Victoria Minks, Bookbug and Writer
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The Writing Cycle: What it Means and How it Works

7/27/2016

16 Comments

 
The Writing Cycle: What it Means and How it Works.
Hey, it's Victoria + Zeb, the dynamic duo! To those of you who haven't had the wonderful opportunity to know who Zeb is, he is my little brother--all of seven years old and to quote him: "Sometimes, I'm a jokster." Today he's here to help me share all about the writing cycle--what it means and how it works. Zeb doesn't actually have the foggiest notion what we're talking about, but he's here because I'm not feeling well and we make a good team. :) It's ok, he'll pretend he's the top-notch authority on the writing cycle...he's good at pretending. :P 


First off, what is the writing cycle? 
This is the system one has in place for all their WIPs (aka Work-in-progresses). Using a system like this one helps with productivity, clarity in your work process, and yet keeps things interesting so you're not dragging on only one project forever. 

How does the Writing Cycle Work?
It's like this. Say you have a WIP 1. You write this, then when you take a short break from that so you can return with fresh eyes, you write WIP 2. When you finish that you edit WIP 1 while taking a break from WIP 2, then go back to editing WIP 2 once you finish WIP 1. This is a very simplified version of how this works (I'll show you what my system looks like in a minute). You can do this with two books or five books, or whatever works for you. The processes of rewriting, editing etc may mean this cycle repeats itself several times. Sometimes you may overlap things-- for instance, editing WIP 1 while writing in WIP 2 at the same time. Or maybe you're planning WIP 3 while taking a break from WIP 2 and editing on WIP 1. Really it's just whatever works best for you. The great thing about writing cycles is it is totally adaptable for you personally as a writer. 

**Zeb: Sounds great!** 


So here's how it looks for me: 
April 2015-- I wrote Jonas and Olivia. 
Summer 2015-- I wrote and edited the stories for Wind Chimes, as well as doing a rewrite of my "Melinda"** Revolutionary War book. 
November 2015--published Wind Chimes while writing Two-Faced Man for National Novel Writing Month. 
January 2016-- Began editing Jonas and Olivia. 
May 2016-- Second edit stage of Jonas and Olivia while doing a major reworking of "Melinda"**
July 2016-- Published Jonas and Olivia while writing Kind Heart, a modern-day novel. 

So let's pause right here to remember that we are now looking into the future--we've covered the part of the cycle I've already been through and now we're looking at what's coming up. :) 

August 2016-- Finish Kind Heart
September 2016-- Write and edit some modern-day Christmas short stories (I just love Christmas stories, guys! lol) 

**Zeb: You know how you talked about doing short books with me before? Like 8 pages? 
Me: Yeah?
Zeb: I think I might like to do that.
Me: Ok. We can do that. Now back to the post? :D**


November 2016-- Publish the Christmas story collection while writing The Needlemaker for NaNoWriMo.
January 2016-- Edit Two-Faced Man from 2015's NaNo and work towards publishing that! :) 
April 2017-- Do my 4th rewrite of "Melinda"** 
May-- Edit Kind Heart and prepare for publication
..... 

I won't go on any further, because you probably get the picture. Now, I understand that this might seem crazy to some people, but it's what works for me. Another example of what might work for someone else might be like this: (Titles picked arbitrarily and off the top of my head.)

**Zeb: Off the top of my head? Haha, that's funny.
Me: Not literally! :P** 


April-- Write A Thousand Songs 
June-- Write Little Amy while editing A Thousand Songs
August-- Edit Little Amy while going through 2nd edit of A Thousand Songs
November-- Write We Were Happy Then. 
December -- Publish A Thousand Songs. 

..... 

and so on. 

The main point of the Writing Cycle is that you find a system that you are comfortable with that has you going in a sort of circular motion with your various WIPs. Why is this a good idea, instead of just working on one project for months on end with no breaks? 

1 It lets you look at your WIPs with a fresh outlook when you pick up again a month (or more) later. 
2. It helps you avoid writer's burnout by keeping things interesting.
3. You get to finish more projects quicker, because it's easier to focus on something in shorter terms and so therefore you accomplish more. 
4. It helps you make time to edit your books if, like me, you don't care for editing and would rather be writing. A cycle gives you some writing projects to work on while editing, which helps eliminate frustration on the editing side. ;) 
5. It provides a better "big picture" of your WIPs and the time each will take, which in turn makes things less stressful and more fun. 
6. It lets you work on ideas you are passionate about without having to wait for WIP #1 to be published. (I know this would frustrate me so much! lol) 

So that is the Writing Cycle. Do you use a system like this, or do you find it works better for you to focus on only one project? If you use a Writing Cycle, what does yours look like? Let me know in the comments below! :) 

