Somewhere in there, even with a spreadsheet to help, I lost count of the days. 100 days is a lot of days. Actually, I started my spreadsheet tally two days early. Just figured that out.
Anyway, today is truly Day 56 of the 100-Day challenge.
I'm supposed to (1) write every day; (2) journal about my writing; and (3) document my progress. Between the spreadsheet and the blog, I've got those last two covered. That's 66% of challenge, if everything counts equally.
But I think step 1, the actual writing, should count for at least 50%. So let's say I've got 50% covered. The other 50%, not as much as I would like but I'm very encouraged.
I started out writing every day and made it through the first 30 days before things got shaky. I kept writing, just not as much. By day 44, things came to what felt like a crashing halt. Not really, but I was down to writing a couple of times a week. Been busy around the house, with the family, appointments, Hubby out of town...all the usual suspects.
What have I done? I submitted another freelance article for the regional health and wellness publication on Monday. The same day, I got great news. A query I sent out back in the summer was accepted. I've got the contract in hand, and I can't wait to write and submit that article. I'm so excited!
What I haven't been doing is working on the novel I started back in August. I'm stuck. Nothing new there. I need to work through some character issues in order to move the story forward. However, I'm putting it to the side, just for a bit, in order to work on a different story, a category romance I'll submit to Harlequin. (The submission deadline is December 15th.) This opportunity came out of the
So You Think You Can Write week hosted by Harlequin the first week in November.
Writing for Harlequin has been a longtime goal of mine. A nagging one, I might add. I want to write romances featuring people of color and faith. The Kimani Romance line features African-American characters, but the stories tend to be fairly sexy, often with one or more sex scenes, and rarely a faith element in sight. There have been exceptions like Jacquelin Thomas' 2009 release,
Chocolate Goodies, and her 2007 release,
The Pastor's Woman.
On the other hand, there's the Steeple Hill Love Inspired imprint, Harlequin's inspirational romance line. They rarely feature principal characters of color. Again, there are some exceptions, most notably, Felicia Mason's three-book "Sweet" series--
Sweet Accord,
Sweet Harmony and
Sweet Devotion, released in 2003 and 2004. Cheryl Wyatt also includes a multicultural cast of characters in her successful Wings of Refuge series. Book 2, A Soldier's Family, featured Hispanic leads, Manny Pena and Cecila Munoz. Cheryl's up to Book 7, I think.
By and large, the books with people of color don't speak of faith, and the books that speak of faith don't feature people of color in the category romance arena.
I've lamented about this before. When I began writing, one of my goals was to change this. It still is.
Last week, on the way to my children's school, it hit me clear as day. "
You've been whining about this forever. When are you going to do something?" I had just convinced myself to stay the course on my current wip. But this is a golden opportunity. I already had some ideas, a few even started. I'd had a chance to interact with the editors and ask questions. All submissions will be responded to by January 31st. What more could I want?
Time to put up or shut up.
So once again, I'm putting a story already in progress aside. I'm picking up a romance I started before and working out the kinks. My plan is to write (or, rewrite) the first three chapters and the synopsis in order to submit. I'll focus most of my time on the synopsis so I'm clear on who my characters are and what my story is about. I'll finish up right before the mid-December deadline. I'm off from work next week which gives me a good shot at making my target.
Then, I'll focus on that article. It's due February 1st, but I'm shooting for submission by January 15th.
I'll spend the rest of January finishing the first draft of the romance, roughly 55,000 words. Then, I'll go back to my single-title, a story I really love but that is a little more complex. Working alternately on these two stories will be the crux of my 2011 writing.
Did I mention that I'm gifting myself with a new laptop for Christmas? I'll get it during the Thanksgiving sales. Having a reliable, dedicated machine is the only way I'll get this done.
I passed up an opportunity to write a short romance recently for $100. I still laugh to myself when I think about passing up easy money. I could have done it, but it didn't fit into my timeline, given my other goals, all of which have the potential to pay more even if the payout is in the future.
And that's the beauty of the 100-day challenge. It really has made me think about my writing and make choices, then craft a solid plan. In the face of the
right opportunities, I'm working hard and asking for what I want by querying or submitting. And I keep writing, keep moving forward.
That's what's going on in a nutshell.
Not bad for day 56, I think.
Feels a bit like playing Whack-a-Mole with my kids. Do you know that game? The mole pops up out of the game board and you have to whack it on the head before it disappears again. Sometimes you hit it dead on, sometimes you barely graze it, and sometimes you miss all together. But if you keep trying, you get pretty good about timing and positioning of that hammer such that you find yourself hitting that mole again and again.
That's how the writing feels to me right now. There are still hits and misses, but I'm getting better.
Whacking that writing mole.
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
