I’m officially into my second draft of “Murder at the Bathhouse”. And I’m discovering new ways to procrastinate.
Don’t get me wrong. I like the book. I like what I have written, and sometimes surprise myself with how good some of the dialog and scenes are. That said, during my first draft I discovered I was a pantser. I like to write and see where it goes without a formal plan.
Now, in second draft, that needs to change. I’ve gone through every scene, making notes, and getting organized. Second draft is all about organization (at least for me). Figuring out what works in the story, what needs to change, where things need to be tightened up, and what needs to be cut. Once I get the structure solid, then I can begin the actual draft work. Some days I feel more organized, and some days I don’t.
So anyway, how am I procrastinating? I’m working on my website, updating and fixing some things here. I’m getting some new graphics and art. I’m researching book marketing and publishing practices, sifting out the wheat from the chaff.
I’ve built a newsletter signup form, and plan to start sharing updates sporadically. I hope to keep those updates to just once a month until we get close to the release date. Then there will be an uptick for a while in postings. If I get spammy, please let me know. Your time is valuable, and I want to respect that.
I’m also working on the book cover for the book. I think having something to visualize at this point will help me focus. There’s a great cover design company that I’ve met with, and shared my vision. But they’re the experts at covers. I’m a novice. So I’m going to see what they come up with, help sharpen what they put together, but generally trust that they know what will work best.
Once the cover is ready, I’ll share it here. Stay tuned, and feel free to sign up to my newsletter if you want to know when the cover is done.