Clarity on the Road

A month in Germany, too many drafts, and the decision to finally finish my book

Spending about a month in Germany to visit my husband’s family, I planned to take time off from Book 1, write a new book, and edit the rough draft of my second book, which is set in Germany. A bit of an aggressive plan, I know.

As I was writing a new story and editing Book 2, I couldn’t figure out why I was working on these other projects instead of finishing Book 1. Then, everything became clear. It is time to get Book 1 out the door.

I Started a New Story

My favorite part about writing is starting with a blank page and seeing what words flow out. I love creating new worlds and telling new stories. After handwriting about twenty pages and starting edits for Book 2, I wondered why I was working on new projects when I’m so close to being finished with Book 1.

I have three things that I have been needing to work on in Book 1 for a long time now.

1. A pass for my Female Main Character’s voice (FMC).

2. A pass for my Male Main Character’s voice (MMC).

3. A pass for the romantic subplot between the FMC and MMC.

I have known that I needed to do this forever. It’s always been part of my revision plan, but I’ve kept putting it off. Although spending some time away from my book was a nice idea, it isn’t the right time to do that yet. I was just distracting myself. I want to finish these three things first before I take some time off. The sooner I can get these three things done in Book 1, the sooner I can query and move on to these new projects full-time.

So Far

I stopped working on the new story and editing Book 1. Instead, I’m focusing on completing the three passes. I have completed one and started the second.

As I’m writing this, I’m on the way to the Netherlands to go on vacation with my husband’s family. I’m hoping to see tulips and the North Sea! Then my littlest sister, who is studying abroad in London, will be visiting us in Germany for a few days.

Although I’m technically on vacation, I think I’ll be able to complete everything by the end of the trip. Honestly, I don’t want to take a break from working on my manuscript. I want to finish it.

I’m also still working on my query letter, but I hope that after a few more rounds of revision, I’ll have it done too. I am ready to get the book out the door.

Conclusion

I allowed distractions to creep in, but they brought clarity. I want to keep my word to myself that I do what I say I’m going to do, which is finish the three passes. Holding myself accountable has been a real game-changer.

Once I complete these three passes, I really don’t have a ton left to do. I want to read my manuscript out loud and spend time with each chapter on the line level. After that, all I need to do is prep for querying. My goal is to start querying by the end of June, if not sooner.

Book Talk

My SFWA mentor (I wrote about this in my previous post) is friends with Ruth McKell, who is the author of Honey in Her Veins, which is how I found out about this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Ev and Arthur. It’s a second-chance romance where Ev’s magic creates life, while Arthur’s magic takes life. But he also has a monster inside him threatening to take control. When Ev’s Dad gets sick, they set off to search for some magical honey in the mountains and rekindle their love. It’s a very sweet story!

Sending you blooming good vibes,

Liza