It's time to go back to the beginning of my work-in-progress and start the rewrite process.
I've written about 85k words since the first of the year, not a great total, but I'm at the point where I can start the rewrite on the third book in the "John Ross Boomer Lit" series.
As mentioned in a previous post, I'm actually working on the fourth book as well. I'll continue to do that while I rewrite the third book. The WIP has two distinct parts -- the European vacation and what awaits John and Sally when the return home.
My goal is to finish the third book by the end of July. But it could be sooner, or later. I'll know when it's ready to submit to my publisher and editor.
It is still my intention to see it published in 2018, and the book four about six months later. I already know what I'll be writing about in book five.
But for now, I'm going to take a short break from writing, perhaps a week, before embarking on this next step.
Until the next time . . .
I recently heard from a friend working on a debut novel, asking for my advice on how to get past the middle part and get to the end.
His problem was that he'd written the first part, three chapters, and knew how it was going to end, but was stuck in the middle, staring a those proverbial blank pages. He wanted to know what to do.
My advice was to go ahead and write the final chapter(s), then go backward and fill in the missing parts that lead to the ending.
I thought the most important thing for him to do was to write, not to get hung up on the overall story. I know quite a few authors who knocked out about 50 pages, then hit the wall and gave up. It happened to me a couple times before I finally worked through it with my first novel, The Touch, in 1998.
It's also important for the writer to understand that the words their putting down is simply the first draft. They'll be amazed how the novel grows and develops over subsequent rewrites and revisions before they reach "The End."
Above all, I believe the key to success is to write every day, be it 15 minutes or 15 hours. For me, I write through the difficult days, often discovering later that those passages gave me deeper insights into my story.
How would you tackle my friend's dilemma?
If you have any questions about writing that you'd like me to address, leave it in the "comment" box below or send it privately to my email (I won't disclose your name).
Until the next time . . .
It's been nearly three weeks since I last posted anything about my work in progress (actually, it'll be three weeks tomorrow).
Time flies by when you're immersed in writing.
And I've been busy writing each and every day, topping 80k words, so that's why you haven't heard from me. The sequel to "Darkness Beyond the Light," is coming along and the first draft should be completed in the next week or so.
As mentioned in a previous post, it appears that what I'm working on will be divided into two books; in other words, a fourth novel in the "John Ross Boomer Lit" series. We'll see.
So that's where I stand at this point in time. I hope to announce to everyone in the next week or so that I'm about to delve into the rewriting phase.
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I've got two library appearances lined up:
June 20 at the Montgomery County Public Library in Mount Sterling, Ky. I'll be discussing my work and taking questions, and trying to provide answers. It begins at 7 p.m. (ET).
July 14 at the Warren County Public Library, Bob Kirby Branch, for its Indie Author Fair. It runs from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. (CT)
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I'm also involved in the Bluegrass Writers Coalition in Frankfort, Ky. It's open to writers of all levels in central Kentucky. The next meeting is June 14, 5:30 p.m., at the Thorn Hill Learning Center.
Until the next time . . .
I've written about 85k words since the first of the year, not a great total, but I'm at the point where I can start the rewrite on the third book in the "John Ross Boomer Lit" series.
