Tag Archives: Squirrel Mafia

A blog about the topics of writing, Writers helping writers

Watch out, everyone: I have another book coming out

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I received some good news recently. A publisher has picked up one of my manuscripts which is part of the Squirrel Mafia series.

I don’t have a working title and need to gather pictures for the book like I did with the first one.

Writing Squirrel Mafia vol. 1 was such a fun book to write as I implored people to look at my POV when it came to squirrels. These animals are not cute, cuddly, or as wonderful as people might think they are.

But they kept on giving me more information and ammo. I suppose, as I took down notes and realized soon that there was enough material to write yet another book on the subject.

I had someone two days ago who said, “ I never understood your massive hatred for squirrels. But then I went down your way, saw them, and had interactions with them to realize I understood what you were going on for so long.

Finally, someone has crossed over to my thinking. LOL

In one section of the new book, you will discover what mushrooms do to them, as well as many more chapters on their antics.

Who knows? Maybe they will give me enough new material that I will be able to write the third installment of this series. And as of now, I have six ideas for chapters.

I know I giggled when I opened the acceptance letter up. It does not get old when a publisher accepts your manuscript.

May it never get old.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing aspect

Just finished the 1st draft of my next book

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I been on a writing frenzy for the past week and a half, minus a trip out of state where my husband and I had to spread ashes, making me have 23 chapters of a new book. It is one that I had ponder over in my head. It is a short novel and now the first draft is complete. Committing myself to writing 1000 words each day did the trick.

It has been a while since I wrote daily like I use to in the past. It helps you forget what is going on around you. In an odd way it is a mental break from life.

Writing is a need for those of us who are writers. Regardless how much we write at any sitting just doing it does a body good mentally and physically. This was something I never understood until I began to write.

The new book is volume two to my Squirrel Mafia book that has been received very well. People have asked me repeatedly if I had planned on writing book two. My answer had always been no. That was until they continued to give me information to use to write about. I started to write down topics every time they did something different from what I wrote in book one. The list ended up exploding.

I have also enjoyed editing the first draft. Yes, even I Sharon C. Williams has said those hated words out loud and have told someone as well. I am enjoying editing a book. I hate editing like it is a fire in my gut. But right now I am having soooooo much fun.

I will need to work on revising soon and getting it reviewed by my critique group. But this has been a project I am absolutely enjoying.

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Revision: How Much is Too Much?

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SMBC1c(1)

How attached are you to your MS? While waiting for my book to come out, I submitted a second MS to my publisher. I wanted to see if she would pick it up. She really liked it but wanted me to make it fictional. The premises of my MS, “Squirrel Mafia” is my year-long war with the squirrels in my backyard. The book is 100 percent true.

When she told me she wanted it I took a step back. It would mean a major rewrite if not me totally starting from scratch. I did like the idea for I could envision where I would take it. But I love this MS a lot. I love it so much that I turned that down and decided to keep it as it is. Yes I could have had a potential book being published. Now a days who am I to turn that down? But I did not want to take away from the vision of this book I wanted the world to know how truly evil squirrels are. I should know. I been observing them for a while now.

So again I ask how attached are you to your MS? Would you have broken down and rewrote your MS or not? I can imagine there are authors out there who do make the change that is asked of them to get their book published. I don’t mind slight revisions but when it is no longer what you had in mind then I have to say no.

Will this hurt me in the long run I don’t know. I been submitting “Squirrel Mafia” actively since August. But I am now done. I have had some nibbles and am hoping someone goes for a second bite. Just this week I had one publishing house ask for a formal TOC and a cover letter with my marketing plan for the MS.

I believe in this MS. Even if it means I end up self publishing it. I don’t want to change it so much that it is a shadow of what it once was. For me that would be worse than it not being published at all.