"You don't work well when you don't have a specific goal or purpose you're working toward," says my boyfriend today. And he's absolutely right! If I don't have a specific goal that I'm trying to achieve, then I feel like I'm floundering. I have felt like I'm floundering for a little while now.
What to do next has been the question rumbling around in my brain for weeks. I've finished my book. I've sent it to almost 275 agents... What the hell do I do with myself now?
Write more. But what? A second book? Wow! What an undertaking!
I got a freelance gig that is frustrating because I'm making very little money writing articles on random stuff like fishing in Alaska or boar hunting in Europe or laser hair removal. None of which I care about. Not to mention the fact that I'm not as good at journalistic writing as I am novel writing. But whatever. All of this is the whining I feel like I've been doing while I'm floundering.
So today I took some steps in a great direction. First, I found an online class about how to write women focused articles for magazines like Glamour and Marie Claire. OMG! How interesting is that?! Plus, this course will help me get better at journalism style writing, which is a HUGE need of mine! And this course says, I'll come out of it with a portfolio of work I can send out to magazines and other potential employers. I surely hope so because I'm ready to make some money writing!
Secondly, I emailed this really cool friend of mine who is also a writer to see if she had any suggestions. She's an ad copywriter, so not exactly the same thing, but it's writing... Whatever it takes, right? Well, this friend of mine gave me a couple of really great suggestions including searching for a creative recruiter. This is something I hadn't thought about before. She also gave me some helpful websites where I can find writing gigs. Many, many thanks for the tips! This is a new direction for me to run in!
Thirdly, I started for real planning for my second book. It's time to get started! Let's just plunge in and do it! It's now or never. I want to be a murder mystery novelist, and there's nothing stopping me from accomplishing this!
"I am back. I am back. I'm getting my writing career back!" Okay, it's a bit of a stretch and exemplifies my extreme enthusiasm for the movie The Hangover. But whatever. I feel better. Less like I'm floudering. So here I go. Running in new, writing-filled directions. Woo hoo!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
New Tactics
So I'm waiting for a yes. But I'm driving myself crazy because I don't know what to do in the mean time. I don't know what I thought would happen when I started querying agents. I mean I knew I wouldn't get a yes right away. I hoped I would get a YES immediately! But I knew I wouldn't.
So I need to rethink my writing career. Which I have no idea how to do. I have a freelance writing gig, but it doesn't pay much at all... I would rather write than do anything else, so I need to figure out how to make more money writing. And more money in general. And I need to get better at journalistic style writing. I don't do enough of it and haven't for a very long time to be as familiar as I need to be.
So how do I make more money writing? Any ideas? Anyone? Is that crickets I hear?
Life is strange sometimes. I feel like I ran as fast as I could and worked as hard as I could to get my book finished, so I could try to sell it. It never occurred to me that I would have to figure out something to do once my book was finished. Maybe it should have, but it didn't.
I'm ready to start my second book. I'm excited!!! My writers group is starting up again, so it's time to do LOTS MORE writing!!!
Loyal friends, if anyone has any writing career ideas or advice, I'm all ears. Or job leads in general right now. Thanks as always. Back to trying to conquer the world as a fabulous, famous writer!
So I need to rethink my writing career. Which I have no idea how to do. I have a freelance writing gig, but it doesn't pay much at all... I would rather write than do anything else, so I need to figure out how to make more money writing. And more money in general. And I need to get better at journalistic style writing. I don't do enough of it and haven't for a very long time to be as familiar as I need to be.
So how do I make more money writing? Any ideas? Anyone? Is that crickets I hear?
Life is strange sometimes. I feel like I ran as fast as I could and worked as hard as I could to get my book finished, so I could try to sell it. It never occurred to me that I would have to figure out something to do once my book was finished. Maybe it should have, but it didn't.
I'm ready to start my second book. I'm excited!!! My writers group is starting up again, so it's time to do LOTS MORE writing!!!
Loyal friends, if anyone has any writing career ideas or advice, I'm all ears. Or job leads in general right now. Thanks as always. Back to trying to conquer the world as a fabulous, famous writer!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
We should play catch up I suppose!
It's been two months and two weeks since I sent out my first query letter. I've sent out almost 250. 250!!! I've done 3 rounds of querying and I just started round 4.
I've gotten more rejections than I can count. Probably 60 or something. But who knows? I read "Unfortunately" or "regret" or whatever other lovely word the agent has chosen to use in my rejection letter and then throw them on the pile with the others.
I've received SIX Not No's!!!! SIX!!!! I have had SIX literary agents ask to see a partial manuscript, whether it be 3 chapters, 20 pages, or a whopping 100 pages. Woo hoo! Fucking ridiculously exciting!!! Each one feels better than the last. Each Not No makes me more and more certain I will succeed. I had 4 Not No's last week alone. I'm starting to feel the momentum shifting.
And now, as of yesterday, I've had 2 of my Not No's say they didn't desire to see my full manuscript. The first one was kind of jarring. But somehow comforting because I know it's all part of the process. And as one of my same-named writer friends has said before, "Well, it's a milestone!" And that it is. Another milestone in the process of publishing my very first book.
It stings, but I can't take it personally. Because it's not personal. This is business no matter how much of my heart and soul I poured into the 200 pages that are waiting for a letter of acceptance from someone... Anyone...
I lust for the life of my dreams every day. Every second of every day. I want to sell this book and achieve my dreams of becoming a published murder mystery novelist. And I want to make some MONEY! I want to have careers as successful as my mentors, Stephen King and James Patterson. I want to be rich and famous and gain success by doing what I love the most in the world. And by doing it my way.
I'm from the South and was raised with one mentality: Go big or go home. Why not shoot for the moon? I believe in a whatever it takes mentality. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make my big dreams come true. I've started round 4 of querying agents. I have prayed more in the last year of my life than in the rest of my life combined. And I constantly try to put good into the world. I believe if I put positive energy into the world, it will come back to me. And at this point, I need all the positive energy heading my way I can get.
I leave you today, with my latest whatever it takes to get published idea. I'm going to write a letter to Oprah's book club people. I mean... It can't hurt... Oprah's book club is the largest in the country, and she has been extremely helpful and even career-making to many authors, including first time authors. So, why not write Oprah's book club people a letter about my book and the process I've been through thus far trying to get it published? Maybe no one ever really reads it. But what if someone does? How cool would it be if Oprah Winfrey helped me get my book published?!
Back to the waiting game, which is always frustrating, because I want to be published, you know, yesterday!!!
I've gotten more rejections than I can count. Probably 60 or something. But who knows? I read "Unfortunately" or "regret" or whatever other lovely word the agent has chosen to use in my rejection letter and then throw them on the pile with the others.
I've received SIX Not No's!!!! SIX!!!! I have had SIX literary agents ask to see a partial manuscript, whether it be 3 chapters, 20 pages, or a whopping 100 pages. Woo hoo! Fucking ridiculously exciting!!! Each one feels better than the last. Each Not No makes me more and more certain I will succeed. I had 4 Not No's last week alone. I'm starting to feel the momentum shifting.
And now, as of yesterday, I've had 2 of my Not No's say they didn't desire to see my full manuscript. The first one was kind of jarring. But somehow comforting because I know it's all part of the process. And as one of my same-named writer friends has said before, "Well, it's a milestone!" And that it is. Another milestone in the process of publishing my very first book.
It stings, but I can't take it personally. Because it's not personal. This is business no matter how much of my heart and soul I poured into the 200 pages that are waiting for a letter of acceptance from someone... Anyone...
I lust for the life of my dreams every day. Every second of every day. I want to sell this book and achieve my dreams of becoming a published murder mystery novelist. And I want to make some MONEY! I want to have careers as successful as my mentors, Stephen King and James Patterson. I want to be rich and famous and gain success by doing what I love the most in the world. And by doing it my way.
I'm from the South and was raised with one mentality: Go big or go home. Why not shoot for the moon? I believe in a whatever it takes mentality. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make my big dreams come true. I've started round 4 of querying agents. I have prayed more in the last year of my life than in the rest of my life combined. And I constantly try to put good into the world. I believe if I put positive energy into the world, it will come back to me. And at this point, I need all the positive energy heading my way I can get.
I leave you today, with my latest whatever it takes to get published idea. I'm going to write a letter to Oprah's book club people. I mean... It can't hurt... Oprah's book club is the largest in the country, and she has been extremely helpful and even career-making to many authors, including first time authors. So, why not write Oprah's book club people a letter about my book and the process I've been through thus far trying to get it published? Maybe no one ever really reads it. But what if someone does? How cool would it be if Oprah Winfrey helped me get my book published?!
Back to the waiting game, which is always frustrating, because I want to be published, you know, yesterday!!!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Procrastination...
I'm blogging in an attempt to procrastinate.
These days, I'm playing the waiting game. Wait and wait and wait some more for some literary agent to contact me saying, "I want to read and/or rep your book!" I'm also playing the: What the fuck am I doing with my life game? And the how the hell can I make some more money writing game? And the I need a freaking job badly game. And the applying for job game, which is less fun than the I need a job game.
I've sent out 27 query letters so far. Some were just query letters; some were query letters, a synopsis, and sample chapters. I've received 9 rejections so far. They sting. They just do. This book is an extension of my being. Of course, it's going to hurt when someone says she's not well-written enough or good enough or interesting enough! However, I try to move forward every single day. Even if it's just one small step forward, I MUST take a step forward EVERY DAY. Otherwise, I end up in crazy, lost, depressed writer land. Which, at this point, I've accepted as just part of being a writer, but it still sucks. It's not a happy place. I feel lost there and question myself. Which I can't be doing. Especially not now.
So, I send out more query letters. I tell all of my friends when I receive a new rejection letter, so they can say things like, "Bollocks!" and "Fuckers!" and "Don't listen to them! Just send out another query letter!" I generally listen to my friends instead of the rejection letters. And I'm constantly reminded that "it only takes one YES." Love all of you who have said this to me recently!
I'm also applying for jobs these days. I just want to write. And I'm a decent writer. I just haven't figured out how to make enough money off my writing. Every day I send out another resume and writing samples to magazines and websites just trying to land a gig writing anything. Because it's been almost a month since I sent out my first query letter, and I am now entertaining the idea that I need to get a job before my savings really does run dry. So, of course I want a writing job, but I can't figure out how to market myself. If anyone has any ideas on this front...you know...pass them along! Please!
I'm also applying for bar wench jobs. Because I need a job. And money. Plus, I need something to occupy my time. Because OMG am I a crazy writer if you let me spend too much time in my own head, especially while playing the waiting game!!! Again, if anyone has a lead on a job, please pass the info along to your friendly neighborhood unemployed writer.
I'm getting together my list of literary agents to query for round 2. There will probably be about 30 in this bunch as well. So, here we go! Let's do this! Let's all pray a little more, plan a little more, and write a little more. Maybe these are the keys to success. Who knows? But I am determined and willing to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve my dreams. No matter what. I have said this before, and I stand by it: No IS NO T an option!
These days, I'm playing the waiting game. Wait and wait and wait some more for some literary agent to contact me saying, "I want to read and/or rep your book!" I'm also playing the: What the fuck am I doing with my life game? And the how the hell can I make some more money writing game? And the I need a freaking job badly game. And the applying for job game, which is less fun than the I need a job game.
I've sent out 27 query letters so far. Some were just query letters; some were query letters, a synopsis, and sample chapters. I've received 9 rejections so far. They sting. They just do. This book is an extension of my being. Of course, it's going to hurt when someone says she's not well-written enough or good enough or interesting enough! However, I try to move forward every single day. Even if it's just one small step forward, I MUST take a step forward EVERY DAY. Otherwise, I end up in crazy, lost, depressed writer land. Which, at this point, I've accepted as just part of being a writer, but it still sucks. It's not a happy place. I feel lost there and question myself. Which I can't be doing. Especially not now.
So, I send out more query letters. I tell all of my friends when I receive a new rejection letter, so they can say things like, "Bollocks!" and "Fuckers!" and "Don't listen to them! Just send out another query letter!" I generally listen to my friends instead of the rejection letters. And I'm constantly reminded that "it only takes one YES." Love all of you who have said this to me recently!
I'm also applying for jobs these days. I just want to write. And I'm a decent writer. I just haven't figured out how to make enough money off my writing. Every day I send out another resume and writing samples to magazines and websites just trying to land a gig writing anything. Because it's been almost a month since I sent out my first query letter, and I am now entertaining the idea that I need to get a job before my savings really does run dry. So, of course I want a writing job, but I can't figure out how to market myself. If anyone has any ideas on this front...you know...pass them along! Please!
I'm also applying for bar wench jobs. Because I need a job. And money. Plus, I need something to occupy my time. Because OMG am I a crazy writer if you let me spend too much time in my own head, especially while playing the waiting game!!! Again, if anyone has a lead on a job, please pass the info along to your friendly neighborhood unemployed writer.
I'm getting together my list of literary agents to query for round 2. There will probably be about 30 in this bunch as well. So, here we go! Let's do this! Let's all pray a little more, plan a little more, and write a little more. Maybe these are the keys to success. Who knows? But I am determined and willing to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve my dreams. No matter what. I have said this before, and I stand by it: No IS NO T an option!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Status Updates
Business: Okay. So I'm up to 7 rejections. I realize this isn't very many, and I'll probably get a lot more before I get a, "Yes." But rejections don't feel like a step forward, and it is SO IMPORTANT for me to take a positive step forward EVERY DAY! I've sent out a bunch of query letters, and I've still got many more to send out.
State of Mind: I'm not going to lie. Doubt is starting to creep in. Not overtake. But definitely creep in. (Yes, I realize I've only gotten seven rejections. And I have to be tougher, and I am tougher. But I'm also an emo writer, so...) I'm also going through that whole crazy writer's black hole that I always go through after I finish one big writing objective and search for the next. Also, I am not a patient person. AND I need to find something productive, like a job, to fill my time now that I've officially entered this dark, quiet period called: The Waiting Game.
Financial State: I feel like it's the same. But I'm definitely counting the days now as I know my savings won't last much longer, and I need more work to fill my time. Thus, I'm searching for a job: a part-time, low stress, decent-paying job. (The whole job hunt thing makes the emo writer even crazier!)
Creative: Taking a back seat lately. I need to amp it up. I need to really focus my creative energies in productive directions like for real finishing these few stories I've been working on for months but still aren't perfect yet or good enough to send out to magazines. And I need to OH MY GOD AMP UP my freelance business. So... all of you loyal followers of my blog who have websites and party invitations and holiday bashes you're preparing for, make sure you hire your favorite friendly neighborhood writer to take care of all of these needs and write something beautiful to send to your friends and families. Yes, I'm shamelessly plugging myself on my own blog. But if not here, then where? And I really do need to hugely beef up my freelance business. So spread the good word about my fabulous writing skills; your efforts are much appreciated.
Spiritual: I think I'm ignoring God, which is SO NOT what I should be doing right now as I pray and pray and pray some more that my book will sell and make some money. I should stop doing this.
State of Mind: I'm not going to lie. Doubt is starting to creep in. Not overtake. But definitely creep in. (Yes, I realize I've only gotten seven rejections. And I have to be tougher, and I am tougher. But I'm also an emo writer, so...) I'm also going through that whole crazy writer's black hole that I always go through after I finish one big writing objective and search for the next. Also, I am not a patient person. AND I need to find something productive, like a job, to fill my time now that I've officially entered this dark, quiet period called: The Waiting Game.
Financial State: I feel like it's the same. But I'm definitely counting the days now as I know my savings won't last much longer, and I need more work to fill my time. Thus, I'm searching for a job: a part-time, low stress, decent-paying job. (The whole job hunt thing makes the emo writer even crazier!)
Creative: Taking a back seat lately. I need to amp it up. I need to really focus my creative energies in productive directions like for real finishing these few stories I've been working on for months but still aren't perfect yet or good enough to send out to magazines. And I need to OH MY GOD AMP UP my freelance business. So... all of you loyal followers of my blog who have websites and party invitations and holiday bashes you're preparing for, make sure you hire your favorite friendly neighborhood writer to take care of all of these needs and write something beautiful to send to your friends and families. Yes, I'm shamelessly plugging myself on my own blog. But if not here, then where? And I really do need to hugely beef up my freelance business. So spread the good word about my fabulous writing skills; your efforts are much appreciated.
Spiritual: I think I'm ignoring God, which is SO NOT what I should be doing right now as I pray and pray and pray some more that my book will sell and make some money. I should stop doing this.
Monday, May 17, 2010
My Latest Rejection:
"Dear Meghann Carey, Thanks for your query. Due to a family health crisis, I must declare a moratorium on new submissions for the coming year. I appreciate your thinking of us and I wish you every success with your work.
