I’ve been feeling off as of lately. A bit afraid. Rather uncomfortable. Too anxious. And I know why. Here’s a list, because lists are my tenth favorite thing on Earth: I’m still editing my sci-fi book. It’s been almost a year (wow, how and why is this taking SO LONG?). I’m tired. But then I’m…
I thought I had finished editing my book BUT NO
I’m 30k words over the 100k mark, which I’ve heard is the maximum number of words an aspiring author should be querying. 30k. Let it sink: 30,000 words. That’s half of some people’s books. 30k. Yes, my book is a sci-fi story, and yes, my current word count is well within the industry’s standards for…
Is it OK to cry while we edit?
I’m not asking for a friend, obviously. If you don’t wanna read my whining this is the moment to move on to another blog, unfollow me, grab some ice cream, go to sleep. I just feel like shit and wanted to talk with someone about it. Since no one deserves to put up with my…
When we visit other worlds
In reality. And in books. I just returned from my first trip to the US. The biggest surprise was how different the culture is when you are there, in comparison with the image you might have from movies, music, and other cultural products. All in all, it was fun, exciting, slightly surprising, and revealing. I…
I want people to read my work! But what if they hate it?
And other sentences we obsessively say in our heads. I mean, I really would love for people to read my books (in the plural, because I now have written two books! Can you believe it? I can’t). I’d be elated if, when reading my stories, people happen to enjoy them. “Enjoy” is a bizarre word…
Comfortable with the discomfort
Writing has taught me many lessons. More than I could have imagined it would. It has shown me the generous, kind, self-absorbed, magical, narcissistic, funny, lovely sides of people. It has taught me that time is never to be wasted, but that I should get used to waiting; which would sound like an oxymoron until I tell…
Social media and the occasional insanity
I wrote my first book (a YA sci-fi story) in complete isolation from social media. And that probably is one of the main reasons I’m proud of my work: I wrote it without expectations; never wondering what agents, publishers, and readers would like. I wrote for myself —and because it was either that or staring…
Twitter pitch contests
Yesterday was #DVPit day 1, a Twitter pitch event for authors who identify as members of historically marginalized minorities/groups (for more info, visit: http://dvpit.com/rulesguidelines). Twitter is fun (if used “correctly.” Correctly means many things to me. I will talk about that another day). Twitter pitches can be great, but they are invariably terrifying: It’s DIFFICULT…
Believing in me
I’ve been asking myself, why do I write books? For me, of course. Writing is fun: I can make up stories, people, settings, locations, situations. So, if I do this for me, why do I bother to edit, work with beta readers, and plan on querying and pursuing traditional publication? That is, why do I secretly…
Do we ever finish editing?
Nah, we don’t. I mean, is there anything else to say about editing? No. Editing is a dark place of gloom, tears, and despair. I have heard there are some mythical beings out there who enjoy editing their manuscripts. I haven’t met them, neither want to —because I can’t trust them, man. How can anyone…
Of beta readers and beta-reading
I remember back in, I don’t know, late 2017? Early 2018? when I used to think beta readers would: Slow down my writing process. Destroy my heart and soul with negative criticism. Steal my book ideas. Up to that point, only my husband had read my WIP. He liked it, but I couldn’t trust his…
Forcing myself to edit
When you have spent over a year working on the same book, things start to burn. Some of them include: Your patience. Your will. Your love for the manuscript (but not as in “burning love,” more like “I wanna print this pile of shit and BURN IT, MAN!”). Nobody told me that it will take…