Hello everyone! I've been back for a week now, but I've been extremely busy with catching up. And now at last I can catch up with you. I am extremely happy to announce that I am a married woman now! I've dealt with all the paperwork to have my name changed, so if you see Richardson on my social media that's why. As for the blog, I have to decide what I want to do. I may discuss it with some fellow authors and ask them for their thoughts. But don't you worry, whatever changes are on the way they're positive!
As for the wedding, it was a beautiful event! We had a small ceremony and then a reception afterwards, and both turned out great. My dress was actually more comfortable than I thought it would be. If you've been following along on instagram I've been posting lots of pictures.
Marriage is a new adventure in many ways. It has me thinking a lot about marriage and romance for my current and future books. Up until this month I hadn't known what it was like to be married. How something as simple as your last name changing can be hard to get used to. How something like marrying the person you love brings new joy into your life. So now when I write about weddings and marriage in my books I can add more to it than I ever could before. I don't have to imagine or judge off of what I know. I have the experience to back it up too.
Now that I've been away for so long I am so eager to start writing more for Clara and Claire. Tonight it looks like I'll get an earlier start than usual. I have a lot of new ideas, but first I need to refresh my mind on what I wrote before the wedding. I'm currently at 53k, and if I want to finish this novel by the end of December I have a lot of work ahead of me.
In regards to the holidays quickly approaching, you'll be hearing a lot more about the Magicians series. I want to do an ebook giveaway in December, as well as offer a discount on my books. If you live in the Maryland area you can purchase the books directly from me at a discounted price. The honest truth is books make wonderful gifts. I loved waking up on Christmas morning and having books to open. And I know many of you have friends and family who are like this too. And if you're struggling with finances this holiday season let's talk it out --who knows maybe Santa will surprise you! Either way, I want to give back to the reading community. I'll be sharing more info at the start of December.
Before I return to writing, I also want to congratulate all the Nano winners out there this year! You did it -50k in a month! While I couldn't participate I can't wait to join in on the fun next year. In the meantime I have a lot of writing to catch up on.
Today I have cleaned, done laundry, packed, and even managed to write another 1k. (Total word count is at 53k now!) I wanted to post again today as a reminder of the time period I will be gone. My wedding is tomorrow (23 hours to go!), and for the remainder of this weekend I'll be very busy. There's the reception, and then the honeymoon starts on Sunday. So unfortunately I won't be posting until I come back. I also won't be writing while I'm away (unless there's something I think of and jot down) until I return. This is why I've been saying December will be my catch up month.
So from tomorrow, November 13th, to Monday, November 23rd, I will be away from the blog. When I return I promise to post and share some pictures, but until then I'll be away. I also won't be posting on social media during this time either --we won't have access to the internet on our honeymoon. You can of course leave comments on the blog or email me, and I'll respond as quickly as I can to everything once I come back.
Thank you so much to everyone for understanding. It's a very exciting weekend, and I am looking forward to sharing the wonderful memories with you. Also can't wait to finish Clara and Claire when I come back, but more on that later.
Enjoy your weekends -this is the last you'll hear from me until I return! :)
(And when I return... I'll have a new last name too! Lots of changes, but all for the best.) Lindsey R. Sablowski
I'm a little late on posting this on the blog, but I reached 50k three days ago. One of the first big milestones I wanted to reach with Clara and Claire was 50k, and it's rewarding to see that I made it there and am going further.
While it is NaNoWriMo month I haven't been able to participate officially. November is already flying by for me, and it is going to be a very busy month. I'll be away for the next week --I leave on Sunday. I'm trying to sneak at least 1k today and tomorrow before this weekend starts.
So while 50k isn't my 85k end goal, it's progress. I've been working hard to get back on schedule after falling off of it for a while. My writing app (originally called WritingJournal), Wordly, has been helping tremendously. I use it every day with each time that I write, and I've been tracking my progress. Hopefully at the end of this novel I can share some of that data with you guys.
I might not be at the word count I had wanted to be at last month (which was around 60k), but I'm closing in on it. If I can stick with my schedule I'm certain I can finish the entire novel in December. Currently I am writing chapter 20, and I have a lot of ideas as I near in on the (last) remaining 20k (or more). If there's a lot left to tell in the story, I'm not afraid to go past the 85k. The most important part is just finishing the novel, then I'll worry about revisions and how ready it is for publication.
