11/19/23
After all the edits I completed two weeks ago, I hit a wall. Major burnout. Of course, burnout is always coupled with writer's block. Yep, I said the dreaded two words. I completed two rounds of edits for Soul Bond, which is off to the copy editor; one huge round of edits for Gifting a Dragon's Heart, which is back with the editor for round two; and I completed my own edits of The Prince, which is now in hibernation until January. After all of that, all I wanted was a nap. What that means is I haven't written anything more in The Spy in two weeks. I am just starting to work on chapter two, so there's a whole lot of story left to go. I do have all the major plot points mapped out, but getting it all onto paper requires the time and energy I just don't have at the moment. Instead, just this weekend I've washed six loads of laundry (and if there's time, will possibly do a seventh), cleaned one of my bathrooms, vacuumed the entire second floor of my house (which required clearing the floors first), filled, run, emptied, and refilled the dishwasher, and the chores keep coming! It's a never-ending cycle of figuring out what I need to accomplish next. Last weekend I baked apple bread and pecan pie, because those freeze well, and this week I also need to bake pumpkin pie and blondies, all to bring to Turkey Day dinner. I also need to vacuum the first floor of my house sometime after work next week. None of that is conducive to fighting off burnout, so it doesn't look like I'll be able to write at all in this coming week. Maybe after Turkey Day is over and things finally settle down, I'll be able to get back on a more even keel. A lazy winter with no plans to travel or see anyone is exactly what I have coming, so fingers crossed I'll be able to get a ton of writing done then instead! 11/5/23
This weekend has been all about edits. So many edits! First I received edits for Soul Bond, which needed to be completed quickly because of the time crunch. Soul Bond is absolutely adorable, so working on the edits wasn't a chore, but they still took some time. I would say we are ahead of schedule in terms of a February release, but considering mine won't be the only story coming out then, being ahead is a good thing. I expect to have the second round of edits for this story soon. Next I received the first round of edits for Gifting a Dragon's Heart. That is the title my editor and I have decided on. It's shorter and more direct, and still has excellent connections to the book itself. You Can't Sell A Dragon's Heart is therefore no more, and I will be referring to this story moving forward as Gifting a Dragon's Heart. The edits for this story took a lot more time, mostly because this story is three times longer. Months have gone by since I last looked at this story, and I forgot how charming it is. The combination of sci-fi and fantasy, plus the very interesting main characters, and I've fallen in love with it again. I'm looking forward to the second round of edits, but those won't be ready for a while. I hope to have more information on release dates to share soon. Once I was done with both of those, I was finally able to return to my own edits for The Prince. I'm really, really happy with how this story turned out. It's got a sweet romance, some great action scenes, and a plot I enjoyed rereading. Despite taking longer than I would have liked, I was able to finish this round of edits. The Prince will now go into hibernation. At this point, I'm thinking late January would be the best time to pull it out again for a last edit and formatting for submission. The timing depends entirely on whether I'm editing other stories then, of course, but I'm already looking forward to getting this story submitted. I wanted to work on The Spy this weekend too, but the edits were too much. Fingers crossed I'll be able to get a lot of writing done this next week, but I have a feeling I'll be getting more edits again instead. Either way, I know it will be fun! 10/31/23
First off, Happy Halloween or Blessed Samhain to everyone who celebrates! I am writing this while waiting to see whether I'll get any trick-or-treater's this year. In past years I haven't gotten any, but I live in hope. My fake pumpkin is lit up (we have critters that eat real pumpkins, so it's fake or nothing), my candy bowl is full, and my porch light is on. We'll see if anyone rings the doorbell. With my luck, it'll be another political solicitor, of which I'm currently averaging one a week. Something about my neighborhood apparently attracts them. No idea why. Also, I'm eating the candy, but that's a different issue. As everyone who reads this blog probably knows, I struggle regularly to come up with titles for my books and my series. I can create a complex magic system and figure out how to incorporate it into a Valentine's Day plot, but deciding on a title for that story took me much, much longer. I eventually decided on Soulbond, simply because that's what the holiday is referred to in the fantasy world of this book. My editor loved the story and NSP has accepted it for publication. (I'm very happy!!!!) But. You guessed it. Soulbond is now Soul Bond, two words, to make it easier for readers to find. I told you my editor is brilliant! She's the one who pointed out something that simple. Soul Bond will presumably be released sometime around Valentine's Day 2024. When exactly is dependent on how editing goes, which should begin this week, and how many other themed stories are coming out at the same time. I'll let you know when I learn more. Another story having title trouble is You Can't Sell A Dragon's Heart. The title is apparently too long and will mess up all sorts of formatting. I didn't exactly consider the formatting when I thought of the title, but it's something I'm going to have to remember in the future. My editor offered a couple ideas, and I've thought of some, but finding something perfect is proving difficult. I'm going to have to sleep on it, but if anyone has a good idea, please feel free to share. We will also be starting the first round of edits for this story this week, so I'm hoping inspiration strikes while I'm neck deep in grammar clauses. Since I forgot to formalize it, I did decide on the official title for the series that includes The Chef, The Prince, and The Spy. I'm calling it Princes of Toval, for reasons that become clear in the books. If I tell you why, I might ruin some surprises, particularly in The Spy which I'm writing right now. Thank you so much to everyone who suggested options! I really appreciated it, and it helped me solidify which direction to go in for the series name. 10/29/23
