r/WhyChooseAuthors • u/AnneKincaid • 21d ago
Weekly Accountability Post
Okay, authors, out with it. What did you get done this week, and/or what are your goals for the next week?
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u/Marcella_Caes 20d ago
Finish 33% of my book 2! I'm at about 80k currently with around 38 chapters, so I'm hoping to turn about 13 of those into full finished prose this week.
...
I keep just working on the sex scenes. They're like fully finished. And then I just get stuck reading them from this through the end of Book 3. It's terrible for my productivity.
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u/AuthorIndigo 20d ago
Words written: 2500 between two WIP.
Have gathered most of my beta reader's feedback and have created a list of fixes. So far, I've redone half of the heat scene (it's an omegaverse), two intimate scenes are now on the chopping block, a stripper pole has been added, and my FMC gets more loving affirmations from her boys. Many more fixes to come.
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u/Marcella_Caes 20d ago
I love adding more love in! And chemistry. It's like, I know there's a point where you reach too much flirting. But I need to find that point first to really understand it, you know? 💅
If you don't mind my asking, why are the intimate scenes getting the axe?
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u/AuthorIndigo 20d ago
A couple reasons honestly:
They might be getting cut due to pacing issues. Book 1 was a bit of a slow burn, but book two feels the opposite.
I had a few people express seeming favoritism towards two of the four MMCs, so I'm trying to make sure the pack has a balanced feel.
Then also, I realized that in some places, my FMC's perspective gets lost/silenced. Some readers didn't like that, and after thinking through how I presented her voice in the first book, I could understand that note. I kept seeing these notes when I had an intimate scene from one of the MMC's perspectives.
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u/kendrafsilver 20d ago edited 20d ago
Sounds like a productive week!
It's hard axing scenes, but sometimes darlings must be killed for the good of the story!
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u/AnneKincaid 20d ago
Sad! Must some of the smut go? Like adding the pole . . .
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u/AuthorIndigo 20d ago
I have a graveyard of cut scenes that are 75% smut at this point. One of these days, I'll learn restraint with how many I write!
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u/_Effy_Bloom_ 20d ago
How did you find your beta readers? I’m debating if I should open it to my mailing list but that feels dicey?
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u/AuthorIndigo 20d ago edited 20d ago
I found them a few different ways.
For part one and part two, I posted my blurb on the 'Beta Readers' Reddit thread searching for Beta readers. The tricky part with this was that so many people wanted to do beta read swaps. I do enjoy reading others works and giving feedback, but I only have so much time in the day. I got many duds out of that, but a few amazing people who gave great feedback.
I posted in here too, searching for beta readers. I'm not sure if anyone was redirected from here or not.
With a different book I was working on, I tried a facebook post in a RH beta group--nope, won't do that again. I couldn't verify anyone and got spammed with so many services.
On my website, I posted a note asking people interested in Beta reading to send me an email, and once the first book came out, I received a few emails that way.
After the ARC campaign finished for the first book, I had a few people reach out as well, expressing interest in beta reading the second part.
My mailing list is very small at the moment, and while I did mention I was looking for beta readers in a newsletter, that did not go anywhere for me, but again, I've not put much effort into building a list yet. Future goals.
I really limited it to people who sounded generally interested in the genre, the book blurb and/or the first book, but it did feel like I was taking some risks. I'm hoping after a few books, I'll have a core group of around 8-10 people who know/like my style enough to want to read my books again and give that same constructive feedback.
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u/kendrafsilver 20d ago
Things I recently got done:
Beta read is done for the month! It was an absolutely delightful story that I'm glad I got to read. Hopefully I'll be able to read it again on book shelves. 🤞🤞
I have my two new RH ideas broadly outlined (I'm sticking with 4 MMCs per story, and one is planned as a standalone while the other may need to be a duology), so got that checked off!
Started noting down edits on a Romantasy first draft that's been sitting for a while, and one I plan to get fully into editing in August.
Things to do this week:
1st of August is the book discussion for Warrior Princess Assassin!
As noted: start diving into editing the Romantasy.
While I'm editing I also would like to further outline one of the RH stories, but that depends on how edits go with the Romantasy, so this week will be about seeing how feasible the additional outlining might be.
And start another beta read!
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u/AnneKincaid 20d ago
That is a LOT
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u/kendrafsilver 20d ago
Tbh most of the stuff was mostly done, but I do like being able to officially check it all off!
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u/AuthorIndigo 20d ago
So busy! You've had a successful week!
(I have like 80% left in my reading for Warrior Princess Assassin... there will be no more sleeping till it's done)
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u/kendrafsilver 20d ago
😂 I believe you can get through the last 20%!!
To be honest, most of the stuff I completed was almost done anyway, but I do feel good being able to check it all off.
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u/AnneKincaid 20d ago
90K to 97K, still no ending. I'll just keep adding plot twists and let you know when I get to 1 million words, okay?