Cordially,"
While my initial response should have been something like: "Oh that sucks! I really feel bad. Hope she's okay." My actual response was something more along the lines of this: "F@*king s@*t lady! We all have to work regardless of extenuating circumstances! Don't you know how desperate new novelists are to publish their first book? I mean, geez!"
After processing for a moment, I went back and thought something along the lines of what would have been an appropriate, reasonable person response. No need to invite bad karma into my life after all.
So, this is rejection number 4!
Keep your fingers crossed! Many many thanks for all of the positive energy being sent my way!
Cordially,"
While my initial response should have been something like: "Oh that sucks! I really feel bad. Hope she's okay." My actual response was something more along the lines of this: "F@*king s@*t lady! We all have to work regardless of extenuating circumstances! Don't you know how desperate new novelists are to publish their first book? I mean, geez!"
After processing for a moment, I went back and thought something along the lines of what would have been an appropriate, reasonable person response. No need to invite bad karma into my life after all.
So, this is rejection number 4!
Keep your fingers crossed! Many many thanks for all of the positive energy being sent my way!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Milestones! Yay!
Sent out my first query letters!
Got my very first rejection letter!
Loved the first milestone! Could have skipped over the second! I'm not going to lie; rejection letters sting. But we press on. "No," is not an option. Not an option for so many different reasons at this point.
So, if you must... bring it on Rejection Letter God. I'm not afraid. And I will do whatever it takes to find someone who says, "Yes."
Got my very first rejection letter!
Loved the first milestone! Could have skipped over the second! I'm not going to lie; rejection letters sting. But we press on. "No," is not an option. Not an option for so many different reasons at this point.
So, if you must... bring it on Rejection Letter God. I'm not afraid. And I will do whatever it takes to find someone who says, "Yes."
My book is finished!
MY BOOK IS FINISHED!!! OH MY GOD!!! WOO HOO!!! I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT!!!
It took a full year of my life, but it is completely finished and ready to sell!!! I'm sending out query letters today! And then I start the waiting game. Which I'm strangely excited about. I'm sure I won't be excited, you know, a week from now when I am STILL waiting. But today I'm excited!
Time to get to it!
It took a full year of my life, but it is completely finished and ready to sell!!! I'm sending out query letters today! And then I start the waiting game. Which I'm strangely excited about. I'm sure I won't be excited, you know, a week from now when I am STILL waiting. But today I'm excited!
Time to get to it!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
I live in a place called Grammar Land!
It's a fun place filled with lots of periods, commas, and semicolons, all of which I have misplaced. Over and over and over again. 200 pages worth of misuse! I really shouldn't be trusted to finish this sentence correctly. Thank God I have amazing editors! I've already recommended both of you for Sainthood.
I have a very, very, very short To Do List left. Thank God! It's time to sell this book! I've said this sentence a trillion times over the last year of my life, but it really is time to sell this book. NOW! Yes, I realize I have no real control over when this book sells. But that does not change the fact that I'm ready to sell this damn book! So I can make some money and stress a little less. And so I can write a second one! Because that's what this is all about. It's not about writing just one book. Anyone can do that. Maybe anyone can't, but a lot of people can write one book. But I want to write A LOT of books. Over the course of the rest of my life. I finally figured out what I love to do and coincidentally I'm pretty good at it. And I'm only going to get better.
I'm also very eager to publish my book because I have been trying to figure out who I am my entire life, and I've finally figured it out a little bit. Leia really is me. I realize it more and more as I distance myself from the novel in order to see it more clearly. It took twenty-eight years of life to get a pretty good picture of who I am. I am the person I want to be, and I want the world to see that. Maybe I can make up in my fictional character my shortcomings as a real person. Or learn something from her. Which I have on several occasions over the last year.
An update for all of those who are praying for my success and sending me lots of good vibes and positive energy. Back to Grammar Land now. Luckily, there's Pandora in Grammar Land to keep me sane amidst the flurry of punctuation marks.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Slight Moment of Panic and A Long Night of Insomnia
I had a slight girlie moment of panic last night that led to a night of insomnia in which I was composing haikus instead of sleeping. Totally normal, right?
My moment of panic stemmed from the ten day trip I'm going to be embarking upon on Thursday. Yes, this Thursday. This trip includes four cities, two weddings (one of which I am in), and me in a bathing suit in a week from now, oh my god. Yes, this is one intense trip! It's going to be ridiculously awesome, and I'm going to see most of my very best friends, including my middle sister, over the course of the next ten days. However, I've been avoiding planning for it, meaning making lists of things to make sure I take and leave. Like take my gps for driving around L.A. but leave my Swiss army knife here instead of getting to the airport, failing security checks, and having to mail it home to myself and go through security again. So today I make lists and plans as I embark upon another work day with less sleep than normal.
Because I'm going to be out of town for ten whole days meaning I'll get little to no work done, I'm trying to get my book finished before I leave...in FIVE days! This may seem like unnecessary pressure, but you know when you're running a marathon and you only have a mile left...you're not going to stop for anything. Nothing. At all. No matter what. Because you're almost finished. And you really want to just be finished. I really want to just be finished with my book. And I'm so freaking close; I can literally taste it at this point!
Plus, I've written a rockin' query letter that I want to start sending out to literary agents to get this process moving along, so I can sell my book, you know, yesterday! So, I push myself to pack for a ten day trip, to not forget anything, and finish my book. All in the next five days.
So here we are. Yesterday, I put every event, major and minor, and time reference on a piece of posterboard. I had divided the posterboard up by months because in my head, I thought I knew when everything happened. Well, now I have all these events on my time line. (Yes, the dreaded time line I've been avoiding for a year is complete.) Putting all of these events on my time line made me realize two things: 1)I actually didn't have any idea when anything happened. I won't give away specific details of events, but there's one major event in the story that happened in the Fall in my imagination, but according to my book, it happened in early Spring. 2)The event that happens on the first freaking page of the whole damn novel is the one that's going to fuck up the ENTIRE time line of my story! Every other event can be moved or shifted pretty easily, but this one event was causing some MAJOR problems!
So last night, while my roommates and I were making dinner and playing Wii, I start discussing this one MAJOR problem and trying to come up with a solution. But not just any solution. At this stage in the game, the solution needs to be like one or two sentences and thus, really easy to fix! Well, after explaining my situation, my roommates gave me a couple of potential solutions, but they were BIG fixes! I can't use a big fix at this point. I can't go back and rewrite lots of various parts of the story for one scene. It's just not realistic. So we kept chatting. It took a minute, but we finally came up with a really easy, one or two sentence fix that makes the first scene completely plausible. Hallelujah!!! Like I said, the first scene was the only really big problem with my time line. The rest of the stuff is little and just needs to be nailed down.
This morning I got lucky and found a blank piece of posterboard. So, I'm going transfer every event from one posterboard to another, making them all fit together in a precise puzzle as I go. And then, I have to go back in and make changes in the novel of all of these event time changes. Hopefully this process will be completed today because I have several other things to work on in the next four.
For now, I leave you with a haiku composed in a state of insomnia.
The NFL draft
Is like the smell of rain. You
Lust for the real thing.
My moment of panic stemmed from the ten day trip I'm going to be embarking upon on Thursday. Yes, this Thursday. This trip includes four cities, two weddings (one of which I am in), and me in a bathing suit in a week from now, oh my god. Yes, this is one intense trip! It's going to be ridiculously awesome, and I'm going to see most of my very best friends, including my middle sister, over the course of the next ten days. However, I've been avoiding planning for it, meaning making lists of things to make sure I take and leave. Like take my gps for driving around L.A. but leave my Swiss army knife here instead of getting to the airport, failing security checks, and having to mail it home to myself and go through security again. So today I make lists and plans as I embark upon another work day with less sleep than normal.
Because I'm going to be out of town for ten whole days meaning I'll get little to no work done, I'm trying to get my book finished before I leave...in FIVE days! This may seem like unnecessary pressure, but you know when you're running a marathon and you only have a mile left...you're not going to stop for anything. Nothing. At all. No matter what. Because you're almost finished. And you really want to just be finished. I really want to just be finished with my book. And I'm so freaking close; I can literally taste it at this point!
Plus, I've written a rockin' query letter that I want to start sending out to literary agents to get this process moving along, so I can sell my book, you know, yesterday! So, I push myself to pack for a ten day trip, to not forget anything, and finish my book. All in the next five days.
So here we are. Yesterday, I put every event, major and minor, and time reference on a piece of posterboard. I had divided the posterboard up by months because in my head, I thought I knew when everything happened. Well, now I have all these events on my time line. (Yes, the dreaded time line I've been avoiding for a year is complete.) Putting all of these events on my time line made me realize two things: 1)I actually didn't have any idea when anything happened. I won't give away specific details of events, but there's one major event in the story that happened in the Fall in my imagination, but according to my book, it happened in early Spring. 2)The event that happens on the first freaking page of the whole damn novel is the one that's going to fuck up the ENTIRE time line of my story! Every other event can be moved or shifted pretty easily, but this one event was causing some MAJOR problems!
So last night, while my roommates and I were making dinner and playing Wii, I start discussing this one MAJOR problem and trying to come up with a solution. But not just any solution. At this stage in the game, the solution needs to be like one or two sentences and thus, really easy to fix! Well, after explaining my situation, my roommates gave me a couple of potential solutions, but they were BIG fixes! I can't use a big fix at this point. I can't go back and rewrite lots of various parts of the story for one scene. It's just not realistic. So we kept chatting. It took a minute, but we finally came up with a really easy, one or two sentence fix that makes the first scene completely plausible. Hallelujah!!! Like I said, the first scene was the only really big problem with my time line. The rest of the stuff is little and just needs to be nailed down.
This morning I got lucky and found a blank piece of posterboard. So, I'm going transfer every event from one posterboard to another, making them all fit together in a precise puzzle as I go. And then, I have to go back in and make changes in the novel of all of these event time changes. Hopefully this process will be completed today because I have several other things to work on in the next four.
For now, I leave you with a haiku composed in a state of insomnia.
The NFL draft
Is like the smell of rain. You
Lust for the real thing.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Can I get a "Fuck Yeah!" and a High Five of Stoketude please?
It's been a freaking phenomenal day! I bought a case of paper this morning for $20. Woo hoo for cheap white paper on which I printed my novel! Also yay for new red pens! It's the simple things in life really.
When I edit/rewrite/revise/write, I print my novel out and write all over it in bright red pen! I know it's a waste of 100 sheets of paper every time I do this, but this is the only way editing works for me. I can't do nearly as good of a job on the computer screen as I can writing it in by hand. However, this makes double the work as I then have to go through the file and make all of the hand-written corrections. But it works, and that's all that matters. Oh, and I recycle!
Before I started my editing today, I read through my editors' comments and notes. I like to get a sense of the issues my editors are having, so I can easily and hopefully organically slip in solutions. I'm also flipping through a marked up copy while I edit my clean copy. There shouldn't be many more edits at all after this round, so I have to make sure I don't miss anything!
One of the comments one of my editors made was that readers needed to really get into the protagonist's head more. And I should describe her actions less. Particularly toward the end. So today I really tried to get into my protagonist's head. Which was difficult! Especially in the end of the book where the protagonist and the serial killer come face to face to duke it out. Having never been in this situation, it's hard to get into the mindset of thinking you're about to die at the hands of a serial killer who has brutally murdered a decent number of people over the last few months. Really getting into Leia's mind is crucial to my story's success.
So, I got fucked up, closed my eyes, and just wrote, trying to really concentrate and put myself in those feelings, her feelings. This might sound weird, and I'm certain I looked weird typing really fast with my eyes closed, but I think it helped. I hope her thoughts and emotions are coming to the surface more, so you can feel this intense level of fear and terror WITH her! So you will be afraid FOR her! So you will give a damn! So you will care about Leia Marie Sutherland, and you will cheer her on as she fights this psycho for her life. Cuz if you don't give a damn, I have failed in my mission as a writer. And if you don't care, you might not have even made it to the end chapters I worked on today. And you won't tell your friends to buy my book. Yes, you caring about Leia is this important and a crucial element to my success. So, I hone her voice and make her a stronger character.
Lots more editing to go for this round, but I'm off to a good start! I have to keep plowing through at a quick pace, so I can start querying agents ASAP now that I have my query letter finished.
When I edit/rewrite/revise/write, I print my novel out and write all over it in bright red pen! I know it's a waste of 100 sheets of paper every time I do this, but this is the only way editing works for me. I can't do nearly as good of a job on the computer screen as I can writing it in by hand. However, this makes double the work as I then have to go through the file and make all of the hand-written corrections. But it works, and that's all that matters. Oh, and I recycle!
Before I started my editing today, I read through my editors' comments and notes. I like to get a sense of the issues my editors are having, so I can easily and hopefully organically slip in solutions. I'm also flipping through a marked up copy while I edit my clean copy. There shouldn't be many more edits at all after this round, so I have to make sure I don't miss anything!
One of the comments one of my editors made was that readers needed to really get into the protagonist's head more. And I should describe her actions less. Particularly toward the end. So today I really tried to get into my protagonist's head. Which was difficult! Especially in the end of the book where the protagonist and the serial killer come face to face to duke it out. Having never been in this situation, it's hard to get into the mindset of thinking you're about to die at the hands of a serial killer who has brutally murdered a decent number of people over the last few months. Really getting into Leia's mind is crucial to my story's success.
So, I got fucked up, closed my eyes, and just wrote, trying to really concentrate and put myself in those feelings, her feelings. This might sound weird, and I'm certain I looked weird typing really fast with my eyes closed, but I think it helped. I hope her thoughts and emotions are coming to the surface more, so you can feel this intense level of fear and terror WITH her! So you will be afraid FOR her! So you will give a damn! So you will care about Leia Marie Sutherland, and you will cheer her on as she fights this psycho for her life. Cuz if you don't give a damn, I have failed in my mission as a writer. And if you don't care, you might not have even made it to the end chapters I worked on today. And you won't tell your friends to buy my book. Yes, you caring about Leia is this important and a crucial element to my success. So, I hone her voice and make her a stronger character.
Lots more editing to go for this round, but I'm off to a good start! I have to keep plowing through at a quick pace, so I can start querying agents ASAP now that I have my query letter finished.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
We have a pretty rockin' query letter!
Oh My God! Did I actually accomplish something I can OFFICIALLY check off the Grand Master To Do List? The answer: yes! As of some time mid-afternoon today, we officially have a pretty rockin' query letter! Thank God!
I'm not even going to lie; I do feel better. And we can now move on to bigger and better things...my novel! She needs one last big-ish round of edits. I have a plan of attack, though. And it involves starting from the end and working my way backward. This plan also involves me actually writing a time line of events. I've been avoiding it...for...almost a full year now... Yes, I am dedicated and stubborn; two of my more charming qualities. Now I, for real, have to go through and put every single freaking event in the 200 pages of my novel on one large piece of paper, so I can make sure it makes sense. Because right now it doesn't. As a testament to how out of whack my timing is throughout the novel, when I started writing the end, I wrote very ambiguous time references in an attempt to avoid writing a time line. Yes, this is a lazy writer maneuver, and obviously it didn't work. But remember, I am running a marathon here, and some days I'm just plain tired.
However, this first novel is my baby, and I want her to be a well-written, grammatically correct, page-turning, thrilling, suspenseful, blood, guts, and gore filled, emotional rollercoaster! I can't freaking wait for all of you who read my novel to ride this rollercoaster with me!
So, I do what it takes. No matter what. To make my first, real contribution to the literary world as good as it can be. For my own bragging rights and for my readers' enjoyment.
I'm not even going to lie; I do feel better. And we can now move on to bigger and better things...my novel! She needs one last big-ish round of edits. I have a plan of attack, though. And it involves starting from the end and working my way backward. This plan also involves me actually writing a time line of events. I've been avoiding it...for...almost a full year now... Yes, I am dedicated and stubborn; two of my more charming qualities. Now I, for real, have to go through and put every single freaking event in the 200 pages of my novel on one large piece of paper, so I can make sure it makes sense. Because right now it doesn't. As a testament to how out of whack my timing is throughout the novel, when I started writing the end, I wrote very ambiguous time references in an attempt to avoid writing a time line. Yes, this is a lazy writer maneuver, and obviously it didn't work. But remember, I am running a marathon here, and some days I'm just plain tired.
However, this first novel is my baby, and I want her to be a well-written, grammatically correct, page-turning, thrilling, suspenseful, blood, guts, and gore filled, emotional rollercoaster! I can't freaking wait for all of you who read my novel to ride this rollercoaster with me!
