Crazy Days

Why doesn't life ever go the way you anticipate?  It drives me crazy but I should be accustomed to that just being the way it is.
Here I had planned on moving to KY, getting settled, starting NANO, finishing my book edit and going to the ANWA conference in Feb.
The moving part did happen but so far not one other thing has.  My Grandmother, whom I wrote about on my Mom's The Glue blog, went to the hospital for a headache and was kept for a tumor on her brain that was recently removed through surgery.  I have been there most of my days so naturally there has been time for nothing else.  I would actually have it no other way, I'm thankful that we moved when we did so I could be with her and to help the family out as needed. 
Disappointment, however, looms large when I don't complete tasks.  Instead of beating myself up, I just need a plan.  That is something I plan to work on this weekend.

In other news I found out about a really cool contest I thought I would share with my few and far between readers.  I'm entering and good luck to you if you try it out too!

YA Novel Contest

Anyone NANO?

This is the first year I have even heard of Nano (National Novel Writing Month).  I love the concept and I am really going to try and do it.  I have just moved to a new state so my life is in disarray plus I am trying to meet a deadline to complete the final edit on my current book.  This being said, I do have an idea brewing I would love to expand on and this is the perfect opportunity to get it out.  Even if I can't do the 50,000 words in 30 days it is worth writing something new daily. 

What about you?  Have you ever heard of NANO and are you going to participate this year? 

For anyone that wants to be my NANO buddy I am sunnyd31.  Come join me and we can help each other write awesome novels in a month!

Back to the Drawing Board

Yesterday I got my full critique back and (eye pop) it needs a ton of work!  Instead of discouraging me like I thought it would, however, it thrilled me to receive this feedback.  Since I wrote my book there have been things that have irked me...like Janie annoys me sometimes (she is the main character), Jonas is wishy washy (he is the guardian angel), and the beginning felt wrong. 
After I had read and edited my 390+ page manuscript more times than I care to count, the last thing I wanted to do was go on and do major changes.  I mean, seriously, where would I begin?
What I needed was a fresh pair of eyes and those eyes gave my some excellent suggestions with the very things that have bothered me.
The only thing that bums me out is that I don't know if I can pull all of this off by the conference in Feb!  I may have to actually cancel and go to a later one.  It breaks my heart but I don't want to pitch something that is unpitchable (is that even a word?)  Any hoo, not gonna let it get me down...just heading back to the drawing board.

I did it!

Well, I bit the bullet.  Registration opened up for the ANWA convention and I signed up!  I am so excited.  It is going to be a whopping $750 to cover the whole trip but I feel like it will be so worth it.
 I also signed up to pitch my book.  Just typing that last sentence makes me all nervous and tingly inside.  I keep thinking how many tons of people are going to be there doing the same exact thing and how possibly out of all those pitches could they think my book would be one to choose? 
I have to stop myself, though, because no matter what, this is a chance of a lifetime for me.  I can gather some really valuable information for this convention that can only help me, and if Kirk Shaw (editor over at Covenant) loves my book, that I happen to think is awesome, then that will be even better.
So Arizona, get ready because here I come!

Writing Conferences

I have never been to a writing conference and want to go to one so badly.  I would love to be able to pitch my book in front of an agent or publisher and see what their facial expression is in reguards to it. 

I was searching for some Writing conferences this weekend and found one that is right down my alley.  The 19th Annual ANWA Writers Conference.  It is an LDS (Latter Day Saint) conference and with my book being in that arena I feel this would be perfect for me! 

The only problem is that the conference is in Arizona and I live in Alabama (will be living in Kentucky in Feb. when the conference is being held).  What an opportunity to it would be for me to be able to go and just be in the thick of all that is writing.  I guess I will have to see how it pans out and if I can make my dreams a reality.

Any writers out there been to a conference?  Are they really as completely awesome as I am imaging them?

Full Book Critique

I am super duper pumped!!!  Let me tell you why...

I have done it.  I finally edited my book enough on my own that I feel satisfied to send the whole thing out into the world for some other opinions.  I am scared to death, let me tell you!  I spend enough time telling myself that it could be better and to possibly get a confirmation from others that it's true is terrifying, but you know what?  It has to be done.  I can only learn and grow from this process right?  These are the baby steps that I need to take in order to really become a great writer.  If I live in my own cocoon then I will never grow. 

For anyone out there looking for some awesome critique groups I am part of two.

A Writer's Block is a group that I joined last year and we do a chapter critique a month.  I love this group for grammar and immediate insight per chapter.  Plus as I have gotten to know these ladies I have grown to love them.  They're awesome!!!

Mormon Mommy Writer's is the other group I am a member of.  I am fairly new to this group but still just as excited about it.  Personally, for m this group will help me because I am writing an LDS Romance and this group can relate to that kind of perspective.  You don't have to be a Mormon to be a member of this group however.  With MMW, they have a critique group for chapters as well as a full book critique.  I opted for the full critique and hopefully can get some tips on my book as a whole.

Ready...Set...Go

Welp, here I am.  Over a year ago I got an idea.  I pounded that idea out into the form of a 300+ page book in about three months.  Then, I got discouraged.  I thought, self: who is ever going want to read this? 

Making excuses, I let it sit on my computer, filed away amidst the other half touched ideas that I toyed with over the years.

This one, however, kept haunting me.  So I slowly started editing it.  During that process I would get discouraged, put it away, get haunted again, slowly start editing once more and round and round I went.

Then, about a year ago, I joined a writers group on a whim, through the lovely Twilight Mom's forum.  Putting my book out there to be critiqued was like walking outside completely naked for all to see.  SCARY...for those doing the seeing as well as myself.

When the band aid was finally ripped away, I realized it wasn't so bad.  I actually enjoyed the feedback. 
With that initial shock over, I had the courage to finish two edits and am on my final one.

For additional help I have sent it off to the lovely and talented Linda over at  TreasureLine Books and Publishing.  She is a pro at this kind of thing and I think I have looked at it so much, for so long, I just need some professional help - in more ways than one I'm sure.

After getting it back from Linda I will then put my final touches on the book and send it out into the world and see if it can stand on its own.

Am I nervous?  Heck yea!  Am I excited?  You bet.  This has always been a dream of mine and to finally bring it to some form of fruition is extremely satisfying.

Why the blog?

I started this blog for a few reasons:
1) To document my journey so if I ever get published I can look back and see the road I travelled.

2) To get the premise of my book out there and see what others think about it.

3) To get my name out so if I do ever get published I may already have a few fans, friends and fellow writing buddies:)

So, here is to taking your dream and running with it!