115 replies to this topic

[Lin W.]

I have five pages. For the whole week. Not good, since that means I only have 25 pages of the 60 I'm supposed to write. So I still have to write . . . 35 pages. In 9 days. Yes, I know, four pages a day would do it.

The problem is my $%#@! MS. I did all the prewriting, all the planning, even wrote the synopsis. Everything I normally do. I KNOW the story. I just can't get the words on paper and when I get them there, they feel flat. Woke up this morning with a new beginning for ch. 2 and I'm hoping that's going to help things.

Okay, enough whining. I'm off to write. At least four pages.

[Sylvia Day]

Lin W. said:

I just can't get the words on paper and when I get them there, they feel flat. Woke up this morning with a new beginning for ch. 2 and I'm hoping that's going to help things.

I feel your pain. Truly. :cry:

I'm on 91 pages out of a min. 100, but the story isn't anywhere near finished. :roll: So I'm working on that. My goal was to finish this thing, edit and submit it by the end of Feb. I'm definitely not going to make all three. I'll most likely still be in the editing stage by Feb. 1st, but since my actual deadline is a few more days after that, I'll be okay.

How is everyone else doing? Any butt kicks required?

[Sasha White]

Lin W, and Sylvia...one quote for you...that i also keep muttering to myself.



"You can't fix a blank page. Give yourself permission to write crap."



Sasha

[HelenKay]

My manuscript is on its way to Patience Smith at SIM. She asked for the full 8 days after getting the query so I'm hoping that's a good sign (more likely it only means she was trying to clean off her desk before the end of the year :shock: ) Now the months of waiting begin..... :clock:

Some news for folks trying to get their work before an editor or agent - I saw on another loop that Brenda Novak is running an auction to benefit juvenile diabetes. Some impressive folks ( many Harlequin/Silhouette editors, Sylvia's agent, etc.) are donating their time by giving critiques and the cause is a good one. If your interested the website is www.brendanovak.com. Never hurts to have one more way to get our writing in front of the right people.

Now back to what was SUPPOSED to be my January goal.....

HelenKay

[Lin W.]

Best of luck, HelenKay! Got my SASP back on my requested full and instead of being in the hands of Amy Tannenbaum, who requested it, it's in the hands of Patience Smith. Eep. :shock:

I'm not going to make my WORD goal, y'all. I can't even write crap. I write nothing. Have no idea what's wrong with me. I'm usually very disciplined, work through the rough patches, etc., but not this time. And it's KILLING me.

So tonight I'm playing with character profiles, seeing if I can spark SOMETHING.

[HelenKay]

Lin -

Congrats to you too! That is great news.

In fact, I think you're the person I need to thank for my recent request (in addition to Patience Smith, that is ). You see, the manuscript Patience just asked for was with Kim Nadelson at HI about a year ago. I didn't think it was a HI but she requested it from a contest and who am I to question. She sent a nice rejection (still a rejection :x ) and I did exactly what you're not supposed to do - I put the book aside, gave up on it and figured Kim could buy for both SIM and HI and didn't want it for either so move on. Yeah, I know. Wrong attitude.

Fast forward to Dec 04 - I jumped to your blog (thanks to Sylvia's message board :prayer: ) and saw you sent something to Amy Tannenbaum. That was a new name to me. I decided to give the abandoned manscript a chance, googled Amy and then sent her a request. I got the request from Patience for a full a short time later.

So, good luck and thank you very much for unknowningly giving me a kick in the pants. And people think blogs don't have any benefits.... I guess this is yet another benefit of WORD.

HelenKay

[Sylvia Day]

HelenKay said:

My manuscript is on its way to Patience Smith at SIM. She asked for the full 8 days after getting the query so I'm hoping that's a good sign (more likely it only means she was trying to clean off her desk before the end of the year :shock: ) Now the months of waiting begin..... :clock:

Some news for folks trying to get their work before an editor or agent - I saw on another loop that Brenda Novak is running an auction to benefit juvenile diabetes. Some impressive folks ( many Harlequin/Silhouette editors, Sylvia's agent, etc.) are donating their time by giving critiques and the cause is a good one. If your interested the website is www.brendanovak.com. Never hurts to have one more way to get our writing in front of the right people.

