Michelle McCraw's Blog, page 4

Writing Progress, March 19, 2023

I officially entered Revision Hell this month with three projects to revise. I’m making progress – yay! – but I have a Big Revision looming, and I’m running out of time to procrastinate. (eep!)

First, the good news. I sent “Seduce Me” off to my copyeditor! She’s scheduled to start on it this week. I’m feeling good about this one!

Then I sent TEMPT ME off to my betas. Is there a better feeling than to give a project to someone else to work on for a while? No, there is not.

Which leaves me with FRENEMIES. I had to take the progress back down to “Revise” in the graphic below, and that hurt my little heart. But my agent made some good points about the revisions needed, and like I said in January, I’m ready to LEVEL UP. So I’m deliberately taking time to think about it, and I’m even using a new tool, Plottr, to help me organize my thoughts. I’m hoping maybe it’ll work – which, BTW, is a romance beat WELL ahead of the climax, but I’m hoping it’s actually the Wake Up beat where everything becomes clear and my story heads toward its gloriously happy conclusion.

Wish me luck! 🍀

The post Writing Progress, March 19, 2023 first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

It’s Spring and I Have Thoughts

Y’all, I am ready to emerge from hibernation as a skinny bear (which is much less cute than a pre-hibernation Fat Bear). As I write this, it’s sunny outside my kitchen window, I’ve got daffodils peeking up in my garden, and although the temperature may still say it’s winter, the sun is just high enough to make it feel like spring.

And that puts me in the mood for spring break! Do you have fun spring break memories? I don’t because my dad was an accountant, and spring is tax season, so we always had to wait for summer to travel. BUT since it’s my high-school senior son’s last spring break 🥹we’ve committed to go away this year. We’re visiting a city I’ve never been, Charleston, South Carolina. We’ll be passing through Asheville, North Carolina, too, which always makes me think of a haunting book I read that is partially set there, Jessica Strawser’s debut novel, Almost Missed You (Content warnings galore: death of a former love interest, parental kidnapping, and lack of a HEA – though the ending is hopeful – so be careful).

And to get me in the mood, I’m reading A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams, a romance set in South Carolina with an ADORABLE cover.

Happy spring, y’all!

The post It’s Spring and I Have Thoughts first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

Writing Progress, February 19, 2023

Revising is a slog, y’all. When I can’t see the wordcount piling up, when some days I actually cut words, when I look at the same passages over and over again, it feels like I’m going nowhere. But looking back to where I was only a month ago, I can see progress.

I finished drafting my short story, tentatively titled “Seduce Me” but still “New Workplace” below.

Then I started revising Tempt Me. Not gonna lie, revising NaNoWriMo drafts is…challenging. NaNo is all about getting words on the page and moving forward. No time to think, no time to second-guess my outline. Drive to the end. What I end up with is a lot of words that can be repetitive or even downright unnecessary. Plus, I tend to focus on plot, and the emotional beats are secondary if they make it onto the page at all. So I’m still slogging through my revision. I’ll revise at least once more before I send the draft off to my beta readers.

And why, you might ask, is Frenemies still on the list? Hasn’t it gone off to do its work on submission? Sadly, no. It needs another revision, too.

To sum up, I won’t see the light outside the revision cave for a while. It’s a good thing I enjoy revising. I love the process of problem-solving, seeing something that doesn’t work and figuring out how to make it better.

I just need to get over the frustration of not being able to call a thing finished, of not being able to check it off my list.

Revising forces me to spend more time in the moment. Make things better today instead of looking ahead to next month or next summer or next year. I’d like to carry that mindset into my daily life, too. Spend time with my dog, scratching that spot on his back right above his tail. Linger for a moment in the sunshine. Give my kid an extra hug.

Enjoy today, y’all.

The post Writing Progress, February 19, 2023 first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

The Story Behind the Story – Trip Me Up

Some of you have read Trip Me Up, which is a rom-com about Sam Jones, a computer science grad student who creates an artificial intelligence program that accidentally writes a novel. When the novel unexpectedly becomes a runaway bestseller, Sam’s editor partners her with Niall, an actual novelist, on a book tour, and, of course, shenanigans ensue. (Yes, there’s an adorable dog!) I came up with the idea when I heard about the A.I.-written Harry Potter fanfiction. I imagined what it might be like when artificial intelligence matured – in the distant future – and might write a full-length novel. Distant future? Ha! Five years later, we have ChatGPT, and Sam’s story isn’t so futuristic anymore.

So if you’d like to see what the not-so-distant future might look like, you can pick up Sam and Niall’s story for only 99¢ only during February 2023.

The post The Story Behind the Story – Trip Me Up first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

Writing Progress, January 17, 2023

It’s only 17 days into the new year, and I’m already feeling the pressure. This year, I’ve got two competing priorities: writing more words and leveling up.

I’ve committed to writing three new projects this year (and would love to add a fourth, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves). These are a short story for an anthology (“New Workplace” below, just started drafting today), the sixth book in my Synergy Workplace Romance series (Tempt Me, still waiting for its revision), and a sequel in a new series (not even on the chart yet).

At the same time, I’d like to level up my writing. Go a little deeper into characters, add more beauty to my prose, and reach for that next level in my work. This takes TIME, y’all. And time is precious.

So I’ll make the most of my time this year. I hope you can do the same. Happy New Year!

The post Writing Progress, January 17, 2023 first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

Happy New Year!

