Thank you Jennie for inviting me over today!
Today's topic: What I've been up to since last February!
I'd already started a new novel before February. It's currently in a folder on a shelf, waiting to be re-written. It's about a man who founds a cult and predicts the end of the world. But I'm not happy with the ending. So until I have that wake up with the perfect solution moment (which will happen, just not on my time-scale) it's staying on the shelf.
In April I took part in the Blogging from A - Z Challenge, which was an amazing experience, and I found lots of new bloggers, some of whom have become friends. A month of solid blogging was hard. Although I had the posts written and scheduled in advance, the sheer number of blogs to try to read and comment on, plus following up the comments on my posts and visiting those bloggers if I hadn't already, made writing impossible - an excuse which I unfortunately used for the following month too!
By June I was fully into the swing of not writing but marketing Cat and The Dreamer. You notice how marketing is in italics? That's because marketing meant lots of Facebook time, lots of reading online newspapers and trying to get to grips with Sudoku. It's very easy to get out of the swing of writing, but I was also thinking about my next project. The problem was I didn't have a title and I didn't have a first line - immediate problems that always mean I can't progress. Eventually I started writing...
So between August and October I wrote a ghost-ish story, it's currently 8500 words long, and needs a good revision, but the ending is written, and it has a title!
This year was my first attempt at NaNoWriMo... Boy, that's a scary thing isn't it? I'd been considering it, but didn't seriously think I would until a Twitter conversation with a fellow writer when we egged each other on and signed up. Even the novel I mentioned at the beginning of this post isn't 50,000 words and I spent a good six months writing that, so I started on the 1st with no expectation. It was a Friday - I worked. The next day I spent time with my kids, the day after I worked again... It was Day 5 before I sat down properly. I didn't have a story, just a title and first line and a vague idea. I started slowly, underachieving the word count each day, until one day I exceeded it. Suddenly, I got the hang of writing words even if they didn't make sense. In one scene my two characters started explaining how they had to waffle for 1000 words because it was important to the author!
I did it! 50,142 words of a novel which is also in a file and waiting to be rewritten. But this file is on the floor beside me as I type. This novel is my current project. It's about a hotel, an explosion and how it changes the lives of the people caught up in it. And if this one day gets published, you'll be able to say you read about it here first!
Did you take part in the A-Z Challenge or NaNoWriMo?
How did you find it? What else were you writing this year?
As a teenager, Julia survived a suicide pact, while her best friend Rachel died. Julia’s only escape from her guilt, and her mother’s over-protection, is her imagination. When Adam arrives in the office, Julia’s world takes a startling turn as she realises reality can be much more fun than fantasy. Finally she has someone who can help her make the most of her life. But can she allow herself to be truly happy?
Cat and The Dreamer is available on Kindle UK, Kindle US, Kobo, Nook, iTunes/iBooks, and via Vagabondage Press.
Annalisa Crawford lives and writes in Cornwall with a good supply of beaches and moorland to keep her inspired. She finds endless possibilities in the relationships between people. Several new projects are on the cards for 2013.
Find her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.
12 comments:
Thank you so much for letting me visit your blog today and taking part in my tour!
I was super impressed that you completed NaNo since you are more used to short stories! Last year was pretty awesome!
Lots of good stuff done over the year. And congrats on beating NaNo. That's a big deal.
I hope we see a new novel from you real soon.
Maria
Good for you, Annalisa! The one year I participated in NaNo, I beat it as well. And not planning any writing until after this year's Challenge.
Wow, the A to Z and NaNo? You're crazy!
Of course, I think I've got those both on my docket for this year.
I failed at NaNo and I've never attempted the A-Z challenge.
You have me beaten there!
So exited for her!
What an exciting year you've had. It was fun just to read about it!
It's great to meet you and discover your blog through Annalisa's tour, Jenny!
Kyra - I was just surprised! Lol
Donna - Thanks Donna, NaNo was always one of those things I watched other people doing and it looked like fun.
Maria - there will be 'stuff' but not a novel for a little while.
Alex - I'm not sure it's something I'd want to do again, but doing it once seemed something I had to do.
Rena - at least you've got a little bit of time between them to recover. Good luck with both :-)
Elizabeth - just attempting NaNo is madness enough :-) Are you tempted by the A-Z this year?
Tammy - thank you :-)
Julie - it didn't seem that exciting while I was living it, but it does sound good in hindsight :-)
Please forgive me if I don't return visits straight away - I might have to wait until after the tour, it's busier than I thought :-) Thank you for your support!
It sounds like you've had a busy year! :)
I did both the A-Z Challenge and NaNo; hard to believe the Challenge is almost at the blogging doorstep again.
Golden Eagle - I know I'm already working on my topics for A-Z... I've got all of them apart from U!
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