We’ve recovered from our hangovers. Get ready for some news, bitches.
I meant to get this news out in individual posts before New Years, but that never happened. I blame my tardiness partly on holiday preparations, but it was mostly the coma-like state induced by excessive eating and champagne consumption. So here’s a round-up of the latest news from my little place in this world.
New Reviews for The Wrong David
I was surprised to see two new reviews for The Wrong David. I still feel awed (and terrified) when I find out someone read my book. And I’m stupefied whenever I receive a review, especially 5 stars. I am both humbled and flattered because Max Tomlinson is a highly respected author of noir, dark fiction, thrillers, and Sue Archer runs one of my favorite blogs on writing and editing called Doorway Between Worlds. I thank these reviewers from the bottom of my heart. (These were unsolicited reviews)
New Victims for Writers Roast
I have two brave writers willing to be skewered for the Writers Roast. Amanda Mabry will be put over the hot coals first. She’s an “author and bibliophile, redeeming villains and scandalizing saints one chapter at a time…” She submitted a chapter from her fantasy WIP that I really enjoyed reading and you will too.
My next carne asada (as we call it here in Panama) will be Doug Stuber, “a visiting professor of English at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea.” He requested to be served “with a nice reduced glaze, a side of salt potatoes and pickelled garlic on the side.” I’ll see if I can manage that.
My winners will tell you…
coffee tastes better in a mug with a naked lunatic on it. This took place before Christmas, so I have no excuse for failing to announce my winners for the Mad Genius coffee mug contest. Please, accept my apologies. Congrats to Kim Whaley and Cecil Parsons!
Kim Whaley is my #1 fan on My Sweet Delirium’s Facebook page. She’s been there from the beginning and says she enjoys all the inspirational and funny posts and quotes. Thanks for your support, Kim!
When Cecil Parsons received his mug he tweeted, “I love it and it enhances my coffee flavor.” He also said he was fighting to keep the co-workers from stealing it. I was surprised to hear this, since blogger buddy/beta reader, Charlotta Amato, says my crazy naked man (whom I’ve named Figment) “scares the hell out of her.” I think I’ll take a poll to make sure he’s not frightening people away from my fanpage.
I have another really cool prize coming up this month, so stay tuned and make sure you like Sweet D’s fanpage to participate.
The Sculptor is Finished, Kind of…
I vowed to have my third full length novel done before Thanksgiving, but travel and business prevented me from keeping my promise to myself. I left my poor heroine, Ona, in an excruciating position and felt terribly guilty for abandoning her while I was off living real life.
Read 7 lines from the third book.
After a two-month hiatus, I finally sat down and wrote the ending. I considered it a present to myself on Christmas morning. Although it felt good to get it overwith, the final moment was sort of an anti-climax. After being away from my characters and story for so long, I didn’t feel like I did them justice.
This is not only the ending of the book, but the ending of the whole series, and I intended to build up everything to a such an emotional crescendo that I’d leave the reader bawling their eyes out. As of now, I think it faded out more like a hot fart, but oh, well. That’s part of writing.
At least I know I can write novels and finish them. Now it’s time to learn how to revise. I’m dreading this part. With three books in their crudest forms, where do I begin? Fellow writers, any help is greatly appreciated! I have no idea when I’ll be publishing these babies. Maybe by Christmas 2015? In the meantime, you will enjoy more posts involving Kristine Poole, my amazing sculpture consultant.
I know there was more stuff I forgot to tell you…
…but I can’t remember right now. Let me know if I left anything unresolved and share your New Year News below!
Also, please share any revision resources or tips. I have a huge mess to clean up here.
Stay classy.
I had no idea you were already published – just ordered The Wrong David.
Oh! Thanks, Debbie. I hope you enjoy it. I published it all by myself. Here’s an article I wrote about the experience if you’re curious 🙂 http://wp.me/p4qRsP-5u
Glad you will take a break. Some times when you get brain overload, writing becomes clouded with too much “stuff”. After your mini get a way, you can then go back to your story with a clear head. Worked for Wendy.
Have a shot of Red Stag, with that wine.
Do the words match the pictures in your head? I write visually. I’m not clever enough to wrap a single thought in paragraphs of gobble and smirk at my (nit) wit. Getting it into the laptop using flashes of images is often how it starts but when I go back (and go back I will) and re-read it before writing more I slow down and let the pictures form and move behind the eyeballs. That’s where the icky stuff pops out.
Twisting twists and heart pounding endings birth from pure talent or luck or a little of both. It’s the hardest part and has to come to me while driving or listening to Allison Krause or while swimming my laps. More than once I have sloshed back to the lanai and dripped all over the chair to get at the computer. Get it while the gettin’s good.
Something I’ve done when not totally satisfied with an ending (the way you describe) is take the vacation Roseann suggested and then schedule some time to just read through your own work – no note-taking, no changes allowed yet. If you just have to, put tick marks in places that really bug you. By the time you get to the end, you might see where your flagging energy starts to show and know what you want to do to fix it.
It’s very nice to see you here on my blog, Wendy.
I think I’ll take a small break, like you two suggested. Then I’ll leisurely read through all of them, noting the lame areas, but not getting into a full overhaul until I’m done.
Thanks for your advice and for stopping by!
I do have a good idea. After you clean up your “mess”. Take a 3 day mental vacation. No writing, no thinking, no working. Just sleep, have some wine, sit and look at the volcano, watch some movies and just la la la, for a couple of days.
You are always full of good ideas (some outrageous ideas, too). I think I’ll take your advice 🙂