2013 Goals: April Status Report

Any regular follower of my blog knows that April was a busy month for my muse and I. The A to Z Challenge took over my writing schedule and pushed me to make deadlines without sacrificing my creativity. All in all, I consider April to be a very successful month in terms of my goals.

1) Complete final draft of Novel #2.

Revisions for Draft #2 are complete. I have since uploaded my revised draft onto my Kindle Fire, so I can fine-tune things a bit more. Using this format accomplishes two things:

• It is super exciting and encouraging to see my novel as it would appear in an e-book format.
• After reading my draft a million times as a Word document, it really helps to see sentences and paragraphs in a different way. I’m noticing little things that I just didn’t see in the original document. It’s really helping me spot little mistakes!

2) Work on converting Novel #1 into first person.

Still on the shelf (and that’s okay).

3) Submit 5 pieces of writing.

I have three writing magazines queued up, so I can start searching for competition and submission opportunities.

4) Submit three query letters for Novel #2

I got my hands on some new resources that might help me give my query a boost. If those resources turn out to be sound, I’ll pass them along. During May, I’m hoping to dig into my query and complete some much needed revisions.

5) Continue building author platform

The bulk of April was devoted to completing the  A to Z Challenge. I’m proud to report I completed the challenge on time and without missing a single letter. Yay! Thanks to all my old and new readers for stopping by throughout the challenge.

As for social media, I spent more time in the blogosphere than I did Facebooking or Tweeting. With the challenge complete, I’m hoping to jump right back into the social networking scene.

My Facebook Page has grown from  284 to 291

On Twitter, my followers went from 528 to 525

Thanks so much to all my followers. Your support and encouragement means so much!

6)  Read three books on the writing/publishing process.

April was a good month for this goal, as well. I read How I Got Published Ed. by Ray White and Duane Lindsay. A full review is on the way, but in short I found this book to be very helpful and encouraging.

One down, two to go!

7) Inspire others to keep writing.

As always, I can only hope I am a positive presence!

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How are you doing on your 2013 goals?

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c.b.w. 2013

2013 Goals: March Status Report

It was a big month for the first goal I set for 2013. After five months of intense work, revisions are complete on Novel #2! Maybe now the rest of my goals will get some attention!

Special Note: My blog schedule will change during the month of April. Please see notes on Goal #5 for more details!

1) Complete final draft of Novel #2.

Start Word Count: 55,440
End Word Count: 75,808
Total: 20,368

As of three days, ago revisions on Novel #2 are complete! WOO-HOO! I am doubly proud of the fact that I set a personal best word count total for a month’s worth of work. Novel #2 is now in the hands of my beta reader and so far, the response has been great!

2) Work on converting Novel #1 into first person.

I’ve decided to let Novel #1 sit until the summer when I have more time to devote to a total re-write. Part of me still wonders if I should jump into this or just let it go. My muse still pulls me towards Novel #2 and it’s sequel, so it’s become a game of wait and see.

3) Submit 5 pieces of writing.

With revisions complete on Novel #2, I’ll have a lot more time to write entries and research submission opportunities. I plan on using that time!

4) Submit three query letters for Novel #2

Once my beta reader finishes reading Draft 2, I’m going to make a few adjustments and then jump back into my query letter. After spending so much time on revisions, I’m hoping the same gumption will benefit my query draft.

5) Continue building author platform

 Stay tuned to my blog during the month of April for the A to Z Challenge. I will be featuring posts with photography and writing devoted to travel in a series titled, A to Z Abroad.  Essentially, I will be sharing pictures from my global travels and pairing them with historical trivia and creative writing. These posts will start tomorrow, so stay tuned!

As for social media, a busy few weeks at work and a nasty sinus infection meant I didn’t spend as much time as I would have like online. Thank you to my new Facebook followers for giving my numbers a little jump. As for Twitter, I lost a few along the way, but I hope to make up for that in April.

My Facebook Page has grown from 276 Likes to 284

On Twitter, my followers went from 523 to 528

Thanks so much to all my followers. Your support and encouragement means so much!

6)  Read three books on the writing/publishing process.

I’m still (happily) lost in YA urban fantasy. Currently, I am glued to Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Princess. If anything, I am reading like a writer and learning from the best!

7) Inspire others to keep writing.

As always, I can only hope I am a positive presence!

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Happy Easter!! Enjoy those chocolate bunnies and hardboiled eggs!

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c.b.w. 2013

Little Tree

Words and photo by: c.b.w. 2013

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I bought this little tree at Christmas with the very optimistic goal of keeping it alive through the holidays. Not only did he survive December, but he is flourishing and recently graduated to a bigger pot!

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c.b.w. 2013

Novel #2 Progress: Playing With Fantasy

I revised until my eyes burned and the word count totals for this week reflect that fact!

