JA Marlow

New words are not all there is to writing. A finished first draft is only a first (big) step. And it’s the stuff that comes after and before a first draft that has been occupying my time.

Revision of “Into the Forest Shadows,” the SF Little Red Riding Hood adaptation, is progressing at a good clip (no pun intended – see below). I’m aiming to have most of the revision finished by May, and I’m on-track to do that. I’m planning out the big type-in revision right now. Which means a lot of study of the first draft to see what went right and what went wrong, what stands out and what is mediocre (or even bad). I’m coming up with a lot of great stuff to clarify or to add to make it better. Not so much *add*, but more like finding some brilliant Muse Bombs scattered about (named by Holly Lisle for those wonderful little unexpected things your subconscious mind drops into the story as you are writing). The good part is that I see only a handful of problem scenes with only two critically flawed. That is so fixable!

I’ve also started the planning on a new novel idea that I’m hoping to have the planning done in time for NaNoWriMo in November. The new novel is currently called “Lost Garden of Dreams.” It’s science fiction (as usual) with a sub-genre of Young Adult Adventure. However, it could turn into Young Adult Science Fiction depending on how the writing comes out. I’m content to see where the planning and writing takes me on that.

Last, but not least, today was haircut day! And I lost about 5 inches, possibly a little more. We didn’t measure it this time. Wow, my head feels lighter! Tis a great way to start out the new year.

I’ve been writing ever since I could string letters together to form words, and it’s never stopped since. However, the big goal of some day making a living off my fiction writing has remained elusive.

For a long time, the problem was the quality of writing. I know that isn’t the problem any longer but instead a variety of other reasons. Reasons I refuse to let stop me any longer. So, with that in mind, this is the year to start treating writing like a business.

And when a business wants to get somewhere at some point down the line, what do they do? They build a business plan.

And that’s what I’ve done this year. Created a business plan for writing.

So, the big lifelong dream (here-forth referred to as the “Big Dream”) has always been to “Make a living off my fiction writing.” Might as well make it a great big dream if I’m going to be dreaming, anyway!

However, that’s too big of a goal to work towards. Too overwhelming, too big, too easy to give up on, too easy to go astray, too easy to ignore and hope it goes away. It is the mountain that we are hurting our neck to crane up to see. Nope, we can’t look at something that huge on a daily basis.

There needs to be little steps leading up to it.

5 Year Plan

Which brings us to a 5 year plan. This is an amount of time that is a bit long but also a bit short. But definitely viewable. One of the foothills instead of the mountain.

So, in 5 years, where would I like to be on the road to the Big Dream? I decided to be a bit ambitious with this, as well.

The 5 year plan is to sell 3 books.

Now, selling a book is pretty much out of an author’s control once they are finished with the writing, editing and revision. But, I can submit book after book in hopes that one hits the right person in the right publishing climate in the right mood at the right time. Let’s face it, a lot about publishing is pure dumb luck.

But, I can maximize my odds.

To do that I need to widen my options. Have a variety of work in various sub-genres to send out into the publishing arena. So, I’m going to take “3 books” and double that to come up with the number of 6 books to be written and revised within the space of 5 years. (Actually 4 years, as that 5th year should be heavy in the submitting, and any books written that year will be sent out in the 6th year.)

So, I need to write and revise 6 books in four year’s time.

That still sounds like a lot. At first, I thought I was being a little too ambitious.

However, once I did the math, it really wasn’t. Based on four writing/revising years that is 1.5 books a year which equals, on average, 120,000 new words a year (based on an average of 80,000 words a book).

Here is what I have already proven I can do (based on 2009):
July Nano: 100,000 words
November Nano: 150,000 words
Total: 250,000 words (about 3 books a year)

That means with only two Nano months a year I have MORE than my required number of new words.

Or, another way of looking at it: I want to take half the year for revision only. That would mean I would only need to write 667 words a day for 180 days to write 1.5 books a year.

