The Trouble with First Drafts when you have ADHD

 

If you've been a follower of my blog for a while, you may have noticed that I often start a project, and dive in full steam ahead, only to lose my momentum a few months later.

I used to think it was a failure of mine. I used to think there was something wrong with me because I had so many incomplete stories on my hard drive.

Then I learned I have ADHD.

For those who don't know, ADHD is basically a dopamine deficiency. This means almost everything someone with ADHD does is in pursuit of that precious dopamine (and why we struggle with tasks that don't give us much/ any).

Writing, specifically starting a new project and sharing it with everyone gives me a huge dopamine rush. Sometimes I share details of a new story when it's barely past a half-formed idea. Then the dopamine wears off, and I lose interest.

I'm trying my hardest to find ways of generating dopamine differently so that I have more success with completing projects. Coaching is helping a lot.

But one of the pitfalls I've realized of my frenzied, dopamine-seeking early sharing of projects is that, sometimes, after they're shared I realize they weren't quite ready for the world yet.

You know me, I love a good food analogy, and when I was talking to my ADHD coach recently, I likened this problem to telling all your friends you're baking a cake. Halfway through cooking you announce, "The cake is ready, come and get it." Only, when you cut into the cake, there's raw batter in the middle.

When I get a new idea and start a new project, I get over-excited and want to share it with the world. So often, I do. Sometimes in the form of snippets or blurbs, sometimes in the form of serials ...

You can see where this is going, right?

I love serials because they give me that instant gratification dopamine I crave. BUT what if the serial I'm sharing is a first draft, and halfway through, I realize, crap, there's raw batter in the middle?!

THAT'S where I find myself with Wings, Witches and Wonder. I still love the story, and I still believe in the concept of serials and the platform Ream Stories. But, for me at least, I realize first drafts probably aren't the type of thing I should be serializing.

There are parts of Wings I love, and parts of Wings I hate and want to re-write. And I don't want to continue serializing a story with parts I know aren't as good as they should be. I want to give you my BEST stories. (As a side note, this is one reason I unpublished Truly, Madly, Deeply. But that's a story for another time.)

So yes, all that to say, I have unpublished Wings, Witches and Wonder. It will be back (this year, hopefully), and when I release it (I'm not sure if it will be as a serial or complete novel), it will be a version I'm closer to 100% happy with. No raw batter in the middle! ;)

As I said above, I still believe in the concept of serials and the platform Ream Stories, only for me, it works better with a story that is complete, and that I'm as close to 100% happy with as I can be. A story I won't want to later pull and re-write.

To that end, I will be serializing ALL IT TAKES. It was on Amazon for many years, but I want to reach new readers, especially as Kyra and I have been working to tie it into both her Game On Series and our forthcoming co-written wrestling-themed novel. And, as previously mentioned, I have plans for an age-gap rockstar romance also set in that shared universe (don’t worry, I won’t jump the gun serializing this one! lol).

Additionally, SEEKING THE TRUTH is also on ReamStories as it’s complete and I don’t foresee me making changes and/or expanding on that universe.

So yeah, that's where I'm at. If you've read/ commented on the previously published chapters of WINGS, thank you! Your support and encouragement means everything to me. <3 <3 <3 I hope you will still love the story when I've had a chance to work on it more.

From here on out, I will be posting weekly chapters of ALL IT TAKES and SEEKING THE TRUTH, and I'll have news about other projects -- including WINGS and the aforementioned rockstar romance -- when I'm sure they're properly 'cooked' as it were.

I'm also considering starting a blog series on my experiences as a writer with ADHD, so please let me know if that's something you'd like to hear more about.

Until next time, stay safe, and keep reading & writing!

T.T.F.N

Sometimes a Break Really is as Good as a Holiday

 

Yes, I know we're already one month into the new year, but honestly, it's taken me that long to settle into 2024!

The holiday period was great - we visited family, ate lots of delicious food, and were all very happy with our gifts.

As the new year started, I began thinking about what's really important to me, and two things topped my list:

Health and Writing.

I won't go into too much detail here, but I have a handful of health issues that are causing me some problems, and I want to focus on getting the right help so I can continue growing into the best version of myself.

