Sometimes We Writers Have To Change It Up

I'm happy to report I am finally getting back into a writing groove.  And it feels great! Now that I've had some time away, I have been re-evaluating.  I began querying SHARDS OF GLASS at the beginning of this year, and all I've received so far is standard rejections.  I'm of the opinion that taking a new look at the query letter or the manuscript itself never hurts, especially when no agents have shown enough interest to even offer a bit of advice.

So being of that opinion, I took a fresh look.  More than ten months have passed, so I'd say that is a sufficient break away.  The query itself isn't a problem, I don't think.  But there is one major setback.  The word count.  *sighing while wiping bitter tears*  The best fit for SHARDS is YA.  And 90K words is long.  There are exceptions of course.  But I really believe in this story and want to see it published.

I shared my struggle with this story about a year ago here.  Getting the word count down was a nightmare.  And part of my writing style is to let the story write itself.  This is where I have to change it up, hence the title of today's post. 

Last year, I tried to remove Part I in an effort to reduce the word count.  It didn't work.  The story, mainly the dynamics between the FMC and MMC, suffered.  So I put Part I back in.  However, in a more determined effort to get this story right, I have cut Part I off again.  And off it shall stay.  Making that decision wasn't easy.  I love that part of the story.  But taking it off cut my word count to the 67K range, which is much more acceptable for YA.  And now that I've come to terms with that move, the story doesn't seem to be suffering.  I'm anxious to get it in the hands of some betas though to make sure. 

I've done some more editing and revising; I had to with Part I gone.  And this evening I plan to finish editing and revising the final 40 pages.  Then I will be seeking betas.  I'll see how that goes before beginning another round of queries.  And while taking care of SHARDS, REKINDLE has been put on hold.  I'm anxious and ready to get back to it, though. 

So there's my current writing dilemma.  I'm curious about all of you.  What part of your preferred writing style/technique/etc have you had to change? Even if the change wasn't permanent, please share below. 

First Step to Being a Writer: WRITE

After reading a fellow blogger's post yesterday, I was reminded of a very important rule for being a writer.  What is that rule you ask? Write! I know that isn't exactly earth shattering.  But it hit home because I have a hard time making myself sit down to write if I don't have a lot of time.  And I love to write, so it shouldn't be that difficult! But I prefer to have a couple of hours to work on a project.  If I only have thirty minutes, I typically find something else that needs done.  The problem with that is I have been extremely busy this year.  That means I haven't gotten many words down on my current WIP.  On previous projects, I've been able to complete a first draft within two months.  However, I began REKINDLE this past spring and I haven't even hit the 10K mark.

So basically, I've completely dropped the ball on that very necessary rule.  With that being said, I sat down last night and completed a whopping 300 words.  That doesn't sound like much, but it sure felt good to see the words on the screen.  And it was certainly better than seeing a blank screen!

One final note: take time to stop on over at J. W. Alden's blog where he shares a few good writing rules.  It's definitely worth the read.

REKINDLE Changes

Well August has arrived, and I'm sorry to say I haven't had much time to work on REKINDLE.  There have been too many other things fighting for my attention.  However, I am excited about a recent development in the storyline.  From the beginning, I planned on sharing the story through two POVs ~ Kallie's and Joey's.  I thought (ha ha, that's what I get for thinking) that Kallie would get more time than Joey.  But I don't think that will be the case.

Here's a very brief description of the story:

Kallie returns to town because she has finally sold her old house and needs to pack up all her stuff so she can move on with her future.  When Kallie had left town several years before, she left Joey behind to cope with a broken heart.  They run into each other early on and the story goes from there.

The development I'm excited about is this: Joey's life has been turned upside down.  The love of his life skipped town, and then he was forced to deal with another loss and his family is still trying to pick up the pieces.  I'm sensing a lot of conflict and tension yet to be written.  And that's more interesting than Kallie and her packing abilities.  Actually, she does more than pack boxes, but Joey's going to be the popular one.  So it's a shift, a big one in my opinion.  Kallie and her dilemmas are not going to be the focus of the story after all. 

Ahhh...writing.  Got to love the journey it takes us on!

Busy much?

I sure am! Holy freak, it's been a crazy month! Next month isn't looking much better, and I regret that my writing has been impacted.  I'm hoping to find some time to get back to working on REKINDLE soon.  I was so excited to get started, was on my way, then life interfered.  But that happens, as we all know.  And my freedom series has been interrupted unfortunately.  I'm hoping to get that back on schedule too.  On top of all that, I need to get another batch of queries sent out on SHARDS OF GLASS.  Must find time...

