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Wednesday 18 December 2013

What's Up Wednesday #20



What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme run by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow and is a great way for readers and writers to catch up!

What I'm reading

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, #4)The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)
This week I got to read The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead, which I've been looking forward to! If you're a Sydrian fan, you'll love it!

Also, I finally read The 5th Wave. It. Is. Epic. One of the most gripping books I've read in ages! I actually had to leave my Kindle on the other side of my room to stop myself reading it in one go when I was supposed to be sleeping. :P Seriously, it's that good.




What I'm writing

I'm still working on my new post-apocalyptic WIP. :) And *gasp* I still like it. Even with the dreaded Middle of the Draft just around the corner...


What else I've been up to

Finding ways to distract myself from checking my inbox. Most of which involved emailing people...so that kind of failed... 

I've been setting up some awesome promo stuff for Darkness Watching in the new year. If anyone wants to help me out by sharing my book, sign-ups for the book blitz/giveaway in January are here! :)

Other than that, I've been watching anime and playing on my 2DS. :)

What inspires me right now

Nice feedback on my writing.  I mentioned in my #WIPMarathon update already, but being told my book was ready to query agents with was a real confidence-booster! 

I still get a thrill whenever someone compliments my writing. It's ridiculous, but even though it's been almost a year since I published my first book, I still feel like a fraud sometimes. I know having an agent isn't the be-all and end-all, and to be honest, it's the five-star reviews from readers that matter more than validation. But I was scared to death to start querying again, all the same. It's been a year since I was last in the trenches and I purposefully focused on small presses when I was sending Darkness Watching out because I knew it was in a category agents were having difficulty selling. I'm glad I made that decision, but now its a bit intimidating going back into the trenches with a totally different book. Like stepping back to square one, I guess! 

But nothing's predictable in this business. Nothing to do but write the best books I possibly can and enjoy the ride. :)

13 comments:

  1. I've been getting beta reader feedback lately that's left me so happy! It's the best feeling ^_^

    The 5th Wave is one of my favourite books of 2013. When I do my 2013 retrospective post in a couple of weeks, it will definitely feature :)

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    1. Yay for nice feedback! :) I have so many books I loved this year!

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  2. You are about the 100th person I've heard gush over The 5th Wave. Why haven't I read that book yet? Good luck with your querying and starting a-new and all that. Your experience with the small press scene will probably be highly valuable as you query because you have a better understanding of the publishing world than a newbee writer.

    Happy Holidays and Happy Reading.

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    1. It took me a while to get around to reading it! :P Thank you, it's certainly been helpful so far - hoping for some luck! :)

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  3. Hello, Emma! I'm glad your wip is going well. Keep it up and good luck writing through the middle! :)

    Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

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  4. yay for good feedback! It definitely helps me in the inspiration department, as well as my confidence. I'm so a Sydrian fan, can't wait to pick the next installment up, I'm so behind on my sequel reading! It's awesome you're still loving your WIP! Keep it up!

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  5. I've been writing for too many years, and I sometimes feel like a fraud too. Good to see you still love your WIP.

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    1. I'm told it's a feeling that doesn't go away...ah, well. Thank you! :)

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  6. Hurray for good feedback! There's nothing like the feeling of getting good feedback. It's priceless! Ooh, and I can't wait to read more of the Bloodlines series. I've only read the first one, but I loved it. Richelle Mead is SUCH a great writer. :)

    Happy Holidays!

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    1. Definitely - there's nothing like it! :) I love Richelle Mead's books. Definitely recommend this series!

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  7. Totally with you on THE 5TH WAVE, Emma. It's a hot contender for my book of the year.

    I have to say, I like feedback on my writing period, not just compliments. Sure, the nice things are always enjoyable to hear... but that someone cares enough to give any genuine reaction makes me smile. On the inside, anyway. :)

    Have a great Christmas. :)

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  8. I've heard a lot of good things about The 5th Wave, I really need to read it.

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