© Van Wagoner

Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings!

It has been a good and productive year. Many exciting things in the works for the upcoming year. Submissions will begin on my middle grade book, Thunderbird Dreams, and I will be busy painting like a mad woman for the first couple months to complete the artwork for the picture book in works for Pauline Books and Media. It's all good, and I'm happy to have plenty of little things, and big things, to celebrate.

© Van Wagoner

I'm done! I'm done!

Time has slipped away from me while I've had my head buried in the last revisions of Thunderbird Dreams, my middle grade historical fantasy. And today, I'm celebrating a lot more than little things. I'm done! I'm done! I'm done! Well, at least done enough for beta readers. Then I'll polish it up (hopefully that's all that's needed) and begin my agent search with it.

I have learned so much in finishing this project. And I must send out thanks to the writing community on the web. There is some amazing information out there in a variety of formats. I have been amazed at how tips and techniques I needed came at just the right time. Or perhaps that's the wonder of the internet, I can search for craft tips that deal with what I'm having trouble with, and many options and techniques come up.

Next up on my writing plate is Digo Bait (working title), a fantasy novel for upper middle grade (maybe YA). It's been many years in the progress. I think now I have the skills and ability to actually finish it.

And back to celebrating I go. Don't forget to find something to celebrate today!

Writing Layers

© TVW Thinking

You know, dang, just as I thought I had a handle on my story and that I’m almost done, I uncover a whole new layer that needs to be applied to the entire thing. Well, I’ve always known it’s there, but I’ve had the liberty of ignoring it until I got the plot working (which I believe I’ve finally managed), not to mention the structure and pacing. I’m pleased with the overall story and the fun adventurous spirit I’ve captured. I think I’ve got a good external conflict worked out and … stutter… the emotional journey? Yeah well, there’s one there, but have I followed that thread through to it’s fullest?

I’ve got all the framework in place, and now I’ve come back to character — a good story always comes down to good characters. Yep, that’s the next layer. Like an onion or parfait — everyone loves a good parfait (as Donkey says), a good story has many layers. So here I go adding that next layer of fruity goodness — characters and their emotional journeys.

Get ready characters, here I come with a magnifying glass to delve into your deepest and darkest secrets. Ha, ha, ha, you can’t hide from me.

So what layer are you working on in your tasty parfait?

Bold and Brave Revisions

I'm deep into revising my MG historical fantasy. I love the story and the characters. The plot is worked out and I think working well (although at this point that is still only my opinion). My critique buddies (including my hubby, who is my toughest critique in a good way) are reading my second draft. With their help, I have found the focus of my story and have rewritten the opening chapters. Now I face heavy rearrangement of middle chapters and the rewriting of several scenes. I approach this with excitement and trepidation. What if I'm messing up the story? Is this the right way to take this? I think I'm deepening the relationship of the main and secondary characters and making the story richer, but there's much I like of the second draft that will change, but I think it must. But... but? Such insecurity is enough to drive me crazy. And I think I won't be sure until I dive in and come out the other side with a completed revision. Then I can stand back, take a breath and see what I have.

In true form of one who celebrates the little things, I'll take it a little at a time, enjoy the process and try not to sweat the rest. Hey, it's not like I can't go back to my previously written story. Now to dive in, be bold and brave and complete those revisions.

Catching Up

It has been a long time since I posted anything. Let's see. November I won Nanowrimo by completing a first draft of a MG historical fantasy. December I rested and enjoyed the holiday with wonderful sense of completion. It was hard not to go back in and immediately start revising, but I resisted (for the most part). January I started revising in earnest. Last week saw the completion of a second draft. Yay! I'm loving the story and can't wait to get back in to revise. I am resisting and waiting to get more great feedback from my various beta readers and to give my subconscious time to work on it as well.

Now, I must submit my MG historical to more agents and finish the latest revision of my YA fantasy. I'm hoping that one will be ready for submission after another round of polishing.

So that's a quick catch up in a nut shell. The life of a writer is never dull! Sometimes painful, heartbreaking, exhausting, frustrating as well as exhilarating and a bunch of other great stuff, but never dull.

And now, my day job (designing products) awaits.