Unfortunately this is shorter than I usually would like my posts to be. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know where I am in the novel before my time away. I plan to share more details about the novel and the creation process upon my return. I'll also be posting once more tomorrow before the start of the weekend. That post will just be a reminder of the time period of which I'll be away on the cruise. When I return I'll share lots of pictures and get to work on finishing out the novel.
In the meantime as always if you want more daily updates visit my Instagram page. Also, I'm thinking of starting an author page on Facebook, so I can post daily on there as well. Sadly I can't post anything relating to Clara and Claire on CWP's Facebook page. Who knows, though, with the holidays coming up maybe I'll do a mash up between the two novels just for fun.
Thank you to everyone for their ongoing support. I know waiting on an author to write the novel isn't nearly as exciting as publication day. Or just the publication process in general. But don't worry we'll get there with this book too. Lindsey R. Sablowski
Why write a novel in 30 days? The idea of writing an entire novel (or at least 50k of it) in 30 days sounds crazy. You might be a little crazy just thinking about it. October has been a hectic month for me, and now with my wedding two weeks away, time is even going by quicker. Despite time working against me (when it comes to blogging and writing as of late), I didn't want to miss out on writing this post before the start of November.
I'm here to tell you why I think writing a novel in 30 days could be the best decision you've made. And if you've already made the decision, I'm here to remind you why.
A photo posted by Lindsey Sablowski (@lindseysablowski) on
For nearly 7 years now I've participated in NaNo. Every November I've decided on a novel, announced it, and dedicated the entire month to it. Many times, especially in my early years, I failed terribly. 50k seemed like so much! I wondered if it was impossible for me to accomplish, and it was something only truly experienced writers could do. That's not the case. NaNo is actually the perfect exercise for your brain and your writing craft. The past four years of NaNo my novels have consisted of everything following Cursed With Power. Shadows and Embers was titled "Punished With Destiny" at the time when I wrote it for NaNo, and Thicker Than Blood was never "officially" completed in time because I submitted the novel past midnight. (Serves me right for not setting myself multiple reminders.) Last year, in 2014 I finally officially won with Bloodline Inheritance. I had already written some of the novel before the challenge, and NaNo helped me finish. After November I focused on edits and revisions. It was what finally pushed me to the edge and reminded me why I needed to finish my novel. I think it was honestly what helped me release the book in the normal timeframe that I do.
I've heard a lot of different ideas about NaNo. Some writers are against it; they think it forces too much out of a writer. And I can understand their view on that. Honestly I think the starting years of NaNo are the hardest. They challenge you in a way you're not used to, and the only person you have to hold yourself accountable is... yourself. It's scary, and 30 days feels like 2 days by the time you're finished. I say this because I'm the kind of writer that doesn't push myself to the extreme every day. I write at night, usually very late. The most I've done lately is nearly 5k in one night. I'm happy just to reach 10k in a week. And I consider this schedule I have for myself and the word count I manage to accomplish to be actually very forgiving compared to what my other writing friends do. Some writers can crank out 20k in a day. I just don't have the energy or time for that when I cannot write full-time. Nights or days when I'm off of work are my time to catch up.
You're right to think that NaNo isn't for everyone. For some it will be too demanding and frustrating. However, I will say I think you should give it a chance. I've done it every year for the past six years, and I don't regret anything. My very first year I wrote my entire novel on a typewriter -oh, what a mistake! But it's a learning process, and it's a challenge that has a lot to offer if you can stay dedicated to your goals. There are so many ways to succeed, and there's so many people, blogs, and advice on the internet to help you. There's word count charts of how many words you need to write each day to make it to 50k. It's not impossible, and even if you fail your first year or for a couple years... It's not winning that matters. Winning is to share with your friends and family, to show them that for 30 days you dedicated yourself completely to your novel. It's something to share and be proud of, and you have every right. It's something to learn from and to help others with in the future. What you take from this experience can help others in future years. It might not change the type of writer you are instantly, but it will help you grow. It will help you weed out the bad novel ideas and find the good ones. It will make you thankful for the other months in the year where there's no time limit.
I've written novels in 30 days because I love the stories behind NaNo and the writers making it a success. Through the failures and successes, everyone comes out in December a little different from where they were in November.
As I've mentioned previously I won't officially be doing NaNo this year due to my wedding and honeymoon. October hasn't been as successful as I wanted it to be, but December will be my NaNo month. I still have my own deadlines to work with, and by the end of December I do want to be finished with the first draft of Clara and Claire. But don't worry November is still a month I plan on writing as much as I can before November 13th (wedding day!). I'll be sharing my progress and cheering for those of you joining in on the madness this year.
