So let me start by saying…
Followed by…
And finally…
Wow, sorry about all the Friends GIFs. I guess you could say I’ve been watching a little too much of it the last few weeks.
But seriously, is there ever such a thing as too much Friends? I mean, there’s a reason it’s one of the most successful television shows to date. And I’m not just talking about that episode with Ross’s leather pants.
Okay, I swear. No more talking about Friends in this blog post…right after this.
I hope everyone has had an amazing holiday season! Personally, I am all about the holidays. The food, the lights, the one or two cold winter days followed immediately by 80 degree heat and a sunburn that rivals the shade of Santa’s suit.
This year was all that and more (like 40 days and 40 nights of rain more). And while I love the season of Good News and Christmas cheer and eating until you literally can’t bend at the waist, its also been a season full of weddings, dog sitting, editing veterinary case logs, stressing about Christmas presents and the subsequent credit card bill.
Notice what didn’t make the cut? That’s right. Writing.
I feel like I’ve hardly been able to get any writing done this last month. Not great when I’ve got a deadline coming up at the end of January. And while some of that blame probably goes to the constant Netflix stream of a certain show that shall remain nameless, most of it goes to the fact that I was just way too distracted in December.
But things are finally getting back to normal, and fortunately, I’ve got a few updates to help ease some of the anxiety not writing has left me with. And with this being a new year, what better time to share what’s been going on?
UPDATE #1: Book 2 is done. Mostly.
Anyone who’s following my Author page on Facebook has probably already seen that I finished the second book in my Willow Creek series. By done, I mean that I have typed THE END, sent it to my amazing agent as well as my sister (from both of whom I’ve received very positive feedback, yay!), and I am now working on a few fixes before we send it off to my editors. Soon, Book 2 will be a big, fat check on my list of things I needed to get done.
UPDATE #2: Book 3 is started.
I don’t know about anyone else, but for me the first few pages of any book I start are the hardest and usually the longest to write. Figuring out my character’s voice, getting into the action without over describing, knowing how much I want to reveal now and how much I want to save for later. All tricky things that take a few pages before I can get into my groove. Good news: my groove has been found. So much in fact that I managed to write two whole chapters yesterday. That may not sound like much to you, but trust me. That’s awesome!
UPDATE #3: My road trip to California and back is officially booked.
Right. So that doesn’t really have anything to do with writing, but I’m still super excited about it. And really, what kind of list would this be if there were only two things on it? In five months, my sister’s friend is getting married in California. Naturally, we decided to jump at the opportunity to turn what could have easily been an expensive weekend trip to San Francisco and turn it into an equally (if not more) expensive two-and-a-half week road trip to Cali and back, stopping in New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, and LA, just to name a few. And the best part? I get to call it all book research since my protagonist in Book 3 has already been to most of these places. Coincidence?
So there you have it. All my updates on this crazy roller coaster ride we call book publishing. A little underwhelming, I know. But as soon as I get Book 3 done and in the hands of my editors, the real magic should start happening. And I can’t wait to share that part of the journey with you guys. Until then, wish me luck and productive writing and speedy editing!
Shannon Stults 