So, I do what it takes. No matter what. To make my first, real contribution to the literary world as good as it can be. For my own bragging rights and for my readers' enjoyment.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Had a Meeting With My Editor Today.
She is a saint! We meet for writing tips, for marketing tips, and for the all important, meaning I really can't live without it, pep talk. I just need one of these every now and again as I journey down this uncharted road alone. Okay, a lot of other people have been down this publishing road before, but I've never done this, and the only way to really understand the writing and selling of a book is to write and sell a book yourself.
My mentor's pep talks are incredible. She makes me feel sane and like I semi-know what I'm doing; I'm headed in the right direction at a realistic pace. I cannot express to you how invaluable it is to hear such encouraging words from someone who's been here and done this.
These pep talks really restore my sanity. As I told her today, if I can just keep myself sane under the pressure of all of this, of editing my book, finding a literary agent, making some money off this book, all in some semblance of soon, you know, before my savings runs out...if I can stay sane through all of this, then I have no doubt I will succeed. And the second book will be..SO. MUCH. EASIER.
Notice how I didn't say I needed help with editing or marketing. No, no. Staying sane is the hard part, especially at this point in the marathon.
So I trudge forward. With renewed hope and vigor. And a new, prioritized plan of attack.
P.S. To the rest of the amazing people in my life who attempt to keep me sane every day, despite what a huge challenge it actually is, your efforts are sincerely appreciated. And keep up the good work. We're not published yet.
My mentor's pep talks are incredible. She makes me feel sane and like I semi-know what I'm doing; I'm headed in the right direction at a realistic pace. I cannot express to you how invaluable it is to hear such encouraging words from someone who's been here and done this.
These pep talks really restore my sanity. As I told her today, if I can just keep myself sane under the pressure of all of this, of editing my book, finding a literary agent, making some money off this book, all in some semblance of soon, you know, before my savings runs out...if I can stay sane through all of this, then I have no doubt I will succeed. And the second book will be..SO. MUCH. EASIER.
Notice how I didn't say I needed help with editing or marketing. No, no. Staying sane is the hard part, especially at this point in the marathon.
So I trudge forward. With renewed hope and vigor. And a new, prioritized plan of attack.
P.S. To the rest of the amazing people in my life who attempt to keep me sane every day, despite what a huge challenge it actually is, your efforts are sincerely appreciated. And keep up the good work. We're not published yet.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
My Query Letters Have Sucked!!!
I'm meeting with my editor tomorrow to get some help with query letters and other things. So, I decided I needed to make my query letters better or at least create a few different versions to choose from, one of which would hopefully be good. Thus, I got really fucked up, put on some Top Chef tv and just fucking wrote and referred to a sample query letter. And wrote some more. And referred to a sample query letter. And I came up with two new versions, one of which I think is pretty freaking good. Definitely less boring! I thought writing my novel would be hard. It was a cake walk compared to this. This shit is fucking hard!
Another issue I'm dealing with: who does my novel sound like? It's got to sound like someone else out there. I just don't know who. I've asked my editors and have stacks of mysteries I'm plowing through in an attempt to figure this out. My protagonist is different, but I'm not naive enough to think she's completely original.
The whole thought process contained here is why attempting to get published is MADDENING! You do one thing Monday only to have ten things to do Tuesday. So you do ten things Tuesday only to have 40 things to do Wednesday! If I didn't drink, I wouldn't make it. If I didn't have the support system I have, I wouldn't make it. If I wasn't as determined and unwilling to accept, "No" for an answer, I wouldn't fucking make it!
Have I mentioned how scary editing a novel is? Have I mentioned how scary trying to sell my novel to an agent is? No. Well, I have never been more scared in my life! Because I've upped the ante. It's all fine and well and good when it's just a job or a project or a whatever. But when you risk your livelihood to make your childhood dreams come true, "Yes" is the only acceptable answer, and you don't give up until you hear the one word that matters. No matter what.
So, it's Thursday, and I'm kicking my own butt into gear, so I'm going to go back to writing awesome query letters!
Another issue I'm dealing with: who does my novel sound like? It's got to sound like someone else out there. I just don't know who. I've asked my editors and have stacks of mysteries I'm plowing through in an attempt to figure this out. My protagonist is different, but I'm not naive enough to think she's completely original.
The whole thought process contained here is why attempting to get published is MADDENING! You do one thing Monday only to have ten things to do Tuesday. So you do ten things Tuesday only to have 40 things to do Wednesday! If I didn't drink, I wouldn't make it. If I didn't have the support system I have, I wouldn't make it. If I wasn't as determined and unwilling to accept, "No" for an answer, I wouldn't fucking make it!
Have I mentioned how scary editing a novel is? Have I mentioned how scary trying to sell my novel to an agent is? No. Well, I have never been more scared in my life! Because I've upped the ante. It's all fine and well and good when it's just a job or a project or a whatever. But when you risk your livelihood to make your childhood dreams come true, "Yes" is the only acceptable answer, and you don't give up until you hear the one word that matters. No matter what.
So, it's Thursday, and I'm kicking my own butt into gear, so I'm going to go back to writing awesome query letters!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Still Creatively Writing...I Mean Querying Agents...
More research today. Going through agent website after agent website. Some of them have really interesting things to say indicating they really do get it. They get the blood, sweat, tears, long hours, days, weeks, months, and sometimes years, the passion, the love, the words, words, and more words, the ideas, the thought, the planning, research, attention, editing, writing, rewriting, dedication, heartfelt, soul-wrenching, deeply-embedded, emotion that goes into writing a novel.
Creating a completely new world filled with previously unimagined people you will come to love as much as you love your own family because these characters are the people you really live with. You might say you live with your roommates, husband, wife, children, boyfriend, girlfriend, mother, father, aunt...but you don't! As a writer, I live with Leia Marie Sutherland and the serial killer stalking her, and all of the other people that make up Leia's intricate world.
Sandra Dijkstra wrote an essay on her website to authors, agents, editors, publishers, and everyone else in the publishing world that is inspirational. She has this to say, "we do see the big sky, which is often bluer out here and can inspire acts of great courage (or foolishness).” Dijkstra is a West Coaster, rebelling against the traditional NYC location for the publishing industry. She truly gets what it takes to put your mind, body, soul, heart, and life into a book. Dijkstra understands it's the small things in life that inspire writers. Some days all it takes is the blue, blue sky to inspire you to get up the courage to quit your job or not look for a new one when you get laid off from yours and look seemingly foolish in front of everyone you know all to achieve a dream and write a novel. But not just any novel. Your first novel.
One agent said he is passionate about his favorite books! He understands why writers write: because they love that euphoric feeling of finding yourself in one of your favorite books. There's nothing better than finding yourself in the middle of your favorite book, turning page after page after page, unable to put it down, all to find out what happens next. What happens to these people in this fictional world. This particular agent shows a high respect you, as a reader and a writer, have for someone who can create such a believable world, you can just fall into. I have spent much of my life existing in these worlds others have created for me to fall in to.
Not every agent says things like these, but these are the kinds of people to which I want to give my novel. These are the types of people who will really appreciate all of the little details that went into creating a fictional city called Edenville and a cast of characters fit for any episode of Law and Order. These are the people I want to talk to for hours about books. And these are the people I will query first.
Creating a completely new world filled with previously unimagined people you will come to love as much as you love your own family because these characters are the people you really live with. You might say you live with your roommates, husband, wife, children, boyfriend, girlfriend, mother, father, aunt...but you don't! As a writer, I live with Leia Marie Sutherland and the serial killer stalking her, and all of the other people that make up Leia's intricate world.
Sandra Dijkstra wrote an essay on her website to authors, agents, editors, publishers, and everyone else in the publishing world that is inspirational. She has this to say, "we do see the big sky, which is often bluer out here and can inspire acts of great courage (or foolishness).” Dijkstra is a West Coaster, rebelling against the traditional NYC location for the publishing industry. She truly gets what it takes to put your mind, body, soul, heart, and life into a book. Dijkstra understands it's the small things in life that inspire writers. Some days all it takes is the blue, blue sky to inspire you to get up the courage to quit your job or not look for a new one when you get laid off from yours and look seemingly foolish in front of everyone you know all to achieve a dream and write a novel. But not just any novel. Your first novel.
One agent said he is passionate about his favorite books! He understands why writers write: because they love that euphoric feeling of finding yourself in one of your favorite books. There's nothing better than finding yourself in the middle of your favorite book, turning page after page after page, unable to put it down, all to find out what happens next. What happens to these people in this fictional world. This particular agent shows a high respect you, as a reader and a writer, have for someone who can create such a believable world, you can just fall into. I have spent much of my life existing in these worlds others have created for me to fall in to.
Not every agent says things like these, but these are the kinds of people to which I want to give my novel. These are the types of people who will really appreciate all of the little details that went into creating a fictional city called Edenville and a cast of characters fit for any episode of Law and Order. These are the people I want to talk to for hours about books. And these are the people I will query first.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Querying Agents
So...with every query letter I write, I have to say why I chose that particular agent. As I'm researching agents, they all agree they don't want you to query them just because they're next on the list of agents in the Writer's Market book that accepts murder mystery/thriller/women's/Southern novels. Well, this is easier said than done.
Yes, some of the agents on my list say something that stands out. Like we're actively seeking new, unpublished writers in this genre. Or, we're looking for mysteries from a woman's perspective. Or we're looking for thriller novels that have a different "subject" than what's already out there. My female protagonist is a food critic. See: different.
However, sometimes there isn't another reason to query them other than they're next on the list. What do you do then? Make shit up!!! I graduated with a B.A. in English Literature and Journalism and with an M.A. in English Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing. All of that is to say, I'm very good at bullshitting. In fact, I've spent the last ten years of my life practicing my professional bullshit skills. This is not to say I should make up crap because crap is simply that: crap. And we can all discern the crap from the professionally crafted slightly bullshit inspired explanation.
So, that's where I'm at with my query letters. I've researched and researched in the Writer's Market books, and I'm going over and over every word on every agent's website (assuming they have one, which all don't). Now it's time to get creative! And possibly pull some stuff out of my butt, as we creatives say.
Other thoughts on agents:
Every Writer's Market book and many agent websites tell you to head to your local bookstore and look in the front few pages of popular mystery novels because this is where the author is going to thank their agent. This way, when writing query letters, you can say, "hey, you represent so and so, and my book is like theirs because..." I'm calling bullshit on this one big time!!! I am an avid murder mystery reader. I own a trillion mystery novels, yes a trillion, and I spend countless hours in bookstores, and I rarely, and I mean RARELY, see any author thank their agent in the first few pages. Generally what I see is publisher information, BUT NO FREAKING AGENT NAME! So, thanks Writer's Guide, but this tip is SO NOT HELPFUL!
Also, I'm spending a great deal of time researching writers conferences. This, really, is where you would like to meet agents because the publishing industry, like every other industry in the world, is all about who you know. At this point, my connections in the publishing industry are slim-none. And by that I really mean nill, zero, zip. So, perhaps I shall attend a writers conference or two and meet some people in the biz. I'm definitely going to attend Killer Nashville, which is in Nashville in August and all about murder mystery novels. Hence the title. I'm also looking at several in NYC because that's where the publishing industry is centrally located, and my sister lives there, so I have a place to crash for free. And of course, I'm looking at conferences all over the Southeast.
Back to research for now. As always, please keep me in mind when thinking of all the handy dandy people in your address books. Maybe you know someone who can help me get published and you don't even realize it. So mine your address books friends! Your help is greatly, greatly appreciated!
Yes, some of the agents on my list say something that stands out. Like we're actively seeking new, unpublished writers in this genre. Or, we're looking for mysteries from a woman's perspective. Or we're looking for thriller novels that have a different "subject" than what's already out there. My female protagonist is a food critic. See: different.
However, sometimes there isn't another reason to query them other than they're next on the list. What do you do then? Make shit up!!! I graduated with a B.A. in English Literature and Journalism and with an M.A. in English Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing. All of that is to say, I'm very good at bullshitting. In fact, I've spent the last ten years of my life practicing my professional bullshit skills. This is not to say I should make up crap because crap is simply that: crap. And we can all discern the crap from the professionally crafted slightly bullshit inspired explanation.
So, that's where I'm at with my query letters. I've researched and researched in the Writer's Market books, and I'm going over and over every word on every agent's website (assuming they have one, which all don't). Now it's time to get creative! And possibly pull some stuff out of my butt, as we creatives say.
Other thoughts on agents:
Every Writer's Market book and many agent websites tell you to head to your local bookstore and look in the front few pages of popular mystery novels because this is where the author is going to thank their agent. This way, when writing query letters, you can say, "hey, you represent so and so, and my book is like theirs because..." I'm calling bullshit on this one big time!!! I am an avid murder mystery reader. I own a trillion mystery novels, yes a trillion, and I spend countless hours in bookstores, and I rarely, and I mean RARELY, see any author thank their agent in the first few pages. Generally what I see is publisher information, BUT NO FREAKING AGENT NAME! So, thanks Writer's Guide, but this tip is SO NOT HELPFUL!
Also, I'm spending a great deal of time researching writers conferences. This, really, is where you would like to meet agents because the publishing industry, like every other industry in the world, is all about who you know. At this point, my connections in the publishing industry are slim-none. And by that I really mean nill, zero, zip. So, perhaps I shall attend a writers conference or two and meet some people in the biz. I'm definitely going to attend Killer Nashville, which is in Nashville in August and all about murder mystery novels. Hence the title. I'm also looking at several in NYC because that's where the publishing industry is centrally located, and my sister lives there, so I have a place to crash for free. And of course, I'm looking at conferences all over the Southeast.
Back to research for now. As always, please keep me in mind when thinking of all the handy dandy people in your address books. Maybe you know someone who can help me get published and you don't even realize it. So mine your address books friends! Your help is greatly, greatly appreciated!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Let's Talk Literary Agents Some More
So, I've created a sort of assembly line system that is working better than anything else I've tried thus far. I'm going down my list and Googling every literary agency on it looking for a specific agent within the agency that would be the best fit for my murder mystery/thriller/Southern/women's novel. I'm gathering contact information and specific submission guidelines. Through this process, I have narrowed my list from 37 agencies to 28. My original 37 came from my Writer's Market Guide to Literary Agents
Reasons agencies got cut...horrible feedback from the online community, not accepting submissions at this time, don't represent murder msytery or thriller novels according to their website despite the fact that my Writer's Market Guide to Literary Agents said they did, their website says something like this, "As a rule, I no longer take mysteries, thrillers or historical novels because publishers won't buy them from unknown authors."
Let's all pause for a breath here because this statement stopped me dead in my tracks. Only for a second. But definitely stopped me. However, there are seemingly a million other agencies out there who do not agree with this statement, so the search for the perfect literary agent quickly resumed.
Next in the assembly line process, is to rough draft articulate on my Grand Master List why I've chosen to query each agent. This part of the process is partly done for almost all of the agencies on my list seeing as I've already chosen a particular agent for a particular reason and jotted that down.
Luckily, query letters are like cover letters for the most part, meaning their formulaic. I've written two query letters so far, and really the important part and the only part that really changes is the opening paragraph, which states: I chose you Mr./Mrs./Ms. agent because...
Thus, once I rough draft on my Grand Master List why I chose each agent, I can then go input it into my query letters I've already written and make them concise, intelligent, and VERY well-written.
I have a plan, and I'm moving forward faster now than I have for the entire month of March. My goal is to have all of my query letters written by the end of the week. I also have a novel synopsis that's pretty good but does need a little more work. So, that will go on the mental To Do List as I've abandoned the paper one. (It was stressing me out. So I said, "screw it!" And I'm moving faster without that pesky old official To Do List.)
There are still a million questions left, and I still don't feel like I really know what I'm doing. But the only way to learn, especially in this industry, is to do. So, I'm doing. I'm writing the perfect query letter for at least 28 different literary agents!
The Million Questions List:
Reasons agencies got cut...horrible feedback from the online community, not accepting submissions at this time, don't represent murder msytery or thriller novels according to their website despite the fact that my Writer's Market Guide to Literary Agents said they did, their website says something like this, "As a rule, I no longer take mysteries, thrillers or historical novels because publishers won't buy them from unknown authors."
Let's all pause for a breath here because this statement stopped me dead in my tracks. Only for a second. But definitely stopped me. However, there are seemingly a million other agencies out there who do not agree with this statement, so the search for the perfect literary agent quickly resumed.
Next in the assembly line process, is to rough draft articulate on my Grand Master List why I've chosen to query each agent. This part of the process is partly done for almost all of the agencies on my list seeing as I've already chosen a particular agent for a particular reason and jotted that down.
