Sitting at a stand still

Tuesday 28th June

Well, what can i say? There isn’t really a huge amount for me to be updating on right now. I’m just plodding along doing bits and pieces, editing, synopsis, query letter etc as i wait for the proof readers to get back to me.
A friend of mine who’s been giving it a read should be done with it either today or tomorrow and that’s the review i’m most looking forward to. If she enjoys the book then i know i’ve succeeded and given the characters the justice they deserve.

One of the last things i’m working on within the manuscript is creating a stronger first chapter, which is proving to be difficult. Making such a dull human world seem exciting to readers as they try to divulge themselves into this is proving a task, and i’m hoping that even if i can’t create it as entrancing as i’d like it to become, that people will still push past the first chapter and onto the rest of the adventure.

But we’ll find out soon enough i guess, like i said it’s just a waiting game until i get the manuscript reviews back.

My current reading list at the moment are:On a different note, the two books that are on 

1. Queen of shadows by Sarah J.Maas
2. Shatter me by Tahereh Maf

Both of which i’m highly enjoying but it does feel like it’s taking me ages to get through a book now, after having all that free time before writing where i could spend days doing nothing else but that. I’ll get there though, it’s just unfortunate that the book buying hasn’t slowed down along with it!

The first rejection letter

Friday 24th June 2016

As i posted previously i’d sent the relevent paperwork and the first few pages to a junior agent, not expecting anything i just wanted to gather some feedback, (not that i really know what you can get from the book when you only request 5 pages of the manuscript to read through along with the query letter). 
Anyway, i got a rejection letter from said agent which is fine, i was totally expecting that and i was actually pretty excited to have actually had something. The point is she didn’t say that my book sucked like donkeys ass…just that it didn’t fit her personal reading taste, which i guess is somewhat brilliant!

On a different note my mother finished reading the full manuscript and doing a little editing here and there within three days. She isn’t a reader herself and this was the first ever fantasy book she’s read which, makes her dedication insane! Anyway, she said she loves it, the characters, details, description, world building, which fills me with a little more hope.

I’m looking hideously forward to finding out the details from my other two proof readers before i go any further with this, and whilst i wait i shall edit continuously until we get perfection…oh and i can’t forget to mention the huge amount of planning that is going to be going into the second book. That book is going to be rather hugely and crazily action packed! Woohoo!

Love and light people!

First 1000 words!

Tuesday 21st June 2016

AND WE HAVE TAKE OFF AGAIN!

While i’ve been waiting for imput from agents and more than likely possible rejection letters, i’m starting work on the second installment of the trilogy. Right now as we speak i’ve just finished the first 1000 words, and while this isn’t much compared to the size my books turn out, it’s a starting point; and i’ve forever feeling excited to see where this series is going to take me once again.

Lets hope that i have the same quick positive output with the second one as i did the first.

 

 

Queries and Agents

Tuesday 21st June 2016

I took myself out on a bit of a limb yesterday. I’ve been constructing my query letter for a while to get it just right before i start work on the cover/synopsis letter. So, when i finished it yesterday on my work break, i thought hell, why not just send this off. 
I’d find this Junior Agent a little while ago that seemed hugely optimistic about anything fantasy and she only requested the query letter and a few pages of the manuscript, of course i had both of these, so off they went…

Now my nerves are on edge even more, and i know it’s highly unlikely that i’m going to get a response because of my lack of preparation, but I’m still excited to see if anything happens. The first time sending any of my work to agents, it feels all too real!

Doubting

Sunday 19th June 2016

So, as I’m sitting here with a day of being alone where i’m meant to be working on covering and query letter, I’m just full of doubt.
I’ve sent the full manuscripts to a few people who are going to be my proof readers and now I’m hideously nervous that my book is going to be a load of crud!
I’m now sat here thinking have i just totally humiliated myself in front of a bunch of people, because even though it sounds great to me with all my self doubt, it could actually be a bunch of donkeys ass.

I guess I’m just going to hang around for a bit longer and actually see what the reviews come back like and go from there. Maybe i’ll just start writing the second one and keep positive  like i should be.

I’ll be back to update when i know.

Staying a reader whilst becoming a writer…!

Friday 17th June 2016

As you’ll know if you’re a writer, it’s extremely important and necessary to keep reading just as much as you’re writing.
When i was working on my first novel a couple of years ago i focused solely on the writing aspect and didn’t bother reading, and because of that i couldn’t write. I thought from this that i wasn’t deemed to be a writer, so i went back to reading a huge amount like i had before, then what did i find out? All of a sudden i could write again, that was how i learned it was a necessary aspect of living this life, to make room for both of them in my day, and that’s what i still do now. 

