I have finished the edits on "The Pack!" I am ecstatic. All that remains is getting everything together to send off to everyone who will be editing for me.

It's a relief to be done. Now I can concentrate on finding a good literary agent (and sending out mountains of queries).

Nessa is also getting persistent about her own book. Every day, I turn to the notebook I making notes in about her first book, and words just pour out of me.

Occasionally, I hear Nessa and Tristan in my head, their own complete personalities offering ideas and suggestions. It's very interesting and exciting.

Here's to the completion of the first novel!

Current Mood: ecstatic

I'm nearly done with edits for "The Pack." I now have, officially, five beta-readers/editors who've volunteered their time to read the second draft of the book and tell me what needs fixing and what can stand as it is.

Admittedly, I'm a bit nervous about sending it out into the big, bad world and letting people rip it to shreds. But, that's what I'm looking for - non-biased editing. If it sucks, I''m hoping they'll say so. Because, worst case scenario, "The Pack" becomes one of those manuscripts lurking in the bottom drawer of the desk and I move on to Nessa's story.

Nessa, incidentally, has become even more pushy about getting her voice out into the world. I literally have to fight to stop myself from plopping down and writing the first couple chapters of Nessa's story (still no title for it, *sigh*) because I know if I get going on that, I won't ever get my edits done on "The Pack." D'oh!

Nessa - and Tristan, and Quilla, and Lucas, and Quinlan - are all so much more three-dimensional to me. I can see them all much more clearly than my characters in "The Pack." I don't know if that means the story will be stronger, or if it just means I identify with these characters more. Who knows? I am definitely enjoying every visit from Nessa and Co., though.

Right, back to work. I have to feed the puppies and get those edits completed.

Current Mood: optimistic

It's amazing how quickly being sick can put a screeching halt to any editing you'd like to be doing.

I've been down a week straight with a bad headcold, and made it worse today by taking cough syrup that contains codeine (which i did not know when i took it). Since I'm allergic to hydrocodone (the codeine ingredient in the syrup) I've been absolutely miserable today.

However, I did manage to write the first chapter in an as-of-yet untitled book (I've just been calling it "The Nessa Story" in my head). Nessa has been pushing herself at me pretty hard lately, so I imagine she'll be telling her story when I send "The Pack" off for edits from friends and family in February.

Now I'm going to take my sore throat and aching head and lay them down somewhere dark and comfortable.

Current Mood: sick

Despite being in Texas for the weekend, I brought along my laptop and my floppy disks that contain "The Pack" and have been working to tweak it.

I've been working on this book for nearly two months now, though, and specifics are beginning to blend in my mind. I have to keep asking myself, "Did you include this earlier... or did you only think you should include this earlier?"

I'll have to ask my proofreaders to be extra-careful when reading to verify that it all ties together and makes sense.

I think the best thing about proofreaders (besides the obvious catching-of-the-mispelled-words) is the fact that you have someone who can ask you questions. Mandy - who has been proofreading my stuff since we met as little fifteen-year-olds - never fails to ask me the important questions about a story and send me spiralling in a new direction that always strengthens what I'm writing.

Therefore, I encourage my proofreaders (you know who you are) to make notes in the margins of the manuscripts they'll be getting in a couple months. If something seems wrong, make a note of it. If something is unexplained or seems to jump out of left field, make a note of it.

I suppose I'll have to keep all this in mind when I write the letter with instructions for the manuscript. Oh, dear, oh, dear... so many things on my mind! And all the other stories are clamouring for their turn to be written. It almost feels like being the belle of a ball... if you're a nerdy author, that is.

Current Location: Bowie, Texas
Current Mood: spazzy

Last night, the writing bug bit - hard. I was crawling into bed after an exhausting day at work when I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to change in one scene of "The Pack."

I dragged myself out of bed around 12:45 a.m. It was 5:30 a.m. before I got back into bed. In the four hours between, I added and edited and made some serious changes. I also realized I was heading down the wrong path with Maddy's mother. The alcoholism stays, but I don't want her quite as destroyed as I've made her. So, one whole character who will have to be rewritten. Whoops!

