22 April 2008
Written by Amy
Published on April 22nd, 2008 @ 08:24:11 pm, using 182 words, 242 views
Editing.
One of the things that has to be done to every writer’s manuscript. To take it from diamond in the rough to that jewel that it was in the mind of the writer.
When I first sat down to write this, I was trying to prove something - to myself, to the world - that I could indeed write a novel, write it well and write it on a given timeline. The first draft is long done, and having walked away from it to concentrate on other things - short fiction, photography, life in general - I finally have come back to it, and with a more firm grasp of both Jonathan’s character and the direction the novel should take. This revision is something I’ve wanted to do, but haven’t felt able to do for almost a year. I don’t have anything left to prove to myself. I know I can write, I know I can get this done. Now I just have to give the muses their full voice in the story - the way it was intended to be.
02 March 2008
Written by Amy
Published on March 2nd, 2008 @ 10:49:13 am, using 58 words, 212 views
So, BookExpo America. May 29. Los Angeles.
Do you think that could have worked out any worse for me? It’s one of the huge events in the writing world - a place to reach out and make contacts with agents and…
To steal a quote from Jon - life is kicking me in the (figurative) nuts right now.
22 February 2008
Written by Amy
Published on February 22nd, 2008 @ 12:23:50 pm, using 129 words, 147 views
Yes. Today is the day the site officially goes live. It’s been up and running since the 20th, but today is the day I intended to set it on the rest of the world. It’s at about 90% completed. Of course, I manage to run into that problem of forgetting that I was working on local copies of the files, and the links all pointed to my hard drive. 
Well, a quick search and replace later and it’s all fixed.
I’ve been working on this site for almost a year now, and to finally have it up and running is a bit of a relief. To have it up and running successfully with the proper CSS files and everything, even more of a relief.
Off to do more work.
20 February 2008
Written by Amy
Published on February 20th, 2008 @ 06:27:00 am, using 350 words, 181 views
Did you ever have a dream?
One that stayed with you long after you woke up?
One that was clear and almost movie-like in what you saw?
If you’ve ever had a dream like that, you then have an idea of where I found the inspiration for where the novel that fuels this website comes from.
It was well over a decade ago that I was inspired to jot down the idea that came from that dream, and would eventually turn into Down From Above. Life took me in several divergent directions over the intervening years, and eventually the story took a back burner. It took my husband, in one of our many moves over the last decade, finding, what was at the time, the first three chapters, and asking me why I had not ever finished this.
After some discussion it was decided, and I took my husband up on his offer (which I’m sure he regrets now 
) that I should write the novel. With just a beginning and end in hand, I sat down and began to carve out the basis of the story. I set the goal of 150000 words, and to get it done within 365 days (just the first draft). Why a full length novel in a year? Because, if I didn’t write every day, there was a good chance I’d get discouraged when the block hit, and give up. If we all waited until inspiration struck, nothing would ever get written.
Did I meet my goal? Yes, 148,000 words in 11 months 1 day for the first draft. Since then, I’ve been refining the draft and am working on the publishing process.
I’ve had some good friends who have stuck through me on this process, and the work I’m doing trying to get this book published. Who have been incredible cheerleaders and helpers who, without them, I no doubt would have fallen into that trap of giving up when the going got tough. There are not enough thanks in the world that I can give them.
So, welcome to that little corner of the web dedicated to my dream.
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