So, here we are at Week 3. For some of us, that means 15 days until NaNo. For some of us, it's just another two weeks until that magical night, Halloween (or Samhain, if you like).
Me, it means that I've only three more days until my writing conference. The hotel which has some interesting goings-on the day before, when I get there for Master Classes. (Don Rocko is even dropping me off right when things are most interesting, just so he can get to work on time. Uhhh. Well, hopefully it won't be too bad. And nothing like "This one year, I had to wade through protesters and Secret Service agents ..." for anecdotes, right?)
So, how did everyone do this week?
I made my tiger butter. (Pictures probably to follow next week, because I'm a bit pressed for time today.) I also went to the VancoWriMo Meet & Greet, where I officially signed up to be a Miniboss and host write-ins next month.
And most importantly ... I finished the edits to my WIP! *cue fanfare and sparkles and confetti*
I still have to prep for my pitch and my blue pencil sessions, but I *think* I can manage that in the next few days. Tonight is one of our TOEM write-ins, and I'm excited to finally, once again, be thinking of something that is not my WIP. Because beta feedback from one last person aside, it's a WIP no longer.
How's it been giong for everyone else?
I'll be at work today, so I'll be responding on my breaks and after. Hope everyone else has a great week!
First, congrats on getting the final revisions done!
ReplyDeleteI did alright, despite the one day of writing nothing but scene notes. I have a couple ideas on how to rectify that issue in the future, but I have to implement it and force myself to stick with it. Don’t know if I can force myself to be quite that regimented. Plan is to get up, make coffee, write scene notes till the little’n gets up, and then start writing the novel when she goes off to school. It’ll be a little better, I think, when she goes for a full day next year, but this might do for now. Normally, I’m checking messages and playing around on the net when I get up, but this will have me doing that stuff in between getting the little’n fed and ready for school and writing the scene notes as soon as I get up. Should work, if I can stick with it.
I managed to get my word goal last week and I’m still on track. I am a quarter of the way done, so says the NaNo meter I use to keep track. So with this momentum, I should have the rest finished and ready for round two in maybe another 7 weeks, give or take, depending on whether I have some very high number weekly totals.
I was trying to decide whether to start revisions as soon as I’m finished with book 2 or move to another project and let both MS’s sit for longer, but I think after talking with my wife that book 1 will probably have sat long enough after the writing of book 2 for me to see it with fresher eyes. I’ll go through book 1 myself—knowing me, probably twice—and then give it to beta’s and hope they have some spare time to look it over. While the betas are reading book 1, I’ll tackle revisions on book 2. They should be done with the first one by the time I’m finished with 2.
I have a cold, and would just about kill a Jabberwocky with a vorpal penknife for some Dayquil today. I may start the workout stuff today, if I can keep my sinuses from making me feel like my face is going to fall off.
Sorry, I tend to get long-winded. ;)
I didn't get as much done as I wanted :/ I planned to do massive editing this past weekend (as in cpts), but only got to a few scenes. Ah well, there's always this week!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing your edits, L.S.!! Very fitting for the #wipmadness host! Best of luck once you start getting it out there. :-)
ReplyDeleteI got through a lot this week: 9 pages revised (first chapter) and 9 drafted, so I'm still chugging along.
I have some ideas I need to play with on how to strengthen this WIP even before completing the draft, so I might be taking a sidetrack back to my outline this week, but it's all for the greater good.
Wishing everyone a wonderful and productive week!
Kip
Well done on those edits! Have a great time a the conference, too! I just returned from my first conference since I moved South. The workshops were great and gave me some real inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI cracked a very important nut in my WIP, though I didn't get quite as much writing done as I wanted. So I jump in this week with a little more of a plan and some new insight. Keepin' it rolling!
Hang in there Daniel! I've been your shoes oh so many times and it does come around to a rhythm...eventually.
Hmmm... I did not know about the scheduled speeches or protests on Thursday--here's hoping it won't interfere with the conference!
ReplyDeleteDoing a Happy Dance with Jazz Hands for you!! So much accomplished and I'm very impressed with how you're putting yourself out there at the conference. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI've been sick for a week, while still having to work, so all WIP work has been mental, but it IS there. Writing begins again today. Just words on the page, baby, words on the page.
Thanks, everyone!