Sometimes it's the little things that really make me feel like I've done a ton. Filled and ran the dishwasher? Check! Gotten to the grocery store? Check! Sorted the dirty laundry and put a load in the wash? Check! Submitted a new story to NSP? Check! All of those combined make me feel like I've accomplished something, and that's the positive mindset I need to delve into writing and editing. When all those chores and tasks start looming over me, each one demanding I take care of them first, I start to feel buried and overwhelmed. Not that I don't procrastinate like the best of them. The only reason my dishwasher got run was because I literally ran out of cups and had no choice but to muster the extreme effort to deal with it. And yet, somehow I felt really, really good when the dishwasher made that beeping noise four hours later, telling me it was done. Yes, I also submitted a story to NSP! I told you I had completed writing my idea for NSP's internal Valentine's Day call, a fantasy/romance story called Soulbond, and I wanted to give Soulbond a bit to rest before the deadline. Well, my editor requested I submit Soulbond as soon as possible, to ensure she had enough time to review it too. Since my editor is the absolute best, I had to do as she asked. Soulbond received my final editing round much sooner than I prefer, but it is shined up and good to go. I think my editor will like it as much as I do, but I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I learn more! Of course, focusing on Soulbond exclusively to ensure it was done in time means the rest of my stories had to be set aside for the moment. I am a little over halfway through with my post-writing, first pass edit for The Prince. This is the quick edit I give a story when it's all still fresh in my mind, before I leave it to sit and marinate for a few months. I had hoped to already be done and The Prince in its waiting phase, but I've learned sometimes you just have to roll with whatever comes. Getting Soulbond submitted was more important than getting The Prince to its next step. I should have plenty of time to work on The Prince this weekend, but at this point I likely won't pull it out for that final edit and preparation for submission until late January at the earliest. Writing is where I've fallen short in my accomplishments this week. I haven't had time to write anything because I've been so focused on getting all those edits done. That said, there's a good chance I'll finish editing The Prince soon, so I might be able to get some work done in The Spy this weekend as well. 10/20/23
Toss in a little magic, a bunch of political intrigue, a pair of twins and their love interests, and apparently you get a great story! At least, per the reviews I'm getting for Twin Elements. I'm so happy everyone seems to have enjoyed it! If you haven't gotten your copy yet, I posted a bunch of links HERE, but it's available at most major retailers. I have completed writing my story Soulbond, which I plan to submit to NSP for their internal Valentine's Day call. The story ended up being short and sweet, almost fairy tale style, with a strong emphasis on the magic and the romance. I really think you guys will like it! It's due to NSP in just a few weeks, so this is a bit of a rushed timeline for me. Normally when I complete a story I give it a quick edit before setting it aside for a minimum of six to ten weeks. This allows any nuances of what I meant to say versus what is actually on the page to fade from my memory, and when I return to the story I can be much more objective. Soulbond can only sit for about two weeks before I have to start editing or else I won't make the deadline. Luckily Soulbond is a short story, so I should be able to get it finished in time. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes! I have completed writing the epilogue for The Prince in my Princes of Toval series. which means this story is also done! I really, really like how this book turned out. The magic is advanced, the characters are dynamic, and I think I've pulled the romance in nicely. Especially in the epilogue, which is all about the romance. This weekend I am going to give The Prince a once-over to complete a basic edit, before setting it aside. Unlike Soulbond, The Prince will receive the full two months rest I prefer. I plan to pull it out again for a more in-depth edit sometime in the end of December or early January, and submit it to NSP for their consideration once it's ready. Keep an eye out on this blog around then if you want to know more! In between all that other writing, I've somehow found five minutes here and there to start writing the third book, The Spy. I'm maybe 500 words in, so it's not much, but it's a start that I think is very promising. The Spy is set a few years after The Prince concludes, with a totally new set of magic rules and a fun new plot. I expect this will be the final book in the series, as it finally ties together the last loose ends from The Chef (book one). Also, Vivary Tales has been mentally harassing me, begging to know when I can return to working on it. I chose to focus on The Chef (and the sequels) instead, as both books were too intricate to write simultaneously. Plots are percolating so I can't stay away from Vivary Tales too long. As soon as The Spy is done, I will have to return to Vivary Tales. That said, I don't actually know how long The Spy will be. I have two major plot points that need to be explored in separate, but interlinked, arcs. I'm going to aim for 50k words, hope I actually get to 60k, but be willing to settle for 40k if that's what the story calls for. As soon as I'm really able to start digging into the writing, I'll be able to make a better estimate.
