editing

Stuck – Stuck – More Stuck

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Photo credit: picjumbo_com at Pixabay.

Hey guys, welcome back! As I sit here thinking of something to write, I’m also thinking how thankful I am to have you all to write for. I’ve been so lucky to have an audience for my posts, my ramblings, my writing journey. When I was writing my first book, I didn’t do this. It took me years to finish that first draft. It is taking even longer to edit it. But this current work in progress, well, this has been a mission. This has been my baby and I’m so glad I am documenting this ride of mine. I’ve heard from other authors that they are going through similar situations as mine and I’m so glad I’m not alone.

For example, I’m currently stuck. Like really stuck. I was getting close to writing the last chapters of this book. Then I stalled. Not just because a part of me doesn’t want this story to end, but because I thought of a whole new way to tell it!

So ok, I go back to the beginning again, I wrote an alternate first chapter. I liked it a lot and it gave me more ideas. What’s wrong with this? Plenty.

Although the amount of work it would take to rewrite the story again from another perspective is daunting, it would also lend more depth to it as a whole so there’s that. Also, my current word count is huge. Like, huge. The editing process for this book is going to be massive and is going to kill me to cut as much as I need to.

I have read and reread this work so many times, it is how I want it to be right now. Well, that’s at this current moment. It changes minute to minute. I think it’s because I don’t want to finish it just yet and am looking for excuses to postpone the last chapters. I’ll snap out of it of course, but in the meantime, I’m torn…I’m…stuck.

Do I go back and add to this and offer two perspectives or do I just go in and edit what I already have? I keep going back and forth on the best way to proceed and in the process, I just keep reading it over and over again. So, I continue to be stuck.

I’m hoping the answer will come to me between the lines. That there will be something that jumps out at me to say “this is it!” So far, nothing. The back and forth continues and then I write the other perspective. If I continue doing that, then it’s even more words I’ll have to cut.

I mentioned in my last post that I did some editing work in my past. I know I can be brutal when I have to be when reworking sentences, paragraphs, chapters. But that is with someone else’s work. With my own? Let’s just say that I don’t take criticism very well, even my own. When I wrote for others and something of mine needed to be edited? I didn’t take it well at all. Just the idea of someone else hacking up my work gives me a stomach ache. But seriously the word count? Massive. So the hacking must be done.

Also, the amount of research going into this book has been a big part of this journey. Not just for the story itself, but also for the work. Learning about querying agents, traditional publishing vs. self publishing, learning from other authors and bouncing ideas off of them and of course, word counts. I’ve been looking at other books in the same genre that I love to see what their counts are. Chapter length, page count, all of it. This is going to be the first book of mine that I want to get out there and it needs to reflect my best work. I want to get it right. I think this is one of the reasons I’ve been freaking out about all of this and will continue to do so until I can finally say, “hey! My first draft is done!” Until then, I shall remain stuck.

I wish this was more uplifting, a little more motivational, but not every day can be like that. Some days, the reality sets in and we have to sit back and take a breath. Take a moment to reflect on what we are doing and if we are doing it the right way. Look at it from a fresh perspective and hope that when we complete what we have started, it is right with us. I will forever be proud of what I have written, which is why the idea of cutting so much is killing me. However, to get this out there to the readers? I will do what is needed to put out my best work possible. (Did I turn this post around at all? I hope so!)

And that is where I will leave you for today. Thanks so much again for being here, for reading my blog and for your support. For without you, I wouldn’t be here.

Until next time…Cheers!

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Characters – Story – Early Pumpkins

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Photo credit: freephotocc on Pixabay.

Hey guys, welcome back! Hope everyone is doing great out there and enjoying their Summers. We just picked our first pumpkins today! Yes, I know, it’s very early…don’t care. Last year, we put out some pumpkins for our critter friends and a horrible overgrown tree grew over them. When they cut the tree down, an accidental pumpkin patch emerged and lo and behold, on August 18th, the first ones were ready to pick! As someone who would live in Fall year round? This was the perfect way to start the week.


Anywhoo…let’s get to it shall we?

