Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Steady as she goes

Been doing quite a bit of writing lately AND dishes!
AT THE SAME TIME!!
Yes, I can multitask!
YEAH BABY!
Okay, not that exciting, but the writing is.
I am feeling the love!
In fact...I'm going to go write some more RIGHT NOW!

Maybe I need to think about decaf.

Nah!

Celebrate our Troops - Send a message

Monday, June 28, 2010

Top 10

On the Writer's Digest Community Forum they were asking for different Top 10 lists from the members. I started with my Top 10 ways to procrastinate list. Hmmm.

What are your Top 10 Favorite Ways to Procrastinate?
1. Research. I research the stupidest facts instead of writing.
2. Doing the dishes. (I hate the dishes)
3. Editing.
4. Playing a video game. (I'm just helping my son)
5. Defrag the computer. (The computer was slow)
6. Read the WD forum.
7. Write a blog post.
8. Check Facebook.
9. Call my mother.
10. Read. (But I have trouble concentrating on new books when I am trying to write)

What are the Top 10 Things That Keep You Writing?

I'm not sure I have 10. I just love to write.

...and it worked

The break actually worked.
I sat down this morning and wrote a whol'-lott'a pages!
It was great. It was very important for me to do it.
I feel so much better, mentally and physically.
Still taking the iron to make sure that I keep feeling that way.
I'm starting to get a good feel for the two characters now and how they feel about each other. Starting to fill in their backgrounds a bit.
I have no idea where things will go from there. Just need to wait for my fingers to type it, then I will know.
Maybe next time I won't fight 'down-time' so hard. We shall see.

No other news by email or phone or mail.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Took a much needed break

Well I have been feeling pretty down lately and exhausted. Thought I could blame it all on being depressed but turns out it was low iron. Something I should have recognized but didn't and now I am feeling better cause I'm taking some vitamins.
I had some time with friends yesterday and talked about my frustration with trying to get published. They didn't know what a pain in the ass it was, just like I didn't when I started. They gave me some much needed support, even just by listening.
I was telling them that I could really use a break and that I wanted to just read a book, not for research or comparison, but just to read like I used to.
So that is what I did this morning. Got up to feed the cats and instead of sitting down in front of this computer, I grabbed a paperback and went back to bed. I read practically the whole thing, it is a book with 2 short stories, and it felt great. I would have finished the whole thing, but the household began to wake up and I had to go put on some coffee. Maybe tomorrow morning I can finish it.
It was really good to just fall into someone's story that isn't mine for a change. Just to read for the pleasure.
I used to read a few hardcovers a week. I would have multiple books going on at the same time depending on where I was. It was great.
But between becoming a mom and trying to work on my own writing, reading had fallen to the bottom of the list of shit I needed to do.
But, hopefully, that will change. It was good to read to charge the batteries.
Off to another grand adventure.
Back to writing on Monday.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Another disappointing email.

A publisher/editor passed today. Said my work was too short for them. It's another let down.
It's funny too. Well, not funny -- ha, ha -- but more funny ironic.
Today, for the heck of it, I went on to a website that I joined a while ago to 'rate' other people's work.
I could add my work too, if I felt like paying them money.
So, I read about 30 'first' pages of all kinds of books. Most of them I didn't like and thought needed a lot of work.
And I kept saying, mine's better than that, I just know it. I mean, I worked on my first page a lot and for one thing, it sure didn't have any spelling mistakes! Yeah, I saw a few of those.
And those people PAID to put their work up on a website w/o using spell check.
I thought it was fate, like I would hear from someone today because I felt good about my work.
So, in the stolen word of a friend from Facebook ---- MEH!
15 sent
7 responses - No

Monday, June 21, 2010

Lazy

I was too lazy to write this morning. It was a really long, but good, weekend and I just couldn't get my brain into writing mode.
I did get other stuff done so not a waste of a morning anyway.
I'll try again tomorrow.
I'm pretty sure I know where I want the characters to go, but it will be whatever I end up typing and not necessarily what I have stuck in my head.
No other communications from anyone.
Not a thing.
Nothing.
Zip.
Nada.
Silence.
*Cricket*

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Ninety-one percent done with re-write

I got some good editing done this morning and fixed almost all the old stuff and made it into new stuff.
Hard to explain w/o going into to detail but let's just say it's better than it was.
It wasn't long before I had company though and had to stop.
Maybe more tomorrow. We shall see.
Sent query to another publisher just for fun.
If you are going to be disappointed, be disappointed BIG I say!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Need to cross some fingers please!!!

