Check in #4.... YABbootcamp

This week... well... it went. Real life got in the way a tad - actually a lot more than I want or care to admit, but some good things did happen.

Goal Update:

First things first, and update on goal #2: I'm happy to report I have a working title! My current project shall henceforth be known as STATIC

*does happy dance* *Muppet flail*

This title was hard to peg - but I think this title may stick - at least until an agent or editor wants to change it. I resisted it originally because that is the first word in the book, but the more I thought about it, not only does static play a pretty important part in the entire thing, but it also serves as a pretty nice metaphor for what Sam, my main character, has to go through as she tries to unravel and understand exactly what is going on around her.

Now as to goal #1:

I think I went into red overload - no reference to static or any other electrical charge intended here. I had gotten to far with edits and changes, that a vast majority of my story was red. To clarify, I utilize and LOVE the track changes feature in Word. So everywhere I altered anything, it either became red, was underlined in red or was crossed out in red.

And before you suggest, I am fully aware that I can change the color of the edits...but I'm a teacher - red works for me... until this week, that is.

So this past weekend, I realized what I had to do. I was so overwhelmed with all the red, that I couldn't see what I still needed to do....

File - Save As - Create new File - Accept all changes - Voila! - no more red - and a shiny new document to bleed all over :)

I am not ready to send anything to anyone, but I feel like progress can be had this week. I am almost to the point where feedback will be needed to let me know if I'm going in the right direction, but there are some holes and elements that I need to fix first! And naturally, my story is shifting again, taking another turn I wasn't ready for.... but I'm trying to let the story tell itself, rather than me force it to tell something it doens't want to.

This week, I also started Mapping everything after the fabulous post on YA Buccaneers. For some...err....most this will probably seem backwards, but right now, as I'm shifting from one genre to the next this is helping me validate where those plot holes are and what I still need to fix!

And now I need to get back to those words....

Shifting Hurts: YABbootcamp Check in #3

? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ?  ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?

? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?

In case you couldn't tell, for me this past week has been full of questions and what ifs....

I found myself in what I felt was a moral dilemma. My original premise set my main protagonist being a 16-year-old girl...but this week, as I started editing - I mean really started editing the plot and events, I found that I wasn't completely comfortable with some of the situations I was putting her in.

This led me to wonder if the plot would still work if she was older, and since I knew I had a long way to go, after a lot of deliberation and I'm sure annoyance to my critique partner, I decided to give it a try.

And can I just say this shift - from 16 to 19 is not. easy...and one week later, I'm not 100% sure if it is the right thing to do. And one person that I trust with my words stated that she thought it read like a teenager in YA rather than NA...And I value her advice and criticism above just about evetrytyhing, so her feedback gave me pause. But I knew that if I didn't at least TRY I'd alwasy wonder and maybe never be completely comfortable with it all. 

Basically, this week was a lot of staring at the tracked changed in my word document and wondering if they were the right changes to make and therefore a lull in forward progress - but this happens from time to time.

Let me qualify this post by stating that I am fully aware that teen age girls can get caught in some very sticky situations, and that I loved the toughness of my 16 year old girl.... but in the long run, it is my hope that some of the character interactions and plot elements will work better with a little bit older individual.

SO bottom line -
I did make some progress towards goals #1 - a *cough* working draft.
I DID play with a few possible titles BUT would like to hang on to those until I've made a final decision
And it is my goal for this week to be able to send a bit to my CP of Awesome and see if the age shift actually is working - and if not, work though elements to either make it work at 19 or make it work at 16.


Guess I better get back to the words!
Until next time.

Walking the Plank #YABbootcamp Style

So here goes... an updated, though still early draft from the beginning of my still *coughs* untitled story.

“Why won’t you believe me?” I yelled at my mother for the 157^th time since Megan disappeared. A week later and already it was as though nothing had happened. I squared my shoulders and continued. “Lori told me what happened. Lori told me what they did. She wasn’t kidnapped by some random idiot, she was taken.”

I thought back to what I did…what I should have done on that first day…

I know what happened. It wasn’t pretty, and I’m not entirely proud of myself for what I did to Lori, but I had to find answers since no one else was telling me anything.

I looked down at my hands. My knuckles were bruising and there’s blood still under my nails.

“Well that’s just silly,” my mom said and pulled me back into the conversation. “You and your government conspiracies.”

I rubbed my temples and shoved the last of my homework into my bag. “Mom,” I started in a softer tone, hoping to get some kind of response, “it’s not my conspiracy.” I bit my lip to keep from yelling. “I heard the three clicks from the hallway. Everyone knows what they mean. Someone was listening.”

“Enough,” she snapped but didn’t look at me as she cleaned off the kitchen counter. “Now, this is hard enough on all of us. We don’t need you spreading these types of rumors. You know the government doesn’t take people just for saying the wrong word. You know those camera systems were put in for our benefit and protection.”

Roller Coasters of the Editing Persuasion

#YABbootcamp Goals Update:

• Progress on #1

• stalemate on #2

• no advancement on #3…yet

Editing sucks.