Over the past week, I’ve done almost no writing. Instead, I’ve been doing a complete reread of my manuscript to make sure that it flows, the tone is consistent and the story holds up. What’s so great about doing these rereads (something I highly recommend doing if you are writing a book) is that because it’s been months since I’ve started it, reading the early chapters again is like reading the book for the first time. There is so much that I don’t remember writing. Not so much the story of course, that will always be at the top of my mind. But rather little one liners and character traits I threw in there early. Little tidbits of information and backstory that I had to constantly make notes of to go back to in these now later chapters that I’m in. What was a great surprise to me is that, as I read this as a new reader, I laughed, I cried, I was pretty proud of myself throughout the entire thing. Sure, some parts made me cringe and called for rewrites…again, this is why you do this! Overall though, I think it’s going ok.

I’ve mentioned before in an earlier post that I have found myself in a genre problem. I started this book with the full intention of it being a romcom. I love me a good romantic comedy, (thank you Nora Ephron for my early inspiration) and have wanted to write one of my own for some time. For the most part, that’s what this novel truly is. The issue comes into a deeper plot point that is a bit darker and deals with issues that could be trigger sensitive to some. And no, I’m not talking ‘dark romance’ stuff, that’s not my deal. At least, not this book.

When I decided to read this again from start to (almost) finish, I wanted to see if the story would still hold. Would it be that obvious where the two don’t mesh together? Would it not work as a complete story? Would it be a noticeable jump from comedy to drama? I’m both happy and confused to say that I never saw where the jump happens. It flowed well, worked out seamlessly and it can be kept as it is, unless I decide to completely rewrite the darker chapters and come up with an entirely different storyline. I’ve been literally losing sleep about this. I happen to like what I wrote a lot. But it takes what was once a fully romantic comedy and changes the genre to what? I don’t know. ‘Contemporary Romance’ maybe? Or the oh so dreaded general ‘Women’s fiction?’ (I will forever hate that ‘genre’.)

I am so confused by all of this I don’t know where to go with it.

What has been great about doing all of this is getting thoroughly reacquainted with the characters. From start to finish. Reminding myself of their quirks, their humor, their affection for one another across all of the relationships and of course, the support they have during some life challenges that come their way.

Writing this in the first person has been fun. Reading it this way has also blurred the lines sometimes between ‘was it something I read or did that actually happen to me?” Not that the story is me by any means, but you get it, right? You get so involved with a story, whether a book or a series, etc and a week or two later you can’t remember if it was real, a dream or hey that actually happened! Every night after reading a few chapters, it took me a while to shake out of that feeling. I’ve already been dealing with this on the nights that I’m writing because again, I’m writing it as the character. Basically, it’s been an odd journey this time around. I didn’t write my first book this way and this is all new territory for me. I feel though that by doing this, I’ve created more depth and more feeling to the main character and I really hope that comes across to other readers  as well. I want her story to be one that is not only one that you cheer for, but also one that is relatable, as well as one that you can feel for deeply during her darkest moments. She is truly a character I’m proud of and have loved writing her so much.

I just wish I could find that special sign that would come to me that says, yes! Keep it this way! Keep all of it! Or on the flip side…trash it. Rewrite it. Forget that you even went that way, what the hell were you thinking? But so far, no magical symbol has come my way to sway me either way. It works as it is and maybe this isn’t the book that should be my total foray into a complete romcom experience.

In the meantime, my ulcer grows, my story keeps going and the editing continues. I will say this, the closer I’m getting to wrapping up this book, (and seriously considering writing a sequel to it to keep the characters going), I’m also looking into querying agents. I had thought about going the self publishing route, but I’m immensely excited about this book and would like to see it in much more professional hands. Right now, I need to completely finish this manuscript and stop thinking of ways to keep the story going! Every time I think I can find a way to end it, I think of something else. I just don’t want to say goodbye to these people yet. So my ending has to be something that will be good for everyone. Myself, my characters and of course, my readers.

And that is where I leave you for today! I hope you’ve gotten something out of this post and I thank you so much for following along with my continued writing journey. I think if I had blogged during the writing of my first book, I’d be much further along with getting that one out to the public, instead of having put it aside in edits to write this new one. Procrastination is the curse of the writer and I have it in spades. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Until next time…cheers!

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Energy – Marathons – #Booktok vs Public Speaking

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Photo credit: lograstudio on Pixabay.

