Skip to main content

setting goals



I wrote my first Paranormal Romance Novel over a year ago. It just flowed out of me as if someone stood behind me whispering the words into my ear as I transcribed them onto the page. I finished the first draft in less than three months.

Unfortunately, I've been editing and rewriting it ever since and can't seem to get to a point where I feel it's ready for submission. I've worked on it to the point of hating it. 

With the help of a word processor I'm no longer forced to write six or seven drafts of a manuscript. I just edit and revise in my program adding, subtracting, and substituting words until I am happy with the sounds they make together. I'd say I'm at the equivalent of about the twentieth draft by now. 

The book is over 70,000 words. The story is all there. But I'm still not satisfied. 

I've worked it to death. 

So I've set a deadline to quit working on it. If it's not any good by the end of the deadline that's okay, I'm done with it, until it's rejected or the publisher tells me how the hell to fix it. 

I set a goal of 31 days to finish –starting yesterday. My goal is to finish editing and polishing as much as I can –at least one chapter and hopefully several chapters a day. At the end of the day I'm going to print out the chapters I've finished and go on to the next chapter the following day. I'm hoping to complete this cycle before the end of my allotted time.  

When I've printed the entire book I'm handing it over to my beta readers. As soon as I get their feedback I'll make any minor adjustments needed and then it's off to the publisher. 

In the meantime I'll be posting updates on my progress and asking all my loyal followers to nag me if I'm not staying on schedule.  

Day 1, yesterday, I worked on the outline, did a final edit of chapter ONE, and printed part of the outline, the coversheet, and the first chapter. It's a short chapter. Truth is most of my chapters are short. But I conquered my goal for day ONE.  
  
Let's see if I can do the same today. 

Wish me luck, and be prepared to kick my butt, every day for the next 30 days.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So Proud of My Son

           On September 30, 2022, my son, Ian Kennedy, opened his business, Naughty Axes Playhouse , at 4407 SE 29 th Street, in Del City, Ok. I'm so proud of him. The place looks great. Especially when it was all decked out for Halloween. He and his partners built all the targets, lanes, and remolded the interior of the building themselves. They did a great job. I didn't even realize my son knew how to use a hammer for anything other than demolition. I had such a great time during their Grand Opening. Throwing sharp objects at stationary targets is really a fantastic way to relieve stress. It's great exercise. Especially for tightening up those flabby underarms. I am bound and determined to become efficient enough to enter a tournament. Wonder if they have a Senior's division in pro axe throwing competitions? Not only is he starting his own axe throwing business, he's also starting his career as a comedian. He's already performed at the B...
Post a Comment
Read more

There Really Is Enough Room In The Pond

  I've truly been blessed to meet, get to know, and even become friends with hundreds —possibly thousands— of writers over the last three decades. Many of those contacts have come through the Oklahoma Writers' Federation Inc ., SoonerCon , Yard Dog Press , and a score of other writing groups, writing conferences, and Sci-Fi conventions I've attended. Once upon a time, I was envious of how much more talent some of those writers possessed. I felt insignificant. I was a tiny drop of water in a giant sea. I was always struggling to keep my head above water, and always sinking farther and farther below more talented and more successful authors. When I retired from the theatre, nearly 35 years ago, I retired at a time when I was completely confident in my talent and abilities as an actor. I retired at a time when I was at my peak and knew I could have been a professional actor if I had pursued that career. Because of that confidence, I had the ability to walk away from...
Post a Comment
Read more

M.I.A.

  I've been missing in action for the last two weeks. Not actually missing. Just not productive. Haven't written a word in two weeks. Haven't updated the website, or blog. Haven't really done much around the house. I did clean the coat closet in the front hall yesterday. Tossed 25 years of junk. I have a hard time letting go of things. The older something is, the tighter I hold onto it. I've still got emails from 2009 in my inbox. Well, most of those are in folders not actually cluttering up my inbox. Most of them could be trashed.   Along with a huge collection of half written—never will be finished—stories on my computer, in notebooks scattered all around my house, and rambling around inside my head. I can't seem to let go of old stories, or old story ideas. I may find a home for them somewhere. Someday. The problem is, I'm lousy at keeping track of where and when I've released them into the wild. I can't enter any of my old s...
Post a Comment
Read more