Confession: I have recently started a writing blog. It’s HERE, and it’s based on the Treadmill Journal idea I stole from PoMo Golightly (through the writing group in Ravelry! Yay!). It’s boring, mostly, and only documents my own writing angst, but the writers among you might like to read it, or try something similar. It’s certainly kick-started my writing again, in a big way. And I just wrote this, and I’m stealing it from myself, so you don’t even have to go over there, but this made me feel good:
I realized something yesterday, something huge. This novel I’ve been working on, it’s a genre romance. There. I said it. I’m writing it for a target audience, and I have writer’s guidelines in mind. I will say, right now, that having read romances for years and years as a teenager and into my early twenties, I knew there were a lot of bad ones out there. But I kept reading them because some of them were good. Well written. Engaging. Romantic. That’s what I’ve been going for. I can write literary fiction and Be Serious; I can and have pulled that off. But it’s been a much more fun ride, this silly romance. Really, really fun.
And perhaps that’s how I got this far, and reached this realization: I’M ALMOST DONE. No, really. Yesterday, I realized that I only had one more big scene in mind, and that it was the denouement. But that couldn’t be! I was only up to 66,000 words!
Then I checked the guidelines, and ahem, that’s above the upper limit for the slim-sided imprint I chose to target.
In eloquent literary terms: Dude. That means I get to write a few more scenes, and I’ll be DONE. Which means I will type the words The End. That, of course, won’t mean the end of work, lots of editing, and apparently, paring down to meet to word count, but that’s a good thing — there are several scenes in the book that strike me as background rather than essential.
But it’s there! The end is coming! It’s reachable! I could hardly sleep last night. Look at me, wasting all this time here. Need to be moving into writing.
Oh, Rachael. WELL done.
I told my daughter about your “treadmill” plan and she thinks it’s brilliant — she’s working on a ghost story. I shall now direct her to your new ‘blog!
And thanks again for the pictures of the wee, baby Digit. No wonder you fell in love with your Mancat!
I’m so excited for you! Yay!
The romance genre is huge right now (you know that of course). And just like any genre fiction, the best of it transcends genre. I could name five “regular fiction” books off the top of my head that are technically romance. I’ve never been into romance books, but I will totally read yours!
I have to confess, I have officially fallen off the writing bandwagon. The conveyor belt to payoff is too long, I simply don’t have what it takes to work on something, knowing that it will be AT LEAST a year before I see a check for it.
That’s one reason I’m so fond of blogging: instant gratification!
Nothing wrong with a well-written romance as far as I’m concerned! It’s never been my genre of choice, but thanks to working in bookstores and rooming with ramnace readers, I’ve read a lot of them, many of which had some damn good storytelling.
Of course, my hubby writes genre fiction (SF/fantasy), so I may be a tad biased on the subject. 🙂
Speaking of which, I just finished
ripping apartreading through his latest manuscript, so if you need a test-reader at some point I would be happy to offer my services. I’m tough, but always constructive.I love romance novels. 🙂
WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!
WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
GO girl!
I confess, I found yer other blog a few days back, when I looked at the Pomo site, and noticed you were linked at the bottom. 😉 Way way cool, the treadmill thing. I am contemplating a version of one for myself. Gotta get Clydeen back out- haven’t really written since last November! =( And so many good good projects to choose from. Ack..
Cheers to you and then end!!
Muah.
Err, I meant, of course, ‘the end.’
Yippee for ends being in sight!
Dude, make sure you’re night signed up with a funky POD service or something. Check out http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/
and posts like this one
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/005555.html
on Teresa Nielsen Hayden’s blog “Making Light”.
Of course you’re free to do whatever you want, and congratulations on finishing your book! Just don’t get ripped off, ok?
oh, that’s awesome! I have a couple contemporary romance manuscripts, which I have to admit I wasn’t nearly aggressive enough in marketing. It’s like working two jobs: the writing and then the marketing of your work. Good on ya–you’ve certainly got what it takes to be great at both!
Good for you. I’m certain that you’re capable of writing lots of different types of fiction. Romance isn’t a bad genre to go to. Good luck!
Way to go! That’s big news, being that close to done with a draft.
That is SO cool! Congrats =)
Woot!
One of my all-time favorite series is in the “romance” genre. I’m always embarassed when I have to go down that aisle in the bookstore to buy a copy of the latest book, but DAYUM! It’s the most amazing, well-written series ever 🙂
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, in case you’re familiar with it 🙂
YAY!!!!!
So what’s wrong with romance??? My dear SIL writes romances, and has actually been published, so maybe I am biased… I love romance novels if they are funny, well-written and accurate as regards to facts and costuming, if they are historicals. Way to go to get to the ending! This may sound silly, but it’s a good idea to join a romance writer’s group if you are serious with them (if you haven’t already, of course), because they always have good contacts in the publishing end.
Cool, man, cool! Is that your NaNoWriMo novel? That’s exciting as all get-out. I think any genre is just fine if ya do it well and in an artful manner.
I feel your book book book tour is nearing!
Good for you! It feels great to be closer to completion than you thought, doesn’t it? When I am in that position, I get that last burst of energy and enthusiasm for the project.
Yeah! I’d even read the dreaded (to me) sci fi if you wrote it! Rock on chica…
That is *awesome*!
I heard this on NPR today and thought you might enjoy the story.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13830021