What I’ve been up to…

So, I know I’ve been a little lost lately, but I’m getting better.  I’ve finally started writing in Seize again. No more writer’s block, and I know how the rest of the book will go, so I suspect it won’t be long before I’ve finished the first draft.  Soon I’ll be posting the rest of the story on Wattpad.  You can find it, Mila’s Shift, and other stories on my Wattpad profile.

I’ve gotten enough reader comments for Mila’s Shift, so I’m going to be started the next draft soon.  Got a lot of useful comments, and I look forward to working out all the issues that were presented.  Mila’s Shift will soon be better than ever.

I plan on Mila’s Shift being the first book I publish now.  I’m hoping to publish it this year, budget allowing.  I made a new Wattpad cover for Mila’s Shift.  Isn’t it pretty?  I would love to be able to publish it in time to be a part of this year’s Comicon in Durham, but my life has been so crazy, I’m not sure if I can put together the funds by then.

I’ve learned a lot from trying to edit Forever After, and I now have a much more concrete plan in place for editing, with a very specific series of drafts to keep things more organized and to keep my brain from imploding from overload.

1. Write the story
2. Copy edit for myself
3. Send to readers for comments on story/conflict/world/characters, make corrections
4. Line editing
5. Rapid read/proofreading
6. Send to beta reader, make corrections
7. Send to editor, make corrections

I’m now on draft 3 for Mila’s Shift.  I’m hoping that this new method (for me) of editing will make things easier, and keep me from getting confused.  I am not good at doing too many types of editing at once.

I wrote 79,855 words in stories in 2014, which was rather pitiful, and most of it was done in October and November (about 72k out of 79k).  I’ve written 9,719 words so far in 2015.  I’ve written about 6k in Seize so far since starting up on that story again.  I feel like I’m finally pulling out of the funk I’ve been in.  I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo twice since it started, but it has been the only real time that I’ve written in that time period.  I feel like that is finally changing.  I’m pretty sure I’ve said that before, and it was true at the time.  I’ve had little bits of myself that have returned to me—little milestones, I guess you could say.  Like when I started reading again, or when I started reading something other than books I’ve read before.  Or when my muse started keeping me up again with her demands—both a blessing and a curse.

I have plans.  I have goals, and I intend to see them completed.  Thanks to those of you who have been with me through this.  Have a wonderful Tuesday.