Editing hell

One Freaking Word

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Photo credit: ??? (Sorry)

Hey guys, welcome back! I hope everyone is doing great, staying cool (or warm, depending on where you are) and of course, ready for the weekend. We here had a string of some super hot days and as I’ve been rereading a book series, I was more than happy that the one taking place during the Winter holidays had been next in line. Reading about a snowstorm while temps had hit 101 heat index? Helped my mind do a little escape from the furnace I was living in. (Have I mentioned I’m not a Summer person?)

Anywhoo…for those who may be new here? Hello! Let me give you a little background first before I get to that one freaking word my title is talking about.

I’ve been working on a book for over a year. This site has been my way of documenting my progress and my struggles. It’s also been a way to, I hope, motivate others. Not just about writing, but about life stuff in general. And yes, every now and then, I vent out some things that needs to get out of my head.

I have been working so damned hard on editing this book. My initial hope last year was that it would have been published by the holidays. HA! What a freaking pipe dream that was!

First off, my initial word count was astronomical. What needs to be in the 100,000 area, (give or take 20,000 plus or minus) was in fact, well over 400,000. I’ve since shaved off a LOT but still need to cut another 150,000 or so to get it where I need it.

In last week’s post, I talked about progress and how not every day can be a day of cutting a few hundred or thousand words. Sometimes you need to go inch by inch. Which leads us to today…

Last night, I worked for HOURS on a ten chapter block, never getting past the first three. I cut paragraphs. I rewrote my sentences. I rearranged the text. I cut some more. I reworked some more. And in the end when I went and checked the word count for the day? I was only down ONE FREAKING WORD!

I had sworn I cut hundreds. But it turns out, all that rewriting and reworking had me adding more than I cut.

Now, this is not the first time my counts have been disappointing. Far from it. In fact, the last ten chapter block? I added a few hundred words to that several times until I went back and slashed a ton of things that never should have been there. I refused to get out of those chapters until a significant number had been chopped. When I was done with it, I had cut about 250 words. Not a lot in the grand scheme of things of course, but every read through brings more cuts, so I’m not worried.

I think the reason this one word thing is bothering me so much this time, is that I really worked hard all night on this. I was so sure that I was doing well and that my count was going to be significantly lower. I was on a roll! I also consumed more sugar in those few hours than I have in a month, so be sure to factor that into my mental state as well.

It was a kick to the gut that after all that work, all that time, the progress that I had hoped to make, didn’t happen. I need to remember what I wrote here last week, about how every little bit helps. That eventually, the numbers will add up. For now, I will wallow a little then get back to it.

I think my takeaway from this particular night is this…some days, no matter how hard you try, you may only move one inch. However, that one inch? Is still one inch more than where you started. (I hope that made sense.)

And that is where I will leave you for now. Thanks for visiting, reading, sharing, shopping the links, tipping and supporting. It means a whole hell of a lot to me that you do. It really does.

Until next time folks…Cheers!

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To follow me on social, including my #booktok and shop my shops, click: HERE

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If you enjoy what I do here and would like to help support the site, you can do so by shopping any link here or head to my Ko-Fi to make a direct tip. You can click the logo on the site or head: HERE

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If you’ve made it this far? I thank you. See you soon!! 🩷

My Own Worst Enemy & Heat

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Photo credit: Me! 🙂

Hey guys, welcome back! Hope everyone is doing well and if you are dealing with hot weather like we are, hope you are finding ways to stay cool. It seems so damned early for such temperatures, but these days, who knows what kind of weather we’ll have day to day. Especially here.. The old saying of, “welcome to the Northeast, don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” exists for a reason. Personally, I’d be happy for some snow right about now. (I am not a summer person at all.)

Anywhoooooo…it’s been a minute since I’ve been here and I’m sorry about that. I have been working on my edits and some rewrites, dealing with the weather and trying to do what I can to keep sane. I’ve been making more progress on my book, still not enough though to declare it ready for submission anywhere but progress is progress.

I’ve finally realized that even if I only cut a handful of words during edits in a week, that is still acceptable. I’ve always been one to be visual. I want to see the proof that my work is actually amounting to something. So when I was getting incredibly discouraged that over a few nights in a row I may have only cut a word here or there, it was disheartening to say the least. I mean, why go on if I’m not getting anywhere right? Wrong.