Hey guys, welcome back! This week has gone by so fast and I’m all for it. It’s also been a busy one for me which is something that is very much against the norm. But getting to see both friends and family as well as a little league playoff game has been so worth it! Love the people I saw and they’ve given me a lot more energy just by getting me out and about.

If you are new here, I am someone who lives with both chronic illness and disabilities. I have periods of time where walking just isn’t in the cards, however, I also have waves of mobility, like the one I’m in now, where I can not only do things, but can also get things done. Just being able to take out the garbage is an accomplishment for me and it has felt great to contribute. Getting out to a local baseball game? Priceless. (Especially when I get to root for my favorite 8 year old.) Having the energy I’ve had lately has been amazing and I haven’t had it for two years. There is of course the unknown expiration date on this, so while I may pay for this tomorrow, I will be enjoying it tonight.

Because of this new found clarity, I’ve been doing major writing and editing marathons this week and while I’d like to say the writing has had some serious progress, I can’t. However, the edits have been going well and I consider that a victory, I really need to get the writing back on track. I’m in a momentous part of the book. The make or break chapters, the big surprise, all the feelings and yet, my head has not been in the game for it. Energy is great, concentration? A whole other animal.

I’m finding that even with my set writing schedule, I’m crashing just as it’s time to do the actual typing. The edits are flowing, the rereads? Awesome. The coming up with what’s next? Suddenly I’m hitting a wall and crashing hard. Tonight I’m hoping to break that by starting a few hours earlier than I normally do and actually getting something done. What a nice change that will be.

I’m convinced that I totally jinxed myself with the first chapters of this book. If you’ve been following along, you know that I was on a sick roll with them. Writing full chapters, sometimes two a night. Dozens of pages flowing from my fingers at a time and bringing forth the story I’ve been waiting to tell. And then…ugh. It started becoming harder to get to the next level. To bring the characters to their pinnacle moments. I know where I want to take them, but getting them there has been the issue. I know it will happen. I know it will connect. I also know that my brain has decided to fail me on where to go next. I’m hoping that this newfound energy will kick its ass into gear and get me going, so I can head towards the finish line in the best possible way!

While I’ve been doing all of this, I’ve also been doing a ton of reading and adding to my #booktok account. (Link will be below if you’re interested.) I love seeing so many other readers and authors out there. Bringing physical bookstores back and finding new titles to read as well as connecting with other writers and finding out that it’s ’not just me’ with certain issues has been awesome. My personal hangup on it though is that I’m not comfortable on camera. While I just posted my first pic of myself on there, I didn’t do a video. I have done a few in the past on my other accounts and for a little while had fun with it, but honestly, it’s just not my thing. I find this quite strange honestly as I am one of the few people in this world who actually enjoys public speaking.

I’ve given quite a few speeches in my time and love to feed off of the audience. I was involved with the theater once upon a time and there is nothing like getting the reaction from a live crowd. On video? You put yourself out there and hope you get a ‘like’. Not my jam at all. I like to read the crowd, see what sticks and all that. On video, I’m more than self conscious and hate it. So I stick to silly videos, trending stuff that  doesn’t require showing my face and of course, plugging this site with pics. Granted, this may be why my follower count sucks, (which stabs me in my former professional social media manager heart) but alas, it is what it is. I hope to get over the ‘stage fright’ of videoness one day, but for now, I will stick to what I’ve been doing and hope to grow from there.

And that is where I will leave you for today! I hope you all are doing great out there and I thank you so much for visiting and following along. Speaking of, if you are having trouble subscribing, please let me know. I understand the subscribe button is leading folks to a login page for some. I can manually add your email if you’d like to get updates from me.

Thanks again for visiting and until next time…Cheers!

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Cut – Paste – Dream Craziness

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Photo credit: Edar on Pixabay.

Hey guys, welcome back! August is here! How crazy is that? This whole year has been flying by. With the exception of January of course, which seems to go on for a year all on its own…but hey, it’s August and I’m all kinds of happy about that. (Sorry for those who have to go back to school, I can write you a note to skip class if you’d like.)

Anywhooo…I’ve been buckled down with editing and have made some real progress the past few nights. A whole lot of cutting and pasting and revamping chapters as well as rewriting storylines, have me a little twisted around these days. But after reading and rereading this part of the book, I think what I’ve rewritten fits much better with the story now. At least, I hope it does.