After that late-night writing session, I guess it was good I didn't work today... otherwise, I would have been completely useless.

As it is, I need to get to sleep right now if I've any hope of making it through the eight-hour day of work I have tomorrow, plus a two-and-a-half hour drive down to Texas.

Not to worry - I am taking my laptop with me. I can't stop writing when the plot is making itself so clear to me!

Current Mood: creative

Last night, while putting away some containers of food for the dogs in the garage freezer, I managed to slam my left ring-finger in the door to the house.

It was a rather solid, terrible slam. On the pad of my finger are three huge lacerations where the skin was literally peeled off, and two smaller cuts. The pad is darkly bruised, and the nail is an interesting blue-purple color, as well.

Now that it's morning (and the nerves have stopped singing "Ave Maria" in an off-key squeal) I can type with my index and middle finger of that hand. My ring and pinkie I am keeping clear of the keys.

I'm trying not to let this slow me down on the editing, but the pain is rather distracting, and the fact that I'm very worried if I get too involved in adding to a scene, I'll forget my finger and type with it, which will definitely exacerbate the pain.

As if I didn't have enough work-related road blocks, right?

Tags: edits, pain, road blocks, stupidity
Current Mood: cranky/hurt

I think I can safely say I will never work another retail job. The hours are long, the work is hard, and when I get home I'm usually too exhausted to do more than eat and collapse into bed.

This is leaving me painfully little time to actually work on my edits, which I find extremely upsetting. After all, why write a book if you aren't going to complete it? The hours I put into creating "The Pack" will just be flushed away if I don't follow through and do my edits.

I'm glad this retail job is only seasonal. I am going to start looking for something else in the next few weeks and get my applications out probably the week before Christmas.

How frustrating to have so little energy to do what I want to do because I've been forced to do what I have to do.

Tags: edits, road blocks, work
Current Mood: exhausted

As I'm working on the first round of edits, I suddenly realized that one very important thing was missing from "The Pack." As soon as I realized it, I went in and added it... and suddenly, things are flowing along quite well.

Who knew adding one more character could really improve things that much?

In other news, I am finding it hard to work through the first round of edits simply because it's a struggle to get enough free time to actually sit down and read through the book! I imagine once I finish the first round, I'll have to dive immediately back in and start the second round if I've any hope of getting this book sent to a publisher by spring.

Tags: edits, the pack
Current Mood: busy

I managed to wrap up "The Pack" today, meaning that I've gotten everything from "PROLOGUE" to "THE END" typed. Now begins the fun of my first edits.

There are huge chunks I want to add, and huge chunks I want to remove. This will probably take me a day or two to do these first, initial edits. Then I'll print the book off and start sticky-noting things. For example, when I refer to Lani's eyes as topaz blue, do I make sure that I follow through with that throughout the book, or do I drift off into light blue or dark blue (neither of which really describes the incandescent color of topaz).

It's a long process of verifying that I don't contradict myself with anything I've written in the past couple of months (from the inception to the initial note-taking flurry to the actual writing of the novel).

There are a few scenes I know I rushed; I'll have to go back in and carefully rearrange them, add things and subtract things and give them the old spit-and-polish treatment. Plus, there are parts of the book that I feel are painfully ambiguous. I want to solidify those so there's no confusion as to where the book is heading as we slog toward "THE END."

But, overall, I'm feeling good about "The Pack." It's not where I want it to be, but the first draft of writing is over. Now I can move on to first edits, second edits, third edits... and the fun of sending copies to Mandy and Alli, the two wonderful ladies who've volunteered to edit the book for readability.

I'm going to have to invest in printer ink - there are going to be copies of this book floating all over the place before long.

Tags: edits, the pack
Current Mood: cheerful

Well, here we are at the opening of a new journal.

The purpose of this journal is to keep you, the reader, informed of the steps in my noveling career. This is the place I can post information on the progress of books and book edits, the search for an agent and editor, and the schedule of publication.

So, feel free to hop on board and follow along. I can't guarantee that the ride won't be bumpy, but I can say that it is going to be interesting.

Current Mood: calm