Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Cardboard, a Contest, and a Second Chance Castle



Where would we be without second chances?

No do-overs.
No recycling.
No erasers, delete key.
No breathing room.

It makes my lips numb just thinking about it.

I live off second chances
- art, words, and everything else!
 
What if there was a colossal rule
that you could only write One Draft?
No revisions allowed?

Aside from those sainted few who write a flawless novel to publication in three weeks,
where would we be?

Mummified, probably.

For my writer friends, I'm curious:

How many drafts do you average before your manuscript's submission worthy?

And author friends:

How many drafts do you endure before you have a finished book?

I think I stopped counting after Draft Two.

Hooray for working drafts, for do-overs, for sorries and second chances!


Remember Wish baby?
A gift from my friend Margaret Bloom
of the lovely blog We Bloom Here,
Wish baby was lonely for a new house.
Oatmeal box needed a second life.
Hello, scraps and glitter!

So far, it's been castle, tower, tunnel,

car wash, observatory, teddy bear, hat... 
 
See?
Second chances!
or third, or fourth, or whatever it takes...





And speaking of second chances,
do you know about the DEVINE INTERVENTION Book Giveaway?

I just started Martha Brockenbrough's YA novel
DEVINE INTERVENTION.
Brilliant! I'm hooked!
As I mentioned here, I can't wait for you to read it!

Martha has graciously offered a free signed copy of DEVINE INTERVENTION to one lucky blog reader. Yippee!
Check out the contest here.

I'm extending the deadline to give as many of you as possible a chance to win an excellent book!
You have until noon (pst) on Sunday, June 17 to enter.
Please do, and good luck!

 

8 comments:

m. bloom said...

Hello Wish-baby... peek-a-boo!
xo

Faith Pray said...

Margaret, we love our wish baby so very much! Thank you, thank you!

Barbara Davis-Pyles said...

I love your blog, Faith! It always makes me smile. Regarding drafts, I'm a little obsessive. I work it and work it until I can't stand the sight of it. Then I put it away for a while. If it still shines when I pull it back out of the drawer, off it goes to the big publishing world. So far, I've had some positive responses, but I'm still working toward the big "YES!"

Kjersten said...

Soooooo many drafts. Thank goodness for second, third, and many more chances.

I can't wait to read Martha's book. I'll let someone else win though. I'm gonna buy it anyway.

Faith Pray said...

Barb, I like your draft style! Brave - and patient, too. Cheers for your publishing journey, and thank you for popping by!

Faith Pray said...

Kjersten, howdy! I just finished Martha's book. It's great! Hilarious, urgent and surprisingly sweet. I keep thinking about it - it's one of those books that grows inside you after you read it.

Molly/Cece said...

This whole drafting business is baffling to me.

This is the way it works for me.
I write this thing that is a mess. I mean it an absolute mess. I guess we can call that draft one.

Next I work on that draft until it makes sense. This several complete passes through the manuscript (slow).


Then I peck at it until it is in a semblence of the English language.

Then a few folks read it and I make changes on their feedback.

Then I shove it in a drawer for at least one

Copy editing follows if I'm happy or a few more passes (fast) and then I send it out.

In a nutshell.

Zane Wooder said...

The last picture of your daughter is great. She has the biggest smile on her face. That picture is priceless.

-Zane of ontario honey

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