Workin’ It Out

Don't forget! Check out my article, Workin’ It Out, is on the Charge of the Write Brigade.

Restart perspective

OK my mysterious lurking friends, I'm back up again. Various people, chief among them my wife, three friends (Michelle, Rick and Don) and my sister in law have all given me great advice.

Three principle things have been advised my most. Not everyone said all three but these were the things I needed to hear.

1) See professional help. LOL! Yes, I could always us that kind, but what they mean is "Get the opinions of an editor". I have gotten a lot of help from friends, family and other writers. It's time to pay a professional editor to look for what can make this puppy shine.

2)Don't quit. Now I may go on about my stress, lament the process and cast negative aspirations about my abilities, but the truth is this novel series and as a whole, writing in general, is in my blood. Don't worry. I can't stay away too long.

3)Take a break. This does not mean take a break from writing. I go on and on about Annabelle. I tweet about her, I have a Myspace page I never update devoted to her, and so on. I have my reasons for that. Chief among them is the fact it's a drive to share her stories with kids, for Annabelle and Roland to inspire and entertain children. So that's why I'm all about her and her book.

But every writer knows that we get too close to our books. We need to step away for awhile. Write something else. I do have other ideas, formed into notes and plans. I don't discuss them because I want to keep it under my hat. Family and close friends know about them, but that's all. It's time to begin one of those other novels. I have three chapters left of book two. I'll finish because I don't want to loose the momentum. Then I'll shelf book two and take a break from her world. I'll begin my fantasy novel that has no vampires in it at all.

So there you go. My plan of action.

Tired of rejection

Really thinking about quiting. Guess I go through this a lot when faced with points of view opposite mine.

I received a rejection to that e-publisher. I was told my manuscript reads like a rough draft.
That hurt because I've given it to many people and changed a great deal along the way. I realize they've only seen the 1st chapter but what if they're right? They suggested I rewrite the whole thing.

Don't they realize I already did?

Someone told me I should have a paid editor look at it. I know that's good advice. I need a Content and substantive editor to see if this book is crap or if it can be saved.

I'm tired. No one can truly help. Others like it but they're not agents and editors.

In a sea of vampire romance, who gives a crap about young vampire adventure? And if after all that work it still reads like a rough draft, why try anymore?

Random thoughts

I've been busy at work so lunch time is either interrupted by people who need stuff, cut short because of the stuff I need to do or spent being brain dead instead of focusing.

I hope today to keep on my writing agenda. There are about five chapters of book 2 left. Five! If I could just finish them I'd actually have book 2 truly finished. Not like I posted a couple years ago, when I mistakenly cut it in half and finished the 1st half. No, this would mean book two is a self contained story.

So after these five chapters, I'm planing on writing something non-Annabelle. There is a fantasy project that I've wanted to create since I was in high school (I'm 42 so that was a long time).

The cravings are still there for more Annabelle, but people tell me I should have something different.