Another Writing Update: The Dreaded BLOCK

Happy rainy Friday! Well, at least in the mid- Atlantic.

While I'm preparing for the big re-release of Fractured Princess, I also realized that I hit a big roadblock in writing its sequel. One I couldn't figure my way out of. Sometimes, my writer's block is because I'm hesitant to write the next scene or can't figure out how to get a scene down the road. This time, I realized what I was writing wasn't connecting.

And since I figured out some of the biggest pieces of the puzzle, I realized a couple things:

1) I needed to start from the beginning, from scratch; and

2) I needed to *gasp* plot it out. 

I've been a pantser my entire life, just writing things how they came to me, even if they came out of order. This was especially how I wrote FP, but also, I never planned on writing a sequel. FP was going to be a standalone book, albeit with a bittersweet ending. I don't even remember preparing for a sequel when I decided to self-publish.

But then, ideas came, and damn them, I liked them! And unfortunately, creating a sequel means figuring out how to connect it to the first book and make sense, so of course I need a plan. It's just aaarrrgggh.

I will say, though, that I like the first paragraphs I've written. I plan on repurposing some of the scenes from the first version, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose a lot of them. *sob* I was about halfway done the first draft.

I can't be too upset, though, because this will most likely mean a better story overall! I certainly hope so.

Lastly, if all goes well, pre-ordering of the Kindle edition will be available mid-March/early April! Stay tuned for more news!

September Review

© Creative Commons Zero (CC0)

Welcome to Fall!

September has been a pretty okay month. I've been taking the bus to work, so I have a chance to read more. I cut my book goal in half for the year when I realized I wasn't going to reach 2 books per month. I might get in more than 12 this year, though, so I'll try 24 next year. I'll be on vacation next week, so I plan on sitting and reading, reading the first part of DP, and catching up on shows I've started and have yet to finish.

The job is going very well. With the whole department full of new people, we're all learning together, so my productivity has been higher than ever in any State job. haha The commute is draining, but we'll be moving a little further south early next year, so I won't have to get up before 6am to try to catch the bus. It's only 8-minute difference from one building to the other, but the new building would require too many buses, and I spend too much time checking routes and times for ONE bus every in-office day (anxiety is a bitch). Freelance-wise, I haven't received Fiverr requests for a long time, and Twitter won't let me send the Tweet to promote it for some reason. I'll try again soon. My other freelance proofreading work went very well this past summer. I'm finishing up a project this coming week, and hopefully I can work with the company again soon.

On another note, I'm going to cancel the Patreon. I know it's only been a few months, but it's not getting any hits, and I'm the kind of person who has no motivation to do things if no one is interested in it. I tried to hold out, but trying to drum up content for a patron who literally lives with me is disheartening. I can just tell her my updates. Maybe I can try again later when I have more engagement, but not right now.

Oh shoot, there's a 5th Friday this month. As usual, I will look back on my last goals, see what I accomplished, and also post what my goals for the next quarter will be. I'm excited for the end of the year, because 2023 means I will be free to start hyping, promoting, and SELLING Fractured Princess again. I can't wait, and I hope you can't either.

Enjoy the weekend!

Wednesday Words: 2,000 Words Down!

All righty, so because I posted a Friday post early, I'm doing Wednesday Words this week! This is when I share with you all what I have been reading or writing. I've set down both the e-book and the e-comic I was trying to read, so nothing on that front. But, after NaNo, I did open up my WIP with comments from Jodi Meadows to work on her notes.

I also want to say WHEN this book gets published, I want to do a special book of the draft stages and my favorite comments from her. Some of them still make me laugh when I look at them.

The main problem this go 'round was distancing. I had trouble bringing readers into the POV characters' heads, which I could see right up front. I usually write: "This happened, and I felt like this when it did" when it needs to be more like "This happened, and oh why is happening?" I did better in some areas than others. I have a chat with a Spec Fic group creator hopefully this week to see her thoughts, too, but I have a feeling they'll be about the same.

Are you writing or revising this week?

IWSG: I've Spent the Month Doing A Major Revision

Brought to us by Alex. J Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group

It is already another month. Happy Ash Wednesday to those who celebrate!

With the new month comes another Insecure Writer's Support Group blog meeting! Hello. :) This is a safe place for us writers to come together and vent our insecurities to others who are doing the same thing. Visit our Master Ninja, Alex Cavanaugh sensei, and the group's websites to join in with us!


