This is just a quick update because I am trying to keep you updated with the process and also I am using this blog to hoId myself accountable and make sure that i write regularly. So, I set myself the goal of 65k by August 30th and I've managed to smash it. I had 70k+ by August 28th!
I worked so hard on this draft, writing for long hours, late nights and early mornings, I wanted to get this draft completed by the time I had to return to work on 1st September. I'm so proud of myself for getting it done, but now that sinking feeling of what I've written not being good enough has kicked in again. After the initial submission the girls at Hashtag sent me some really useful feedback and one of the main things that they wanted to see in the story was some of the back story of the main characters, I think I found an interesting way to do this and I've worked hard to try and seamlessly weave the back story thorough the book, I enjoyed doing this as it was like piecing together a puzzle. I always knew their back stories but I just hadn't really captured it very well in the book and it left a lot to the readers imagination, hopefully I've now made it all a bit clearer.
Now that my MS is at 70+ words, I've decided to send my MS on to a beta reader, a girl, who was recommended to me by a friend. If you are looking for a beta reader for you own MS, then please drop me a message, she looks at all genres and her prices are really reasonable. I'm hoping to receive my MS back with any advice, changes, queries etc by 10th September and then I have 20ish days to make the changes before sending it on to my publishers. (I will do a separate post on - how useful I found the feedback from the beta reader)
Apart from sending my MS to my publishers, this is the first time I've ever shared my writing with anyone that isn't a family member. I hesitated on contacting her to read it through for me for so long because I wasn't sure that I was ready to share what I had written and because I was anxious about it not being good enough, then I realised that I'm hoping to share it with you all in Spring anyways so I needed to get used to people reading my work. I feel better now that I have sent it, but I am still overthinking and wondering if it's any good. I have my fingers crossed for some constructive, positive and useful feedback though and I am excited to get back to working on it.
New writing Goal: I plan to look at 2 chapters each evening and 5 chapters on the weekend from 10th September but for the next 10 days I am going to take a little break from the MS as I adjust to full time working again.
Comments