Share the joy: what's your writing success today?

[Pamelyn Casto]

I'm smokin' today. I got to work on my chapbook about my trip to Indonesia. I printed off all of them so I can read them in hard copy. I revised two poems and wrote a new one. Now I have just two more poems to write (I need at least 15 poems) and I can submit the collection to a chapbook publisher. (I have some rough drafts I can use to fill the last two so I don't have to do the remaining two poems from scratch.)

I've put off this project far too long. I'm serious this time. Seriously. I'm going to finish this project. I will. I promise myself I will. And I'm serious too. You better believe I'm going to finish it this time. Seriously. I will. Nothing will stop me. You'll see. I'm really serious about it this time. Really.

[Pamelyn Casto]

I'm so proud of me! I finished my chapbook collection of poems about my amazing trip to Indonesia. I actually finished it! After years of dabbling with it (getting about half of the poems published but never getting the entire collection written and put together) I'm now ready to submit the manuscript to a publisher. I'm busy now patting myself on the back for finally finishing that project. I'm so tickled!

[indianroads]

I'm so proud of me! I finished my chapbook collection of poems about my amazing trip to Indonesia. I actually finished it! After years of dabbling with it (getting about half of the poems published but never getting the entire collection written and put together) I'm now ready to submit the manuscript to a publisher. I'm busy now patting myself on the back for finally finishing that project. I'm so tickled!

Fantastic! Putting that final period after the last sentence is a wonderful feeling.

[Cephus]

Finished another book yesterday, came in at 119k, which was about what I expected. It took me just over a month. Now I'm in editing mode and once that's done, I'll go back for the last book in the trilogy.

[indianroads]

Moving through my 2nd edit, and have just 3 chapters to go. This pass I've pulled ~300 words out of the MS so far, and plugged a couple minor plot holes.
I like the story. It's fast paced with a lot of action, with dark but intriguing (IMO) characters.

[Backstroke_Italics]

I did some writing exercises today to build up my stamina before I start my new novel. I spend five minutes writing as fast as I can followed by two minutes of meditation. Usually there is no topic; it's just stream of consciousness, and then I delete it all. After half an hour my brain is begging for Netflix and potato chips, but it really helps me to focus on my writing after I do a few days of these stamina exercises.

[JJBuchholz]

I had been thinking about a new story that takes place in one of my universes for the last couple of weeks, but was unable to come
up with some plot elements. This changed last night, as I managed to conjure up in my mind how most of it will work, and started
an idea sheet that is nearly full.

I've been dealing with a lot of stress due to life issues as of late, and this sometimes inhibits my writer's brain.

Hopefully, I'll start writing this new story soon.

-JJB

[indianroads]

I had been thinking about a new story that takes place in one of my universes for the last couple of weeks, but was unable to come
up with some plot elements. This changed last night, as I managed to conjure up in my mind how most of it will work, and started
an idea sheet that is nearly full.

I've been dealing with a lot of stress due to life issues as of late, and this sometimes inhibits my writer's brain.

Hopefully, I'll start writing this new story soon.

-JJB

Fantastic!
In your writing process, what’s the next step?

[Pamelyn Casto]

I'm doing great. I said earlier that I got together the collection on my trip to Indonesia so it's ready to be sent to market. I've reviewed it, further polished the poems, added a couple of poems to begin it and end it, and think it's fully ready to go now. I'm torn between entering it in a competition that will take months to get results and going the self-published route on this project.

Finishing that project inspired me to work up a general poetry collection (combining published and nonpublished pieces) and it's ready to be entered into a competition that begins in June. I'm almost finished with that project and mainly need to find the best order for each of the poems (about 40 of them).

Which inspired me to group together my poems on my gods and goddesses for another competition (when I find one).

I'm so pleased about how one thing led to another and I got some heavy work done. I'm also busy selecting flash fiction for a "best of" issue and I'm nearing completion on that project. There have been some great pieces submitted and published.

I like it when I can complete projects. I always have more waiting in the background.

[JJBuchholz]

Fantastic! In your writing process, what’s the next step?

My whole process kind of looks like this:

1) Story idea pops into my head (either random, or through some sort of inspiration).
2) Figure out the plot of the story, and how it will play out (depending on if it's in one of my universes, or a stand-alone).
3) Work on an idea sheet, making point form notes and adding most of the needed information (characters, setting,
plot points, title, etc.)
4) When the idea sheet is at least 75% complete, start writing the draft while adding points to the idea sheet.
5) Complete the story, and go over the idea sheet once more.
6) Editing.

There is sometimes an extra step, or additions to some of the steps listed above.

-JJB