But along with these health issues comes the realization I can't do everything. I had to remove something from my life, and I found myself having to choose between going forward with my planned proofreading business or continuing to push my career as an author.

And well ... I can't just stop writing. That would be like asking someone to stop breathing. Thankfully, I may be able to get some financial support due to my health issues, meaning I can focus on my writing without having to take on extra work (like proofreading) to pay the bills.

So, with writing firmly in the forefront of my mind, I've decided to make some changes to what I'm doing with Ream and my stories.

Both my contemporary-romance ALL IT TAKES and my urban-fantasy novella SEEKING THE TRUTH will be available in weekly serial format for $5 a month, or if you'd prefer to read it all in one go, you can 'unlock' the whole novella for $10 a month.

Fellow author Kyra Lennon and I are releasing a wrestling-based story later this year, and we want to build it into a shared universe that will not only include our co-written story, but ALL IT TAKES, Kyra's Game On Series (which you can read on ReamStories too!), and an age-gap, rockstar romance from me.

As my updated bio says, reading and writing has always been an escape for me, and I really hope my stories offer those of you out there in need of a little respite an escape too!

That's all I have for you this week. So, until Friday, take care and read on.

T.T.F.N!

A Quick ReamStories Update For You

 

WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER. A weekly, serial paranormal romance web fiction on Ream Stories. Chapters 1-3 are now FREE to all tiers. Chapters 4-8 are available to subscribers of the Apprentice tier and above. https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public

Over the coming weeks, I will be tweaking the subscription tiers on Ream Stories, as I prepare to re-publish ALL IT TAKES, and transition to a paranormal/contemporary hybrid author.

I will also be going "wide" with my serials, meaning they will be available on other web fiction sites like Wattpad etc.

The advantage of subscribing on Ream Stories will be that I will be updating more frequently for paid tiers, so if you find a story of mine you love, you'll be able to read it more quickly by subscribing. Plus it will support me, and I'll be offering other perks, like discounted paperbacks.

In fact, I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on perks in the comments. What types of things would you like me to offer that would encourage you to become a subscriber?

That's all for now, as I'm off to beta-read Kyra Lennon's forthcoming Christmas release! Who's as excited as me for this new story?

Wings, Witches and Wonder Chapter Seven and Some Other Updates

Happy Friday, everyone.

First, chapter seven of Wings, Witches and Wonder is now available on ReamStories to all members of Apprentice Tier and above.

Secondly, I have made chapters 1-3 of Wings, Witches and Wonder available (and free) to all tiers, as well as chapters 1-3 of Seeking the Truth.

Over the next few weeks/ months, I'm going to be experimenting with ways of making my stories more available, in the hope of growing my community.

This might mean I move to an "early" access period, where paid subscribers will get chapters weeks or months in advance of non-paid subscribers.

Additionally, I am working on another story alongside Wings, which has a sexy witch/vampire pairing.

Here's a little peek!

Whenever I start a new project, I can't help but make the character on something. This time Sims 4. Any guesses who inspired my vampires, Antares?

Another thing I am considering adding to my subscription is contemporary romance stories, including my previously published on Amazon and now unavailable MMA romance ALL IT TAKES, and my queer romance TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY, as well as any new stories I write (I may have ideas for an age-gap rock-star romance!)

Be sure to follow me for regular updates, so you know what's coming, and when a new chapter is released.

https://reamstories.com/claredugmore/public

Finally, for those who were following my NaNoWriMo progress, I decided to stop. I added almost 17k to Wings, which means I have a decent backlog of chapters for you. But I've come to realize I am no longer able to write daily, especially with a specific target (i.e 1667 words a day for NaNoWriMo), and it was actually having the opposite effect and making me LESS motivated. Go figure. Anyway, rather than forcing it and coming to hate writing, I decided to stop. 

Now I'm free to work on what I want and when I want, as well as devoting time to setting up my proofreading business and co-writing a contemporary romance with Kyra Lennon.

All that to say, while I dropped out of NaNoWriMo, I don't see it as a failure, and you should expect lots of fun things from me next year!

Until next week. Stay safe, and read on!

An update, of sorts.

