Why am I doing this?

I would love to say that I'm new to the blog scene... I'm not. So, why am I doing this? I wanted to create a blog that was simply about the writing. I needed something with big shiny arrows trained at me saying "LOOK HERE!"

The idea here is to let everyone know what I'm going through as I journey through my life as a writer. What I'm working on, what its doing to me, any new ideas or insights. I need to tell the world! Here I come! I hope you enjoy.

So, here we go... on to it.

I'm currently working on a piece that I wrote for the 2009 NaNoWriMo. While it is currently titled, "Finality" I'm not sure if I will be sticking with that title. It is fitting for the novel, but I'm just not sure its the best fit.

I truly enjoyed NaNoWriMo. I think I was alone in that here at my home. The rest of the fam was glad it was only going to be a one month a year thing. NaNo taught me something. I do have what it takes to actually finish something I start. "Finality" finished its first draft at 50,171 words. As things go, that is a very tiny novel. Only about 120 pages in its double spacing between paragraphs.

Since November, I've been editing. Not as consistently as I had been writing throughout the month, but it is getting done. The first time I went through it, I simply highlighted the things I wanted to change with a comment as to why I wanted them changed. My most common complaint with my work was that things were often too telling, which as we know is a huge no-no for a would-be author. We want our readers to make their own assumptions based on what they are seeing, not being told.

I finally finished reading and commenting on my WIP about a month ago. Since then, I have been spending more time with it. Even though it is still revision, I am writing again. And that is my favorite part. I started this revision on a chapter-by-chapter basis. I've switched since then.

This was a new experience for me in so many ways. I had never written a novel before in the 1st person POV. It was hard for me to go into a mind of someone that wasn't me and write for them. More often than not, it has gotten me into a lot of arguments with myself. Yes, people thought I was actually going crazy. And I explained to them that I was already there... no need to worry themselves. But, it was more than just the POV that was getting me. I don't like things that are easy, so my 1st person POV is split up between eight main characters.

So, recently, I decided that going by the sections headed by a specific character was the way to go. It gives me more time to be in their head and not confuse voices or motivations. Since then, I've found that the whole process was moving much faster. Not only that, I was adding more that actually does sound like the current character I'm working with.

So, I just finished with Ursula. She is a fun, spunky girl from Portland, Oregon. Ursula is in her early twenties and before the book she was a party goer in college. She spent more time drinking than studying. Ursula has a few dark secrets that she doesn't share with anyone, like the fact that her step-dad molested her when she was young and she turned him in to CPS. She hasn't spoken to her mom much since then as she won't leave the guy. Ursula is an amazing character. I identified with her on a lot of things. I hope I did her justice. But that will be up to the readers.

As long as I can keep up my pace, readers should be seeing "Finality" on Amazon.com in July. Buy a copy, and tell me what you think.

Now for the actual update. Since November, the WIP has gone from 121 pages to 116 as I get rid of those spaces between paragraphs. I have finished Ursula's first revision and am working with Alec now. The word count has gone from 50,171 to 56,018. Keep an eye out for the next update.

Until then,

Haley Jo