What the Excerpt?!?!?!

I started thinking about why I put excerpts of Illusions on my blog.

It is intimidating to put your writing out for everyone to mock read. I've worked hard on my baby of a novel and sending it out of the nest, into the world, is difficult.

But it has been beneficial.

First, it has made me (usually) read those few sentences very carefully to see if I want to add or remove anything. I know that my work is going to be judged by just that, and nothing more. So each sentence needs to add punch. Sometimes I get the knock-out. Sometimes I hit, well, like a seven-year-old girl.

Secondly, it helps build up my tolerance for negative response (though my commentors have been very positive). I know that if when Illusions is published I will have to deal with the good, the bad, and the outright rude feedback. I guess it is better to start building up the thick skin now.

So that is why I do it even though it is scary nervewracking blood-boilingly terrifying. After all - no risk, no gain. Urgh...or so I've been told.

Why do you put your WIP out there? What benefits have you found from sharing it?

Illusions Mini Excerpt

Her foot lost traction, slipping from its foothold, jerking her right hand loose. Kate clung to the side of the mountain by the fingertips of her left hand, straining to hold on as she scrambled for purchase with her feet.

She refused to listen to the frantic thoughts that kept bubbling to the surface. She'd always known she'd die on a mission. But not here. Not on this stretch of dirt too far away for anyone to even hear the splat. Not like this.

Her right foot found an outcrop, then slid. Her fingers scraped against the rock, tensing with the exertion. Then, as if in slow motion, they slipped.

She fell.

Good To Know You

Visit Give a Girl a Pen to see my Good To Know You post. Please join in the discussion.

To Save or Not To Save

My mother-in-law just had a big computer meltdown this past week. Dell Support couldn't help her breathe life back into the old PC, the family computer expert couldn't jerry-rig it to work.

So she bought a new PC, and external hard drive. Then, with those new boxes tucked in the office, the old PC felt threatened enough to raise itself from the dead.

The whole thing got me worried about my WIP. I'm good about saving while I write, but I mostly save it on my PC. When I remember, I'll bust out the flash drive and pop a copy on there. But I don't save in both places every day. I emailed a version to myself a couple months ago - but that is hours and hours of writing ago. I can't quite find a method that works perfectly for me.

I'd love some tips.

How do you save your novel?

Plugged Back In

I'm back.

I didn't get anywhere near the amount of writing done that I had hoped, but I did get to spend some quality time with the family.

Believe it or not, my to-do list for the current round of edits on Illusions has actually increased. Of course, that just makes the challenge of finishing all the more fun.

Good To Know You

Visit Give a Girl a Pen to see my Good To Know You post. Please join in the discussion.

Unplugged

I'm jumping on the unplugged bandwagon (why do they call it a bandwagon anyway...do bands ever play on, near, or around wagons?).

I'll be incommunicado for the next week. Well...except for my Wednesday Good To Know You post. Hopefully I will be able to finish the list of changes I want to make on Illusions...a girl can dream.