I received a lot of nice feedback on my post about 5 things I would be looking for in the third draft of my novel that I decided to share some more editing wisdom but from a source other than me. She Writes is a great resource for me and I come across a lot of informative posts like this. Top 10 Editing Tips For Your Final Draft by Kat Stiles. One can never know too much about polishing up a manuscript.
On My Desk
Is anything more exciting than starting a new book. I'm in the midst of plotting it out. I used to be an 80% pantser when it came to writing a novel, but I've learned that I write much faster when I have a good outline. Not that lots of things don't change as I go. I'm well into the plotting guts of the third and final book in my Galactic Outlaws series.
I'm giving myself some slack on getting this one done. I'll need to do a few rounds of edits on the two books I have under contract in the next few months. The A to Z Challenge takes up some time during April. And May is crazy with an entire weekend dedicated to my daughter's graduation from BU and another weekend dedicated to the writing conference I always attend in May. Plus, the weather will be nice! Pool opening, planting flowers and veggies, spreading tanbark, mowing grass!!! I can't wait.
Book News
Natalie Damschroder has a new release this week. Check out Aftershocks.
Her past and her present collide with earthshaking results. Who will be her future…assuming she has one?
Entertainment Thoughts
My daughter talked me into watching The 100. Bad move. I've been binge watching it on Netflix to catch up to the first two seasons. It's another of those dark shows like Arrow that the CW network comes up with. Another CW show that I've watched from its beginnings is Supernatural. I think this is the show's 12 season. And amazingly, it's still fun and interesting. It has its share of darkness but the writers always inject some humor and good music. I don't think most TV shows can keep it fresh for that long.
"Preserve the old, but know the new." Chinese Proverb
How many seasons do you think a show can hold onto its entertainment value? Any hints of spring in your neck of the woods? No fair Californians or people in the southern hemisphere. What's keeping you busy through March and April besides the A to Z Challenge?
17 comments:
Glad you've come over to the plotting side!
How many years to stay fresh? Well, I think The Simpsons have proved that twenty-seven is too many...
Hi Susan - that's good to take your time - which means less pressurising yourself. April really does kick-start the year doesn't it ... and your May sounds it'll be fun ... after another great A-Z ... cheers Hilary
Hmm, I'm still a fan of Law and Order: SVU but I still miss Christopher Meloni on it, even all these years later. It's good, just not quite the same.
I believe The 100 was a book? A YA novel?
I'm much more of a reader than a television watcher. I love Big Bang Theory and my all time favorite television show - Saturday Night Live. Their cast is at it's best the past few years.
We do have buds on our trees, but then I'm in the high desert of Arizona :) Hubby enjoyed the Arrow series. I think as long as the writing is good on a series, it can last for a long time, but if the writing slips, then its like okay, time to move on.
I'll be moving in March so that and the A/Z will make March and April very busy months!
betty
Really pleased to hear the planning is going well. I do watch the 100 and quite enjoy it. It's nice to see how the characters change throughout the series. Have a great week.
I've contemplated watching the 100, haven't yet. Supernatural is in season 11 now. That show will out live us all lol It depends on the show really. Something like Supernatural can do pretty much anything and keep it fun, where is something like NCIS is just the same old same old week in week out.
We liked The 100 up until this last season. Now we're done. I'm participating in a group A to Z this year around MAJOR edits on a book. Crazy times, but I think I might disappear into this draft for a good two months. Yikes, right?
I've been really impressed with Supernatural this year. I do think that after a few seasons (how many depends on the show and the people involved, I would think) it's got to be hard to keep it fresh and well done. The acting on Supernatural has been excellent.
My husband watches The 100 but I couldn't watch past the first few episodes. They did something I couldn't handle, and it's WAY darker than Arrow, IMO. Way too dark for me! But I'm still glad it's doing so well. Jane the Virgin was my recent binge-hook-love show. :)
Good luck with the new book! I really wish I was better at plotting and planning. I know that when I have details in advance, things go much faster. But when I *try* to do it, I get bogged down forever. I have to be actively writing before any seeds and details (even big ones) come to me.
And thanks for mentioning my book! :)
I've been impressed by the 100, Gotham, and Flash (although Flash isn't as dark), because they seem to be able to continue weaving in some new story-lines with the old, and that keeps it fresh. My family and I found two old shows to binge-watch on Netflix - Malcolm in the Middle (how did we miss this before?), and Video Game High School (a youtube show that just makes us all laugh).
Spring is definitely here in the PNW - daffodils are up in the far back yard where we planted them over our dogs' burial site, but the daffodils in the front yard are just in the "stem" portion of life. It's almost too warm for late February, and I'm hoping it just stays this way without getting too hot. (over 90 is too hot for me) Yesterday was full of sunshine and today is a cloud cover day so we'll probably have lots of rain this weekend, as usual. Does it rain mainly on the weekends everywhere?
Hope spring comes soon for you and you have an awesome week with writing and life!!!
I love starting a new book! It's almost an intoxicating feeling. And it's starting to feel springlike where I am, and I live in New England. It's not exactly warm, but it's getting there, and there's no snow on the ground. That sounds like the beginning of spring to me.
The buds are already on the trees so I guess Spring is nearly here.
Hope Spring comes to you soon. The north has had some nasty weather lately.
We had a tornado warning today, so I'd count that as a sign of spring.
I keep trying to make better use of outlines, but my pantser muse resists! Do you have any tips that worked for you? I'm a huge Supernatural fan. My most recent binge watch has been Orphan Black. Awesome show.
I have recently become a big fan of Supernatural (esp. Dean). I'm on season five and one of the things I love is how the writers keep upping the ante with each season. And the music is awesome!
I love starting a new book. I'm usually good for the first 10-15k and then I slow down. I'm a pantser still. It works so I leave it alone. I just started Supernatural and really like it. My other fave is The Big Bang Theory. My sons and husband love Flash
Sounds like you're busy as ever. Happy Writing.
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