Today I printed and mailed my query letter and short synopsis to HQN.
Printed the envelopes and everything.

Fingers crossed please.

I don't expect to hear from them anytime soon, if the prior email submissions to the agents are any indication.

So you don't have to keep your fingers crossed, just do it like once and think of me and then you can stop.

At the store I quickly scanned one of the books that would be similar to what I submitted. It was actually a little more risque than mine. I still didn't see any cursing, so that may have to come out, but they can tell me that.

Listen to me, I'm talkin' all kinds of shit again.

Now I can start working on the other story again. They must feel neglected.

Next

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

It shouldn't be this difficult...

...but if it were easy, everyone would do it.
I could look up the exact quote - but I think you get the point.
Looking into HQN for publishing and the only imprint that I could probably send to, I was a few words short. So I have spent hours, much longer than it should have taken, to bulk up a few sections.
It's like my brain had already shut off this book so I could work on the next one and trying to get back was painful. I didn't know what to add and then when I thought of something, it was very hard to match the writing style again.
But, it's done. It now has the proper amount of words to submit. I will have to do this one by paper. I think they only want the query letter first anyway. Should be fairly simple.
I heard from another agency. They were very polite. After careful consideration...yadda yadda yadda.
That's 6 out of 13.
I sent an email to the creators of the contest that I wrote about a few days ago. I asked about their word count. Was it actual words or the 250 x page number calculation. They actually wrote back and told me that the calculation was fine.
I'm still short - by a lot.
I need a vacation.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Get over my bad self...

OK. I think I'm done with the whine fest for now.
I shouldn't let the rules of one contest get me down.
I know there are other publishers that accept a lower word count.
Some I may actually have to print and mail in the traditional sense.
I would have to re-write the entire book to add that many words. I'm not going to do that. I happen to like the way it reads, fast-paced and no extra fluff.
I will try in the future to perhaps write a little more. Not make everything so cut and dry.
Didn't have time to write at all this weekend. Try later this week. I really want to work on the new story, but I feel I have to finish up a few things with the first one so that I can say I have done all I can.

Friday, June 11, 2010

[insert explicative here]

Sometimes I just shoot myself in my own foot.
Doing more research today, cause I'm an ass, and ran across some really sucky news.
Well, first I was working on my re-write of my query letter for Setting the Record Straight. I was trying to punch it up a little. Got some help with that and things were looking up.
I decided to do a search on publishers that only published romance. Came back to the same few but I went back to my bookmarks and rechecked Kensington.
Turns out they are having a contest right now. Submit your completed manuscript between 80,000 and 100,000 words.
Well, fuck me.
I'm only about 20,000 words short.
One of the agents, that bothered to respond, did say that the book was slightly shorter than they preferred to work with.
So I guess I can either shorten the book to be a short story or lengthen the book -- BY A LOT -- to be considered for publishing.
ERRRRGGGHHHHH!
I just don't know. I don't know if I can add that kind of material to the book. It's not a few paragraphs. It's a few chapters.
That is so depressing.
I wasn't going to publish this blog until I heard good news from an agent or publisher but at this point this may be the only thing that I DO publish.
Stick a fork in me....

