 my current notebook For the past 2 years I have been editing and refining book 2 in The Netah series. It has been a slog and exhilarating in equal parts. In between rounds of that, I worked on pre-writing book 3. I know what the general setting and action will include, so can write many pages that flesh out those ideas. This is what those in the trade call "word vomiting." It's a way to tap the creative cortex, turn off the editor/critic. I love that part. Eventually I realized I needed a stronger conflict and story arc, so set that aside. Now, my pre-writing looks more like me going for walks, staring off into the distance, or writing in my favorite small notebook. No, I'm not goofing off, it's called pre-writing.
Also, the actual writing of book 3 has had to take a back seat to marketing book 2. It's what I signed up for when I chose a hybrid publisher. They were helpful when it came to a manuscript evaluation, cover art, distribution arrangements, and the little details like copyright registration and ISBN numbers. Editing and marketing are my job. I like writing, so the marketing has been fun, especially generating blog posts. I've also had to learn new things, so the little gray cells are getting a workout. The hard part? That would be self-promotion. I was raised to NOT brag. I was taught that it was not polite, but here I am writing an awful lot of "I" sentences. What I've learned is that what looks and often feels like a very solitary occupation, can be moderated by reaching out to my community. How that community is defined has expanded. There are other writers out there, also editors, marketers, not to mention support organizations that offer tips and resources. Friends have recently recommended Alignable and Substack, so I signed up. We'll see where that goes, but so far it seems very friendly. Then there's SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), the Author's Guild, and the Denver Women's Press Club. So, if you get bogged down in your process, maybe it's time to find your people, your community. Maybe you don't have to do it alone. My people are signing up to join me in celebrating the launch of book 2 at my Virtual Party on April 28 at 4 pm Denver time. The more the merrier. There are still spots available, but registration on Eventbrite is required. Don't miss the fun and prizes. Can't wait to see you there!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |