Posts Tagged "Hermitage"

  • Writing Retreats – Finding Your Focus

    Blog

    I’m not afraid to admit that my writing has been a bit unfocused of late. I traveled like mad this summer, which is why my blog went on a bit of an extended hiatus. I also submitted my latest book to publishers this spring, and I’m always a bit of a basketcase during the submission process (perhaps a post for another time). But now that I’m settled and eager to get back into my writing, I needed to jumpstart my process and find my focus again.

    Ironically, I found that the best way to focus was to run away again. Pray, tell me more! →


    Posted on 16 October 2011 * Add a Comment
    Tags: Hermitage * Productivity * Retreats * Writing Life *

  • Rereading AN INCONVENIENT MARRIAGE

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    I procrastinated as long as I could this morning (albeit with useful distractions, such as changing the sheets on my bed and cleaning my kitchen), but I spent the rest of the day rereading the entire manuscript of AN INCONVENIENT MARRIAGE. I had not read it all in its entirety since I submitted it for the Golden Heart contest in December; after the deadline, I spent a couple of months relaxing/seeing friends/working on my query letter, and then submitted to a few agents in February. I was hearing back from them at the same time that I heard back from the Golden Heart — and while I’m thrilled to be a finalist in the Regency category, I haven’t had the same luck with agents.

    The verdict after a reread? I’m really happy with it overall, particularly with the last two-thirds of the book. But, with the space and distance of a few months spent doing other things, there are a few pieces that leap out to me and begged to be changed. In particular, there are a couple of scenes that I love — but that I should have rewritten when I did second-draft rewrites of everything else, because while I love the idea of the scene, the style no longer fits the stronger, faster style of the rest of the book.

    So, I’m not in despair mode; I’m actually pretty satisfied with what I have, and I’m confident in my ability to fix the pieces I’m not satisfied with. It will require a couple of cuts, a couple of new scenes, and a couple of rewrites of existing scenes — but I’m setting a goal of being done by mid-May so that I can start querying again before the madness of summer hits in earnest.

    Now I’m off — I’m having dinner at a friend’s house, which is a welcome respite from my hermitage, even if I took the unusual route of buying dessert (tiramisu cake from Whole Foods) rather than making it myself due to a) time constraints and b) a lack of ingredients already in the house. Theoretically I should buy some groceries, but the book comes first. Have a lovely weekend!


    Posted on 11 April 2009 * Add a Comment
    Tags: Dreaded Rewrites * Hermitage * Writing Life * Writing Process *

  • Work is the Devil

    Blog

    Actually, work is not the devil; I’m very fortunate to have a job in these “troubled times,” as newscasters like to remind us hourly. But, my day job is rather demanding, and it’s all the more difficult to stay focused when all I want to do is write. I persevered today, staying in the office for ten hours and then working at home for two hours beyond that, but I’m hopeful that I can get caught up enough that I will not need to do anything for the day job this weekend.

    In other news, I read this interesting stat on Publishers Lunch, from USA Today: Stephenie Meyer accounted for sixteen percent of total sales for the books they were tracking on their bestseller list. Sixteen percent! That makes my Golden Heart nomination look like a Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes invitation. I shall never get to sixteen percent market share unless I focus on the book — so this weekend is going to be spent in hermitville. I have a birthday party to attend tomorrow night (at a country/western bar with line dancing, which should be interesting), but beyond that, I’m going to hole up with Malcolm, Amelia, and the dozen felt-tipped pens that I bought tonight and figure out what, if anything, I want to change before submitting to agents again. It’s not the most fun weekend in the world, but if it gets me a step closer to Stephenie Meyer territory, it’s worth it.


    Posted on 9 April 2009 * Add a Comment
    Tags: Hermitage * The Day Job * Writing Life *