As you may have noticed, I haven't updated my web fiction, LICHES, LEGENDS, AND LOVE in about a month.

The truth is, I SUCK at deadlines. 

But that's not entirely my fault. 

I suspect I have ADHD but the road to diagnosis is long, especially in the UK where I am (thanks Tories), so until then I'm stuck with this horrible, debilitating condition that stops me from doing things even when I love them.

Couple that with working as a ghostwriter, home-schooling my son, supporting my husband in the first year of his own business, and a whole host of other issues, and well, sometimes things get pushed to the wayside.

Sadly, one of those things is fiction writing. Right now, I only have it in me to focus on my paid projects. And yes, I could self-publish on Amazon and earn money that way. But self-publishing comes with other responsibilities ghostwriting doesn't *cough* marketing *cough* and often pays much less, unfortunately. 

ADHD is also a funny little condition where motivation and passion for things comes and goes. Sometimes I can be obsessed with writing, and throw myself head first into it, focusing on nothing else. Whereas at other times, writing is as about as much appeal as eating a wet sock.

While that certainly does explain why I have so many half-finished projects, it doesn't get me any closer to my publishing goals and actually makes me feel like a failure.

All I can do until I get a diagnosis and treatment (I'm going to be looking into ADHD coaches next week, so hopefully *that* will help) is go where the motivation takes me.

Currently, that's to two places:

1. Removing All It Takes from Amazon, and serializing it on Radish. I desperately want to make a serial web fiction work, and given both the popularity of contemporary romance on Radish, and the fact it's complete, All It Takes seems like the best choice.

2. Finishing off my co-written wrestling-themed contemporary romance with Kyra Lennon. The story is 90% written, and just needs an ending and all that good promo stuff like a cover and a blurb. Plus, having someone else to keep me in check helps with accountability, so I *should* be able to meet any deadlines Kyra and I set.

So for the foreseeable future, that's where I'm at writing-wise. I am putting Liches, Legends and Love on hiatus (I'm still deciding if I want to take it offline completely), I've dropped out of the Witch Queens collection, and I will only be focusing on projects I feel I can accomplish right now.

Along with the two projects I mentioned above, I have a contractual agreement with my ghostwriting client to write three more books for them, which should take me until the end of 2023. Hopefully, by then, I will have made some progress with the ADHD situation and can reassess what I want to do about my own writing.

Thanks for your continued love, support and encouragement.

Until next time, stay safe, and write on!

All It Takes, by Clare Dugmore

 

It's Day ten of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got ME! Here's my dual-POV, new-adult, contemporary-romance, ALL IT TAKES, which is currently on sale for 99p/c.

Megan Green has her whole life figured out. She’s six months away from graduating uni, then she plans on backpacking around Europe for a year, before following her dream of becoming an interior designer.

What she doesn’t account for is meeting local MMA fighter Kian Murphy.

With his athletic body and Irish charm, Kian has no trouble scoring with the ladies, and one night is all he’s after.

But All It Takes is one night to change the rest of their lives.

After a chance meeting and passionate encounter, Megan finds herself pregnant with Kian’s child.

But with a womanizing reputation, and a temper that often leads him into trouble, Kian is hardly boyfriend material, let alone father material.

Now Megan and Kian must work out if they have All It Takes to turn their one-night-stand into a relationship that will connect them for a life-time.

All It Takes is a dual-POV, new-adult, contemporary-romance about responsibility, love and discovering who you are in life.

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N4LXGMV

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4LXGMV

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33216001-all-it-takes

Sales

 

Both my novel-length romances are on sale for 99Pence 99Cents from Feb 7- March 15. There's dual POV Contemporary Romance  ALL IT TAKES, and dual POV Sapphic Romance TRULY MADLY DEEPLY. http://claredugmore.weebly.com/sales.html

ALL IT TAKES FREE SALE FINAL DAY

 

It's the final day to grab a free copy of my Contemporary-Romance 

ALL IT TAKES.

About

Megan Green has her whole life figured out.

She’s six months away from graduating uni, then she plans on backpacking around Europe for a year, before following her dream of becoming an interior designer.

What she doesn’t account for is meeting local MMA fighter Kian Murphy.