Luckily, query letters are like cover letters for the most part, meaning their formulaic. I've written two query letters so far, and really the important part and the only part that really changes is the opening paragraph, which states: I chose you Mr./Mrs./Ms. agent because...
Thus, once I rough draft on my Grand Master List why I chose each agent, I can then go input it into my query letters I've already written and make them concise, intelligent, and VERY well-written.
I have a plan, and I'm moving forward faster now than I have for the entire month of March. My goal is to have all of my query letters written by the end of the week. I also have a novel synopsis that's pretty good but does need a little more work. So, that will go on the mental To Do List as I've abandoned the paper one. (It was stressing me out. So I said, "screw it!" And I'm moving faster without that pesky old official To Do List.)
There are still a million questions left, and I still don't feel like I really know what I'm doing. But the only way to learn, especially in this industry, is to do. So, I'm doing. I'm writing the perfect query letter for at least 28 different literary agents!
The Million Questions List:
- Who do you trust? Writer's Guide? Agency website? The millions of websites online that critique agencies?
- How do you know who you can trust and who you can't? Do you trust an agent just because their a member of the AAR (Association of Authors' Representatives)?
- How do you define what type of book your novel is? As I've previously described it, mine fits into several categories: mystery, thriller, women's, Southern. But what happens if an agent accepts one genre but is not accepting another?
- Was it a good idea to Facebook friend the agent I friended today? (I went to become a fan of his agency, but the only option was to friend him. His Wall looked like it had LOTS of useful information on it from him, the insider, so I friended him. So people, let's keep my Facebook page semi-clean and professional. :) )
- Who do I know in the publishing industry? Who could I potentially know? Who do my friends know in the publishing industry? Yes, friends, if you know people, now's the time to share those contacts!!!
- How many query letters can I make my editors read? After they've read my novel?
Let's Talk Literary Agents
I've spent the last 48 hours really, really embedded in the online world of literary agents. Oh My God! There's so much out there! Here's a quick overview of questions I've had and things I've learned over the last two days.
Does it diminish an agent's credibility if there's a typo on their website homepage? I'm certainly not allowed to have a typo in ANYTHING I send to them. In fact, I'll probably get an automatic rejection if I do. Does this mean the agency gets an automatic rejection from me if they have a typo?
Does it matter if a literary agency doesn't have a webpage or doesn't have a webpage that comes up automatically at the top of search engine results. If I can create a website, myself, for my dog, shouldn't a literary agent have a website? And if you're serious about business like the rest of us, shouldn't it appear at the top of Google's search results? Just saying.
The website P & E provides incredible amounts of feedback on any and every literary agent out there. Folks posting on this site are brutally honest.
What about if the agent has an AOL e-mail address? I'm a normal person, and I haven't had an AOL email address in ten years. Not that anything's wrong with AOL. It's just that most of us have switched to gmail or if you're a business you have an email address that's yourname@yourbusinessname.com. Is an AOL e-mail address a reason to discount an agent?
I have eliminated several agencies from my Master List through my online searching. My Master List was formed from my Writer's Market Guide to Literary Agents. After doing A LOT of online research, I wonder about what it takes to get into the Writer's Market Guide to Literary Agents. Some of the agencies listed in this book look very sketchy online.
This leaves me with the big question: who do I trust with my manuscript? It's SO DIFFICULT to decide who's reputable and who's not. How do you decide? Based in NYC? Has a website? Lists LOTS of publishing credentials in agent bios? In Writer's Market?
My first novel is my baby! I can't trust her with just anyone. Frankly, I would prefer to not waste a lot of time querying sketchy agencies or agencies who are not going to respond or agencies who don't solely represent literary works.
Here's the list of agencies I've vetoed so far. They've been voted out for various reasons, not all of them negative. Take it for what it's worth. I'm just one novice writer trying to publish her first novel.
Does it diminish an agent's credibility if there's a typo on their website homepage? I'm certainly not allowed to have a typo in ANYTHING I send to them. In fact, I'll probably get an automatic rejection if I do. Does this mean the agency gets an automatic rejection from me if they have a typo?
Does it matter if a literary agency doesn't have a webpage or doesn't have a webpage that comes up automatically at the top of search engine results. If I can create a website, myself, for my dog, shouldn't a literary agent have a website? And if you're serious about business like the rest of us, shouldn't it appear at the top of Google's search results? Just saying.
The website P & E provides incredible amounts of feedback on any and every literary agent out there. Folks posting on this site are brutally honest.
What about if the agent has an AOL e-mail address? I'm a normal person, and I haven't had an AOL email address in ten years. Not that anything's wrong with AOL. It's just that most of us have switched to gmail or if you're a business you have an email address that's yourname@yourbusinessname.com. Is an AOL e-mail address a reason to discount an agent?
I have eliminated several agencies from my Master List through my online searching. My Master List was formed from my Writer's Market Guide to Literary Agents. After doing A LOT of online research, I wonder about what it takes to get into the Writer's Market Guide to Literary Agents. Some of the agencies listed in this book look very sketchy online.
This leaves me with the big question: who do I trust with my manuscript? It's SO DIFFICULT to decide who's reputable and who's not. How do you decide? Based in NYC? Has a website? Lists LOTS of publishing credentials in agent bios? In Writer's Market?
My first novel is my baby! I can't trust her with just anyone. Frankly, I would prefer to not waste a lot of time querying sketchy agencies or agencies who are not going to respond or agencies who don't solely represent literary works.
Here's the list of agencies I've vetoed so far. They've been voted out for various reasons, not all of them negative. Take it for what it's worth. I'm just one novice writer trying to publish her first novel.
- Acacia House Publishing Services
- Farber Literary Agency
- Farris Literary Agency
- Dee Mura Literary
- The Nashville Agency
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Totally Got in the Writer's Groove
Love that! It hasn't happened much lately, so I WILL OH MY GOD FREAKING TAKE IT!
Excited about more writing tomorrow!!! Sometimes the brain just gets cloudy, and sometimes it isn't. I love the clear days that have focus and drive and determination but not crazy... Cuz the crazy days SUCK!
Let the writing flow! Thank you God! Seriously!
Feeling more relaxed, which has played into successful writing. I've gotten back to trusting myself because I am a good writer. And I know this. I will succeed.
Missing my LONG distance writer friend but my emo-ness can't rule my life.
Writing rules my life. I love it. All kinds of it. Even query letters! Kind of in a groove with those as well!
Can I get a Southern cheer? Yee-haw!
Excited about more writing tomorrow!!! Sometimes the brain just gets cloudy, and sometimes it isn't. I love the clear days that have focus and drive and determination but not crazy... Cuz the crazy days SUCK!
Let the writing flow! Thank you God! Seriously!
Feeling more relaxed, which has played into successful writing. I've gotten back to trusting myself because I am a good writer. And I know this. I will succeed.
Missing my LONG distance writer friend but my emo-ness can't rule my life.
Writing rules my life. I love it. All kinds of it. Even query letters! Kind of in a groove with those as well!
Can I get a Southern cheer? Yee-haw!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Simple Things
I got my book back from one of my editors. Lots of work ahead of me, but it's my favorite kind.
Drafted another query letter. To another agent.
Had lunch with a very good friend of mine today who put life back into perspective. Well, at least a little. And it was enough to make a difference.
Bought Bud Light and made campfire potatoes to channel my Dad. He always used to tell us to, "Stay tough. You're tough. You can handle it." He's said that to me more times than I can count. I needed a reminder today, and I got it.
Thank God for the simple things. And days that are simply better than previous days.
Drafted another query letter. To another agent.
Had lunch with a very good friend of mine today who put life back into perspective. Well, at least a little. And it was enough to make a difference.
Bought Bud Light and made campfire potatoes to channel my Dad. He always used to tell us to, "Stay tough. You're tough. You can handle it." He's said that to me more times than I can count. I needed a reminder today, and I got it.
Thank God for the simple things. And days that are simply better than previous days.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Productivity Abounds
-ish.
The Novel Synopsis got much better and slightly shorter today. It's going to get even prettier and more concise tomorrow. Because it's about two pages too long. What? Yesterday it was three pages too long! See! Progress!!!
Making progress on query letters, and I've heard from both of my editors. Moving forward. Every day. And should have my novel back from both editors very soon! I'm excited! And nervous! I feel like I'm about to reunited with my child whom I've spent the last month away from. Not only am I going to get her back but she will be marked all over. So, I have to tell my ego to shut it while I look at her ugliness to make her prettier. It's much better to have someone I know tell me where her rough edges are than a literary agent or publisher who doesn't know me and whom I don't know. At least my editors who are reading her are reading her with love. And hopefully they'll spare me a rejection letter or two as well. That would be awesome! As I'm going to have to tell my ego to "Shut It!" over and over again as the rejection letters come pouring in. Because I hear that's how it works. And I know someone will want her.
Gearing up for St. Patty's celebrating. Blowing off a little steam is productive too. Getting out of the house and for real away from my computer is good sometimes too.
The Novel Synopsis got much better and slightly shorter today. It's going to get even prettier and more concise tomorrow. Because it's about two pages too long. What? Yesterday it was three pages too long! See! Progress!!!
Making progress on query letters, and I've heard from both of my editors. Moving forward. Every day. And should have my novel back from both editors very soon! I'm excited! And nervous! I feel like I'm about to reunited with my child whom I've spent the last month away from. Not only am I going to get her back but she will be marked all over. So, I have to tell my ego to shut it while I look at her ugliness to make her prettier. It's much better to have someone I know tell me where her rough edges are than a literary agent or publisher who doesn't know me and whom I don't know. At least my editors who are reading her are reading her with love. And hopefully they'll spare me a rejection letter or two as well. That would be awesome! As I'm going to have to tell my ego to "Shut It!" over and over again as the rejection letters come pouring in. Because I hear that's how it works. And I know someone will want her.
Gearing up for St. Patty's celebrating. Blowing off a little steam is productive too. Getting out of the house and for real away from my computer is good sometimes too.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Who knows?
Sometimes life as a writer is just crazy because I'm a writer and thus slightly crazy. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But some days I feel like the more I try to understand myself, the less I do, and I should just stop trying to understand the mass of complexities involved in my writing process and just go with it. This is how the channels have skipped lately.
Weekend out of town. Lots of notes on random scraps of paper or in the notes folder on my blackberry. More time collecting all of these notes and putting them into play.
Tired. Time change sucks and is very confusing when you go from CST to EST and back again during the time change. Grumpy morning. Whatever writing. Emo writing because it has to get out of my brain in some sort of attempt for me to be able to move onto writing about something productive or actually on my To Do List. Only half productivity. And when I say half I really mean zero.
Warm bath. Good, new fiction novel. Motivational signs for myself. Meditation. Catch up on sleep! Deep breaths. Prayers. More prayers. And even more prayers to God to take the things I'm thinking about because they're not what I need to be thinking about: query letter, novel synopsis, novel... And these things I'm thinking about are OUT OF MY CONTROL! Who knew my crazy writer self was such a control freak? Yes, I can hear all of you who are laughing at me right now having known this to be true for years.
Rewording the phrase To Do List a million different ways to make it easier mentally. Writing motivational phrases at the top of every day's list of activities, suggestions, or ideas to start my days on a positive note.
Dave Matthews, more Dave Matthews, my Soulful playlist, classic rock, Modest Mouse, silence, and then country. Which I should have been writing to all along. It does wonders for me. I sing along loudly, looking like a fool to the neighbors who walk by my window, but writing up a beautiful storm.
Scheduling every minute of my day in half hour to hour long increments. Checking things off! Checking things off! Sticking to my damn OCD schedule and CHECKING THINGS OFF!!!
Yes, I am this much of a crazy writer! But it worked, yet again, for me today. So I check off one more thing: this blog. Then I go watch some Dexter for inspiration. Yes, Dexter is on the To Do List as well!
Weekend out of town. Lots of notes on random scraps of paper or in the notes folder on my blackberry. More time collecting all of these notes and putting them into play.
Tired. Time change sucks and is very confusing when you go from CST to EST and back again during the time change. Grumpy morning. Whatever writing. Emo writing because it has to get out of my brain in some sort of attempt for me to be able to move onto writing about something productive or actually on my To Do List. Only half productivity. And when I say half I really mean zero.
Warm bath. Good, new fiction novel. Motivational signs for myself. Meditation. Catch up on sleep! Deep breaths. Prayers. More prayers. And even more prayers to God to take the things I'm thinking about because they're not what I need to be thinking about: query letter, novel synopsis, novel... And these things I'm thinking about are OUT OF MY CONTROL! Who knew my crazy writer self was such a control freak? Yes, I can hear all of you who are laughing at me right now having known this to be true for years.
Rewording the phrase To Do List a million different ways to make it easier mentally. Writing motivational phrases at the top of every day's list of activities, suggestions, or ideas to start my days on a positive note.
Dave Matthews, more Dave Matthews, my Soulful playlist, classic rock, Modest Mouse, silence, and then country. Which I should have been writing to all along. It does wonders for me. I sing along loudly, looking like a fool to the neighbors who walk by my window, but writing up a beautiful storm.
Scheduling every minute of my day in half hour to hour long increments. Checking things off! Checking things off! Sticking to my damn OCD schedule and CHECKING THINGS OFF!!!
Yes, I am this much of a crazy writer! But it worked, yet again, for me today. So I check off one more thing: this blog. Then I go watch some Dexter for inspiration. Yes, Dexter is on the To Do List as well!
Meg's Fiction in A Flash
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
This novel is a pleasant surprise and deviation from Brown's masonic symbolism trilogy. Yes, I realize this book was published before The Davinci Code and the like. Let's just say I'm a late bloomer to the earlier works of Dan Brown.
From the prologue, this story is off and running in true Dan Brown style. Also, in Brown's style, the prologue places readers in one setting, while the first chapter takes readers to a completely different continent. Brown's prose are detailed but not overly so, thrilling, suspenseful, and fast-moving. The text springs to life and is constantly moving forward at a rapid pace with which readers anxiously keeping up, frantically flipping page after page.
It's not hard for a true fiction lover to sink his/her teeth into a Brown novel. Conflict abounds, and he masterfully weaves multiple plots into one thick, compelling story as readers worry about individual characters, government conspiracies, and national security threats. Calling this novel a page turner is an understatement. And just when you're in the thick of it all, thinking you've made some progress, and you're sure who's good and who's bad, Brown puts one little paragraph in there that forces you to question everything you thought you knew.
Brown always has a romantic subplot, and this novel is no different. This subplot is always masterfully intertwined into the major plot of the story leaving readers pulling not only for the good guys to win and the threat to be destroyed, but also for the lovers to be reunited and live happily ever after, or at least happily until the next national security threat. The emphasis put on this subplot is generally well balanced within the framework of the story.
Dan Brown follows a very successful mystery/thriller formula but makes it feel less formulaic with the depth of the characters he develops. He also plays with issues that are current and very real in today's society. The idea of a government agency responsible for reading emails and listening to phone calls in a counter terrorism capacity may once have been a dream, but is now very much a reality and thus something people are already considering the ramifications of. So Brown's fictional account of the possibilities of an agency like the NSA and the breadth of its control is interesting, scary, and eye-opening making for a great novel.
This novel is a pleasant surprise and deviation from Brown's masonic symbolism trilogy. Yes, I realize this book was published before The Davinci Code and the like. Let's just say I'm a late bloomer to the earlier works of Dan Brown.
From the prologue, this story is off and running in true Dan Brown style. Also, in Brown's style, the prologue places readers in one setting, while the first chapter takes readers to a completely different continent. Brown's prose are detailed but not overly so, thrilling, suspenseful, and fast-moving. The text springs to life and is constantly moving forward at a rapid pace with which readers anxiously keeping up, frantically flipping page after page.
It's not hard for a true fiction lover to sink his/her teeth into a Brown novel. Conflict abounds, and he masterfully weaves multiple plots into one thick, compelling story as readers worry about individual characters, government conspiracies, and national security threats. Calling this novel a page turner is an understatement. And just when you're in the thick of it all, thinking you've made some progress, and you're sure who's good and who's bad, Brown puts one little paragraph in there that forces you to question everything you thought you knew.
Brown always has a romantic subplot, and this novel is no different. This subplot is always masterfully intertwined into the major plot of the story leaving readers pulling not only for the good guys to win and the threat to be destroyed, but also for the lovers to be reunited and live happily ever after, or at least happily until the next national security threat. The emphasis put on this subplot is generally well balanced within the framework of the story.
