Mile Marker #21: All Right, Let’s Do This One Last Time…

The runners are at the gates. The starting gun is in the air. The marathon is HERE!!!!!!!!!!

The last few weeks have been understandably insane with the holidays, but I’ve got the end of the second draft in sight and I’m challenging myself to complete it this weekend. It’s only about 40,000 words I need to get through. That’s doable in three days, right?

I’m taking off Monday so I can just do three long, back-to-back marathon days. I’m trying to get this done this weekend so that I have a full week to go back through, change the tense in the first third, and print/bind everything before shipping to Minnesota by the 12th.

Luckily I feel like the third act is already in the best shape, minus too many “sitting around talking” scenes. But I’m going to fix those as best as I can. I don’t think I’ll have everything that I want done done by the time I send the whole thing to Peter, but I have good ideas for what still needs changed/added in draft three.

Mostly I’m looking forward to starting a new project I’ve had in my head for months now (it’s gay witches). I’ve had so much fun with Hermit: Crabs?! but I’m getting a little burned out on it and need to put it aside for a few months to work on something else.

It’ll be weird to be working without a deadline going forward. I think with Bookdun I’ll be able to stay on-track and write despite working full time. It’ll just be an adjustment like everything else. In 2024, I want to write this new project, third-draft this current project, and potentially start on the sequel. (I have other personal goals, which might make a nice year-end-recap/goals for next year blog!)

I don’t feel like TBB will be query-ready until at least that third draft is done, but maybe I’ll start querying in Q1 2024 just to see what happens.

I’ve got a lot of things in the works, like finally attending the Muse & the Marketplace in 2024. (Got my badge and booked my hotel room and everything!!!)

Let’s see how this weekend goes — the final marathon starts NOW!!!!!

Til next time,
Mags