In which Book #1 grew up a little-

Progress!

This past month has been good and bad writing wise.

Bad in that I haven't written a single new thing/story ALL MONTH. I am dying. I have ideas stacked on ideas inside of my head, and while my cranium is indeed large (I got made fun of in 8th grade when ordering my hat for marching band because my head was so dang huge), there is not room enough in my head for all of this. Must get it out!

Next up in writing: Rewrite and shape Book 3 to get it to a 'sent out to first readers' stage.

Anywho, the month has been good in that I got lots done on prepping Book 1. The synopsis is done (though it's a two pager and if an agent asks for a one page I'll probably respond by crawling into a remote corner at work and moaning something about nausea and impossibility). Query is done. And glory, the first chapter. The first 250 words of your story are critical. And the first few pages are critical. I have torn down chapter one and rebuilt it a dozen times in recent weeks. 

And edits--ah! My online crit partners are fantastic and have given me some great ideas for upping the romance factor in my book by about 40%. It was such a lacking component because the story started in my head as just about her, and there was no love interest (WHAT??), so I had to go back and weave that in. Now, it's not only natural having it in there, it is the story. And oh my, the stuff I've added this month?  Goosies. Absolutely, make you giggle like you're 15, "aww, he's so cute!" goosies. 

Sigh.

Book One has been through the wringer. And every time I stop and think "There. It's good now", I go through it again and find so much to fine tune and tweak, especially when I have outside eyes on it. I've been trimming words like a hairy Italian trims chest hair (or really, the way they should trim their chest hair, because sometimes, let's be honest, guys are way too proud of their chest sweater, er, hair.) 

Feedback from other writers has been so good for me. By far, the best thing I've done in terms of making myself a better writer. I've learned so much since January of this year. Feedback is hard, but excellent. Feedback makes me better. I compared a part in the 'original Final Draft' of Book One that I completed in November to how it reads right now, and OH. MY. The difference. My flabby, thrown together, sweat pants wearing manuscript now has brushed hair and a tidy tank top to tuck into her yoga pants.

For my first novel, I think it's good. I'm proud of it. And I'm querying it, starting tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Hopeful for feedback that can make it even more. 

Love this little story of mine. Love that it gets better, and I get better, every step of this journey.