I highly recommend not working on book 2 or 3 of DE until you sell the first one because you will make so many more changes to the first one with an agent and editor. Also, there is no guarantee you will be able to sell 2 and 3 as many publishers are hesitant to pay for a series until there is proof the first one will sell copies, especially for a debut, so I would recommend querying the first book as tho it can stand alone but that it could become a series and then brainstorm how it would look as just a duology and also as a trilogy as sometimes publishers will only buy a second book but not the third. I’m not sure how much research you have done about the inside of traditional publishing but I HIGHLY recommend finding traditionally published authors on TikTok and TH-cam to hear how it goes so you’re going into it with the right mindset to set you up for success. I don’t say this to be annoying, but because I have many many friends that are traditionally published authors and there is so much to know besides how to write a book if you want traditional publishing success. If you aren’t already following Liselle Sambury and Lindsay Puckett and Michelle Schusterman here on TH-cam, please do. Even some of Alexa Donnes old videos are a great start.
@@SaraLubratt I think @LauraWrites is correct about editor changes, but JK Rowling had an outline and a plan for the HP series before she wrote book one and she was able to change things along the way. Maybe getting your ideas out of your head into an outline will free up your mind to focus on other projects while you are working on publishing book one.
@@rockywhisperingasmr721 its sad you feel the need to bring up the worst author to ever live to try and support Sara. Try someone nice, like Terry Pratchett.
@@rockywhisperingasmr721 I totally get that. I just personally wish we'd just erase her name from the community so she can stop being relevant forever. Sorry about the phrasing. Came off harsh. Bad at tone.
I’m just starting my writing journey at 30years old. I have no experience with writing and never went to school for it. I’ve always done different art things and I’m (not to brag) but pretty dang good at crafting, painting, clay, drawing. I’ve always known I wanted to create my own thing but never knew what that meant until a few weeks ago. I decided I want to be an author and create my own world. I want to create something that other people want to collect and learn more about. And actually, your channel was one of the things that really inspired me. So thank you 🙏
Ahhh, so happy to hear your progress! ♡ Even though you weren't able to write every day, it's still impressive how much you got done 🥹 All the best for the rest of the year!
I feel like I've accomplished something huge, I finished draft 6 of my second novel and it is currently with my editor, which is so exciting! I started working on a pretty fun side project, but very dark (I write horror). I'm an indie author, so I am on my own timeline, not worried about querying, but the deadline for book 2 is coming up soon and I am so excited and nervous to send out ARCs once it is ready. I love the color coding you do, I wish I was that organized but not yet, you've sparked my brain though!
Honestly thank you for this, as someone in the worst writing slump she's ever been the first 6 months of the year I need to hear someone else's really good editing and drafting numbers to motivate me 😅2023 I spit out a first draft in 6 months and then I started uni and it's all gone downhill- within the next 6 months I hope to get the first draft of my project HTWWE close to being complete
That's a great idea, to track your writing/editing time and on which projects. Nice to have a visual snapshot of your progress. Congrats and well done! On my end, I'm six chapters, 23 pages, and 8,407 words into my WIP, Project LB. Between journalling, drafting a personal essay, blogging, and starting Project LB, 2024 is shaping up to be my year of writing :)
You're so organized! I don't use a lot of spreadsheets, so this is impressive to me haha. It's so exciting that you're so close to querying. I need to start writing all of my ideas down. I have a bad habit of keeping them in my head (saying I'll circle back to them) and then forget. 😅
That is really cool that you track your work in such an organized way. I traveled a lot also in May and June and can see my progress slowed because of it. I'm very excited to get back into long spurts of deep dive working in July. All the best as you wrap up draft seven! Your other projects sound really cool as well!
I should start tracking time too. I track word count (I always put each draft in a new doc so I can still see the word count climb as I go) but some days I have to brainstorm or do research or whatever so then the word count doesn't change much. I'm curious to know how much time I spend doing it though
I know... but very needed, didn't finish drafts 4 or 5 completely so it could be 5 drafts depending on how you look at it, I'll do a whole video breaking it down
Your progress has been so inspiring to watch! As for me, I'm still working on editing draft 4 of my fantasy novel. I did fall off the wagon in May & June due to illness, trying to submit a short story somewhere, and other stuff, but I'm diving back into the editing trenches during July! I'm hoping to query sometime in August, but if need be, I can push that back to September or October. Fingers crossed for us both!
I liked hearing about where you are on your writing journey and how you track your work. Draft seven is impressive. I do not think I have ever done a piece of writing where I put in more than two or possibly three drafts. I do not think I have the patience for that. I am sure that your careful drafting and rewriting will pay off for you.
I’m going to make a video at somepoint about what I did in each of the seven drafts, but it probably could have been about 4 lol. But it’s my first book that’s come this far, it’s a learning experience!!
Oh interesting! I’m kinda hoping the same happens for me! I’m hopeful that I did so much worldbuilding for the first book that that will speed up the process for the following books but we’ll see!