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Work, work, work

I have been working on my re-write. It was a good decision but the fixing is taking a while. I like it better already though. I hate to see the number of pages go down instead of up. Sucks. But it's going to be worth it when I get through it.
Research is sometimes a good thing. I came across an author's article on getting published. I have read similar articles, that publishing could take a while, that you need to go through multiple agents/publishers before you find one that wants to work with you, etc.
It's just good to hear it again, especially when I am sitting here waiting.
On the other hand, I came across a blog w/ some sample winning query letters and they were sooooo much longer than agents tell you to write them.
All the advice they hand out and then don't take!
The one letter was very enjoyable, I'm sure the book would be too, and I just know that I could write a better letter than the one I sent to all those agents.
I feel like they put handcuffs on me: make it short, make it clear, make it professional.... but then they are intrigued by the letter that isn't any of those things.
Okay, it was professional.
I just don't know.
Maybe no one is interested in the book because the letter is flat.
The book isn't flat. I think the book is funny.
Groan.
I'm gonna have to take a look at the letter again.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Another one bites the dust

I got one more response today.
Thanks but no thanks.

So be it.
At least they responded.
See, I'm not all freakin' out today.
Must have the correct amount of caffeine running around the system.
Although now that I said it, I need some more coffee.

So, I was wondering why I was having some difficulty with the new story.
Not enough angst.
Must switch up some characters and start some torment!
What's wrong with me???
Everyone being so nice to each other!!!
We don't do nice.
We do pain and suffering and mean words!!
MEAN WORDS!!!

Okay, not that bad, but we do like friction and not just the naked kind.
I'll fix it. Will take some time, but I know just what to do.
Feeling better... wait... what am I doing writing in here when I could be wri.....

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Huh...

I may have bitten off more than I can chew w/ my new story.
I may have to rethink my track.

Just cause you watch 30 years of drama and mystery shows doesn't mean that you know how to write one.
It's a fine line between writing what you don't know and writing so generic you might as well not bother.
We shall see.
I could forge ahead and then delete if I have too.
Been up the last couple nights writing.
It's not like the first book where I just had to get some info out on paper, but I think I'm still upset that I haven't heard anything and I think it's just keeping me up.
But it's okay.
Also, with the new characters, they weren't thrown together immediately so I don't get to do a lot of dialogue with them yet. Think I'm missing it a bit. I could skip ahead but that could get difficult later.
I've got to stop psyching myself out. It will come. I just need to stop worrying about the other one and concentrate on this one.
Anyone buying this?

Thursday, June 3, 2010

All day

All day I have just been holding back the tears. I should have just had a good cry and gotten it out of my system.
Stupid BLEEPIN agents!
I have read so many good books, but just as many bad ones.
Ones I couldn't believe were published by anyone, let alone name brand publishers.
And yet, apparently, I suck.
No, I didn't hear from any and that's the problem.

See, I was so cool and confident yesterday.
No big deal.

If they like it they like it, if they don't they don't.
Bullshit!
I think my book is good. I do.
I think the new one will be good too.
BLEEP!
I feel like drinking. I don't think it would help me in the slightest. I really don't. But I would love to pour a huge glass of wine or maybe a big happy white russian.
I feel like I'm close to giving up.
But I'm being petty either way.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Writing

I was good yesterday and today. I did do some writing in Murphy.
Happy with some but trying to decide what kind of person each character is can be daunting.
Next thing you know you are doing research on stuff and you have blown 2 hours you were supposed to be writing.
It's one of those vicious cycles, I tell ya!
It's been officially 23 days since I sent the original email to an agent and 11 days since the last one was sent out.
13 agents queried.
4 responses.
This is so hard.
My feelings about the whole thing change so rapidly.
One minute I want to wipe my whole hands of it.
The next I am bitching about the agents.
The next I'm upset that no one likes my book.
It's normal, I hope, but that doesn't make it any better or easier to deal with.
Working on the next book helps but at the same time, why am I bothering?
If no one will read these, why am I spending time doing it?
I know the stories are stuck inside me and I really need to get them out, but maybe spending the time and energy creating books is the wrong way to go about it.
Well, until I know for sure that no one wants to read my books, I guess I should just keep on, keepin' on.
Write on!