And it's on!

The heat, the desire, the passion, we all know where it leads. I finally have my characters in the master bedroom, one screaming for release the other determined to make it last....
Oh and the results are going to be hot and bothersome, in more ways than one ;)  Have to torture these poor people before they get their HEA!

Oh and i'm going to have to realign my goal. I was hoping to finish this draft by the end of this month, but that was with the expectation i would have three afternoons without my daughter, but she isn't starting public kindy until January.
So new goal if to finish draft by end of november.

My process is painfully slow. I seem to need everything to be perfect, well as perfect as it can be!, straight away. I do the layering, the senses, the dialogue, EVERYTHING, on the first run then tweak it later. (I've done the first three chapters, ready for submission)
Also when it isn't working i take a break until the problem fixes in my subconsious or i suddenly figure out what to do to fix it! This draft has taken me since the beginning of April! a 7 month draft?!!
Well i know i am going to have to be MUCH faster if i ever want to be published - and i do, i really really do! I think i just need more discipline.

How do you write? Bare bones first then layering and editing or are you a perfectionist? How long does it take you to write that first draft?

New Voices Top Four are in!

And Leah Ashton has made the cut!! Well done Leah.
Leah is one of my followers and has done an awesome job on her submissions! Go and have a read at The New Voices website
Of course if you like it keep an eye out for the next installment of the Pivotal Moment and get your votes in!!

MIA

Yep that's me. No writing this week!
No excuse really either. I had a baby gear sale this weekend so was sorting out all the baby stuff we had to sell that.
Really there were times i could have done some writing, but sadly i didn't!
What have you all been up to?

Standing out from the crowd

Well the list is up on the NV site and sadly i didn't stand out from the crowd as one they wanted to see more of.
What do you think makes someone's writing stand out from the crowd, what does it for you?
But that is not going to stop me from submitting. I think persistance is the key and also, the next two chapters show some really good character development and plot so they may change their minds once they have it and the Synopsis.

Argh. The Synopsis.
Off to write that one, but i am dreading it as i have changed my writing style and have become a Pantser. I'd found once i'd plotted everything out i was then bored and didn't want to write the story anymore!
Maybe if i make the synopsis a little vague...i do know how it will end and i have written 65% of the story, so surely that will be enough without ruining it for me!

First three chapters

That is what i'm working on.
Billie and Cooper's beginning. Re-titled The Price of Passion. I'm polishing and rewriting the start to submit to Harlequin.
I wasn't going to do this until i'd finished writing the entire ms. But prompted by the New Voices comp when i polished the first chapter, i decided why not do the first 3?!
Now i'm just waiting on the list on the NV site to see if i'm one of the ones they are going to be following up before i submit :)
What are you all up to?

Second Chance

The editors at New Voices are giving all the submissions a chance to get a critique! Just check out their latest post:

Want to know what the editors thought of YOUR submission?!

by Bethan Hilliard on Thursday 30 September, 2010, 2:59 PM

We've been listening...

...And we know that you guys would love to know more about what Romance HQ thought of your submission. And why wouldn't you?! You've all worked hard, been very brave and pressed the submit button! We're very proud of all of you...

In an ideal world, we'd give each and every one of you a critique, but that's a task beyond even our fabulous editors. So, what we'd like to do is give 10 of you the chance to find out what Romance HQ thought of your entry.

Like the sound of that?

We hope so! If you'd like to be in with a chance of getting a critique - and we'll be honest! - please leave a comment below this post. You have until 7pm GMT on Monday 4th October to do that. Then we'll put the names of everyone who has expressed an interest into a hat and pull out 10. We'll announce who they are on Tuesday 5th October and start posting on Thursday 7th October.

Warning - we'll be posting the critiques here on the New Voices site, so everyone else will be able to see what we thought as well. We hope it will help everyone to get an insight into how the editors tick!

And there's more!

As we've said so often, we were stunned with the quality of the entries and many of you have asked what that means... Well, there are a number of submissions that we'd really like to follow up. At the moment, Romance HQ is compiling a list of authors we intend to contact after the end of the New Voices competition. We will be posting that list in the middle of next week...

We would like to thank you all again for being part of New Voices. You've all beenutterly fabulous and this is our (small!) way of thanking you all for your hard work, enthusiasm, generosity and for all of the fun you've given Romance HQ over the last month!

Romance HQ. x

Of course i've left a comment, i want that feedback to improve, to learn! Make sure you leave a comment if you entered and want a chance to have your feedback too - (but of course it will be public so the others can learn too)
And you never know, there is that hope that i may be in that other list too :)