So if you're doing NaNo this year, tell me, what's your novel? Share below in the comments; I can't wait to hear your ideas!
I'm excited to share the first sneak peek of Clara and Claire. First off I want to thank everyone who's been supporting me through this journey. I meant to post this earlier, but better late than never. After this post I'll be writing for the remainder of the night, but feel free to comment with your thoughts and questions.
In case you haven't read what Clara and Claire is about, here's the working summary:
Clara Nasso witnesses an illegal act of magic the night of her 20th birthday. The following morning two lives are changed forever. Claire Kanelos, the daughter of the head councilor, disappears. That same day Clara is kidnapped by a Council member and taken to the island of Ninmay. The island rumored to be filled with rich and powerful mages proves to consist of liars and mysteries. Disturbing facts are brought to light, and Clara realizes the resemblance she shares with the missing woman. She hesitantly agrees to stay for one night, playing the role of Claire. She meets Ezra, the only person who seems true to his word. He promises to be held responsible for her return home. However, can Clara ever leave when secrets are unraveled with each passing day? Might a killer walk freely and she be the key to Claire's survival?
Now as for the sneak peek... Here's a look into chapter three, and this comes directly from the book (no editing; just solely written as it is). It's possible in the coming months, especially when I finish the book, that this will change or alter slightly. Regardless, I hope this will give you a feel for the book.
What do you think? Are you excited to read more, and are you wondering what's happened to Claire? The entire novel is told from Clara's narration as she (and the readers) try to solve the mystery.
As I've mentioned before the book is expected to release sometime in 2016. December and January I still plan on writing -and should be nearing the completion of the first draft. So probably later in the year I will release the book. In the meantime I can't wait to hear your thoughts. I'll be posting more little snippets and quotes from the book on Instagram.
And since you're here, I've decided on the live Q&A. It will be live on Twitter (and probably Instagram too), and I'll post more about it tomorrow. My Twitter username is @LindseyReneeS and I'll be answering questions about writing, publishing, and more. Can't wait to hear from you!
The past several months I've been purposely keeping a lot about Clara and Claire a secret to my readers. Honestly, though, I've been dying to share something more about the book. The scariest part is that this is a new novel, a standalone, and after finishing the Magicians series... I want it to be amazing. I have to put a lot more work into this book than I already have, and it's scary knowing that -and also kind of thrilling. When I asked on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about if people wanted to see a sneak peek... The responses motivated me even more!
A photo posted by Lindsey Sablowski (@lindseysablowski) on
So now that I'm feeling more confident and more convinced to share, I have an announcement to make. (And yes, I decided tonight at the last minute that I was ready to share it.) Tomorrow the sneak peek for Clara and Claire will be posted on my social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google + etc.... you name it, and it will be there. I'm eager to hear your feedback, and if you want to join in on the excitement you can use the hashtag #WhereIsClaire or #ClaraAndClaire. Though I'm not even at the halfway mark of the book yet, I am dying to share something bigger than single quotes with you. And as always I'll be asking for your feedback throughout the day.
Part of writing Clara and Claire has been facing my fears as a writer and overcoming them. It's been realizing that no matter how many published books are under your name, you still can keep learning and improving. This novel may be my hardest challenge yet, and I still miss my characters from the Magicians series dearly. Every now and then they still carry on conversations in my head. Regardless, I am eager to show something more to you, so that you can start asking yourself more about the novel. Where is Claire and where has she gone? I won't reveal the secrets in this novel -and there are many-but I selected an intense short scene for tomorrow's sneak peek.
Later on this week I'll probably be hosting a general Q&A, so start preparing your answers. I'll most likely have the date decided by tomorrow. I need to find out if I'll be taking off on Friday, so I can have the opportunity to answer your questions. Whether it be about publishing, writing, or specific books in general... I'm open to it all. Cat questions? I will answer those too! I'll be returning with the official date for the Q&A shortly.
In the meantime get ready... A mystery is ready to fall into your hands. Can you solve what really happened to Claire? Lindsey R. Sablowski
Even though it's 12:45 while I'm writing this post, I still wanted to get in my end of the month post. September has been a great month for me, and especially has been great for my writing. I just can't believe how quickly it ended.