Dan Brown follows a very successful mystery/thriller formula but makes it feel less formulaic with the depth of the characters he develops. He also plays with issues that are current and very real in today's society. The idea of a government agency responsible for reading emails and listening to phone calls in a counter terrorism capacity may once have been a dream, but is now very much a reality and thus something people are already considering the ramifications of. So Brown's fictional account of the possibilities of an agency like the NSA and the breadth of its control is interesting, scary, and eye-opening making for a great novel.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thankful Thursday!
Thankful for an easier writing day than some I've had recently. Today, I told myself I was going to write x, y, and z, and my brain said okay. Let's get it done. And I did.
Thankful for sunshine. It just makes me happier and my writing better.
Thankful for the ability to run as much as I do. Again, the physical activity just makes me happier and thus my writing better.
Thankful for my imagination. I spent the afternoon running around in my imagination trying to figure out what messed up thing my new character, Stephanie, was going to do next. My imagination makes me feel like a little kid: free, like anything can happen if I can just dream it up. And that's why I read so much fiction and write murder mystery novels. I like spending time running rampant through the wilderness of my imagination.
Thankful for the ability to swear in my writing, since I gave it up in real life for Lent.
Thankful for the ability to think outside the box sometimes. Instead of composing my query letter in front of my computer, which WAS NOT working, I walked the dog. And I took pen and paper with me. Thankful that this approach made all the difference. And I now have a query letter. Finally.
Thankful for my fellow writers. I love all of you near and far. It's good to have people to bounce ideas off of, to help me work through ideas when I get stuck, to help me edit EVERYTHING, to help me write some of the difficult things, and to just generally provide a supportive, knowing ear when I need it.
Thankful for sunshine. It just makes me happier and my writing better.
Thankful for the ability to run as much as I do. Again, the physical activity just makes me happier and thus my writing better.
Thankful for my imagination. I spent the afternoon running around in my imagination trying to figure out what messed up thing my new character, Stephanie, was going to do next. My imagination makes me feel like a little kid: free, like anything can happen if I can just dream it up. And that's why I read so much fiction and write murder mystery novels. I like spending time running rampant through the wilderness of my imagination.
Thankful for the ability to swear in my writing, since I gave it up in real life for Lent.
Thankful for the ability to think outside the box sometimes. Instead of composing my query letter in front of my computer, which WAS NOT working, I walked the dog. And I took pen and paper with me. Thankful that this approach made all the difference. And I now have a query letter. Finally.
Thankful for my fellow writers. I love all of you near and far. It's good to have people to bounce ideas off of, to help me work through ideas when I get stuck, to help me edit EVERYTHING, to help me write some of the difficult things, and to just generally provide a supportive, knowing ear when I need it.
Monday, March 8, 2010
I scored a triple whammy!
So...last week I spent two full days agonizing over my Novel Synopsis (Okay probably longer than that agonizing but only two full days of physical writing.). So last week I spend two FULL days writing my first draft of my novel synopsis.
This morning I began rewriting my novel synopsis after having done just a little more research on novel synopses online. There are several factors for the rewrite here. First, I was reading the same information I'm sure about how to write a novel synopsis. I was just reading it from a different source thus different wording on how to achieve this seemingly impossible task. Sometimes wording it differently is all it takes for the light bulb to turn on in your brain.
The second reason for my morning rewrite is...the first version SUCKS! I mean. It sucks big time!!!
So not only did I waste two whole days writing this steaming piece of s*@t, but it is, in fact, garbage and thus, will not be used. One, two, three...I'm hittin' em outta the ball park here guys!
The silver lining to the writer's Triple Whammy. What I wrote this morning flowed really easily, kind of came naturally after I'd done a little more research, and is going to be very awesome when I'm finished with it.
In other oh-my-God-I'm-not-published-and-want-to-be-so-badly news... Querying a literary agent is freaking hard! Query letter writing is not fun writing! You don't kill anyone in a query letter. There's no romance in a query letter. No suspense. Just business! And what do I have to say about business writing like resumes and cover letters...Ewwww! Gross! I loathe them! I avoid writing them like the plague! Can I write these businessy things? Yes. Do I want to? NO!!! However, a friend of mine today equated these query letters to cover letters. You can use one for all of them because you say the same thing to everyone; you just change a few of the specifics. Maybe my friend's right. Maybe my friend's wrong. I think she's a little right. So, for real tomorrow, I write a query letter. I've already written and rewritten a really good elevator pitch, which is the first paragraph of the letter itself. Thus, I only have two or three more paragraphs to write. It has to all fit on one page after all.
More deep breaths. More sunshine. (Hopefully!) More Dave Matthews. More telling myself, "I can do this! I can do this. I CAN DO THIS DAMNIT! And I'm going to!"
Also having fun writing a new character named Stephanie. She's young and violent and hopefully Faulkner-esque!
This morning I began rewriting my novel synopsis after having done just a little more research on novel synopses online. There are several factors for the rewrite here. First, I was reading the same information I'm sure about how to write a novel synopsis. I was just reading it from a different source thus different wording on how to achieve this seemingly impossible task. Sometimes wording it differently is all it takes for the light bulb to turn on in your brain.
The second reason for my morning rewrite is...the first version SUCKS! I mean. It sucks big time!!!
So not only did I waste two whole days writing this steaming piece of s*@t, but it is, in fact, garbage and thus, will not be used. One, two, three...I'm hittin' em outta the ball park here guys!
The silver lining to the writer's Triple Whammy. What I wrote this morning flowed really easily, kind of came naturally after I'd done a little more research, and is going to be very awesome when I'm finished with it.
In other oh-my-God-I'm-not-published-and-want-to-be-so-badly news... Querying a literary agent is freaking hard! Query letter writing is not fun writing! You don't kill anyone in a query letter. There's no romance in a query letter. No suspense. Just business! And what do I have to say about business writing like resumes and cover letters...Ewwww! Gross! I loathe them! I avoid writing them like the plague! Can I write these businessy things? Yes. Do I want to? NO!!! However, a friend of mine today equated these query letters to cover letters. You can use one for all of them because you say the same thing to everyone; you just change a few of the specifics. Maybe my friend's right. Maybe my friend's wrong. I think she's a little right. So, for real tomorrow, I write a query letter. I've already written and rewritten a really good elevator pitch, which is the first paragraph of the letter itself. Thus, I only have two or three more paragraphs to write. It has to all fit on one page after all.
More deep breaths. More sunshine. (Hopefully!) More Dave Matthews. More telling myself, "I can do this! I can do this. I CAN DO THIS DAMNIT! And I'm going to!"
Also having fun writing a new character named Stephanie. She's young and violent and hopefully Faulkner-esque!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Stay Tough
I recently had a friend of mine tell me to Stay Tough. Coming from him, this phrase means a lot because he is always tough! He reminded me of my Dad when we were young. My Dad always used to tell us the same thing. He would say, "You're tough. You can handle it." Whatever "it" happened to be at the time. Over the years, I have said these words to my friends and family countless times. And yet, somehow lately I needed reminding of this lesson.
The novel writing process is a marathon, the book publishing process is a marathon, and the achieving of life-long dreams process is a marathon as well. As a writer, the novel writing process was difficult, but so much fun! I'm a creative, and I hardcore get off on the creativity involved in writing my very first murder mystery novel! However, now I'm at the editing stages of my novel, and the beginning stages of the publication process. This part is so much less fun than the novel writing part. Add on top of that, I have no freaking idea what I'm doing. So every day I do more research into the publication process as a whole and into finding literary agents who accept murder mystery novels from previously unpublished writers specifically. This is exciting but difficult work. There are so many literary agents out there who are all looking for something very specific, and it's different for every single one of them. This I've learned. There is excitement in this fact, though. I feel very confident in my novel, and I'm sure with enough intelligent legwork, I can do this. I can find a literary agent that will believe in my book as much as I do.
To get to the point of querying literary agents, I have to finish a lot of not fun, difficult writing. I have to perfect my novel synopsis. I have to perfect A LOT of very specific query letters. I have to perfect my elevator pitch. Luckily, I have people who can help me edit these things as well as my novel.
So the moral of the story is to Stay Tough! Take a step forward every day. As big a step as I can take. No matter what I know or don't know. No matter how distracted my brain gets with other life concerns. This is a marathon, and I'm nearing the end. I just have to push a bit further. And I have to do it because no one else is going to do it for me. My dreams rest solely on my shoulders. So today I shake off the funk that's been shrouding me for a week. I take a few deep breaths of warm air and soak up a few rays of warm sunshine. I give my creative brain a workout, and I return to center. I refocus and prepare for the last few miles I have to run.
The novel writing process is a marathon, the book publishing process is a marathon, and the achieving of life-long dreams process is a marathon as well. As a writer, the novel writing process was difficult, but so much fun! I'm a creative, and I hardcore get off on the creativity involved in writing my very first murder mystery novel! However, now I'm at the editing stages of my novel, and the beginning stages of the publication process. This part is so much less fun than the novel writing part. Add on top of that, I have no freaking idea what I'm doing. So every day I do more research into the publication process as a whole and into finding literary agents who accept murder mystery novels from previously unpublished writers specifically. This is exciting but difficult work. There are so many literary agents out there who are all looking for something very specific, and it's different for every single one of them. This I've learned. There is excitement in this fact, though. I feel very confident in my novel, and I'm sure with enough intelligent legwork, I can do this. I can find a literary agent that will believe in my book as much as I do.
To get to the point of querying literary agents, I have to finish a lot of not fun, difficult writing. I have to perfect my novel synopsis. I have to perfect A LOT of very specific query letters. I have to perfect my elevator pitch. Luckily, I have people who can help me edit these things as well as my novel.
So the moral of the story is to Stay Tough! Take a step forward every day. As big a step as I can take. No matter what I know or don't know. No matter how distracted my brain gets with other life concerns. This is a marathon, and I'm nearing the end. I just have to push a bit further. And I have to do it because no one else is going to do it for me. My dreams rest solely on my shoulders. So today I shake off the funk that's been shrouding me for a week. I take a few deep breaths of warm air and soak up a few rays of warm sunshine. I give my creative brain a workout, and I return to center. I refocus and prepare for the last few miles I have to run.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Novel Synopsis Draft FINISHED!!!
It could have been finished yesterday, but I got to the point where my writing was CRAP, so I stopped. No sense in writing crap after all. So, I finished the first draft this morning.
Now, all I have to do is go in and make her pretty. It will take some time, but it's the easy, fun part. Tightening her up, exchanging the rough words for pretty words, cutting the fat... By the time I'm finished, she's going to be really pretty and hopefully really enticing. And then I'll pass her along to my editors to make her even prettier and, knowing me, probably more concise.
Right now, though... Right now, I'm going to go outside, walk the dog, and enjoy some beautiful music and some warm sunshine. Invigorating and oh-so-very-inspirational. And then I'll begin the beautification process.
Now, all I have to do is go in and make her pretty. It will take some time, but it's the easy, fun part. Tightening her up, exchanging the rough words for pretty words, cutting the fat... By the time I'm finished, she's going to be really pretty and hopefully really enticing. And then I'll pass her along to my editors to make her even prettier and, knowing me, probably more concise.
Right now, though... Right now, I'm going to go outside, walk the dog, and enjoy some beautiful music and some warm sunshine. Invigorating and oh-so-very-inspirational. And then I'll begin the beautification process.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Day's Excitement!
First things first. Props to my follower whom I don't know! I have personally thanked the previous twelve followers, so I thank you Follower Thirteen as well! To all of my followers, you rock! Your support is crucial to my success! Literally! Spread the word about the blog! I hope I write something all of you can identify with, or at least find humorous, at some point. And, of course, I'll keep you posted on the publication of my first murder mystery novel. I have faith. I will get published.
Secondly...My OCD side took control today! I love her! She's slightly crazy and very neurotic and REALLY good at sorting through hundreds of pages of literary agent listings! I now have a list of 37 potential literary agents for my novel. I also, based on much research, have STANDARDS my literary agent must meet in order to represent me!
Today, I have 37. Tomorrow I narrow down even further! I will break them down into groups determining who will be the absolute best job of representing my particular novel!
I also wrote my "elevator pitch" today. It took several tries, and it still probably isn't perfect, but I've got something really good I'm working with now.
Next, I need to take the first batch of literary agents and write specific query letters for them! I started a query letter today. Now that I have my "elevator pitch," I will write the rest of my query leter detailing who I am, why I'm qualified to write this book, and where I see my writing career going in future days, months, and years. Luckily, I already have an idea of these goals.
My manuscript is out to two editors right now. I am taking my two week mandatory break from my text. I find myself thinking about passages of my novel in a longing way. I miss Leia. Which is not something I would have said when I first introduced myself to her. She has become a part of my life. The potential for Leia to be a series character has grown exponentially since her conception. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Again.
So tomorrow, I finish my query letter and begin the daunting task of writing a four page synopsis of my novel. I also need to write expanded versions of my "elevator pitch."
Lots of work left to do, but I am prepared to do anything necessary to succeed. So, let's do it. I believe if I put in the work, I will succeed.
Secondly...My OCD side took control today! I love her! She's slightly crazy and very neurotic and REALLY good at sorting through hundreds of pages of literary agent listings! I now have a list of 37 potential literary agents for my novel. I also, based on much research, have STANDARDS my literary agent must meet in order to represent me!
Today, I have 37. Tomorrow I narrow down even further! I will break them down into groups determining who will be the absolute best job of representing my particular novel!
I also wrote my "elevator pitch" today. It took several tries, and it still probably isn't perfect, but I've got something really good I'm working with now.
Next, I need to take the first batch of literary agents and write specific query letters for them! I started a query letter today. Now that I have my "elevator pitch," I will write the rest of my query leter detailing who I am, why I'm qualified to write this book, and where I see my writing career going in future days, months, and years. Luckily, I already have an idea of these goals.
My manuscript is out to two editors right now. I am taking my two week mandatory break from my text. I find myself thinking about passages of my novel in a longing way. I miss Leia. Which is not something I would have said when I first introduced myself to her. She has become a part of my life. The potential for Leia to be a series character has grown exponentially since her conception. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Again.
So tomorrow, I finish my query letter and begin the daunting task of writing a four page synopsis of my novel. I also need to write expanded versions of my "elevator pitch."
Lots of work left to do, but I am prepared to do anything necessary to succeed. So, let's do it. I believe if I put in the work, I will succeed.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Blood.
Blood:
• Dripping
• Pooling
• Shiny
• Glossy
• Thick
• Purple
• Puddling
• Brilliant
• Radiant
• Wet
• Shiny
• Shallow
• Bubbly
• Striking
• Red
• Electric
• Shocking
• Dark red
• Intense red
• Deep red
• Rose red
• Swiss army red
• Cherry red
• Lipstick red
• Blood orange red
• Nail polish red
• Ruby red (slippers)
• Berry red
• Ladybug red
• Tomato red
• Dripping
• Pooling
• Shiny
• Glossy
• Thick
• Purple
• Puddling
• Brilliant
• Radiant
• Wet
• Shiny
• Shallow
• Bubbly
• Striking
• Red
• Electric
• Shocking
• Dark red
• Intense red
• Deep red
• Rose red
• Swiss army red
• Cherry red
• Lipstick red
• Blood orange red
• Nail polish red
• Ruby red (slippers)
• Berry red
• Ladybug red
• Tomato red
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Research, Research, and More Research
And some creative writing.
The more I read, the more I realize all I don't know about getting published. But that's why they write lots and lots of books about how to get published.
I have my book out to two editors to read and fix and mark all over, so my novel will be perfect when I send it to literary agents.
I'm writing my query packet. One more step in the process.
And creative writing about anything and everything in the mean time. Luckily, Sudafed is good for inspiration. At least the kind they check your ID for is.
The more I read, the more I realize all I don't know about getting published. But that's why they write lots and lots of books about how to get published.
I have my book out to two editors to read and fix and mark all over, so my novel will be perfect when I send it to literary agents.
I'm writing my query packet. One more step in the process.
And creative writing about anything and everything in the mean time. Luckily, Sudafed is good for inspiration. At least the kind they check your ID for is.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Meg's Fiction in A Flash
Dennis Lehane, Shutter Island
From beginning to end, this psychological thriller has readers questioning everything they read. Lehane introduces characters in the Prologue that you come to know are real, definitively. Teddy exists. He is a real person. A U.S. Marshal, in fact. But by the end of this eloquently written, disturbingly, nightmarish thriller, you will question whether or not you, yourself exist.
Gals and ghouls, Lehane's book is not for the faint of heart. I am a professional reader and writer of the depraved, insane, unfathomably terrifying acts of evil man can commit. And this book, read before bed, gave me nightmares. Every. Single. Night. Why read it before bed, you might ask. I am one of those twisted individuals, who's a glutton for punishment in that regard. Nightmares end up being another form of inspiration for my writing, my second novel maybe.
