Two Novels at Once

For the longest time, I only worked on my historical novel, Promise of the Plum Blossom*.  For at least two years I’ve focused solely on writing and researching that novel.

And suddenly, this new story, Lady of the Snow* , just popped up.

The last week or two I’ve solely focused on the latter, neglecting my first one. It’s times like this where I know I have what I call “Writer’s Attention Deficit Disorder,” meaning I’ve lost focus on the book I should be trying to finish.  I should be aiming to finish Promise and I do wonder if this is another subconscious way of procrastinating yet again on that one.

But then I think this Writer’s ADD is something that I shouldn’t be fighting. I mean, if the ideas and inspiration are coming for Lady of the Snow, I should focus on that now. Right? Otherwise what fragments of ideas may be lost.

 I  think I should embrace this new idea for a little while as I rejuvenate the desire for Promise again. It’ll always be there to work on when I feel the creative juices flowing slower with this new one. And vice versa.

Perhaps this two novels at once is better than I originally thought 🙂

Do you work on more than one project or novel at a time?

*Working titles only; will most likely change.

Still Stumbling Along the Novel Path

I’m really hoping that I’ll be able to work on my novel this weekend. I’d like to get closer to the end as well as work on some synopsis issues.

The beginning keeps changing and morphing into something completely different from what I had planned, but it’s a good thing. I’m nixing the prologue, adding a new, but important character and introducing the plot catalyst by chapter two (within the first 20-30 pages). That’s one of my issues with published books–sometimes I think it takes too long for the action to start and there’s too much backstory. I realized I was essentially guilty of one of my biggest pet peeves, and even though the plot catalyst was introduced by chatpter 5, that was already past page 40 in Microsoft Word. It took some time to figure out how to introduce it without rushing it, but I think I may have finally come up with a solid beginning.

For me, the beginning of a novel or short story is the HARDEST part to write. You have to catch the reader’s attention and not turn them off. You have to maintain that balance between too much detail and not enough. You have to introduce your main character and establish some sense of connection.

No wonder I often stop reading books within the first 50 pages.

I know, I’m picky about my books (perhaps too picky) but this is everything I’m striving to do because I don’t want to lose the reader by that 50th page and make them shake their head and say, “Where’s that lovely story promised in the synopsis?”

But for now, I have to focus I just ending the blasted thing and then researching, editing and polishing the draft. But it’s so hard not to turn back and work on the other things that bother me in the earlier parts of the book 😛

It would be oh so nice to start querying this year…but wishing and dreaming won’t make it happen. I have to actually do it.

I shake my head in shame at my procrastination 😛

Breaking Addictions and Learning to Focus!

There wasn’t much to write about while I was gone for Christmas. I was fairly busy between family gatherings, visiting my grandma at the nursing home, going shopping with friends the day after Christmas (talk about crazy!)…and playing Animal Crossing on the Wii obsessively. 😛

Now it’s back to life and work (oh joy!). I doubt I’ll hit my goal of finishing the novel by the first of the year, but it should be done soon after. At least, I’m hoping for it and trying to work towards it. I think I need to force myself to make time to write because I am the queen of excuses and procrastination. But NO MORE.

I realize that the motivation factor and the tendency to procrastinate will be ridiculously hard to change–it’ll probably always be something I struggle with–but it would be nice if I could change it just a small bit–especially when it relates to my writing. If I keep procrastinating and making excuses, I’ll be 65 and a grandma with a book still not finished.

I also have to break my addiction to Animal Crossing 😛 I know the game is geared towards children under 12, but it’s just so fun and cute I can’t help myself. And I’m not one for the types of games my husband plays…(Fallout 3, Resident Evil, all those shooting type games that require a level of coordination that I will never be able to reach). So, that has to happen for me to do anything productive. Meaning housework, practicing violin. house-breaking the puppy and of course, writing.

I suppose I have my work cut out for me over the coming weeks and months…

I’ve Been Neglecting This

So, life got busy and I haven’t realized that it’s been so long since I last updated. It’s not much of an excuse really…I must admit that my inner “bum” sort of took a hold of me the last week or so. There were a few days I didn’t write at all and just sat around the house watching TV or a movie or old Gilmore Girls episodes instead of being productive.

Anyway, today Phil comes back from his business trip in Seattle, thus ending the ten days that we’ve been apart. Of course his flight doesn’t even come in until 10:30 tonight, but at least I know I don’t have to sleep alone any more 😛

On the writing front, I’m slowly but surely coming along with the NaNo novel. I’m still ahead of where we are supposed to be (despite the two days of not writing at all). Unfortunately it seems to be lacking in quality as the days go by. I didn’t think that it could get much worse–but it has 😛

Anyway, I’m getting to a major turning point in the novel, where the antagonist finds my MC and kidnaps her. I’m still uncertain if there’s going to be a death in the process (I’m unfortunately leaning towards yes…as much as I love the character that will probably die in defending her…). I suppose I’ll find out fairly soon as it will be in the next two chapters.

That’s pretty much it…I’m doubting the book will actually be finished by the end of the month, but it should be within a few chapters.

Official Word Count: 36,737

Still Working…and Procrastinating

I am such a horrible procrastinator when it comes to writing my novel. Seriously, it’s never gonna get published at the rate I’m going.

I’m still up in the air about 1 POV or 3 POVs…so I am going to write a sample chapter then the next time I’m up in critique (the end of October) I’ll ask them and see what they think about me changing the POV or leaving it the same. Sometimes I don’t mind third person but then there are times I’m wondering if I could get the story conveyed better by just focusing on the main character.

Anyway, I’ve made myself a goal list

1. OCTOBER 5th: Have a sample chapter written in first person.
2. OCTOBER 25TH: Have a rough outline done for both 1st person POV and 3rd person POV possibilites.
3. NOVEMBER 1ST: Decide once and for all if book will be in third person POV or first person POV.
4. DECEMBER 1ST–Have completed the first rough draft of my novel.
5. SUMMER 2009–Send manuscript off to editor
6. DECEMBER 1ST 2009–Begin sending queries out to literary agents
7. 2012–Hopefully have the book published…….

In between December and the summer, a BIG focus has to be the research factor. Possibly this will continue until I send it out in December of 2009 to the first agent. Not sure if this is realistic enough or not…I may not be allowing adequate time in between the editor going over it AND getting it back to me in time for me to make the necessary changes. Possibly may have to back this up, but the goal is to at least get queries sent in by the beginning of 2010. Perhaps the book will finally be accepted and then published by 2012…:P

Of course it would be better if all of this could be done sooner but I know how much I procrastinate and I know how much my inner editor tends to take forever on going over things….as well as the massive and intense research I know must come as well.

One of the goals I had was to get to northern Japan where a good part of the book takes place…HOWEVER, I can’t see that happening in this short amount of time, especially since I know it’d require a good 10K to travel there, spend a week to ten days, and then come back. For now online pictures will have to do…