This isn’t a new, earth shattering realization by any stretch of the imagination, but I needed to put that out there for the universe so that I could deal and move on.

I am currently *cough* enjoying the editing roller coaster. For those of you who’ve experienced the ride, you understand exactly that I’m going through. 

I love it.

I hate it.

I love it.

I’m ready to throw my computer out the window.

I wonder why I even bothered to write this in the first place.

I laugh.

I cry.

 

And then, I walk away from the computer and repeat everything again the next day...

Let me go back and qualify a bit, because I’m realizing I was too harsh in my initial comment. I DON’T hate hate editing….I just hate the place I’m at right now.

And where’s that? Somewhere, sadly enough and ironically enough, between love and hate.

I haven’t touched this story since I finished that first draft a few Nanos ago… and because of that, I had forgotten about some elements… but not all.

I hadn’t forgotten that the beginning needs major restructuring, or that some of the content may read too mature even by YA standards – and these are things that I am actively dealing with…

But!

I had forgotten about the good. I had forgotten about the interaction of some of my characters. I had forgotten a few scenes that even in edit stage gave me goose bumps when a read them (yes…toot toot…but we, as writers a allowed and required to do that from time to time).

I had forgotten that in less than a month, I had managed to take a premise and turn it into something intriguing…

And it’s important not to forget those positive – especially when other elements feel so daunting.

So I’ll get back on the roller coaster and continue the editing ride and see what’s left when I finally decide to get off.

 

Until next time...

What's Up Wednesday - March 12, 2014

I've wanted to do this - to follow through with the What's Up posts, but I never could get in the grove - but I'm hoping the #YABbootcamp will be that little kick I needed to really shift my focus and routines. Be warned that craziness will ensure over the next three months - and into the foreseeable future. That is just my life in 2014 - though I am just now getting the memo ;)

• WHAT I'M READING

Currently, I'm reading Two by LeighAnn Kopans, the second in the One Universe series.

• WHAT I'M WRITING

Thanks to the YABucaneers and the #YABbootcamp, I am working on an at present untitled YA that I drafted during Nanowrimo 2012. Yes - 2012. It's one I've wanted to pull out and play with, but up until now, really haven't had the time since I was editing and querying WHITE LIES, which I am still also doing. You know that they say about chickens and eggs and hatching...

Nano2012 is sort of a cool older YA premise that is very "big brother is watching".... but in this case...Big Brother isn't watching...he's listening - and when he hears something he doesn't like - things happen...

• WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

After the harshness of this winter (including the possible *gasp* snow of tonight) - anything springy is inspiring me. Birds... SUNLIGHT!!!!!

And I must provide a major shout out to the #YABbootcamp participants, who's sheer enthusiasm is encouraging me to really put myself out there and see what I can do with this draft.

• WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

The what else is a  huge time suck... let's see:
I've been working with my Junior Class (I'm a class advisor) as we continue to plan prom and start making items for the event
I've been working with my Student Council (another advisory role) as we plan spirit games, workshops for a district conference, a carnival at the end of the year and prepare to put in a bid to host a conference (because I can sleep when I'm dead....)
I've been working out almost every day - including: Zumba x3/week; Treadmill and/or Rowing at least x3/week
And I must mention my fabulous little girl who deserves every free moment I can give her, and probably 10x more.

And now, I must get to that writing I've spoke of a bit.
Until next time!

#fierce

#YABootCamp

 

 

#EnoughSaid

 

 

This is so beyond amazing. Here's to my team - let's rock!

#YAbootcamp Goals!!!!

Drop!

I said drop and give me 2000 words!!

My wonderful and always wise critique partner advised that I should give this a try, and I whole heartedly agree. I like goals. I'm laughing as I write that because it sounds almost comical to say, but it's the truth, and to have my accountability out there for everyone to see... while the idea is startling and definitely intimidating, I believe it will be beneficial for me!

So! My goals are actually quite easily stated:

1. I want to edit and revise my Nano2012 novel into a working semi polished complete draft.

Right now, there are some major plot holes that I'm very aware of, but too afraid to approach for fear of falling in, and it has all the natural and expected errors of a first draft written in less than a month.

2. I want to give Nano2012 an actual working title, which has to this point eluded me.

I have a third writerly goal that I believe is as equally important as the above mentioned even if it doesn't directly reflect my own writing:

3. To work with and help my critique partner refine and hone all her awesomeness so she can start the query process.

 

*takes a deep breath*  *hits publish*

I'm not dead... I swear!!

It is sad - truly and inexcusably sad how poorly I've managed this blog, and I realize that this will for some, appear to reflect how seriously I am taking my writing. This, my friends, is not the case.

There isn't really a clear cut reason why I haven't updated my blog, but it is going to change. I am going to make a more consistent effort to make my presence known as I work through edits and revisions of a novel I had drafted during Nanowrimo 2012 (more on that in the next post)

*cue eerie child voice* I'm baaaaaack!