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A little bit about my work in progress... I've been writing a novel, tentatively called Love's Daughter, for about the last two years. Although, I should probably say on and off for the last two years. I've worked on other projects, but keep coming back to Anna and Rhoman, so I'm working exclusively to finish this one. I'm almost done and am hoping #WIPMarathon will inspire me to finally get there.
As a matter of fact, finishing this story and beginning the next novel in the series is most of my new year's resolution. That's it. That's all I want to do this year. Well, that and finish the novel I started during NaNoWriMo this last year, tentatively called Going Home.
Here's my (short) synopsis, so far... For Anna Strahm, nothing's more difficult than living up to her mother's reputation. As if it weren't hard enough for an attractive, educated woman to find love, when you're the daughter of the goddess of love, people expect love to fall into your lap -- they also expect you to help love fall into theirs. Sadly, for Anna, not only does she not automatically attract love, she nearly repels it. Every time she's been in love, or something close to it, everything falls apart. For Anna, love is a disaster!
As Anna stumbles upon a guy with promise and things start looking up, reality rears it's ugly head. When her grandfather gives her an impossible ultimatum and her love life falls apart (again), she must find a way to reconcile her family's expectations with her own desires.
Last report wordcount + chapter count/scene count: 68,107 (8 Chapters with lots of scene breaks)
Current report WC + CC/ SC: 68,107 (8 Chapters with lots of scene breaks)
WIP Issues This Month: I feel really good about the last 5,000 words or so, which is making it hard for me to pick it up again. I know that sounds a little bit strange, but I'm feeling like the next 5,000 or so words have to be equally good, and so on. It's looking like I'm going to have to just power through this little idiosyncrasy. The first draft doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be done. But try telling that to my brain.
Four things I learned this month in writing: Hmm, four? Let's see...
1.) I am terrible at being alone (some strong, independent woman I turned out to be. Ha!) which made writing so much more difficult.
2.) I need almost perfect quiet where that wasn't always the case. Trying to write in my folk's living room, with people chatting and the TV on has been tough. I've always liked quiet, but I've only just learned how badly I need it.
3.) I'm afraid to finish. The closer I get to finishing, the harder this thing is becoming.
4.) My chapter lengths/section breaks are pretty terrible. I started looking back at them. So bad and I'm not sure how to fix it.
What distracted me this month while writing: It's been a crazy hectic month. Lots of ups and downs. My husband went away on a business trip for the first two weeks of the month and I struggled to make headway while he was gone. I swear that man is my muse. I wrote a little bit, but not much. Only about 5,000 words for the whole two weeks. When he came home last week, he was on vacation and wanted for us to spend the week together. So, no writing last week. One week after he came home, this week, I flew out to California to see my family. I'll be flying home tomorrow, but no writing this week either. So, not a whole lot of writing done this month.
Goal for next month: I would love to finish this thing, since my word goal is about 85,000. But, I'd be satisfied with 10,000 words.
Last 200 words: He stood, slipping into his black suit coat and smoothing his blue tie. When he got to the door, briefcase him hand, he said, “He has always had a soft spot for her, Anna,” he cocked his brow, “they’ll never be done.”
“Get out,” I pointed at the door.
“If you’re interested in those drinks…”
“I’m not.”
“It was nice to see you,” he said.
“I wish I could say the same,” I said.
He paused, “Anna?”
“What?” I tried not to sag, “What do you want?”
He turned from the door, his look pointed. “Ask him.”
I didn’t have the heart to ask him what I should be asking. I knew the answer, hearing it from his mouth would have been too much. I just wanted him to leave before I threw something at him. Or worse yet, before I accepted his offer for drinks. He had been nice to me once, but that wasn’t it. It was that I hurt and I couldn’t have Rhomen, and Alexander seemed like the most destructive thing I could possibly do. And right then, I wanted to self-destruct. (190 words)
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Sharing is the hardest part for me. I have a really difficult time putting it out there. I'm hoping it will get easier. It'll make it hard to publish if I can't share. :)
