Archive for July 2010 | Monthly archive page
Now that I’ve had time to synthesize my score sheets from the last contest I entered, I’m pleased to say I’m on the right track.
No, I did not final. The max score was a 161; mine was 130-something.
That being said, I wasn’t displeased with the results. That was my gut reaction when I read through the score sheets the first time; it didn’t change when I reread them a couple of days later.
I got at least a 3 (average) in every category. I also got plenty of 4s and even a few 5s.
I think I can safely say I’m on the right track. The judges liked the concept and at least one said they liked my writing style.
Now, all I have to do is revise, using the feedback to make the story even better. (Since it’s going to be a GH entry, I want it to be as perfect as possible … and the comments should help.)
Maybe I ought to take the hard copy of the MS with me on vacation so I can get started …
During our last NARWA carpool, we were chatting away when my friends decided I was organized.
My first thought? “Yeah, right.” I believe I said something like, “You wouldn’t say that if you saw my desk at work.”
That’s true. My desk is one of the messiest in the newsroom, with piles and piles of stuff. My bedroom is the same way: stuff everywhere. Of course, I do know right where to find most things, so I guess you could call it “organized chaos.”
And yes, I am that girl — the one who has an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of her word count progress.
I have to use that silly program somehow, since I paid an arm and a leg for it in my Office package. I bought it for the Word, but refuse to have TWO unused programs. Since I have no idea how to set up Entourage, Excel it is. I’ve even figured out how to create cool charts to show my progress.
Hmm. If that makes me organized, I’m guilty as charged. Especially now that I’m focusing on treating writing like my day job so it’ll become my day job, I’ve been keeping track.
And I have been busy: Since deciding last year to enter the Golden Heart, I’ve …
- Revised Brad & Erin’s story and sent out several queries on it. (Received one nibble, which resulted in a rejection.)
- Entered it in the Golden Heart, where it received solidly average scores.
- Taken part in my first NaNoWriMo, writing about 25,000 words.
- Finished the first draft of my first single-title length novel.
- Edited it into a second draft, written a synopsis and query and submitted it to a handful of agents. (Two wanted to see more.)
- Expanded Cassie and Dustin’s story to the proper length for category romance, editing and revising as I went along.
- Done the same for Bree and Mike’s story.
- Written about two-thirds of Meg and Matt, finishing a first draft.
- Crafted the dreaded query and synopsis for Meg and Matt.
- Started a second single-title story, a sequel to the first.
Wow, I have been busy. Four series manuscripts and one single-title … Now all I need to do is find someone who’s interested in publishing one — or all — of them.
Let the organizing continue! 😉
Writers have to read, even if it means taking time away from writing to do it. I go through spurts of reading like a madwoman or writing like one. Rarely will I do both at once.
My book club just finished “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.
Published in February 2009, it’s the story of three women — two black, one white — in 1960s Mississippi. They end up changing the world — or at least their small slice of it — with a book detailing the stories of the maids and families in their care.
It’s been getting a lot of good press, and I understand why. It’s one of those stories that’s going to stick with me for a very long time. Powerful. Riveting. Disturbing to think that was the way things were — and not all that long ago.
I finished it in just a few days, reading early into the morning because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
It’s not a romance, but it has a few tender moments. Other moments will break your heart or make you laugh out loud.
“The Help” doesn’t need a recommendation from little ol’ me, but it’s getting one anyway. If you haven’t already, check this one out. It might just change the way you see the world.
That’s approximately how much I’ve written on Bethany and Cody’s story … and I have yet to get them to the island so their adventure can begin. They’ve been taking a side trip, with Beth’s mom attempting a reconciliation.
I guess since I have a total of at least 90K words, I’m still OK. I know they need to make it to the island soon, though.
I’m headed off on vacation in a few short hours — to Texas, then Oklahoma and Minnesota — with the Boyfriend, his mother and his kids. (It’ll be the first time I meet them.)
Still, I’m taking the laptop and hope to find plenty of time to write while I’m gone. Maybe I’ll even manage to get Beth and Cody to Bora Bora!
I sure hope so.
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