Beautiful Books - 2017 Writing Goals

   It's almost a week into 2017 (what even) - and that means it's time for the new Beautiful Books linkup. This one was pretty fun to write, and I'm excited to share it with you! (and also the post decided to be full of collages from my stories - you've been warned xD)

   So - Killing Snow is what I'm currently working on (well, currently thinking about working on. I'm deciding whether I should have a break from it or not, because the story is being kind of obnoxious) so I chose to do this post for Killing Snow, and not The Dreamer's Game like I probably should xD. 

   Anyways. Onto the questions.

1. What were your writing achievements last year?  

   I can't even remember xD. I wrote a ton of Killing Snow drafts, and worked on it's prequel and sequel. Wrote some of The Dreamer's Game for NaNoWriMo - which was my first time doing NaNoWriMo. Joined a Hangout full of awesome writers. Messed around with a bit of a steampunk Rapunzel retelling. Had some friends beta my work. Alea Harper created a gorgeous cover of Killing Snow for me. I shared some of my writing publicly (10 'Till Midnight). Ended a serial series (that I had posted on my private blog, once upon a time) that had been my pet project for ages. Got a huge amount of half-thought-out plot bunnies for various retellings.

isn't it gorgeous? Alea did an amazing job

   *blinks* Okay, I know I'm missing stuff - but just that up there looks like a lot xD. I suppose 2016 was a really good year for me, writing-wise, anyways.

2. What's on your writerly "to-do list" for 2017

   Oh gracious - we're going with five things here, because I'll ramble for 1.78 years unless someone stops me:

   a) write the first draft of the novel Killing Snow  (even if that is a pretty lofty goal)
   b) start on a brand new story (because why not?)
   c) bring one of my dead stories into existence again (resurrecting the poor dead things that I've shoved WAY onto the back burner)

this is one of them *pats the poor, mostly-dead story idea*

   d) participate in all three NaNoWriMo events (hey, no one ever said I was sane)
   e) enter some writing competitions (if I can find some good ones) 

3. How do you hope to improve as a writer? Where do you see yourself at the end of 2017? 

   Well, realistically I see myself curled up in a dark corner, hiding from my characters and editing that needs to happen (and the wreck that will be my story). Optimistically, I'll be casually devouring ice cream with at least three new drafts all completely typed up. Very optimistically. But a girl can dream xD. 

   And I hope to improve my main characters (somehow my main characters are always the dullest characters in my story?) and world building. World building is HARD for me - I'm slightly jealous of all my writerly friends who can throw a whole new world together faster than you can say 'Tolkien' xD.   

4. Tell us about your top-priority writing projects for this year! 

   Write the first draft of novel Killing Snow. But that story is being really obnoxious right now - so I might put it in time out and start a brand new draft of something else instead. We'll see what happens *nodnod*.
   BUT I have a bunch of plot bunnies for re-tellings bouncing around in my head - so there's a pretty good chance that one of those will happen this year *pets the plot bunnies*.
 

like this one xD

5. Describe your general editing process 

   It starts with lots of procrastinating. Always.

   Honestly though, the editing depends on what the story needs. And the way I edit is fairly complicated xD. But anyways, since you asked, this is how I edited/am editing Killing Snow (though I have the memory of a goldfish, so I could be missing steps)

   a) take the zero draft that I've written (assuming that I've written a zero draft xD) and string it together into something that resembles a first draft
   b) go through the first draft and address any major issues
   c) go through the second draft and address any minor issues
   d) send that second draft to my alpha reader (Rach Steele alpah-ed Killing Snow and did an ah-mazing job)
   e) take the second draft (now alpha-ed) and make the changes suggested
   f) send that now-third-draft book to beta readers (shout out to Soleil, Emily Drown, Katie Grace, Hanna, Ellen, Micaiah Saldana, Emily, Jane Maree, and my sisters, Ariel, and Skylar for the wonderful work they did!)
   g) sort all of the info given to me by betas and try to wrap my mind around it xD
   h) go through the document and address the minor issues that betas pointed out
   i) stare at the now-fourth-draft and realize that the story wants to be a novel (the pesky thing) 
   j) write an in-depth outline of how I'm going to turn the novella into a novel
   k) start writing snippets of things that will happen in the novel, so that I have some stuff to work with

   *awards you with cookies if you actually read all of that* xD

   Well, that's as far as I've got with Killing Snow and WOW the process was a lot longer than I thought. And it's only a quarter of the way finished! It's a good thing I'm excited to get it done - even if it is being obnoxious xD.

6. On a scale of 1-10, how would you say this draft turned out? 

   Well ... I recently finished the fourth draft of Killing Snow, and I don't think it was that bad? Myself, I'd probably rate it a 7. Not sure what my betas would rate it though xD.

7. What aspect of your draft needs the most work? 

   I personally think that the main character is a little dull (and it's a fine balance here because Raven, the MC, is kind of a realist and has a bit of dry humor to her - but it's hard to not make her too dry when that's sorta her personality?). And the worldbuilding needs a ton of work - plus, there were plot holes. All the plot holes. But I'm hoping to fix some of that stuff when I turn it into a novel ;).

8. What do you like the most about your draft?

   (well I would say my character Cerulean Kane, but he's being extremely annoying right now, so ... no) That's kinda hard to say when my story and I aren't on the same page right now. I'm having a really hard time feeling in tune with it anymore - but I'm still trying xD. Anyways, I would probably say my characters. Even though they need work, they're still fun and I love them.

9. What are your plans for this novel once you finish editing? More edits? Finding beta readers? Querying? Self-publishing? Hiding it in a dark hole forever? 

   Hiding it in a dark hole forever *buries the story*

   Okay, yes, I'm kidding (though I would almost consider it right now - but I think my betas would kill me for it xD). There will definitely be more edits (LOTS OF EDITS), but after that, who knows? The final goal is to have Killing Snow traditionally published, but there is a ton of stuff that will need to be done before I can consider that very much.

10. What's your top piece of advice for those who have just finished writing a first draft?

   If you're still crazy excited about your story after writing it - then keep rolling with it. But if you ever get burned out, take a break. Seriously, take a break.
   I've kinda realized (after forever and ever xD) that working on my story when I don't really want to will end badly. I won't write well, and I'll normally be trudging through the story instead of flying. And a break can work miracles - so that would be my top piece of advice.
   If you feel burned out after writing that first draft, take a break.        

   AND thus ends the update on the writerly portion of my life - 2017 can't seem to make up it's mind on whether it wants to be a good writing year or not. So I suppose I better give 2017 a talking to, because I intend to conquer writing this year. How about you?

~ Savannah Grace

   What's your top-priority writing project this year? What do you like the most about your draft?