My Harlequin editor wasn't crazy about the latest Amish proposal I sent her, and asked for improvements. Within minutes of receiving the email, I shot back a somewhat different outline and then heard nothing for a week and a half. Early on Monday morning she emailed and said, "This sounds great! Can you please whip up a 1-3 page synopsis for me to look over? And if it won’t take too much time, 1 chapter?"
I told her I'd have it to her ASAP. How fast can I write?
I was able to punch out a five-page synopsis within a couple hours, and wrote an entire chapter in a day. (I can't take much credit for that. A lot of it was cut-and-spliced from the original three chapters I sent.)
But I got the proposal out the door on Tuesday before noon, about a 24-hour turnaround.
Now the waiting game begins again............
I admire your many qualities and abilities. I have neither the patience nor the disposition to accomplish these kinds of tasks. This may explain why, in spite of an active imagination, I never pursued writing as a career.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone goes about things the same way. Patrice has exceptional word processing skills. Authors don't always have that tool bag.
ReplyDeleteOne dear lady my parents were friends with didn't begin writing books until old age. She won a big national award for her first book, and she only wrote three.
I remember her telling me once that she lay in bed for several hours very early in the morning every day, writing. In longhand. It was undisturbed time and her mind was fresh.
To me it's also very telling. Old age bring aches and pains it takes a little time in the morning to work out before being officially up for the day.
If you have an imagination, that's a telling gift. Just write your stories out whether it's in long hand or typed, or tell them story form to others. There may be family or friends who feel blessed by that!
I love this idea! I’m 67 and have taken some writing classes here and there and have stories in my head but struggle with the discipline to sit down and write on a regular basis on my own. If I know though I’m going to a class or a writing group I can do it.
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