One month

Today is one month until my start-writing deadline! Still so much work to be done on my outline. And no matter what, this one's going until the end of the plot, no quitting at 20k, no quitting at 40k, no matter what kind of pile of nonsense it is, it's going until it's over, likely ~90k, and it's getting at least one major revision, no matter how much I might whine! Wish me luck.

Reward

Today I was reading Leigh Ann's post about rewards and decided that I need to promise myself a good reward for following through on this draft. As I was typing out my comment on her post, I realized just how long it's been since I've finished a rough draft. The vast majority of the novels I've started over the years have been just that, started. Most of them (that even get from outline stage to first draft stage) just sort of fizzle out after 20 to 40k and I decide I need to move on because I have a better idea. But consequently I've been robbing myself of the experiences of finishing and polishing manuscripts. So, no matter what I end up thinking about my current novel idea when I hit 20 or 40k, this time I'm going to keep going, I'm going to finish the plot, and I'm going to revise it at least once before I let myself think about trunking it.

The reward for a finished first draft shall be a Kindle Fire, I really want one!

Deadline

I've been pushing my estimated start date back as it looks like I just won't be ready. New estimated start date is May 15th. However, I've decided to give myself a deadline of June 20th, the summer solstice here, to be the latest estimated start date I'll be allowed to make. Not that I think I'm pushing it back for the wrong reasons, but I could use the extra little threat to keep myself working hard.

Writing friends

KazNo may have been a bust, but through it I made a writing friend in Jani.Between doing some beta work for Jani and hitting the gym hard, I haven't spent toooo much of my free time on the outline between yesterday and today, but now that Jani is set for the moment, it's back to the outline for me. One thing that's been inspiring me to outline is this post by Rachel Aaron, who is very much in the plotter camp. I'm taking some advice from her method, and between that and the awesome features of Scrivener, my writing process is evolving into something that should work well for me.

Joke's on me maybe!

It's April 2nd and I'm not writing yet, I've still got so much I want to plan out. I decided a while ago that outlining was how I was going to write this one, so if I stop outlining now and dive in I'll probably be repeating the past instead of making progress. I think I might revise my goal to: finish outline in April and be ready to write on May 1st. It's not as fun as being able to write with a bunch of other people for Karen Mahoney's KazNo, but I think it may be the right call.

Ready, set, go!

I'm starting this blog because I finally have a novel idea that I'm ready to commit to. Writing here will keep me honest about my progress and give me something to look back on when I'm curious about my up's and down's later.

This blog is mostly for my own purposes, and to let my friends follow along with my progress, but feel free to comment if you want. :)

My plan is to start my novel on April 1st, what a joke, eh? ;)

Digital Art Commissions

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to draw your characters. When you commission me you will receive two files per drawing. One will be a size appropriate for the internet and the other will be a high resolution file which you can use for printing if you wish to make merchandise using my art. I love supporting authors and so I allow you to use my art for promoting your books.

Here are some things you should know:

I accept digital art commissions on original characters only (you must own the copyright so no fan art). I won't do nude commissions or anything I find offensive.

To begin the commission process, leave an e-mail address in the comments here and I'll e-mail you with the subject line "Bridget Shepherd Digital Art Commission" and I'll delete the comment so your e-mail address isn't just sitting here.

My base price is $20.00 US for a portrait such as these seen below. More complex pieces will take longer and more effort and therefore have an additional cost. I accept "Verified" paypal payments only.

see more examples of my work at http://bridgetshepherd.deviantart.com/

I'll do my very best to create the sort of image you want but I don't give refunds. No one has ever asked for one but I want to make that clear anyway.

Bridget Shepherd is my pen name. The name on my paypal account is my legal name. If you commission me you must agree not to share my legal name with others unless I authorize you to. I like my privacy.

Thank you for your consideration!