Oh and before I forget-- Jonas and Olivia, the Ebook, is having a huge sale from 28th to 30th! It'll be completely FREE for three days, so if you haven't gotten it yet, this is a chance for you to do so. In return for the free book, please leave me a review on Amazon...it would totally make my day! And if you are on social media, please feel free to use the hashtag #BookbugsRead. You can tag a photo of your book, tweet a favorite line, or tell me what you're thinking as you read it. :) 

Hope you all have a lovely day! I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the support you all give me. You all are the BEST and I really love you all so much and am so thankful for you guys. You mean a lot to me, so keep on being awesome! :) 

**Zeb: Hey guys! I hope you like this blog post! If you have enough money, you should go buy Victoria's books! See you next time if there is a next time. Maybe I might publish some. Maybe it will become my own job. You know, publish 8 page books. See you later. Maybe!
Me: *internal lol-ing!* **


<3
Victoria

**All quotes taken directly from the mouths of the dynamic duo, Victoria + Zeb.**
16 Comments

Ebook is (Finally) Out!

7/23/2016

0 Comments

 
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Hello, my friends! :) 

I am pleased to announce that Jonas and Olivia the EBOOK is at last available for purchase! Maybe pleased is an insufficient descriptor.... maybe it's more like relieved/thrilled/vastly grateful/tickled pink... ok enough of the adjectives. :P After a long week of being formatted from a print book format into one of Kindle compatibility, my book file was returned to me beautiful and with proper links for the titles. And the cover is in the Kindle book too! *yesss!* (Those of you who bought Wind Chimes know how excellent *cough* my ebook formatting skills are--so I'm quite happy this one will be SO much more professional). While it did take longer, the nicer formatting should be worth it. :) 

You can find Jonas and Olivia the ebook right here on the Amazon Kindle store for $3.99. If you read and enjoy the book, please consider leaving me a review! I'd love to reach 100 Reviews, as that will tremendously help the listing... so please help me reach that goal! :) 

Hope you all have a lovely day! And don't forget to enter my Writerly Goodies Giveaway and my Goodreads Giveaway before they end! :) 

<3
​Victoria
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"Jonas and Olivia" Giveaway, Writerly goodies, and more!

7/21/2016

31 Comments

 
Hello everybody!
Guess what? :( The ebook still isn't out yet! Isn't that so disappointing? *wipes away a tear* But here's a little something that may cheer you up if you're still waiting on the ebook to come out. 
I'm doing a giveaway! *confetti and glitter* This is open internationally, so everybody is welcome to enter! 
I'm giving away to one awesome winner a signed copy of Jonas and Olivia, an antique leather journal, and some old-fashioned style book-spine bookmarks. I personally would be super interested in getting the journal and bookmarks, so if nobody else is interested, I'll keep them.... haha, no, really, please be sure to enter! There's lots of ways to gain entries, so go ahead and do it! :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Before I go I want to apologize for the slightly crazy blog schedule the last week! What with the book coming out on Friday, I decided to skip Sunday's post, but then ever since Monday I've been fighting some major asthma attacks, and yesterday when I was supposed to be publishing a new post, my lungs decided it was time for a trip to the emergency at the hospital. :/ So things have been pretty interesting lately!
Thanks for your patience with the ebook! Hopefully it will be out like...yesterday. :P So let me know. Are you waiting for the ebook? Will you be entering the giveaway? How has life been for you? Leave me a comment below with your answers. :)
Hope you all have a lovely day!
<3
Victoria
31 Comments

Jonas and Olivia Book Release! 

7/15/2016

9 Comments

 
Jonas and Olivia is now published! Tweet or instagram your thoughts with #BookbugsRead!
The big day is here, y'all!! 

You can now get your very own print copy of Jonas and Olivia here! Ebooks haven't quite hit the shelves yet (I'm waiting for it to be finished) but within a day or two you can buy it on Kindle as well. :) I'll give you the info on that as soon as they come out. 

Here's the links for purchasing, along with some social media graphics in case you'd like to share the book's release! :) 

CreateSpace Store: https://www.createspace.com/5475730

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Jonas-Olivia-Victoria-Minks/dp/0996993827/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468547523&sr=8-1&keywords=Jonas+and+Olivia

Jonas and Olivia is now available for purchase!
Jonas and Olivia is now available for purchase!
If you buy the book, please consider leaving me a review on amazon.com! Amazon doesn't list books really well until it has a higher number of reviews so I'm hoping to reach 100 reviews for Jonas and Olivia! You all are going to have to help me with that though....so if you'd like, please stop over and post a review. I'd appreciate it so much. :) 

Don't forget to enter my Goodreads Giveaway! I'm giving away 3 signed copies of Jonas and Olivia on there, and I'm amazed at how many people have entered...over 260 so far! Guess we all like freebies, eh? But don't let that number stop you. :P Who knows, you might just win one of the copies! ;) 

One more thing before I go. If you're on social media and want to connect or talk about J&O, just use the hashtag #BookbugsRead :) I'd love to hear what you think! If you're on Twitter you can follow me--I chat about all things writerly and will be tweeting all during this book launch as well. :) 

Hope you all have a lovely day!
<3
Victoria
9 Comments

Book Review, Goodreads Giveaway, and WIP Update

7/13/2016

9 Comments

 
Book Review, Goodreads Giveaway, and WIP Update
Howdy everybody!