I find it’s a lot more of a struggle now that i’m taking my writing  seriously. Some days i just want to sit there and keep plowing on with the scene i’m doing,  but with the night drawing closed and me having to wake up at 4am for work, i have to put the writing down and settle with my reading. This has become some what of a ritual now.
My other options are reading on my breaks at work, or if we’ve got nice weather i’ll sit outside with my partner for the day and the both of us will read to our hearts content together.
It’s extremely enjoyable and easier to do when you figure something that’s right for you, just make sure you keep doing both. Besides, who doesn’t want to be reading with all the amazing books and authors that have been publishing lately…give me some new Sarah. J Maas any day!

“If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.” – Stephen King

Editing takes away the fun

Wednesday 15th June 2016

Now the editing begins and it’s really drawn out my vibe. Yes reading my novel for the first time was amazing, seeing how it all came together. But going over the same thing continuously is a little repetitive and frustrating.
Trying to get the right words and right sentences structured together better then they were before is hideously frustrating but there is no way i’m giving up now (even though i do just want to go straight into writing the second one).

I’ll let you into my little editing process that i’m working on:

1. Print off the manuscript, read through like a normal novel and mark changes with a red pen.
2. Mark down major changes on a post-it note and stick on the page for you to reference back to when you start working on the computer again.
3. Have both the marked paper manuscript and your word document on your computer in front of you and make the changes page by page, (this is an extremely long but not dull process).
4. Then go through the post-it note pages and make all the huge changes that you’ve identified.
5. After i’ve done all this i print off the new self edited manuscript and hand it to someone who proof reads for more. This gives them the chance to get the most out of your book instead of editing it with you, even though you can give them the option to write any changes they’d do on the manuscript. Remember you’re not limited to how many times you change it or print, this has to be just right. 

Reading through it and making the paper changes takes me about a week depending on the manuscript length. I’ve nearly done this one and it comes up to 367 pages, then the computer fun begins.
The boost i’m getting though to work hard on the editing is the people who are excited to get into the rest of my novel. The proof readers who i’ve given the opportunity to read the first 4 chapters when i editing those first.

The thought i like to keep is if my non-reader proof readers are enjoying this then who else is going to enjoy my world.

I can’t wait to share this with people one day and to get back to writing the second instalment, my characters are calling to me…we’ve got a Kingdom to burn together!

PS: i may also start doing some posts on the books i’ve been reading and my thoughts and feelings on them. I love talking to people about books but don’t have many bookish friends, so who better to express my love to in words other than myself!

MANUSCRIPT COMPLETED!

Saturday 11th June 2016

Lets just sit and hyperventilate together! 

This is the details from microsoft word right now and i’m officially finished with this manuscript…woo hoo!
Now i’m spending the weekend editing the 20 odd chapters and seeing where this takes us. I’m so excited now it’s really done it’s unbelievable. Doesn’t feel real at all!

I think the excitement that empowers you when you finish a manuscript is completely overwhelming but also enough to completely freak out a new writer. Now i’m done i’m just thinking, “so what do i do now i’ve finished this?”
I guess we’ll soon find out.

Hitting a milestone

Thursday 9th June 2016

Yesterday was such an exciting day! I’ve been adding a bit more detail and concluding the last few ending chapters and normally when i write i work on a huge chunk and then automatically check my word count, this had just turned out to be a habit of mine now, i get super happy when i worked into the next thousands.
Well yesterday because of coming to this conclusion my brain was working fast along with my hands (i know shocker that they were actually working at the same pace and not having their hissy fits together 😉 ) and i hadn’t checked for a while, i popped the screen down and clicked the work count button because it’d disappeared from the bottom of the screen, and what did i know? I’d hit and gone over 100,000 words!!
I’ve done this a couple of times before on other books so it’s nothing new to me but doing it on this book where so much time and serious work had gone into it for my future was something i couldn’t quite comprehend. 
The only other thought to post on here is that i’d planned for the book to finished around 100,000 words and at 20 chapters, well we’ve hit 100,000 and I’m just wrapping  up chapter 19…that means i’m nearly done!!

There’re going to be a lot of exclamation points by the end of this post!

This has got to be one of the fastest novels i’ve written in such a short amount of time (6 months) but also my most favourite. Within the time i’ve gotten this edited and sent it off to a few agents i don’t even think i’ll be able to give myself a little break from writing before i start the second edition to this series, all hell is going to break loose next and i can’t wait to get full blown into the action with my characters again and i’m not even done with this one. Anyway, enough of my crazy rambling. I hope anyone who reads this is having a gorgeous day and start to the summer wherever you are.
Love and light!