My Work is Never Done Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.

KristiJ

Registered
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
41
Reaction score
5
Location
Houston, TX
Website
kristimjones.com
Hi shameless...I'm the opposite. I write full time while the kids are in school and then usually take summers "off", but this year I'm swamped! So no break.I feel for teachers...we're lucky to have great schools, but I know they put up with a lot of crap from parents. I always try to let them know they are appreciated, so sending you a pat on the back! :) enjoy your full time summer writing job! Looks like it's going to be successful!
 

Deb Kinnard

Banned
Flounced
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
311
Location
Casa Chaos
Website
www.debkinnard.com
Well, you have MY respect, Sandy! I was in an education major until I saw the bright light and got the heck out of it.

Working on: 1905 romance, sporadically. Playing with an idea of an illegitimate daughter of Galileo. Buffing/polishing my "you cannot sell this" book to take direct to reader via Kindle or the like. Awaiting edits on the first book of the Faith Box series...which my publisher informs me, will GO TO PRINT! Among the first for this pub, so I'm tickled pink.
 

shameless

Superlative Type A
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 23, 2008
Messages
1,247
Reaction score
194
Location
West of somewhere and a click south of nowhere
Website
www.sandy-james.com
Hi shameless...I'm the opposite. I write full time while the kids are in school and then usually take summers "off", but this year I'm swamped! So no break.I feel for teachers...we're lucky to have great schools, but I know they put up with a lot of crap from parents. I always try to let them know they are appreciated, so sending you a pat on the back! :) enjoy your full time summer writing job! Looks like it's going to be successful!


Thanks,Kristi!! Hope to log a lot of words before the dreaded August rolls around. :D
 

shameless

Superlative Type A
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 23, 2008
Messages
1,247
Reaction score
194
Location
West of somewhere and a click south of nowhere
Website
www.sandy-james.com
Well, you have MY respect, Sandy! I was in an education major until I saw the bright light and got the heck out of it.

Working on: 1905 romance, sporadically. Playing with an idea of an illegitimate daughter of Galileo. Buffing/polishing my "you cannot sell this" book to take direct to reader via Kindle or the like. Awaiting edits on the first book of the Faith Box series...which my publisher informs me, will GO TO PRINT! Among the first for this pub, so I'm tickled pink.

Thanks, Deb!! And that sounds like a fantastic historical story!! :snoopy:
 

Dreadful Romantic

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
81
Reaction score
7
Location
Toronto
The first book I'm publishing is being edited and I'm looking for a cover artist. I'm 35,000 words into its sequel (out of a planned 70,000) and I'll have that first draft finished by Canada Day. Between that, I'm making notes for a new standalone novel.
 

Deb Kinnard

Banned
Flounced
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
311
Location
Casa Chaos
Website
www.debkinnard.com
DR, what are you looking for in the way of cover art? I know an artist who's going to be the artist guest of honor at an upcoming SF convention. PM me if you're interested in her contact information.
 

Nightmelody

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
306
Reaction score
16
Location
Wyoming high desert
Since my self published scifi rom did more in sales in 3 weeks than anything else in 5 years, I decided to self publish the rest of the series. One next month, one in the fall, one in December, and maybe a bundle, maybe print. We'll see.

Book two was done in rough draft, so am cleaning it up this weekend for editor. Others are started or planned.

Also think I'll do a steampunk Christmas story for Amazon.

So those are my plans as of today.
 

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
16,441
Reaction score
1,529
Location
between rising apes and falling angels
Website
www.cranehanabooks.com
Way to go, Nightmelody. I'm considering self-publishing for some of my work, so keep us posted on your progress.

I turned in the latest round of edits on the romance, and I'd love to start in on the sequel. But there's a big fat fantasy epic needing revisions first.
 

elindsen

Zombie lovin'
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
6,219
Reaction score
379
Location
somewhere between hell and back
Website
www.augustkert.blogspot.com
I only have about 2k left of a novella I'm working on. Then a round of copyediting and off to betas it goes. It's a supernatural urban fantasy. I was nervous about the ending because my characters hadn't told me how they wanted it to end. It hit me yesterday. There are romantic elements, but it isn't straight romance. So there isn't going to be a HEA. I'm planning the sequel which I have so many ideas for. I'm excited about this one.
 

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
2,163
Reaction score
176
Location
UK
Website
beckyblack.wordpress.com
Well I was just jogging along working on a revise and resubmit edit, trying not to put too much pressure on myself. I had a couple of other drafts awaiting their turn at editing. One, the first in a series (I hope), I'd done the high level editing on, added new scenes, done some rewriting, and decided on chapters, and was planning to get to that next for the final line editing, but hey, no rush. Get the R&R done first, then work on that series book over a couple of months. Then do the synopsis and query. Hey, maybe by September it will be ready to go.

