Done! (at least for now)

After several years of starts, stops and disappointments, I finally finished a manuscript. So, pardon me while I say Yeah Me!

Since publishing The Eden Effect a few years ago, I've started several projects but not been able to actually complete anything. I was starting to wonder if I could.

Most of these failed projects were intended as novels.  I would start off like a house on fire but then burn out a few months down the road for various reasons. As I said in an earlier post, everyday life  tends to get in the way. That's a bad excuse, I suppose. Every writer faces challenge, whether it's working a full-time job, raising a family or any number of other circumstances.

The net result, for me anyway, is that I felt like I needed to get a "win" under my belt. Combined with our family's May trip to Orlando and Cocoa Beach, and the idea for In the Sunshine was born. I initially  intended for it to be a short story of about 8-10,000 words. It wound up just a shade under 15,000 when I wrote the final scene yesterday.

Most of the story was written in late May and over the past few weeks. In between, I was starting a new job and tending to my mother, who was in and out of the hospital twice. So now Sunshine is in the capable hands of editor Bryon Quertermous. I ran into Bryon over at  the Writer's Cafe on KBoards and, as it turned out, we're practically neighbors.

I've instructed Bryon to be brutally blunt about Sunshine. As an industry vet, I trust him to give me the straight scoop about my writing. I'm nervous, of course, but also excited to get his take on my work, what my strengths and weaknesses are. My aim is to publish the story on Amazon and other platforms on Labor Day weekend.

That's almost besides the point. It just feels good to finish what I started for once.

When Life Gets In The Way Of Writing

Okay, then. So that’s what writing feels like. Hmmm, I kind of enjoy it.

After not pecking out a word in nearly two months, I started workingagain on In The Sunshine, my latest little foray into the world ofromance. For you writing types out there, it’s likely going to fallbetween 12,000 – 15,000 words at completion, a “novelette.” For therest of the world, it’s a short story.

A family trip Cocoa Beach, Florida, in May sparked the story idea. Istarted writing the story just about as soon as we got home. I madegreat process, about 8,000 words in less than a month. Then life gotin the way.

I interviewed for a job and actually landed it (started a week ago)!My mother, who is in her mid 70s, was also in and out of the hospitala few times with various ailments. Those elements combined with mynormal day-to-day life pulled me away from the keyboard. It was afrustrating period from a writing standpoint, but you’ve got to dowhat you’ve got to do.

I’ll admit I was nervous when I sat down and tried to kickstart thisproject. I reread what I had written and was relatively pleased. Afterthat, I started writing. I think I churned out about 500 words overthe course of an hour, before my kids started getting up. I wroteanother few hundred words this morning.

It’s going to take awhile to really get back in the flow. I have givenmyself a deadline of August 10 to finish the first draft. I’ve alreadygot an editor lined up and had originally intended to get the story tohim a month ago. He dropped me a note this morning wondering what theheck was going on.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to publishing the story. As short, I knowit’s not going to sell tons of copies and I’m not too worried aboutit. I haven’t published a story in almost two years, so it’s time toget of the shnide, as they say.

Enough about me. If you’re a writer reading this, tell me about yourcurrent Work in Progress. Where are you at with it and when do you seeyourself hitting the publishing button?

If you are a reader, what’s on your Kindle right now? If you’re aromance reader, are you open to shorter than novel-length work? Whatprice would you be willing to pay for a piece that’s about 50traditional pages in length?