Revised Edition

I have seen posts from other authors on social media talking about when to stop editing. It's true, we could rewrite and edit to our heart's content and somehow with all that work we could still be unsatisfied with the finished product. There are always things we can find to change, tweak, or redo completely. As a whole, writers tend to be an insecure group. We are always trying to make everything perfect but the fact that we can't please everyone all the time is a difficult concept for us. Our work is a part of us and we are putting our heart and soul out there to be judged.

Sometimes, however, it is important to realize there are major changes needed. In my case it was my debut novel Never Give Up. I had started out submitting for a traditional publisher but after I received my umpteenth rejection letter I decided to look for another route. I joined a number of Facebook groups and started looking for suggestions when I saw a start up Indie company who was accepting submissions. I was so excited someone wanted to publish me I ignored my instincts and jumped at the chance to work with them. I allowed their editor to go through and suggest changes. They then created a cover and formatted the book for me.

Having never published anything before I was unaware of just how many problems the book possessed. The formatting contained double spacing and the wrong margins. There were typos and major issues with the dialogue. Even the cover wasn't done correctly. It was pixelated, the color was blurry and blended with the wording, and the font was wrong for the genre. It was something I had to take almost a year to handle both physically and emotionally.

I have now redone the cover and rewritten the story. It will be released once more in a few days and I am glad I had the opportunity to fix a number of the problems. I know given the chance I would just keep working to fix the problems I find but I think at some point we invent problems instead of face the possibility someone may not like our work. Fingers crossed when it releases it finds the same story acceptance it enjoyed before while also being something I can be proud of in style and quality.

New Years Goals - Writing

As an author this seems like the most obvious set of goals. However most people would think my writing goals is simply a list of the books I want to write this year. While this is, in fact, a major part of the goals list, there is so much more to writing. While I have my list of books to write including Voices 3 and 4, Fish, and Crash, I also have to think about the editing, beta reading process, publishing, marketing, and signings.

While I am working on Fish I have to be thinking about the cover image. I already know what I want the cover of both Fish and Crash to look like to but there is still the issue of finding the images, having the covers made, fitting them to the books once the stories are formatted, and coming up with the synopsis for each. Voices is a 4 book series that is half drafted but I am intending to submit those books to a traditional publisher I met with at a writer's conference.

The traditionally published books need to be written and edited then submitted through the query process. The editing will need to be just as rigorous as what I put my Indie books through but I will also have to adhere to specific styles and word counts while going through the writing and final editing. I have another book I am planning to submit for a traditional publisher but it will be a different publisher and therefore I will be going through a different publisher and will be working with a literary agent. This book, The Last Piece, has been written but there is still going to be a rewrite as well as several edits before I begin sending out the queries.

Fish and Crash will both be written, edited, published, and promoted by me this year. They are additional books in the Sharing Strength series which will be complete once I get Combat completed I will begin the final rewrite on Sharing Strength and have my first series completed and available.

Along with these books I will be doing a full rewrite on my book Breathe and releasing it in the second half of the year. It should be available at the last major signing of 2019. I have five major signings along with a number of local events this year. I am a committee member for a group of local authors and will be handling some of the social media responsibilities along with booking more signings for us as the year progresses and will be looking forward to seeing the response to the new offerings I have to share. Writing does include writing the actual book, but there is so much more that makes this career choice so crazy. I love every minute of it.

New Years Goals - Reading

Several years ago I was scrolling through Facebook on a break at work. It was during the long week stretching between Christmas and New Years Eve. I came across a picture showing a list of categories  for a reading challenge. There were book categories like A Classic Romance, A Book Your Mother Loves, A Books With A One Word Title. Altogether there are fifty three books once you go through the entire list. I had been looking for a way to expand my reading horizons and thought this challenge would be a great way to branch out.

As an author I understand the importance of reading. Not only do I love to read in multiple genres, and have discovered authors through this challenge I had never considered before, but I also write in a number of genres which means I need to keep reaching out from both a reader and writer perspective. There have been a number of books I questioned choosing as I made my way through them. Judge me if you want but it turns out I am not a fan of the classics. Pride & Prejudice as well as The Count Of Monte Cristo both took forever for me to complete. I never was able to get into the story.