With his athletic body and Irish charm, Kian has no trouble scoring with the ladies, and one night is all he’s after.

But All It Takes is one night to change the rest of their lives.

After a chance meeting and passionate encounter, Megan finds herself pregnant with Kian’s child.

But with a womanizing reputation, and a temper that often leads him into trouble, Kian is hardly boyfriend material, let alone father material.

Now Megan and Kian must work out if they have All It Takes to turn their

one-night-stand into a relationship that will connect them for a life-time.

All It Takes is a dual-POV, new-adult, contemporary-romance

​about responsibility, love and discovering who you are in life.

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Goodreads

ALL IT TAKES - Exclusively on NovaFiction

 

ALL IT TAKES - The complete dual-pov, contemporary romance is now exclusively on Nova Fiction.

https://m.novafiction.com/#/pages/detail/index?id=3319

FREE SALE

To celebrate the new cover for my contemporary romance novel ALL IT TAKES the book will be free on Amazon Nov. 6-10. Grab your copy now! 

Blurb:

Megan Green has her whole life figured out. She’s six months away from graduating uni, then she plans on backpacking around Europe for a year, before following her dream of becoming an interior designer.

What she doesn’t account for is meeting local MMA fighter Kian Murphy.

With his athletic body and Irish charm, Kian has no trouble scoring with the ladies, and one night is all he’s after.

But All It Takes is one night to change the rest of their lives.

After a chance meeting and passionate encounter, Megan finds herself pregnant with Kian’s child. But with a womanizing reputation, and a temper that often leads him into trouble, Kian is hardly boyfriend material, let alone father material.

Now Megan and Kian must work out if they have All It Takes to turn their one-night-stand into a relationship that will connect them for a life-time.

All It Takes is a dual-POV, new-adult, contemporary-romance about responsibility, love and discovering who you are in life.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4LXGMV

FREE SALE

Dual-POV Contemporary-Romance ALL IT TAKES is on sale for free December 20 - 24!

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4LXGMV

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N4LXGMV

BOOK RELEASE: All It Takes, by Clare Dugmore

I’m thrilled to announce that my dual-POV contemporary romance ALL IT TAKES is out now, exclusively on Amazon Kindle, with the paperback forthcoming in the next couple of days. 

Title: All It Takes

Author: Clare Dugmore

Genre: Romance

Release Date: February 14, 2017

Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing

Add to your Goodreads to be read list

Buy at Amazon US | Amazon UK

Description:

All It Takes is one night to change the rest of their lives.

Graduating Uni, travelling Europe and buying her own place – these are on Megan Green’s to-do list.

At just twenty-two, becoming a mother isn’t.

Fast cars, expensive clothes and bedding a different women every night – this is how Kian Murphy spends his time when not in the MMA ring. Pre-natal scans and birthing classes are not on his agenda.

After a chance meeting and passionate encounter, Megan finds herself pregnant with Kian’s child. But with a womanizing reputation, and a temper that often leads him into trouble, Kian is hardly boyfriend material, let alone father material.

Now Megan and Kian must work out if they have All It Takes to turn their one-night-stand into a relationship that will connect them for a life-time.

​

All It Takes is a dual-POV new-adult, contemporary-romance about responsibility, love and discovering who you are in life.

In hnour of the release, I'm holding a Rafflecopter Giveaway: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm extra excited to be here today, as I'm revealing the cover for my

dual-POV contemporary romance ALL IT TAKES, which is scheduled for release February 14, 2017, and would like to announce that it’s now available for pre-order for delivery to your Kindle on release day.

Title: All It Takes

Author: Clare Dugmore

Genre: Romance

Release Date: February 14, 2017

Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing

Add to your Goodreads to be read list

Pre Order on AmazonUS | Amazon UK

Description:

All It Takes is one night to change the rest of their lives.

Graduating Uni, travelling Europe and buying her own place – these are on Megan Green’s to-do list.

At just twenty-two, becoming a mother isn’t.

Fast cars, expensive clothes and bedding a different women every night – this is how Kian Murphy spends his time when not in the MMA ring. Pre-natal scans and birthing classes are not on his agenda.