10/14/23
There's so much to talk about and I'm not sure I can fit it all into one post! Sorry if this one is a little long. I'll start with the most exciting news first! Twin Elements is available for pre-ordrer at most major retailers. You can reserve your copy today! Here are some links:
NSP accepted The Chef for publishing! I'm so excited! They seemed to really enjoy it, which is always a great sign. I expect we will start working on editing sometime next April-ish, and you'll have it in your hands around this time next year. I am so incredibly close to completing The Prince, the sequel to The Chef. The story itself is done; all that's left is writing the epilogue. I am hopeful I'll be able to write the rest this weekend or next, depending on whether I get distracted by anything else. Wish me luck! Speaking of distractions, I am 90% finished with a short story for NSP's internal Valentine's Day call. When they first put out the call, I had no idea if I was going to write something for it, and I certainly had zero idea of any sort of plot. Then, last weekend I had a moment of epiphany: What if magic was illegal and my main character was cursed and needed to find some magical help without also getting thrown in jail in the process! Somehow, this crazy idea has turned into a Valentines-themed story. My working title right now is Soulbond. If I can complete it this coming week, I should have just enough time to get it edited before the submission deadline. I'll keep you all posted. On another note. I have purposefully chosen to leave politics and anything real-world out of my blog and separate from my life as a writer. However, some of you know I lived in Israel for a year while I was getting my Master's. All I'll say is so-far all my friends in Israel are okay. They've been very lucky. Some are fighting, and the rest have found other ways to give support. I might not be able to do much, safe on my couch in the US, but for anyone from Israel who reads this, please know I support you, I'm praying for you, and I wish this somehow ends with the terrorists removed from power in Gaza so all people in the region can finally live in lasting peace.
9/28/23
I usually take some time off around the holidays to spend at home with my family. The holidays themselves are very hectic. Rosh Hashanah was multiple big dinners with family and friends, and synagogue. Then Yom Kippur was a 25 hour fast (sundown to sundown), much of which was spent in synagogue. And then about 30 people came over to my parents' for Break Fast, which is a large, buffet-style meal to help recover from fasting for so long. I went a touch crazy with baking. I made apple bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, blondies, mixed berry pie, lemon bars, gluten free plum cake, and hermit cookies. It was a ton of fun, of course, and now that the holiday is over I'm spending the rest of the week hanging out with my parents. What all that means is I haven't had much time for writing. At all. The Prince reached 39k words and I've added 1k to Hadash Aviv, but that was last week. This week has been nothing. I guess you could say it's been relaxing, and when I return to the real world of work and responsibilities I should be refreshed enough to tackle the rest of these stories. The Prince will probably not reach 50k as I hoped. All that's left is the finishing touches, which is probably only 5k more. I'm hopeful I'll be able to add more during the editing process, but we'll see. Hadash Aviv is also a toss up as to whether it'll reach the 15k minimum. I would need to add 6k more, which is a lot for a story that was originally purposefully short and sweet. If I get to at least 10k, I'll ask whether NSP wants it for something else. I've seen the draft for the cover of Twin Elements, and it's glorious, but I can't share it with you yet. I'm hopeful the preorder will be up soon, so I can share that too! And that's everything I've been up to the last few days. Like I said in the title, I don't have much to share. Maybe next week things will pick up again! |
Coming Soon
Gifting a Dragon's Heart
March 19, 2024 Soul Bond
January 30, 2024 Twin Elements
October 17, 2023 Witch
April 15, 2023 AuthorMell Eight is an author writing with NSP. For more information about Mell and her writing, please visit her website: http://melleightfiction. Tags
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