Boy have I got some exciting things to share with you today!

Jonas and Olivia Proof Copy! 
First of all, I got my proof copy of Jonas and Olivia today! I was sooo happy. I only had to fix a couple things in the interior file so that was wonderful, and I was quite glad not to have to mess with it a whole lot more. 
Jonas and Olivia will be released on July 15, so keep in touch for that! Lots of great things coming up. :) The print book will cost $9.99 and the ebook will be $3.99. I had planned on making an audiobook as well, but when I looked into it I realized the turn-around time for the ACX people can be up to 4 weeks... so the audiobook will be recorded and come out sometime in August, I believe. (Those of you prefer audiobooks--hang in there! Coming soon, I promise! :D) 

​Book Review of The Old River Road by Ivy Rose
Next Up! Back a month or two ago I was able to be a Beta-Reader for a sweet girl with her first book. The Old River Road is now published and I'm happy to be able to be part of her blog tour. :) 
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 This book is set in 1885 and is actually based on the author's great-great grandparents. I think that makes this book super special. Here's the summary:

When seventeen-year- old Clara Boutwell married her dashing coworker, William McDonald, she was convinced her life was near perfect. The journey before them as newlyweds in the great city of Chicago was promising and exciting. But a frightening disease soon takes William in its grip, forcing them to the clean air of the western frontier in a desperate attempt to save his life. But pioneering doesn’t prove to be easy, with miles between neighbors instead of fences. On the eastern Washington prairies, the McDonalds face hardships and trials in a new world where everything is tested, from physical endurance to emotional strength—down to their relationship and faith in the Lord. This novel tells the incredible true story of Clara and William, the great-great grandparents of the author, in a sweet narrative full of laughter, tears, and the struggles of an early pioneering family. Prepare yourself to share in their experience as you read this account of a pioneer family in Washington state, and see their lasting legacy that has endured into the fifth generation.

My Review: 4 Stars.
What a sweet, light story! Sometimes that's just the kind of read you need. I liked that this is based on the author's relatives, and applaud her for all the work she put into the research. The characters are pleasant and the closeness of the families involved in the book is wonderful. The story is slower, and the plotline fairly simple, so it's a great book for cuddling up with tea on a rainy day. 

My favorite part was when the Indians came, towards the end of the book. :) I liked Clara's character, of course, but I have to say some of the supporting characters (though not extremely prominent) were my favorites! :P I liked Clara's oldest son Archie, her brother-in-law, Hamilton, and the Indian Chief... :) 

​ I found the feel of the book very much like Laura Ingall Wilder's books, only with a Christian twist. If you enjoy the Little House Series you will like "The Old River Road". 

*I recieved this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Available now in paperback and ebook on Amazon ​<< Be awesome and support another Indie Christian Young Author! :) 

Add on Goodreads

A little bit about Ivy: 
Ivy Rose is an 18 year old history lover and literary enthusiast. Aside from writing, she enjoys being outdoors, chocolate, travelling, reading, and ATVing (preferably if there is mud involved). She resides with her family of 9 on the banks of the Long Lake in eastern Washington. Go see more about her here: http://lakesidepublications.com/the-old-river-road-release-day/ Also, she's doing a pretty neat giveaway, so check it out. :)

Goodreads Giveaway:
Last but not least, guys!! 
3 Copies of

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Jonas and Olivia by Victoria Minks

Jonas and Olivia

by Victoria Minks

Giveaway ends July 31, 2016.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway
I'm giving away three signed copies of Jonas and Olivia on Goodreads! You can go ahead and hop on over there and enter right now! It's super easy to enter (You just have to click! :D). It lasts until July 31st, sooo, hurry and enter! :) *It is only available for USA, CA, and GB, but international people--don't worry. A cool giveaway coming up for you all in a week or so.* 

Well, that's a wrap for today. Leave me a comment letting me know what you think, or how your day is going, or whatever. :) 
Hope you have a lovely day! 
<3
​Victoria
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    Victoria Minks is a bookbug and writer, with oodles of daydreams and ideas. She loves historical fiction, chocolate, music, horses, and old books, and firmly believes that there is whimsy and beauty in any day. She was saved at age 5 and desires to write for God's glory.
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