One Week More!

In exactly one week, Fly Away Home will be available for purchase! I'm getting rather excited and I know you are too, so cheers for that. I don't know what I expected would happen when my "career" finally got going, but I find that if I had the leisure, I could definitely make it a full-time job. By that, I mean hours-wise; I am not naive enough to suppose I'll make enough money with which to support myself. My days have shaken down into a fairly predictable pattern, which is good:

I set my alarm for 7:00 (working my way down to 6:30 but it's still so dark I haven't the heart to leave my bed) then get up, read my Bible, work out, shower and then head downstairs for breakfast, family devotions, and chores. My writing works starts when the family responsibilities are done and continues till lunch which is around one o'clock; we have lunch and more chores and then I head back up for more work till three o'clock or so when I fold my computer in relief and pick up a book (reading through Eric Mextaxas biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer) or go for a walk, reply to letters or generally emerge from the Lair. By five, I join the rest of the house in cleaning up from the school day and start making dinner; the evening is for family activities and relaxation.

"Work", of course, is dictated by changing things; sometimes I'll have interviews to fill out, guest posts to write, or bloggers to query about these things. Other times I will need to reply to emails, work on my own blogging, research, or catch up on other writing blogs. And of course there is the subject of actual writing which I find essential to being a writer.

Anon, Sir, Anon is nearing the 30,000 word mark which doesn't seem like a lot, I know. For me, however, it is quite satisfactory, as I had to give up The Baby in confusion after only 21,000, hoping to rework it in the future. I have fed the book so far in installments to a friend who appeared to find my chapter endings cliff-hanging enough to keep asking for the next bit rather incessantly. Unfortunately, she has nibbled through all ten of the finished chapters which means I need to keep at it if I'm to avoid having myself assassinated. Her reactions so far, though, have been satisfactory, so all is well. I let quite a few people read Fly Away Home to help me get it ready for publication, but because Anon, Sir, Anon is a mystery, I am going to keep the circle of beta-readers very small. "Keep it secret, keep it safe." I don't want to spoil the mystery for my readers. Believe me, it'll be for your own good!

What is up in your writing life? New projects? Difficulties? I want to hear about them. I love a good row.

The Tap Can Now Be Turned Off

Monday dawns chill and perfectly autumnal. I head out to work with Sarah, Leah, and Dad and I don't fret about not having time to write today.

Why?

Because last night at 9:37 I finished the first round of edits for The Windy Side of Care. My family has been patient with me as I've holed up in The Lair in that zone of desperation where I scream like Sherlock, "YOU CAN'T JUST TURN IT ON AND OFF LIKE A TAP!" I always enter this zone in the home-stretch of my stories and beware your head if you dare interrupt me for something as menial as dirty dishes. Sorry guys; you're the top and I hope I didn't snarl too much.

At 11:00, right before tumbling into bed, I sent TWSOC to a list of beta-readers who were then quite prompt in getting on it and reading. (Two have already finished) I was blessed while writing this story with a strangely productive time-period; most days I managed almost 3,000 words which meant that the story built up quickly, leaving more time to edit. The problem was that I thought I had 25,000 words in which to spin my story. In reality, we are given 20,000 words which meant that in the end I had to find ways to cut over 4,000 out of the story. Painful right there. I managed to do it, though, and it is now in review with an army of readers. I am hopeful. Having to cut so many words caused me to have to tighten dialog and description which actually made the whole much stronger. Funny to read a scene pre-editing and post-editing...the change is enormous. I'll probably return to this topic by and by with a post of examples and some advice from one of my favorite writer-instructors.

In other news, the critique group I was a part of several years is beginning again just as I was telling a friend about how hard and yet rewarding it was to take the critique given. I am planning to join, though I will have to decide if The Baby can qualify as a YA novel; I think it serves the purpose well enough to fit and I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into the give and take of serious critique partners again. This group is tough-nails.

So I'm off to work and reading Two Years Before The Mast and I will leave those of you who aren't beta-reading The Windy Side of Care with this teaser:

Fifteen minutes more and I would spread the blood on the white stones of the outer balcony; a half hour and the murder would be announced.

-Part Six