By the end of this novel, you will want to go back and read it again and again to make sure you have caught everything. And to try and piece together the unraveling veil of reality Lehane has constructed and deconstructed right before your eyes. He is a magician of sorts, trading in the nightmares of the criminally insane. As I write this, I am flipping back and forth through the book, re-reading passages mentioned in the last chapter. Desperately trying to piece together some reality, any reality I can believe in. Alas, I am questioning everything I thought was fact 50 pages ago, 100 pages ago...in the prologue.
I will go see the movie to see if that illuminates something new, or solidifies some idea that's been bouncing around the dark corners of my brain. And I'm sure I will read this book again in the future, as I have read it before. Perhaps... Perhaps, Lehane wants me to remain confused and questioning reality. And perhaps that's what makes this book so great.
From beginning to end, this psychological thriller has readers questioning everything they read. Lehane introduces characters in the Prologue that you come to know are real, definitively. Teddy exists. He is a real person. A U.S. Marshal, in fact. But by the end of this eloquently written, disturbingly, nightmarish thriller, you will question whether or not you, yourself exist.
Gals and ghouls, Lehane's book is not for the faint of heart. I am a professional reader and writer of the depraved, insane, unfathomably terrifying acts of evil man can commit. And this book, read before bed, gave me nightmares. Every. Single. Night. Why read it before bed, you might ask. I am one of those twisted individuals, who's a glutton for punishment in that regard. Nightmares end up being another form of inspiration for my writing, my second novel maybe.
By the end of this novel, you will want to go back and read it again and again to make sure you have caught everything. And to try and piece together the unraveling veil of reality Lehane has constructed and deconstructed right before your eyes. He is a magician of sorts, trading in the nightmares of the criminally insane. As I write this, I am flipping back and forth through the book, re-reading passages mentioned in the last chapter. Desperately trying to piece together some reality, any reality I can believe in. Alas, I am questioning everything I thought was fact 50 pages ago, 100 pages ago...in the prologue.
I will go see the movie to see if that illuminates something new, or solidifies some idea that's been bouncing around the dark corners of my brain. And I'm sure I will read this book again in the future, as I have read it before. Perhaps... Perhaps, Lehane wants me to remain confused and questioning reality. And perhaps that's what makes this book so great.
Yesterday
I turned my whole novel into my adviser/editor yesterday. She will read it, do her thing with it, and return it as a...well...who knows what it will look like when she returns it, but I am greatly looking forward to hearing her expert, objective opinion.
In the interim, I will pour over my Writer's Market 2010 Guide to Literary Agents to figure out how I'm going to get a literary agent, pour over books as to the best publishing houses for murder mystery novels, and figure out what exactly my query letter is going to say so I can sell my book to someone, anyone, the highest bidder, but really...anyone. Let's get this baby in print! It's about that time.
Well, okay, so maybe we're not quite there yet. But the book is almost perfected. So, it's time to move forward to the publishing, making money, another hard part because it's a first for me, but oh-my-God-we're-really-excited part!
To my editing friends, be looking out for an email with aforementioned query letter in it along with a sweet, polite plea for you to use your amazing editing skills to make my query letter great.
To anyone and everyone who reads this, please keep your good vibes coming my way. Writing the book is only half the battle, and it may not even be the hard half.
In the interim, I will pour over my Writer's Market 2010 Guide to Literary Agents to figure out how I'm going to get a literary agent, pour over books as to the best publishing houses for murder mystery novels, and figure out what exactly my query letter is going to say so I can sell my book to someone, anyone, the highest bidder, but really...anyone. Let's get this baby in print! It's about that time.
Well, okay, so maybe we're not quite there yet. But the book is almost perfected. So, it's time to move forward to the publishing, making money, another hard part because it's a first for me, but oh-my-God-we're-really-excited part!
To my editing friends, be looking out for an email with aforementioned query letter in it along with a sweet, polite plea for you to use your amazing editing skills to make my query letter great.
To anyone and everyone who reads this, please keep your good vibes coming my way. Writing the book is only half the battle, and it may not even be the hard half.
Friday, February 19, 2010
CORRECTIONS ARE FINISHED!!!
I finished making corrections to all 34 chapters. I now have 191 pages. Woo hoo! This last round of editing was long and arduous but it went well, it's finished, and I know it made the novel a lot better.
I have one chapter left to write. Maybe two. Maybe!
The last chapter I need to write may get written today, but maybe tomorrow. I might have to celebrate being finished editing 191 pages of my text. I'm so close to the finish line. I just have to push a little harder.
I have one chapter left to write. Maybe two. Maybe!
The last chapter I need to write may get written today, but maybe tomorrow. I might have to celebrate being finished editing 191 pages of my text. I'm so close to the finish line. I just have to push a little harder.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
New things
First off, I have only eight chapters left to edit.
Throughout this process, I have written and developed something like thirty different characters. Today, as with a handful of other days, I learned something new about one of my characters. It really is an incredible thing when my characters come to life so much that they teach me things about themselves.
These kinds of discoveries lead to richer characters with more depth. I can't wait for people to read my work, so they can experience these living breathing people with me. And love them and hate them and understand them and laugh with them and experience their lives alongside them.
One of the things I love most about reading fiction novels is the ability to sink completely into a world that's not my own. This is only possible if the writer successfully creates a fictional world filled with people I want to care about. I think and hope when it's all said and done, you love all of the complexities of my characters as much as I do.
Throughout this process, I have written and developed something like thirty different characters. Today, as with a handful of other days, I learned something new about one of my characters. It really is an incredible thing when my characters come to life so much that they teach me things about themselves.
These kinds of discoveries lead to richer characters with more depth. I can't wait for people to read my work, so they can experience these living breathing people with me. And love them and hate them and understand them and laugh with them and experience their lives alongside them.
One of the things I love most about reading fiction novels is the ability to sink completely into a world that's not my own. This is only possible if the writer successfully creates a fictional world filled with people I want to care about. I think and hope when it's all said and done, you love all of the complexities of my characters as much as I do.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Avoiding a Case of the Writers's Craziness!
I feel like I have to ward off the Writers's Crazy at this point. To the point where I pray about it regularly.
This is a marathon, and I'm at the finish.
I pray every night for a timely medal-winning finish.
And not a case of the Writers's Crazy!!!
This is a marathon, and I'm at the finish.
I pray every night for a timely medal-winning finish.
And not a case of the Writers's Crazy!!!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Today's Editing
1. "Your" and "You're" are Oh My God different words!!! How I got them confused for pages and pages and pages toward the end...let's just call it a case of writer's craziness. It hits us all sometimes. Luckily, in the light of a new editing day, we see clearer.
2. I finished editing my novel today. Tomorrow starts computer corrections, which is SO much easier.
2. I finished editing my novel today. Tomorrow starts computer corrections, which is SO much easier.
Meg's Fiction in A Flash
James Patterson, Witch and Wizard
James Patterson only gets a couple of stars for this one. Not that there are stars for him to get, as we've previously discussed. Anyway. I'll give Patterson props for the premise of the book. He has created a sort of New World Order that is removing people, particularly teenagers, who are deemed to be threats to the new way of life they're trying to establish. While this plot is not a new idea, it is new for Patterson. His book is more interesting because he deviated from his traditional route.
Patterson also succeeds in that this story is told from the perspectives of two teenagers who are brother and sister and deemed to be a very powerful threat to the new regime. His language is easily identifiable as a teenager's vernacular, and he deals with issues of right and wrong and good versus evil from these teenagers's perspectives. He has made this book accessible to a younger crowd and tackles serious issues in a creative, magic-filled way that teenagers who don't read regularly might actually read. And for all of the book nerds out there, who spent their weekend nights as a teenager between the cover of a book instead of out and about with the popular kids...well, let's just say they'll be happy to have stayed home.
Okay, so the bottom line: this book may not be that innovative, but if you're willing to sink into this world and let your imagination run wild, you'll enjoy it!
James Patterson only gets a couple of stars for this one. Not that there are stars for him to get, as we've previously discussed. Anyway. I'll give Patterson props for the premise of the book. He has created a sort of New World Order that is removing people, particularly teenagers, who are deemed to be threats to the new way of life they're trying to establish. While this plot is not a new idea, it is new for Patterson. His book is more interesting because he deviated from his traditional route.
Patterson also succeeds in that this story is told from the perspectives of two teenagers who are brother and sister and deemed to be a very powerful threat to the new regime. His language is easily identifiable as a teenager's vernacular, and he deals with issues of right and wrong and good versus evil from these teenagers's perspectives. He has made this book accessible to a younger crowd and tackles serious issues in a creative, magic-filled way that teenagers who don't read regularly might actually read. And for all of the book nerds out there, who spent their weekend nights as a teenager between the cover of a book instead of out and about with the popular kids...well, let's just say they'll be happy to have stayed home.
Okay, so the bottom line: this book may not be that innovative, but if you're willing to sink into this world and let your imagination run wild, you'll enjoy it!
Meg's Nonchalant Nonfiction
Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential
Anthony Bourdain is brilliant, funny, crazy, intense, knowledgeable, crude, crass, honest and most of all, himself in his depictions of life as a "restaurant lifer." He keeps readers entertained with anecdotes from his youthful, smart-assy beginnings in the restaurant industry, as well as, horror stories about the responsibilities and difficulties of running a kitchen as The Chef. Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant will be able to appreciate many of his experiences in the kitchen.
The last chapter is especially incredible and educational. Bourdain provides readers who want to be a chef some really practical advice including something like get to know your line cooks's nationalities because there is a big difference between Ecuadorian, Peruvian, and Mexican. And you DON'T want to get them confused, or worse, be ignorant.
I have no star system for good marks in these sections, but I would give this book high marks for "restaurant lifers" and normal folk alike. After reading this book, I have a greater appreciation for all of the men AND women who work in restaurant kitchens, even if they're just flipping burgers. In my mind, any book that can cause me to have a greater appreciation for my fellow man ia a very good thing.
Anthony Bourdain is brilliant, funny, crazy, intense, knowledgeable, crude, crass, honest and most of all, himself in his depictions of life as a "restaurant lifer." He keeps readers entertained with anecdotes from his youthful, smart-assy beginnings in the restaurant industry, as well as, horror stories about the responsibilities and difficulties of running a kitchen as The Chef. Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant will be able to appreciate many of his experiences in the kitchen.
The last chapter is especially incredible and educational. Bourdain provides readers who want to be a chef some really practical advice including something like get to know your line cooks's nationalities because there is a big difference between Ecuadorian, Peruvian, and Mexican. And you DON'T want to get them confused, or worse, be ignorant.
I have no star system for good marks in these sections, but I would give this book high marks for "restaurant lifers" and normal folk alike. After reading this book, I have a greater appreciation for all of the men AND women who work in restaurant kitchens, even if they're just flipping burgers. In my mind, any book that can cause me to have a greater appreciation for my fellow man ia a very good thing.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
And the editing process continues...
I call it editing. But it's editing, revising, rewriting, writing new sections, writing new chapters, all in lots of red ink on the all almost 200 pages of my novel. So, it's days and days of frantic, "in the zone" scrawling in red ink. Bright red ink, so I can see it and hopefully read it. Lots of arrows and boxes with text in them and instructions in the margins as to where this new bit of text is going to go and where that sentence should go and crossing out and rewriting and consolidating ideas, paragraphs, and sentences.
And lately it's been The Shins but before that it was everything country and sometimes it's Modest Mouse but not normally rap. Something inspirational with a good groove that will hopefully keep me moving forward. To the next paragraph, the next page, the next chapter...until I get to the end. And insanity. Lots of creative, beautiful, inspiring, wonderfully worded, and not-so-wonderfully worded insanity. It's intensive and tiring and lots and lots of hard work, but it makes me so freaking happy.
This is my novel. My first. My baby. And I love it. I love everything about it. All the rough, ugly, grotesque, beautiful, twisted, funny, scary parts. So I trudge forward through the mire of living, breathing, loving, terrifying words. Day after day. Only to be followed by days of making all of these corrections in the computer. Back to my novel I go...
And lately it's been The Shins but before that it was everything country and sometimes it's Modest Mouse but not normally rap. Something inspirational with a good groove that will hopefully keep me moving forward. To the next paragraph, the next page, the next chapter...until I get to the end. And insanity. Lots of creative, beautiful, inspiring, wonderfully worded, and not-so-wonderfully worded insanity. It's intensive and tiring and lots and lots of hard work, but it makes me so freaking happy.
This is my novel. My first. My baby. And I love it. I love everything about it. All the rough, ugly, grotesque, beautiful, twisted, funny, scary parts. So I trudge forward through the mire of living, breathing, loving, terrifying words. Day after day. Only to be followed by days of making all of these corrections in the computer. Back to my novel I go...
Yesterday's post
Today went something like this:
Edit a chapter. Get up. Look out a window at the snow falling.
Edit another chapter. Get up. Walk around to look out another window at a different part of the yard to see how much snow has accumulated.
Edit a chapter. Get up. Follow my Dad around to see which window he's looking at the snow through.
Edit chapter. Put coat on. Step outside to marvel at the snow.
Edit chapter. OH MY GOD THERE'S FIVE INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND!!!
I don't even need to tell you, after this, all productivity came to a halt! There was snow on the ground after all. FIVE inches of snow! We must build snowmen. So we did. Mom, Dad, and I built three snowmen. Their names are Marigold, Percival, and Frosty! A really fun, really productive day!
Edit a chapter. Get up. Look out a window at the snow falling.
Edit another chapter. Get up. Walk around to look out another window at a different part of the yard to see how much snow has accumulated.
Edit a chapter. Get up. Follow my Dad around to see which window he's looking at the snow through.
Edit chapter. Put coat on. Step outside to marvel at the snow.
Edit chapter. OH MY GOD THERE'S FIVE INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND!!!
I don't even need to tell you, after this, all productivity came to a halt! There was snow on the ground after all. FIVE inches of snow! We must build snowmen. So we did. Mom, Dad, and I built three snowmen. Their names are Marigold, Percival, and Frosty! A really fun, really productive day!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Editing Continues!
All day long! I got several more chapters edited today despite the fact that operations came to a screeching halt mid-afternoon. I got to CH 8 and realized that 2 of the most important victims just now died! The real problem here...I said in CH 6 they were already dead. So, we had to rearrange a couple of things, which meant I had to rearrange a couple more things. The beauty of a murder mystery novel? Everything has to be intertwined within itself a lot of times. Today, I got to unwind some of these layers of details and re-intertwine them (if I can say that) within themselves. Just in a different order. It was awesome! Well. At least doable.
Operations race full steam ahead.
Operations race full steam ahead.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Editing, Revising, Rewriting
And that's how the day was spent. The first chapter was majorly improved today. It was good to finally have a semi-fresh perspective on this chapter I probably wrote six months ago. I seriously appreciate the breath of fresh air!
The next five chapters received a nice combing through to increase their depth now that I know how the story ends.
Lots more editing to go!
The next five chapters received a nice combing through to increase their depth now that I know how the story ends.
Lots more editing to go!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Importance of Reading Your Writing Out Loud
"He pulled in two extra reporters from another department to ensure we’re breaking every story first! We’ve got two objectives: make sure they stop and make sure we break the killer’s identity first!"
"We ask that if anyone has any information regarding the identity or whereabouts of this man, please come forward. There is a reward in place at this time for anyone who has information regarding this man’s identity and whereabouts."
"Who’s going to get it first? Who’s going to figure out who this killer is first? And you always want to be the one who’s first!"
"I am looking forward to running into you again very soon. We were together not too long ago, but you didn’t know it was me. And it wasn’t time to reveal myself to you yet. We will meet again soon, Leia. It is time. When you’re ready. When you’re ready to come and find me. Are you ready? The game is afoot!" (I don't think I need to tell anyone how not great this is. Thank God we write more than one draft! Yes, I actually said "the game is afoot.")
"We ask that if anyone has any information regarding the identity or whereabouts of this man, please come forward. There is a reward in place at this time for anyone who has information regarding this man’s identity and whereabouts."
"Who’s going to get it first? Who’s going to figure out who this killer is first? And you always want to be the one who’s first!"
"I am looking forward to running into you again very soon. We were together not too long ago, but you didn’t know it was me. And it wasn’t time to reveal myself to you yet. We will meet again soon, Leia. It is time. When you’re ready. When you’re ready to come and find me. Are you ready? The game is afoot!" (I don't think I need to tell anyone how not great this is. Thank God we write more than one draft! Yes, I actually said "the game is afoot.")