I never believed reading those books were a completely bad idea though. There were things I was able to learn from those stories including story flow and pacing that I can incorporate into my own writing. I keep trying to find new books and authors I can learn from and so every year I attempt the challenge again. I have yet to complete it. Last year I even added a number of writing craft related books on top of the fifty three books of the main challenge. I read fast enough to get through the entire list and still pick up a few books from authors I have enjoyed but there are some categories I struggle to get through as well as dealing with life getting in the way can make completion beyond my grasp.

I have already gone through the categories and cleared the books I was able to get through while adding in the new titles I intend to read in 2019. I am excited about the things I will learn this year and looking forward to sharing the books as I read them throughout the year.

New Years Goals - Fitness

I mentioned in the last post I was focusing on a number of different goals including reading, writing, fitness, and professional. I know it seems like some of these are less than author-like, but I think a big part of keeping my focus is staying well rounded. Today I have been going through the ultimate goals I have for fitness.

Originally I was planning to attempt my first Spartan Race obstacle course but all of the ones located in my part of the country happens to coincide with book signings I have already agreed to do. I am still looking forward to taking part in one in 2020 but I will be signing up for that before I set my signing schedule. I will be using the second half of this year to work on getting myself in shape to handle the obstacles as well.

Last year I ran in my first 10K and while I can honestly say I hate running as an activity, that particular race was one of the most fun events I have ever done. I also love the distance cycling events I have done in the past. I will be continuing to train for the 10K again as well as a few 5K events along with 4-5 cycling events and possibly a trail run during the course of 2019. These activities take time away from my writing and publishing but they allow me to keep my health the best it can be. It also gives me something I need for writing as well, time to let my mind drift and develop storylines organically.

When I run, and when I take out my bike, I always listen to music. I have a playlist I use when I am training because the songs are motivating and can keep pushing me when I am too tired to do one more lap at the track. When I am just exercising to get in shape and not training for anything in particular I listen to playlists specific to the book I am working on. That allows me to get lost in the feel of the book. I have also been known to let my kind wander while I swim at the gym. No matter what type of exercise I'm doing, it's nice to let my mind go and the story takes over.

I have learned I can't run or bike without music. My mind will not venture off to writing because I will only focus on my breathing, or lack thereof. My running friends have told me to just run without music and eventually I will be able to let my mind go but I think using the book playlists is the right way for me. As I make my checklist for the upcoming year I have included a weight loss goal, things like classes to try and flexibility / strength levels to achieve but most of all I am looking forward to seeing how the improvement in my physical abilities translates into improvements in my writing life.

New Years Goals

Yep. It's that time of year again. New Year's resolutions are upon us once more and as usual I am being less than traditional. I gave up on the resolution thing years ago. Instead I adopted the idea of making goals to work toward and accomplish throughout the year. I always have writing goals on my list and a reading challenge to attempt. There is usually a fitness goal or two and something to do with my professional life whether that be writing related as well or connected to the day job.

This year I will be attempting the trifecta once again as I tackle an aggressive publishing goal, work hard to achieve my fitness and competitive goals and look into making an addition to my working life as I return to my love of performing.

Writing this year, with any luck and determination, will see leaps and bounds as I move forward. My writing goals include drafting the 3rd and 4th books in my Voices series, drafting / editing / publishing the rest of my Sharing Strength series, revising my stand-alone novel Breathe, and outlining Sabrina which is the prequel to Never Give Up. On top of writing goals I will also be attending far more signings in the upcoming year so I need to make sure I am keeping up on my inventory levels as well as consistently releasing new books and staying on top of my packed schedule.

Fitness related goals this year involve making a dedicated effort in the gym so I can stay healthy as well as get in shape and stay in shape so I can enjoy the performing in my part time job (I love the theater), and being able to participate in more 5Ks, the 10K at the end of the year, and more biking events that I always enjoy. I had planned to try and compete in my first Spartan Race this coming year but all of the ones near me are during time I am already scheduled to do book signings so I will be focusing on my running and biking for now and start the obstacle training toward the end of the year.

I have made my reading challenge list for this year and I have to admit many of the books from this past year are still on there because I lost track of my reading in 2018. I am looking forward to the fresh start now and have already accumulated several of the books so I can get started on my reading and have reserved a number of others from the local library. As long as I can keep from losing my motivation I think 2019 will be a very productive year.

