1 YEAR LATER

Technically, *almost* one year later. I got an email that someone had commented on a post of this blog, and as I approved it, I checked out the date of my last entry and saw it was almost one year old. Therefore it seemed appropriate to post a follow-up on my writing.

* ACDT is out for review by an agent

* 07338 hasn't made it past initial chapters just yet

* ToSR getting a thorough outlining in anticipation of submission critique by Bob Mayer. Took his novel writing workshop and will be taking his Warrior-Writer workshop in July, which is based on his Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way to Conquer Fear and Succeed book.

* VM, now SI, needs rework thanks to Bob Mayer's workshop and another 50,000 words

* will be launching a writing resource website on July 4th called Writer Shelves. Not much there at the moment, but you are welcome to stop by. Posts about writing, promoting writing, and some free ideas will go up every Tuesday and Friday after launch.

* no significant short story development, as time is spent on novels, posts for WritShel, or reading

Thank you, Deborah, for the comment that led me back here. I'm glad you found it helpful.

OFF TO ANOTHER VENUE

Having met some wonderful people who I would like to keep in touch with at the Nebulas, I have targeted LiveJournal for my somewhat daily ramblings.

Short writing activity update:
* ACDT first draft feedback received from multiple sources, including a significant one. Revising and writing a synopsis.

* First chapters of 07338 submitted to the Project A-Kon writing workshop. Revising and working on outline.

* First chapter of ToSR completed. Outline in development.

* One short story out for consideration.

* First incarnation of story that popped into mind while driving to work and refused to let go typed into computer and possible outline forming.

WHAT IT TAKES TO WRITE A NOVEL

Now that I have actually written a novel, I have the appropriate qualifications to write this post. My novel is not published. My novel has not even been submitted to a publisher. My novel is written, which is an accomplishment in and of itself, especially since it is 99,338 focused words which tell a single story.

So, what does it take to write a novel?

Butt in seat, fingers on keyboard (or pen on paper if you are old school).

Simple, yet not easy.

With a full time job, I had evenings and weekends free to write. This meant I would come home from work, eat dinner, sort through my mail, and then sit my butt on the futon, put my fingers on my laptop's keyboard and write for 3-4 hours. Then I would go to bed, get up in the morning, go to work, come home and start the cycle over again. One night early in the week I would see my boyfriend for dinner, then go home and sit my butt on the futon, put my fingers on my laptop's keyboard and write for 1-2 hours. I would see him again on Saturday, late afternoon through late evening. On Sundays, I would sit my butt on the futon, put my fingers on my laptop's keyboard and write for 6-7 hours.

Sense a theme?

During those hours when my butt was on the futon and my fingers were on my laptop's keyboard writing for hours, many things did not happen. My house did not clean itself. My garden did not weed itself. My scrapbooks did not create their own pages. My artist trading cards did not craft themselves. My websites did not update themselves. Many aspects of my world ground to a halt and have remained motionless, gathering dust.

However, during those hours when my butt was on the futon and my fingers were on my laptop's keyboard writing for hours, many things did happen. A world was created. Characters were born. Plot was crafted. The daily word count grew. A novel was written. Many aspects of my thoughts that previous lay scattered on scrap pieces of paper and scribbled in a notebook coalesced into a single manuscript.

Fourteen months later, I have completed my first novel.

I've heard several people say they would like to write a novel. I have heard people say that they have started one and not finished yet. From what I've experienced, you have to want to finish writing a novel more than you want to do other things. Simple, yet not easy.

Everyone has 24 hours. It's up to you how you want to spent it. I like using mine to write novels, which means my butt on the futon and my fingers on my laptop's keyboard, writing for hours.

I have never had so much fun.