It has been a while since I have posted something other then an update here, I was posting my daily writing with Skylar Grant, but have stopped. I am writing, but I am working on the first draft of Marks of Eilira. Well I would say more like Draft 3, since I have writing this book twice before. However the series has changed going from the intended eight books down to six with nothing from those books being taken out, just lessened. However, I want get back to posting more on this blog, and I can’t think of a better way to talk about the my daily writings.
What do I mean by this, after I write I usually posted on twitter my word count for the day, and how long it took to write. Sometimes I’ll add how I thought what I wrote was, when I was writing the first book in the former Facade Crusade’s series that no longer exists; most of what I wrote I was not happy about, too many questions about the series, the characters. Also what was coming out I was just not happy with. Compared to Book one of Marks Of Eilira; from the moment I started writing in September, I loved what was coming out. Not all of it, but enjoyed it wanted to press on. While I should have finished this draft a month ago, laziness and other distractions prevented me. One starting a new job at Wally’s World… If you have never heard of Wally’s World its a nickname for Walmart.
Back to my thought, while I will have my thoughts on what I wrote that day, instead of keeping them in my head, I will flesh them out here on my blog. How I think it is going, how much improvement might be needed when I write the second draft. This will allow me to post on my blog, but also keep a record of concerns of what might need to be improved but also what I thought was good. This way at the end of January when I come back to read through this draft to make notes I will have my thoughts right after writing most of the draft and what I think upon reading it with fresh eyes.
While this is being post at three in the morning, I did not write yesterday Wednesday 23rd, you know I got distracted. However, that distraction will be returning to blockbuster later today. Since I do not have anything to comment, I’ll fill you in on updates on this book and my writing process.
Since September when I start writing this book again, I have thought about how I am going to make sure I finish it and what will I do when I have worked out most of the problems. I could try to get it published, which I fully do intend to do at some point; However I have no idea where I am writing ability is. I can say it has greatly improved since I wrote the last draft of this book, but on a professional level. I have said this before, but I think I finally have the drive to do it now. After writing the second draft and polishing (making grammatically readable) I will spend the money from a professional editor, whom I have no clue, to read this book and give me detail feedback on it and where I stand.
Talking this over with my friend Chris, I have in my head and slowly putting on paper my plan for the next year. I want to have book one of Marks of Eilira published in e-book by this time next year. You may ask why not published through an publishing company. Long story short, from readings from authors who know the business are predicting that in the next five- ten years self-publishing your novels as e-books on Amazon and other sites will be how publishing companies find new authors. Because if you have great writing you will stand out among the hundreds of thousands crappy books. If you disagree with that okay. I really don’t have time to go in beyond that. Publishing this book as an e-book is not the only thing. At the time of the publishing, I plan to launch and author website to help promote the book and myself.
Now to get to this publishing, I am going to have to spend money the third draft and hopefully the final draft other then a polish, will be based on what feedback I get from the professional editor. Based on what I get, I may have to make changes to this plan; which is fine, but I need to have a goal and if the results of my feedback means making changes then okay. However until I know I will need to make changes to the goal is set. Now comes finishing the draft I am on.
I am not good at meeting goals I set for myself, because what happens if I don’t meet them. Nothing. Because I set them I can change them. This will not work, I set a goal to finish this novel by Wednesday. With seven days before my deadline, I have roughly ten to twelve chapters left to write. Now Tuesday I did write and I actually looked at my old draft to see where I was in the story at this chapter and I am actually not as far as behind as I thought. Which makes me happy because that means it will be about ten more chapters instead of twelve or more. Then I have distractions like school work I need to get done, and work. We are entering into Christmas season and hell month is about to start. Which won’t really matter if I complete this by Wednesday, because then I’ll won’t pick it up until well after Christmas is over.
There are other distractions, like thoughts of other stories in my head, watching the three shows I follow, working out, and oh yeah video games. I don’t play much anymore but Elder Scrolls five just came out and it is awesome and very distracting. How am I going to make this deadline, Randy Ingermanson who I get a free e-zine through every month (which you can signup for at http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ezine/index.php. He said to get things done another author friend of his who he they have coauthored a few books together, keeps him accountable and makes sure he is getting things done. One way is if he doesn’t show up to work, sitting at his computer in his living room by nine am on the dot, he has to pay his friend ten dollars. Wow ten dollars, well when think about if he was late ten times in a month that’s a hundred dollars he paid out. Well I am trying that, while I don’t have a specific person keep me accountable, I have told several people about this, come Wednesday if I know the draft will not be done by the end of the day I will hand ten dollars to someone who I know.
So far this has not kept me working, because I didn’t write at all yesterday because I worked and played video games all day. Maybe it will take handing out that ten dollars to help me. I will continue to pay someone ten dollars every few days I go over that deadline, not every day, because I really can’t afford that, but maybe I should do it every day. That should get me writing. I think am good for the blog, check back to see my thoughts on the words I wrote and how I am coming a long.