Life update: I started a new blog that's more like a diary for my regular life. If you're interested in it, poke by to see me at Confessions of a Girlchild.

Writing update:
Way back in October when I got flooded with agent/editor likes during DVPit on Twitter, the amazing Jodi Meadows offered to look at my first few pages for me. We started talking, and I ended up being a sensitivity reader for her next book, Before She Ignites, and she also offered to look at my complete manuscript in the new year.

And boy, did she! For the first time, I received in depth, line-by-line feedback and an edit letter that laid out the plot points of where my manuscript was falling flat. If you have followed me, you know I've had a hard time getting CPs, and when I did, they didn't even stick long enough to finish reading the book for one reason or another. So with every revision, I've had to rely on myself, which was frustrating. I put my all into looking over the work of others, so when it's not reciprocated with the same dedication, I always feel like it's something I've done, or that my writing is just THAT bad that they can't even finish it. I also feel bad for being frustrated because at least 3 of the people whom I had handed my manuscript to had personal problems they had to deal with, and I don't want to judge their coping abilities based on my own (2016 was garbage), but I'm a "push through when you have responsibilities to other people" kind of person. So, it's been hard.

That said, I spent many hours looking at Jodi's notes, reading, revising, deleting, adding, just making Fractured Princess something that will hopefully make some agent finally send me an offer. I finally have pitches and queries worthy of "I want to see more," and now I hope the manuscript is also up to snuff. Wish me luck.

The question for the month:
Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

Yes. I tried to revamp a story I wrote in my childhood, based on X-Men. I couldn't really develop a plot for it, and it was a lot of backstory, so I don't know if I'll pick it up again. It might get absorbed into another story idea I have. We'll see.


See you soon!

Wednesday Words: What I *Was* Writing

*This post occurred before I changed the WIP title and Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

I am actually reading, but it's the graphic novel version of a book I already read. Also, my Kindle kicked the bucket, so unless I want to read on my laptop (I don't), I have to read my physical books and hit the library until I can afford a new one.

As you know, I was revising The Crystal Bearer, and it's in the hands of a beta reader. He suggested that I do the story wholly from Ghuli's POV. He isn't the first to suggest it, so I thought I would give it a try. A few chapters into it, I knew it's not right for this story. There are moments that can't be told through Ghui or retold to her without it seeming like info dumping, and there are also moments that make some of her harder-shelled characters blossom so readers can see their other sides.

That said, there were some moments and scenes I created while attempting this draft that I actually thought, "Wait, I like this one better than that one," and where I also was more succinct in explaining things, so I definitely incorporated them into the story. I will be going back through and inserting more of Ghuli's POV in scenes where there is a panoramic POV. It will make the story sharper.

Now if only to get this done before A to Z (oh crap, I still have posts to finish) AND DVPit!

Wednesday Words: Am Revising, But What To Read??

Happy Hump Day!

As you know, I'm currently revising, so I haven't started reading another book yet. I have a whole bunch on my e-Reader, though, and a few books in my room, so by next week, I should be working on one of those...I was part of this e-book list last year that showcased a bunch of free books and e-books that cost next to nothing, and I just looked at that list...Good Lord, does that go on forever.

I think my next book will have to be Octavia Butler's Parable of the Talents. I didn't really like Parable of the Sower, but as one of my favorite authors, I feel I should finish the series. Maybe more happens in the second book, too.

I'll definitely decide by next week...I think...

A Change with Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

So, as I normally do, I got bored. This time, it was with writing flash fiction. I also began revising my WIP full force, so I want to focus on that for a few days. I have a beta reader in waiting, and I'm sort of contemplating entering the DVPit Contest Beth Phelan is hosting in April, so I want this project to be polished and "approved" by then.

SO (I say "so" a lot), I'll probably be checking in on Tuesdays just to clear my head and annoy y'all that way. Fun times.

If you did read any of my Tales, I certainly thank you. Some of them were phoned in, but I wanted to stick with it for as long as possible. I guess it's now time to move on from it.

Or, hey, maybe I'll find something else to do on Saturdays. I'm really enjoying doing Saturday Series. We'll see, because those would DEFINITELY need to be scheduled ahead of time.