Progress Update II

Well, round two of Beta is well under way!

Huzzah!

A big shout out to any/all of you reading this who signed on for round 2! I’ve loved hearing from you and honestly can’t wait to hear more of your thoughts and comments!

For those of you who volunteered but weren’t selected for round 2 please don’t be upset- this was strictly on a “first come, first serve” basis and one thing I learned from round 1 is that there is such a thing as too many chefs in the kitchen (and I have to balance my own work/life schedule too!).

Don’t be dismayed, however, you’ll be on the top of my list for round 3 if we get there (and regardless you have my eternal gratitude for offering in the first place)

For Realsies

Now then, I won’t lie to you, dear reader, I’m able to operate a rather impressive amount of restraint on most things on any given day.

See that new “shiny” on Amazon? Take a moment to think about whether you really need it.

A new movie come out on blue ray? Do you really want to own it?

See a new bottle of whiskey? Do you really need another unfinished bottle decorating your liquor cabinet? (yes. yes you do).

Seriously, though, I’m no stranger to self-discipline. After all how could anyone even hope to begin writing a manuscript without a modicum of poise and self-control? That being said I’ve learned that when it comes to writing waiting on readers responses is by far and away the hardest part. Don’t get me wrong- so far my betas have been more than expedient! It’s just I feel like a kid on Christmas morning dancing from foot to foot, except someone else is opening the presents.

And heres the thing, dear reader, theres no guarantee that once they open said “present” (see “chapter”) they won’t begin projectile vomiting in disgust rather than swooning in rapture at the silky smoothness of my prose, 2.0 manuscript or no.

All the waiting could, in theory, culminate in me having to go back to the drawing board and revise, revise, revise.

Me waiting for beta readers to respond c,2021; colorized

Now, thankfully that hasn’t happened (yet), but the chance of that shoe dropping is always there. And…well what’s an aspiring author to do in the meantime? Feels rather silly to spend so much time writing only to then piss off into the woods, so to speak, as I wait for people to tell me what they think about what I’ve written. Generally I’ve taken the opportunity to catch up on my reading, look into the publishing process, as well as generally resting the ole noggin after the wonderful blitzkrieg that was 2020 but the itch to write is still there.

Aaaaaand thats why I’ve begun writing the sequel (which I’m pleased to say is moving through Act 1 at a far greater pace than I originally anticipated) before book 1 is even technically “done.”

Whoopsie daisy.

Whoopsie daisy indeed

So that’s where I’m at, dear reader: reading, writing, and not quite relaxing as I await to see what the newest round of beta brings.

Could be good. Could be bad.

But, hey, either way it’s still progress toward publishing, right?