Then I got the info for the UK Romantic Novelists Association summer conference that I'm going to in July. And what do I see, but one of the speakers is editing director at one of the publishers I was planning to submit the series book to. And is offering ten minute pitch sessions to authors.

Well I can't miss that opportunity, can I? So that meant I had to get the synopsis done and chapter 1 polished to send, and now want to have the full ready for conference in mid July.

So going from editing one book to no particular deadline, I'm now editing two, one of them, all 90k words of it, in a month. I ended all my Scrabble and Words with Friends games on Facebook. I banned myself from TV Tropes and Cracked.com and suchlike time-sucking sites. I try not to go on Twitter or You Tube for too long. Cut down on the blogs I read. etc. I'm not even here on Absolute Write very often.

I can do it, but so much for no pressure!
 

c.m.n.

Beary cute ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
4,453
Reaction score
215
Location
supernebragilistic expialidocious
I'm currently working on another rewrite and am going to finish the WIP. It looks to be close to novel length, my longest project so far.

Later this month or next, I'll have massive edits from 2 publishers. So I need to get things done now, hehe.
 

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
2,163
Reaction score
176
Location
UK
Website
beckyblack.wordpress.com
This thread has had a rest for a couple of months - time to bring it back and see what everyone is up to.

I've just sent back the first round of edits for my fourth novel with Loose Id. I'm working on the edits of the next submission and I have one out on submission I'm waiting to hear back from. Oh, and I'm working on the outline for the next draft to do. Multitasking to the max!

Oh and I did get that one edited in time for the pitch session at the conference I was talking about above. That's the one on submission - with that publisher.

So, what are you all up to? How many projects are you juggling? How hilarious is it when you see writer characters on TV and they are working on just one novel or screenplay?
 

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
16,441
Reaction score
1,529
Location
between rising apes and falling angels
Website
www.cranehanabooks.com
Hi, Becky. I laugh when I see writers in the media stuck on solitary projects. Yes, I have one large project I keep attacking, but lots of others take the sting away when that one goes nowhere.

I've got four big projects and several shorts at the moment:

The 70K m/m/f sequel to my debut erotic romance. A 30K - 40K short m/m novel set in the same universe with side characters from the first book. A 60K - 70K m/m standalone space opera inspired by Joan Vinge's THE SNOW QUEEN. My 25K - 30K m/m attempt at mining some of my old fan fiction into an original standalone novella or short novel. In short fiction, I want to do a m/f erotica piece for an AW anthology, and two mainstream sf&f pieces.

This doesn't count all the art projects I've taken on for the fall: 18 fiber art awards ribbons for a regional art fair (my ribbons are now selling points for entering artists!), jewelry for gallery orders, and book arts sculptures for three fine-craft galleries.

I'll be busy.
 

VanessaNorth

Purple hair, not prose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
617
Reaction score
93
Location
Atlanta-ish (NW Georgia, y'all!)
Website
www.vanessanorth.com
I agree, Filigree. I have my Little Wing thing always going on, but other stuff also always going on.

I keep looking at my release schedule and wondering when I'm going to get hit with all the edits in the world at once. Until then I keep writing. I just wrapped up the first draft of an MM paranormal which, after revision, should be about 25k.

Waiting for FLE's on the first Usher book, waiting for content edits on the second Usher book (45k), Shifter's dance (22k), Fight or flight (38k), and the third Usher book (45k). Luckily, the third Usher book isn't releasing until March. Everything else is releasing before the end of the year, so I'm a little terrified.

Also plotting a sequel of sorts to Two in Winter. It isn't exactly a sequel, in that it doesn't follow the mythology at all and isn't a continuation of the same story, but it takes two of the characters from TiW and follows through to their own HEA.

And the Bug books. The bug books are temporarily on hold while I gripe and moan about plotting three concurrent novels. It's a little much at times, the fugue-like structure and I keep needing to walk away. :(
 

Silver-Midnight

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 19, 2011
Messages
4,910
Reaction score
279
Location
rising from the depths of a cup of coffee
Right now, I'm juggling two projects. One is an Urban Fantasy Romance that I'm working on. I haven't really written in it in a while though. I should probably do that soon. I'm also at 10K, if not a little past it. I have no idea when I'm going to finish it.

The second project is like a PNR/UF Romance thing. It was supposed to be a short story, but I'm thinking it's going to be a novelette or a small novella. I just hope I get done with it soon. This what I'm really working on right now.

And truthfully, I'm debating on what I should do with both of them. Ugh.
 