Good morning, Sara and happy 1st day of July. I've missed seeing you and watching your vlogs, so I was happy to see this new one and hear about what you've been up to lately with draft 7 of DE, not to mention another project that you've started brainstorming. I guess great minds think alike because I have to with a children's book about a fox and his adventures in the meadows. Have a lovely day and happy editing or hiking today. ❤
I'm an engineer so essentially my life is excel, therefore i must ask, you are using conditional formatting for your colour coding right?? And doesn't look like you have time format in your time spent column hence not allowing you to sum up your column for a total? Unsolicited advice I know, but my excel brain is twitching XD
i thought you're writing every single day, every single awake hours lol im not a writer but i love watching authortube. so im confused lol. do you have a full time day job? is that why tou had like 15 minutes of writing for some days?
I do a lot of things other than write (but I hope someday I’ll be a full time author). I do a lot of freelancing and that comes in waves. I also take time to workout and be outside and I take time for my family. Creativity is a muscle but some days I only have the energy for 15 min or none and sometimes I can do 4 hours. I try to capitalize on the big days when I get them :)
@@SaraLubratt got it!! I love your hiking videos on IG! V motivational!! And I totally get the creativity being a muscle. Some days I can't make any art at all, some days I will make 3 pieces back to back
Everyone writes at different speeds! And even then, sometimes the same people can write a lot and sometimes only a little. Sometimes I only get 100 words and sometimes I get 2,000 :) creativity is a muscle but even if you’re getting 500 or so words a day consistently, you’re gonna finish that book!
I highly recommend not working on book 2 or 3 of DE until you sell the first one because you will make so many more changes to the first one with an agent and editor. Also, there is no guarantee you will be able to sell 2 and 3 as many publishers are hesitant to pay for a series until there is proof the first one will sell copies, especially for a debut, so I would recommend querying the first book as tho it can stand alone but that it could become a series and then brainstorm how it would look as just a duology and also as a trilogy as sometimes publishers will only buy a second book but not the third. I’m not sure how much research you have done about the inside of traditional publishing but I HIGHLY recommend finding traditionally published authors on TikTok and TH-cam to hear how it goes so you’re going into it with the right mindset to set you up for success. I don’t say this to be annoying, but because I have many many friends that are traditionally published authors and there is so much to know besides how to write a book if you want traditional publishing success. If you aren’t already following Liselle Sambury and Lindsay Puckett and Michelle Schusterman here on TH-cam, please do. Even some of Alexa Donnes old videos are a great start.
Yup :) I’ve done research. Book 1 could be sold as a standalone but I still want to get my potential outlines down. I appreciate your comments
@@SaraLubratt I think @LauraWrites is correct about editor changes, but JK Rowling had an outline and a plan for the HP series before she wrote book one and she was able to change things along the way. Maybe getting your ideas out of your head into an outline will free up your mind to focus on other projects while you are working on publishing book one.
@@rockywhisperingasmr721 its sad you feel the need to bring up the worst author to ever live to try and support Sara. Try someone nice, like Terry Pratchett.
@@wallacejames221 I was just making the point that outlining the series is something that Rowling did. Pratchett is a great model too.
@@rockywhisperingasmr721 I totally get that. I just personally wish we'd just erase her name from the community so she can stop being relevant forever. Sorry about the phrasing. Came off harsh. Bad at tone.
I’m just starting my writing journey at 30years old. I have no experience with writing and never went to school for it. I’ve always done different art things and I’m (not to brag) but pretty dang good at crafting, painting, clay, drawing. I’ve always known I wanted to create my own thing but never knew what that meant until a few weeks ago. I decided I want to be an author and create my own world. I want to create something that other people want to collect and learn more about. And actually, your channel was one of the things that really inspired me. So thank you 🙏
Your videos have a very certain vibe- a positive, hopeful, artistic vibe. Sometimes I just need that feeling, so thanks for the videos.
Aw thank you!! ☺️
Oooh love the color coding with the shades of green!! I feel like that’d be so satisfying lol
I think it's so fun! And it makes me want to work harder for the darker greens lol
Ahhh, so happy to hear your progress! ♡ Even though you weren't able to write every day, it's still impressive how much you got done 🥹 All the best for the rest of the year!
Thank you so much!!
I feel like I've accomplished something huge, I finished draft 6 of my second novel and it is currently with my editor, which is so exciting! I started working on a pretty fun side project, but very dark (I write horror). I'm an indie author, so I am on my own timeline, not worried about querying, but the deadline for book 2 is coming up soon and I am so excited and nervous to send out ARCs once it is ready. I love the color coding you do, I wish I was that organized but not yet, you've sparked my brain though!
Honestly thank you for this, as someone in the worst writing slump she's ever been the first 6 months of the year I need to hear someone else's really good editing and drafting numbers to motivate me 😅2023 I spit out a first draft in 6 months and then I started uni and it's all gone downhill- within the next 6 months I hope to get the first draft of my project HTWWE close to being complete
Being in college/uni is no joke and totally kills creativity/time for creating. Don’t be too hard on yourself, the motivation will come back :)
That's a great idea, to track your writing/editing time and on which projects. Nice to have a visual snapshot of your progress. Congrats and well done!