Nanowrimo - Progress

When participating in Nanowrimo the target daily word count is 1667. I have fallen below that successfully everyday so far. As of yesterday I was only at the 4,000 mark. I am planning to get at least another thousand words written today before I go to sleep and will be up early tomorrow to write more but I still struggle to see how I will catch up to where I should be by the end of the day tomorrow (15,000 yikes!).

If I can get to at least the 10K mark and continue to add between 1,000 and 2,000 per day until next Friday then attempt to once again play catchup I may have a chance. This year is somehow quickly becoming the most difficult of all my attempts for Nano. I have overcome obstacles and issues in the past. I have only failed once and it was due to medical concerns but I am finding this year to be more difficult than any I have had in the past.

I know most would say it is because I have taken on too much. I am planning a holiday party which involves planning, baking, decoration making and setup. I need to update the event page on Facebook and get a better idea of how many people are coming. I need to shop for all items needed and being to assemble everything so I am ready to go when the time comes. That is a huge undertaking but one I could not be happier about at the moment. I also have fantastic help so it isn't like that project is being done alone.

I have three signings this month, two on the same day. (Yes I know, I suck at scheduling) One of those I am the point person for and I also have a meeting with the group in charge of two of those signings next Friday so part of my writing time will be dedicated to planning the signing for books already finished while I attempt to finish another. Speaking of events, I have the Marine Corp birthday party this Saturday. My boyfriend is a Marine veteran and I will be proudly attending the party with him as well as spending party of Veteran's day with him as well if I am not working. My work schedule plays into it a lot because I work 5 days per week and cannot write much on breaks and don't get a lunch so trying to add a quick thousand words there is nearly impossible. Not to mention there is no where for me to put my computer while I am working.

If, as I mentioned I am not working on Veteran's day I will be with him for parts of the day but I will also be running a 10K in the Rock N Roll Marathon series down the Las Vegas Strip then attending a friend's birthday cookout. There is just so much to do.

And yet, none of these stand out as the reason I am struggling to get caught up. I am struggling because this book is somehow not connecting with me the way the first two did and the way the fourth one already is. I know many things about the last book in the series but there are events that will transpire in book 3 that will set up book 4 and so I need to write this one first. The characters are just stifling me though. they give me the bare minimum and reveal practically nothing. But I am determined. I will find a way to break through. I am 4,000 down and only 46,000 left to go!

Nanowrimo - Day 5

Technically today is day 5 of the annual writing challenge Nanowrimo also known as NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth. If you participate from the beginning to the end and only do the minimum for each day to reach the 50,000 word goal you would produce 1667 words per day and today you would cross off the first 8835 words. I am not there.

I am not even close to there. I am working on my first thousand words because I was unable to write the first 4 days. I have been brainstorming and am doing my best to at least reach somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 before I head off to my day job and will do my best to add at least as much before I go to bed tonight. I have never been one to follow the amount for the day and with the exception of last year when battling two jobs and some major health issues, I have also never been one to quit.

My first year I worked on a story I had kept inside for nearly a decade. It was great to have the push of the words count updater and doing the online groups to keep me motivated. The second year I didn't have any ideas of what to write. I didn't make the decision to participate until November 8th officially and by then I searched through a folder of writing snippets I jot down to use from time to time and found a short story I wanted to extend into a full length novel. I managed to finish with a few days to spare although it has present ed trouble for me in the editing and rewrite process and is still collecting dust on my shelf.

The next year I was working on the first book in a series. I had been driving back from a camping trip and was so connected with the main character she took control of me and told me the entire outline of the first book. It was so intense I had to pull over for lunch and write it all out on napkins. That was in the middle of the summer and I was chomping at the bit all autumn until November 1st to get to work on that story. The last two years I participated I ave worked on books 1 and 2 in my voices series. Last year I attempted to do book 3 but as I mentioned there were reasons I couldn't. This year I am doing tok 3 instead. With any luck I will complete book 4 when Nanowrimo is done and the series will be complete.

I know people who as sticklers for doing the word count for the day, starting on time, and not venturing outside the parameters much at all but there are a number of ways to be successful and even if you don't hit 50,000 words by the end of the month and instead only get to 30,000 or so that is still so much further than you started out. it is about being passionate and dedicated and celebrating any successes you accomplish.