Good Monday Morning everyone! Even though I've posted throughout the holidays I still feel like I've been on vacation. I haven't written a single word in my latest WIP. I will blame that on Monster Baby being home on break. (I'll take any excuse.)
But here we are, bright and shiny, holidays over, decorations back in their boxes and I am raring to go. The question is -- on what?
I was working steadily on MISMATCHED and was gaining (even though the research threw me for a little loop, but I fixed that.) I looked at it yesterday and well, I'm not sure now. I also took another look at revisions for MASQUERADE. I would have to do some major work. Not that I'm afraid of hard work but I'm just not sure what to do with it. This business is all so subjective. (Especially without vampires or werewolves in sight.)
I suppose I could look at the two YA's I have kicking around too, seeing that YA is all the rage right now, but I don't write YA. I don't really know how. (And writing for the market is not really a great idea anyway. Besides, still not a vampire or werewolf in sight.)
I also have another women's fiction that has been on the back burner for quite some time. I have the storyline, sort of, beginning and ending, not the middle. Hmmm.
I could also focus on REMEMBERING YOU, cleaning it up again, get ready for a big deluge of querying in the spring. But then, I'd still need something else to work on.
So what to do. My muse has abandoned me for the sunny climes of Down Under and I'm stuck. I actually don't want another S.N.I. (Shiny New Idea) because I'm afraid it will just be wasted. (Like my second YA.)
Question for the day --- Now that the holidays are over (thankfully) and we can all get back to work -- are you having trouble focusing on what you want to do?
43 comments:
Welcome back and Happy New Year. I'm having lots of trouble focusing. I've had way too many ideas invade my brain over the holidays.
Thanks for your comment yesterday. :)
No werewolves or vampires for me either!
Despite the holidays, I managed to complete the first draft of the sequel to my book - yesterday! So now I am ready to hit the revisions.
Christine -- I had a couple of new ideas too, wrote some great lines down and left it at that. I think I need a vacation from the vaction.
Alex -- GO YOU!!! That's fantastic. Can't wait to read it. Gotta love that Byron.
Hi,
Happy New Year.
Hee hee, damn holidays! I can't think of anything to blog about...
No problem, thank hooey, with my latest WIP, though. It's going great guns, but will anyone want to read it? ;) I put up two chaps of last WIP on my new profile blog and so far the answer to above question is few, so maybe it's not such a seller as I thought re 700 word snippet posted for a blogfest that got rave reviews. Hell, one's public can be fickle! :o
best
F
Happy New Year!
You know, I don't really write YA, either, but that is what my most recently finished book is. I had an idea and I just wrote it. Sometimes you have to start somewhere. LoL. And now that it's done, I'm sure I'll be pulling my hair out in edits as my beta (a YA writer) tears it to shreds. (Totally kidding).
But it felt good to write it! If the idea strikes you to write something outside your "zone", I suggest going for it! Be like Nike and JUST DO IT!! ;-)
~JD
I finished my first draft during the holidays and will be sitting down today for the first read through. Since I'm back to querying again, soon, I'm looking forward to the diversion of editing the new project instead of obsessing over the querying.
If you're going to write YA, make sure you've read tons of YA books first. Plus, check out Writing & Selling the YA Novel by K.L. Going. There are a lot of writers who've jumped on the YA bandwagon but have never read a YA book--and it shows. Don't be that writer. ;)
I try and end my writing before the break at a point where it will be easy to jump in again. I started up again last night. Hard at first, but it was a fun scene. Good luck with all your work!
Francine -- I read that and thought it was fantastic. The one with the sexual explosion right? I think I tried to post a comment but it didn't work. did I email you. I had an idea for it.
Justine -- I would love to write it, I just don't know how long it would take. And I hate wasting time on something that may not work.
Stina -- That's the problem, I haven't read any YA and I'd like to do it justice. Maybe I'll stick with my Regencies for now.
Laura -- Yeah, I left my wip with a great line thinking I could go right back to it, but of course, the next line isn't coming out right. I'll get it eventually.
Yup. Even thought I wrote (not in the blog) over the break, I'm struggling this morning. Not sure what direction to go it. We'll get back into the routine soon I am sure.
Happy New Year!