Now back to what was SUPPOSED to be my January goal.....

HelenKay

I read this the other day, meant to reply and never made it. So sorry. I have my fingers crossed for you, HelenKay!!! And thanks for the info about Brenda Novak's auction.

[Sylvia Day]

Lin W. said:

Got my SASP back on my requested full and instead of being in the hands of Amy Tannenbaum, who requested it, it's in the hands of Patience Smith. Eep. :shock:

I'm not going to make my WORD goal, y'all. I can't even write crap. I write nothing. Have no idea what's wrong with me. I'm usually very disciplined, work through the rough patches, etc., but not this time. And it's KILLING me.

So tonight I'm playing with character profiles, seeing if I can spark SOMETHING.

Yay, on the ms the being with Patience Smith!!! Fingers crossed for you too.

I've been blocked as well. Just finally got to the point today where I can write. I so desperately need to wrap up this ms. :roll: On the bright side, I've been sending it out for critiques and editing the beginning so at least part of the ms is getting worked on.

[Sasha White]

Good Luck to both of you!!



And Lin, Don't be too hard on yourself...we all have times like that. Just so what you can, when you can...and we'll still be here to cheer you on! Characters are a great way to spark an Idea. I use it myself! LOl



I like the news about the auction..However, I STILL haven't used the crit from Angela Knight that I purchased about 4 months ago. :oops:



I will soon though!



OH! And I made my January goal, with room to spare!! Yeeehaaaa!!



Comeone everyone. It's the final weekend...sprint for the finish line!!



:smt024 :whip:



Sasha

[TracySprayberry]

CRAP!!

I am behind behind behind. 14 FREAKING PAGES BEHIND!!! Arrrgggh!! ](*,) And it's my own fault. I've been goofing off. I'm a bad, bad girl. I need a handsome man to spank me and then. . . oooohhhh. . .inspiration. The muse is back. Gotta go write. Bye!! :mrgreen:

Tracy

[Sylvia Day]

TracySprayberry said:

I need a handsome man to spank me and then. . . oooohhhh. . .inspiration. The muse is back. Gotta go write. Bye!!

:sign5:

[Lin W.]

I love coming in here. Y'all make me feel so much better.

I'm still not writing, but I did dodge the R bullet one more day -- there was no huge, fat brown envelope with my full and a form R in it in my mailbox today. Whew. And tomorrow's Sunday, so I don't have to worry about it until Monday.

HelenKay, love the Amy story. How weird . . . and how awesome for you. Fingers crossed that we'll both be new SIM authors this year.

I am sorta/kinda writing today. I'm entering our local news affiliate's ugly kitchen contest (you win a complete kitchen redo), and I have to come up with ten reasons why my home should win. Blogged about it and I'm *trying* to make a list. If you have ideas, come on over to my blog and help me. My brain is still out to lunch, obviously.

However, I am going to TRY to knock out as many pages as possible tonight, even if it's crap, just because I can't stand to admit total defeat.

Later, y'all!

[HelenKay]

Lin - Positive thinking only! No big brown envelopes - only happy calls. Here's to positive thinking and positive responses for both of us from Patience :occasion5:

Tracy - Hang in there. It's always tough to get started and keep on track in January. Kind of a crappy month. February will be better


HelenKay

[Sasha White]

Positive thinking is the way to go. Along with my own personal mantra



"Nothign is impossible if you put your mind to it!"



Now woht that in mind, I'm going to watch SPIDERMAN 2. That scene where he stops the train and passes out gets me everytime. *sigh*.





Sasha

[Teresa in GA]

Confession time. I've been bad. I didn't met my goal. Have I already said that. I did do a lot in January. I just didn't do it on the manuscript I posted for the challenge.

Bad me. But I am making progress. And that's what's important right?

[Sasha White]

Forward movement is what matters...even if it's an inch at a time! Keep at it Teresa!