Best picture I've seen in awhile

Remember that not everyone will love you. Or what you write. Some will pan, some will be mean. Some will gush. Some will go nuuuutso for your story. Do they matter?

What's important (and what dear friends have reminded me of lately) is that we do this for one main reason. To write the stories we see in our heads.

And so, I say to you:

How's that two books at once working?

Pretty good, actually.

I've done a little maths today, and if I keep up this pace, I'll have Outrider done next Saturday.

I started writing this book on the 24h of March.

I was also writing and finishing THE SPOTTED PONY draft for my publisher during this time. (Tho it took a little longer.) Also getting Loki used to her new daycare, but that was mostly fun.

That means this:

If I finish this draft when I think I will (30 April) I will have written an entire Middle grade novel, one I consider to be my best yet, in

36 days.

This would be a new personal best. POSSUM SUMMER's the closest with 45 days. This is? Totally cool. And I think once both these are done and off, I'ma gonna take me a big break.

Satisfaction

Satisfaction is in the small things that you do in this writing journey. It's not really something I can put a finger on, but the actual sales of the books (while cool) isn't the most satisfying thing I experience in this writing life of mine. (after the first sale, heh heh)

What is?

Finishing a first draft.

That is where I get the most satisfaction. I look at the 55 or so thousand words I've worked on and written out over the course of months of dealing with Loki learning to eat (MY EYES MY EYES), getting her ready for her daycare, getting ready to go back to work, dealing with all the work related stuff, dealing with my debut (HOLY MOLY) coming out in a month and a half, the Showdown, etc, and at that point I look at the finished first draft and I think Holy cow, I can actually do this.

With all the crap set in front of me to deal with, I finished this first draft. And nobody can take that away from me.

Not all people will like or love my books (Silly people!) But for this little book that I just finished, I can sit back and daydream for its possibilities.

I love you, little MS.

I just finished the first draft of THE SPOTTED PONY!

\o/

Now, I'm off to daydream.

The Great Oklahoma Showdown!

This is another blog post I've been dying to write.

It's taken me over a year to get this thing approved and all worked out, but here it is. My mini-masterwork.

The Great Oklahoma Showdown

What it is, in essence, is a literary creative competition for students in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades throughout Oklahoma. (Note: I've had some questions from teachers outside Oklahoma as to whether they can take part. My answer is 'yeah sure, just know you'll be official Okies for the duration of the competition!')

My publisher Holiday House has been awesome through this entire planning process, and all the various press releases and letters and everything. *This* is what I was referring to when I mentioned envelopes on twitter. *This* is what has been giving me hives for a long while, because I was afraid nobody would want to do it.

But I'm doing it. And I'll be coming to America in November to give out the prizes. It'll be awesome. Spread the word! I'd love to see a class you know take part!

Follow the Oklahoma Showdown on Twitter.

LIKE the Oklahoma Showdown Facebook page.

An exercise in insanity

Good morning.

My name is Jen Blom, and I'm nuts.

I bet you didn't expect that, huh. Well, I finally got some really good news on the Thing That Was Supposed To Be Announced This Week But Couldn't Due To My Insanity, so I'll do that on Monday. Then it'll all be out. All the sweat and tears. And it'll be up to other people to spread the word and make it happen with me. I'm just hoping they're cool with it.

The real insanity comes from this. I'm working on finishing up the first draft to my New! Novel! (2013!!) THE SPOTTED PONY. And it's great. But in the meantime I've been hammered with this awesome new idea. AWESOME. New. Idea. I know I"m using a lot of punctuation but just deal with me here.

And so? I am writing them both. Simultaneously.

Have you ever tried this? I'd tried, once before, to write two books at once. I failed big time.

But I think I've found the trick: You can't be a pantser and write two books at once.

I'm to 46k on TSP and 4k on OR and you want to know how I'm making it happen? I wrote both synopsees (synopseeses? ugh) beforehand. And then, I write one in the day and one at night. Or edit one while I think on the other.

Surprisingly, it's going really well, and I can see where I messed up before. Both books are as different as they could be, but that didn't stop me from messing up timelines. Now that I have the synopseseess (sheesh) I read through my last little bit (making what changes needed) and write from there. It also doesn't hurt that one is in first person (TSP) while the other is in third (OR)

If you would have asked me if this was possible even a month ago, I would have told you no way. But I knew I wanted this new idea out asap, even though I have a deadline for TSP. So, where there's a will there's a way.

I've got to ask you. Have you ever written two books at once? Any tips?

Tune in on Monday!

OH !! And the fabulous Linda Benson interviewed me on her blog! You should go comment, it's a sort of 'win it before you can buy it' sort of thing! So hurray!