With October starting I have a lot of work ahead of me, but also so huge moments in my life to be excited for. First off, let's talk about everything in terms of writing. As far as my work with Clara and Claire I am currently 24k into the novel. This puts me at 28% done in terms of reaching my end goal. I still have a lot of work to do with the novel, and if anything I've learned to take it slow and not try to jump to far ahead of myself. I have so many ideas for this book, but don't worry I've been noting them down as I go. As I mentioned in a previous post, September was my breakthrough month. I've gotten more accomplished in this month than July or August. This month had truthfully been my start on the novel. No more obsessive planning to the point where I'm not excited anymore. No more excuses to not write. Every night at 9pm it's writing time --unless plans intervene. Scheduling time to write has proven to be very rewarding.
Already I am looking at this novel and thinking, "I can't wait to shop for covers. I can't wait to see this book in print." There is so much in the future that I am excited for. But right now everything is focused on finishing the book. The writing group I am a part of has a goal to have their books finished by October 31st. I would love if I could also reach this goal. That way at least my first draft would be complete, but I'm also not rushing myself. Almost every night I try to write at least 1k, and while that's not a lot, some nights it surprises me how much it feels like. Especially on nights when I'm not in the mood to write at first.
As for the Magicians series, I am planning to do something special for Christmas and just winter in general. There's so many holidays coming up, and I will share more about it when I have the details. In the meantime thank you so much to everyone who has supported and continues to support the series. Don't forget we're so close to reaching the 350 like goal on the Facebook page.
Finally, I have something related to my personal life that is very close to happening now. My wedding will be on November 13th. So now that October is beginning it is only a month away, and I am beyond thrilled for the big day. I'll be posting a countdown on the sidebar for you to keep track with me if you'd like. November will definitely be a big life-changing month, and sadly I don't know if I can realistically compete in NaNoWriMo. I might still register my novel and say I am, but I wouldn't expect to reach the 50k goal. With the wedding and honeymoon, there will simply be too much time away from home for me to focus on my writing. And by the end of November is Thanksgiving, so who knows how much I'll really get done during that month. That's why October is a huge month for my writing. To me October might as well be Nano because I need to get as much writing done as possible.
Ideally I want to reach 30k by the end of this weekend, and by the end of October I hope to be nearing 60k or more. That would make me more than halfway done with my novel. So keep your fingers crossed that all goes well and stays to the plan. If not, no worries I know I can catch up in December. But how awesome would it be to make it that far in October? There's no limits except for time and my mental state. So I'll keep writing away as much as I can!
Now that you have an idea of what the next three months will look like, comment below with your plans. What do you plan to accomplish before the end of the year? (And man is it coming up quick too!)
Good night,
After almost a two month wait, I want to finally share the details about my new novel. As I mentioned in my last post, I've purposely kept the details of it very vague. A lot of work has already gone into this novel, and there is a very long road ahead of me. This novel will either be a stand alone or have a sequel. For right now I'm viewing it as a stand alone. (Though you know I can't resist the urge to write a sequel... so we'll see how it ends.)
The unofficial summary
Clara Nasso witnesses an illegal act of magic the night of her 20th birthday.
The following morning two lives are changed forever. Claire Kanelos, the daughter of the head councilor, disappears. That same day Clara is kidnapped by a Council member and taken to the island of Ninmay. The island rumored to be filled with rich and powerful mages proves to consist of liars and mysteries.
Disturbing facts are brought to light, and Clara realizes the resemblance she shares with the missing woman. She hesitantly agrees to stay for one night, playing the role of Claire.
She meets Ezra, the only person who seems true to his word. He promises to be held responsible for her return home. However, can Clara ever leave when secrets are unraveled with each passing day? Might a killer walk freely and she be the key to Claire's survival?
That's the working summary for now, though I am certain it will change come closer to publication. My initial thoughts with this novel was that I wanted it to focus more on the story and mystery aspects. Everyone on the islands have magic, and the world itself is entirely fictional. (That's what I've been having the most fun with.) This time around, though, the magic is being kept subtle and is simply a part of these people's lives.
In terms of word count for the end of this novel, my goal is at least 85k (currently). Tonight I reached 14k, so I'm only 17% of the way there. If you want to see my daily progress I've been updating Instagram frequently, so be sure to stop by and check out my photos. While I definitely have a lot of work cut out for me, it's slowly coming together (and much faster than when I tried to start last month). As for a release timeline, I have since 2012 been releasing a book each year. This book, if all goes according to plan, will be releasing sometime in 2016.
What do you think about Clara and Claire? You can follow along the discussion on social media using #ClaraAndClaire. Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts on this new novel? I can't wait to hear your opinion.
.jpg)
