love it. Going to be doing it quite a bit, so might as well learn to love it.
Good news! Book 1 has been through it’s final edit and we should be ready to publish it sometime this week. I have the cover done, I still need to do some work on the site, finish my blurb (better known as a description) and then it’s publishing time. I am a happy camper. The editing bit took a whole lot longer than I thought it would, but hey that’s ok. I just need to figure out how to stream line that process a little bit.
Also, more good news, I just finished Book #4. I finished it on Saturday, and on Sunday I started on book #5. Book 4 ended up being a little over 90k pages. I actually had to force myself to wrap things up. We’ll see how things go. Again thanks for following the journey with me.
The final edits are getting done. I am so happy about it, I am jumping up and down right now. It usually takes a week or so till I get them back, so I’m going to be a busy bee. When I get it back, I want to be able to do the final edits, format it and put it up. I’m not one to make sure everything is perfect. It will be the best I can make it, otherwise I think you get stuck in a continuous cycle of is it good or not. You will be the judged if it works or not. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have written it.
This coming week I want to get done the following:
Cover – I have some ideas. I think it will work. It’s different from other covers I’ve seen, but there is a purpose for them being different. Kind of obtuse I know.
Blurb – the bit you read before you decide to buy. This is a very important piece of the puzzle. I’ll be working on finding some good guidance and sharing it with you.
Website – I need to tweak a few things here. Get it ready for people who are reading the book to visit and hopefully sign up for a newsletter.
Social Media – setup accounts for Social Media. Still pondering on exactly what to do.
In other news – I am almost done with book 4 – will I hit 100k pages. Not sure. One of the reasons I recommend writing on your project every day, even if you only have time to write 500 words, subconsciously when you aren’t working on it, you’ll be thinking about it. I got a killer ending bit for my story the other day, one I would have never thought of doing. Anyway, I am please so far with it, I just dread editing it. But first we need to start and finish editing book 1 and book 2. So what happens when we get done with 4. Glad you asked. We start with book 5.
English: The First Moviola? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Friday, it’s Friday. Hope your week has gone well and hopefully you have a weekend planned full of fun things. This weekend I will be spending most of it editing book number 2. I’m really not that into editing yet, but hey hopefully it will grow on me. The goal of course with editing is to sculpt your writing into something you’ll be proud of and readers will want to read, and of course want to tell someone to read it as well.
Next week we’ll be working on Book 3 and then hopefully we’ll be done with editing for awhile… although I don’t think that will happen.
I know it’s been a few days since I posted. Been a busy bee, which is all good. Things have calmed down a bit so we should resume to our current posting pattern. Camp Nano is finished. I’m kind of sad, to me that was a great motivator. It’s all good. I still tried to post there today when i finished writing. I guess old habits die hard.
So here’s what I’ve written so far this week –
M- 3523
T. 3519
W. 3624
TR. 3644
So a good start to the week. I’m still in the very beginning stages of book 4. I think book 4 may be a “full length” book. Which should be 80k pages or so. I don’t know I guess we’ll all see. I saw a really good video yesterday from Hugh – it’s a good retelling of how he made it in publishing. What I really like is the fact he is a genuine dude. You can check that out here –
Cigar band from a Fonseca cigar from the collection of Tim Davenport. Scanned for Wikipedia. Some digital editing performed, no copyright claimed. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Came very close to finishing book 3 today, in fact I thought I was going to finish, but my characters had something different in mind and so I didn’t. You guys ever have that problem.. or is it just me. I think for sure I should be finished by tomorrow. Then I’m going to finish my bit of editing all three of them, then I’m going to start on the next book. Of course I really hate skipping writing a day. I actually thought about doing that for three seconds, then changed my mind. So tomorrow will be a full day of editing and writing. Sunday will be probably at least a half a day of editing, and hopefully I’ll have book 1 in good enough shape to send to the editor.
Should have my first book out there in May, if things go well. I’ve heard about folks that edit there books to death, I’ve learned in business there comes a point when you have to move forward, it is impossible to make something perfect. Maybe I’ll publish on my birthday. Did a lot of other things that took a lot of time today, got a cool gig to go to with my daughter tonight as we celebrate her artwork at school. I can’t draw a stickman – she can do so much more. Enjoy your weekend and we’ll probably talk to you on Monday and tell you how things went.
Hope your day has gone well. It can’t really decide if we want to have Summer or Winter here. In the morning temps are in the 30’s in the afternoon they approach 80, so my heat pump doesn’t know whether it wants to be on or off.
I actually have spent some time this week editing my first book, before sending it to my editor, sounds a bit counter-intuitive I know. I’ve also been writing like crazy on the 3rd novel in the series, I think we should be finished with it probably early next week. I’ve also got in mind what the series arch is going to be – all twelve books. I know it’s ambitious, after all, don’t even have one book out yet. I think one thing I’m going to do is outline a bit more, maybe a really flexible outline. I need to do this for a couple of different reasons. After you finish your work, you’ll be needing to make a rough outline anyway… just to make sure you don’t repeat yourself and things make more sense. I’ve about got the titles / what the other nine books are going to be about.
I wrote 3527 today. I’ve told you before I’ve been participating in the camp Nano – don’t think any of my bunk mates have taken it seriously or maybe they’ve gotten busy with life. My goal was 50k words and I’ve hit 76,853 woot woot. I have to take one of my poochs to the vet tomorrow. Really don’t like doing that but it is one of those necessary things.
Hope your day was good and productive. I’ve been using scrivener for all the writing I’ve done, and I love it. I don’t really know how to use it very well yet.
Also found a great guide for Scrivener today during my wonderings its free from this link – click me.
I’ve mentioned before I’m on the third part of the book and that book has three threads. Today I finished one of them, now two more to go. I wrote 3555 words today, so I’m keeping on pace for the million words this year.
I’ve been pretty busy too – on my ‘real’ job, it’s hard to squeeze everything in. Need to get the first bit edited. My goal is to work on that quite a bit tomorrow. I’m writing it here so I’ll be accountable. Enjoy your evening.
MA – Massachusetts State Police (Photo credit: Inventorchris)
I know it’s been a few days since my last post, but hey we’ve been working hard. Never fear we have met our goal everyday for 3500 words. Today we hit 3610. So what have we been up to –
The Boston Marathon / manhunt – one of the people we work with, her husband is a Captain in the MA State Police Swat Team. So he was really busy last week. When they finally captured the terrorist at the boat, her hubby was the man guiding the pole on the Bearcat (the armored personel carrier) they had in the backyard. She showed me some pretty cool pictures and videos. You can find some they’ve made available to the public here –
She is a good friend, so I was giving her encouragement all of last week. It was really good that things ended well.
Saturday was busy. I’ve been working on getting a book for my wife ready to go on Amazon. Almost have it finished, still need to work on it a bit more tonight after I finish this… see you guys are important.
Sunday got up at 330 am. A wrote quite a bit in the morning, went to church, then during the afternoon we had a birthday for my nephew, can’t believe he is almost 20. Also on Sunday got a note from my editor confirming when I was going to start work – I’m starting to get excited. I’m on part 3 of the story and should have it finished this week. Part 1 we’ll be rough editing and send it next Monday. Part 2 we’ll be rough editing then sending it the next Monday, Part 3 the same deal. So when all the business is complete we should have 3 shorties ready to rock and roll. It will just take a whole lot of work between now and then, but hey anything worth having is worth working for, or so they tell me.
Anyways that’s the update. Enjoy your evening and keep writing.