On my end, I'm six chapters, 23 pages, and 8,407 words into my WIP, Project LB. Between journalling, drafting a personal essay, blogging, and starting Project LB, 2024 is shaping up to be my year of writing :)
You're so organized! I don't use a lot of spreadsheets, so this is impressive to me haha. It's so exciting that you're so close to querying. I need to start writing all of my ideas down. I have a bad habit of keeping them in my head (saying I'll circle back to them) and then forget. 😅
Oh no that's the worst! Definitely write your ideas down!!
That is really cool that you track your work in such an organized way. I traveled a lot also in May and June and can see my progress slowed because of it. I'm very excited to get back into long spurts of deep dive working in July. All the best as you wrap up draft seven! Your other projects sound really cool as well!
You got this!
I should start tracking time too. I track word count (I always put each draft in a new doc so I can still see the word count climb as I go) but some days I have to brainstorm or do research or whatever so then the word count doesn't change much. I'm curious to know how much time I spend doing it though
draft 7!! 😮💨
I know... but very needed, didn't finish drafts 4 or 5 completely so it could be 5 drafts depending on how you look at it, I'll do a whole video breaking it down
@@SaraLubratt excellent!
Your progress has been so inspiring to watch! As for me, I'm still working on editing draft 4 of my fantasy novel. I did fall off the wagon in May & June due to illness, trying to submit a short story somewhere, and other stuff, but I'm diving back into the editing trenches during July! I'm hoping to query sometime in August, but if need be, I can push that back to September or October. Fingers crossed for us both!
Oooooooh a palate cleanser! Happy time!
:)
Omg I was about to watch one of your older uploads while I put away groceries, but you updated while I was gone!! What a lovely surprise 😂
☺️☺️☺️
I've spending the last 6 months planning my fantasy project between classes. Im almost done writing my latest short story/novella.
That's awesome!! Good luck and happy writing!
I liked hearing about where you are on your writing journey and how you track your work. Draft seven is impressive. I do not think I have ever done a piece of writing where I put in more than two or possibly three drafts. I do not think I have the patience for that. I am sure that your careful drafting and rewriting will pay off for you.
I’m going to make a video at somepoint about what I did in each of the seven drafts, but it probably could have been about 4 lol. But it’s my first book that’s come this far, it’s a learning experience!!
Morning from Hawaii wow you did good in your writing for 6 month and love your goal for 2024
Thanks!
I'm excited to see how the plotting for the next two books go. I'm not a plotter either though I've done more and more the more books I write.
Oh interesting! I’m kinda hoping the same happens for me! I’m hopeful that I did so much worldbuilding for the first book that that will speed up the process for the following books but we’ll see!
Good morning, Sara and happy 1st day of July. I've missed seeing you and watching your vlogs, so I was happy to see this new one and hear about what you've been up to lately with draft 7 of DE, not to mention another project that you've started brainstorming. I guess great minds think alike because I have to with a children's book about a fox and his adventures in the meadows. Have a lovely day and happy editing or hiking today. ❤
Sounds like a great story! 💕
@@SaraLubratt Thank you for saying that and I appreciate it. I also can't wait to buy your project DE book when it comes out. ❤
It's always nice to have a pallet cleanser between books. Have you ever thought about writing the first draft for books 2 & 3 back to back?
That’s sorta what I’m thinking! But I will also give myself space to make that decision based on how I’m feeling closer to that point :)
@@SaraLubratt Sounds like a good plan.
I'm an engineer so essentially my life is excel, therefore i must ask, you are using conditional formatting for your colour coding right?? And doesn't look like you have time format in your time spent column hence not allowing you to sum up your column for a total? Unsolicited advice I know, but my excel brain is twitching XD
Beta reader read the first 19 chapters** the first day she had it (not pages, oops)
i thought you're writing every single day, every single awake hours lol im not a writer but i love watching authortube. so im confused lol. do you have a full time day job? is that why tou had like 15 minutes of writing for some days?
I do a lot of things other than write (but I hope someday I’ll be a full time author). I do a lot of freelancing and that comes in waves. I also take time to workout and be outside and I take time for my family. Creativity is a muscle but some days I only have the energy for 15 min or none and sometimes I can do 4 hours. I try to capitalize on the big days when I get them :)
@@SaraLubratt got it!! I love your hiking videos on IG! V motivational!! And I totally get the creativity being a muscle. Some days I can't make any art at all, some days I will make 3 pieces back to back
I’ve never wrote 3000 words or more a day. I’m lucky to get 1000.
Everyone writes at different speeds! And even then, sometimes the same people can write a lot and sometimes only a little. Sometimes I only get 100 words and sometimes I get 2,000 :) creativity is a muscle but even if you’re getting 500 or so words a day consistently, you’re gonna finish that book!