I'm torn between succumbing to my OCD and polishing up the house for the new year (started but not done)...or ignoring it all and jumping into a new manuscript. Maybe I'll end up doing a little of both.
Oh, I know what direction I need to go and I'm raring to go. LOVE this time of year.
Well, you know I've been gone for a while and I'm working hard to get back up in the saddle after falling off the horse and crushing my muse. We're both healing....:)
Welcome back and Happy New Year Anne!
Having lots of trouble focusing because there's so much to do! And I'm sleep deprived, which doesn't help.
I refused to give myself a break, afraid that I wouldn't be able to get back to work. So I'm still chugging along. I'm sure you'll just hop right in and, before you know it, you'll be done with another project!
Hi,
Yep, I love sexual explosions!
No, no email. Ideas? Ideas? Always keen for ideas/new angles etc. ;)
best
F
That's fun to have a lot of ideas to work on. Maybe you should do like I did for the contest -- print out the list of projects by title [or just make up a YA #1 idea, etc.]. Then cut out each one, fold it up, & put into a box or hat & pick 1 out & start working on that.
I am generally a very focused person when it comes to writing - it's how I finished 4 novels last year. This year I'm starting off with revisions and I think that's an easier way to go about it.
Good luck with your WIPs!
- Amy
:) I've been slowly but surely adding onto an idea for a book. I'm very close to having a full plot outline and will probably start outlining the book by scenes soon and then maybe I'll start hacking away at the writing. I love this part of the process so I'm gonna try and drag it out a little while. It'll keep my mind off of querying in any case. Hopefully. Oh, who am I kidding?
I had all sorts of plans for what I wanted to get done over the holidays to prep for this year, but alas... So I'm doing what I always do, just jumping in and hoping for the best. If I don't I get in that loose-ends state that doesn't feel great.
Good luck getting into something.
Liza -- Oh the routine. I missed it so much over the last two weeks.
Rula -- I thought about housework too. But that's all I did was think about it.
Leigh -- Good luck then!!!
Bish -- Well, you know what they say about falling off a horse. Get right back on.
Matthew -- Thanks. Happy New Year to you too. I left you an award a few weeks ago.
Lydia -- You need to go to bed then.
Natascha -- I wish I had your optimism. We'll see how it shakes out over the next few days.
Francine -- I'll have to see if I can find all the material I had.
Lisa -- Believe it or not, I'd hadn't thought of that. Good idea.
Amy -- FOUR BOOKS!!!! And I thought I was good with two. Go You!!!
Katie -- No matter what you do, it never takes your mind off the querying. And that sucks.
Melissa -- I feel your pain. I had all sorts of plans too. Like FINISHING MisMatched before the end of Christmas break. Yeah, with a 6 yr. old at home. Who was I kidding?
I think I know what I want to do, but doing it is entirely a different matter.
All your ideas sound good, go with the one that's flowing.
actually vampires and werewolves on on the outs right now. As are fairies, mermaids and angels. Do you have some dystopian, steampunk, ninjas or zombies? They're pretty hot right now ;)
The holidays left me feeling empty in a lot of the work sense. I wasn't able to write as much as I would have liked. Lucky for me the hubs and I relaxed on New Years and I was able to send out four chapters to a publisher. Praying for good news!
Children are wonderful procrastination tools, arent they? I'll be gearing up for another semester soon! Just not yet....
Happy New Year!
The holidays have definitely slowed me down; I'm hoping to get some writing done before school starts next week.
Vampires and werewolves are definitely oversaturate in the market. And all your ideas sound great. Good luck with them!
Happy New Year and all horseshoes are turned upside down (thanks for the tip!)
I just finished my previous WIP on Christmas Eve, so I've been taking a little while to let it marinate before I go back for revisions. Which means, I've been brainstorming and working on my plot points for my next WIP.
So, I guess the answer is NO, I haven't found it tough to get back into things . . but that's because I'm cheating and doing the easy part right now.
Patti -- I htink the only idea I should have is to clean the house. Now the sun is out, I can see all the little bunnies.
Sarah -- Wow, fairies, mermaids and angels too. Oh my. I don't do steampunk, dystopian (truth be told I don't even know what that is) or zombies. I guess I should stick to romance huh?
Jen -- Praying right along with you. Go you!
Betty -- Children are the best excuses for anything I don't want to do.
