Writing even when you're tired

OK, sorry I haven't written in a few days. My day job has been insane, and for some reason my personal life has been really busy too, so I've barely managed to sleep, write, work, eat and pay attention to my husband. lol. I haven't even called my mother in three weeks. I'm a bad girl.

So I'm finished up my book. I'm at that cathartic point of knowing that I pretty much have it all down, now its just a matter of punching it up, polishing, layering, and then voila! Thank god. For some reason this one was tough to write. I think because there's so much humor in it. It's a careful balance to strike.

I have a critique partner coming out to do a writer's retreat in April, so I'm totally psyched about that. I'll be able to run this book by her and see what she thinks. Perfect!

Well, that's about it. I'll think of a better topic for next time, I swear!

Writing Tips Blog

OK, found a new blog I really like. This one is by Angela and she's a copywriter. She posts on writing tips, things that drive her crazy to see, etc. Very helpful.

Click Here

I also added it to my list on the right. Anyway, she's got some really cool stuff on there. Stuff I hadn't thought of. Read away!

Experimenting with Backstory and Setup

I got some interesting advice on how to play with your book once you have it finished to make sure you don't have more backstory and setup in there than you really need.

Just take it all out, saving the cut parts of course, then reread the book. Print the parts you cut out and keep next to you as you read, weaving in only small pieces in logical locations, leaving out anything that isn't essential. Then voila, your book has backstory and setup cleverly woven in without doing info dumps or pulling the reader out of the story.

Very freaking cool.

I was running into the problem where my first chapter or two of every book was running slow because I was amateurishly trying to stuff all the setup and backstory up front. Uh. Stupid, I know. Although it helped me as an author to have it in there temporarily so I could write it, then take it out as appropriate later.

Anyway, I will add this to my list of "things to do when writing a book". Good lord, the list is getting a bit long. :-)

Doing better today

OK, so my critique partners are flabbergasted at the comments I got in my rejection letter, so I'm going to drop it. One person suggested when I'm a best seller, I fax said letter to the woman and also include a photocopy of my hand flipping the bird. lol.

Ah, the things we'd like to do in our fantasies. I wonder if anyone has actually ever done that. Ha ha.

Ooh. REJECTION

Aww. I just got a rejection from someone on one of my books who not only rejected me, but was really, um, harsh about it. She said: WAY too much showing, not telling. The dialogue is stiff and unnatural. She didn't like my heroine's world, or my hero's world. She didn't get into it, nothing grabbed her. She didn't say anything positive or encouraging. Just, "this sucks, that sucks, these other five things suck. Oh, and p.s. you suck."

Ouch, lol.

And the funny thing is, I don't think the book is anywhere near that bad. I went back and looked at it and I don't see it. There are things I can improve on, yes, but I don't see what set her off so vigorously. I mean, she REALLY hated it.

My critique partners are also mystified, and were shocked about the response. But still, Dear God, please don't let me be like those people on American Idol that are totally terrible yet are absolutely surprised when the judges loathe them and kick them out the door. lol.

Anyway, I've decided I'll look at her comments in another couple of days, compare it to my manuscript and see what I can do. And if I don't see it, I'm going to throw the rejection INTO the trash and it go. Gargghghgh.

Progress

OK, I have 330 pages and I think my book is coming along nicely. It is so frustrating to keep myself from fixing as I go, thus slowing my momentum. Trouble is, if I slow too much, I get a little depressed I'm not getting the danged thing done so I have to find a happy medium.

I have solved this somewhat by keeping a second document open at all times, and when things occur to me that I will want to go back and fix, layer, clarify or whatever, I list it in that document so I don't forget anything. That way I can let it go for now but not worry that I'll lose the thought.

This seems to be helping and I should have this first draft out pretty soon. Maybe a week more. Thank god, lol. Did I mention I hate this part?