I’m Finished. Now What?

I finally finished Faith’s story this week. Oh, how that woman tested me. I certainly was losing Faith, but I knew how I wanted the story to end. And dammit, I ended it my way.

So now that’ I’ve finished Faith’s story (one of three sisters who are into racing, hence Racing Harts being the series name), what do I do with the story.

Well, I let it sit. For a while. Some authors jump straight into editing, but to be honest, I kind of like to let mine sit for a bit longer, normally about six months. Then I will pull it out, do a quick read through, making note on sticky notes (which I LOVE), and then I work through and start editing, changing bits here, things there, adding in a dash of spice, a touch of pepper, stir and mix. Then I send it to my critique partners. The read through it, laugh out loud then confirm that it’s a bunch of bullsh!t and I feel terribly bad. No, seriously, by the time I’ve edited it the first time, I think it’s crap. My critique partners come back with thoughts, any comments about plot holes – (what happened to this guy in your story?), and generally their opinion about the story. These are actually very helpful, and after drinking plenty of whisky, I actually allow myself to sit down and read what they’ve said.

The final part of my editing process is going through the story AGAIN, and then listening to it being read on my computer. It really picks up lots of errors and missing words that others had missed, because we sometimes all know where the story is going.

Once I’m happy with the story, I send it to my lovely editor who reads it through and then comes back to me with edits that may be required. Mostly they’re grammatical errors, because for some reason writers write, they don’t talk or do grammar. (Writers don’t math well either.)

So, there you go, that it what happens to my story from start to finish, which generally takes a year from starting writing to publishing it.

Now, I’m not doing much writing, because I am in the process of formatting Compromising Positions and getting it put up for pre-order.

I hope you had a great week. Take care out there.

Catherine

A Car Wreck of a week

Normally I tell you what I did this week past, but instead I want to start by saying I AM OK!

This week has been good, writing-wise, and I came up with another story idea! That’s two stories and one to plot…

Thursday wasn’t such a great day. My co-worker and I were in a car accident, and we both suffered some impressive bruising and a crushing ride sideways in our work van, which is now a write off.

My boss thankfully gave me and my co-worker Friday off, and we are extremely grateful for that. Because I had to travel to Wineborough to catch up with my Dad who has his birthday this week. His first birthday since the passing of my stepmum.

It was a lovely day with Dad, we (my son and I), weeded some of his garden and made things a little easier for him, then took him out for lunch.

And then, to make my poor bruised body feel even more miserable, I have a cold! So a great way to start a week. NOT!

But hopefully this week, I will finish Faith’s story, and then I’m not sure which story to write next.

Hope you had a better week that I did.

Take care out there.

Catherine

Creating New Things

Hello there, how are things? Well, it’s been a busy week. What with work, and stuff.

Actually, work has been quiet lately, I’ve been busy with writing, planning and editing, and it’s been a lot of fun.

I was planning on writing Hope’s story next in the Racing Harts story, but I’m not sure now. The reason? I had a dream the other night, and have a plan for a sequel to my ice planet story – oh, sorry, Shards of Ice. It’s based in the future from the original story, and it’s their son, who’s an arrogant so and so, but he’s redeemable. The story idea is just about all there, but then, so is Hope’s story. And then I have my Dragon shifters story that I need to get back to, but I have a feeling that story might have to be written, divided up and then edited and published in one big heap…only because at the moment, it seems to be a neverending story, and I really want to split it up with different characters in each story. I guess this needs more planning.

I’ve also been working on a personal project for my partner’s sister, I started it two years ago for her 50th birthday, and then ended up in lockdown, so didn’t get to give it to her. I’m revamping it and making it better than it was, and I have to have it finished by next week, because my partner is heading up north to see her.

I also have another personal writing project that I want to work on, it’s a non-fiction book, and it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. It is something that would benefit all creatives, not just writers. This is still in the planning stages, so won’t be happening anytime soon.

And I’ve also been talking to a friend about websites and colours, and I have some new colours that I want to try out on my website, make it a cohesive site, bring the fonts and colours and covers together. I think it will work, I have the colours, I just need to find time to work on the website now.

I love being creative and having creative time, what about you?

Take care out there.

Catherine

Travels and Writing

When I go away anywhere, I take my laptop with me, because I might just get some time to write. Often it’s not a lot of time, but sometimes, I might get a bit of time writing. We’ve just been travelling to watch my partner’s two children graduate, one from University and one from School of Tourism. Both have done extremely well in their educational endeavours and made their parents very proud.

I took my laptop away with us, and managed to squeeze in some writing, here and there, and then yesterday I got in a few good minutes while my partner watched his son playing Rugby. I don’t do rugby, I don’t enjoy standing on the sidelines in the freezing cold, watching a sport I don’t understand, so neither of them were upset with me staying in the car and writing.

I got to write for a whole hour in the car, without interruptions, or music, or people talking, and it’s amazing how much writing you can get done in that time. I’m now a third of the way through my Racing Harts novel, which is really exciting.

Normally I write for a few minutes in the morning before I head to work. the house is quiet, and I have time to myself, but I only get fifteen to twenty minutes of writing done in that time. But it’s good to write in short periods as well, it means that I have an idea for where I want to go the next day when I get to writing again.

At the moment, an hour of writing is about all I can handle, but I hope to build that up over time, and also being aware that I don’t need to write all in one hour, I can go away and come back to do more writing, if I want to. It’s nice to have options.

So how was your week?

Take care

Catherine

Winning When You’re Writing

Happy Easter everyone, hope you’ve had a lovely sunny weekend with lots of chocolate and hot cross buns.

I’m a plotter, I like to know where my story is going and what’s going to happen. It doesn’t mean that I have every single little thing plotted out. Sometimes there are little gems that just throw themselves in, and it makes me go, yeah, that’s perfect.

For example; Racing Harts, Faith’s story (because I have yet to find a catchy title, and Finding Faith actually seems a little cliche), Faith is a motorcycle racer, and her season is usually from November until April. But there is a big gap over the Christmas period where there is no racing. Her and her sisters run a vineyard (yet to be named). They have a big Christmas dinner for KidsCan, and then I thought, why not have a concert over the New Years period with a NZ band. Clever idea.

But wait, it gets better, because my hero, Cole, who lives in Christchurch, is a bit miffed that he didn’t get Faith’s number to call her and catch up. But just after Christmas, he and his brother’ and his’s family are going to Kaiteriteri for a week, which will also encompass New Years. See where I am heading with this?

It has become an opportunity for Cole and Faith to meet up outside of the racetrack and to get it on, if you know what I mean. And I didn’t even have that in my story plan! It’s bloody genius, and I love when a story idea comes together.

What brilliant plans have you come up with this past week?

Take care everyone

Catherine