NaNo 2010

OK - so I'm doing this again. A lot has changed in the last year.


Last time I was trying to understand the whole writing thing - and looking around the corner from my twitter-based flash fiction to being a professional writer. Wow, I couldn't have imagined how differently I write now and how I look at writing as a profession.


After I finished last year's novel (~75K called Lucky Lady) I loved it - I thought it was good. The people I asked to read it liked it as well, (well, most - one didn't out of eight) and the women who read it all said they cried through the last few chapters... So I guess I got what I wanted out of NaNo. I thought it was good enough to publish, but I realized I didn't know that much about publishing, so I decided to get smart. The last year has been about becoming... becoming a professional writer, getting away from depending on just whatever raw talent I have and polishing the work. So...


I have had one romance short story rejected. not once, but twice. There are a lot of reasons, and I have a list of changes to make should I decide to do it again.


I have a BDSM-themed romantic erotica short story on submission. I got favorable comments from the publisher, and then from the acquisitions editor - I am waiting for her to decide. Talk about being on pins and needles.


I have a DD-themed Romantic Erotica novel (~83K words) ready to submit. I am doing the final polishing. I have come to understand how vital it is now. This had been my focus for the last six months. I've entered parts of it in two contests, and the feedback has made me a much better writer - the downside is I went back and revised/rewrote a lot. That is the essence of being good at this, I suspect.



I have three other projects - a SciFi novella, ready for the final polishing run and marketing decisions, a contemporary romance, almost finished (estimated 55K words when done) and a romantic suspense I've outlined and just started on. Not to mention this year's NaNo romance. So... I've been busy. I've entered four contests and received excellent feedback from them, including one in which I've forged a mentoring relationship with someone very good.


So - whence from here? I have to continue to grow as a writer. I am now working on my craft - learning the details of producing a professional level piece of work that is marketable. I am also working on the promotional elements. In a very real sense writing is no different from any other business. First, you must recognize it as a business, not purely as an art form. Then you might succeed...


So - I'll keep track of this year's effort on NaNo as well. I had an outline and a lot of supporting information - certainly more than last year. As I said, I write differently now.


FWIW, my totals are...


Chapter 1 - 2349 words

Chapter 1A - 2,966

Chapter 1b - 180

Journal - this will be fed into the story when I figure out how - 122 words




Total: 5617




Aa kind of an afterthought it is really interesting to look at my comments last year - at this point Lucky Lady is complete - waiting only for a marketing plan. Looking at last year when I was on the third chapter was really cool - it gives you (me anyway) a feeling of accomplishment. That I created something where it didn't exist before. Maybe that's why we write, I don't know...