Hooray! I’ve just sent off my most recent draft!

I have spent the last three months working and tweaking this draft based on the editorial letter I received in February.

I don’t know about you, but March was lost for me. It took me a minute to pull myself away from the news and will some semblance of normalcy back into my life. And I’m not alone, almost overnight, every one of us had to re-make lives we had grown accustomed to.

The idea of sitting down to wax on poetically (or not so poetically) about a world I made up with imaginary characters seemed absurd as large chunks of the real world broke off and fell away from the assumed normal. It took me until April to rally. (and really, how much can one person drink and watch the news?) I turned off the TV, put timers on my apps, and got down to the business shaping this fourth draft. And here we are!

I expect have some feedback by the end of the summer. I’ll keep you posted when I do. 

This is a weird time. Take care of yourself and those around you.

Gratefully,

Meghan Godwin

Hello Friends! 

I hope your holidays were happy and that you are crushing your 2020 goals! 

 

I recently went to one of those indoor rock-climbing joints. There are a lot of things that cross your mind as a high school Junior blazes through an insufficient safety briefing and then holds out a borrowed harness for you to step into. 

I’m going to sweat through this shirt. Why didn’t I trim my nails? Is this bra even up to the task? Who am I and what do I do in the world? (Thoughts whir out of control quickly in the insecurity spiral.)

One of the things I found myself thinking about as I stared up that wall studded with multicolored handholds was stamina- figurative and literal. I don’t have a ton of experience with the latter. I’m not a marathon runner or even a 5k walker. But I thought I might have just enough will to get up that wall.

Partway up and approaching the first protruding ledge I found myself stuck. With shaking forearms, gritted teeth, and (as promised) sweat there was a resounding internal “NOPE”. I couldn’t make myself move past this man-made wall jetty. I leaned back because someone said that I could simply “float back to earth” when I needed to. (That high-schooler was a damn liar). My stomach squealed and clawed like a lobster under the lid of a boiling pot. Expletives were uttered. 

Rattled, I sat drinking water and wondering where all this sweat was coming from. There was an 11-year-old girl grappling the wall in front of me, as sure footed as a baby mountain goat. I’ll admit, my first inclination was jealousy. It soon passed into curiosity and I noticed how she was working. 

She wasn’t muscled or tall and she didn’t have spider webs shooting out her wrists. She was careful and thoughtful as she assessed each handhold. She wasn’t self-conscious. I don’t think she even knew anyone else was in that crowded gymnasium. She strategically plotted the course, deliberately placed her hands, and pushed with her legs when needed. It was incredible to watch. And there was a lot I could learn from her.

I eventually got up and over that ledge. I pushed with my legs and didn’t stop until I made it to the top. 

Stamina has also been on my mind these days with regards to this editing and rewriting business. Writing and deleting, deleting and writing, writing and rewriting and then deleting, forever and ever. Amen. If the stamina holds out (I still have some shaking forearms and gritted teeth) I’m hoping to have this current draft wrapped up in October. If it doesn’t, then I’ll regroup and try again for November.

I’ll get up this wall, too. Just you watch :)

 Thanks for everything,

Meghan Godwin 

Meghan, what in the world have you been up to?

I’m a glad you asked! At the end of December ( and I mean the VERY end) I submitted a second draft to my friends at Inkshares. Then, the next 4 months I was engulfed in all things tax. I don’t know what you personally think about the new tax law, but I can tell you for all of us in the tax preparation industry this year was a doozy. A "maybe we should get a different job" kind of doozy. Which is probably why I can’t remember May, my recovery month. 

But, here we are nearly at the end of June. I have regained my zest and vigor for life.  I have new notes and suggestions on that second draft I wrote. So my course is clear: I will be re-writing for the next several months.

What can I say? Writing is hard. But, as my husband says, "Meghan, you do the hard things." Or maybe I just work harder, not smarter...

I hope you have a lovely summer. I will be tinkering away with the earnest hope that I will have more to tell you sooner rather than later.

And, as always, thank you so much,

Meghan Godwin

 Hello Friends!