VanessaNorth

Purple hair, not prose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
617
Reaction score
93
Location
Atlanta-ish (NW Georgia, y'all!)
Website
www.vanessanorth.com
Right now, I'm juggling two projects. One is an Urban Fantasy Romance that I'm working on. I haven't really written in it in a while though. I should probably do that soon. I'm also at 10K, if not a little past it. I have no idea when I'm going to finish it.

The second project is like a PNR/UF Romance thing. It was supposed to be a short story, but I'm thinking it's going to be a novelette or a small novella. I just hope I get done with it soon. This what I'm really working on right now.

And truthfully, I'm debating on what I should do with both of them. Ugh.

Oh, why an Ugh? That sounds really promising actually.
 

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
2,163
Reaction score
176
Location
UK
Website
beckyblack.wordpress.com
How hard or easy do you find it to switch quickly between projects? Like you're buzzing along nicely on a draft and bam you get some revisions through from your editor and have to work on them for the next few days. Do you try to at least keep on doing a little work on the draft just to stay in touch with it, or can you quite easily drop it for a week and pick it up again and continue wth the same momentum as before?

I'm getting better at it now after a couple of years practice, but it can be hard to drop something I'm really buzzing with. Usually a draft - editing I can drop and come back to much easier. I usually end up adding lunchtime into my writing schedule and at least getting a few hundred words to kep my hand in until the edits are sent back and I can go full speed ahead again on the draft.
 

VanessaNorth

Purple hair, not prose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 7, 2012
Messages
617
Reaction score
93
Location
Atlanta-ish (NW Georgia, y'all!)
Website
www.vanessanorth.com
How hard or easy do you find it to switch quickly between projects? Like you're buzzing along nicely on a draft and bam you get some revisions through from your editor and have to work on them for the next few days. Do you try to at least keep on doing a little work on the draft just to stay in touch with it, or can you quite easily drop it for a week and pick it up again and continue wth the same momentum as before?

I'm getting better at it now after a couple of years practice, but it can be hard to drop something I'm really buzzing with. Usually a draft - editing I can drop and come back to much easier. I usually end up adding lunchtime into my writing schedule and at least getting a few hundred words to kep my hand in until the edits are sent back and I can go full speed ahead again on the draft.


You know, I don't think I've ever even thought about it? I guess I must switch back and forth pretty easily. I do try to write at least a scene or two every day, even if i'm working on edits too, but i am a pretty thorough plotter/outliner, so i think having that reference makes switching back and forth a little easier.
 

htrent

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
299
Reaction score
18
Location
Colorodda.
Website
www.holleytrent.com
How hard or easy do you find it to switch quickly between projects? Like you're buzzing along nicely on a draft and bam you get some revisions through from your editor and have to work on them for the next few days. Do you try to at least keep on doing a little work on the draft just to stay in touch with it, or can you quite easily drop it for a week and pick it up again and continue wth the same momentum as before?

I try not to just drop a project completely. Momentum is important! Even if it's just a paragraph or page, keeping that fire stoked makes it easier to pick up the pace later.

I'm currently trying to meet a modest daily word count goal for something I want to submit at the end of next month so I'll be working on that while I complete edits for a novel scheduled for September. Meanwhile, I'm also working on a proposal package I want to send out this weekend and outlining a series.

I've trained myself to work this way because this is my only gig. Being prolific means I'm going to always have edits due or promo that needs to be done. The "to-do list" is ever-important for me.
 

Sorin

Rollin' up my sleeves
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 15, 2011
Messages
270
Reaction score
26
Location
In a land where Procrastination is queen
Let's see...

I've got final line edits on Advertising due in a week. I recently finished another set of global revisions on In Production, book two in the series, and just today, my editor asked for a status update on book #3. I'm gong to do one more pass on that one before sending it.

As for new projects, I've got two competing plot bunnies fighting it out in my head right now. One is a stand-alone project, and the other is book 4 in the series. I eventually want to write both, but I don't know which one to write first!
 

Beachgirl

Not easily managed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
3,848
Reaction score
232
Location
On a beach, of course.
I just spent about a week on edits for Black Fire (Panther Key 2) and got them sent back to my editor.

I've been working on the sequel to Runaway Heart, which I promised myself I would have finished by the end of August. Yes, I know...please don't remind me that I only have a couple more hours left to keep that promise. I'm right at the end and I'm having trouble getting from Point X to Point Z. If anyone finds my Point Y, would you please send it my way?

I've got a basic plot buzzing around in my head for the third book in my Panther Key series, but I've only made some very sketchy notes at this point.

Then there's this prophecy-damned souls-redemption story that I started a while back and then buried in a folder after about 8k words. It keeps nagging at me. I keep seeing my male MC looking at me with this really brooding look, like he's thinking "Hey! Damned soul here! What's the hold up?"
 
Status
Not open for further replies.