There is of course still much to be written with tons more edits and several chapters to go. However, when a story loses the writer? That’s a major problem. As someone who doesn’t take criticism well from others, criticizing myself? Well, that’s a whole different ballgame! I’d like to say I yell at the screen, ok I do. But when I’m writing in the overnight hours like I do, whisper yelling, while comical, doesn’t quite have the same impact.

MANY chapters had to be revised over these last days. Any reference to the old storyline had to be rewritten and it’s been a task within itself just trying to find them all. Think ‘Where’s Waldo’ but in written form. Of course the best thing about rereading all of this, (and the upcoming full reading again of the entire manuscript thus far) is that I’m still finding occasional typos and mistakes I’ve missed over the last few read throughs, so this is always a good thing. If you are a writer yourself, remember, the more rereads you do, the more things you will find. It is always good to keep going back over previous chapters to make sure the continuity flows and that errors are caught.

While again it’s hard to write about my process without revealing anything about the plot, story, characters, etc, what I can tell you, is that this book is written in the first person as seen through the eyes of the main character. I know some don’t like that and I appreciate that. My first book (the one stuck in editing hell itself) isn’t written that way. But I wanted to try a first person story and I’ve been really enjoying writing like this. The main problem from my own standpoint though, is that there are times when I’m away from the book, I think of something and I suddenly can’t remember if it happened to me or the character! Now, I have mentioned that because of my medical crap and meds, my memory is shot. I’m the living walking meme of: I can remember my phone number from when I was a kid, but can’t remember why I just walked into the kitchen.

This first person account and the fact that I love my story has been seeping into my dreams…especially when I’ve had a string of days like I have been, diving deep back into the work. I dream about the town, the people, the story, what “I” should have said in that scenario (here we go yo) and how “I” would have reacted. I do come up with some new ideas while I’m asleep, which is why I keep a notebook next to my bed so I can jot them down. This is something I highly recommend doing by the way, so you are not tempted to pick up your phone. However, there are nights when I’m so engrossed in the work that I don’t know where the character leaves off and I begin. Again, some could be the meds I’m on, never dismiss that, but for the most part it’s like anything in life. See a movie? You may dream about it. Read a book? Same thing. Write a book? Well, their thoughts are your thoughts and you just have to ride it out until it’s over.

So now that I’ve revealed an even crazier side of myself to you, let me just say this…if the story you are writing doesn’t resonate with you? It’s time to take a step back and really think about how you can turn it around. I took a break the other night from writing. I’ve been so sleep deprived (see my previous post) and basically a basket case, so I took the night to finish reading the book I had started the night before. It was a nice break, gave me a different world to think about for a bit and it was nice to shut off all the devices and get my eyes off a screen for the night. When it was time to write again, I went back to it with a much clearer head and made a ton of progress in one night. It also helped with the frustration I’ve been having, as I wasn’t feeling quite a number of scenes of mine before I did this. After the break, the story started to flow again.

Remember to take that break every now and then. For your eyes, your mind and frankly sometimes? Your sanity.

And that is where I will leave you for today! Please remember, I’m doing the Read Every Day Challenge for the American Cancer Society this new month. This is a deeply personal cause for me and this will be my fourth time doing this fundraiser. I’ll post the link below.

Also, if you are still looking for book recommendations? Check out the 2025 On the Bookshelf page for ideas and be sure to keep checking back as I add more titles to it after I finish a book. I have recently become a PangoBooks Ambassador and you can save a ton of money if you shop through their app. Again, see the link below for details. 

One more thing before I go…I would like to say a giant THANK YOU to those who clicked my Ko-Fi link here on the site and sent a little tip my way. It means so much to me that you like what I am doing here and I hope I continue to keep you entertained and motivated! The money helps not only support this site, but myself as well, as I have no steady income and rely on the sales of my eBay and Etsy shops which have been few and far between lately. So again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Ok, now I’m really going. I hope you all have a great weekend and here’s to a new month and new possibilities!! Until next time all…Cheers!

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Read Every Day Challenge: Click HERE to donate. If you are unable to send a donation, believe me, I understand that…it is free to share or hey, join the fun! It’s free to do and it’s for a great cause!!