After a chance meeting and passionate encounter, Megan finds herself pregnant with Kian’s child. But with a womanizing reputation, and a temper that often leads him into trouble, Kian is hardly boyfriend material, let alone father material.

Now Megan and Kian must work out if they have All It Takes to turn their one-night-stand into a relationship that will connect them for a life-time.

All It Takes is a dual-POV new-adult, contemporary-romance about responsibility, love and discovering who you are in life.

WIP Joy Challenge - Day Seven: Tell Us About YOU and Your Work!

For the month of January, I'll be taking part in the WIP Joy Challenge, created by Bethany A. Jennings (found via a share from Adam.C.Macdonald).

Well, for those new to the blog/ me/ my writing, I'm Clare, a thirty-something British Girl Woman, from the West Midlands.

Even though I've been writing since 2005 - starting out in the world of fan-fiction, before moving onto original fiction in 2010 when I took part in NaNoWriMo for the first time - I still consider myself a fairly 'new' writer in that I've only recently been published.

My first story, a paranormal-romance novella called SEEKING THE TRUTH, is part of the LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE ANTHOLOGY, which was published July 18, 2016.

My first full length novel, ALL IT TAKES, a contemporary romance about life, love, responsibility and self-discovery, will be published on February 14, 2017. 

I have a number of other novels, written mostly for different year's NaNoWriMo, which I may or may not return to in the future.

However, my focus right now is All It Takes' release next month, finishing my age-gap romance, and another project I can't announce just yet! 

Publishing News

Before I get started on my NaNoWrimo 2016 story, I wanted to share some news with everyone.

I've decided to self-publish my new-adult, contemporary romance ALL IT TAKES on February 14, 2017!

After entering some pitching and query contests over the summer, I made the decision self-publishing is the right route for me at the moment, and I'm very excited to share my book with the world.

I'm also thrilled to announce that All It Takes will be published via Snowy Wings Publishing, which is a co-op publisher that offers self-published authors access to resources (editors, cover designers etc.) and marketing help, along with a supportive community of authors.

The concept of Snowy Wings Publishing is actually something I was researching myself, with the plan of creating a a service to assist self-published authors, so I'm very happy to be joining them.

Here is the Snowy Wings Publishing website for those who're interested in seeing what other authors are affiliated: https://www.snowywingspublishing.com/

They're also accepting submissions for both new authors, and industry professionals such as editors, and cover designers, so it's well worth checking out.

I'm currently in the process of organising a cover reveal for All It Takes for January 9, 2017, and in a bid to get ahead, and avoid all the holiday madness, those interested can sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVQKOqBS2Rz-n8eCEX_0FODBiBZ2a37glprdz6sM-v7IdOJQ/viewform

As a special thank you, all participants and/ or those requesting ARCs will be entered into a prize draw, where one person will be chosen at random to win a prize bundle containing a paperback copy of All It Takes, along with some assorted goodies to be confirmed (likely chocolates, Lush products, a gift card etc.)

And now I best get cracking on NaNoWriMo. Those words aren't going to write themselves ...

Son of a Pitch: Query Round!

Hey all!

So after my success with PitchWars (one mentor liked my query and first chapter enough to request the full manuscript!), I've decided it's time to start putting All It Takes out there for the world to see, in the form of querying and entering pitch contests etc.

The first of which is Son of A Pitch, hosted by CQ author Katie Hamstead! The first round calls for entrants to post their query and first 250 words for peer critiquing.

Here's mine for anyone who has time to critique it, and I'll be off visiting the other entrants!

Title: All It Takes

Category and Genre: Adult, contemporary romance

Word Count: 120,000

Query: 

In ALL IT TALES university student Megan Green finds herself pregnant after a rare one-night-stand with womanizing cage fighter Kian Murphy.

Still trying to get her head around the unplanned changes to her life, Megan has to deal with Kian’s demands for a paternity test. She takes his request as a personal insult, causing a gulf between them.

After Kian blows up at an interviewer on live TV, Megan is left questioning if he’s really the type of person she wants to raise a child with. Spiraling out of control, Kian returns to old bad habits of drinking and lashing out; landing himself in hospital.