This is so doable that it’s ridiculous.

So, next step down is that I need to write, revise and polish at least 1.5 books a year.

For revision, I am doing two things. First is working up a process for myself that works efficiently and effectively for how I work and write. The second is actively learning all I can by taking Holly Lisle’s intensive “How to Revise Your Novel” class (the sign-up for the 2010 class ends January 9) as well as studying the revision section of Zette’s free “2 Year Novel” course (the sign-up for the 2010 class ends January 8), plus miscellaneous books and internet information. Even without these I’ve managed to revise one book in 5-6 months. After learning more, this should grow in efficiency.

The One Year Plan

Now I’m taking this down even further down from 5 years. We’re moving to the yearly level. Unlike 5 years, this is a much more manageable time-frame that isn’t quite so overwhelming.

From the math above, I know that to reach the 5 Year Goal, I need to write and revise at least 1.5 books a year. Well, to help increase my odds just a bit, I’m taking that to 2 whole books a year. If I don’t get two books a year finished, that’s no problem. Just so long as it’s above 1.5.

And I am taking this down even further to the monthly level. With how I write using the various Nano’s, here is a basic month-to month plan. Notice how it wraps around the beginning of the year, basically starting on the July of each year for the first draft of Book 1. Book 1 then ‘rests’ while other revision and outlining is done, not to be touched until the end of November when book 2 is written:

Jan – Revising Book 1
Feb – Revising Book 1 – Outlining
Mar – Revising Book 1 (National Novel Editing Month)
Apr – Revising Book 1 & 2
May – Revising Book 2 – Submission Starts
Jun – Revising Book 2 – Outlining
Jul – JulNoWriMo – First Draft of Book 1
Aug – Revising Book 2 – Outlining
Sep – Revising Book 2 – Outlining
Oct – Nano Preparation – Outlining – Submission Starts
Nov – NaNoWriMo – First Draft of Book 2
Dec – Revising Book 1

The above calendar gives each book a time to have the first draft written as well as giving it time to ‘rest’ before it is taken up for revision. Each book gets 4 1/2 to 5 months of revision time.

Then comes the nail-biting phase. Pushing the little darlings out of their comfy home to find a place out in the publishing world!

Submitting is a daunting project all on its own. To help it feel a little bit more fun and not so agonizing, I’ve joined the “2010 Great Acceptance/Rejection Contest” at Forward Motion Writers. You get points for novels and short story rejections, acceptances, queries, and the like. The whole goal is to see how high of a number you can get. And with earning points whether there is an accept or reject, you can’t lose! Well, except if you never submit in the first place.

Personally I’m hoping for more than 2 points the very first year.

The past two years have been a huge learning curve for me. But, the above is all based on what I have proven to already be within my capabilities. That’s why I did the writing math. To prove this isn’t beyond myself. I’m already writing more books each year than I would need in order to reach the 5 year goal (3-4 books now compared to the 1.5 required by the 5 Year Plan). That thrilled me to pieces when I figured that out!

And there it is. A solid plan from the big to the small to work my way to the Big Dream while not getting overwhelmed with it. Taking the Big dream and slicing it down into smaller and smaller pieces. Finding the resources and training to help me along the way. It will take work and dedication, but breaking it down makes all of it so much more accessible.

Onwards towards the Big Dream!

Anyone else have a writing business plan thought out?

Current Mood:  thoughtful

Over at Forward Motion Writers, Zette, the owner of the site, is offering a class called “Two Year Novel” (2YN). This is a class that takes place over two years that go from the first germ of an idea all the way through the planning to the writing of the first draft, into revision, and then to the point of submitting.

It’s a great class with a lot of great information. There is also a lot of support from the other students. If anyone has an idea lurking around in your head, you might consider taking it. It looks like this may be the last year she will offer it for free.

Create an account at the Forward Motion Writers website and then go to this post and respond to it to be signed up. The first week’s class should start up around January 8th.

Sign-ups close around the second week in January, so hurry!

