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Monday, December 16, 2013

Surprises (#WIPmadness check-in, December 16)

Look at what I found!

This is definitely the season of surprises. Hopefully nice ones. Small wonders, big delights. It's about the unexpected. But also hopefully about the wonder.

What has surprised you the most this year? Have you made any discoveries about yourself that have lent something to your creative self? To your writing?

For me, the biggest development was that I gained the confidence to put myself forward in a big way. I started querying like mad. I spent a lot of time at this year's SIWC pitching to agents. That meant I didn't take as many notes (and yes, I'll be sharing more soon) but I was able to put myself out there. I memorized my pitch and was able to deliver it confidently. Not glancing down and referring to notes meant a lot because it meant I could respond to questions on the fly, make my pitch a conversation. Having a finished draft and being able to say, "Yes, it's finished" rather than "It needs a bit more work, can I wait to send it to you?" felt like an accomplishment, too.

And that led to me taking other chances. Like participating in #PitchWars. And I was delighted to find out that I'd been named an alternate for author mentor Rin Chupeco!

So, guess where my goals are right now? Yep, working on the thorough and precise feedback I've received. (Well, that plus beta-reading. One of the authors I featured here the week before last has given me the second book in her series to give feedback on, and I'm excited for that!)

Of course, not all surprises are good ones. Yes, there were rejections. (On the positive side, they were personalized, which itself was useful and encouraging.) 

There was also non-writing-related heartache. Still is. There's a useful book I intend to delve into soon, our very own Denise Jaden's WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART. But that's all I really want to say right now. I am, at my core, an incurable optimist and not afraid to self-assess. I have a wonderful and supportive husband, and a lot of good things to be thankful for in my life. For me, at this moment, staying focused on the writing stuff is where I need to be. Well, that and planning for our annual holiday party this weekend. :)

So, how have your goals been going? What have you discovered? And what has surprised you?

Speaking of surprises ... With help from Random.org, I drew another name for a surprise gift. Congrats to Carol Garvin!

16 comments:

  1. Woo Hoo!!! Thanks, Laura! I'm not big on some kinds of surprises, but Christmas ones are fun and this one is especially nice.

    It's probably a control thing, but normally I like to know what's going to happen so I can feel/be prepared. Unfortunately there isn't advance warning for a lot of things that happen in life. I suppose that keeps things interesting. I've employed that principle in my current novel... with my MC having to deal with several unexpected situations. With Christmas things occupying much of the next two weeks my writing goals are less ambitious, but I do hope to finish the rewritten ending I've been working on.

    Happy writing, fellow Wipsters! :)

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    1. Oh, Carol. I hear you on the control thing, because I'm exactly the same way. My "surprise" bridal shower was leaked to me earlier that same day and in the hours leading up to it, I stressed out even more. It definitely does keeps things interesting and teaches us lessons, but I still do like to have an idea what's going on so I can be ready for it.

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    2. Talk about surprises... my "gift" was delivered late today (Tuesday)! How fast is that??? And I thank you for it, Laura. My own supply of your famous Tiger Butter! Yum!!!! Thank you, thank you!!! :D

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  2. Laura...whatever the heartache is, I wish you much peace and heart-mending. (and I hope you get something out of WWaHH).

    As for surprises, the biggest of the year is that nonfiction is a new calling for me. Besides FAST FICTION being published by New World Library, I have also come up with a few other nonfiction ideas and I'm hard at work on them now. It's kind of a nice break to clear my head after hard work on a novel, so I'm really enjoying the fluctuations of my writing times.

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    1. Thank you, Denise. I will try my best.

      That's fascinating to hear about the non-fiction, but I can also see what you mean. It's the shift, the writing something fresh, something completely different, isn't it? That's how I feel when I shift to working on a totally different genre. It gives me a mental break while still allowing me to use my creativity. I can't wait to hear what else you have to offer!

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  3. What I've learned this year? Well, for one, I realized that I don't have to let others decide how I feel or think. I refuse to give them that power. Yes, finally!