Faced with the possibility of losing Kian, Megan admits her feelings for him. But Kian, who has just agreed to return to therapy for his anger issues, insists he’ll only end up hurting her.

When the stress of graduating and looking for a new job cause complications in the pregnancy, and Megan is admitted to hospital, Kian realizes he can’t keep pushing her away.

As the baby’s due date approaches, and their feelings for each other grow, Megan and Kian are left questioning what the future holds.

ALL IT TAKES is a dual-POV adult, contemporary romance about responsibility, love and self-discovery that is rooted in my personal experience of becoming pregnant in my early twenties; complete at 120,000 words.

First 250 Words:

 “Come on, Meg. It’s almost Christmas. If that isn’t cause for celebration I don’t know what is.” My best friend Stacey looked up at me from behind long lashes, her baby blues pleading with me. The puppy dog eyes worked on men without fail, but I’d known her for eleven years. Her charms had no power over me.

Still, the lure of a night of drinking and dancing couldn’t be ignored. We’d been slaving away at uni for months. We deserved a night out.

“All right, but let’s not make it a late one, okay? I’ve got work in the morning.”

“We’ll go to O’Neil’s. There’s a band playing; it’ll be fun.”

“Oh no, not O’Neil’s. That place is a dive.”

“I like it.” Stacey pouted. Another trick she used to get her own way. I could see why men found it adorable, and I knew men were exactly what she had in mind.

“You only want to go there because it’s where all the gym junkies hang out, and you’re hoping to snare one.”

“Have you seen some of the guys that go there? There’s this one, Josh Browne, he’s an MMA fighter and OH.MY.GOD. You should see his body.”

I laughed and shook my head. I could appreciate a hot body as much as the next girl. Hell, I’d been charmed by a pair of biceps and a few well-placed tattoos in the past.


“Okay, we’ll go to O’Neil’s. You can pull a fighter, and everyone will be happy.”

Writing Update

Now I'm not updating All It Takes regularly (*sad face*) it feels like I haven't posted here for ages, so I thought it was high time for a little writing update.

All It Takes is currently "resting" while I decide what to do with it in terms of publishing, querying etc. and I'm using that time to work on my story for the Love In The First Degree Anthology.

For those who're interested, here is the synopsis:

I'm also definitely not thinking about/ plotting a YA fantasy about a girl from the modern world who is transported to a medieval realm and discovers she's a long lost princess ...

What has everyone else been up to recently? Let me know in the comments below, I'd love to hear what you're doing!

Until next time,

A-Z Blogging Challenge 2016: Z is for Zen

Welcome to another day of the A-Z Challenge! This year I'm bringing you my new-adult, contemporary-romance ALL IT TAKES!

Each day I'll post a new chapter of the story - but please be aware, this is a mature story, with swearing and scenes of a sexual nature. If that's not your thing, please skip this blog on your A-Z Challenge travellings!

For those of your visiting my blog for the first time, you might want to start with A is for All It Takes.

Thanks to everyone who commented on Y is for Yes. I'm glad people are continuing to enjoy the story, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on Z is for Zen...

A-Z Blogging Challenge 2016: Y is for Yes

Welcome to another day of the A-Z Challenge! This year I'm bringing you my new-adult, contemporary-romance ALL IT TAKES!

Each day I'll post a new chapter of the story - but please be aware, this is a mature story, with swearing and scenes of a sexual nature. If that's not your thing, please skip this blog on your A-Z Challenge travellings!

For those of your visiting my blog for the first time, you might want to start with A is for All It Takes.

Thanks to everyone who commented on X is for Xyst. I'm glad people are continuing to enjoy the story, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on Y is for Yes...

A-Z Blogging Challenge 2016: X is for Xyst

Welcome to another day of the A-Z Challenge! This year I'm bringing you my new-adult, contemporary-romance ALL IT TAKES!

Each day I'll post a new chapter of the story - but please be aware, this is a mature story, with swearing and scenes of a sexual nature. If that's not your thing, please skip this blog on your A-Z Challenge travellings!

For those of your visiting my blog for the first time, you might want to start with A is for All It Takes.

Thanks to everyone who commented on W is for Waiting. I'm glad people are continuing to enjoy the story, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on X is for Xyst...