Susan Brenning > Recent Status Updates

It's Live! I'm doing my happy dance! This book has met with many delays because of health issues and technical issues, and more. I was starting to doubt it would ever be finished, and yet here I am celebrating its birth. I hope you love the cover. I took the photo on one of my visits to Libby, Montana. I'm praying the story reflects the area as well as offering escape to the wilderness, hope, and faith in our Lord.

I'm ahead of schedule! I'm on sick leave after fracturing my ankle. After almost two weeks of resting with my leg elevated, I asked my husband to help me fix my desk so I can work on my computer and not only my iPad. Lo and behold, a computer makes all the difference! After a good day's work, I am almost finished. Soon, my book will be ready for my line editor. I'm so excited for it to be ready for you all to read!

Despite a fracture in my ankle and needing to keep my foot elevated, I reached my goal of 75%! Thank the Lord for my iPad and a comfortable recliner. (my husband is missing it, but kind enough to share his chair.) Hopefully the next six weeks of sick leave will be inspiring, and the painkillers won’t make my story too psychedelic.

I'm on task with editing! It's always good to check off a new goal. I've also tried a new tool for editing, which allows my computer to read my book to me. I was aware of this possibility, but my computer and its programs were too outdated. Now I have upgraded, and the 'Read Aloud' feature has been a great help in finding mistakes that otherwise are difficult to find. I'm surprised how my story feels more real, too!

Today (October 2) I’ve finished 50% of my edits, and I feel my heroine is showing her colors with her new chapters. Hitting the halfway mark is worth celebrating! Think I’ll have some chocolate after my lunch sandwich. Yum!

September 22 I finished editing 40 percent of my new book! Then I found a comment from my developmental editor that required me to write several new chapters. My story needed more input from my heroine. The hero is the main protagonist but the heroine was getting left in the shadows. Now it’s back to the drawing board!

Rancher, Baker, Family Maker, edits now in progress after my developmental editor returned my manuscript. I have completed 15% of the book, but it keeps growing. My original 55,000 words are now at 56,500 words. But in my experience, I will take out as many words as I add. The story is shaping up! It's great to get help knowing what works and doesn't. No one can read my thoughts, so I have to get them down in words.

Yippie! I have the first draft finished :) It's out with my Beta Readers and today I'm going to start work on some edits they have recommended. It's going to be great!

I didn’t post when I reached 50%. Why you ask? Well I saw the 40 as in 40% and thought 40000 words which is my goal for 50%. That’s what happens when you are too fast.
Well now I’m at 65% and feeling like the story is moving in the right direction. This is the first draft of the story. When I get to 100%, the real work begins.

I finished Sara Monzon's story. It's the first book of hers I've read. I love her writing style. I could learn so much from how she relates a character's feelings. Great story!

I've been sick and tried to reach my word count goal despite the pounding in my head. I missed by a few days but now I am at 40% of the book. In some ways being sick helped me write because my characters aren't doing so well at the moment. I wish books were only sunshine and roses but what would drive the story forward? I look forward to writing the next section, things should look up for my book friends for while.

I'm right on track with my writing goals! So far anyway ;)

I have written 15% now of my first draft! Something to celebrate even if the road is long. The main characters of Repeating History are in my recently published book, Slowly Falling. Robert and Kitty are having problems and Audrey gets pulled in to help. I plan to post pictures of people that inspired the characters' physical attributes. Stay tuned!