Notes, Notes, and Oh My Gosh More Notes!
I read many of my different chapters a million times during any given week, and I make all kinds of notes. I have note pads full of black notes, blue notes, the oh-so-important RED notes. I mean, the red notes, we really have to take seriously!
I have gone out of town a couple of times recently and forgotten my official note pads dedicated to my novel, so I have written notes on a million other receipts and various pieces of paper that I have since shoved in my purse and then dumped out onto the top of the other pile of random pieces of paper that comprise the official Notes on Novel pile.
"Go thru notes on novel" has been on my To Do List on more than one occasion. However, at this point, there are so many notes that it's more intimidating to actually go through the notes than to just read the whole novel again.
So, I read. And read. And read my novel. And avoid. And avoid. And avoid my notes. I figure they'll work themselves out anyway, right?
I have gone out of town a couple of times recently and forgotten my official note pads dedicated to my novel, so I have written notes on a million other receipts and various pieces of paper that I have since shoved in my purse and then dumped out onto the top of the other pile of random pieces of paper that comprise the official Notes on Novel pile.
"Go thru notes on novel" has been on my To Do List on more than one occasion. However, at this point, there are so many notes that it's more intimidating to actually go through the notes than to just read the whole novel again.
So, I read. And read. And read my novel. And avoid. And avoid. And avoid my notes. I figure they'll work themselves out anyway, right?
Friday, February 5, 2010
Meg's Nonchalant Nonfiction
Okay, diligent readers. I know I said I only read fiction. Normally, this statement is completely true. However, at this moment in time I find myself in the middle of three nonfiction books with another one arriving in the mail today. So, I'm going to try my hand at reviewing nonfiction too. Here are my real opinions on real stories...
Steve Harvey, Act Like A Lady-Think Like a Man
Ladies! All my ladies! I have read the Bible. Steve Harvey is the Messiah! And Harvey gives us all of the insider information we could ever want to know about dating, being married to, or just hanging out with any man. Steve Harvey is honest and sincere throughout his book. He shares information about his relationship with his wife to help readers identify with him, and in the end, I genuinely believe he is trying to help me, all of us, decode the language of the oh-so-confusing male gender. And he gives us power!!! Power to love! Power to speak our minds! Power to have REAL standards and STICK to them!
If you don't believe my enthusiasm, go onto Amazon.com and read Harvey's introduction to this book. It will convince you to read his book. If you still don't want to buy it after that, let me know, and I'll pass my copy around. Also, read his dedication page and his chapter titles. They are guaranteed to entice you!
Every chapter in this book had me laughing out loud but also really examining the simple tenets Harvey puts forth as the crux of men's inner-workings. There were several chapters I personally identified with and found really helpful and comforting as I brave the world of dating once again. I feel more empowered now and much more confident in my abilities to date succesfully AND find the man of my dreams!
Harvey's final chapter is entitled "Quick Answers to the Questions You've Always Wanted to Ask." EVERY woman will LOVE this chapter and his answers to these questions we've all thought over and over and over again. The book is worth the read if for no other reason than this last chapter.
Steve Harvey, Act Like A Lady-Think Like a Man
Ladies! All my ladies! I have read the Bible. Steve Harvey is the Messiah! And Harvey gives us all of the insider information we could ever want to know about dating, being married to, or just hanging out with any man. Steve Harvey is honest and sincere throughout his book. He shares information about his relationship with his wife to help readers identify with him, and in the end, I genuinely believe he is trying to help me, all of us, decode the language of the oh-so-confusing male gender. And he gives us power!!! Power to love! Power to speak our minds! Power to have REAL standards and STICK to them!
If you don't believe my enthusiasm, go onto Amazon.com and read Harvey's introduction to this book. It will convince you to read his book. If you still don't want to buy it after that, let me know, and I'll pass my copy around. Also, read his dedication page and his chapter titles. They are guaranteed to entice you!
Every chapter in this book had me laughing out loud but also really examining the simple tenets Harvey puts forth as the crux of men's inner-workings. There were several chapters I personally identified with and found really helpful and comforting as I brave the world of dating once again. I feel more empowered now and much more confident in my abilities to date succesfully AND find the man of my dreams!
Harvey's final chapter is entitled "Quick Answers to the Questions You've Always Wanted to Ask." EVERY woman will LOVE this chapter and his answers to these questions we've all thought over and over and over again. The book is worth the read if for no other reason than this last chapter.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Even when you know you'll have a crazy day, you can't avoid it, no matter how hard you try.
Today was a crazy writer day. Had to do some writing for myself and some writing for other reasons than the novel. Had to spaz out, and cry at the Sex and The City Movie, and write some more for myself.
And be euphorically happy and read a book out loud to my roommates and laugh A LOT.
I feel re-energized. And really, seriously ready to freaking edit this damn book tomorrow!!! And finish ALL of my little miscellaneous writing things! I'm going to do it, damnit! I will be productive!
For tonight, I wrote a haiku. So, I'll leave you with that:
I type my letters
To read across the distance
Today. And later.
And be euphorically happy and read a book out loud to my roommates and laugh A LOT.
I feel re-energized. And really, seriously ready to freaking edit this damn book tomorrow!!! And finish ALL of my little miscellaneous writing things! I'm going to do it, damnit! I will be productive!
For tonight, I wrote a haiku. So, I'll leave you with that:
I type my letters
To read across the distance
Today. And later.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A Low Key Day
Today I organized and geared up for the long, important editing days ahead of me. It's about to get serious.
I am now prepared to head into the thick forest of words and come out on the other side, in a few days, with a more beautiful copy of my novel in hand.
Here. We. Go.
I am now prepared to head into the thick forest of words and come out on the other side, in a few days, with a more beautiful copy of my novel in hand.
Here. We. Go.
Meg's Fiction in A Flash
Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol
I've been avoiding this book review because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to say partially because I'm not sure how I feel about this book and partially because my opinions of this book have been influenced by some of my trusted literary friends' opinions. You know who you are. But here goes...
I really wanted to like this book because I really liked The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. However, I think this one is the worst of the three. There were points in the middle of the novel, where I closed the book to marvel at its thickness, and thus, the large amount of pages I had left to read. There were also points in this book where I wanted to roll my eyes and go, "Okay, Dan Brown, we get it. Masonic symbolism is everywhere. How many different ways can you really say that?"
On a positive note, though, I did enjoy this book for entertainment purposes. The plot was large and very detailed, per Dan Brown's style, so there was a lot to hold onto in the front of your brain. This is not a bad thing. There is something to be said for a writer who can expertly weave so many details throughout the entirity of the novel. I know. I've tried. And this kind of mystery novel is extremely difficult to write as I have said before because you have to keep juggling a lot of balls from the start to the finish of the novel. My hat is off to any writer who can do that, much less do it well.
Dan Brown also is good at portraying the love interest. It's not too much, and it does add something useful to the book.
I've been avoiding this book review because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to say partially because I'm not sure how I feel about this book and partially because my opinions of this book have been influenced by some of my trusted literary friends' opinions. You know who you are. But here goes...
I really wanted to like this book because I really liked The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. However, I think this one is the worst of the three. There were points in the middle of the novel, where I closed the book to marvel at its thickness, and thus, the large amount of pages I had left to read. There were also points in this book where I wanted to roll my eyes and go, "Okay, Dan Brown, we get it. Masonic symbolism is everywhere. How many different ways can you really say that?"
On a positive note, though, I did enjoy this book for entertainment purposes. The plot was large and very detailed, per Dan Brown's style, so there was a lot to hold onto in the front of your brain. This is not a bad thing. There is something to be said for a writer who can expertly weave so many details throughout the entirity of the novel. I know. I've tried. And this kind of mystery novel is extremely difficult to write as I have said before because you have to keep juggling a lot of balls from the start to the finish of the novel. My hat is off to any writer who can do that, much less do it well.
Dan Brown also is good at portraying the love interest. It's not too much, and it does add something useful to the book.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
OH MY GOD I FINISHED WRITING MY BOOK TODAY!!!
There's so much editing and revision to be done now but OH MY GOD I FINISHED WRITING MY NOVEL TODAY!!!
I'm so excited and in shock and awe. I have 200 pages worth of manuscript. 200! 200 pages of manuscript!!! I can't even believe it!!!
It was such a freaking productive day. Wrote the last four chapters. Love them! Love it! Love the whole book!
Going to celebrate now!!! Revision and editing will start again tomorrow!
I'm so excited and in shock and awe. I have 200 pages worth of manuscript. 200! 200 pages of manuscript!!! I can't even believe it!!!
It was such a freaking productive day. Wrote the last four chapters. Love them! Love it! Love the whole book!
Going to celebrate now!!! Revision and editing will start again tomorrow!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Beginning of the End
OH MY GOD I STARTED WRITING THE END OF MY NOVEL TODAY!!!
I've been avoiding it like the plague. Seriously. Not even kidding. I was hard core avoiding it.
But it finally started coming to me this weekend. So, I started from the beginning, which is the only part of it that I knew. It was as good a place as any to start. And I worked my way through the end of the story with questions. It went something like this. Ok, so this happened, so what should happen next? Over and over and over again.
It's going really well, and this totally reinforces my belief that I should only write what will write itself that day. It's always better, and if you put the work in, the inspiration will come with it. This is another one of those important lessons I have learned over the course of this process. I am so excited to get this book published and use all of these lessons I've learned over this course of this first novel to publish my second. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
It was an absolutely amazing writing day!!! And the prospect of publishing my first murder mystery novel makes me happier than I have ever been in my life!
Tomorrow I continue the ending. And maybe even end the novel. Maybe.
I've been avoiding it like the plague. Seriously. Not even kidding. I was hard core avoiding it.
But it finally started coming to me this weekend. So, I started from the beginning, which is the only part of it that I knew. It was as good a place as any to start. And I worked my way through the end of the story with questions. It went something like this. Ok, so this happened, so what should happen next? Over and over and over again.
It's going really well, and this totally reinforces my belief that I should only write what will write itself that day. It's always better, and if you put the work in, the inspiration will come with it. This is another one of those important lessons I have learned over the course of this process. I am so excited to get this book published and use all of these lessons I've learned over this course of this first novel to publish my second. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
It was an absolutely amazing writing day!!! And the prospect of publishing my first murder mystery novel makes me happier than I have ever been in my life!
Tomorrow I continue the ending. And maybe even end the novel. Maybe.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Questions, Questions, and More Questions!
So, it's about that time. I've been avoiding writing the ending of my novel like the plague. I don't now why, but it just hasn't come to me yet. Well, it's about that time. It's time to write the ending. Luckily, I've had a few ideas that have fallen into place recently, so this has gotten me going in the right direction.
Tonight, while watching a movie about a serial killer for inspiration, I started working my way through what has to happen in the end chronologically. I wrote a million different questions. Only half of the questions I wrote down tonight have answers. But at least some of them do.
Tomorrow we start the writing of the ending. Really pushing to get my whole novel written this week.
Tonight, while watching a movie about a serial killer for inspiration, I started working my way through what has to happen in the end chronologically. I wrote a million different questions. Only half of the questions I wrote down tonight have answers. But at least some of them do.
Tomorrow we start the writing of the ending. Really pushing to get my whole novel written this week.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Writing is an Emotional Process
No matter what you're writing about, it's always emotional.
As every writer is and should be, I'm affected by my real life. Sometimes it's good to let my life flood in. They say write what you know, and on this one, they are 100% right. However, sometimes you have to block out what you are currently feeling to just get the job done. And you have to know the difference in these situations to ever make any money as a writer. This is a hard thing to learn.
I have spent the last few days with my entire immediate family. This week with my two sisters is always the best week of my year. There's nothing like our family reunion.
So while I haven't written anything today, I've been living in an intense state of happiness. And there really isn't anything better for my writing than experiencing this kind of euphoria.
I'm going to savor every moment of jubilation and pour this feeling into new pages tomorrow.
P.S. I'm going to finish writing my novel this week. We'll talk about editing and revising after that.
As every writer is and should be, I'm affected by my real life. Sometimes it's good to let my life flood in. They say write what you know, and on this one, they are 100% right. However, sometimes you have to block out what you are currently feeling to just get the job done. And you have to know the difference in these situations to ever make any money as a writer. This is a hard thing to learn.
I have spent the last few days with my entire immediate family. This week with my two sisters is always the best week of my year. There's nothing like our family reunion.
So while I haven't written anything today, I've been living in an intense state of happiness. And there really isn't anything better for my writing than experiencing this kind of euphoria.
I'm going to savor every moment of jubilation and pour this feeling into new pages tomorrow.
P.S. I'm going to finish writing my novel this week. We'll talk about editing and revising after that.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Serial Killer Decisions
This is how the process goes.
- What is the most effed up thing I can think of?
- What would freak me out most?
- Are these ideas I'm having too over the top?
- Do they work in my story?
Yesterday's post
Yes, I've fallen behind again. I'm catching up now though.
Yesterday was all about resurrection. Resurrecting chapters I've written I didn't think I was going to use, resurrecting old ideas and implementing them in new ways, and resurrecting hope of finishing my skeleton.
I have been writing this novel, really, since May of last year. There have been a few chapters along the way that haven't made the cut for one reason or another. So, they sit in whatever round of editing folder they were in when I last looked at them. As I work through my story and work my way toward the end, though, I found a way for one particular chapter to come back and plan an extremely useful role, actually. It was originally meant to be earlier on in the novel, I think, but now, it's one of the later chapters and has added more depth to the police investigation, which was a pleasant surprise. As much as I want to plan and make decisions ahead of time, sometimes the ideas only illuminate themselves when I'm reading and writing the chapter itself. And that's exactly what happened yesterday. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do with this chapter when I resurrected it, but other, more concrete ideas put themselves into place as I was reading, trying to determine if this chapter really is worth resurrecting.
At the end of the day, I'm thankful for inspiration no matter how or why or when it comes. I'll take inspiration and ideas in any shape or form, especially if they pan out to be really useful like yesterday's did.
I'm beginning another round of editing today, and I think, fingers crossed, that we're ready to write the ending. Because I now have ideas for that. Finally.
Yesterday was all about resurrection. Resurrecting chapters I've written I didn't think I was going to use, resurrecting old ideas and implementing them in new ways, and resurrecting hope of finishing my skeleton.
I have been writing this novel, really, since May of last year. There have been a few chapters along the way that haven't made the cut for one reason or another. So, they sit in whatever round of editing folder they were in when I last looked at them. As I work through my story and work my way toward the end, though, I found a way for one particular chapter to come back and plan an extremely useful role, actually. It was originally meant to be earlier on in the novel, I think, but now, it's one of the later chapters and has added more depth to the police investigation, which was a pleasant surprise. As much as I want to plan and make decisions ahead of time, sometimes the ideas only illuminate themselves when I'm reading and writing the chapter itself. And that's exactly what happened yesterday. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do with this chapter when I resurrected it, but other, more concrete ideas put themselves into place as I was reading, trying to determine if this chapter really is worth resurrecting.
At the end of the day, I'm thankful for inspiration no matter how or why or when it comes. I'll take inspiration and ideas in any shape or form, especially if they pan out to be really useful like yesterday's did.
I'm beginning another round of editing today, and I think, fingers crossed, that we're ready to write the ending. Because I now have ideas for that. Finally.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Writing and Traveling
Most of today was spent on the road. However, this is not going to stop me, the determined writer, from scheming and planning and writing... Yes, at this point you should be scared.
However, when I'm in the car, I can talk my ideas out to myself or Mags or whoever's watching the crazy woman talk to herself in her car next to them.
So, today as I was driving down the road, reveling in my 143 pages of novel, I started working out my ending. Planning always starts with questions. Okay, so Leia did this, but what happens next? What happens after she gets to her destination? Where do I want the final showdown between Leia and the serial killer to be? Who do I want narrating this part of the story? And the questions go on and on and on.
As I'm asking myself these questions, driving down the road, some of the answers to this myriad of questions starts coming to the surface of my brain. Given that I'm traveling and always forget something...I forgot my notebook that I write all of my ideas in. So, I grabbed a red pen and ANYTHING I could get my hands on while driving down the road.
I apologize to all of you driving down I-75 watching the crazy writer swerve around as she writes her latest brilliant ideas on the back of her checkbook, and a receipt, and a masseuse's business card. Now all I have to do is hold onto these VITAL pieces of paper long enough (until tomorrow morning) to write out these ideas.
Good night and good writing until tomorrow.
However, when I'm in the car, I can talk my ideas out to myself or Mags or whoever's watching the crazy woman talk to herself in her car next to them.
