Hello!  How are you? Happy holidays! What goodies are you working on???

It would seem that writing a bajillion (ok, 50K) words in a month, plus client work, plus laying foundations for an extremely exciting new business venture (oh boy – it’s a good one!), oh yes, and recording a new Skillshare class for Foto Rx (there’s another set of actions in the works too), and let’s not forget hosting a dozen loving family members over the holiday, maxed out my brain power and severely limited my ability to write and/or provide photos for this beautiful blog. Luckily for me, I have the most understanding business partner ever, who not only successfully resisted the urge to murder me, but saw fit to mention me kindly as she held down the fort! (Thank you Tristan, there will be dark chocolate bribes on the desk tomorrow, maybe caramels too.)

I can’t seem to fully emerge from novel writing mode (a good thing?), so I hope you’ll indulge me as I use a technique from one of our character profiles to catch up with you!

A glimpse into Miss P.’s thoughts as she begins the second week of December…..

HANDMADE HOLIDAY GIFT

When will that last ingredient for my handmade gifts arrive? -better see if there’s a tracking number.

Should the label be set type, or a hazy black and white photo?

Where can I get my hands on fresh lavender this time of year? Chamomile?

Should we share a how-to on the blog?

HOLIDAY HOSTING

Is ordering a prepared meal from Whole Foods or Metropolitan Market cheating? We’ve never done it before, but it’s so tempting. Husband suggests ordering pizza.

WRITING

Gah! After writing every day for a month, I feel guilty for having taken a week off! Must write. Reminder to write with more imagination, maybe try to take it too far.

INSPIRATION

Ooo, The Jealous Curator, Danielle Krysa just added a new Art for Your Ear podcast with the magnificent Bobbie Burgers. Must listen. Should also make it to Foster White Gallery to see her work in person. (Insert thoughts of becoming friends with Bobbie. Discussions about the poetry of dying flowers would abound. Maybe she’d let me photograph her dropcloths….)

Bingeing on  Roald Dahl stories, which are every bit as wonderful as I remember. The covers are ripe for redesign, wondering what someone like Katrin Coetzer could do with them.  Remember being similarly enchanted with Where the Sidewalk Ends as a kid, note to revisit.

PHOTOGRAPHY

I purchased a shiny new mirrorless camera! Have taken it out to shoot exactly once (argh), review forthcoming. Must buy flowers and let them wilt first.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

We are working with an amazingly talented illustrator and promise to tell you all about her! Must write interview questions for L. (We are working with two illustrators actually, but the other one is for the TOP SECRET project).

Need to find beautifully minimal holiday cards to send to clients. Have you found any good ones this year?

We know you must be feeling the holiday and end of year pinch as well, here’s hoping we can all find a way carve out some peaceful moments!

Now that we finished the Nanowrimo challenge, the most common question is ‘Now what?’ It’s a fair question to ask and one we only have some pat answers for–edit, rewrite, etc. but inevitably the question remains after that, ‘what are you going to do next?’  Here’s the honest answer, we have something that feels ‘novel-ish‘, we have developed characters that we love, but our protagonist may be a little one dimensional, it’s only 50k words, not quite novel numbers, but not too far from it. Our plot is weak, if you can even actually even call it a plot but there are such tiny, shiny gems that are sparkling brightly throughout, that we feel it’s worth moving forward. Our intention originally was to make it a creative exercise now it’s to see it into an actual edited, finished, cohesive piece that we can actually share with others. Now what?  I am thinking we may need to get help from a professional. I wasn’t sure if they had professionals that will help shape the amoeba like thing that is our Nanorwrimo ‘novel’ into an actual one. I did a little research and thought I would share some of the results in case you too are sitting there with a finished 50k of words (or more), that may have a spark of something, but without advice may just forever live on your hard drive.

//A BOOK COACH//

Hmmm? Interesting…  Michelle and I don’t have a budget to hire one, but the idea of one is very intriguing and up until yesterday I didn’t even know they existed.  Here’s a few I found some with proven track records!

Jennie Nash-She gives workshops as well! Here’s her success story page. Great interview here.

Ginger Moran

Steve Adams

Sandra Byrd

Here’s a directory of Book Coaches and Ghostwriters

//BOOK EDITING SERVICES//

Again, another service I had no idea existed, but I think would be invaluable before you sent your manuscript off to an agent or publisher (or wherever you send it, another thing I have no idea about!)

Lori DeBoer Lori offers coaching but also Developmental editing and Manuscript Evaluation

Manuscript Critique

Edit my novel

Mill City Press

We know a few of you have participated (and won Nanowrimo!) any tips for editing and turning the first draft into something that feels more like a true work