Cleveland is still trickling along. I think I'm close to 70 pages now. I got some amazing ideas at the Whidbey Island conference but most of my time has been spent thinking about the story. I figured out at the PNWA conference a couple of weeks ago that I know my story arcs (There are 3 of them that you need to include. Did you know that?), I haven't necessarily kept them in mind while writing my scenes, hence my struggle. I figured out that I need to be asking more questions - Why is this scene important in the story? How does it fit into the intentional and emotional arcs? Yep, stuff that requires more - wait for it - thinking!
And just when I found myself ready to dive in and answer some of those questions, I took some classes that gave me concrete ways to improve my writing. I could hardly wait to get home and plug them into Collected.
Which I did, though I had to wait a day. I got home Sunday morning and completed the rough draft of the picture book I've talked about writing for years - one about the adventures my father had growing up on the farm. He got into lots of, well, trouble. I use to tease him that he was going to end up in a book some day. Which I'm finally writing. Three years after his death.
So I did my SFD (shitty first draft) and put it away the next day to work on the Collected edits. I've been working on those 6-12 hours a day since. I did talk to my mom and niece about my dad's exploits as I needed 2 more to finish out the page count and want to sit down and finish that book in time to enter it into the Whidbey Island contest this year.
I also found myself a critique partner, someone who is willing to bleed all over the page. He's moving slow but has already provided me with some great feedback that's already worked its way into my edits. My story hasn't changed, just the way I'm telling it.
And I do have to say, it was immensely freeing to hear at PNWA that your first draft is crap, that it is just meant to be the vehicle through which you find out what happens in the story, and that your true writing comes through the editing process. 35 - 40 edits. Looking for different things each time. No wonder so many writers never go back and read their own books. I'm still in love with mine at this point.
So, I've updated my blog. I've a ton of writing/editing I need to do. And I still need to follow up with the agents and editors I met with at PNWA. Yep, super busy but leaving on vacation tomorrow. For which I haven't packed. Or done laundry. Hmm. Guess I'd better sign off for now.
