Nicole Flockton

Be whatever you want to be.

28 June 2008

Challenge Update

Hi All

I'm going to post how the challenge has affected me over at Wink Girls
but not just yet. If you head over there you'll see my writing buddy Loretta has blogged about titles.

My post will go up in a couple of days so please keep an eye on it but why not head over there anyway and comment on titles.

But you might want to check out my word meter!!!

JN

23 June 2008

Home Stretch

I cannot believe just how much I've written over the last 23 days - go check out the word counter!! I'm so happy with my achievements.

You can't help it but when you write you think this is probably all drivel but hopefully there is something good here. That's what I'm feeling at the moment. I think there are some good parts and other parts I'm like that is utter crap. But you know what? It's not set in stone. It's all fixable.

The book I'm reading at the moment is a fabulous book by Michelle Reid, one of my favourite authors. As I read, after I've exhausted my writing capacity, I think back and go, nope there is no way my manuscript is to this standard. Then I have to think, well she has, I think, written over 50 books she's knows her stuff. But I'm actually going to use this book as a tool on how I can enhance my writing.

So what I've got down is the bare bones stuff. Come edit time that's when I up the ante and inject more descriptive texts, more emotive texts, just more of everything that will make an editor sit up and take notice.

I'm onto my third story now, about 12k into it and it's kind of leaning toward category - I think. But I'm going to just keep going and see how it pans out.

However, for the moment I'm really proud of what I've achieved in such a short time - who would have thought. Certainly not me.

JN

18 June 2008

12 Days to Go

Well there are only 12 days left, including today of the challenge left. My word count is just over 30,000. I'm absolutely stoked with that amount. That is taken on computer word count. If I worked my word count on 250 words per page my word count would be around 33,000. But how can I count blank space when I finish a chapter?

Anyway I'm still on my second story. It's proved to be longer than I thought which is good although I think when it comes to editting I might lose a bit but then again I could add more. So it probably won't be category length but maybe a good length for an e-publisher. I'm close to winding this one up and then I need to start the next one. Might have to have a look through a 'Story Idea' document I found on my computer. See if something jumps out at me.

I'll admit to say I've hit the saggy middle of the month the last two nights the words have struggled but I hope I've turned the corner and tonight they'll flow. They need to otherwise I'll get behind schedule. I had actually worked myself to be one day ahead of where I should be. The last two days have put pay to that!

I'm going to try and update my word counter when I finish writing tonight. So keep a look out and see it grow!

JN

11 June 2008

Week Two of Challenge

Well it's halfway through week two of the challenge and I'm pretty much on schedule. Word count after 10 days is 16,612. I'm extremely pleased with that, I haven't written that much in a long long time.

The weekend was, as I predicted, as waste of time only managed to get 1,373 words written over the whole weekend. But I'm back on track now. Although having said that looks like my darling son may have passed his cold onto me. God love children *sigh*

On another note my Desire query was sent off a week ago. I printed it out at work and gave one last read. Found a couple of errors which I sorted out and did a re-print. Then signed and put it in an envelope and my friend from work mailed it for me. Why didn't I mail it you ask, well putting it in the mail tray was a big thing for me. Also with someone else mailing it I wouldn't be tempted not to send it!!

So now I need to work on my pitch for the Desire online pitch competition and hope to get a call up for that.

What an amazing few weeks it has been for me. I've done so much and really feel like I'm achieving something. Now if only my characters in this new story will co-operate. They are playing hard to get and it's looking like this story will be longer than 10,000. Enough for a full length category story? Not sure but they have been telling me things which have got me thinking there is more to them than I initially thought. How exciting!

Everyone stay warm.

JN

03 June 2008

Challenge Update

Well it's day three and after my first two fantastic days I wasn't sure how I'd go. I was extremely tired when I woke and really didn't think I had it in my to write anything. But surprisingly I wouldn't let myself sit down and vege out in front of the tv. I put a lingerie order in and managed to get my son to be by 7.30pm! Then it was open a new word document.

You see I had finished my first short story last night so I had to start a new one. Initially the words took a while coming, in fact I was pretty sure that if I got two pages done I'd be pretty happy. But once I got into it the words flowed and in between fighting with the boy, who wouldn't go to sleep, I managed to get a grand total of 2,033 words written.

I'm very proud of myself I exceeded my expectations. So now for me it's just tweak my query letter and synopsis, yes I know I was supposed to send it off today, but I wanted someone to give it one last look over. I went to the post office and bought the stamp and IRC and so tomorrow I'll email it to work, print it out and kiss it goodbye!

Not sure how much writing I'll get done tomorrow. Have the wink girls meeting at my house and this coming weekend will probably be a total write off as I've got something on every day. I'm really glad I had a good start. Might email my story to work and see if I can squeeze in a couple hundred words there.

Keep writing!

JN

02 June 2008

What's New

Well if you noticed on the side bar I now have a word counter. I signed up for the Romance Writers of Australia June Nano. It's not the 'official' Nano just one of the girls suggested doing it and well I signed up. I wasn't too sure how I'd go seeing as for the last couple of years I've done zilcho on the serious writing front. So 1st of June arrived and I started. By the end of the first day I had amassed a great total of 4,558 words. I was really proud of myself.

Well it's day two and you can see by the counter that I'm over the 10k mark. The words just flowed it felt so good.

My goal for June was to write 5 10k novellas so the first one is done and dusted. Of course it's the first draft so I'm sure a bit of it is drivel but I felt most of it is pretty good. I'm also try to write a bit of erotica so that has been a bit of fun!

I'm also going to enter the Desire pitch on eharlequin. I'm hopeful something will come of that as well and tomorrow I'm sending a query letter and synopsis off to Desire for my completed MS. I entered the same MS in the Instant Seduction contest and I've not had any response so I'm guessing it didn't strike any chords with them. So I thought I'd give Desire a go. Also I'm going to do a bit of a plot change on it which may have been a problem with the contest I entered. It's all a learning curve and I'm really pleased to say that this year before I go to the RWAus conference that I have submitted. YAY Me!

Well I'm going to start a new story now. Another idea has been floating around for a while so I'm going to try and get a start on it tonight. Let's hope I haven't used up my muse.

JN