Because inch by inch, the work has been getting done. I was really shocked when I did that last total word count of the entire book to see just how many thousands of words I had in fact cut. Doing that total breathed new life into me. Suddenly it was there where I could see it. The number of words had gone way down even though I had sworn I was in some cases, adding on to the count instead of cutting. Which frankly was true.

This past week or so, I’ve been back going over the first twenty chapters. Trying to rework them, even rewrite them in some cases, to get that number even lower while adding a bit more depth to the characters that I realize now, I hadn’t had before. That was a sobering revelation, let me tell you. There is room for more backstory and it still amazes me after working on this for well over a year now, how much more I’m seeing that can be done.

The issue I’m having with all of this right now is that I am my own worst enemy. I have no tolerance for authority, never have. (Which explains the trouble I got into in school.) So for me to now defy myself? So unacceptable!

I know what needs to be done. I can see it in my mind how I need to rearrange some chapters, write new scenes, cut a shit-ton of words and all of that…but the part of me that hates to be told to do anything? Shutting down. I’d love to blame it on the weather but really, it’s an internal struggle and one that I cannot escape from.

If I’m going to make this something worth reading after all of this time, I need to buckle up and get it done. Even if it is just word by word. Because again, progress is progress and once I start on it, it will come into focus and get done. It’s just getting it started that always trips me up. However, this time, I have only myself to answer to. No blaming it on a boss or a teacher, no. This time? It’s all me. And I refuse to let myself down on this. I’ve come too far, done too much work and am honestly in love with these characters so much, that I don’t want to let them down either.

Progress is progress. Word by word, inch by inch. No matter what the job is, it is a universal problem that can be fixed with just three words: Just Get Started

Oh, one quick thing before I go…I will have my Amazon storefront ready for Prime Days but you can always shop the links I have on this site whenever you need something. Even if it’s not something I have linked to, just by clicking the link and heading to Amazon, anything you buy will help out this site. (I thank you in advance for that.)

And that is where I will leave you for today. Until next time…keep cool, keep hydrated, keep safe and cheers!

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If you’d like to follow me on social including my #booktok or to shop with me, click: HERE

Ps. There’s a new design up in my Dashery shop to see!

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If you’d like to help support this site more directly, you can click on the Ko-fi logo or head to my Ko-fi page: HERE

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If you’ve made it this far, I thank you and will see you real soon! 🙂

Thinking about milestones…

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Photo by me. 🙂

Hey guys, welcome back! It’s the weekend and feeling more Fall-like here in the northeast than the last weekend of May. (Which is just fine with this Fall loving girl!)

Over the last two weeks, there’s been a few milestones happening in both my life and those around me. This weekend alone, both my mother and one of my closest friends hit milestone birthdays. (You know, the kind with a zero at the end of the number?) Of course both act decades younger than they are, so there’s that. 😬

The other milestone that happened was that I have actually cut over 100,000 words in my manuscript! With the average submission word count requested being between 80-130,000, I’ve literally cut an entire book from my book.

It boggles the mind that I wrote well over 400,000 words in a matter of months, let alone now trying to edit those words down into a story that makes sense after those cuts. But the fact that I’ve done this much makes me realize that I’ve done a lot more work than it feels like I have.

Let’s face it…when doing a task for a good length of time, after a while it can feel as if you’ve been standing still and not making any progress at all. When I decided to run the numbers after the fourth edit was complete last week, I was in shock. However, I was also so happy that I decided to run those numbers. I’ve been so frustrated thinking that I’m just not getting anywhere at all. Turns out, I really have been making a difference. Even if it’s just been 10 words here, a paragraph there. Inch by inch, I really have been productive. It was the first time I let out a deep breath in a long time.

Now on my fifth edit, I stalled a little again when another story came into my head. Thankfully, this is not just my own problem. I’ve been in touch with other authors who deal with this as well. (Always good to talk to others who are on a similar path for just such support.) So I started writing that one down, am now six chapters in and now that it’s cleared my head out a bit, I can now get back to the task at hand. I’ve worked too damned hard over this past year+ to just abandon this book.

I also have another completed book that I need to edit. That one, oh boy, that one means so much to me and I would love to get that book out as soon as I can. But just as this post has become a stream of ramblings, imagine what is inside my head and why I can’t do just one thing at a time.

Dealing with attention issues is a part of my journey. Thankfully I’ve started to work on that to help my focus and try to compartmentalize what I need to get done. Is it working? Eh, still trying. At least I’ve been able to recognize what needs to be done and how I can take the steps to continue down this road I’ve started on.

