2011 In Review

This year has been a busy one. In January I started revisions on the YA novel I'd finished back in October 2010. I spent the next few months trudging through that mess and was pretty close to finishing it when I realized I couldn't get past the issues in the novel. It needed to be reworked. It needed a makeover. Badly.

So in May I began rewriting that novel from the beginning. While I was able to keep the main characters, most of the novel was totally scratched. It was terrifying and wonderful at the same time. It felt right. The changes I was making were working, things were making sense and I was falling in love with the characters all over again. It was exactly what I needed.

Once again I spent the next few months writing. I finished the first draft in the summer and have been working on revisions ever since.

Throughout the months I somehow managed to gain several amazing crit partners. They have kept me in check when I freaked out, they've read and re-read scenes and have always been willing to offer suggestions when I needed it most. And most importantly, they've kept me sane. I don't know what I'd do without them and I feel so unbelievably blessed to have them be a part of this journey with me.

Also, I read 95 published books this year. I was aiming for 100, so I'm pretty proud of how close I came.

Oh, and I have a shiny new idea ready and waiting for me once my current WIP is complete. I'm hoping to start that one in earnest sometime in January. Fingers crossed!

Overall, I'd say this has been a great year. I've learned a lot when it comes to writing and as the year is winding down, I'm finding myself grateful for all the ups and downs I've experienced with my novels and characters.

I'd also like to send a very warm thank you to each and every one of you who actually read this blog. I'm still struggling with what to say about writing and myself without just talking about myself all the time. So I appreciate you hanging in there with me.

This is for you:

Here's to hoping that you all have a wonderful and safe New Year!

The Great Re-Write

The journey with my current WIP (work in progress for all of you non-writer types) began one Saturday morning in April as I was washing dishes. I was already working on an adult novel that I was iffy about but was having fun planning out but once this new idea popped into my head, the old book was no longer an option.

I spent the next months writing as much as I could and was thrilled to finish the first rough draft in October. I immediately thought, "Wow! I'm fast! I'll have this book done by the end of the year and start querying and then BAM! I'll have an incredible book deal!"

Luckily, I had the common sense not to send this first draft out without revising it.

Luckily, I took a few months off to really think about where I wanted this story to go.

Luckily, I have some really amazing writing partners and beta readers who have listened to me babble on and on about the story and where it should/could go.

Thanks to them, I am now totally rewriting my WIP. It needed it and I'm happy about it. The only negative thing is that I was about 75% done with revisions to the old version, so I'm essentially starting over. The part stings a little but I am confident that the story will be much better for it.

The lesson I've learned is that as a writer, I need to trust my instincts. I'm glad I did.

Oh, and my writing partners deserve a very large gift when this book is actually finished.