In the meantime, I'd like to share some exciting news.  My husband and I have decided to adopt.  And that is partially why I've been so busy.  We are very early in the process, but the process has been started.  Prayers for this journey we are taking would be much appreciated.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer.  The weather has been less than pleasant here in Illinois (hotter than blazes!), and we are badly in need of rain.  Dead grass.  Dying crops.  Not good at all for my husband's mowing business or the farmers. 

But we still feel blessed, and I hope you do too!

Accepting Constructive Criticism

My writing philosophy is this: anyone can write.  However, not everyone can write well and tell a good story while doing it.  Writing takes a lot of work.  And one of the things a writer must be is objective.  Let's be honest.  We love our stories and our characters.  However, we can't let our feelings overpower our objectivity.  This is especially true when it comes to critiques.

I recently blogged about the novel I am working on titled REKINDLE.  As I began writing, I felt the need to get the story set up properly.  Thinking I was off to a great start, I continued with the story.  But something felt off.  I couldn't put my finger on it, but I was not connecting with Kallie at all.  Joey's scenes were going great, though.  So each time I sat down to write, I would edit and add some more.  I'd do the same thing the next night.  And the next night.  With just over 8,000 words (four chapters), I stopped.  I couldn't go on.  I am not one of those writers who can "get the story down and edit later."  Yes, I edit when I've got my first draft done, but I can't keep writing when I know something is so terribly wrong.

So what did I do? I posted my first chapter at Absolute Write.  After receiving some awesome advice, I deleted the first couple pages.  I didn't even try to edit; I just took them out completely.  I did revise the new opening scene, and guess what? The story reads better.  It's not burdened by an unnecessary opening.  I can connect with Kallie much better.  And now I can continue.  With a few minor revisions to the remaining pages, I'll be on my way.

I could have reacted differently.  I could have insisted that the opening was necessary (I loved the first paragraph!) and tried to edit.  I could have pleaded my case and tried to figure out something else.  But I didn't.  Instead, I looked at the story objectively and acted accordingly.  And that is necessary for all writers to do.

A No Writing Weekend

Instead of writing more for REKINDLE, I spent the weekend helping my husband mow.  Sitting on a mower in ninety degree weather with the sun beating down is not how I originally planned to spend the two days.  But I was able to help him get caught up, and in the process, I had plenty of time to daydream.  This morning I scribbled in my notebook as fast as I could, afraid I'd forget about a scene or idea I had thought of over the weekend.  So now I have tons of notes.

I had a few days last week to work on the story, and the word count is just over 5,000, which isn't a bad start.  It's not as far along as I'd like to be, but hey...at least I have a WIP again.  And it's like I'm in exploration mode.  I'm learning a lot about the characters, which is pretty cool.  Plus the web is being weaved (i.e. the conflict is being interwoven), and that's awesome to see, also.

Anyway...short post today.  Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

New Novel Beginning

Last night I finally had the opportunity to sit down and start my next novel.  I only got 859 words down, but it's a start.  And I'm so excited about it! This story has been an idea for more than eight years.  To finally see words on paper (okay, words on the computer screen) makes me giddy.  When this story idea first came to me, I never imagined so many years would go by before I had the chance to start it.  But other projects and ideas fought for my attention, and it was just a small idea.  One simple scene actually.  And it went like this:

"Joey."
"Joe.  It's just Joe now."
"Yeah, nobody calls me Kallie anymore either."

Eight years ago, that was all I had.  Yet it says so much about the two characters.  Anyway, I left that idea on the back burner (i.e. I jotted it down with my other story ideas) and let it sit.  Knowing I would get to it some day, I never thought much about it.  But now the time is right.  This is the story that's ready to be written.  And from that one little scene, a story is growing.  I've been jotting down notes for a few weeks as details and scenes have come to me.  I have a good idea of the ending, but I don't know the how or why.  And I think for me, one of the most exciting parts of writing is watching everything develop as I write.  I love it! It's a lot like reading.  When I'm reading a good book and have to put it down, I can't wait to get back to it to see what happens next.  It's the same with writing.  I can't write 24/7, so when I have to take a break, I can't wait to get back to it to see what happens next.

For the first time, I've chosen a title beforehand.  Usually I wait, but I wanted to be able to refer to it easily.  And what title did I come up with? REKINDLE.  It's really just a working title.  It sort of fits, and I'm sure I'll change it by the end.

Okay, that's enough for now.  Time to slip into Kallie and Joey's world... :)