Word Count Progress:

Draft #1 Word Count:

• Start Word Count: 55,440
• End Word Count: 60,366
• Total: 4,896

Draft #2 Revised Word Count:

• Start Word Count: 57,074
• End Word Count: 62,703
• Total:5,629

Writing Process Notes:

• The scenes I worked on this week were so intense they literally left me emotionally and physically exhausted! However, as the conflicts between my character’s escalate, I know that means the climatic end scene is within reach. With that scene so close at at hand, I am happily working through the exhaustion in order to get to the last line!
• A wide divide has developed between the word counts of Drafts 1 and 2. Several new scenes have been added in places where I made notations to expand descriptions and plot elements. So far, I’m loving the changes!
• I am still shooting to complete the second draft by the end of March. It’ll be a tight schedule, but I think I can do it!

Novel Tidbit:

Realistic Fantasy

• I decided to create urban fantasy as opposed to straight up fantasy because I like creating something people can relate to on a personal level. My favorite stories are those that take something honest and give it an elaborate place to breathe. Sometimes the real world is big enough to harness that honesty, but at other times fantasy is in order to create metaphors and imagery that can’t exist in reality.
• While fantasy allows for limitless creation, I also believe in striking a balance between realistic and fantasy-based elements. For urban fantasy to work, the plot and characters need a strong connection to a reality in which readers can place themselves. So, when fantasy elements are introduced, it makes them that much more fantastical and believable. I want readers to allow themselves to think, even if for just a second, that something magical could be real. In a sense, the real world only needs a dash a fairy dust to sparkle.
• The bulk of Novel #2 takes place in Phoenix, Arizona. Most scenes take place in real places, including coffee shops, movie theaters, and Amanda’s home. It’s only in the last quarter that the setting changes to something completely out of this realm.  In doing this, Ian’s realm becomes something even more incredible. I want readers to be awed in the same way Amanda is when they enter this amazing world by her side.
• Ian’s special abilities are the only bit of “magic” until the end of the novel. Part of the reason I did this was to emphasize the unique nature of his identity. That being said, he is not without faults or weaknesses, just like any human.
• Amanda’s mortal status is necessary to make the story work, but I also went out of my way to make her stronger than Ian in unconventional ways. He may be the supernatural being, but she bests him in ways that will ultimately change his fate.

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c.b.w. 2013

2013 Goals: February Status Report

Even though I have seven goals on my list for this year, it seems my muse only has eyes for one. Novel #2 continues to be at the forefront of my efforts and I’m thrilled to report I am heading rapidly towards the finish line of a second draft. While it bothers me that some of my goals have seen little or no movement, I’m trying to remind myself that I gave myself permission to make Novel #2 a priority. So far, my muse agrees with that move and I’m not about to argue with her.

1) Complete final draft of Novel #2.

Sticking to a writing schedule helped me finish another month with a five digit word count total. The more I work on Novel #2, the more excited I get about it. Every day I literally cannot wait to get home and jump into Amanda’s world. That obsession paid off with great stats for the month of February:

Start Word Count: 40,103
End Word Count: 55,440
Total: 15,337

73% Completion

Every Monday, I post updates on the status of Novel #2. Follow along for tidbits on my writing process and a sneak peek into different elements of the story.

2) Work on converting Novel #1 into first person.

Novel #2 continues to occupy my attention, so this remains shelved until revisions are complete.

3) Submit 5 pieces of writing.

I have my eye on two competitions and I’m currently brainstorming ideas for a short story or two.

4) Submit three query letters for Novel #2

By sheer luck, I came across two agents who are currently looking for submissions that fit the specific genre in which Novel #2 fits. I’m taking this as a good sign that I’m on the right track. I saved their information so I can query them when Novel #2 is a polished manuscript.

5) Continue building author platform

The A to Z Blog Challenge looked like so much fun last year, but I was too busy with other things to join. This year, however, is different. I signed up and I’m already starting to come up with ideas to cover every letter of the alphabet. Stop by the A to Z Challenge website to check out the details and join in the fun!

As for social media, Facebook and Goodreads have been my main hangouts, but I managed to gain followers across the board:

My Facebook Page has grown from 262 Likes to 276

On Twitter, my followers have grown from 504 to 523

Thanks so much to all my new followers. Your support means so much!

To be part of the fun, see my sidebar.

6)  Read three books on the writing/publishing process.

Recently, I went to a used book sale where I loaded up on some great fiction. It’s also not helping that I have my nose stuck in some great YA novels (the Beautiful Creatures series and Sever from the Chemical Garden series). Seeing as it’s only February, I’m not worried, yet.

7) Inspire others to keep writing.

As always, I can only hope I am a positive presence!

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c.b.w. 2013