I've only posted three times this month? Wow. I know life gets crazy but still.
Its been a hectic month. With the baby due next month things have gotten busy. Still there's no excuse.
The edit is done, me and my BFF have worked for days on a query and I am hoping to start researching agents editors and publishers and start sending this MS out.
Its been so nice to see that the MS is finished. So cool. I honestly wish I had the energy to throw a huge celebration for finishing the edit and getting ready to submit maybe after Eli is born.
Either way I am still here and I hope to have good contractrual/publishing news for you my readers soon.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
I suppose it's the journey . . .
That makes you stronger. Yes I know I am waxing philosophical, but such is the day.
While my writing journey started when I was young, the serious "I really want to get published" mode hit me about 3-4 years ago. Since then I have written many things and edited many more.
Last May (2009) I submitted a re-written MS that was actually "story worthy" to a publisher. They rejected it and asked for revisions. (Which is actually a good thing) At that point in time I also had a friend offer out of the goodness of their heart to help me edit this MS to get it ready to re-submit.
It's been just over a year now and the LAST edit came in my email over last weekend. I downloaded it to my computer, (I swear I saved it) moved my laptop to a nice brightly lit quiet place and started editing it. I was 2/3 of the way done and when I came back to it that night I somewhow erased, deleted, overwrote it and it was "poof" gone from my computer.
All 244 pages of the edit I had worked on ALL DAY. I was so in shock I couldn't even cry. All that work gone in a second. I tried everything to find the document and after two days I decided to just reload it and start over.
So yesterday I sat down early in the morning and started to edit again. I finished that afternoon and saved it, sending to some friends for safekeeping too. The edit is done the MS is as perfect as its going to get w/o a contract and an publishing editor.
While I was feeling so sick about loosing the pages I worked on this overwhelming sense of calm was there with me also. This MS has faced adversarial forces the whole time I have worked on it. My friend has lost it, and has lost hours of editing work on it too. This MS has a mind of its own and seems to have some potential that someone doesn't want me to explore.
The journey of the last few years have been a deep learning process for me. I have seen both the hands of God and Satan at work in my life regarding a simple stack of 300+ pages. I hope that most of the time I am running with the good crowd on this endeavor. LOL Timing in this has been perfect even if it was only seen in hindsight. Connections I have made in the last few years and the knowledge I have gained has been amazing. I often stand in awe of the "tour" I have been given this last few years.
The next few weeks, before Elias is born I am hoping to research and send out my MS to many agents and publishers. It's the perfect time seeing that I will have my hands full and not be actively writing or editing.
This journey has made me stronger in ways I never knew I could be strengthened. I have recieved inspiration and interpretations of feelings that I didnt know I was allowed to recieve. I have grown and I am thankful for it.
A freind once told me to "Expect Miracles" I did and this is what's happened.
WOW!
While my writing journey started when I was young, the serious "I really want to get published" mode hit me about 3-4 years ago. Since then I have written many things and edited many more.
Last May (2009) I submitted a re-written MS that was actually "story worthy" to a publisher. They rejected it and asked for revisions. (Which is actually a good thing) At that point in time I also had a friend offer out of the goodness of their heart to help me edit this MS to get it ready to re-submit.
It's been just over a year now and the LAST edit came in my email over last weekend. I downloaded it to my computer, (I swear I saved it) moved my laptop to a nice brightly lit quiet place and started editing it. I was 2/3 of the way done and when I came back to it that night I somewhow erased, deleted, overwrote it and it was "poof" gone from my computer.
All 244 pages of the edit I had worked on ALL DAY. I was so in shock I couldn't even cry. All that work gone in a second. I tried everything to find the document and after two days I decided to just reload it and start over.
So yesterday I sat down early in the morning and started to edit again. I finished that afternoon and saved it, sending to some friends for safekeeping too. The edit is done the MS is as perfect as its going to get w/o a contract and an publishing editor.
While I was feeling so sick about loosing the pages I worked on this overwhelming sense of calm was there with me also. This MS has faced adversarial forces the whole time I have worked on it. My friend has lost it, and has lost hours of editing work on it too. This MS has a mind of its own and seems to have some potential that someone doesn't want me to explore.
The journey of the last few years have been a deep learning process for me. I have seen both the hands of God and Satan at work in my life regarding a simple stack of 300+ pages. I hope that most of the time I am running with the good crowd on this endeavor. LOL Timing in this has been perfect even if it was only seen in hindsight. Connections I have made in the last few years and the knowledge I have gained has been amazing. I often stand in awe of the "tour" I have been given this last few years.
