News and Notes from the Writing Desk: January Edition

It's been busy around here: fifteen pieces sent to five publications. One entry fee. This should help me beat the odds and continue my momentum of getting new pieces out there. If these things ever do get published, it also gives me a little more room to get them out of my mind and make way for new pieces to be created. I still have a long list of publications and an even longer list of unpublished works, so this is just a start.

Upcoming Projects

Along with submitting work, I'm still getting bigger projects ready to go. My entire focus this month is on the poetry collection If It Was New York, Summer 2009. I wanted to have all the writing done by the end of 2018, but there are still about ten poems yet to be written. I also have to really sit down and think of the book blurb/synopsis. Those are a lot easier to write for regular fiction. Poetry covers so much, even in a collection that has a major theme tying everything together.

Whenever I move onto the formatting/pre-ordering phase of my poetry collection, I will be getting back to my YA novel. It's been waiting patiently for me to return to it--at least I hope Lola hasn't stood up and walked out with her story. You never know with teens.

You're a Star, Aren't You?

According to my Patreon page, there aren't any 2019 all-stars. I know you want to be an all-star with all the perks that come with it. What are you waiting for? Sign up to be an all-star and get a crazy amount of perks and exclusives. There are only 10 spots available, so wouldn't hesitate, especially if you are interested in getting both my entire digital backlist and a digital ARC of If It Was New York, Summer 2009 two weeks before it is officially released.

Nearing The End

It's almost the end of November and the end of NaNoWriMo. I didn't meet my goals for the month, that's true, but I'm not walking away empty-handed either. I'm coming away with a solid start on an idea that randomly popped into my head a couple of months ago with a great title. I'm still aiming for a mid-2019 release, so look for updates about that, and of course you can always follow the journey from start to finish if you subscribe on Patreon.

Saturday I am back to being fully committed to my poetry project. By next week, I should have the final cover ready for reveal and most of the drafts that are left completed. What I'll be focusing on in December is the formatting and the front/back matter. It's the more tedious tasks, but it's what makes an indie book look more traditional--which is always good for the bottom line.

Now that NaNo is over, what are your writing/reading plans for December?

NaNoWriMo 2018 Has Begun

It's the start of the craziest month of the year for writers. I'm glad that I'm finally able to release the title and the cover of my project! You can find it on my project page, and I'll be updating my Books tab in the coming days... you know, when I want a distraction from writing.

I started my novel... two months ago... (still counts!)

I'm also keeping a daily log reflecting on the writing process throughout the month of November. I'll be releasing those exclusively on Patreon, so if you are ready to join in on the fun, sign up and get a glimpse into every plot twist, procrastination, and hangnail. Lots of fun to be had!

Are you entering the depths of a NaNo project this year?