Let’s Dance (NaNoWriMo, Part 1: Done!)

November 30, 2012November 30, 2012 / Cheryl Harper / Leave a comment

The DJ is either playing:

A) Psy’s “Gangnam Style”

B) LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out”

C) Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”

D) (Fill in the blank with the song that makes you dance around the kitchen in sock feet…I’ll wait. Also, I have mad awkward dancing skills.)

Yesterday I did two cool things.

Thing the first: I mailed a contract. The address said “HarperCollins” and “New York” and I think the postman was impressed. He was all “Does this need a return postage?” And I was all “Nope” with a pop for punctuation. And then I swanned out of there like hot stuff. Or my best attempt. This never happens so I probably looked more like a dorky Jeopardy contestant (which I would also LOVE to be).

*cough* Kiss Me, an Avon Impulse Valentine’s Day anthology, February 5, 2013 *cough* That’s not annoying, right?

Thing the second: I called the first draft of my next book (*chortle* *eating my nervous feelings*) DONE. I started November 1 with every intention of finishing NaNoWriMo. On November 9, the last day I touched that story, I had 28,000 words. On November 13, I started my next book, the one that someone wants! And yesterday, I typed the end at a little over 55,000 word. And I’m short of the goal but it’s going to be okay. I’ve only got the basics. Now I have to go in and cute it up, make it fun to read. I don’t see any problem with the goal. That could be total denial. In about two weeks, I’ll know for sure.

To celebrate, I went grocery shopping. Also, I bought People’s Sexiest Man Alive issue. Channing Tatum? I don’t think so. He does look good without a shirt. Chiseled? Totally. Charming…eh. There’s a lot more to sexy, right? (please, let the answer be yes…like humor, smarts, being really, really good at something or making a difference and did someone way dogs?) Still, as a minor celebration, looking at pretty pictures counts.

Today I am taking a break. I am doing laundry and cleaning in order to drag out my Christmas decorations. I am not writing. I am not thinking about writing. I am not thinking about my December deadline. I am stressing over Christmas and dinner at my house. I have to alternate the two at this point.

Half way to a first draft

November 23, 2012November 23, 2012 / Cheryl Harper / Leave a comment

I set ambitious goals. Always have. Sometimes I meet them. Sometimes I don’t. I’m going to finish this first draft on time even if I am currently behind behind. Unless I can get in 9,000 words, which is pretty close to a personal best of all time ever in the history of ever for me, I’ll finish today behind too. But the situation isn’t critical. Not yet.

Besides, if you believe in messages from the universe, I enjoyed the Elvis station, thanks to free XM, in the car yesterday and followed a beat-up “Elvis 1” vanity plate for many, many miles.

Stage 1-CRISIS OF FAITH. Or, OhmyGod,I’llneverbeabletodothis. I stare at the computer screen and hear a loudly ticking clock and the rising, shrieking concern that now that someone thinks I can do it, I’ve completely forgotten how. I’ve never been here. In the past, I’ve always just written as the mood moved me, hoping to sell it to the right person at some later, unspecified, and therefore fairly unimportant date. I set ambitious goals then, too, but never sweated ’em too much. No consequences.

Stage 2-Words on the Page. This has to begin at the beginning at some point. Anne Lamott’s shitty first draft and Nora’s “I can fix a bad page. I can’t fix a blank page” are pep talks as I just try. Some of it’s still pretty okay, even if I do damn myself with my own faint praise. But the story’s there.

Stage 3-Why won’t this story end? I need to fix it. I need to make it better. But I can’t. Because it’s not done! Tick tock! Tick! Tock!

Stage 4-All downhill from here. I think this is where I’m sitting. There’s only so much more story to tell (yeah, half of it but I know what has to happen from here, you know?) Now it’s just a matter of type, type, typing. And not giving up. Which is significantly helped by having someone waiting for it.

Stage 5-MAKE IT ALL BETTER NOW.

The rest is sort of fuzzy, but I think it includes “Cringe as I hit SEND” and “Eat all the chocolate in the house” and “Make it all better better” after someone who actually knows what they are doing gives me revisions. It’s all going to be okay. I’m not in this alone.

And then it gets really crazy cool, like that dream you never thought would happen

November 14, 2012November 14, 2012 / Cheryl Harper / Leave a comment

All my life I’ve wanted to be a writer. When people would ask me what I wanted to do, that was my answer. When people asked my family about what I did, they’d always tack on “But she wants to write.” For a few years now, I’ve been writing, entering local contests, and winning. The winning is the key. There’s no way I’d keep going without something to prop me up. Because writing is hard. Or maybe I just mean being disciplined about anything is hard for me. But I’ve made little steps, like sending in a Valentine’s Day novella to Avon Impulse in response to a call. Since I have multiple rejections stacked up, I really didn’t expect to be included. But then I was (exclamation mark times a billion goes right here). I thought that call was going to be the most exciting writing thing to happen to me in 2012. I love the story because it makes me laugh. Read the back cover copy here. Please. Go ahead. I’ll wait. You know you want to. February 5, 2013.

And I settled in my desk chair, determined to strike while the iron was at the very least warming up. I was going to NaNoWriMo my way to another submission. I have about 30,000 words written. Then on Friday, I got an email asking if I had any more ideas for a follow-up to Love Me Tender. At that point, no. None. Nada. But it didn’t take long and I had three and I loved them all so I sent them all on Monday. The characters were so clear and I’m starting to think this hotel I dreamed up is a real place. I have been under the influence of cold medicine lately. And Monday afternoon, I had an email saying they liked them and how soon could I have the first one.

Three more books with Avon Impulse.

Four stories total including the novella in 2013.

Now all I have to do is write them.

So far the panic and the exultation and the fear and the enthusiasm have all been bubbling inside because I’m pretty sure it hasn’t sunk in. But I just read a piece of paper spelling out estimated deadlines. I think it’s real. So here we go.

Step 1: build a chart. I don’t know why. Probably the fear of failure makes any way to procrastinate look attractive. But I have one. And November 30 is my deadline, not Avon’s. First drafts don’t need to go anywhere but under the pile of the second draft in my world. Plus, I’m totally going to cheat and start a day early. My game, my rules, right? RIGHT? Don’t judge. I like Excel. And clip art. Clearly.

This is going to go quickly but I’ll put up an update soon.