Friday, March 15, 2013

Apologies to the grammar police.

Recently I've been trying to write, but in order to do that I have to read first. I am working on Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again. (LTLTA) This is book 3 in the Unconditional Love series. My desire is to make it the best of all three. (I wish.) It is a complex book (for me) to write, and I am taking into consideration the first two. (Obviously.) I was making a "timeline" this week to make sure dates and events actually line up. I have dates scribbled everywhere in notebooks, but I think having events all on ONE sheet helps. Especially when I have multiple books and several characters that need to fit into the same line because they are in each other's lives. Ages, events, etc... I am about half-way done.

As I said, I was reading. When Love is Not Enough (WLINE) to be specific. It is so distracting. I am TRYING to write down dates, not read every word. Sometimes, however, I can't help but keep reading. I love this story. And the POV shifts that some people dislike, just make it that much better for me. I like them. :p Something that DID catch my attention as I read which I would like to apologize for is my over use of exclamation points. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I find them everywhere! Oh! My! Gosh!! Could I BE any more emphatic? I get it, people. I get it. Finally!!!! I find myself reading along and BAM! exclamation point. Read more- BAM!- exclamation point-- AGAIN. I think that I automatically hit that button. Like now, as I blog, how many have I used already? It is a habit in texting too. I hit about three at a time. !!! I cant hit one in a text. Lol. That would be mundane, ordinary, and like everyone else. But how do I stop? I think I have an exclamation point fetish or addiction. I can't stop putting them in!

What I found myself doing was a mental edit every time I read one in WLINE. I thought, "Yeah, that one shouldn't be there. Nope, neither should that one." I Even spotted several places where I should have had commas. That said, I have not reread "Jock" yet and I am 99% sure that one is worse. Ellis and Cole need to fit into my timeline so I will be re-perusing that novel soon. Darian went to the same HS as Ellis and is older brother Ben. And he is friends with Ellis's sister Sara. I am making sure ages fit and WHEN events happened. I hate making mistakes in details like that.

So, I am sorry for my addiction. I guess I love the exclamation point, but I don't respect it. I need to care for it, but I abuse it. I'm sorry. I try very hard to get apostrophes correct. Like above with Ellis's. I know it should be Ellis', but DSP wanted it to be Ellis's in the book. I think they follow a standard in the Chicago Manual of Style so I understand consistency. I also have a problem with commas. As many time as I overuse exclamation points and need to edit and take them out, I UNDERUSE commas and need to add them in. I don;t think I use them at all as I write. If you see them, it is because an editor put them in, most likely. I forget to use them. I told you I suck at grammar!

Names Can Never Hurt Me is on hold as I write LTLTA. I think I'd like to have this one finished in case the publisher that is considering The Cost of Loving (TCOL) actually wants it. You never know. My DREAM would be publishing these two before the GRL retreat in October. I like to dream big! But just imagine, LTLTA coming out in September and I could sign it in October at the retreat for people. That would be cool. Of course, that would only be if people approach me, I can't solicit for myself because I am not a featured author. I can't stop fans from talking to me. I am not bringing books to give out, or other swag because I am not allowed. I might have a pen (or ten) in my pocket... hahaha.  As I say, I dream big.

Not loads of actual writing has been done recently, but that is because I'm thinking of scenes and doing the timeline and thinking of what to put into it and what to leave out. I do not want to recap WLINE from Darian's POV, that is not my goal. I think some parts will overlap so readers can see where Darian comes from, how Jamie's death affects him, and then where it picks up his life after TCOL. (Which I hope to hear about soon!) I would release a "blurb" for LTLTA, but I was trying to wait for TCOL to be released.

Anyway... If you read My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! --thank you. If you read When Love is Not Enough -- thank you! If you want more of my books published -- pray! Some of it is out of my control. I am writing. I will finish at least two novels this year. I'd love to have at least two novels published this year and possibly one submitted to carryover to publish next year. Things take time, and often my timeframe is NOT the timeframe that happens. grrr.

Hugs and gratitude to all my fans, readers, and followers. I NEED you all! And I noticed that on my Dreamspinner Press page, both of my books are selling in eBook and paperback forms!!! That is awesome. Nothing like sales to tell a publisher that they need to sign contracts on more of an author's stuff. No sales=no contracts. Ya know? So, thank you very much!

Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook (405 likes so far), add me to your "circles" on Google+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes ;)

** Wade **

PS: And tell me if my punctuation in this sentence is correct. lol

4 comments:

  1. Wade! I might have noticed a few extra exclamation points in both books and thought the sentences would have been stronger without them but HONESTLY, it didn't detract from either story, they were both awesome (run on sentence)! Seriously though, I'm not an editor but I'd be happy to read anything if you need advice; I'm quite the grammar bitch at work. I'm going to go buy both your books in paperback so you can sign them at GRL! Later! -- Lynn

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  2. Lynn!! Nothing like a little pressure to get me to go to GRL. How can I back out when you say things like that?!!? lol

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  3. lol! oh my... I might need to buy YOU one!

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