I hit submit. On the last weekend of November, when so many members in our chapter were finishing up their NaNo works, I completed my latest novel.
And let me tell you, it feels good.
First, major congratulations go to those members who “won†National Novel Writing Month, which means completing a 50K novel in one month.
Christina Alexandra
Kim Baccellia
Alison Diem
Nancy Farrier
Rebekah R. Ganiere
Rose de Guzman
Claire Hoffman
Mary Kowsloski
Debra Mullins
Samantha Oughten
Jesse Pearle
Nikki Prince
Maria Seager
Tiffany Tran
Beth Yarnall
Joyce Ward
Those same people also finished their Book in a Year! (If that’s what they were counting as their book.)
For those who signed up, but didn’t finish – think of all those new “words†you got that you didn’t have at the beginning of the month! If I missed someone, it wasn’t intentional, send me a note and plan to be recognized at the December meeting.
For me, this book was the first time I was late on a deadline, and not by just a few days. I communicated with my publisher, and everything was all right on that end, but personally: Ugh! That backlog seemed to clog up all the other writing I was supposed to do, and it became a mental chant of “once I finish.â€
Funny enough, I liked this book, too. It’s not that the writing process was particularly difficult this time around, it was the time to do it in. The challenges of the past year, family members and friends lost, and my work schedule, finally caught up. Honestly, it felt like it would never get done. So how’d I eventually push through? Basically knowing that I hadto complete it, bundled with Thanksgiving weekend and a few 2 a.m. nights.
The key is getting that butt-in-the-chair, as they say. Many people talk about writing being an isolated experience. For the most part, it is. The wonderful thing about organizations such as our chapter, and RWA, is that common unity and support.
Thank you to everyone who made 2013 such a great year, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store in 2014. Hmmm, and maybe how many of those finished projects will get published!
Author Details
Author Details
A Slice of Orange started in 2004 as a group of authors from Orange County, California. We have expanded to include authors from around the globe–from the UK, all across the US to New Zealand. Our authors include the multi-published and writers at the beginning of their publishing career. In addition to authors, we feature blog posts from editors, PR professionals, and cover designers.
The bright segments of the writing and reading community that make up one perfect entity—A Slice of Orange.
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A Slice of Orange started in 2004 as a group of authors from Orange County, California. We have expanded to include authors from around the globe–from the UK, all across the US to New Zealand. Our authors include the multi-published and writers at the beginning of their publishing career. In addition to authors, we feature blog posts from editors, PR professionals, and cover designers.
The bright segments of the writing and reading community that make up one perfect entity—A Slice of Orange.
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