So I gave up on the daily updates: I suck. But I did submit to Pitch Wars today: I rock! We’ll see how it goes. Put in the first chapter and query after a lot of revision work.
Now the waiting game.
Day 186 – 203: July 5 – 22, 2017
I had almost given up on writing KINGDOM. If one single reason jumped out, I would give it. Why do writers have existential pangs of doubt and crises of effort? Because writing is shitty. Mostly, except for a very few, no reward awaits. Not even can we expect a genial, “Wow, that’s great,” from folks, at least any that would satisfy our morbid egos. Why? Because those platitudes would likely come from well-meaning friends or moms, who always say such things.
We want either from the masses or our esteemed knowledgeable colleagues, or both. Or, someone other than our day-to-day circle of people to read our work.
So I fucking bailed. Then, I didn’t. I have rushed back in to get ready for Pitch Wars, which haa turned into an all consuming Twitter contest for writers. In it, a writer enters his/her first chapter and query letter, then can get have his entire manuscript selected to be mentored for revision. Later there is an agent round and all that.
So I am rushing to do a major revision to KINGDOM. I decided to change tense from present to past and add a layer of narration to it, plus change the ending slightly. It’s made me crazy. Odds are crazy to get in. My favorite mentor, who I won’t name, last night came to the conclusion my manuscript was probably to high concept fantasy to submit to her.
Aaaargh!
I will plod onward.
Day 185: July 4, 2017
The 4th of July!
The actual day of the holiday we did nothing. Well, except rest. I grilled too, but I basically do almost every day. Tended the garden a bit too. Our squash plant is as big as a tree. There’s something unnatural about the damn thing. I’ll, take a picture one of these days.
Day 184: July 3, 2017
Monday.
Day off. Slept late. To a friend’s for a cookout. Home late. Youngest daughter fell off her bike and her whole face is scraped. Her nose and lips are bright red so she looks like a 40-year drunk.
Day 183: July 2, 2017
Sunday.
Fireworks by the Bay tonight. Grilling. My youngest daughter blew a raspberry right in my face. Summer.
Day 183: July 1, 2017
Saturday. Time with family.
Day 182: June 30, 2017
No writing today. I’m thinking of pulling all of my Kindle published manuscripts offline and revising them, particularly the first one, CUSP. It was poorly written and hastily thrown online (apologies for the four of you who bought it). I really think I can improve it now. I have new projects I’d like to work on too, but that story has great potential with better writing.
I’d like to give it a try anyway. Pondering it anyway.