I hope you enjoyed any holidays you chose to celebrate. I took a trip to see my daughter in California and celebrated missing the bomb cyclone that hit the eastern U.S. We also celebrated Hanukkah with (gasp!) an electric menorah in our hotel room. I know, it’s not nearly as enchanting as candles, but I figured setting off the sprinklers would’ve ruined the magic.

HanukkahSan Francisco sightsMore San Francisco fun Clean out my shelves

Looking ahead to 2023, I’m planning some big, bookish things that I’ll tell you about in future posts. For one, I’m working on a new set of covers for my Synergy series, and that – along with an upcoming move – means my collection of paperbacks with the existing covers has to go. All books are $10, including shipping to the U.S.

Grab $10 paperbacks!

Finally, if you’re a writer looking to get more organized, have I got the class for you!

Start off the new year right with goals and plans! I’m giving a LIVE program Saturday, January 14, on managing writing projects. Come join us in Dayton, Ohio, or catch us LIVE on Zoom. Find out more at cofwevents.org

Do you struggle with finding time and focus to do your writing? Do you have a writing project that’s languishing from neglect, but you just can’t muster the energy to pick it back up? Does your writing feel like an endless slog? Ever wish you could find more discipline for your writing?

Course topics include
• Adopting a project management mindset
• Setting goals
• Incorporating project phases and milestones into your writing work
• Developing a project plan

At the end of the course, participants will understand how to plan their next writing project. Michelle will share tools and templates she uses to manage her own writing projects.

Manage your writing like a boss

Michelle is a certified project manager (PMP) with a master’s in business administration (MBA). While working full time as an information technology program manager, she has published five books in her Synergy contemporary workplace rom-com series since 2021. Leveraging more than 20 years of project management experience, Michelle will teach writers how to apply project management principles to their writing to gain more focus, organization, and discipline.

The post Happy New Year! first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

Good books: Some free, some available from your library or favorite bookstore

If you’re like me, you’ve got a few days off work and a little extra time to read.

Grab your peppermint mocha or an egg nog and settle in for SO. MANY. BOOKS.

I have some book recommendations for your between-the-holidays enjoyment. Some are free TODAY ONLY, and some are available at your favorite bookstore – use those gift cards! – or from your local library.

It’s another FREE book blast!

Today only, you can get 700+ free books here: https://www.romancebookworms.com

Friend Me is free for the first time ever, one day only!

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne

I read this over the Thanksgiving holiday and adored it. I’m a big Pride and Prejudice fan, and I loved this adaptation set in Washington, D.C. between a radio DJ and community activist fighting gentrification of her neighborhood by an icy billionaire. It hits all the story beats I love AND is updated for a 2022 audience. I absolutely adored this debut novel.

Get P&P Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

I don’t read a lot of holiday romances, but I loved Cochrun’s debut, The Charm Offensive. I couldn’t resist this bisexual, F/F romance. It’s got a bonkers love trapezoid among an underemployed woman with anxiety, her one-night-stand from the previous Christmas, her wealthy brother, and their childhood bestie. And it’s got everything I didn’t know I wanted in a holiday romance: a potential marriage of convenience, scheduled family fun from a Type-A mom, and snowed-in-with-only-one-bed. It was a delightful Christmas cookie of a book, and I get Burl Ives in my brain whenever I think of it. You’re welcome.

Get Kiss Her

The post Good books: Some free, some available from your library or favorite bookstore first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

Writing progress, December 11, 2022

I made it!

During November, which is National Novel Writers’ Month, I wrote a happily-ever-after for Jamila Jallow. You’ll remember her as Jackson and Cooper’s college BFF who appeared in Work with Me, Friend Me, and Boss Me. She’s a powerful woman, and I’ll have to admit I was a little intimidated to write her, but I enjoyed making her go all gooey inside for the type of person she never expected to fall for.

It’s still a rough draft, and it’ll be a little while before you see the book up for preorder, but it exists, and I’m proud of that.

Now for the (ahem) more difficult news…Frenemy needs more revision. My lovely agent (correctly) pointed out that it’s not quite ready yet, so it’s back to work on my age-gap romance. I like the direction it’s going so far, and I hope to make good progress this month with a little extra time during the holidays.

Speaking of which, happy holidays to you all! May you have the right balance of time with family and friends and end-of-year reflection and relaxation that brings you joy. 

The post Writing progress, December 11, 2022 first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

Writing progress, Nov 18, 2022

It’s November, and that means NaNoWriMo. I’ve been plugging along, trying to write a little ahead since I’m traveling at the end of the month. And with the words I wrote in October, I’m over 40k words into my draft. Woot!

Natalie and Jamila have been fun to write, and I hope to publish their story in late spring 2023.

What about Frenemy, you ask? It’s still with my agent – she’s a busy lady! Don’t expect to hear much about this project until later in 2023. But keep your fingers crossed for me! 

The post Writing progress, Nov 18, 2022 first appeared on Michelle McCraw, Contemporary romance author.

New collection!

I don’t know about you, but I love one-stop shopping. When Target added a grocery section to my local store? Best. Day. Ever. I could get my Target fix *and* a jug of milk. Genius!

I hope I’ve done the same thing by bundling my first three Synergy books together in my first-ever collection. The best part? You can get it for 20% off the retail price of buying all three books. PLUS it includes the bonus epilogues for each book. Already read Work with Me, Friend Me, and Trip Me Up? Share it with a friend! And write a review. (please?)

Get the collection

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