Catégorie : Writing a novel

Diary of a Writing Project. Day 150: dealing with multiple writing projects

That being said, not letting life interfere with writing is dang hard when you’re a parent of young children.

By chasing many rabbits at the same time, you catch none. Or something like that.

Same goes for working at multiple writing projects. By doing little everywhere, it’s hard to see progress on anything.
It’s then easy to get discouraged. Or start to feel overwhelmed.

How to manage multiple projects is quite simple: be discipline, schedule writing time, leave the new ideas alone in a notebook, keep writing and, the most important thing of all… the « don’t give up » one!

Easier said than done.

Continuer la lecture de « Diary of a Writing Project. Day 150: dealing with multiple writing projects »

Diary of a Writing Project. Day 145 to 149: Writing Community

Writing is a lonely business.

How beautiful!

It is quite lovely to be a writer, especially when you simply dislike leaving your house, for any given reason.

But, guess what, humans need human connections. Plus, it is very true what they say: no one can create in a vacuum.
When you’re working from home and taking care of the kiddos, it can get lonely after a while.

Since I avoid almost all the Socials, I rely heavily on AuthorBook and BookTube.
And recently, I’ve discovered the live write-in. And I looove it.

Writing time and writing sprints

It’s a great productivity thing, the write-ins. And when I catch the live write-in’s, it’s an occasion to connect with other writers from around the world. Literally.

Since the write-ins are then posted on the author’s channel, I sometimes watch them again, in order to get motivated and to be more productive.

Writing sprints is something I dislike doing by myself.

With other people, even if they are on the other side of a screen (and on the other side of the world sometimes), it feels more like working in a coffee shop but in the compagny of writers and without the expenses and the whirring sound of the barista.

It helps me find the motivation to dedicate two hours in a row solely to writing. It gets me in the « zone » even when I’m stressed about other things. A bit like when I would go to writing class, back in my University days.
Yes, I had this deadline, this teamwork thing to research, but while in writing class, I had no choice but to dedicate all my attention to one thing only (it was a time of no smartphones, a time where laptops weight a ton, a time without YouTube).

Here’s some of the write-in I try to attend to as much as my day job allows. See you there, maybe, dear writer firends?

Thanks for reading !

Diary of a Writing Project. Day 143-144: and we have a working first draft​ !

After a quick revision, the YA first draft, the very one that inspired this Diary of a Writing Project, will start with 32 600 words.

For this first draft, I used a writing technique completely new to me. I’ve written a basic synopsis for each chapter.

The idea came from the super fun, super into writing and writing craft, very talented author Kate from AuthorTube/BookTube channel Katytastic. (One channel appellation goes hand-in-hand with the other, don’t you think? Reading a ton made me wish I could be a writer too, and from there, I work.)

I have 23 chapters for now, but it will certainly change and go up to 25 chapters at the very least. After all, this novel should be around 80 000 words when I’m done. One day. Soon I hope.

Remember when I planned to finish drafting that project by the end of December 2019?
I’m almost tempted to insert one those laughing gif here. Anyway, you learn a little something every time you failed to make a deadline.

At the end, this draft should be finished by the end of April 30th. Of 2020 that is!

Then, off to beta-readers, if I can find any experienced francophone beta-reader into YA fantasy paranormal novels.

Steady writing progress

Since I’ve decided to go hybrid and self-publish, my writing schedule had to change.

The self-publishing industry (it had become one, thanks to the Internet and the variety of readers out there) had developed its own set of rules.

In order to make any kind of money, authors can either published a long-trail well marketed novel, of several novels in a very short period of time.

Can I write, have a round of beta-reading, revise, send to edit, revise once more, copy proof in six ways of so?
While, of course, find a book cover artist, do a marketing campaign, get a launch together (that will not happen until the book series I have in mind reaches any kind of success (more than 5 000 readers) in my book market… and that is a very, very, very overly optimistic goal!), create a newsletter, organize a giveaway of some sort (and I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting something)?

The answer for that very long question is : nope !

Writing a rom-com novel is not easier than writing any other kind of literary genre.

Just because I’m trying to self-publish, I’m not gonna hand-over the first draft or something like that.

I hope to get the rom-com novel published in June though (in time for vacations season!).

In order to achieve that, I changed my writing schedule. That means, I had to carve out more time for writing.

My kiddo wakes up at 5 am. every. single. morning. It’s a blessing. I can write for two hours before having to get ready for the workday.
Which pretty much means… showering and changing pj’s!

I write during lunch time, and then there’s my trusty evening writing session.
Lately, I’ve been using that time to read graphic novel/comic books, but now that YA novel is right on track, and rom-com is outlined, I will concentrate my efforts on writing both the same time.

I’m in the mood for writing both fantasy and rom-com. Both WIP are on the fun side of the spectrum, so they kind of have the same vibes, if not the same mood (YA ghost story gets a bit dark, but just a bit).

Let’s see how this ambitious task turns out. Or, let’s see how the young kiddo will take the « less mommy time », I should say.

Thanks for reading, dear writer friends!