Did you know I can’t juggle? Not at all. I’m hopeless with balls in the air. I have no spacial vision whatsoever and any kind of ball games involve me scrabbling around ungracefully, feeling foolish.
But write and promote a Trilogy within a contracted timeframe with a publisher while also performing my day job as a mum? Yeah, bring it on! Right at this moment, I am juggling. I’m juggling promotion, editing, planning and writing, and I’m having a ball.
The Trilogy in Process. On the far right is Sophie’s Turn, all done and dusted. The cardboard boxes contain promotional postcards and bookmarks. In the middle is the first draft for Sophie’s Run. And the small pile of paper on the left contains the initial outline, all plans and some of the research for book 3! (Read on to find out more about that…)
Promoting, promoting, promoting
You all know my first book, Sophie’s Turn, is now out and available to buy. It’s been getting fabulous reviews in my 67-strong blog tour, and I’m doing interviews, guest posts, give-aways by the dozens. I’ve also had the local paper round to do a lovely little feature, and I’m hosting a ‘meet the author’ event at my local library in October. In addition, I’m planning to contact local book clubs, independent book stores, the WI, radio stations… you name it, I’m on a roll. I live on Twitter and Facebook as the great promotional rollercoaster goes through loop after looop. Rock on!
Editing, editing, editing
My second focus at this time is Sophie’s Run. It is completely written but at just over 149,ooo words for the first draft (yes, you read that right) it is slightly too long. I am going through page by page, scene by scene, chapter by chapter, looking for excess fat, unnecessary detours and undue verbiage in my quest to eliminate around 30,000 words from the first draft. God, that sounds a lot, right? But it will be done. I have about four weeks to get the slimline version to my lovely publishers over at Sapphire Star.
Moreover, the cover is being designed right at this time and it is going to be absolutely stunning. I don’t know when the cover reveal will take place, but rest assured, I will shout about it!
What happens in Sophie’s Run? Here’s a little taster…
Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…
Who says that the road toward true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.
So she has finally found the man of her dreams. Well…she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet. When she misses her opportunity, her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal. And to top it all, her new boyfriend leaves her lying in the mud.
Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret that eventually gets her life back on track.
If you’ve enjoyed Sophie’s Turn, you’ll be in for a real treat, if I say so myself with all due humility. Sophie’s Run is due for release by Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013.
And planning, and writing, and planning, and writing
So then… what about the last part in the Trilogy? Well, my friends, this is all planned out and I will be writing it just as soon as I’ve sent Sophie’s Run back to Sapphire Star for proper publisher editing.
The working title is Sophie’s Encore and this book is due for release by Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 September 2013!! It’s too early to give you a teaser for this last part, but it will end the story with due style and panache. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!
The workplan for Sophie’s Encore. Yes, I know it’s blurred! I wouldn’t want you to read it right now… that’d spoil all the fun! xx
Nicky Wells: Love & Thrills 
Wow Nicky, I’m amazed! Knowing what you’ve got going in the way of responsibilities I think you’re ball juggling is amazing. The thing is though, because you love writing so much you just fit it all in, don’t you? You’re also tied to a contracted timeframe for your books anf although that cranks up the pressure, in some ways it’s good and keeps you focussed. Good luck with the rest of your trilogy!
Thanks so much, Jo! It does make a difference if you love what you’re doing, which is why writing is never a problem. And I don’t mind deadlines; in fact, it’s quite exciting to be contracted to some deadlines!! Thanks for your lovely thoughts and for visiting today. XXX
Bloody hell woman, I don’t know how you do it. I’m convinced you have a doppleganger secreted away somewhere! Hope it’s all going well so far. Must start readying your piece soon : ) x
Sh, don’t tell! I have a clever twin sister… NOT. I wish!! Thanks for visiting, Yasmin. Do you know (you’ll probably hear this a lot from people you interact with through blogs etc) even though I’ve never heard your voice, I can definitely ‘hear’ you in Gunshot Glitter? Was at the Cee confession scene yesterday and there was so much of you in there, just judging from how you respond to comments! Lovely. XX
People who know me in person said they could initially hear me reading the story to them in their head but then it went. It sounds like you’ve got it in reverse, how bizarre!! I didn’t know you’d never experienced the dulcet tones of yours truly, there’s clips of me on FB video but here’s something to enjoy later:
Admire the wallpaper! xx
Morning Nicky
Up early again here, just check my email on gmail.com.
CONGRATS on your perfecting your juggling. You’re juggling the duties of being a mum[mom on this side of the pond with one hand, and all the stuff related to promoting Sophie’s Turn with the other. The only way you can include handling of editing your second book and writing the final one is the series is to edit with your left foot and right with the right one. This now leads me to suspect that in order to do this you have more than one set of eyes.
Keep on truckin’ as they say here, in other works, take it easy as you do these juggling and you’ll do just fine. Remember the HASTE makes WASTE.
This is also how I handle coping with multi-tasking, I do no more than two things a time. Right now I’m watching another episode of POIROT television series from Netflix online in one corner of my screen as I’m typing this. Many times I have two items on the screen jumping from one to the other and then back again, that’s until someone calls me on the phone [rings me up] or comes to the door.
All the best.
LOVE YA! Haste is waste, I like that. Like, less haste, more speed! Fabulous comment and I hope you enjoyed your Poirot. Meanwhile, I shall keep truckin’… XXX Thanks for visiting, as always!!!
Only other writers would understand!
It’s fun, though, isn’t it–all aspects of the process, all at once, for different projects. Keeps it all fresh and exciting. LOL!
Couldn’t live without it!
Woohoo! You can do it. 😀
Totally!! A labour of love, teeehee! Thank for visiting… X
I have complete and utter faith in your multitasking abilities, Nicky! I know you used to be good at that in the professional world and I can imagine you can only be EVEN better at it when it’s doing something you love as much as writing! Good luck keeping all the balls in the air and I’m waiting with bated breath to see the rest of the trilogy.
Balls remain firmly in the air despite all manner of technological adversity… What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger! Thanks for visiting and hope you’ll enjoy part 2 and 3… xx
You’re amazing, Nicky! And I reckon you *do* have two pairs of eyes! 😉
I know a lot of writers use post-it thingies but I don’t actually have an office as such, so I create lovely, happy, welcoming, highly-organised spreadsheets and lists. Colour-coding is sooo much fun. 😉
We are juggling five editing balls – four short stories (in Ron’s hands at the moment!) *and* Mosaic of Light (ditto). I usually have a writing ball or two in the air as well – flash fiction, plus a ‘new’ Lazuli Portals project (hush!) Oh, and new short stories seem to regularly burst forth! 😉
Sometimes I feel like writing, other times I feel ‘ready’ to tackle editing – so it’s handy to have the variety 😛
Hope by the time you read this you’ve recovered from your flu, and really hope your laptop comes home from hospital sparkling and happy and as soon as poss! 😉
You’re amazing, too, Jo–what a lot of balls in the air. It’s nice to be able to play off writing versus editing against each other when you need to, there’s always something to do that you fancy. And a new Lazuli project… Do tell! Still no news on laptop, I’m afraid, but am coping alright with this one now. As for the flu… I can’t whinge lest I be accused of having man flu, but it’s got a pretty grotty hold on me. Ach! Thanks for visiting and commenting! xxx