Elizabeth Drakes's Site

Fantasy Romance

Update

Writing Update: September

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Things were going okay until they weren’t.

September Update
Thank goodness I worked ahead a little.

Work has been crazy, and I have been struggling to feel even remotely creative.

We tend to play video games as a family, and some of that game time crept into my writing time as it was easier to consume creative content than to produce it.

Still, all in, I am on track for the year, but only because I worked ahead earlier in the year.

I am halfway through Prince Thomas and Mage Purple Class Claudia’s story. Finishing it in November is my goal. I hope to make it, but work will only get busier. I have a huge deadline on November 15th, and a “drop dead” date on December 19th. I am marching to those orders now.

We all know stress kill creativity, but with so many other things going on at work, it is absolutely overwhelming right now.

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Me right now.

I also need to tackle a series of promotion stuff I tend to be less enthusiastic about doing. I need to set aside some time to just do it, and I am hoping that will happen late in December. Work will not quiet down until next April, so I have to figure out a way to push through this. I also need to start a lot of the bits of publishing a Knight’s Redemption ahead of time so it doesn’t derail me like publishing Knight of Valor did this year.

Yes, I finished my December goal. It was a rewrite I worked on while I was delayed with Knight of Valor.

As I am reviewing this year’s goals, the one thing I have to admit is revising take a lot more time than I would like.

Once I complete Thomas and Claudia’s story, I will have written three first drafts this year. But I was only able to publish one book.

As I take a look at next year’s goals, I think I need to reduce my number of first drafts to two. I wanted to publish three books per year, but the editing time doesn’t permit that with my other obligations. Perhaps if I only write two in a year, I can then have the time to do all the edits on them so I can release two in a year.

Something to ponder.

I do enjoy the thrill of crafting a story fresh. It’s one of the best and most exciting parts of writing.

But there is also something gratifying about a final draft.

Given how goal oriented I am with my day job right now, might not be the best of times to make such decisions.

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Writing: June Progress Update

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Here is my progress for the year through the end of June:

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I hate missing deadlines.

I am going to confess that being so open about how much I have missed this year is a little embarrassing.

But also motivating.

While I am still behind where I had planned to be at the end of June, you can see my Type A over-achiever has been in full swing getting me ahead on the rest of the year’s goals so that I WILL be caught up by the end of the summer.

Maybe.

What is holding up the release of Knight of Valor?

Interesting that you should ask. I am struggling with the book cover. Again.

After all of the work that goes into writing, editing, editing, editing.

 

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And this was the fourth round of edits

The book deserves a professional cover. We’ve all seen books that don’t have them and cringed.

As a matter-of-fact, the first edition of George RR Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice (also known as Game of Thrones) had an “experimental” cover and almost tanked the entire series.

Covers are important, so I am working toward getting a professional looking one.

I know some authors create their own. I laud them for that, but I don’t have years of graphic design experience. I am not afraid of learning, but I would rather spend that time on writing and improving my abilities as a storyteller. Some authors hire professional accountants to do their books and prepare their taxes. That is something I can do myself.

A few things about cover artists:

  • Most have more work than they can handle, and you must put your name down for a slot based on when you think your book will be complete
  • I can’t order a cover until I have a page count.
  • I don’t have a page count until I complete the final draft.
  • I missed my target date to complete the final draft

So, yes, I missed my slot. The person I am working with thought she would get to it back in May. Then she pushed it out to mid-June. Now I am hoping mid-July.

In the meantime, I have not stopped working on new stories or revising existing stories.

I am hoping this is going to work like buffer stock. Once I have worked ahead a bit, I can better absorb variables without disrupting my end release date to readers.

Fingers crossed.

Progress Update: April

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So, my progress hasn’t been as spectacular as I would’ve liked.

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Still trying.

Yes, I finished Second Chance, but it’s just shy of 60,000 words, and I was aiming for 70,000.

The story is complete, and I almost always add another 10-15% in revisions. While I have heard the advice to “kill your darlings”, I simply don’t write a lot of extras.

Actually, I write quite the opposite way.

