So, even though I’m utterly swamped with . . . life at the moment, I’m still going to take an opportunity to update this blog regarding my writing for the past few months.
Unfortunately, my thesis has been domineering my free time since mid-March. Ever since I met with my new adviser–who is total awesomesauce, by the way–we’ve been coming up with ways to trim my thesis down. Thanks to her expert guidance, I managed to get Between Two Lives down to 91 pages prior to turning it in. Now, though, it’s crunch time. I’ve cut four chapters and gotten it down under my 70 page limit, but I still need to write a new beginning and work in the important info from the first four chapters as back story. Come hell or high water, I’m finishing this bad boy this weekend.
I’ve also started working on a new novel, though it’s still in the planning stages. I’ve begun it twice now, and changed the perspective three times, but I think I’ve finally found the place where I want it to begin. Because I’m working on this for my internship, I’m going to have to dive into it this weekend and get at least a chapter written. It’s called Facing the Music, and is a dark YA contemporary about a girl recovering an abusive relationship and the boy she befriends who needs a little help with his life himself.
Guys, I’m super excited about this project, and as soon as school ends, I intend to really dive in headfirst.
And then there’s The Recruited, the project I have that’s closest to querying. I received a lovely personal rejection from the agent with the 50 page partial, which was right around the time I decided I was going to look for a beta. I lucked out hard core in this regard, and mine has already read through my entire manuscript (and I through hers.) She’s given me some excellent feedback, which is supplemented by the fact that the lovely is also going through the story and making generalized comments.
This round of edits, I’m really attempting to whip this puppy in the shape. And I’m so close to being done on this particular project–for now at least–that I can taste it. I’m hoping to have it ready in time to enter it in The Writers’ Voice, a contest being held by four contributing blogs, next week. Keep your fingers crossed for me, because I’m going to need it!
With any luck I’ll be querying not long after we get back from our upcoming vacation, which may or may not be touched upon in the next blog post.