A Letter From A Friend

My dearest Lexi,

I am not ready to come back to work. I'm having too much fun with my sisters and friends while on vacation. Now, don't worry, my wonderfully unpublished writer. You start working and perhaps tomorrow evening I'll be ready to rejoin you. BUT never fear, lass! You know I won't let you down and together we'll make beautiful stories!

Love,
Caitlin

Almost Time...

I'm reading tonight and last night. For research, of course. Both my CPs have sent back at least part of Fractured Paradise. I'm planning to start the 3rd and final round of revisions tomorrow! Yes, I mean it! I've got no time to waste now. My self-imposed deadline for e-mailing it to the editor is October 9th, my birthday. I've got 11 chapters and an epilogue to work on, not to mention a synopsis to totally rewrite since the last one no longer fits the story (and well, I deleted it in a fit of exasperation). Hopefully my muse, Caitlin, will be ready to join me on my Scottish short contemporary adventure!

In Memory

Kensington editor Kate Duffy died. I met her once a couple of years ago at RWA National. She was a pleasant person, a kind woman and from what I hear an amazing editor. I will say a prayer for her and her family tonight.

Hump Day

Well, I'm not quite this lazy, but I feel like it at times! I've been reading the last few nights and watching season premieres. I've done a wee bit o' grading, but I've been trying to leave most of it at school. I was going to start work on Fractured Paradise's synopsis revisions yesterday, but I decided another day or two wouldn't hurt.

So tonight I have some work to do for the day job, the Criminal Minds season premiere and dinner with the 'rents. Maybe tomorrow I'll work on the synopsis. Or Friday. But definitely no later than Saturday. Oh wait. I'm going to a football game Saturday. Hhhmmm, maybe I'll force myself to get back to work on my writing tomorrow night. Yeah, that will work. Maybe...

Round Two Is Done!

Admit it. Wouldn't you want to read a Scottish short contemporary set in a glorious place like this? Yes, folks, that would be my Fractured Paradise and I JUST finished round 2 of my revisions. The manuscript is now in the e-mail "In" boxes of my critique partners and I'm officially on a writing break until Tuesday (when I start revising the synopsis).

What will I do with my time? Read, exercise (yes, I'm going back to the gym), school paperwork (because they apparently don't think we have enough) and read some more. I'm still on target to get the requested manuscript to the editor before the middle of Ocober. I'm aiming for somewhere between the 5th and the 9th, with the 9th being the latest. Right now it depends on my CPs and they both have work to do for their agents. I thought about sending it without their expertise, but what's another couple of days?

My New Addiction

During the revision process of my Scottish story, I've been forced to stop at convenience stores on the way home from work to buy a bottle of coke and peanut M & M's. I can't seem to get enough! I figured the coke might be to keep me awake long into the night, but I can't figure out the reason for the M & M fascination. BUT, I'm not worrying about it too much. I'm giving in because the revisions are working and I want to get the work done. To stop now might jinx my muse and Caitlin would not be happy. I'm a smart woman. Don't mess with success. Feed the muse!

I'm Having Loads Of Fun!

No, I'm totally serious! I'm knee-deep in revisions and I'm so in love with these characters and their journey! My only regret is that I can't spend all day every day on it. (Dang day job!) But for 2 nights now I've stayed up until after midnight working. And stopping is always the hardest part. The revisions are coming along well, but I don't think I'll make my deadline of sending it to my awesome CPs come Saturday. Perhaps by Monday. For now, though, I'm enjoying what changes I'm making and how the story is progessing. But I'm thinking if I take the time to finish this round like I should and e-mail it on Monday, then maybe I'll have less to fix when they send it back to me.

Okay, I really need to go to bed. I'm not even sure I'm making sense anymore!

Ready For Round 2

Today I played with revision ideas and WOW!!! I went through section by section in my head and jotted notes about what the heroine's conflict was and how I could relate it/show it in each of the key scenes. The hero is more well-defined so I'm not as concerned about him. I ended up going through the entire novel and recognizing the heroine's attitude at each key scene, how she gets there (emotionally) and how it propels her to the next scene. I'm SUPER excited to put it all together and make it work in the final draft! After so many years of focusing entirely on the suspense elements of my stories, I feel like I FINALLY understand the importance and delivery of internal conflict and the unfolding of the romance.

Oh, and my "high" has almost made believe I can write the 1600+ words a day required in November to finish a brand new suspense during NaNoWriMo.

Out Of The Murky Waters

In finishing this round of revisions, I found my joy again. I love the story and all it can be. It took me over 200 pages, but I finally feel I have a firm grasp on the characters' conflicts. But I still have lots of work to do. I'm just not as overwhelmed as I have been over the last few days. There's a reason the full was requested off the partial. I have to remember that as I prepare the rest of the manuscript for editor eyes.

Revisions Suck

Should I poke something in it? Guaranteed it will hurt less!

Later That Same Day...

