Michelle Styles's Blog, page 42

Revisions and Orlando

The revisions are getting done. They will be done before I go to Orlando on Tuesday!
Less than a hundred pages to go as it were.
Am I packed for Orlando? No
Am I mentally ready? NO my mind is in 1848.
Will I be ready? Probably. I have not bothered to colour coordinate my shoes or plan each outfit. I am doing revisions. I have not gone shoe shopping. I am doing revisions. I do however have business cards.
Have I planned which workshops I want to attend? Sort of. I know I am definitely going to seve...

Heathcliff, the editorial cat

Heathcliff has decided that it is his job in life to supervise my writing. Whenever I'm on the computer, he jumps up and lays across my arms purring, so I have to pay attention to him as he regards the computer screen with a look of utter disdain. If he dislikes what he sees, he quickly walks across the keyboard...causing me to rewrite.
If I'm working off the computer, he will bat my pen away and chase it across the floor.
Yesterday he and Mr Darcy both used my print out version as a scratc...

Themes with revisions

The theme for this revision set is basically the same as the last one.
1. Make the sensual tension obvious, particularly in the first few chapters. They might be fighting the attraction but the reader has to know about the attraction. They have to be AWARE of each other. In this story, it applies to the hero.

2. Clarify the backstory and make it simple. My editor has some good suggestions on this.

3. Clarify secondary character reactions. Namely I went too far in changing certain characters. (Un...

Revisions hit!

Can I say that I love my new editor? Her thoughts are going to help make this story so much better! It is great to feel energised and really wanting to do the revisions, rather feeling steely determined to do the revisions.

Anyway, I want to get them done before I go off to Orlando and I know it can be done.
They are the sort of revisions that consume me and make me want to work! It is good to get back to those sorts of revisions.

Undone sold!

My very lovely editor telephoned to say that they were accepting the Roman Undone! This is the first time I have attempted to write short and I wasn't sure I could do it. In the end, after some sterling direction, I did.
She will let me know when it is going to be in the schedule and what the title will be.

It features Piso, a secondary character from Sold & Seduced and mentions Valens (the hero of The Gladiator's Honour) back when he was just starting out.

Anyway, I am totally thrilled!!!

The lowest of the low

According to the Times magazine yesterday, twenty years ago I made a career mistake and became one of the lowest of the low -- aka a mother who decided to look after her children herself, particularly as I had a good degree.
*cough cough* I must say that I never twigged my status.
I knew there were rumblings about careers etc but I was always determined to look after my children first. Luckily my husband agreed with me. His mother for economic reasons had to work when he was little and he hate...

And off again

I did the revisions. They were very straight forward and in a way I could understand. I think I have done everything right, but that is up to my editor.
It has been a long time since I have felt this energised about revisions.

There again, world cup semi finals are very good for zoning out and just thinking. But the revisions basically consumed me for 2 days. I wanted to work on them. Sometimes lately the revisions have been such that I was far from motivated or I didn't understand what my edit...

My jaw drops

My totally lovely and goregous new editor came back to me with her thoughts on the Undone today! I think I can understand what she wants and how it is going to make the story better.

But I am in a state of shock! In a very good way!

My new editor rocks!

Over to my Editor

Both my full and my Roman Undone are sitting in my editor's inbox, waiting for her to get to them. I also waved goodbye to Breaking the Governess's Rules as the AAs are done. Next stop - publication in Jan 2011 in Hardback.

My next project is the Sinai one which I researched back in March. Bedouins. Adventure. Slaves. It should be fun. And at church on Sunday, I figured out the ending. Always a happy sign. And right now I think I deserve an easy book!

The Fourth of July Weekend

I am over at the Pink Heart Society blogging about one of my all time favourite movies and musicals -- 1776.
30 years ago it helped me ace AP US History and I still love the film. This clip shows how you can seamlessly add little historical details! Plus John and Abigail Adams' words were taken directly from their letters.


I am busy with my revisions (nearly done). the AAs are done. I had tears running down my eyes at the end but I am close to the characters. I just hope others like Breaking th...