Photo by Tom Swift
After yesterday’s post I decided what I needed was a bit of zen calm. Except with my typing snarly-uppy-wordiness, it always comes out clam.
So, I found zen clam instead. That clam looks very zen.
What else I found was a plan for my writing. I need deadlines, I need a story that I really truly want to write, and I need motivation. Looks like all three may have collided and hopefully a beautiful mess will result.
No new story, I need to finish what I have. I’ve gone back to one of my favourite old stories, Lock and Cady’s story from the Haven Bay series. I mind mapped the series today, and I have some new ideas that excite me. I hope I’ve finally found my way with the story in what will be its fourth incarnation.
First, a messy first draft written for a Book in a Week course. , with waaaay too much external conflict. Second, a revised partial that’s probably one of the best things I’ve written at sentence and word choice level, but oh so wrong at the goal and motivation level, quite rightly collecting a very kind rejection from a Harlequin SuperRomance editor. Third incarnation finally had a strong goal and motivation, high stakes for both hero and heroine, but that partial needed a lot more work before it would be ready to sub. Where that version came unstuck was winning a five page critique from a SuperRomance author. It didn’t seem sensible to keep working on the story while waiting on the critique (what if I still had it all wrong?) so I started working on a new story. The critique somehow got lost on its way back to me, then I found I wouldn’t be able to enter the story for New Voices and needed to work on another story for that, and the result is it’s taken me over a year and a lot of other stories to come back to this one.
I love the setting, Haven Bay, and I love these characters. With each incarnation, I get to know them better and go deeper and deeper into their emotions. It all feels so real to me now!
I hope I can get that out when I try to write their story again. Writing a new first draft, then editing, and possibly even rewriting. Whatever it takes to make their story the best I can get it. I’ve given myself deadlines for planning, first drafting, then editing.
I’m looking forward to this!
September 24, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Hey, that sounds like you’re on to something there with the book! May the Clam be with you
Zen and success surely go hand in hand! Keep us posted. Sharon
September 25, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Simplify, simplify, simplify is my new motto. Works for almost everything!
September 26, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Good luck to you: I am demoralized right now, thanks to a writers’ conference I attended this week. Published authors spoke to our writers’ group, telling stories of the years it took to finally get their books published. Discouraging!
How many zillions of talented people are trying to vie for the same positions? I Need a zen clam.
September 26, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Hugs, Ronnie! Those things are meant to be encouraging in a “Hang in there guys you’ll make it too” way, but too often they just make the listeners depressed about their prospects.
It can be a long hard road, so we need all the support we can get.You’re welcome to borrow my zen clam any time. Or Elissa’s stress free writer (sooooooo not me!).
You write well. You will make it. Not encouraging BS. Just a fact.
There are so many possible target audiences for the sort of things you are writing. Regional newspapers and magazines. Local history buffs. Americana sites amd magazines. Anywhere readers will be interested in your droll humour. I can hear the voice in your stories, being read aloud. Have you thought about library readings, or a weekly slot on your local community radio station?
Okay, you may have already tried all that. If so, keep trying. And in the meantime, have a zen clam on me.
I don’t know you, only your writing. But I believe in you.