What I’ve been up to – Editing for the third annual Baker’s Dozen!

I started writing a young adult novel in 2009 (I think). Basically, three forevers ago. I’ve been writing it on and off when I’ve got spare time. Then last November I participated in National Novel Writing Month (aka. NaNoWriMo) and wrote over 50,000 words in the novel in one month. It was insane in the membrane!!

I wear my Winner’s Circle t-shirt with total and utter pride! Point is, I almost finished it, but then…well, life continued to happen and happen and happen.

It took me until this July (the 12th, to be exact) to finish the first draft. I blogged about it here. (There’s even videos!)

And so, about four years later, the first draft is complete. After a brief celebration, I was back at it – head down and ploughing forward with editing so to reach a deadline for the Baker’s Dozen Agent Auction hosted by the amazingly phenomenal Authoress at Miss Snark’s First Victim. Do not let the title of this blog fool you, Authoress is anything but snarky nor are those who follow her ‘victims’. Unless of course they are victims of her love, dedication, education, inspiration and cool hats. I’m so a victim in this regard.

It is my intention to submit to this year’s Baker’s Dozen Agent Auction, whereby I submit a log line, which hopefully gets accepted. Then I submit…well, I’m not sure yet exactly how it works. The gory details are forthcoming. All I know is I’ve been wanting to submit to this contest since I internet stumbled across Miss Snark’s First Victim. Basically, if I win, I get an agent! But in the process, if all goes well, agents, other writers and Authoress (if I’m not mistaken) will have the opportunity to read my words. That’s some seriously amazing shit right there. I’m working my tail off to make the November 6th submission deadline. Oh, the most important thing to know about this contest or any type of submission (query letter/log line/first 5o words, etc) is that YOUR MANUSCRIPT MUST BE COMPLETE.

Do you know how many times I’ve almost submitted pieces of my novel to contests? TOO FREAKIN’ MANY. But I stopped myself because of all the rules to break, this is the one major no-no in the industry. Don’t submit if the manny’s not complete. So onward with completion, right!

For me, a first draft is precious, but it’s by no means ‘complete’ or ‘submittable’. An edited draft (several times over, with more than my eyes reading it) is divine.

My dining room table often looks like this:

Scattered with notes, crumbs, cold tea in fancy cups, and my beloved MacBook Air (making a heart shape with my fingers now). I have hired an editor. A one, Miss Anne-Marie Extraordineditor. As I finish editing a chapter, I send it off to her. She edits, and when I’m done the whole thing, she’ll send it all back to me with her edits. I don’t want her edits until I’m done making mine. It’s too distracting.

I’m so ready for this. So ready to have my manuscript at a point that’s submittable. I stay up late to edit. I get up early to edit. It’s an edit frenzy ova here!

I’ve made a folder:

…so you know I’m fully committed. (Yeah, if it’s in a folder, it means business.)

I’ve also been working on these things:

1) Guest editing a poetry anthology about Windsor

2) writing poetry/editing short stories for some contests I want to enter

3) doing research on writing erotica

4) planning an erotica writing workshop for the fall

5) rehearsing for a play I’m in (Drag 3)

6) mentoring

Gah…there’s more but I can’t remember what…brain overload!

The point is, I’ve been super busy, but my heart is headed to reach a goal that’s been just out of reach for a while now…I’ll get there.