Thursday 20 January 2011

Revision, revision and forward planning

I'm so pleased with the regular writing I've managed to do since a group of us on Holly Lisle's Bootcamp have signed up for the '500 words a day or bust!' challenge.

Working my way through the rewrite of Mystery in Morocco - which is really a write-first-time for most of the scenes - I'm now on scene 42 out of 62. The rate of progress is slow but steady and that feels good.

What's more, I'm finding time to refresh my mind on the HTTS lessons I've done so far and planning to start HTTS afresh with a new idea and take it through...or do I take my original idea of iGenie? There's plenty of time to decide.

So while I'm flexing my writing muscles and getting my Muse to limber up and get used to the idea of delivering the goods on a regular basis, I'm also planning ahead. When I started with NaNoWriMo in 2009, all I wanted was to write a book. Since joining Holly's Bootcamp, and rubbing virtual shoulders with writers around the world, my sights are set higher; I have every intention of sending my ms out when it is finished, with a view to getting it published.

Now that I find scarey! I'm familiar with words but publishing? Editors? Agents? Pitching? Yikes!

So I'm doing some forward planning. Not a huge amount, just a toe in the water here and there to start with. One thing which has helped are blogs. Many of you writers out there share the useful links you've found. So here is mine, found on...sorry, I can't remember whose blog I found this on initially. It's http://queryshark.blogspot.com

I figure if I read it from time to time then I'll get my head round the sort of things which are required.

Hope you find it interesting.

3 comments:

  1. That's great Prue. You're doing a lot better than me :).

    I love Query Shark! Such a good blog, so much good advice.

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  2. What an interesting site! Useful, too. It made me suddenly realise - all the talk about sending off manuscripts, trying to sell your work - but writing's writing, isn't it? It makes sense that a cover letter or any other communication needs to be crafted, and if a writer can't do that, why would an editor read further?

    Dunno about iGenie, but I'd like to see more of your time-travelling story. :)

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  3. Thanks SariBelle :)

    You're so right, Sarah! A letter written incorrectly could end up in the bin :)

    The idea of time travel fascinates me. But this book has deep,dark elements and I'm not sure I want to write something like that. If those elements stay then I need other, lighter elements to balance that darkness.
    It has the potential to be a stunning book...

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