In the meantime, I thank you for letting me use this as a kind of therapy session. If you take nothing else from this post, I hope you take this…keep going. Even if it feels as if you’re not making progress? You are. Sometimes even the smallest steps can move you forward.

And that is where I will leave you for today. Until next time folks…cheers!

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To follow me on social, including #booktok and to check out my shops (you can even shop in this link as well), click: HERE

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If you’d like to check out the links on this site to shop or if you’d like to help support New Chapter Cove through my Ko-fi link, you can click on the logo.

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If you’ve gotten this far, I thank you so much and will see you soon! 🌸

A Year In – New Month – Imposters

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Photo credit: Me!

Hey guys, welcome back! And hey, welcome to May!! I’m still in shock that we are already five months into this year. It still feels like February to me.

Anywhoo, there has been a lot going on, which explains my staggered posts as of late (sorry) and I missed the year anniversary of when I began writing my current book. Btw, I say ‘current’ since the first one, that needs a ton of editing, was finished a while back. 

So here it is, a year later. Hundreds of thousands of words written and thousands cut and lately it seems I’ve really been making some good progress on it. I think one of the things I’m starting to allow myself to do is take a night off here and there. I started pushing myself so hard to try and get this finished, that I started to lose the spark of the story and it felt more like a chore than anything else. After having to take a few nights off because I wasn’t feeling well, I picked it back up again and suddenly I was able to rework and cut a lot of stuff. After that happened, I realized that there would be nights I just didn’t have it in me to work on the book and told myself that it would be ok if I put it away for the night. The next time I opened it back up again? More progress. So see, there is a reason to take time off from things. To relax and recharge!

Now for some news of the odd persuasion and warning, there will be four letter words coming…in the last couple of weeks, I was suddenly contacted by someone using the name of one of my favorite authors. I will not say which one because I don’t want the real person to have to deal with this, although she has been alerted.

I’ve mentioned before that I have a great love of TikTok. That I’ve met online some wonderful people out there all doing the same things I have. For my small business account, myself and other owners have chatted and learned from each other about suppliers, or tips and tricks that have really come in handy. And on my #booktok account for this website that you’re on now, I’ve followed and am followed by other authors and we’ve had fun commiserating on editing woes and character issues as well as learning about new releases and book recommendations. So imagine my surprise when I got a direct message from one of my favorites!

Yeah it’s not her.

I’m acquainted with several scams on social by those trying to push fake small business help, always starting with messages like, ‘hey I went to your shop and I love your products!’ You know, utter bullshit.

Now I’m not going to lie, the first time I was messaged by ‘fake author’ for half a beat I got hopeful. She/he/whoever it actually was started off strong. ‘I like to talk with other authors’ kind of message. Sure, right? I mean, I talk to others, why can’t it be her? However, without letting out too much, because I don’t want this to be a ‘how to scam 101’ class, it was so blatantly not the real person it was astonishing. 

You may ask, how did I deal with such a person? I had some fun of course. I played the part of uber fan girl. Acting about 30 years younger than I actually am, swooning over said author and making it sound as if I was so honored that they reached out to me. (I had a lot of fun.)

It didn’t take long for the sideways sales pitch to creep in. Without saying too much to me, the questions began. How long have I been working on my book? Who does the marketing? Who is editing? Who is designing the cover? Who designed my website? Who is doing the book launch video? You know, typical things a famous author would ask a complete unknown while oddly, never talking about her own work. Just a barrage of questions sent my way. (Insert eye roll here.)

Let me also tell you this, I follow the real author on her other socials. And the kicker of all of this? Something I wasn’t sure I wanted to make public because again, I don’t want to give this person any tips on how do fake someone’s identity. But it was this…as of this post, the real author? Is not on TikTok. She does the occasional videos for her publishing house, but that’s it.

That’s not to say she won’t in the future, but as of now, she’s not on the platform.

The faker is stealing her graphics though, which really pisses me off. Frankly, the whole thing pisses me off. If you want to scam people, then don’t use someone else’s identity. Especially that of a woman who has worked damned hard to get to where she is now! Scamming leads to reputation hits and some idiots out there ARE going to believe that this is the real woman messaging them. If you do real services such as editing, etc, why pretend to be someone else? Do it legit. Don’t take down someone else because you are too chicken shit to do it the right way. And if you don’t and are just trying to get some unsuspecting person to pay for nonexistent services? Well then that’s just crap. Oh and remember, karma is a bitch.

