Thursday, September 05, 2013

The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.


The good. I signed a new contract with Harlequin which means I’ll be an employed author for at least another year and a half. Also I’ll be doing two promotional novellas which I’ve agreed to some crazy deadlines. But still… me… promotion… like for real. One of my favorite people is RaeAnne Thayne and I remember her saying at a workshop once, doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life, when the train pulls into the station you get on board. Because you don’t know if that train is ever going to come back again. I don’t know if she was quoting someone else, but that line always stuck with me. I wasn’t sure the train was ever going to come my way, and this is more like The Little Engine that Could, but still I have to take this chance when I can regardless of the crazy that is my life right now. Right? Too late. I already agreed.

The bad. To make this happen I have to put aside a book I’m writing that I just flat out love. LOVE. I love everything about it. And getting up every weekend was a thrill because it meant that I could write it some more. But business calls, and real deadlines have to be met, and no one in the world knows if this book will sell or not, so I have to make the hard choice. Bye Clara… Bye Ronan… I hope I’ll see you in a few months. Don’t leave me… just hang out for a while as I get this other stuff done.

The ugly. The revisions for my book due out in March are not going well. And when I say not going well, I have thoughts like these… is it possible to re-write an 85K book in 2 days? That’s a no right? I mean for someone who can’t type as fast as Superman. And it wouldn’t really even matter if I could because I just don’t know what to say. It’s brutal. It’s ugly. I hate it. But by Sunday night I have to turn in something. So all I can do is slug my way through it. Emphasize the parts that I love. De-emphasize the parts that I hate and in the next two days find something, anything that will wrap up the story better because right now my editor’s notes are… you need to find a “better” way to do this.

So that’s my week in writing… anybody else have a little good bad and ugly going on right now?

6 comments:

Karen Whiddon said...

Hey Stephanie - I am SO with you on that. In fact, that was my book before the one I just turned in. Me, I'm out of contract, need to do two synopsis's so I can get back under contract, and I've got... nothing. Maybe because of everything that's going on with my mom, I don't know. I'm hoping something will show up in my brain soon. Hugs to you.

Eileen said...

Yep. Get on that train and ride it, Steph! I recommend no longer cleaning your home. It saves a lot of time.

Oh, and congratulations on the new contract! That's awesome!

Maureen McGowan said...

I definitely have a little good, bad and ugly in my life at the moment.

Good: TIFF
Bad: Waiting on revision letter and proposal submission
Ugly: Dad in hospital...

Anonymous said...

Wow! congrats on the new contract... ride that little choo choo...

But I'm excited to read your passion project, so hurry up and write it.

Stephanie Doyle said...

Karen - I've already told you but I'm praying for you and your mom.

And Maureen- now I'm praying for you too.

Sinead I can't wait to have people read it. So I can see if it's as crazy as I think it is :) Which it's probably not...

Molly O'Keefe said...

oh man Steph - that is some good, bad and ugly!!! As for the ugly - that book is not as bad as you think it is. It's not. Congrats on the good - contracts are always welcome. And I agree jump on the train, you'll be okay.

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