She has to die, but it won't be a violent death. In my gut I feel it has to happen otherwise too much of my original idea changes, and I'm not willing to let that happen. I did get a spark of an idea to make the death work in relation to my other revisions, though. So I'm going to run with it. Deets later!

Revisions

Trouble, trouble! I decided to keep all the deaths in my suspense stories. This has caused a major overhaul in certain chapters of my Scottish short contemporary and it's kinda freakin' me out. Why? Because I'm not really sure yet if it's the right decision to keep that character alive. Must study some more. Will let you know what happens.

Friday Again???

The weeks are whizzing by! I've been hard at work on my Fractured Paradise revisions. They're coming along and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to send the revised edition to the editor BEFORE the middle of next month!

School is going well enough. We had Back-to-School Night last night. I got home close to 8. 3 weeks down. 35 to go!

Tonight I get together with a few friends after work for drinks and dessert. It's always a good time. Then I'll go home and work on the next couple of chapters of Fractured Paradise.

Other than revising, grading some papers (okay, A LOT of papers), and moving the last bit of stuff from my old place, I don't have many plans. What about you?

Updates

Well, I'll try to explain this simply. I sent a partial manuscript 2 years ago to an editor. I got the tracking number for it and assurances it would be read in due time. Then I never heard anything. So when I met with the editor at Nationals in July, we talked about that submission and the manuscript. The editor promised to look into where the communication breakdown happened. Today I got word that they had read the partial and had requested the full but never received it. I, of course, never got that request otherwise I would've sent it A LONG TIME AGO. The lesson here? Don't be afraid to check up on your submissions if too much time has passed. (I promised to have the revised full sent to her by the middle of October at the latest. Time to get back to work!)

I updated some pictures on my website and I added a snippet of a new story. Check it out!

I shopped for some things for the new home, including a DVD player, a 2nd phone for upstairs, and a few lamps. Can you guess what the first thing I watched was? The Bourne Identity!!!

Don't forget to enter my "I finished a manuscript and sent it off!" contest. Details are below.

Gotta go work on Fractured Paradise's revisions!

Whoo-hoooooooo!

Dance Away, Danger is D-O-N-E! I'm printing it out as I type, and unless there's a crisis at the post office tomorrow, my manuscript will be on its way to the requesting editor! Saturday will be spent celebrating, debriefing and gearing myself up to switch over to the revisions on my requested Scottish short contemporary.

Now, here's the important part. Danger is very near and dear to my heart. I've been working on this book on and off for at least FIFTEEN months. I've learned some very valuable writing lessons with this story and I know this is the best story I've written. (I tend to say that with every book, but it's always true! I learn and incorporate so much with each one.) So, to celebrate finishing and sending my story off (and FINALLY being able to move on), I'm running a contest! Leave me a comment on this post and you'll be in the running for some free books (remember, I just moved so I have TONS of books to get rid of!) and another little treat! Writers, share something about your last submission and how you felt through that experience. Readers, feel free to tell us about how you felt when you accomplished something really important to you. I'll take comments until midnight next Friday (September 11).

Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday!

I managed to get about 100 pages done last night and went to bed close to midnight. This morning my brain, my eyes and the rest of my body are a little slow to get moving, but I'm so excited to be so close to finished with Danger. I've got a little less than 60 pages left to revise after work today. Then it's on to review the synopsis (which shouldn't need much work, if any) and to write the cover letter (which I've been constructing in my head for 2 days).

In school, my kids are taking tests today. So it'll be quiet in the classroom and the grading of those tests shouldn't take long this weekend.

I've got no big plans for the weekend except have some fun. With Danger in the mail, I'll be celebrating a bit. I also want to move some more stuff around in the house. AND I want to spend a good chunk of time working on day job stuff that will make my year go more smoothly. Then, of course, I also have to start reviewing Fratured Paradise.

What about you? Big plans for the Labor Day weekend? We're expecting rain and cooler temps. Whatever you do, enjoy and be safe!

Rollin' Along

See the progress meter? It's been moving and I've been kicking butt on the final revisions of Danger. I expect to get a HUGE (that's H-U-G-E) chunk done tonight! Come hell or high water, this puppy's going in the mail Saturday! I'll check in later and let you know how it's going.

Waz Up?

Not much to share. I started reading through Danger today, but my parents came by to help "fix up" the house and then use the Internet. I wanted to work more, but how could I say get off my computer when they've been moving my stuff and doing so much for me? So I did what I could and sucked it up. Tomorrow they leave for another vacation so I'll be able to concentrate on my revisions. (I have to take them to the airport at 6 AM!!!) Anyway, check the progress meter Wednesday night. I'm really hoping to have a lot accomplished by the time I go to bed!

Oh, and today marked the 7th day of school. I already made a 6th grader cry. (To be fair, she was having a bad day and I was just the straw that broke the camel's back.) So, who's life are you ruining lately?