Author’s Log: It’s A Wrap! (#ROW80)
No, not trap. Wrap. Wrap.
I now have two very worn, ragged legal pads full of frantic scribble-scrabble staring me dead in the face. I have a Book, which a capital Buh. In short, I have a Meditation, not-quite a rough, Draft of Waking Muse #1. Once I get it all into the computer and determine it’s quality as opposed to quantity, I will know more, such as word count and what all revisions are going to entail. I need to fix the Mum-not-dead epiphany in the first part, and then this puppy gets trunked until it’s ready for revisions.
I did end up shortening the end word count goal, because it became quite obvious that, despite being chock full of story and ALL THE FEELINGS, it wasn’t going to be quite as long as I originally anticipated. And I refuse to add filler just to get a longer word count. A story should only be as long as it needs to be. Thus the last chapter became an epilogue instead, and here we are.
I’m exhausted, but I’m reminded, yet again, why this gig is so, so worth it.
Today, if all goes as planned, I’ll finish initial revisions on Keepers #3 and have it sent off to the Stunt Monkey for her considered opinion and always invaluable advice. This means were are FINALLY into August’s production. And only a week behind schedule! W00T!!
Production Schedule (& ROW80)
Keepers #2 (IN PRODUCTION): We’re in a status of hurry-up-and-wait. But that’s okay, release isn’t until the end of April 2014. Of course, with Editor Awesome’s excellent sense of timing, I half expected to be smacked between the eyes with Editorial revisions the moment I finished my rough draft of Waking Muse #1, because that’s what happened with Keepers #3. But all’s quiet on the Editorial Front for the moment.
Big Dang Projeckt (Drafting): ACT II, here I come! I’ve got to get my merry band of characters from Plot Point 1, through the Big Reveal of Midpoint (which I’m quite looking forward to), and out the other side to Plot Point 2. From battle to battle, from siege to civil war. It should be an interesting ride. The goal, of course, is at least 1,000 words a day. I’ll most likely be carried into September, but that’s okay–I have a feeling ACT III will move rather faster than anticipated, as it will essentially be more or less all action.
Keepers #3 (In BETA): My goal is to add a certain layer of conflict throughout the first half of the story, and fix the overly-rushed ending and romantic storyline. I learned from Editor Awesome that my endings tend to feel rushed, which I know too be true. The adrenaline of being so close to the end carries me forward on a floodtide, and I tend to push, just to be done. This one is a mega-blitz, and needs to be fixed, pronto. This makes me slightly worried for my truncated ending for Waking Muse #1, but that ending feels…right. I guess I’ll have to trust my instincts on that score.
Your turn! What milestones have you reached lately? 
