I wrote the original post back in November, and I shared the update on my vlog. At the end, I predicted where I would be at the end of February. Today is March 13, and here’s where I am on my journey to tell the story of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. Part 1 – Where I Was: I believe you need to know where you were, to take stock of where you are. It also allows you to see progress, and that’s a good thing. The original post went live on November 20. I was on Chapter 17, and I was writing about Ben Franklin. Oh My Goodness! I remember that chapter – not in a good way! It took me 3 weeks to find my way in. If you’d like to read the original post, here’s my link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/me-and-my-middle-grade-novel-where-am-i-now My vlog went live on January 28. I finished Chapter 21 with Francis Hopkinson that week. If you’d like to listen, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2796790403792630 Part 2 – Where Am I Now? This week I finished Chapter 30. Only 27 chapters to go 😊 And the signer – Carter Braxton from Virginia. I’d never heard of him, but now I won’t forget him either. His mother died after she’d given birth to two baby boys. He was her second son. Carter married young like his father, and his wife died after she’d given birth to two baby girls. Heartbreaking. But he married again. She gave birth to ten boys and six more girls. Eighteen – that’s a lot of children! Milestones from my Journey : Chapter 19 = a third of the way to the end. Chapters 28 = halfway done. I celebrated both milestones with a tiny bit of shopping. It makes a memory and keeps me moving. Chapter 38 = two thirds of the way to the end. That’s seven chapters or seven weeks from now, I hope. Story Stats – 29 founders, dead Two states with all its signers dead – North Carolina (3) and New Jersey (5) The state with only one death – Massachusetts. The signer, John Hancock Part 3 –My Conclusions and How They're Working: Back on July 17 of 2023, I wrote a post about failing. I even thought about quitting. Back then I was struggling with Stephen Hopkins from Chapter 12. Here are my conclusions after a week of struggle, plus the answer to the postscript – how my conclusions are working. 1. It’s OK to fail. Sometimes you need to stop and make a new plan. The last time I failed/got stuck was on Chapter 17 with Ben Franklin. 2. Change when you need to. When I get stuck, I should take a break. I need fun and family too. I still take breaks when I need to. But after Chapter 17, I found a new technique. I haven’t missed a deadline since then 😊 3. When I get stuck, I should step back. Later I’ll see how to edit and revise. I don’t need to step back with my new strategy. At least so far 😊 4. Each chapter feels like I’m climbing some steep hills. I need to write at this story’s speed. Sometimes that’s fast, and the story just flows. Other times it’s slow or no-speed at all. That’s when my ideas need time to develop. I still feel like I’m climbing steep hills, especially at the beginning, but my new technique makes it easier to climb that first one. Then the story usually flows along. Sometimes I find a steep hill near the end, but the strategy works there too 😊 Post Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/when-you-feel-like-quitting-inspiring-quotes-for-you-and-me Vlog: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=6554628911271624 Part 4 – Three New Strategies: How did I find them? The old-fashioned way – trial and error – until I find what works. For today. When they stop working – I go back to my drawing board. 1. Finding my way through research – I’m much faster than I used to be. I look for three internet sources for each signer, then what was going on just before his death, and finally what Charley and his family were up to. Sometimes I find my way into the chapter from it, but a lot of times, I don’t. 2. I write less – but not on the chapter of the week. I still write all day, taking breaks when I need to get up, until about 8PM. Sometimes just getting up and moving around will get me unstuck. And, so far I’m staying on track, writing a chapter a week. The less, that’s on my blog. I realized over the summer, when I thought about quitting, something had to give, and it couldn’t be me. So, now I write a blog section in two days. The first day I put up pictures and outline what I want to write. The second day I write and revise that section. If life gets in the way, and occasionally it does, I give myself a day of grace. Less is also on my vlog. I’m doing more classic posts. LOL, it’s just another way of saying an old one. I also look for blogs, beyond the original one, but they need to add to the vlog’s topic. 3. This is the BIG ONE! I write questions to Charley (Charles Carroll), and I answer them. After spending the last year and a half with him, I know him pretty well. This week I’m working on Oliver Wolcott. I’d never heard of him either. He was the governor of Connecticut in 1797, and a Major General in the Continental Army. He was one of the heroes of Saratoga, one of the first big wins for Washington’s army, but – that didn’t help me figure out how to write Chapter 31. What did? Questions! I started with ‘Where is Charley?’ and ‘What is he doing?’ Sometimes that works. Sometimes I have to ask more questions. I knew Oliver died on December 1, and Charley would have been in the Maryland Senate. So I asked what he might have been doing. That was a dead end, but it’s part of the process. Then I asked the question, and I hit pay dirt! I asked what Charley was doing at Christmas time. I got the answer the next morning. I realized I’d already written something about a priest visiting him. I don’t know if one really did, but it fits my research. Charley’s cousin was the first Catholic bishop in the US, and he started St. Mary's College and Seminary in Baltimore. The priest had to visit, because there were no Catholic Churches in Annapolis. Not yet. The first one was built next door to Charley’s house. BINGO! I started writing, and I finished the WHOLE rough draft in one day. I even started my first round of revision. I didn’t finish – I needed to write this part of the blog for you. If I hadn’t found my way into the chapter – I would have asked Charley more questions, until I found it. I know when I have a good answer, because I can keep writing. Even when I question the last paragraph I wrote. When that happens, I take a break, AND I can push past it. Part 5 – My New Middle Grade Goals: The next one – to finish Chapter 36 by May 3rd. That’s the first Friday in May. My critique group is taking Good Friday off. Then I'll return to my usual pace – a chapter a week – to research, write and revise. It’s the fastest I’ve ever written, and the most I’ve written in years. I have another goal that’s on the back burner. I’m moving as quickly as I can, but the other chapters come first. My second goal is to polish the first 3 chapters until they’re submission ready. It’s a work in progress.
2 Comments
Rinda Beach
5/9/2024 09:04:23 am
Thank you! I'm back in my chair again, ready to write :)
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AuthorWhen I write, I can only have one voice in my head, mine. A little noise is fine. But too much, or worse yet, WORDS, and I must change rooms or pull out headphones. Then I can write on! Categories
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