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Looking for a book but want to save some money? Use my link HERE and head to PangoBooks! With my link and code: NEWCHAPTERCOVE at checkout, you an save $5 on your first order. PangoBooks is a used book marketplace and I’ve personally gotten some great books from sellers in almost new condition for as low as $1.38 (seriously!)

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For my Ko-Fi link, check the side bar of the site or click HERE Again, thank you for any and all tips that come in and I so appreciate your continued support. Not comfortable doing that? I get that. You can always shop through any links on my site. It all helps. ☺️

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If you’ve made it this far, I thank you and hope that you will explore more of the site and come back again. You can also subscribe with your email to get updates of new posts and site changes. See you next time!! 🩷

Edits – Support – Writing Hangover

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Photo credit: StartupStockPhotos on Pixabay.

Hey guys, welcome back! It’s been a busy time and as I type this, I’m looking at the screen through tired eyes. While many are out enjoying their Summers at pools and vacations, I’ve been writing for hours upon hours each night. And you know what? I’m loving every minute of it!

Last night alone, I typed for six hours straight and with hands that are affected by arthritis, it was an exercise in determination. (Also, shoutout to the makers of painkillers. You guys rock!)

I’m in the final third of the book and have been having lots of issues with both story and character development. I’ve strayed quite a bit from the original feel of the book. However, the way it has progressed? Has now given me the basis for a future novel. NEVER THROW YOUR WORK AWAY! Just because what I’ve written doesn’t fit with the current story, doesn’t mean it won’t be good for a new one with new characters. Sometimes you just need to write it out. Get the thoughts out of your head so you can move on to the rest. While doing that, this past week alone, I have almost three chapters worth of material that I can use for a future project. I just wish I knew where this storyline came from because it was completely out of the blue.

Anyway, I’ve been writing and rewriting, changing chapter after chapter and also rereading what I’ve already done to make sure that everything flows. It is vital for me that I do this as I have memory issues. But also for continuity’s sake, it is so important that I keep reading this work over and over. I keep finding areas that need work and unfortunately, big chunks that now need to be cut. I wrote 42 pages over two days and looking over them tonight, there is so much that cannot be used. I have no idea where my mind was going with what I wrote, but again, at least it’s out of my head. And as you can probably see, I am so tired right now, I’m talking in circles. I do believe that the tired has infiltrated my story and is helping to take my characters to a place that they were never destined to go.

I’ve said before and I will say it again, these characters mean the world to me. I’ve created a place I look forward to going to every night. There’s pieces of me in each one and they deserve my best. However I am feeling lately that I am not giving it to them and I need to reel myself back in and get back to the foundation of this book and what I started to do with it. The early chapters came so damned easily to me and keeping the flow of it as I get to these later ones is proving to be the true challenge. It is one that I am up to though and I will make this the best work that I possibly can do.

I have found great support with the writing community slash #booktok community on TikTok. When other writers post about the struggles they are going through with their own characters and plot lines, it makes me feel better knowing I’m not the only one dealing with these issues. It’s like having access to a support group from my home and I’m so grateful to all of them for being there. I’ve tried to do the same, posting videos with some kind of message here and there, thanks to the new five hashtag limits though, my views have gone to almost nonexistent. I’m still there though and happy to be a part of that community. After all, creatives help creatives and that is what I hope I am doing here with this blog. 😉

In the words of the immortal Forrest Gump, that’s all I have to say about that.

Remember, if you are looking for reading suggestions for the rest of your Summer and beyond, be sure to hit the ‘On the Bookshelf 2025’ page. I’ll be adding to it all the time. I’ve been on a great reading roll myself and will once again be participating in the Read Every Day Challenge for the American Cancer Society and I’ll put the link below if you’d like to donate. It’s a very personal cause for me being a survivor myself as well as having many family members affected by it. If a donation isn’t in your budget right now? (Which I totally get btw.) You can certainly join in the challenge yourself! It’s of course free to join and it is such an important cause.

And that is where I will leave you for today. Thank you as always for following along with my insanity and tired ramblings. No matter what your creative outlet is, remember to just keep going. Even if something doesn’t fit, even if something comes out wonky, it doesn’t matter. Just keep doing what you are doing and keep being the best you that you can be. 🩷

Until next time…

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On the Bookshelf 2025

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New Chapter Cove on TikTok/#booktok: Click HERE

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