I now have 12 stories for The Sum of Us, and though the deadline is not until the end of the month, I’m starting on the edits now. By the time I finish these 12, I am sure the rest (or most of the rest) will be in, and I can carry on smoothly until they are done.
So, in support of that, I deleted a ton of stuff from my iPad and transferred the Sum stories there so I can take them anywhere. Such as to Chicago on Tuesday, for the Nebulas. I can work on the plane.
So much for starting the next novel…I picked up another editing project. But this is just a small one: two chapters. As always, one of the enticements is that it is an interesting story, and well written, so that makes it enjoyable. Novel…next week (or the week after…)
Starting a new project is interesting. I have two that have been rattling around in my brain for some time, and one in particular has a bit of work done on it, but I need to do a lot of thinking to flesh it out. An interesting process.
I was rather thrilled that all of the beta readers I asked to look at my novel immediately responded that they would! Although, of course, I am interested in any kind of feedback they provide, I have people with high cred for each of the areas I want specifically reviewed. My gender reviewer is currently doing her PhD in creative writing, and her dissertation is a novel and critical analysis of the novel which deals with gender issues. My cultural sensitivity reviewer is an African-American woman who writes amazing Southern Gothic horror, and my expert on 16th century sailing ships is not only a historian, but an award-winning historical and speculative writer of over 30 novels. Whew!
Of course, I did tons of research before I even put the manuscript before these awesome readers. I’ve been to Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, read books, watched films, scoured the internet, looked at photos, been to the Maritime Museum of Amsterdam, rode on a sailing ship and other large sea-going vessels (okay, ferries in the Irish Sea and the Mediterranean), and even took sailing lessons (I passed the course, too). But there is nothing like an expert.
Finished the major revision of my novel. A couple of tiny things to check out, and then, it is off to beta readers. I have offers for a gender check and a historical accuracy check, and I will be looking for a cultural sensitivity check–have a couple of ideas I can try there. Ready for the summer convention circuit.
