As you can tell in the large gaps between post dates, I took a hiatus from blogging in 2020. Being a #WriterMom means short bursts of productive activity as your day allows. It also means I have to be ruthless with my priorities. Manuscript trumped socials.
It worked. On May 12th, 2020, I wrote “The End” to my rough draft and liked it for the first time. I will research the official stats and post them here later in the book’s publication journey; anecdotally, it took five rough drafts, hundreds of thousands of words, and about four years.
(Give or take half a year when the twins were born and a few months for my ACL surgery/our Canton move.)
I took a few months off in the summer to nap, tear through Dragon Age: Origins & Awakening, and clean my house. Revisions began in Fall 2020. After several passes, I sent it to my first round of beta readers in January 2021, completed several more passes following their feedback, and sent it out to a second round in February.
While I wait for their feedback, I’ve redesigned this space to be my professional author web presence. I’m working on my book proposal and the 9,000 other documents related to that. My neglected socials are getting some love. One of my rewards for reaching this stage was joining Realm Makers, where I help co-lead a critique group and enjoy the fellowship of other writers.
The project has no real title other than the temporary Mutant Merry Men. Which I 100% cannot use officially because Marvel has a trademark on using that word in the context of people with superpowers. (Thanks, Marvel.) So I definitely need to come up with a name I can use for advertising purposes that won’t end in a lawsuit.
I have to switch hats now from #WriterMom to #TwinMom because my little people are awake for the day. Coming up soon: Some #WriterMom posts on drafting and revision tips!