Friday, May 14, 2010

WIP Almost Done!



You know you're typing too fast when you try to type the word nausea and Microsoft Word changes it to Nashua. But I'm so excited to finish my WIP. I'm at the final chapters, and thanks to everyone who gave me great advice on endings, I've got the story all mapped out.

I even have a list of agents I'm going to query. And don't worry, I'll keep you all updated on that front as well.

I have three beta readers that have agreed to read the entire thing, and I'm also working on edits as I finish. Today I axed all of the "justs" and "she thought/she realized".

For example:

"She realized she would never see him again."

It's much better if you say, "She would never see him again." It's implied that she realized it, especially if the chapter is written in her POV.

Tomorrow I'm going after all of the "was's" and "thats".

I'll be on a reduced posting schedule until I finish. But I'll keep you all updated.

43 comments:

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Yay! Go, Aubrie, go!

Have a great weekend! :-)

Unknown said...

Right an Almost Done certainly deserves a great big CONGRATULATIONS!!! so here you go:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

Nicole Zoltack said...

I'm hoping to finish my assassin story before I go to bed on Saturday. Then I'll have to edit it. And you made me LOL at deleting 'just' With each story, I seem to have a new crutch word, and it's 'just' for the assassin story! Good luck finishing it and then finding an agent!

Amy Jo said...

Congratulations! It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it? Best of luck with your revisions!

Mary Gray said...

Good for you, Aubrie. I want you to get an agent!!

Ann Best said...

Almost done you say. Congratulations! And best wishes for finding an agent.

Cherie Reich said...

Congrats!

Saumya said...

Ahh! Congrats!!

Jackee said...

Congrats, Aubrie! So excited for you.

And I think there's power in threes--three beta readers is perfect. Good luck!

Lindsey Duncan said...

Congrats, Aubrie!

I can already tell, looking at Scylla and Charybdis, that something I'm going to have to watch out for is "felt." Like you say, it's probably easier to say it directly.

Alicia Evans said...

That's really great! Knowing that the finish line is in sight is a wonderful thing! I'm no where near done. I keep stopping and starting, but atleast I know where I'm going with it. I'm really thrilled for you though! That actually made me smile today...and considering I've been very grumpy today...that's a huge deal! LOL

Roni Loren said...

Woo-hoo! Congrats on all your progress. :)

Amy Allgeyer Cook said...

YAY!!! What a great feeling, and just in time for the weekend! congrats! :)

Jaydee Morgan said...

That's great progress - keep it up and good luck with all the "was" finds next!

Southpaw said...

I love your attack plan! go, go, go

Sandy said...

Good for you! Ok, now I'm inspired.

Sutton Fox said...

Congrats on your progress!

Best of luck with the agent search also. Looking forward to the updates.

"Was's" and "that's" are the worst. lol.

Enjoy the weekend!

Anonymous said...

I'm so excited for you Aubrie. Keep at it girl. Let me know when you are done. Can't wait to read.

Sorry I haven't got back to you about the interview. I can't seem to get anything done these days.

Shelley Sly said...

Congratulations! Supporting you all the way! :)

KA said...

Yay! I'm happy the end is in sight. You can do it!

India Drummond said...

Congratulations! What an incredible feeling... writing a book is such a journey!

Talli Roland said...

That's brilliant, Aubrie! Go go go!

Racquel Henry said...

That's great! Good luck with everything and Congrats! :)

kah said...

CONGRATS!

I am guilty of doing the "I thought, I saw, I heard, I realized."

I always have to go back through and cut the out.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Margo Berendsen said...

Congrats on almost finishing your WIP. Isn't that an awesome feeling? I still love reading the last page of my book (it's much better than the first ;)

Also, thanks for reminding me to do word searches for that, was, just. I never thought of searching for realized or thought before. Good idea!

Re: your comment - Hmmn, my grandma was a space pirate... that sounds like fun :)

CMZ Art/ Rustic Goth said...

How exciting for you!! Love your determination!!!

Lisa Rusczyk said...

Nice! Editing is probably my favorite part of writing, but it's close between the first draft and the editing.

Alexandra Shostak said...

Hooray! Go you! :)

Unknown said...

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Sandra Cox said...

Woo Hoo!

Lisa_Gibson said...

That's awesome! What a great feeling. Go Aubrie!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Congrats on being so close to ending your WIP. I hate that you'll be cutting back your posts and comments. I miss you on my blog as it is.

May your novel be picked up and your publishing dreams come true.

Since this is Sunday, here is the prayer of Chief Yellow Lark taught me by my half-Lakota mother long ago :
Oh, Great Spirit
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me, I am small and weak,
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold
the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have
made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand the things
you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my Spirit may come to you without shame.
(translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887)

Have a healing Sunday, Roland

Hywela Lyn said...

Hi Aubrie,

Congratulations on finishing your latest book. (You know it's funny you were talking in the previous thread about loose ends' I had a reviewer of my last novel complain that it didn't tie up enough loose ends at the finish - and I thought I'd accounted for everything. No other reader or reviewer mentioned that, and I'm still wondering what they meant!)

Anyway, I'm sure your ending is perfect, and I wish you luck with the revision process. I'm going through the same thing myself, at the moment!

bettielee said...

Congrats! And don't forget It Was and There Were. Bane of my existance. ")

Omg. You have a lot of comments. Wow.

Unknown said...

Congrats, I wish you the best of luck with the project ^^

Moll said...

I got chills when I saw the post title. You are so close!

Unknown said...

You're well on your way!!!! Soon to be an absolute congratulations!!!! Congratulations to almost finishing!

Go Aubrie!

Unknown said...

Congrats on finishing that firstl draft! Always a good feeling.

Angie said...

Woohoo! Good for you. It's always so exciting to finish. (You're stories up on Mindflights today. Yippee!)

Stephanie Thornton said...

Congratulations! Isn't that a totally awesome feeling? Writing THE END is the best!

Jayne said...

Good luck to you, Aubrie! And biggest congratulations on finishing your wip. It sounds like you will have those 'was's' and 'thats' quaking in their cursors! :)

Theresa Milstein said...

Good luck exorcising the was's and that's. As you know, they're the bane of my existence.

LARCHMONT said...

I like this post a lot. I have a tendency to do a lot of what you described, and you're right--it's implied. Good luck sending out your queries soon and congrats on getting to that stage!