Emy -- Happy New Year. Oversaturation is right. That's all there is now.
Tracy -- Cheater Cheater Nanner Nanner Nah Nah.
Don't do ALL the easy stuff right away though, you'll want to save some for later when you hate your book and never want to see it again.
I'm physically here, but my mind is still on vacation. However, I did force myself to sit down and work on the novel this weekend, and managed to get a few thousand words out. Good luck on your projects, Anne!
Hi Anne! I'm back from my hols where I thankfully missed the floods that have inundated most of my state of Queensland. I was so excited to be back I couldn't sleep last night with all the exciting stories/projects flashing around my brain! This year I want to write more and seriously seek publication of at least one of my novels. During my thrashing last night I got a new novel idea I must pursue too! It's going to be a great year! Happy New Writing Year!
Julie -- Good for you, that's great. I wish I were on vacation -- on a nice warm beach.
Denise -- I'm so glad you missed the rains. You sound so excited, I'm so glad you may be jumping into the query fray. And a new idea! Go you!!!
Well, I know what I need to do....I just don't feel like it. Blah!
That's where I need my follow through. I basically stink at it. But I won't give up! Gonna get out my nano novel and seriously lay down an outline before I begin editing.....
I think sometimes we expect too much from the baby new year...it needs to grow a little, get its sea legs. When I get a feel for it, learn its personality, I'll have a better understanding of the what's and when's and how's....
Look! I signed into blogger. It's a miracle. I've been woefully allergic to the internet of late. I'll try to correct it now.
Regarding your question, I totally lack focus. I'm trying to do so many things, I'm getting nothing accomplished.
No, I know what I need to do. Query. I want to change 2 sentences in my query letter, but every time I open it I get nauseous. I'm going through a serious fear phase right now.
Sounds like you have lots of options to choose from. Good luck finding the best one - which of course will be the one that jumps out and chooses you ;)
Hi Anne: I am a bit sluggish this morning. But I do have a four book series I am working on right now. I've reached a point where I need to storyboard it and get rolling on the first book's first draft, but I found myself drawn to Her Prisoner of Love again and have a new slant on the story. I quickly wrote down my thoughts about it and, in the process, realized I had reused two names from HPofL in my current series (argh). So must get my name bible up and running so I can avoid that mistake. I'm moving slowly, but at least I'm moving!
I'm curious to see what you end up working on in the new year!
Happy Writing!
I'm having TONS of trouble focusing. Normally my resolutions putter out within 15 minutes.
Well, Anne, I'm just trying to relax. I know I'll have some more edits to do on these last revisions, but they'll be minor. So I'm in your boat, too, at the moment. What do I want to do next? I have half of a memoir, but I'm thinking of trying to turn it to fiction. Maybe, maybe not. I tell myself, Relax. I've puttered about. I've uncluttered my kitchen; in fact, my whole little duplex. It felt great! I've found if I do such things for a while, then I'm ready for writing again. It "usually" works!
And all the "best" to you also!! I love to see your smiling face on my blog!!!
I'm actually more focused and determined than I've been in months. I'm so glad 2010 is gone; I've needed something new for quite a while.
Yeah, a little bit. It'll be better once we finally get the rest of the Christmas stuff packed away, I think. I hope. ;)
Yeah. The holidays were a difficult time for me this year and now that I'm actually ready to work, my body is rebelling again.
I don't know which is more frustrating- the inability to get un-stuck mentally on a project or having ideas as to what you should do to improve it but not being able to focus beyond physical pain! I know you know how frustrating that can be.
Right now, I'm just trying to work at least a little a day- and hoping to pick up speed. Any writing is better than no writing, I suppose!
hugs
~bru
Fortunately, I know exactly what I need to do. Unfortunately, it never looks like I'll have all the time do it!
Happy new year! :)
I'm with Michelle. I know what I need to do but after a week off, I am now back to work and have no time to do it. I've actually come into the new year much more focused blogwise and writing wise than I usually am, but working and two young kids pretty much eats up my life...
Focus is just not in the cards for me lately. Too far behind . .
I'm sure you're doing great on your WIPs. Taking a needed break will help, and before you know it, you'll be back off the fence (pun intended) and nailing it all together.
Have a quiet week Anne. :)
...........dhole
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