Rewards and Writing

What will I reward myself with upon my 22nd rejection? Where I mention #momswritersclub Youtube channel! #100rejections #amwriting #WritingCommunity

New parent, must write: Author toolbox post

This parenting thing is relentless and I am only 20 weeks in. Duh, right? Well, somehow I am finding time to write. It’s different now. My resolve is bound to the conviction that if I quit doing something I love …

Q & A with Author/Editor: Michael Mohr

“The more you write the more you’ll discover your own voice. That’s key. ”

Revisions: Homestretch

Today’s post will be super short. I need to save all of my energy for revisions and a short road trip we are taking this weekend.

I’m in the home stretch of my latest round of edits for my current work in progress. I only have about 50 pages left to edit, but they are the ones that need the MOST work! I know this and still, I procrastinate!

I feel a little like this turtle . . .

I wonder if I will ever truly get there. I don’t want to rush it, but I’m also starting to feel like it’ll never feel quite done, but maybe that’s common for most writers? Somehow I doubt I’m alone.

“If you get to the point where you can’t make a book any better, but no one wants to publish it, set it aside and start something else. In two years or five or ten, you might be a better writer, and you might find you are willing and able to make it better. You can take only what you want or need from the original drafts, and leave the rest.” – From: How Do You Know When Your Book Is Finished? The Blunt Instrument on How to Begin and When to End

I still love my first officially “finished” novel and the quote really puts that into perspective. I learned so much from writing it, but I lost steam and had to set it aside after a long time and many rejections.

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Blogging in 2018 & when your title might not work anymore

So, I think I’m going to start blogging again (let me know if you think it’s a mistake)! I’ll try for one post per week and see if that is sustainable. I’ve just finished my second novel (well, will it ever really be finished?). For now, I’m into writing shorter pieces and thinking about future bigger projects.

Image by Rebecca Stanek in Flikr Creative Commons.

In the coming months, I’ll be mostly revising my novel and sending out queries to agents and then small presses. I’m giving myself a limit on how many agents I sub to before I send to small presses. I made the mistake of sending my first novel out to too many agents and then I stopped sending to small presses. I was getting some bites too! This business is all about perseverance, but sometimes you need to know when to change your tack, right?

At the moment my current project is called LANA BONG’S SHANGHAI MARKET, but I don’t think the title fits the content anymore. However, I LOVE that title! It’s mine though, you can’t use it :).

Other writing ideas floating around in my brain:

1. Book of short stories and narrative non-fiction centered around Ohio. Pick up a copy of Midwestern Gothic to read my narrative non-fiction piece, Whispers. Sorry, shameless self-promotion right there!
2.  Chapbook – Not sure how to organize this, but I’ve always loved them. I’m into eclectic collections, but I’m not sure if my tastes are what readers want. Will do some research.
3.  Novel #3 in the style of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. What I mean when I say this is that there is a definite narrator sitting down with the reader to tell the story of someone else’s life and how they relate to it. I like the distant feel, but also the lens in which the story is told, from someone else’s perspective (so trusting the narrator is a big deal).

What I need from you, dear reader:

Please help me with this title conundrum. What do you do when you discover your FAVORITE title doesn’t work anymore? I’d love to hear from writers who have a similar problem or any suggestions from non-writers as well. Anything helps!

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