book, life, writing

Crazy Storm and Then There’s the Book…

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cat-on-typewriter

I haven’t blogged in a while because I’ve been quite busy. I didn’t want to get on here tonight and start writing because I don’t quite feel like I have much to say. My book is still in the works and will be for a long time. Long time as in between 6 months to a year. I was so hoping to be published by now, but there is so much I have to do to it. I know what you’re thinking… “Geez girl! Get your stuff together.” And you’re absolutely right.

I haven’t gotten much done this month. My life currently has plunged into a tornado obstacles. There’s been so much happening that I’ve found it hard to focus. I put an hour here and there for editing and rewriting but I don’t feel as accomplished as I’d like. Note to everyone: Don’t get a life.

Lately, I’ve been wishing I could take a week off from work and life and lock myself in a closet to finish this book. But that won’t work. I’ve going over the chapters again, deleting some things, adding some stuff. I’m hoping to be done in 6 months. That would be nice. I wanted to be done two months ago… but, pah! In the literary world, things are never for sure.

One reason for it taking so long to finish is the major changes I’ve made. For one, I’ve discovered my main character is really my secondary and my secondary character is actually my main. Think about that! I’ve discovered that some characters actually had relationships with each other. I’ve learned the plot does thicken and the game is afoot. If I could go back to the very beginning, I’d tell myself to OUTLINE. I really wish I’d done it.

At times, my book feels like it’s in shambles. At other times, I’m in need of a drink. And not a fruit juice. Something hard. Tonight, I’m retweeking a chapter and adding some more bacon to the plate. Most people like bacon, right? Anyways, I just wanted to give an update anybody who’s actually cares to read my crazy ramblings.

3 thoughts on “Crazy Storm and Then There’s the Book…”

  2. Hi, my name is Tiffany. I’m actually a writer myself and the way I came across your website is because we commissioned the same artist to do our book cover, Jon Hunt.

    Oh man, I swear, a year ago, I could’ve written this exact same post. I feel I can totally relate and understand. I have set deadlines for when I was going to have my book published so many times over the years that finally, everyone, even my mom, stopped caring about it. They didn’t want to hear it anymore. They didn’t believe me. It was taking too long.

    The best advice I can give you (not that you’re asking, but I’m just trying to help, one writer to another) is to read your book one time. During that read, jot down on a bulleted list, everything wrong that you need to change. Everything. And promise yourself, swear to yourself, that once all the edits are done, you won’t read it again. It’s ready. I know writing is rewriting and rereading, but if I reread my story every friggin’ time I edited it, I’d be rewriting it for the rest of my life. And I know this to be true because I’ve been working on this book for over 10 years.

    When you go through and do your edits, try to be thorough and knock each one out, one at a time. I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency of doing this: “Well, this is easy to fix, but in that one, I have to move shit around and add crap. I’ll do it later.” Do it. Spend the 30 minutes and do it.

    And the last thing I want to mention–how do I avoid rereading my book after editing it? Reread it as you edit it. Once you move a lot of stuff around, add stuff, delete stuff, reread that whole chapter in that sitting so it’s fresh. This way, when you’re all done with your edits, you KNOW that the book is perfect.

    I know you didn’t ask for my help, but I mainly wanted you to know that you’re not alone. You can do this. You can finish this book. Just tackle a few edits at a time. 🙂

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