Looking For Beta Readers...Anyone Wanting To Have Some Fun

I'm looking for people who might be interested in reading an as of yet unpublished original work. I started it probably a decade ago and finished it last year. Since then, it's been doing nothing but sit in my computer, and I'm sick of having projects just sit when they should be worked on and released to the public.

A little about the story--it's about a newly-called Relief Society President, a mother of small children, a Canadian now living in the United States. The title of the story is, The Ward Witch. If you're familiar with my religion, the calling and the title of the book mean something to you.

Yes, it's about a witch.

Yes, she's in a ward.

Hopefully, I have piqued your interest. If so, and you'd like to read it and give constructive feedback, please let me know, either as a comment, or as a direct message from the various social media sites where I link my blog posts. As far as timelines, I'd love to get your feedback as soon as possible, but I understand we all have lives and responsibilities that take priority.

Be ye warned--the story has not been professionally edited, plus, I have grammar and spelling issues (this may not be new information if you've read my posts on this blog...). Add to the fact that the subject matter may be a tad, shall we say...controversial--this may not be something you'd like so I can understanding on passing.

But, if all those things sound fun and you enjoy a challenge, please let me know. I hope to get you the story out in a few weeks for your reading--and critiquing--enjoyment.

The Ward Witch...a grand adventure.

 

The End...Two Simple Words That When Put Together Are Huge

 Last week I typed "the words." Those two simple words that when put together, are huge. 

And two words that don't necessarily mean what you think they mean.

This makes three novels under my belt. The first one will most likely never see the light of day, the second was published, and this is number three. Each ending was different, and by that I mean, my reaction to each ending was different.

Novel #1

Years ago two filmmakers and I worked on a screenplay project. We finished the project and I asked if I could write the novel to the story we created. Since they were filmmakers, they didn't care so I wrote it. If the screenplay ever becomes a film, I promise to dust off the story, or even re-write the whole thing. I'll keep you posted, but as of now, I don't believe it's going to get made. Too bad...I liked those characters. The novel, however, was a mess. Thin structure and massive P.O.V. issues. I can't remember the feeling I had when it was finished. Maybe I never typed "The End." Maybe it's not even finished.

Novel #2

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you are probably sick of hearing about novel #2, Chaser. I wrote it to see if I could complete the NaNoWriMo writing competition that takes place each November. 50k words in one month. Turns out, I could complete the challenge. The book was accepted and published by Immortal Works on January 16th, 2018. I remember finished the first draft of that book. It had problems, yes, but knowing I had completed NaNoWriMo was a great feeling.

Novel #3

Of the three, this one took the longest to write. I began it in 2013 and because of several severe cases of writer's block it took years to finish. I wonder if closing a manuscript and not opening it for almost a decade counts as writer's block. I could not for the life of me figure out the ending, or how I would get to the ending. Once I figured that out, the end came rather quickly and I finished the last 20k words in a few weeks. Because of my previous experience with short stories and novels, I know there's so much more to do. 

I don't have a publisher in mind--it's a unique story. It will most likely be self-published, and I'm okay with that. Another reason I'm excited for this one is it's the first of a trilogy. Now, I just need to begin thinking about structuring the second story, which has its own challenges.

"The End" never really means the end. Just as the characters in a story continue even though we don't know the continuation, the story continues. The script evolves, hopefully it improves, the point-of-view tightens and the story packs more of a punch. Writing "The End" ushers in an exciting time...a tough time, but an exciting one, none the less.

Sometimes Reaching 50K Takes A Month...Sometimes Eight Years

 When I updated my Mac a few updates ago, my Microsoft Word software no longer worked. Changes over at Microsoft mean if I want to continue using their product, I need to purchase an annual license (at least, I think it's annual...I never paid for the license so I'm not sure).

Without Word I needed new writing software. I chose Scrivener. I'm liking it so far, liking it a lot. I don't utilize all the bells and whistles of Scrivener (I didn't with Word, either...). But, it does what I need it to do. 

Because I took the novel I was working on in Word and cut it up into chapters in Scrivener, I had no idea how many words I'd written, since I had added several chapters using the new software. I did a search--turns out I've surpassed 50k.

That's a milestone.

Every November, writers all over the world try and write a complete novel during the month, and if not a novel, at least write fifty-thousand words. It's called NaNoWriMo and the only time I took the challenge seriously, I was able to do it. I wrote my first published novel before November ended. That took less than four weeks. This latest story I stopped working on in 2013 before I started up again. That's eight years for me to reach 50k.

Quite a difference.

After I completed my first NaNoWriMo challenge, the story flowed so easily. I was sure I could duplicate it. And maybe I can with another story, but every time I've tried, it's been tough. That's why I haven't done it again.

Now that I've hit that mark, I can begin to wrap it up. I finally figured out my ending a few weeks ago so now it's just a matter of putting in the work and getting the first draft finished. Of course, many writers say once the first draft is done, that's when the writing process really gets going. It's true...once the first draft is done, so many of the things that turns a good story into a great story begin. I do like that part of the process. I'm glad I can see the end of at least this part of the journey.

Been Doing A Little Editing...Happy About What I'm Reading

 One of my unwritten resolutions for the new year was to work on some of those old writing projects I started and never finished. It's a respectable goal. As a writer, you can write all day, but if you don't finish the stories you've began, then you've got no product to move.

The first story I chose to resurrect was something I began in 2013 called, The Ward Witch. I chose this one because--like paying off your smallest debt first--this story was the one closest to being done. I have about 20k words until it's finished. The reason I stopped is because I couldn't figure out an ending. I'm determined to get it thing done this time.

Since it had been so long since I last worked on this story, I've got to re-read it, in the very least, to remember the story and the characters. Plus, as I read, I've been doing some light-ish editing. I'm learning something as I read...

It's not bad.

It's funny, when you begin a project, then shelve it for a length of time, you forget things. I had forgotten so much of the story--especially the small details. So much of what I'm reading is an awakening.

I'm averaging a chapter of my light editing a day. In a couple of weeks I'll be done, then I can begin on the ending. I have a general idea of what I'll do, but I won't know until I can dive right in.

I'm glad that the story is entertaining--at least, to me. Hopefully, the finished product will be, too.