I did block her so there’s that.

I find it funny. I live my life in the dark hours and in bed 99% of my time and yet, I still have opportunities to live some crazy adventures. And not just in books either!

Yes, always trying to look on the bright side of things, because why not?

And that is where I will leave you for today. Thanks so much for coming back to visit with me and if this is your first time here? Welcome! I hope you’ll  come back again. Oh and be sure to check out the links below the post.

Until next time…cheers!

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To follow my socials including my #booktok and to shop my linktree shop click: HERE

Btw, you can also click the product links around this site as well. You’ll find the blank journals and apparel I designed, as well as book recommendations that yes, I need to update to add lots more.

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Need a gift of jewelry for Mother’s Day, the grad or the bride? Click the eBay tab: HERE

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For my other shops featuring things I’ve designed, click: HERE

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If you’d like to support this site, you can click on the Ko-Fi logo or click: HERE

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If you’ve made it this far, I greatly appreciate it and will see you soon! 🌸

Stuck – Stuck – Oh Yeah, Stuck!

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Hey guys, welcome back and welcome to March! We’ve made it through the dredges of the Winter months and Spring is on the horizon. Of course there is still lots of unpredictable weather ahead and I’m fine with it. I love a good stretch of dark, rainy weather. But then, I’m a vampire and am not too fond of sunlight.

Anywhooooo….been trudging along with stuff and trying to find the humor in the everyday nonsense that is life. After all, if we do not do this, we would spontaneously combust and really, who has the time for that?

The one area where my humor is currently lacking is my book. No not in the content, after all, I have it pegged as a romcom (albeit with some serious undertones), but with the execution. I mentioned in previous posts that I’ve found a solution to my word cutting issue. Well, that has since gone out the window.

My solution so far this week has been to try and clear my head a bit. Watch more meditation and ASMR videos (yes, I love ASMR, so relaxing) and recently I’ve found someone on YouTube who deals with art therapy. Using different art techniques to focus on the task at hand to clear your mind up for other things. I love this idea as I used to create things to do just that. Refocus my energy to open myself up to new ideas.

I do this a lot while I’m making dinner or in the shower or even reading. Suddenly an idea comes to me and it’s the eureka moment I crave. I’ve thought of many plot lines while doing other things. In fact, over the weekend I came up with another story idea and had to get it out of my head. I ended up writing two chapters of it which actually felt great as I’ve greatly missed the writing part of writing. However, it didn’t help me with the task at hand.

Anyway, when I got into this rut of just reading my manuscript over and over and not coming up with something that would help me, having this artist woman say exactly what I used to say to myself? It was like a mini eureka moment. I mean, how have I not been doing this? It’s my pattern after all! When I used to make jewelry, I’d come up with so many ideas for other things. When I design a new card or sticker or bookmark for my creative business, I become clear headed about life stuff. However, sometimes it takes an outsider to give you that virtual slap against your head to jiggle your brain into action. Now I just need to find that trigger that lets me know how to get from point A to point B in my book.

In the meantime, I’ve been revisiting some other small business owners’ socials that I’ve followed for a while to learn how to create new products and how to integrate certain things into the shops that I have now. I’m thinking that this incredible bout of editor’s block may end up helping me in other ways. I just really, REALLY want to finish this book.

If you’ve been following me, you know of my passion for this work of mine. I love it. I really do. And I think the fact that my mind won’t get off the endgame of it…having it published and in the readers’ hands…is now more of a distraction than motivation. As someone who has trouble with focus, I need to get back to the motivation of it.

So here I am, hoping that by writing this post and getting my worries out into the universe, my mind will clear up even more and I will suddenly get the revelation that I so greatly need. Because I know it’s there. I can see it off in the distance waiting for me. Now I just need to figure out the best way to find it.

And that is where I will leave you for today. I know that most posts, I try to leave you with a bit of motivation. I really strive for that and do hope you got something from this post as a whole. However, every now and then, a ramble such as this just needs to be let out and I thank you for being here to read these ramblings.

Until next time…cheers!

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To follow me on social including my #booktok, click: HERE

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To find my creative shops, click: HERE

(You’ll also find my StuffWeFind link to my eBay listings on there as well where I sell vintage and estate jewelry.)

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If you’d like to help support this site, you can shop though any of the Amazon links, you find around here or head to my Ko-Fi (click logo on the page) click: HERE