Karleen Koen

Today, my editor and I agreed the book is to go to copyediting. There are 2 small points she'd like to see addressed, but they can be addressed in a sentence as part of the copy edits.

I'm done.

It just seems amazing. I can hardly believe it. My husband told me, take some deep (more…)

Well, revisions on the Louis XIV book are to New York.

I've just taken a workshop with Natalie Goldberg of "Writing Down the Bones" fame. It's been good to be among people who love writing for writing's sake and to just write like everyone else. Natalie believes the world would be a better place (more…)

Just finished an author questionnaire that took days. Have a final reread to do on Louis. Saggy baggy.

Hit another wall. Friends showed up this weekend, and I took time to go out with them. Lifting up out of the story like that has made it hard to go back in, charging forward, as I was. Fear is up. What am I doing? What do I know? How can I write new (more…)

The story is crisper. The questions make me think, and her cuts are good ones. I just read a blog about vooks, apps that have video and/or actors reading part of your book. It's wonderful, but who has a staff of even 1 to do that?

(more…)

Had to crawl into bed because my editor's written comments just kept hammering, why, when, how. Took a day off, went back and finished up, blood on every chapter, mine.
Took another break. Found a great consignment shop here and bought clothes. Read other novels (more…)

Yesterday, I was ready to throw up my hands and quit. Just like a child, I hated my editor. Today, as I plow on rereading the manuscript for two too many times, I recognize her push to make me focus down even more, to clean up that which is unclear, and what's more, I appreciate it.

I'm excited (more…)

Well, yet more revision suggestions from my editor. Am I mad? Yes. Am I surprised? Yes. But, for the sake of the book, I will reread this sucker one more time.

This is hard, the hardest of the four I've written. But (more…)

Absolute silence from New York. Part of me beginning to go off the deep end. Another part reminding me not to make up any stories about what is happening until I hear something. Also reminding me to envision the best.....ugh!

I hate writing for a living, wish I was antisocial and didn't care (more…)

Well.....writing for a living is a real kick in the pants. Before finishing revisions I was feeling sorry for myself at how chained to the computer I was.

This week, having finished, I feel empty, melancholy, and remote. Tune in for next week. No telling what I'll feel. At least I've learned one (more…)