My Turn!

I’ve been working on my own writing for so long, but now, it’s my turn. To read, the beta read and edit, and to work on some of my other projects.

Since the big snow storm at the end of January, when I finished my 3rd round of revisions, I’ve been working on the Dresden series. At one point, I’d read the first 3 or 4, but the friends I was borrowing them from had lent the rest to someone else and I never picked them back up.

I have a problem when I’m reading books for the first time. I HAVE to know what happens next. I have trouble putting down the book for sleep. Last week, I read 4 Dresden books during the week. I only went to bed after 2 am once. I promise.

Sunday? I powered through the last THREE! And made it to bed before 1 am. In addition to a 1.5 mile walk and making chicken apple salad for the week.

Last week, I got several requests to beta read.

• One to read a story for one of MY beta readers
• One to read the first 42 pages or so on a friend’s Work In Progress (WIP)
• One to read an email to a boss re:their annual review

I read the 42 page WIP and gave feedback immediately. I helped revise the email and that friend now owes me dinner for the email was successful in realigning their review. The full story, so far I’m 3 chapters in.

I also got the chance to revise a picture book I’d written last year. My best friend was going to illustrate it and has a page or two done already. I started looking into submitting picture books and apparently, one typically just sends in the prose and they match you with an illustrator. You can submit with the art, but then, the agent has to like the prose, the pictures, AND how they work together. So, I’ll see if it comes to anything. If not? I’d be thrilled for her to illustrate it and then I’d probably self-publish a few copies as gifts for friends with kids. For now, it’s been revised and sent out to friends with kids to see if it passes the read-through test.