Well, nearly a year ago ALL of you helped me get to here:

 This "in production" thing still makes me feel like I’ve been crowned Prom Queen.

“So, Meghan, are you still writing?”

One of the teachers I hated the most in the 5th grade was my art teacher. He was a sanctimonious man who did not know how to speak to children. (I mean, we have all had jobs that weren’t ideal fits)  Every time I brought him my work he would hold it out in front of him, nod his head and say, “I mean, it is a good start.”

This was infuriating to a 10-year-old unconcerned with “perspective in a city scene” and who wanted desperately to be excused to free-time coloring.

But, to a woman of a certain age, writing a novel, “a good start” is encouraging feedback! The very thoughtful folks at Inkshares have given me a lot to consider in order to make Eudaimonia better. They have also been A LOT more helpful than my 5th-grade art teacher. I like better and I am certain you will too. Currently, I’m about a third of the way through the second round of edits. My goal is to get them wrapped up before the end of the year. Either way, I’ll let you know :)

This experience is really a lot of fun for me. But your continued interest and support is like sprinkles on top of frosting! Awww, thanks, guys!

Until I have more to report, 

Meghan Godwin

Hello friends!

I know what you must be thinking, “Eudai..what? Meghan, who?”

Which is a perfectly normal response when you haven’t heard from someone in months. To recap, I am Meghan Godwin and I wrote Eudaimonia, and you (very graciously) helped me get it on track to be published. We are now inexorably linked. Hooray!

I have been working diligently for the last few months to spruce up the Eudaimonia manuscript based on the comments, suggestions, and feedback from the developmental edit letter. Today, I am proud to report, I’m done… with that part. I have just emailed the first round of developmental edits for Eudaimonia. Double Hooray!

We are still a ways from “totally finished”, but this round of edits is a nice mile marker to pass on that road to “done”. And, as we keep passing mile markers I will keep updating you on our progress!

Thanks again for your help and support!

Pals forever,

Meghan Godwin

P.S. - To my new friends and followers, if you haven’t pre-ordered Eudaimonia yet you can do so here: https://www.inkshares.com/books/eudaimonia-48b598

Hello Friends!

I know that it has been a minute since my last update. I just wanted to let you know that I am A) still alive B) still typing away.

The first few months of the year are very busy at my job, so there is a direct correlation to how much work gets done versus how much writing gets done. I have created a somewhat crude diagram to illustrate this. (All figures are exaggerated to make a point)

As you may remember I received developmental edit notes/suggestions for the manuscript in February. I did attempt to work on them in February & March, albeit very slowly. April is looking up and I should feel like I’m making real progress in May & June. 

Back to work,

Meghan Godwin 

Hello Everyone!

Oh boy, oh boy! Last week I got some developmental edits/notes for Eudaimonia! 

Which means I will be busy revising and writing in the coming days and weeks! 
So, any inspiring and energetic good vibes fell free to send my way. I will NEED them.

Publishing, I’m coming for you!

Your friend,

Meghan Godwin

 Hello friends!

I hope your holiday season was wonderful and that 2018 is shaping up to be a great year for you!

I wanted to give you a quick update on where things stand with the production of Eudaimonia. At the beginning of January, I got an email from the folks at Inkshares. They have read the Eudaimonia manuscript and will be reaching out in the next week or so with some information/notes on editing.  This is very exciting! Things are happening.

The email also asked a bunch of questions about the "theme" and "archetype" and "Where does your story belong in the 40,000-year-old tradition of human storytelling?" I’m not going to lie, that last one tripped me up a bit. My initial reaction was, "You know, near the end." Like I was telling a mover where to put a box. Not to be flippant, but it is much easier to tell a mover where to put a box than to consider where your place should be in the whole of human storytelling.  (I mean, geez, what do you say to that?) So, I said what felt natural: "I don’t know." 

Nailed it.

I am very much looking forward to the next steps. I can’t wait to fill you in on everything as it develops! 

Thank you so much for taking this journey with me, I think we are going to have a lot of fun along the way.

Your friend,

Meghan Godwin

Hello Friends!

I wanted to first wish you a "happy holidays"!