    Surprises? Being able to completely finish a first draft during Nanowrimo! That was a huge accomplishment for me.

    Being part of a RWA book signing event even though my book isn't mostly romance and I sold copies!

    I think the biggest surprise is that I can do this. I just need to be more persistent and not give up.

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    1. Congrats on the NaNo finish, Kim! And on the sales.

      That's the best kind of surprise. When we realize exactly what we're capable of. Keep at it! :D

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  4. I'm glad you had such a great SiWC experience--chatting with you was one of the highlights of the conference for me!

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    1. Aw, thanks, Lara! I had loads of fun chatting with you and D, too. Some of my best experiences at that conference have been outside of the classes, and that's saying something considering how useful they are.

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  5. I'm happy for you and your accomplishments. When I bumped into you briefly during the SIWC pitch sessions a few years back, I was testing the waters in both my confidence and writing career (in its official capacity). While I'm not as far along on the writing journey as you are, I'm glad to say that I've stopped crawling back into my box and stayed out--well out of my comfort zone, at times--to explore my creativity. I don't want to use the word ‘limits’ because when we give ourselves limits, we prevent so many possibilities from even becoming a spark of an idea.

    This time last year, I had no idea that I'd have a blog up and running, be involved in a handful of writing organizations/sites, and written as much as I did in 2013. I'm thankful I took some chances by putting fear aside (not away, because a little fear keeps me honest) and opened myself more to the writing community. I took risks, assessed opportunities, and absorbed feedback. In doing so, I’ve built a solid foundation for my current WIPs that I can be proud of that hopefully will have more legs to talk about soon. My original plans for the year might have altered slightly, but I think it’s worked out for the best. I always have to think of the bigger picture.

    As far as networking is concerned, please don't mistake this for tooting my own horn. In fact, when I get around to the social media part of things, I really need to work on actively promoting my brand. However, since starting the blog and official tweets back in April, I'm excited to have 100 followers on my blog and 510 followers on Twitter. Though modest figures, at the moment, they're a lot more than I ever considered a year ago.

    I hope that by this time next year, I'll have more great news--at least, IMHO--to share with my wonderful, fellow WIPsters.

    Have a great week,

    Tonette

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    1. Tonette, that's great to hear. You've managed a lot, and that's definitely something to be proud of. Yay, you! And I think it's great that you're looking at all of this with a positive but realistic attitude. Best of luck!

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  6. Big hugs to you, Laura, and congratulations for being brave and confident and putting your work out there!

    My big surprise came a few days ago when I had a visceral desire stirring in my gut--a desire to write again. Not that I have, but the feeling was there for the first time in over a year. Maybe all the books I've been reading is doing the job. Another nice surprise was Ace being invited to participate in the Friday Night Art Walk in downtown Flagstaff. He'll do a book signing at a cool sporting goods store that also sells children's books. How fun!

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    1. Thanks, Angeline. :) On both fronts.

      I'm so glad to hear you're feeling that way. About five or six years ago, after hitting a wall on the story I was so attached to selling, I took off about eight months and just read, non-stop. Until I couldn't read anymore because suddenly I had story inklings and I had to write it down. I hope things turn out well for you! And that's delightful news about Ace. Have a great time with it!

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  7. A small unpleasant surprise this week was getting sick. I so rarely get sick, so I can't really complain...but I'd hoped to get so much done this week! Oh well. :p

    One surprise in writing this year was discovering that the WIP I was struggling with was not a YA after all, but rather a MG verse novel! That was a good surprise, because once I knew what it was meant to be, it took off. I'm having a great time with it!

    Being sick all week has set me back on my progress -- I may not make my end-of-the-year goal, but I'll keep trying!

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    1. That's the best thing you can do, Shari. Hope your month gets better!

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  8. V.E.R.Y. sloooooowwwwww going today, but did get to 687 words before brain shut down. Hope everyone else is good! Off to read posts and then bed.

    Kat

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