Showing posts with label completion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label completion. Show all posts

Friday, June 19, 2009

In the Beginning...

As of three days ago I've officially finished writing the meat and core of my novel, Of Avatars and Elementals, book 1 of my Intrepid Earth series. At this point I feel remarkably accomplished, and still there is so much left to figure out. So many places to go from here...so many things to do beforehand. Let me see if I can't flesh out a list of sorts, albeit out of order!

  • I need to get ahold of Jami. She's the reason I bothered rewriting the story to begin with. I owe her a great deal of thanks for motivating me to draft a second version of the previously unfinished manuscript.
  • I need to make a serious list of Sci-Fi/Fantasy literary agents. This will likely involve a bit of time at the book store and online.
  • Draft query letters. Several of them. Then send out personalized queries to the above-specified agents in small waves until the list is depleted. Hopefully long before.
  • Grow a spine. You'll need it to handle the impending criticism!
  • Make a list of people to print hard copies for. There's a few.
  • Calculate the hole in your wallet that will be made by having said copies printed.
  • Get your ass back on CritiqueCircle.com, start uploading the polished version, compile those critiques with the feedback from work people and friends, and post on the forums.
  • Grab a grammar handbook, spend time at Borders studying, or grind grammar webpages.
  • Create an account on Blogspot focused on my writing endeavors and nothing else.
  • Compile music for the unofficial "soundtrack" to the novel. This is for fun. =)

At least I got the blog account setup (obviously), so that's one step closer to my goal. If anything, I am happy to have the groundwork laid, a virtual "Square 1" if you will. Someday I hope to look back on this date with fondness and remember what it was like to be unpublished. Perhaps it can encourage other would-be writers. Maybe it will help to keep me motivated. Truth be told, I don't know how well this will work out, but I'm telling myself to stay on it. There are many bloggers I admire, and perhaps someday I will become admirable myself. Time will tell.