The Word Is Out

By now the word is out that I've agreed to a contract with Entangled to do three books for their Bliss line. The champagne corks have been popped. I've had a nice dinner out. Congratulatory emails have been exchanged.

And now I have to go to work. :)

We tend to think of getting published (signing a contract) as a sort of finish line -- a goal we accomplish - when in truth it's like the light turning green at an intersection: the signal that we can now go.

As you've probably guessed, I already have storyboards and chapters for two of the books. (I saved book 3 so I can take advantage of what happens in books 1 and 2 to make that story better.)

So now all I have to do is sit down and write. (I make it sound so simple, don't I? LOL)

What will I do?

1. Set a schedule. I know how I write. I reread everything I already have every Monday. (Which means by the time I'm done with a book, chapters 1, 2 and 3 really sparkle. LOL) So I have from Tuesday through Saturday to draft. I take the number of weeks I have to write the book, divide that into the number of pages I need and ... that's how many pages I have to do each week. I divide that by five...and that's how many pages I have to get a day. [NOTE: I give myself Sundays off. I figured if God decided a day off was important enough to make it a commandment our bodies or brains must need it.]

2. I read my synopsis, existing chapters and storyboard. I cuddle up to the story. I usually put enough in my storyboard to KNOW what the story is about...but it's the one-paragraph story summary that connects me to the emotion. So I paste that on my computer. :)

3. I start writing. I don't hem and haw. I don't make excuses. I don't say, Fridays are my best day, I'll get 20 pages on Friday and everything will be okay. Nope. I buckle down. IMMEDIATELY.

4.  I keep the promises I make to myself. I've been blessed to have been "bought" by two publishers. I have goals. I have dreams. I someday want to own a beach house (just kidding...sort of). I won't accomplish my goals or see my dreams come true if I don't do the work today.

Today...right now...THIS MINUTE is the only reality. If you don't start in THIS MINUTE you will talk yourself out of the next minute and the next minute and the next minute and before you know it the day will be shot.

So get busy. As soon as you hit the time slot you've allotted to write GET BUSY.

Do it now. :)

Happy Monday

susan