Saturday, August 21, 2010

Still plugging away...

I started writing the first draft of my science fiction romance, I'm calling A Pirate's Honor, on June 1st. And while it's been hectic this summer, I managed to complete 59,286 words as of yesterday. My word count goal is about 80,000 words. A little more than 20,000 to go.

I've mostly been writing on weekdays and not every day, depends on what other tasks and complications arise, but that's a lot of words for a couple of months work. Of course, once I've finished the draft, I'll have to put it aside for a few months and work on something else. But I do look forward to writing 'the end'.

And to accomplish that feat, I've place my butt in my desk chair every afternoon for days on end. I bring up the file, read the last couple of pages I wrote the day before, confer with my plot sheet and write.

It's been working out so far. I've had no blocks or stoppages, except to work through plot points in the murky middle of the story I haven't yet worked out, but it seems to be going smoothly so far. One scene feeds into another. I hope to have the draft completed before the end of September.

For writers out there, how do you keep going when working on the first draft of a novel?

Friday, August 13, 2010

Erin's Rebel is a Finalist!!

Just got the official word that my time travel romance, Erin's Rebel, is a finalist in the 2010 Heart of Excellence Reader's Choice Contest by the Ancient City Romance Authors!!


I also entered Confederate Rose, but it didn't final. Oh well! Can't win them all.


Wish me luck in the finals! Winners are to be announced on September 25th.




Monday, August 02, 2010

What a way to start a Monday!!!

I just turned on my computer and found an email telling me my Civil War romance, Confederate Rose, won first place in the historical category of the First Coast Romance Writers Published Beacon Contest!!!

I hadn't even heard my book was a finalist in this contest, so this came as a complete and very welcome suprise!

Here the link to view all the 2010 winners: http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/contest_pub.htm