Tag: writing

Not for the Faint of Heart

Not for the Faint of Heart

by pamelakyel ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

When they say this Querying is tough, they weren’t kidding. Every time I hit the submit button or send the email I feel my heartbeat increasing and my breathing changing.

I enjoy the writing process immensely, but boy do I have a lot to learn about the rest of it.

I participated in a Webinar this week that was offered through Writer’s Digest. I learned a lot! There’s so much more that goes into this than I had expected. It’s exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

I will continue working on the second in the series this weekend. Right now I’m working everything in between Remote School Lessons with my youngest and running the girls to ice skating and karate.

Taking the tree down this
weekend so I wanted to
get a few more shots in
of Boo.
Taking a Break

Taking a Break

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It’s three days until Christmas and I’m taking a much needed break. I’ve been at this for three months non-stop. I’m at the query stage as I await the edit. Most agents are closing up shop for the remainder of the year.

Instead I’m choosing to give my mind a break. I’m not even looking at the second in the series right now.

I’m choosing to focus on my girls and hubby as we celebrate Christmas and as we close out this crazy year.

We’re looking ahead to the coming year with optimism and enthusiasm.

There’s a lot in store for us this coming year. Hoping for a book deal. Our family will be moving this summer into early fall. Fingers crossed we’ll see the end of Covid.

I may or may not write anymore this year. I’ll have to see if something occurs to me.

We have been out enjoying the holiday lights in our area. It’s an enjoyable time where we’re in the car together and enjoying it.
Feeling Overwhelmed

Feeling Overwhelmed

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I decided to work on my research for getting published tonight. To say I was in over my head is the understatement of the year. There’s so much information out there that I can’t even begin to sort it out. I found several sites that were helpful in helping me see through the fog. I’m learning just what it is I’ve gotten myself into. I will persevere though. I’m determined to see this through.

I’m cautiously optimistic that Giving Cheek will be published and hopefully the ones to follow. It’s the dream I never dared to dream. The dream I never knew I even wanted. The dream that was just that, a dream. Now that I’m making strides and going for what I want it’s daunting and scary and exciting and nerve-wracking. If I had any fingernails left to bite off they would be gone, but they came off when I began telling Analee’s story a couple months ago. 😉

I’m so excited about this whole thing. I can’t believe it’s me doing this. I signed up for a Writer’s Digest class on the whole publishing thing and hoping it will give me insight on where to go next. I’m hoping it will guide me in the right direction to begin the querying process. I’m simply waiting for the last Beta reader as well as my editor to come back to me. It’s hard because I know this is a busy time of the year, but I’m so ready to move on and make that leap.

She’s always beside me, her 18 years are showing in that, I’ve become her anchor. She feels safest when she’s next to me. I’m her ears since she’s losing her hearing. She’s my baby.
Twitter Madness

Twitter Madness

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For two hours I was tempted to pre-empt the remainder of editing and participate in the current madhouse that is #PitMad.

I’m waiting on two more beta readers, my editor, my brothers review, and by husband’s review.

I wanted so badly to be able to submit something tomorrow and see what happens. I even came up with my 140 character pitch as well as an extended one.

I thought about it late into the night and I just decided not to do it right now. My query letter isn’t ready. I have to wait and see what my Beta readers have to say. I want this to be the best it can be for presenting, even if that means I have to wait until January to submit.

In the meantime I’ll read through it again and work on the next in the series.

My husband and I got these ornaments as a representation of us. We’ve had them for close to 15 years. His is the mirror ball and mine is the hot red pepper.
Grade School Grammar

Grade School Grammar

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Subject. Predicate. Verb. Noun. Adjective. The terms swim in my head to this day. My 6 year-old is in First Grade and is learning about nouns and verbs and adjectives. The timing could not be better for me. It is helping me immensely with my writing and my sentences. If only I could figure out comma splices and run-on sentences.

I’ve written and edited my papers for my Master’s. I’ve edited my husband’s papers for his Master’s. Yet, I find myself Googling commas and placement. I find myself paging through, The Chicago Manual of Style, to make sure I have my italics and quotation marks correct. There’s just so much it’s overwhelming. I analyze my texts and my emails more closely now. I’m sure if I had a job I would be hyper-focused on my grammar even more than usual.

Red Tailed Hawk, Northern California, 2018

Third Time Around

Third Time Around

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I’m making my third pass through my book. I’ve read it and made notes and now I’m typing it up. It’s probably fitting that this page with a LOT of red ink is also rewriting a scene of violence. There’s no description of what happened, it’s not that kind of book, only the remaining scene and what it looks like.

This is where the magic is happening!
Celebrating

Celebrating

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I’m on my third trip through, for editing, and I still love it. With each new read through I fall a bit more in love with my characters. Yet, I also have to be objective and ask myself if this is how this person would behave.

I think getting everything out of the way reveals those things I wouldn’t normally see.

This entire process has been educational, and addicting, and I am thoroughly enjoying myself.

I’ve also learned something. I’ve done something that many people can’t say they’ve done. I’ve written a book. I have hopes that it will see the light of day beyond, but until that happens I can celebrate this accomplishment.

I found this and it forces me to be proud of myself. Ha!
Is This How This Works?

Is This How This Works?

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Well, last night I accidently began my second novel in the series. Whoops! I prefer to think of it as being proactive, so I can mention in the Query Letters that a second novel is on the way.

I love writing. I love the research process and the chance to be creative. There’s so much going on in my head and it gets to spill out on the paper in the form of a story. It’s great!

Your daily dose of cutenessin the form of Boo.
Onward & Upward We Go

Onward & Upward We Go

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Didn’t mean for that to be dual meaning, but it really is. Specifically, for me, today it means I begin gathering ideas for my next novel in the series. I’ve gotten the first one out to Beta Readers as well as the Copy Editor. I’m exhausted from trying to narrow down my Query letter. I have to take it in spurts otherwise I get so overwhelmed by it.

For now that means brainstorming ideas for the the second book. It’s fun because my mind never stops. Coming up with the murder is the easy part it’s everything else that is the challenge. Ha!

The leaves are out in splendor right now. We’ve reached the tail of their color. Makes me sad. I love the Fall.

Beta Readers

Beta Readers

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I’ve reached the phase where I’m sharing with others. My Beta Readers as well as my Copy Editor and my Alpha Reader.

This quote by Erma Bombeck is right on the money. The anxiety that comes with sharing a part of your heart and soul is intimidating and scary. The people I’ve trusted with this are amazing people, and I know they will do the best job they can do.

Getting closer to being finished. Doing all my research for Query Letters and finding the ones that I feel may best represent me.

Thank you for joining me on my journey.