a day away

With that self-imposed deadline of Friday for the article due on Monday, you'd think I spent last night slaving over punctuation and tearing apart sentences, but you'd be wrong.

I did nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing. I conducted my first phone interview ever (as a writer) with an entertaining guy who conducts the most fascinating research on gender-specific marketing (to support the article idea brewing in my mind), but I didn't do a tootin' thing with the freelance article. Not that I needed a break. I just think fresh eyes (as fresh as two days can be) will give me better perspective. I won't get to it tonight, either, as I've got a new yoga class til nine. Three days should be better than two, right?

Actually, I'm not that far away from it. There's one sentence driving my mind batty (transitions from the intro don't usually suck this bad) and I'm playing with it in infinite directions so this is my time to nail that baby down.

A writer's mind never stops, does it?

Beth

Draft #2

Finished the second draft last night of the article due Feb. 5th. For all intents and purposes it's complete--my second drafts are for adding quotes, transitions, making sure all names and author information is correct. Yesterday I received responses from two more fiction/freelance authors, so I added in a quote from each. I think it's 98% done. Just need that fine-toothed editing comb to tighten and activate my words...the funnest part of writing. (Yeah, I know. I'm allowed to use "funnest").

Even cooler is that, unlike every day of my past three years, I don't have to put my writing on a shelf to get back to the grad research--I get to write again! Next up is a short (comparatively, anyway--1500 vs. 3000 words) article on female spies in the Civil War. Due Feb. 15th. I could really dig this freelance writing stuff...learning about things I didn't know existed.

And speaking of fiction, still awaiting editorial word if the short short was accepted. We'll see.

Beth

How Rough is the rough draft?

Pretty rough, but more importantly...DONE.

I've had a weird relationship with this article (on helping fiction writers transition into freelancing). I love the idea--I've had so many people ask how to get into freelancing and I love helping them get started that idea really created itself. I was psyched when the editor requested it, and I get wound up each time I think about the info in the article.

But for some reason, putting my butt in the chair to write this one was an adventure in procrastination--something I've battled, slayed and thought I'd overcome. I used to be the world's #1 procrastinator but grad school taught me the value of planning ahead. I don't like the feeling of procrastinating now (obviously not enough) but this piece didn't listen to that. It's due on the 5th of February and, well, it's obvious how long I've put it off.

Luckily, it's done. Longhand, 15 pages or so. Ready to be typed tomorrow. As I said...
DONE!

Beth

Mystical Alignment

I don't know if it's the alignment of the planets or what, but the writing is going so well lately it almost scares me.

I've been toying with a few queries, editing a short story I've had for about a month, and gathering together interviews to write an article due on Feb 5th. All nicely writing related, going at an even pace. Got an unexpected gift yesterday when school was canceled, and decided to pretend to be a writer all day.

Finished the short story, sent off a query and synopsis only to have the full requested by the afternoon. Haven't had fiction requested in eight years (well, haven't submitted fiction in eight years, either). Sent it in pronto.

Just waiting, now, to get the verdict. Isn't waiting the worst part of writing? Some say it's brainstorming, other say editing. I say waiting. I'm impatient.

Beth

In the groove...

It's true I've been gone a while. And it's also true I've not been on top of my game with the whole writing thing. Life intervenes, saps energy, drains creativity, sucks away precious time.

Yeah, you get the point. After finishing my thesis three days before it was due, I happily claimed my diploma in December with grand plans of jumping right back into writing where I left off. I didn't count on the fact that I needed to get myself back into prime writing condition. Takes time to start waking up at 4:30 on a regular basis (even with the impatient whining of my lovable dog Omar demanding her morning walk).

I'm glad to say--I think I'm back in the groove. None too soon, either. I've got a major deadline coming up--Feb. 5th for an April article--and haven't started yet. I've brainstormed and have a working outline which, for all intents and purposes, serves as my first draft. (Maybe I should translate that to my fiction writing...hmm....). Planned to put BICHOK into action yesterday but it just didn't get done. No worries...my self-imposed deadline isn't for another week and a few days.

One cool note is that I'll be teaching an online course at the Hearts Through History RWA site this summer. Entitled "From Fiction to Freelance in 8.2 Seconds", it's meant to help give fiction writers a solid foundation for using all that acquired knowledge to break into the freelance market. I'm really excited and looking forward to it.

Hearts Through History offers some killer workshops for writers. Took one last year on sensuality in writing and it was a gem. If you're interested, here's their main class list:
http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/class.htm

and here's mine:
http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/freelance.htm

Here's to meeting all those lofty 2007 writing goals...
Beth