The next few weeks, before Elias is born I am hoping to research and send out my MS to many agents and publishers. It's the perfect time seeing that I will have my hands full and not be actively writing or editing.
This journey has made me stronger in ways I never knew I could be strengthened. I have recieved inspiration and interpretations of feelings that I didnt know I was allowed to recieve. I have grown and I am thankful for it.
A freind once told me to "Expect Miracles" I did and this is what's happened.
WOW!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
As I promised: Series Bible Pictures
Those of you who know me, know my passion for pink. LOL I saw this journal and HAD to have it. 
This is the character section I have found pictures and glued them in to give me an idea of thier physical appearence. I will aslo as I go, add details in this section about the characters that I need. 
This is my world building section I have information about my cities and worlds. I also have maps in this section. 
This is my plot section all of the books in the series are plotted out at least in structure. I also add my chapter outlines as I finish them and my synopsis notes. 
This is my random or ETC section. All those notes that dont go in the other sections go in here. This is where I usually glue the short emails I sent to either myself or my writer friends.
Friday, July 2, 2010
My writing tip post on The AI blog.
WRITING TIP
~by C. Michelle Jefferies
Wow what a difficult decision I had to make in regards to what I should write about. There were lists on the little clipboard in my head for days.
I finally settled on a topic that I myself have been working on and researching.
A Series Bible.
Similar to a character bible, a series bible is a place where you store and record all of the things that happen in your book that will be significant in the rest of the series.
Even if you write stand alone books. I have found in my researching and assembling of my bible, it is still important to have a record of what went on in that book so you don’t repeat things in your other stand alone books. For example I have a penchant of making my male MC or love interest blond and green eyed. I write the character descriptions down in the book and it reminds me that for variety I should choose a different look for the next guy.
Regardless of what your bible looks like, whether it is a spiral notebook or a stack of post-its, it’s what’s in it that’s important.
According to all my research, my bible contains different sections. They are as follows.
haracter section:
What characters look like, what their families are like, what quirks they have. All those little details that make the character unique so your not pulling a blank when you begin the second (or later) book(s).
Worlds, setting section:
What color is the sky? What do the towns, cities, etc. look like? What are the little details? Magic rules, governments, styles etc.
Back-story section:
What happens off the pages of the book that are still important?
Unique things section:
If your world has cool stuff you invented, write them here so you can use them in the rest of the series.
Plotline and arc’s for the series section:
This is where you store the plotlines and structure for your books. I include the character arc’s here as well.
Notes for yourself section:
Have an epiphany about your book? Those go here unless they belong somewhere else.
Whatever else you need sections:
Self explanatory?
As I have created my series bible, I am finding I love having everything in one place. I carry my bible with me in whatever bag I am toting around at the time and have easy access to it when I need it.
Happy Writing.
~by C. Michelle Jefferies
Wow what a difficult decision I had to make in regards to what I should write about. There were lists on the little clipboard in my head for days.
I finally settled on a topic that I myself have been working on and researching.
A Series Bible.
Similar to a character bible, a series bible is a place where you store and record all of the things that happen in your book that will be significant in the rest of the series.
Even if you write stand alone books. I have found in my researching and assembling of my bible, it is still important to have a record of what went on in that book so you don’t repeat things in your other stand alone books. For example I have a penchant of making my male MC or love interest blond and green eyed. I write the character descriptions down in the book and it reminds me that for variety I should choose a different look for the next guy.
Regardless of what your bible looks like, whether it is a spiral notebook or a stack of post-its, it’s what’s in it that’s important.
According to all my research, my bible contains different sections. They are as follows.
haracter section:
What characters look like, what their families are like, what quirks they have. All those little details that make the character unique so your not pulling a blank when you begin the second (or later) book(s).
Worlds, setting section:
What color is the sky? What do the towns, cities, etc. look like? What are the little details? Magic rules, governments, styles etc.
Back-story section:
What happens off the pages of the book that are still important?
Unique things section:
If your world has cool stuff you invented, write them here so you can use them in the rest of the series.
Plotline and arc’s for the series section:
This is where you store the plotlines and structure for your books. I include the character arc’s here as well.
Notes for yourself section:
Have an epiphany about your book? Those go here unless they belong somewhere else.
Whatever else you need sections:
Self explanatory?
As I have created my series bible, I am finding I love having everything in one place. I carry my bible with me in whatever bag I am toting around at the time and have easy access to it when I need it.
Happy Writing.
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