Goals and progress toward them

I finally got something done on this darn ending. It's this big multi-part fight scene and it scares me half silly (it's complicated). But I finally sat down and got through the first part of it. I'm finding if I break it into pieces to revise it, it makes more sense.

I'm Really trying to get both the action and what's going on between the three characters present right. If I don't get what's going on with the characters, it's not going to work. Everything I've set up has built up to this and it has to deliver on so many things at once it makes my head hurt.

I need to keep reminding myself that once this gets done, I just need to sweep it for minor stuff, let my betas look at it and get going on a different project. I'm also at the point where I think I'll bribe myself to "just do it". That usually works when I'm this stuck.

Anyway, good luck everyone!

that little facebook self-shaming gimmick worked again for me tonight. i wrote 1,399 words, not counting the couple of hundred i wrote earlier in the afternoon.

I am in the process of looking for a competent editor for my novel. It's daunting to say the least!


I've narrowed down my choices to my horror novels. Horror,oh my beloved darkling,isn't what's hot in the publishing streets these days. But I love the genre and figure self publishing is the way to go.

I am quite unsure about pricing. I'll have a look at books on Amazon in the genre are priced to get a feel for things.

Well, I self-pubbed two shorts, half-way through writing another one, revising a novel, and have another short in planning stages. Just trying to get up more content by November.
We'll see how this goes!

Selling some titles of The War Gate on Amazon. Yay!

I'm pressing through with an extensive edit on The Girl They Sold to the Moon. I've got hundred pages done, and about 150 to go. This is a good revamp of what editors have suggested I change and revise. So it'll be productive and reap some dividends.

tri

Things are looking up on the editing front.

I've worked out a rough budget and checked out the Society For Editors&Proofreaders website. I've assembled an equally rough list of people I want to contact.

My glorious ambition to be published by a certain time frame is quite over. I have set up a more reasonable time frame,lol.

I am also going back over the novel. I swear word count is my nemesis. I shall conquer it.

At least,I hope so!

Good luck and happy writing to y'all!

I have two writing-related goals:

1. Complete edits on my first WIP and write a good enough query to get at least one partial request (though, I wouldn't be disappointed for a request for a full or an offer of representation, of course )

2. I want to complete the first draft of my second WIP by Christmas. So far, I've written 7,500 words of a projected 55,000 words.

I shall keep you all posted

- Michael

Well, I have the final editing done, so my goal now is to self-publish as eBooks the three fantasy novellas that are sitting in front of me. Hopefully by the end of the week. Just got to sort out the formatting for Smashwords/KDP, create the author pages and all that. Then sit back and watch the money roll in. Or maybe work my ass off to get the word out and watch the downloads stay flat. Whichever...

I set a goal of publishing my debut thriller, and today, I did just that.

My next goal is to get a second novel out in time for Christmas.

Or maybe work my ass off to get the word out and watch the downloads stay flat. Whichever...

Heh, heh. More like that one.

tri

Ultimate Goal: Get the first paranormal romance novel up on Createspace. It's been up on Kindle for months. I am also considering a large print version.

Secondary Goal: Between 1-2K on the romantic suspense.

So close to being done on my W.I.P! Now I just need to brush the cobwebs off my editor hat...

merrihiatt said:

Good luck, Calle. I, too, have considered offering my novels in large print. I'm still in the "thinking about it" stage.

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Thanks. I am waiting on the proof copy, now. I decided to go ahead and put all of my current titles in LP over the next month or so. There's not a huge number of LP paranormals on Amazon right now, especially reasonably priced paperbacks, so I'm anxious to see how it works out. I plan on putting all my releases out in LP from here on out.

It took a bit of reformatting, and I did a different 'color-schemed' cover, with an LP label as well, but overall it took about the same amount of time as prepping the regular paperback.

I want to write at least 2000 words today. I've been slacking off recently and I have a sequel to finish. My deadline (set by myself) is draft by 30th Sep. Completed manuscript by 1st Dec.

Music is on. Fingers moving along computer keyboard. It's on!

Skyler West said:

I set a goal of publishing my debut thriller, and today, I did just that.

My next goal is to get a second novel out in time for Christmas.

Click to expand...

Congratulations! I just got my first novelette published today on Amazon, too. Here we go...

Smile Steady said:

Congratulations! I just got my first novelette published today on Amazon, too. Here we go...

Click to expand...

Thanks! Great to hear! Let us know how you get on. It's not easy, but once you get those first buys, it feels amazing.

Tossing my hat into the goals thread.

I've finished a short story. I've edited it within an inch of its life. The betas have had their whack at it, then another round of edits.

I'm playing with Guido Henkel's formatting guide and almost have it formatted like I want and am now trying to research what other information I should include inside. I have an idea of my price points. I know where I'm going to upload for distribution. My next story is in the wings ready to start the editing process, a third is on the planning platform. I have my trusty (and flexible) schedule of publishing.

I have read all the threads, I've talked to people who are knowledgeable. I have no preconceived notions of insta-success. I'm ready for the long haul.

I'm ready for this. I'm ready!

...why are my palms sweating?

I'm not ready! *wails* I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!

I am totally flapping around. But here's my hat in the goals thread.

Both my major outstanding novels are in the able hands of a publisher. So there's time on my hands. I'm putting together a collection of short stories to self-publish in paperback because my daughter has a store that sells books among other things, and when she read some of the stories she said she could sell the books if all the stories were about unusual people, things, and events and if I could have it ready in time for the Halloween season.

I'm using Createspace. Turns out that a book with fewer than 101 pages can't have any spine text, and mine is only 94 pages, so I'm finishing up one more story to fill out the page count. A book in a small bookstore needs a spine title, I'm told.

The story's almost finished it had been sitting in my todo bin with some text and some notes. I'm furiously hammering away at it. There won't be time for beta readers, so I have my fingers crossed.

ETA: One of the stories was a reject for the AW speculative fiction anthology last year, and another was 4th place in the western story competition that they ran here. I knew I'd find a market.

Less then a chapter to go and this round of revisions are done!

Then I just need to clean things up and Sealer's Promise can finally go to beta readers. I'm hoping to have it ready for betas by Monday. I'm sure there will be stuff that needs fixing but hopefully the most difficult revision will be behind me. (There were huge changes needed. It's taken me longer to revise then it took to write. But I'm quite happy with it overall.) Still needs some eyes that aren't attached to the brain that dreamed it up, though. A story can always improve.

I'm really excited right now. I can't believe I've gotten this far. (I'm not good at finishing things. This has been a tremendous challenge.)