ReplyDeleteDaniel, I think scene notes are useful because they help guide the writing. Congratulations on the continued success. I'm curious, what NaNo meter do you use? Feel better soon! (And don't you dare worry about getting long-winded.
Jennifer, hope this week works out better. We all have our off-weeks. *thinks of July* Off-months, sometimes.
Yay, Kipperoo! Keep going! And anything done for the good of the WIP is probably worth it. :)
Mary Ann, I love it when a nut is cracked. The meat inside is tasty and useful. Sometimes just the cracking can be worth it, and you need the time to mull over what you've realized.
Scientist: I called the Sheraton and I've also heard from kc. The protesters shouldn't be too much of a problem and the SS agents are apparently fairly laid back. They know we'll be there. The hotel and the organizers can vouch for us. At least this is happening before the main conference.
Girl Parker, hope you feel better soon. This season can be terrible for colds. Hope the mental progress will help. Happy writing!
Well, as suspected, I got nothing done of the writing variety at my conference. I did make good headway last week and have 50 pages left of my first polish, then can start wading back through my crit partner's note and then get a read through from another reader or two before sending it off to agent man. I'm gearing for Nov. 10th.
ReplyDeleteAs art teacher person I came home inspired. Saw a fabulous Romare Bearden exhibit and took a great batik workshop plus hung out with pals I only see once or twice a year.
It's the thing on my blog posts that shows my progress.
ReplyDeletehttp://languageisavirus.com/nanowrimo/word-meter.html
Today stank. I got desperate with my cold and took night time cold meds and it knocked me down. So...sigh...now I'm behind again. Grr. We hatessess colds! We Hatessess dem!
Good job getting through the edits! I'm gritting my teeth, since that nightmare's coming fast for me :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't get much done this week, unfortunately. I did finish the book that's "like my WIP" and query iteration #4 (and still cracking). I'm hoping to do some early morning writing tomorrow. Alas for not-so-productive weeks.
My husband leaves for the Middle East on the 25th, so I'm thinking if I can simply keep plugging away at the new short story and do one more query iteration, I'll be happy with my productivity for this coming week.
Congrats on finishing!! Yay! *throws confetti* We are at the same stage--I met my goal of finishing revisions on this WIP by the 15th. One final beta reader is vetting for a specific part of it, and meanwhile, I'm working on my query letter. It's been so great knowing my fellow wipmadnessers are out there working and cheering each other on.
ReplyDeleteGoals for the remainder of this month are (1) pitch and synopsis, and (2) agent research. Hope to have this baby out into the world by month's end. (Ooh, a Halloween baby... hopefully that doesn't mean the query process is going to be scary!)
Congrats on your progress, everyone. Keep at it! We're all closer to our goals now than before we started this madness, right? We can do it! :)
Congrats on finishing, LS and have a fabulous time at the conference! So much progress here. I am heartened. Last Tuesday I discussed revisions with my agent and have until the end of the month to complete them (ten hours today, BTW). Thanks to Beta Readers, I am well on my way. Had some big breakthroughs today. Will be coming up for air, occasionally.
ReplyDeleteCarry on with the madness, my friends!
JRo - Sounds like the conference was right where you needed to be. Good luck this coming week with your last 50 pages.
ReplyDeleteIt's okay, Daniel, feeling sick can put a cramp in one's work. Like I said, I hope you feel better soon. Thanks for the link!
Lora, that sounds like a reasonable goal. Did you find the like-WIP book useful? If nothing else, taking a break to read can be worth it.
Shari ... *throws confetti right back* whooo! Yay for meeting goals! *dances* I'll be crafting a query soon, myself, after I hear back from my one last beta reader. And Halloween babies sound perfect. It can be a powerful, magical time. Let's make the most of it!
Angelina, what I just said to Shari applies here, too. :) Three magical manuscripts ready by the end of the month? No, there's no symbolism here ... yay for breakthroughs and best wishes for reaching those goals.
Two weeks. We can do this.
Congrats on getting your revisions finished! And good luck with your writing conference!
ReplyDeleteI'm still moving forward at the moment, but just in a slightly different direction. Going back to do some serious world-building. (There is research. And it is staggering.) I hope that will give me a firmer foundation on which to bring everything together when I start drafting again.
Sorry, Jaime, I got a bit swept up by the week (and in prepping for the conference). Honestly? World-building and research is good, especially if it can really help the story. Hope this is a productive week for you.
ReplyDelete