On Writing

So I got some mildly disappointing news last week. My publisher is going to let the trade edition of Karma Girl go out of print.

My agent says this is pretty typical once the cheaper mass market edition comes out. And, given the craptastic economy, it’s not very surprising at all. Why pay $14 for a book when you can get it for $8?

Still, I thought I’d mention it in case anybody wanted the trade edition with what I consider to be the cooler cover. Get it before it’s gone …

So I got my butt in gear, wrote 13, 248 words, and finished the rough draft of Assassin 3 this weekend. Huzzah! :ww:

Word count: 90,016.

How long it took me to write: About 6-8 weeks.

Finishing the craptastic first draft: Priceless.

I’ve written/revised the three Assassin books back-to-back-to-back since June, so I’m taking a couple of weeks off from heavy-duty writing before I start doing revisions for my editor on Assassin 1 and hear what my agent thinks about Assassin 2. I think I’ve earned it.

I’m planning to dive into my TBR pile and whittle that down a little before Christmas rolls around. I also need to do some other housekeeping stuff, like clean my house and update the Web site (and finally post the first chapter of the Assassin book for you guys to read).

But I’m looking forward to a little break from writing — at least until I get another idea for a new book. 😉

What about you guys? Anyone do anything fun this weekend?

So I attended the book events that were part of the annual Women’s Expo in Kingsport, Tenn. this weekend. There was a dinner Friday night and then a book signing Saturday. (Some folks also signed books Sunday, but I was busy working on Assassin 3).

I got to meet several authors, including Julia Quinn and Teresa Medeiros. They both write historicals, and both of them were super-nice. Very funny too. Lora Leigh was also there, but unfortunately, I didn’t really get a chance to talk to her, and I only got to talk to Kay Stockham for a few minutes before the signing on Saturday. (If you’ve ever seen Kay in person, you know how gorgeous she is). I’d always like more time to chat with folks. Ah, well. Maybe at the next event I see them at. 

I also got to speak with some readers and other folks I know, like fellow Smoky Mountain Romance Writer members Jessie Verino and Trista Ann Michaels. And then, I got to talk to folks at the expo who stopped by the table where the book signing was.

I thought the dinner on Friday night was especially fun thanks to the guest speakers Valerie Ramsey and Joanna Campbell Slan. After raising her kids, Valerie got into modeling — in her 60s! And Joanna reminded us all how very blessed we are with her funny talk. Seriously, Joanna was hysterical and had everyone laughing out loud. If her books are as funny as she is, you will be giggling the whole time you read them.

Overall, it was a very fun time. I plan on attending again next year (it’s always held the third weekend in October). Jim Butcher is scheduled to be the big guest author next year, and the organizers are hoping to bring in some more urban fantasy writers. If any author or reader out there wants more details, just send me an e-mail, and I’ll get you in touch with the event organizers.

Note: I actually took some photos this time, but for some reason, WordPress isn’t letting me upload them. Grrr! 👿

What about you guys? Did anyone do anything fun this weekend?

So I did some work on Assassin 3 this weekend. I didn’t get a lot of writing done, mainly because I got stuck — and basically rewrote the same three chapters three different times. Sigh.

I usually don’t do that. I just go on my merry way, keep writing, and make a note to fix it later. But this time, I felt like I couldn’t go on without fixing the scenes — right then and there. I needed to know what I was doing with the story at that point so the rest of it would flow smoothly. I was stuck, in other words.

So how did I change it? Well, first I had Gin (the assassin) eating dinner in a restaurant while she’s waiting for a guy at another table to go the bathroom so she can kill him in there. Boring, I thought. I needed a better setting than that. So I changed the restaurant to a riverboat casino. Much more unique and interesting, and much more in keeping with the Southern flavor of the series.

Which, in turn, meant I had to change who Gin was eating with from her love interest to Finnegan Lane (Gin’s best friend/handler). Only since they were on a riverboat now, they weren’t even eating dinner. I’ll stop here to keep the confusion to a minimum. But the changes went on from there.

But now, I feel like I’ve finally gotten a handle on things and can write the rest of the story. At least until I get stuck again. :rolleyes:

What about you guys? What do you do when you get stuck on something or at work? Do you plow on through or spend time fixing it until it’s just right?

Is over at Popin’s Lair — and there’s a giveaway. Check it out!

Plus, I’m a little late in posting this, but Angela Wilson over at Pop Syndicate was nice enough to do a whole series of posts on Jinx and more. Enjoy! 😎