Girls Write Out
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
The reason we're talking about deadlines right now is because we're all dealing with them. :) I like the pressure myself. I get more done that way. I know I'm a little weird but the girls love me anyway! And we are all so different but that makes our friendship more fun.

You read yesterday how Denise handles deadlines so I'll tell you how I do it today. Here's what I do. I knew the first six months of the year were going to be crazy. Secretly Smitten was due March 1. Safe in His Arms was due April 1. Rosemary Cottage is due July 1 (it was June 1 until last Friday so I've worked this year so far as if it were June 1.) Now while that looks crazy enough, what you may not realize is that EDITS have to be factored in as well. Edits from Ami for Secretly Smitten are due any day. Edits for Safe in His Arms will come in May.

AND Blue Moon Promise released in Feb so there were radio interviews, online interviews, emails from readers, newsletter mailings, etc. So to say it's been hectic would be an understatement. :)

When I'm writing the first draft, I like to vomit up the story. I know that sounds awful. LOL But I like to get the rough draft down just as quickly as I can. So I shoot for at least 2 scenes a day and I like to have 3-4. But 2 a day for sure. As they are finished, they get sent off to Denise. I get the bones down in about 60-70,000 words. While I'm working on that story, I push that approaching deadline out of my head and focus on TODAY. What I can do today? If I look at everything that needs done in the next few months, I can get overwhelmed which can inhibit my creativity. So I don't look ahead. If life happens and I don't get as many scenes done in a day as I'd like, I try to make it up the next day. I concentrate on THAT day. It saves my sanity!

Right now I'm working on Rosemary Cottage. I want to be at 60,000 words by the end of the month. I set my goal a little high but I also built in a little time on the back end in case I'm a bit behind. I know when my edits arrive, I'll need to put that project aside and work on the edits. But I'm obsessed when I get edits. I can rewrite a book faster than you can imagine because I work 12-16 hour days when those edits come in. So I plan a week out of my schedule for the edits and base the rest of the word count for the month on 3 weeks work. So by the end of May I want the book to be finished so I can reread it in June. But first I'll have edits to do on Safe in His Arms. It will actually be a nice break to get totally away from the project so I can come back with a fresh look before it goes to Ami and Julee.

In July I can catch my breath before I start doing it all over again. LOL But you know what? I love it. I love the hectic pace and I'm energized by having lots to do. I will admit to feeling a trifle overwhelmed the past 2 months but it wasn't as bad as it would have been if I'd let myself look at all I had to do. If I live in the moment, I can sail through.

Isn't it fun to see how different we all are? So how about you? Are you more like or more like Denise?

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Colleen Coble  
posted at 7:00 AM  
  Comments (3)
 
 
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3 Comments:
At 8:47 AM, Blogger Denise Hunter said...

You're right, I'm shuddering. LOL But the best method for meeting deadlines is the one that works for YOU. And yes, you always have to factor in time for edits that will come back on the last book.

 
At 2:28 PM, Blogger Colleen Coble said...

That's so true! Just like crafting a story. I can't stand to have it outlined. But it would drive other people crazy to write that way. It's all in our personalities and thought process!

 
At 2:57 PM, Blogger jel said...

that is a very cool of you girls! :)

 

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The Authors
Kristin Billerbeck
Kristin Billerbeck is a proud Californian, wife, mother of four, and connoisseur of the irrelevant. She writes Christian Chick Lit; where she finds need for most of the useless facts lulling about in her head.

www.KristinBillerbeck.com

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles.

www.ColleenCoble.com

Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter writes women's fiction and love stories with a strong emotional element. Her husband says he provides her with all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.

www.DeniseHunterBooks.com

Diann Hunt

Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction. She has been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, chocolate, her dog, and well, chocolate.

www.DiannHunt.com

Hannah Alexander

Cheryl Hodde writes romantic medical suspense under the pen name of Hannah Alexander, using all the input she can get from her husband, Mel, for the medical expertise. For fun she hikes and reads. Out of guilt, she rescues discarded cats. She and Mel are presently taking orders from four pampered strays.

www.HannahAlexander.com

 
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