While I’m not a plotter, some might consider my first draft closer to a robust outline than a fully finished novel. I need to go back and add more internal dialogue for the characters, give better descriptions of places, and expand on several other details to make the characters feel more real.

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An actual picture of my first draft.

But the plot is there. Character motivation is there. And I think the chemistry between the characters really works. It’s not what I had originally set out to create, but my dark mage surprised me, and I ran with it.

At lot more will be fleshed out during editing. This is partly because I give myself at least six months between finishing a first draft and editing it. It gives me space from it so I can come back with fresh eyes, and I can see better what I’m missing as I am not as close to what I know is happening versus what I wrote.

I have plenty of other projects to work on in the meantime, so I promise I won’t be idle.

Like that edit on Knight of Valor.

Which I *might* not have gotten as far on as I would have liked.

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But there is progress

Okay, I definitely didn’t.

I have a slew of reasons. That trip to Ohio. The slog. My day job and April 15th happening this month.

Still, I did get Second Chance written, and I’m almost 1/3 of the way through this revision for Knight of Valor. Then it’s back off for another round of beta reading.

I already have back A Knight’s Redemption (working title) that I’m planning to release later this year. I will start making those edits as soon as Knight of Valor is ready. There’s a whole lot less red on that one, so there’s a good chance that will be ready on time.

Editing A Knight’s Redemption is my June goal, and if I can meet it, I will back on track by the end of June.

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Maybe.

Yep, Everything is Fine

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Totally fine.

Remember that kitchen remodel I was dreading? Well, it didn’t happen. Why, you ask? Because the contractor never showed up, and he won’t return our calls or texts.

Yeah. I have an empty kitchen and a house full of materials for a remodel we now have to start over with finding a contractor to do.

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Deep breath.

It means by the time they start, I won’t have a kitchen for Thanksgiving or Christmas. After waiting months for it to even start. With a torn apart kitchen in the meantime.

*Deep Breath*

I am struggling with this, especially with two small children. I’m having trouble sleeping, and my eating habits are not doing well. I’m also about to start busy season at work.

*Grabs paper bag*  *breaths deeply*

Yeah, things are going fine. Perfectly fine.

 

Update: September is Still On!

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A quick progress update on the status of my in-progress romance novels as we all sleep off the holiday either at home, because we’re lucky, or back in the office if you’re like me and have to work today.

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  1.  The first draft of Gabriel’s novel is complete!

Okay, yes, it’s a first draft. And yes, it’s very rough. Most of my first drafts are. But it’s done, and it’s a lot longer than most of my first drafts. We’ll see how that goes later when I start revision.

 

2.  I received and read through the feedback on Seducing the Ice Queen.

My Beta reader was fabulous, as always.  She helped me identify a weakness that, when I’m done fixing, will make the hero more fleshed out and the story stronger. Helped identify a few other areas that need to be cleaned up, too, but I’m starting to feel a lot better about this WIP.

BetaReader

3.  I am making the changes to Ice Queen now, and I hope to have them done before July 21st.

They are good suggestions, but not easy ones. Still, they’ll make the story better.

 

4.  I’m thinking about cover design for Seducing the Ice Queen.

If you’ve seen any covers you think would be inspirational, please send them my way!

 

5.  I’ve been toying with the blurb for Seducing the Ice Queen.

I worked with a professional to write the blurb for To Love a Prince, and she gave me some tips on how to build one. I’m planning to map out her advice, have a cocktail (her recommendation), then tackle it on my own. I still think I’ll hire her again to help me with this one. I really liked working with her. Yes, she wrote the blurb, but she taught me a lot, and I figure it’s an investment in both the book and my own skills

Things on my “To Do” List

  1. I’m waiting to hear back from my editor.

    It’s my first time using this editor, and I’m both nervous and excited to work with her. Once I get her comments, I will start working on another edit. Depending on the extent of her comments, I think I will still be track for a September launch date.

  2. Alexander and Katherine

    These are two new characters floating around my thoughts. I hadn’t planned on writing this story next, but they are rather insistent. Their story is already taking shape, and I’m not sure it will be ignored.

    AlexKath
    Maybe. If he’s lucky…