Nicole Smith

Look, a Writing Update

After last night’s VERY successful writing session, I decided that I needed to take a few minutes this morning and write a quick update on the status of Second Chances.

As I mentioned in a previous post, things have been crazy busy around here. I haven’t had a lot of time to work on my personal writing. When I’ve had a few minutes here and there, I’ve tried to get in some editing, but it hasn’t been working out so well. I just wasn’t feeling what I was writing because I was so distracted and couldn’t focus enough time on Second Chances to really find my groove.

But last night was different, which is surprising since it started out kind of crappy. I had worked on Second Chances for a little while the night before and had actually managed to write 500 words, which doesn’t sound like much in the grand scheme of things, but considering my lack of free time lately, that was like writing a novel. So imagine how upset I was when I pulled up SC last night and noticed that all I had written the night before was gone. That discovery led to me cussing out my computer for a few minutes before I told myself to shut up and stop whining and to get writing. (Sometimes I just need to give myself a pep talk. LOL!)

For some reason something clicked last night, and I was able to whip out a scene that’s been bothering me. I was really worried about how it would come across to others. I didn’t want to sound preachy or like I was directing the scene at one particular group of people. I wanted it to resonate with everyone. So it was hard for me to find the right words. But last night when I started writing, I fell into that little groove that I love so much. The words just poured out of me, and I was able to finish that scene. Granted, it’s not perfect. I’ve got to go back through it today, hopefully, and add some bits and pieces, but I think on the whole, it’s what I was hoping for.

I still have a couple others scenes I want to add to SC. By the time I’m done, I’m hoping the final word count will be between 11,000-13,000 words, which is a lot more than the initial word count. From there I’ll do another edit on my own before sending it off to Jenny for her final runthrough. I want it to be the best that it can, and if that means it takes another month or two to get it there, that’s fine. The end result will definitely be worth it.

I have to admit, though, that I’m still nervous as hell about releasing SC on its own. The thought of anyone criticizing it upsets me because I truly do have some much of myself invested in it. But at the same time I know it’s just like letting your children grow up and experience the world. Even though it’s scary, you’ve got to do it.

So there’s my long-awaited update. I will update again soon.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for some great writing-related posts, head on over to Jennifer Hudock‘s website. She’s had a lot of fantastic guest bloggers stop by lately who have offered up some extremely helpful advice on self-publishing and being an indie author. If you’ve been struggling with your own publishing efforts, I strongly encourage you to read the guest blogs on her site because I think they’ll help you. I know they’ve helped me…A LOT!

Until next time, I love you. And happy reading and writing.