Current Mood:  excited

This was particularly funny as I was on the Forward Motion chat last night with a small group egging Zette on. Someday I would love to write as fast as her! Go Zette!

In personal Nano news, I’m now at 27K but it’s been hard to get there. On Tuesday, the third day of Nano, I came down with the flu. No, not the swine flu, but it’s bad enough. I’ve been home because of it all week and I’m still not completely on the path to recovery yet. :sigh:

Current Mood:  sick

Nano is coming fast. Wow, is it coming fast! Tomorrow! Eeek!

I looked up from finishing the first draft of “Lost and Found” (first book of the Phoenix Café series), and about swallowed my tonsils. Then the month slipped by with all the Municipal Liaison planning for the Kick-off party.

Okay, that draft is finished (and I love the last line).  The novel I want to write first is obvious. It’s called “Into the Forest Shadows” and is a science fiction take-off of the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale: Grudgingly keeping her promise to always wear a red hood and cape while in the forest of a planet of valuable giant trees, a misfit teen struggles to survive a planetary conspiracy awaiting at Grandmothers house.

But, I know that won’t be enough to keep me busy for the entire month of November. There has to be another one, and that’s where the choices become hard, as they are all calling to me at the same level.

The Storm Aurora: (Science Fiction Adventure) Struggling to avert a planetary disaster on a world of Fairies, Dragons, Merpeople and humans, a disillusioned airship captain stumbles onto an orbiting lost past binding all the species together.

Hyperspace Encounters: (Science Fiction Romance) After her freighter crashed into a sentient ship of an unknown species, a clever widow finds herself neck-deep in the delicate balance between peace and war, and her dead husband’s fate might hold the key.

Hmm, decisions, decisions.

Current Mood:  excited

Yes, I’m nuts. Trying to finish a novel before Nano starts. In one way that’s a very good thing. Gearing up to Nano means the mind and muse are raring to go at writing. But you can’t start until November 1st. By having another project it satisfies that writing ‘itch’.

The bad part is: For me personally I like to finish one thing before moving on to something else major. Sometimes I can jump around, but usually only with smaller pieces. I CAN jump from planning, to outlining to writing to revising four major projects, but now writing four major projects. I think each of those steps use different parts of the brain.

Anyway, there are now 35 days until Nano starts. The interim novel, for now titled Phoenix Cafe – Book 1, has been going well. Getting in at least a scene or two a night and even more a weekend.

Then the exhaustion hit.

Admittedly, I’ve been having problems with a flare-up of exhaustion since about May. It’s been going on so long that I’m getting depressed about it. Then I read writing blogs from writers, agents and editors.

And get even more depressed.

I barely have the energy to write thanks to this undiagnosed condition (don’t get me started on doctors. THIS IS NOT ALL IN MY HEAD, YOU IDIOTS!), and I’m supposed to give up almost all profits on a book to be my own promoter? Yes, way back when, a writer was still supposed to do promotion, but nothing like nowdays.

:sigh:

I’ve stopped reading writing blogs right now, as it’s too depressing to think I might be a good writer but I won’t get picked up because I simply don’t have the physical energy to keep up with those writers who can both write AND promote like crazy. For me, it’s either one or the other, not both.

Any other writers that have illnesses like this? Anyone know of an author that has made it who does?

I’m off to get a few words of writing in. Starting the weekend off at 21057.

Current Mood:  tired

Exactly 6 weeks away from today. Yowza!

Current Mood:  surprised

We had quite the storm go over us today, complete with lighting, thunder, winds, rains and the power blinking out. At the end of it came a gorgeous full double rainbow. It was too big to take a picture of with the camera in one single shot, so I put together a composite. The colors were a lot brighter than what the camera captured. Even the purples on one edge and the deep red on the other showed up in the colors. Usually I don’t see that.

Tonight was a night for skies. Looking in the other direction revealed a fantastic sunset.

Makes me want to paint.