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Wednesday 28 January 2015

What's Up Wednesday


It's time for What's Up Wednesday, a weekly meme run by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow. Here's what I've been up to this past week!

What I'm reading


I reread The Bone Season to refresh my memory before I read the sequel. The worldbuilding in this series is intricate and unique, and the action scenes were fantastic.

What I'm writing

I finished the first draft of Alliance 5! The end is most definitely nigh! I'd already started this draft back in November, but I've beaten my previous record by writing a draft in 22 days. On the other hand, the editing will probably take a year. I've already decided about 1/3 of it will need to be rewritten... o.O

My writing goal this week: Write... the final Alliance book. The feels, guys. Ahhh...

What works for me

Plotsing and letting the magic happen. :) As you might have guessed from my posts about my crazy-organisational approach to writing, I tend to like having a list or formula to follow for everything, including writing. I always have an outline. But sometimes, I have to divert off-track, or just let things come together naturally. One of my favourite foreshadowing techniques is to have an image or idea repeated throughout the book or series, and a lot of the time, this isn't actually deliberate in the first draft. I'll use a certain image earlier on, and find it kind of reappears throughout the book without conscious effort. So, thanks, brain. :P

Unfortunately, I can't say what they are in this series, because... spoilers. ;)

What else is new

Formatting is evil. >_< It took far too many attempts to get the ebook file of Adamant converted (though I am technologically incompetent). So, that was fun. But I do have a shiny serviceable ebook file now.

Two days till the cover reveal! I can't wait for you guys to see the awesomeness! ^_^

31 comments:

  1. hooray for finishing your first draft! also Yay cover revel! You're having a great week. Thanks for sharing

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  2. Good luck with your writing goal! Make sure you find time to eat and sleep. ;)

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  3. Congratulations on finishing the draft! That's awesome. I can't believe you're on the final book. It feels like yesterday you were just beginning...Have a great week Emma!

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  4. Wow, the final book. That is amazing!

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  5. I take an organisational approach to writing too (I make obsessive lists and plot notes about Every Single Detail...) Congrats on finishing your draft!! :)

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    1. Thanks! :) I can't plan every detail but I always have an outline.

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  6. Yay, congrats on finishing your draft! That's awesome :)

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  7. Yay for finishing your draft and the upcoming cove reveal! I haven't read the Bone Season but I really want to…

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  8. I'm with you on needing a strong outline. I barely plotted my NaNo project and ended up in trouble toward the end. I've finally sorted it all out, but this sort of nonsense doesn't happen to me when I have a detailed plan. Live and learn. :-) Best of luck drafting the final ALLIANCE book, Emma!

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    1. Thanks! :) I usually stick to my outline, but I do give myself the freedom to wander off track if that's what the story needs.

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  9. Good luck wrapping up that book. It's the best feeling ever!

    Been meaning to read Bone Season... :)

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  10. Congrats on finishing that draft! I'll echo what Katy said just above: I'm all about the strong outline. (Which is why I've been having drafting difficulties lately. Back to the drawing board.) I've heard that formatting can be trying, so I'm glad to hear you finally figured it out. Next time around it should be easier, right? Have a great week, Emma! :D

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    1. Thanks! :) Outlining can be the part of the process that takes the longest, but it's worth getting it right!

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  11. Congrats on finishing your draft! Outlines make everything so much easier.

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  12. I love it when foreshadowing happens by mistake too. It makes it feel like there's a certain consistency to the idea and that I'm on the right track. Congrats on finishing the first draft of Alliance #5 and good luck with the writing this week! :)

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    1. It really does, and it's awesome when it happens by accident! Thanks! :)

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  13. I'll have to read The Bone Season. I always need help with world building!
    Can't wait to see your cover!

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  14. Woohoo! Congrats on finishing the first draft of Alliance 5. :) Great job! And letting the magic happen is the greatest thing about writing.

    My What's Up Wednesday post.

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  15. Congrats on finishing the draft! And oh my, I can't wait to see the cover reveal! I love cover reveals. They are sort of like the beautiful wrapper on a chocolate bar made of words. :)

    Hope you have a great week!

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  16. I was on the fence about the Bone Season and whether I wanted to read it, but I keep hearing good things and I love world building, so I probably will read it eventually. And wow the 5th book already, I keep finding it amazing how early you are working on a book while it won't be released for a long time. And yay for the cover reveal being almost here!

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  17. A first draft in 22 days? That's awesome! Great job!

    Best of luck writing your final book!

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