Yay! Another successful week for the Ready. Set. WRITE! version of What’s up Wednesday!
What I’m Writing:
Actual progress this week! I finished plugging all the feedback I’ve collected into my WIP’s original outline in Scrivener, doing massive thinking along the way about what I need to do to resolve each issue when I start the actual rewrite. I probably sound like I’m on the slow road to nowhere with this approach, especially after letting the manuscript sit for almost a year, but with this particular project, I decided to give it all the time it needs, which is apparently a lot. But now that all my thoughts and ideas are in place, I decided I’m actually ready to start messing around with the new outline for this new version! I dug in yesterday and feel like I’m actually planning a new manuscript now. Yay!
What I’m Reading:
I’d started BELLE EPOQUE byElizabeth Ross last Wednesday and I only needed another day to finish it. What a beautifully-written, atmospheric read! If you like historical fiction that transports you to another place and time (like late nineteenth century Paris!), this book is for you.
I’m almost done reading the other ARC I borrowed from Jennifer Malone’s BEA haul. 🙂 ENTANGLED by Amy Rose Capetta is another YA sci-fi, and I’m hoping for a huge, satisfying ending, so I’ll find out soon.
I’m also beta-reading a wonderful historical fantasy for a new critique partner I met at NESCBWI. Â It’s so well-written that I know it’s going to find a home. Love that feeling!
What Inspires Me:
I spent a lot of time this past weekend in a couple of online German photo archives, and while I could probably spend weeks just doing this, even a couple of days were helpful too see the details of the time and place.
What did dance students wear in Munich in 1916? I found this image on http://timelineimages.sueddeutsche.de:
And this one of disabled veterans doing calisthenics (also relevant to my story) in 1917 on http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org (the image resides at the Preußischer Bildarchiv):
I’m trying not to spend too much additional time on research since I already did a boatload of research for my previous version of the manuscript, but as a history geek, it’s definitely part of the rush.
What Else is Going on:
Summer is in full swing, and I’ve been taking my small twins out to the beach, the pool, and the park as much as possible. They’re also really starting to love to read by themselves. One of my favorite moments last week was sitting on a blanket in our back yard with one of my girls while I read my book and she read hers. Bliss!
Looking forward to reading about everyone else’s weeks, too!
YAY for kids who read. Nothing better. Oooh, I love those photos. I can get lost in archives and such. I discovered the Biodiversity Heritage Library recently, which is not usually photos but naturalist drawings to describe new species from the 1700-1900s… I had to make myself stop. My fingertips were going numb with all the clicking. It sounds like your MS work is very productive– so glad it’s going well.
Ooooh, that must be awesome for you to spend time with those drawings–how cool! And I’m so glad my girls and I get outside to play (and now read, yay!) to break things up a bit. 🙂
That photo archive sounds awesome. Historical research is one of my favorite parts of writing too. I’m planning on doing some additional research at Barnard and NYU’s archives later on, when I’m on my second draft, so I have some more authentic details to encorporate. Right now I’m researching the World’s Fair of 1939, and recently listened to the original radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds.
Wow, those sound like great sources! There’s nothing like getting hands-on with real materials. Good luck with your research too!
Photo archives are so inspiring. My WIP is set during the Civil War, and I have spent HOURS just looking at photos. Good luck with your goals this week!
I just read your excerpt on your blog, and your research shines through even in such a short snippet, so it’s well worth it. Best of luck to you, too!
I love when my kids and I have common reading time! And yay for planning out new story! I hope you have a wonderful and productive week!
Thanks! Reading and planning are definitely two of my favorite things. 🙂
Such awesome photos! I wish you all kinds of success with your next round with your book!!
Thanks, Meradeth! I definitely feel more ready for it now than last time. Hopefully that’ll make a diference!
Aw, how cute! I love it when my kids do things like that. Yay for getting back to that story. Some stories just need to sit and mature (that’s what I call it 😉 ). Enjoy your outtings and good luck with the next round.
Thanks so much! I like that attitude about the story maturing while sitting there. Nice!
I totally get the not overdoing the research thing, I love history so much so that in my last draft I overdid it (thankfully someone caught it & I was able to fix it). It’s still fun though to look through it! Congrats on your writing 🙂
History geeks unite! But seriously as long as we do it in moderation, we should be fine. Right? 🙂
Haha exactly 🙂
I absolutely LOVE those photos! I’m a sucker for trolling the photo archives myself, so I’m glad I’m not alone.
And it sounds like your summer is off to a great start! 🙂
Awesome! I’m so glad I’m not the only one who loves old photos like this. It’s so interesting to imagine each person’s story and soak in the details.
Those photos are really cool. Thanks for sharing! Congratulations on having such a successful week! Enjoy the weather ^_^
Thank you! It’s been a great mix of butt-in-chair (planning and researching) and running out to play and read, so I’ll take it. 🙂
Yay for manuscript planning progress!! It’s always a nice feeling when things start to click. Good luck with your outline.
And enjoy all of those summer moments!
Thanks! And a huge congrats to you again for finishing your revisions!
So glad you’re getting that “new” feeling! I’m working through a rewrite, and it’s taken a while for it to feel as exciting as it did the first time around. Good luck!
Thanks! I’m a little worried things will change once I move from planning to actual writing but I’m going to cling to hope that I can stay in love!
Ooh research is so fun! Some days when I was writing my historical novel I would gush to my husband about the amazingness of the internet. In the middle of writing a sentence I could hop on google and find images of historical figures, their speeches, photos, whatever. Incredible. Also easy to avoid writing for the sake of research, but that’s another matter.
I hope you keep plugging away at your writing, even if you are in planning stages for a revision. I tend to be hasty when revising and I think more time thinking and planning would be of benefit. I commend you for your patience!
Thanks! I tend to be hasty when planning too and then end up wasting time doing the figuring-out-ing during the writing instead, gaaaah. Trying to avoid that this time. We shall see if it works!
I think giving your MS time to sit and grow is really important. Even if it takes ages! The research looks like a lot of fun – I’m a total history geek too and i LOVE those pictures, how interesting! I hope you have a wonderful writing week 🙂
Whew, glad it sounds like I’m doing the right thing. Hard to know what to do sometimes besides follow your heart.
How exciting that your kids are starting to read themselves. Hopefully soon they will be writing too:)
LOL, so true! They love telling stories, that’s for sure. 🙂
Congrats on your story progress! I love that you’re taking your time to mull it over. I’m the same way. I find it hard to move forward until everything is sorted out in my head. That’s wonderful your kids are starting to read on their own. I found that stage so exciting! It just opens up a whole new world for them (and some spare time for mom too). Best of luck with your writing goals for this week!
Thank you! I’ll take all the luck I can get. 🙂 And in the meantime, reading by myself and with my girls is definitely a welcome distraction!
I don’t think there’s a “slow road” when it comes to writing. Whatever turns you have to take to get to the end, then that’s the journey that’s meant for you. At least, that’s what I tell myself because I’m slow too. 🙂 Glad to hear you’re having fun with your twins — yay for summer! Happy writing in the coming days!
Not that I’d wish my speed on anyone, but I’m glad I’m not the only one who takes her time. Happy writing and summer days back at you!
That feeling of planning a new manuscript must mean you´re on the right track for the rewrite! This book really sounds amazing Kip and the period is fascinating. Those pictures can transport you to a different place and time…and I´m sure you´ll capture the essence of it in your novel!
And…I have to add BELLE EPOQUE to my TBR list 😀
Have a great week!
Oh, thank you, Elodie! I certainly hope so. And I hope you love BELLE EPOQUE as much as I did!
I love historical fiction and BELLE EPOQUE sounds fantastic thanks for the recommendation! I love looking at old photographs too. Sometimes a story will just leap from the picture and you just have to tell it. I found one yesterday! It’s a great feeling. I clicked on your link for The Girl Who Slept in the Poet’s Ear, is that the one your revising. It sounds awesome! Good luck with revisions! Have a great week!
Yes, that’s the one! Thanks so much. I hope I can do the story justice. 🙂
Some MS’s take the thinking time and ideas time and yay that you now feel able to dig in!
Those archives seem fascinating and thanks for sharing the books with us.
Happy writing. I spend quite a bit of time outlining.