Karleen Koen

Well, today I finally picked up the next novel again. I wrote a scene or part of one. My office still isn't clean yet, and I like to clean it for the next book and then slowly fill it with stuff I think I'll get to. I don't have a goal for Richard yet, (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…)

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…)

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, I finished revisions on Friday. I felt like I'd been "rode hard and put up wet" or as they say in Louisiana, no salt in the beans....exhausted mentally, unable to have the smallest reaction to any of the writing. This will be the 4th or 5th time I've redone the manuscript. Anyway, (more…)

Well, I thought I was near the end of revisions, not noticing that I'd only picked up half the stack of paper I'm working through. How glad I am for this chance to revise with another pointing the direction. I find myself really focusing down on the essential story. That's always the question: what (more…)

I should never blog about writing going well. I'm struggling with changing the front of this book. There was a character arc I'd created around Louis XIV that I really like, and it's lost in the changes, and I'm trying to salvage it, and it's hard. Whine, whine, whine

Well, I'm in it again, and I find that I'm loving it. I completely agree with my editor's suggestion to move some chapters around. But that comes after not looking at my work for several months. I was dreading the idea of reading me again, and I find myself glad to revisit young Louis (more…)

Well, now I must climb back into bed with Louis. Really, after all the time I've already given him, he ought to marry me!

Well, I was in New York in November, and we sold the novel. Since contracts aren't signed, I won't say more than that, yet. I have to do some revisions, and I'm both excited and repelled by that, but I am concentrating on being excited and trusting that I'll know when a suggestion/revision (more…)

No word from New York. This is the way it goes. I'll keep faith until next Monday, then call. Sigh. I know all is well, but I would like to hear it. :(

I finished the "polish" last Saturday night. Several days of staying in pj's, not going to exercise, doing nothing routine to give my day structure, just soldiering on. I sent it off yesterday and have been making sure that I'm doing exercise. When I go this far into the mental, I feel so lopsided (more…)

I have to get paperwork for 2008 taxes in pronto. So I had to stop working on my polish and drag out a box of receipts whose amount seemed overwhelming. I've gritted through organizing and adding, and today I snuck away to return for an hour or two to this story I'm honing to create what (more…)