It’s the start of a new week for Spring Writing Bootcamp hosted by the YA Buccaneers! Last week, I announced my participation in this writing challenge, where I’ll be focusing on a different goal each month and cheering on other writers who are doing the same. Today, I’ve joined my bootcamp team (Team 7, now voting on a name!), so now I get to cheer on the following lovely ladies:
our captain, Guppy Guts Skullcracker (aka Heidi Sinnett)
Megan Conway
Amy Brashear
Katrina Robinson
Lois
Cynthia
I’m excited for this week! I had an inspiring day yesterday, visiting San Francisco. I had an awesome brunch, then went to three bookstores (and restrained myself to only one armful of books). But the best part was seeing fantasy author Marie Brennan who gave a reading from her new novel, The Tropic of Serpents, second in her series of Lady Trent’s memoirs about a Victorian scientist who studies dragons in the wild. (She also signed both books for me!) Since I’ve already finished reading the second book, I was really excited to hear that she’s planning a total of five books, and the third one, Voyage of the Basilisk, is coming next year!
If you recall, my goal for March is to finish revising Witch Hunt, using Holly Lisle’s method. So far, I’ve just completed targeting for the revision (which means coming up with a plan of attack for the first draft, including identifying problems and defining my goals for the final draft). Next comes marking up the manuscript (cutting unnecessary scenes, rewriting new ones, correcting mistakes, etc.), so I’ve got a big pile of pens and post-it notes waiting for me. Also, I’m sure at least one of the cats is lurking somewhere nearby, ready to come and sit on the manuscript pages or otherwise get in the way.
It’s a daunting task ahead of me, but I shall sally forth! And to all of the other bootcamp participants (recruits?), good luck this week!
ETA: I was inspired by many other bootcampers(?) who are tracking progress by decorating calendars with a sticker each day that they meet their goal. And by coincidence, I’ve got a brand new set of pirate stickers! Check them out:
And on the calendar:
By the way, if Khaleesi looks a little strange in the above picture, that’s because someone in my house likes to put googly-eyed stickers on everything. It happened to Tywin Lannister last month:
