Monday 31 March 2008

The Race Update

I have been seriously remiss in staying on top of things however as we all know we have a winner in one of our catagories - The Complete Rewrite. L-Plate please step up and take a bow. Well done.

The wonderful Rowan has kindly agreed to read and give feedback to L-Plate's first chapter and synopsis! A brilliant reward for a hard won race.

Our congratulations must also go to the two who came in close second and third - A.Writer and Cal.

So we are now about to roll into the fourth month of the year. How's is everyone doing? Cracking along or dragging reluctant fingers to the keyboard. Time for a weigh in so to speak. Where are you in your race? Will we have another winner soon?

Me, well I have been rewriting the first 100 pages for three months now. So not very far along but I am pleased with it because with each review I am learning and I see the book tightening. So come on an 'fess up. How is it going?

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

May I join the first draft race please?
I'm 54% through it.

Rachel Green said...

I'm dragging at about 30%

NoviceNovelist said...

I am very slow this year but hope to pick up a bit of speed. It's been a hectic few months personally and writing has been relegated to a dark, dusty corner but tis is my week for cracking on. This prompt has been helpful - thanks Liz!

B.E. Sanderson said...

I finished my rewrite, and I'm starting to send out queries. (BTW, thanks again Rachel for looking over my query letter - it really helped.) The WIP I was working on at the beginning of the year fell by the wayside yesterday when I started a new book that I'm much more excited about.

Congrats to L-Plate, A.Writer and Cal. Way to go. I can't wait to see who the next winners are. And good work everyone. Keep at it. Yay us!

=oD

Unknown said...

Captain Black. Send me an email - addy on my profile :-)

Rose Red Art said...

Well done to L-plate and to Cal. It was very close between the three of us.

I'm currently having a little break from writing while my finished novel sits and rests before I read it through for the final time.

I'm gearing up to continue with book 2. I'm not sure if this is in the rules but am I allowed to join another race? Can I join the 'Complete a Previously Started Work group'? Or is that just being greedy? lol! I'll try to go one better this time!!!

Chris Stovell said...

Well done, L-Plate, A.Writer and Cal. I've rather ambitiously entered complete first draft but it is still a twinkle in my eye. But after nine - yes nine! - months of hard labour I have nearly completed FTT to my satisfaction. Life is going to get in the way again as have major catching up with family duties ahead. Sigh! It was ever thus!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Well done, L-Plat, A Writer & Cal for doing so well.

I'm just about started with my re-draft as have been working on other bits and pieces but will now focus on it far more.

Please can you add me to the complete re-write list Liz? I'll send you an email too. Thanks.

Lucy Diamond said...

Well done, L-Plate, A Writer and Cal! Brilliant work.
I am in the Complete Previously Started Work category...at 65,000 words now and cruising...for the time being!

Lane Mathias said...

Well done L-Plate, A. Writer and Cal. You are all stars:-) Think I've got some catching up to do. It's coming along ....slowly but it is beginning to take shape.

Marcie Steele said...

Thanks for that Liz. I'm like Cally and awriter at the moment, we're all taking a break. But by the look of our blogs, lack of posts on mine, we're all feeling a little weird now that we're not scribbling manically.

While I have the agonising task of waiting for the agent to look at the full, I'm going to start on book three again, but not for a couple of weeks. Then I'm sure the race will start again!

Thanks for every bit of encouragement I received, every comment spurred me on to finish it, especially with Leigh's wordometer, thanks again Leigh.

And now I must leave the stage before someone tells me to get off or I do a Gwyneth Paltrow...x

Leigh Forbes said...

Very fidgety. Haven't had a good chunk of time to spend writing for weeks.

I have no idea what I've been doing instead; the house is a complete tip, the washing pile resembles Mount Kilamanjaro, the kids/husband have forgotten my name, I'm behind with my work...

Stopped at 28% of rewrite, and I was on such a roll. Very unhappy about it.

[I am really glad you like the word meter! It has been so much more popular/useful than I ever imagined!]

Helen Shearer said...

Congratulations to all of you have managed to finish. It dawned on mr recently that I am not actually registered in one of the races this year. I would like to add my name to the list of those trying to complete a previously started work, if I may. I'm determined to get on with it. Any advice on how to get motivated to finish something that has taken far too long and is feeling like stale old bread? I think the premise of my novel is good and the few people who have read it have liked it, but I'm having a hard time staying excited about it. Anyone ever been in the same boat and if so, what did you do to re-energize?

Unknown said...

Debs and helen S I've added you :-)

Flowerpot said...

Well done everyone. Progress slower than nrmal here owing to journalism taking up much more time. However, it's paying some bills so I'm not complaining!

Anonymous said...

As someone who has just come back to land of the living I think this is a fantastic and encouraging reward. Well done to L.Plate. I have sent in part of my first chapter and a brief synopsis to New Writing North and expect to hear this month. I'm not hopeful but it would be amazing all the same!!

CJ xx

B.E. Sanderson said...

Helen, I took a nine-month break in the middle of my second novel. The way I got back into the book was to re-read everything I'd already written (without editing) and see if the story still grabbed me. Lucky for me, it did. Then I just started writing. It was really slow going at first, but eventually, I got back into the swing of it again. The thing is to not let yourself get discouraged, and to always give yourself permission to suck. If it's not quite what you want, you can always fix it in re-writes. Hang in there. :hugs:

CL Taylor said...

Yep, like A.Writer and L-Plate I'm taking a little bit of a break from writing at the moment but want to get started again this weekend. I miss writing!

Anonymous said...

#How I'm doing... well, I've only just started but it's going well! I just had a week off cos of my son's school holidays, but before that I did one week and achieved about 8,500 words, which was over my target of 8,000 words per week (1st draft). Hopefully I'll get another 8,000 words done this week...