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| My book is done, but not really. ♥️
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April 16, 2021
Oakland, CA
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| | My book is done, but not really.
I doubt that this book is as good as the two I've already published in this series.
One of my writing buddies says I doubted the quality of those two previous books.
Those two turned out okay—an award for the first, reader praise for both.
Yet, this book isn’t done. Unlike the other two that were completely finished by the time I sent the book to the proofreader, I’m still writing for this book.
Thankfully what I need to write is only the denouement -- the part of the story where all the details get wrapped up. (Denouement, from the French, literally meaning "to unknot".)
Because this novel is a mystery, all the clues need to be tied up, all (or most) of the questions answered.
I knew I needed this scene for the last two weeks. I just couldn’t bring myself to write it; there were too many other final decisions I needed to make first.
Then Monday came, the day I promised the book to the proofreader.
I was depressed. The book wasn’t 100% written.
I went for a walk and talked it out into a voice memo to my writing buddy. That’s how I work out problems—by talking to a trusted friend.
The problem: I didn’t know what the denouement should be exactly. And I realized that I still had another scene to clean up, but had no more energy to do either.
In talking it out, I came up with an outline for the denouement scene and a plan to work on the other scene. I would write the scene and edit in and the additional scene with a backup editor/proofreader, while the first proofreader had the book.
Relieved I had a plan, I sent my book to my proofreader, Paul Martin:
http://paulmartineditorial.com/.
The next day I drafted the start of the denouement scene, with the goal to have a draft I could hand to my editor by Friday.
It’s Friday now. The seven-page denouement scene is written. I’m fixing the typos, cleaning it up a bit more (the third or fourth pass). Then I'll hand it to my editor later today.
Next week I’ll fix that other scene.
By the time I get the book back from the proofreader, I’ll have my pieces polished up and can integrate them into the whole book. Then I'll go through the proofreader’s suggestions, make those final decisions, and then upload the ebook. Whew!
This book goes live May 14th. (On preorder now!)
The book is done, but not quite.
I have a plan. I feel good. I can address each problem as it arises, one at a time, keeping the scope narrowed on what's right in front of me.
Now that editorial is wrapping up, I feel the anxiety and nerves about getting to the marketing.
So my solution to calm myself down will be to set aside time to plan a specific launch for this book and for the audio book of Book 1. (Yes, that's happening!)
I have a slice of time later today to start the planning of something specific, doable, and fun. If I even spend 15-20 minutes on this start, I'll be happy.
I’m not sure what the takeaway is here for you. :) You can tell me.
Hit reply and let me know your takeaway for yourself and your writing from this story.
I only know that I'm most happy when I’m wrangling with writing and polishing my fiction -- my complicated creative stories -- and handling all the aspects of publishing and marketing them.
COMING SOON
In the school: I’m preparing for a special promotion in June. Stay tuned!
Also, we’re in the early stages of getting ready for our live 60-Day Novel course that starts Oct. 1.
CLIENT WORK
I’m helping a client edit their 4 upcoming books for rapid release next year. I’m helping another client, a publisher, streamline their content management. Plus, I’m editing other clients’ novels and helping them learn the craft of fiction and become better writers.
COURSES, WORKSHOPS, & PRESENTATIONS
May 2021: I’ll be teaching my story structure course "Story Structure: An Essential Building Block of Your Craft" online here:
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY (scroll down a bit to find it)
July 2021: I’ll be presenting on NLP for writers to the Central Ohio Fiction Writers. More details coming soon.
If you’d like me to teach a live online workshop to your writing community, I am once again available for that. I'm booking now for the summer and fall.
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Have a happy and creative week!
All my best,
Beth
♥
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| | | | You have been reading the Creativity Sparks Newsletter!
Now in its 15th year, this newsletter is a service of my coaching and consulting business, helping genre fiction writers write, market, and publish their books through courses, coaching & consulting, NLP sessions, a 12-month group program, and books to the delight of their readers.
You may share this content intact and with no changes with this attribution:
c. 2006-2021 Beth Barany, Creativity Coach for Writers, www.BethBarany.com
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| ABOUT BETH BARANY
Beth Barany is creativity coach for writers, a teacher, workshop facilitator, and speaker, who helps fiction writers experience clarity, so that they can write and polish their novels, and proudly publish them to the delight of their readers.
Owner of the Barany School of Fiction, an online training hub, Beth takes great interest in how humans learn, create, and grow, and includes all her students’ life experiences, including the ancestors, into the moment.
Want a course to help you prepare to write your novel? Discover the comprehensive Plan Your Novel course here, I teach alongside with award-winning, bestselling thriller author, Ezra Barany.
She's also an award-winning novelist and writes magical tales of romance, adventure, and mystery to empower women and girls to be the heroes in their own lives.
Uncover her Henrietta series here (YA Fantasy) and her Touchstone series here (Fantasy/Paranormal Romance). And her new Sci-fi Mystery here.
beth@bethbarany.com
Barany School of Fiction
Writer's Fun Zone blog
Photo Credit: by c. 2018 Ezra Barany
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