So, today as I was driving down the road, reveling in my 143 pages of novel, I started working out my ending. Planning always starts with questions. Okay, so Leia did this, but what happens next? What happens after she gets to her destination? Where do I want the final showdown between Leia and the serial killer to be? Who do I want narrating this part of the story? And the questions go on and on and on.
As I'm asking myself these questions, driving down the road, some of the answers to this myriad of questions starts coming to the surface of my brain. Given that I'm traveling and always forget something...I forgot my notebook that I write all of my ideas in. So, I grabbed a red pen and ANYTHING I could get my hands on while driving down the road.
I apologize to all of you driving down I-75 watching the crazy writer swerve around as she writes her latest brilliant ideas on the back of her checkbook, and a receipt, and a masseuse's business card. Now all I have to do is hold onto these VITAL pieces of paper long enough (until tomorrow morning) to write out these ideas.
Good night and good writing until tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Great Writing Day!!!
This was my FB status this morning: I just had an idea regarding my serial killer that was so powerful, I had to lean back in my seat, take a deep breath, and give myself a minute for the idea to sink in.
Yes, it was that good of a morning. I incorporated several of my new ideas into existing chapters this morning, as well as wrote a couple of new, rock solid chapters. Got more than 2,000 words written today, so by Stephen King's standards, I'm doing A ok!
Another great discovery that happened today was my workaround for my hot button issue. Like I said the other night, I just don't know that I want to depict an animal getting hurt in my novel. I just don't. It bothers me to read it or watch it on tv or whatever, so why would I write that? So, I didn't want anything to happen to my protagonist's dog. Well, I came up with a workaround that is equally as powerful as if, say, her dog got abducted. I actually came up with something freakier than that, and I can say no dogs had to be harmed in the process of writing my novel. Woo hoo!
A final novel thought: I said the minimum manuscript length advised by other fiction authors I've read is 200 pages. Well, drum roll please... I'm now at 143 pages!!! Oh my gosh!!! If I can write 150 pages of good novel, I can certainly write another 50! Are you kidding me? I've got this!
Heading to Mom and Dad's for five days but taking my manuscript with me, and of course, my computer. Determined to get some work done while I'm home.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Who likes Mondays anyway?
I really wanted to write three chapters today, but I'm dealing with a painful pinched nerve in my neck, so....I only got two new chapters written.
Small victories though:
More research accomplished. On serial killers. Well, one in particular. Per my writers' group suggestion. Interesting and very useful!
Two chapters. Ten more pages. Ten more pages working toward my minimum page limit of 200 pages. Many fiction novelists agree that any work must be between 200-400 pages, and if it's as few as 150 pages, they're going to throw it away. At this point, my story is not complete and my store of ideas has not run out, so I'll keep plugging away finishing my story.
The process gets easier as you go along. It's getting easier and easier to put my chapters in order. And I am extremely familiar with my work, and I'm more organized, so the writing train is plunging full steam ahead.
I now have 25 chapters. I don't know how many pages yet. It's not something I check until the end of a round of writing. So when I finish writing this set of ten chapters/ideas, I'll print them all out to edit and count the pages.
Heading to bed with a good book/more research.
Small victories though:
More research accomplished. On serial killers. Well, one in particular. Per my writers' group suggestion. Interesting and very useful!
Two chapters. Ten more pages. Ten more pages working toward my minimum page limit of 200 pages. Many fiction novelists agree that any work must be between 200-400 pages, and if it's as few as 150 pages, they're going to throw it away. At this point, my story is not complete and my store of ideas has not run out, so I'll keep plugging away finishing my story.
The process gets easier as you go along. It's getting easier and easier to put my chapters in order. And I am extremely familiar with my work, and I'm more organized, so the writing train is plunging full steam ahead.
I now have 25 chapters. I don't know how many pages yet. It's not something I check until the end of a round of writing. So when I finish writing this set of ten chapters/ideas, I'll print them all out to edit and count the pages.
Heading to bed with a good book/more research.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Got out of bed to get the computer and get back in bed to post post
Writers's group tonight. Read them one of the new chapters I've written from Leia's perspective. This is the chapter that stemmed from something one of the members of my writers's group said last week. I got some really great feedback and ideas to make the chapter even better!
I had lots of ideas this past week. Met with my mentor and discussed a tentative deadline for me to have the book finished. Time to get serious again. Time to dig my heals in and finish this damn book! Woo hoo!
Tomorrow's goal: 3 chapters
I had lots of ideas this past week. Met with my mentor and discussed a tentative deadline for me to have the book finished. Time to get serious again. Time to dig my heals in and finish this damn book! Woo hoo!
Tomorrow's goal: 3 chapters
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Saturdays are great days for writing!
Let's just jump into it shall we? That's how good a day it was.
Okay, so I don't write my chapters in order. And I write what will write that day. I don't want to force it. When I force it, it's nowhere near as good as if I let it flow organically. So it goes something like this...plan 10 chapters, write 10 chapters, see where we are. Plan 10 more chapters, write 10 more chapters to fill in the holes/build up the story from the first 10 chapters. Well this is my third round of 10+ chapters, so the story's getting thick. The image I have in my head for this process is filling in a skeleton. And when you've completely filled in the whole skeleton, you've made a human. When I finish filling in my skeleton, I'll have written the whole novel. So we're really filling in the skeleton at this point.
My realistic goal for today was to write four chapters, and my dream goal was to write five. Well, I wrote three. But it totaled probably 5,000 words, so I'll take two beast chapters and a regular size chapter. And I planned out 7 more chapters, which will keep me writing for two more days. Then I'll read the novel as a whole again and hand write in the holes in the story. Then I'll take another day to make all of those edits. And then I start the process again. See. I have a process. Woo hoo! I am going to finish this novel...someday...
A couple of things I thought about today while writing...
1. We all have our sensitive spots. You know. We all have our hot button issues that just hit that sensitive spot in our hearts because we've had personal experience with that particular issue. For example...all of you who know me know how I feel about my dog. She's my baby, and I protect her like so. I get it from my Dad; we are animal people. Whatever. However, as I'm scheming today, I have the idea for my serial killer to kill the protagonist's dog. I don't know if I can write that. I just really don't. And it's one of many ideas for this particular part of the story, so I may not have to write that. And if I don't want to, I simply don't have to. That leads me to my second point.
2. As the writer, I get to call all the shots. However, this means I'm the one making all of the decisions. Which means I have to make the decisions!!! Every decision. All of them. So, I have this constant debate raging in my brain. Well, if Leia does this, then she can do this, and then she can say this, and he can kill her like this. But if Leia does that, then she can do that other thing, and say this thing and he can kill her like that! Which one do I want to happen? And which one's going to work best and easiest in the story as it is right now? It's not a huge deal to change your story for a new idea, but I feel like once you hit the 100 page mark, the idea has to be really good to justify going back through and changing little teeny tiny details throughout 100 pages.
And that's where we are tonight. I'll probably watch football and write a few more chapters tomorrow. And edit the three I wrote today. It's a vicious cycle once I get started writing. And I have my writer's group tomorrow night, which is always good for inspiration and encouragement.
Okay, so I don't write my chapters in order. And I write what will write that day. I don't want to force it. When I force it, it's nowhere near as good as if I let it flow organically. So it goes something like this...plan 10 chapters, write 10 chapters, see where we are. Plan 10 more chapters, write 10 more chapters to fill in the holes/build up the story from the first 10 chapters. Well this is my third round of 10+ chapters, so the story's getting thick. The image I have in my head for this process is filling in a skeleton. And when you've completely filled in the whole skeleton, you've made a human. When I finish filling in my skeleton, I'll have written the whole novel. So we're really filling in the skeleton at this point.
My realistic goal for today was to write four chapters, and my dream goal was to write five. Well, I wrote three. But it totaled probably 5,000 words, so I'll take two beast chapters and a regular size chapter. And I planned out 7 more chapters, which will keep me writing for two more days. Then I'll read the novel as a whole again and hand write in the holes in the story. Then I'll take another day to make all of those edits. And then I start the process again. See. I have a process. Woo hoo! I am going to finish this novel...someday...
A couple of things I thought about today while writing...
1. We all have our sensitive spots. You know. We all have our hot button issues that just hit that sensitive spot in our hearts because we've had personal experience with that particular issue. For example...all of you who know me know how I feel about my dog. She's my baby, and I protect her like so. I get it from my Dad; we are animal people. Whatever. However, as I'm scheming today, I have the idea for my serial killer to kill the protagonist's dog. I don't know if I can write that. I just really don't. And it's one of many ideas for this particular part of the story, so I may not have to write that. And if I don't want to, I simply don't have to. That leads me to my second point.
2. As the writer, I get to call all the shots. However, this means I'm the one making all of the decisions. Which means I have to make the decisions!!! Every decision. All of them. So, I have this constant debate raging in my brain. Well, if Leia does this, then she can do this, and then she can say this, and he can kill her like this. But if Leia does that, then she can do that other thing, and say this thing and he can kill her like that! Which one do I want to happen? And which one's going to work best and easiest in the story as it is right now? It's not a huge deal to change your story for a new idea, but I feel like once you hit the 100 page mark, the idea has to be really good to justify going back through and changing little teeny tiny details throughout 100 pages.
And that's where we are tonight. I'll probably watch football and write a few more chapters tomorrow. And edit the three I wrote today. It's a vicious cycle once I get started writing. And I have my writer's group tomorrow night, which is always good for inspiration and encouragement.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Sometimes You Just Need a Little Encouragement
I got my encouragement today. And it was great!
I met with my adviser/editor today to get feedback on the ten new chapters I've written in the 2010. As well as all the scheming, planning, organizing, and reorganizing I've done. The meeting was really productive, and I'm not going to lie, it made me feel better about my novel and myself, and I'll take both of those any day.
I'm not saying I need my ego stroked, but to some degree, reader response is my compass as to which direction I need to head with a particular character. For instance, I need to know how creepy you think my serial killer is. That was I can tweak him if I need to. Also, as I've previously mentioned, I'm so intimately familiar with these characters, it can be difficult for me to see them any other way than I already see them.
Not to mention the fact that encouragement is just plain good! I want nothing more in the world than for everyone who reads my book to LOVE it! I want to be a successful writer, which means knowing my ideas are good and people will like my story.
Finally. We ended our meeting by discussing all of my new ideas that I haven't executed yet. We also discussed some of her concerns, as well as, some of her ideas for a couple of aspects of my story that still need work.
My adviser offered me one more piece of advice that I found extremely helpful. So, you know I've been talking about writing a time line of events... Well I still haven't written the damn time line!!! I've moved in that direction, but the time line is not close to completion by any stretch of the imagination. My adviser told me to move on and we'll deal with it later. She said that's little stuff, and it can be worked out in the end. Okay. Don't mind if I do!
So tomorrow I will work on turning these new ideas into novel chapters. My goal for tomorrow is four new chapters. Secretly I'm hoping for five. I can accomplish however many I want. And I know that.
I'll let you know how it goes.
I met with my adviser/editor today to get feedback on the ten new chapters I've written in the 2010. As well as all the scheming, planning, organizing, and reorganizing I've done. The meeting was really productive, and I'm not going to lie, it made me feel better about my novel and myself, and I'll take both of those any day.
I'm not saying I need my ego stroked, but to some degree, reader response is my compass as to which direction I need to head with a particular character. For instance, I need to know how creepy you think my serial killer is. That was I can tweak him if I need to. Also, as I've previously mentioned, I'm so intimately familiar with these characters, it can be difficult for me to see them any other way than I already see them.
Not to mention the fact that encouragement is just plain good! I want nothing more in the world than for everyone who reads my book to LOVE it! I want to be a successful writer, which means knowing my ideas are good and people will like my story.
Finally. We ended our meeting by discussing all of my new ideas that I haven't executed yet. We also discussed some of her concerns, as well as, some of her ideas for a couple of aspects of my story that still need work.
My adviser offered me one more piece of advice that I found extremely helpful. So, you know I've been talking about writing a time line of events... Well I still haven't written the damn time line!!! I've moved in that direction, but the time line is not close to completion by any stretch of the imagination. My adviser told me to move on and we'll deal with it later. She said that's little stuff, and it can be worked out in the end. Okay. Don't mind if I do!
So tomorrow I will work on turning these new ideas into novel chapters. My goal for tomorrow is four new chapters. Secretly I'm hoping for five. I can accomplish however many I want. And I know that.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Late Night Inspirations
Lots of questions to which I will soon find answers. Constantly moving forward.
Scheming and Planning and Editing Oh My!
Today was a random day filled with lots of little details.
I had lunch with a proofreader friend of mine recently, so I schemed today and wrote up a mock contract to see if I can con her into helping me with this project. Okay, so I don't have to do much conning, or any at all really. And the offer was extended free of charge. However. I am a creative, and I understand how hard it is for creatives to make money. So, free of charge is not an acceptable term for me. And I need help. I need another pair of eyes and ears.
The necessity for another pair of eyes and ears stems from two things. First, as I was reading through the entirety of my novel again today, I realized that there really was no consistent time frame for anything. I do not write my chapters in order, so it was humorous, really, to see when things happen. Because it looks like I went willy nilly with the time references, sprinkling them here and there throughout the book. Leia investigated this on Thursday, ate at the Spanish restaurant last week, the killer killed Gina this afternoon and Simon and Leo Boyd early Monday morning. I actually ended up with two chapters in a row that started with It's Thursday... Yes. Yes. I agree with you. I need to fix my time frame, so I've written everything out as it happens and tried to make sense of it. In one chapter I say all the murders happen on weekends, which is so not true because, as I've previously stated in my blog, in some chapters, bad things happen on Mondays. I'm still working out all of these little details, and while I understand the importance of these details, I'm feeling pretty good about having more than half of my novel written and pretty finely tuned.
The second reason I need another pair of eyes is because, I'll get on a productive path and run as fast as I can down that road until that idea is run out, and then I spent 24 or 36 or 48 hours in this weird, lost, depressed land where I get some planning done but really no writing until after the 48 hour mark when I snap back into the real world and realize that I just need to do some more planning and figure out a new direction. (Sigh.) I've finally figured out, this last 36 hour period of time in Lost Land, that this is what I do and why I'm in Lost Land to begin with. I'm hoping to be able to remedy this in the future. And I think I have. It's been, you know, five days since this last lost period. I now completely understand why some writers go crazy!
Meeting with my third set of eyes/editor/adviser tomorrow! Very excited to have some feedback on the ten new chapters I've produced in the new year. I have to finish fixing my time line tomorrow and make all of those changes, and I have four new chapters planned out. Woo hoo! Hallelujah for direction!
I had lunch with a proofreader friend of mine recently, so I schemed today and wrote up a mock contract to see if I can con her into helping me with this project. Okay, so I don't have to do much conning, or any at all really. And the offer was extended free of charge. However. I am a creative, and I understand how hard it is for creatives to make money. So, free of charge is not an acceptable term for me. And I need help. I need another pair of eyes and ears.
The necessity for another pair of eyes and ears stems from two things. First, as I was reading through the entirety of my novel again today, I realized that there really was no consistent time frame for anything. I do not write my chapters in order, so it was humorous, really, to see when things happen. Because it looks like I went willy nilly with the time references, sprinkling them here and there throughout the book. Leia investigated this on Thursday, ate at the Spanish restaurant last week, the killer killed Gina this afternoon and Simon and Leo Boyd early Monday morning. I actually ended up with two chapters in a row that started with It's Thursday... Yes. Yes. I agree with you. I need to fix my time frame, so I've written everything out as it happens and tried to make sense of it. In one chapter I say all the murders happen on weekends, which is so not true because, as I've previously stated in my blog, in some chapters, bad things happen on Mondays. I'm still working out all of these little details, and while I understand the importance of these details, I'm feeling pretty good about having more than half of my novel written and pretty finely tuned.
The second reason I need another pair of eyes is because, I'll get on a productive path and run as fast as I can down that road until that idea is run out, and then I spent 24 or 36 or 48 hours in this weird, lost, depressed land where I get some planning done but really no writing until after the 48 hour mark when I snap back into the real world and realize that I just need to do some more planning and figure out a new direction. (Sigh.) I've finally figured out, this last 36 hour period of time in Lost Land, that this is what I do and why I'm in Lost Land to begin with. I'm hoping to be able to remedy this in the future. And I think I have. It's been, you know, five days since this last lost period. I now completely understand why some writers go crazy!
Meeting with my third set of eyes/editor/adviser tomorrow! Very excited to have some feedback on the ten new chapters I've produced in the new year. I have to finish fixing my time line tomorrow and make all of those changes, and I have four new chapters planned out. Woo hoo! Hallelujah for direction!
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