Two submissions made today. Yes, I made my deadlines. The last one I made by about 15 minutes. 
But it’s done.
Hopefully not all night, but I haven’t been able to get this opening quite right. I think I’m almost there. I was on page 4 of a 15 page revision, but I really didn’t like the opening. This one is better. I just need it to take me to page 15 and beyond. This story is due tomorrow… back to the revisions.
Friday I wrote another 1/3 of the Tiger Princess story, but Saturday and Sunday were nonwriting days (aka kids, kidfun, laundry, groceries, more laundry, etc etc etc). Finally, I have some time to myself after prepping for the week, and am almost ready to sit down and write. I’d like at least a scene tonight if nothing else. I should be able to finish up the story tomorrow with three hours of writing over the course of three planned writing sessions. I’m actually giving up the lunchtime writimg tomorrow to hit the gym.
It might seem silly considering I have two big deadlines coming up, but if this is what I’m going to do with my life, I’ll always have deadlines coming up. If I don’t fit in my workouts now, they’ll never become a solid part of my routine, and it will always compete with my writing. Aside from those workouts I’ve managed to plan for a good 20 hours per week on writing, including attempts on Saturday and Sunday which don’t always work. I figure I lose a quarter of what I plan on due to family stuff. So still, 15 hours a week on top of the day job? I’m happy with it. Especially since adding the early morning sessions. I’m been getting up at 4:30 and get onto the computer by 4:45, giving myself 45 minutes to write. This week, I’m moving it a tad earlier: up at 4;15 and onto the computer by 4:30. It’s amazing how much the writing flows at that hour, and I found that I kept creeping past my 5:30 mark, and getting our morning going late.
Goals for this week: complete Tiger Princess first draft, revise Orchard and send for crit, and then start on the Tiger Princess revision.
Here’s to a busy week, and a sucessful one! Good luck with your plans/goals.
Over lunch, I analyzed Lonely Orchard and I’m pleased at my results. This is about fifty percent rewrite, but the rewrite is worldbuilding and a specific detail about the conflict. The characters are spot-on, the scenes and structure are mostly right.
The biggest part of this revision is giving life to one people’s fear and hatred of another. I need to create these two nations, including why Valla’s people lost a war to them (or something that’ll hurt as much). I also need to discover–aside from Valla’s sentimental attachment to the orchard–why the trees are so important. I know the create magic, a balance of some kind, and even how it happens, but I’m missing why and the other side of how. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense to you. It does to me, and I’ll need the reminder later.
Trees and maps tonight, and maybe I’ll get some more done on the tiger story too.
Trees keep popping up in my writing, which may be an occupational hazzard for a fantasy writer, except that my trees are always more than just trees. In my published story, “Treischan Strength”, the trees are an age-old race that record history. In Lonely Orchard, the trees are magic, alive, and aware, and communicate through a special song that only those gifted with the talent can hear. I’m also working on a SF story where the dominant species on the planet is a hive-minded race of flowers. And never mind the forest in Nighthunter’s Bite — it’s not exactly alive, but it is mystical.
I know I’ve got enough varies projects going on, but I need to break from my current course and get started analyzing Lonely Orchard. I want to submit it at the end of the month, so I at least need to understand what kind of fixing it requires. It’s old–years and years old– so I’m afraid.
But to imagine what this story could end up being? I’m willing to lose sleep over it.
The Lonely Orchard received another quick eidt/skim over lunch, and I fixed a few things that were nagging me overnight. It’s in the crit queue now.
Tagged Editing, Lonely Orchard
I focued on The Lonely Orchard tonight, and finished the first pass edit, and I have to say it was a thorough edit. If I missed anything, I should be able to catch it with a casual readover tomorrow.
Neglected Forgotten Star to get the short done, but now I’ll be able to focus on FS entirely tomorrow.
Tagged Editing, Lonely Orchard
I am planning on using this blog to mark my daily progress. Part of the reasoning is to keep myself on track. I promised myself I would not take a full year to get through an edit, as the previous versions required. I won’t have the luxury in the future, and I shouldn’t take it now. My goal is 6 – 9 months, so that’ll put me December – March for finishing this. I also need to maintain my other writing projects while keeping up with this novel edit, so I need to remind myself of those items as well. Here goes.
Today’s Progress:
The Lonely Orchard: 2 pages edited, which includes a stronger opening scene. (2/12 pages)
Forgotten Star: Chapter 1 (the recently written chapter “A”) red-lined for edit prep. Consists of three scenes to be edited electronically this week.
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