Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Final Lap



I’ve entered the final lap of the first draft of the yet to be named Ghost Dusters 4. Well, technically it HAS a name but I feel no point in sharing it as it’ll most likely change. 

I don’t want to confuse the issue by calling it Sadie Goes to Hollywood only to have my editor change it to Hell in Seattle and then you get all attached to Sadie Goes to Hollywood and try ordering it by that name down the road. Okay, now try and get Sadie Goes to Hollywood out of your head, okay?

I also have edits waiting for me on the book that I called Wrong Channel. Don’t get too attached to that name either because that’ll be changed too. When they asked for my input, I came up with The Billionaire’s Psychic Pregnant Secret Wife. My new editor said it was too long for the cover.

When it comes to naming books I usually just allow the Powers that Be (my editor and agent) to toss around something until they both have an AH HAH moment. I figure I write the other 80,000 words, surely they can be responsible for four or five, right? Besides, they’re just better at knowing what works on a cover and what doesn’t.

Right now I’m reading two books simultaneously: Sarah Paretsky’s Breakdown and The Bloggess’s  Let’s Pretend this Never Happened. They couldn’t be more different but I’m enjoying them both.

What are you reading?


Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Obstacles


Sometimes the universe conspires just to mess with your head.

Last week I reached the three-quarters point of the first draft of Ghost Dusters Four - yay! I’ve been on a roll and happily meeting my daily writing quota and usually surpassing it. Then *boom* flood in the kitchen that translates into major water damage in the basement. This means workers are coming in and out of the house nonstop now for a week. Of course they have to always stop and talk to me too, however, I can handle a few words here and there without losing focus (I have four kids afterall).

Bella on the other hand has become a real problem. She is determined to protect me from these strangers at all costs. I’ve written today’s quota entirely with a Yorkie on my lap. Thank God she’s not a great dane!

Who or what gets in your way when you’re trying to reach your goal?