Happy Wednesday!
My friend and client Rachelle Ayala recently published her Biblical romance Michal's Window on Amazon. She's doing this awesome giveaway where if you purchase the book before Saturday 11:59 pm, March 3, 2012, then you can be entered into a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card. It's a wonderful and touching book, so you won't be disappointed. Click here for more details on Rachelle's blog.
My review of Stephen King's On Writing is up on Surrounded by Books Reviews. I enjoyed reading it for the most part. Some advice is golden with the "read a lot and write a lot." I loved the idea of creating your own toolbox to carry in with you with writing. And I really needed the reminder that first drafts should be written with the door closed (and Ideal Reader in mind) and second drafts are written with the door open. Too often I write with the door open, and then nothing gets written. I disagree with his opinion on plotters. It may be because I'm a plotter, but it's how I work and typically see a novel. It's very rare that I start a story without knowing where I'm going, and when I do that, it turns into a hot mess. I also found his views on literary agents antiquated. Then again, a lot has happened in a decade plus.
The Amazon Breakout Novel Award (ABNA) announced its top 1,000 in each category (YA and Adult) from the 5,000 entries last Thursday. They go on the pitch alone. A lot of cool blogger buddies got in. Yay! I did not for Starred. I was a little bummed not to get in with my cool blogger buddies, but at the same time, I'm relieved too. It gives me a chance to really fix the novel I wrote and edited in 21 days.
So March is almost upon us. Besides finishing up my A to Z Challenge posts (26 days of flash fiction set in my fantasy world of Foxwick), I'll be editing The Phoenix Prophetess. If you look to your left in this post, that's the cover art for my A to Z Flashes of Foxwick. Thank you, Aubrie!! I plan to self-pub it in April during the A to Z Challenge, and it'll include a bonus short story from Women of Foxwick (forthcoming 2012). Although I'm really enjoying my space fantasy/sci-fi/space opera (whatever you want to call it), I'm looking forward to delving into some fantasy for a couple months. When I finish Fighting Gravity, I am also going to let it sit for a few weeks before I go back to editing it for its publication on May 1st.
And if you haven't signed up for the A to Z Challenge yet, you should. Go here, now!
Oh, did you know that March is National Novel Editing Month (NaNoEdMo)? Yeah, I found out yesterday. You edit for 50 hours throughout the month, so I signed up. It should be easy for a professional editor, shouldn't it?
I also have new reviews of Defying Gravity and Once Upon a December Nightmare up on Goodreads. Rusty Webb calls Defying Gravity "very guy-friendly" and Christine Rains has called Once Upon a December Nightmare "a nail-biting suspense."
So what are you working on?
17 comments:
I did not know March was editing month. I'm just not with the editing process these days.
I forgot about NaNoEdMo! Not this year since I'm taking the month off.
I enjoyed Stephen King's ON WRITING, but agree with you that his opinion on plotters is a little harsh. I'm a plotter, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I didn't know editing had it's own month. I'm editing now and hope to be finished soon. I might search around for something else that needs editing though.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and for the follow :-)
That's a great cover for Flashes of Foxwick. Who did that for you?
I like your theme for the Challenge. And there is no way I could write without an outline. I'd end up in Tibet somewhere.
I really should push myself for NaNoEdMo and then maybe I'll finish the first round of revisions of WFR on time! I think you'll have no problem doing it. You could do it in a week! I love that cover. So gorgeous. It's nice to have a guy's opinion to know DG is guy-friendly. :)
Even if you didn't get into ABNA Cherie for Starred, you shall always be a great writer in my book.
Stephen King's On Writing was helpful and inspiring to me. I agree with your take on his advice.
Your theme for the A-Z Challenge will add a colorful stop on the blog tour!
Now I must check out the National Novel Editing Month. Thanks for the heads up.
Thank you Cherie. I learned a lot from you about writing and grammar. You're the best!!!
Aw, I'm sorry about STARRED, Cherie. But you've got a stellar attitude! Congrats!
I've been meaning to read S.King's "On Writing" for a while now, but my own writing always seems to be getting in the way. I'm a big panster. I sit and then just start writing. I usually have a main idea of the scene and setting, but the end of the book doesn't usually happen until the last few chapters and everything falls into place.
Sorry you didn't get in the ABNA... I didn't enter this year. Editing month hey... I could do with a month of just straight editing:)
Sorry you didn't get in the ABNA... I didn't enter this year. Editing month hey... I could do with a month of just straight editing:)
Sorry you didn't get in the ABNA... I didn't enter this year. Editing month hey... I could do with a month of just straight editing:)
I love the cover for your A to Z Flashes of Foxwick! (And the alliteration!) I would maybe make the title stand out a little more, but the picture is gorgeous. Has a wonderful fantasy feel to it :-)
I found On Writing really helpful. I'm off to see your official review.
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