Wednesday, January 31, 2007

My First Rejection Slip

I want to bronze the little sucker. I finally feel that I am now officially a writer. Sure, I do think that says a lot of scary things about me.
Have begun working on the plot for the next ms. Won't be doing much today, I woke with a sinus headache and the meds are at last starting to take effect. I will be asleep soon, very, very soon.
Have a great day, write lots.

Monday, January 29, 2007

You Have to Read This Book!

I mean it! If you like action adventure mystery stories, don't miss it. "Firestorm" by Nevada Barr.
I want to write action adventure. I have just discovered Ms. Barr because I read mysteries. I could hardly put this book down, I fell asleep reading it. I kept reading and saying to myself, "this is how it is done." "Learn from her." This not a recent book, you may have to search it out at the used book store or from the library. I hope you like Ranger Anna Pigeon.
I have written one sentence this morning, in addition to this blog. Big fat sloth this morning, but now I have a huge cuppa of coffee and I'm hitting the keys.
I have a plan for a new book and sometime this week I'll be back and tell you more about it. Rocky is not in this one. Joanne is the character. I may change the name, not totally liking that, yet. Mariclaire was another choice but it is too long, besides my sister would kill me using her name. The Gallic sound works for her, tho'.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

I Know What Walrus Do!

But it didn't take me all this time to find out. I have been busy with preparing for the agent search. To get it out of the way, Walrus do the same thing winter and summer. No winter vac in Cabo San Lucas for them. They stay in Alaska and keep the ice warm. There, now we both know. LOL
I have been working steadily finishing up the interminable rewrites and making submittal packets for agents. This whole "finding an agent" is the most irritating and complex process. Finding a lifetime mate is way easier than this. I have bought Jaguar cars in less time than it takes to make up one agent submittal.
In case you aren't a writer, I will fill you in on the process and each agent that you apply for has a slight or major variation on the theme.
First you write your book...if it is fiction use this set of rules..non-fiction has another whole set of rules.
When you at last think it is ready for publication, you find an agent.
Agents will allow you to pay them 15% of your book deal after:
1. They agree that they may want to represent you, and how do they determine that? First you have to search them out in Writers Digest or other directories. Then you must determine if they are looking for a new client. Then does that agent want a client that writes the kind of stuff that you write, if they do both...then you send them a query letter..not any old business letter stating that you write and have book ready to go and you will pay them 15%. No, that is not how it goes, the letter must be formatted in a certain manner. One page, single spaced, approved font, a certain size, with author bio, short synopsis of story, why you think this particular agent will be a good deal with your work and perhaps what famous author you have the audacity to compare yourself to. Okay, now we are cooking with gas, you say, hah, we aren't even one third finished. Next, you get to create a longer synopsis, disregarding that in your query letter you have already devoted a closely written paragraph to the synopsis. I will not create one longer than one page, though I have seen recommendations of one page per chapter. Whew, then you get to make a copy of your manuscript, ranging anywhere from the first two pages to the first 50 pages. Each agent has their own requirement on that. Then just add a SASE and you are ready to go.
One of my submissions weighs just over a pound. Okay, now multiply all that by the 26 agents that I am submitting to and you see why this is such a formidable task. The absolute capper on all this agenting business is that the author then patiently waits while someone at the agency reads all that paper and decides if you are fit to represent. Many agents advise in their brochures to not worry about receiving an answer from them for around ten weeks.
The whole process is insane. I want to join the walrus and keep an ice floe warm.

Friday, January 12, 2007

What Does a Walrus Do in Winter?

You really wanted to know that didn't you? Yeah, me too. But it is important, really! I was working away yesterday, taking the damn adverbs out and putting them back and vice versa, and I came to a section of the story where there is a walrus and that is fine. But it is winter in the story and a blizzard is beginning to blow and why would any walrus worth a toothbrush, sit around in that? Is a walrus there or sitting drinking Corona in Cabo San Lucas? I still don't know, but by tonight I will know. Would you like a special e-mail advising you of the whereabouts of the walrus in Alaska? Now, oh course you would. Seriously, I will not spam you with walrus spam.
Last night I finished the two last parts of "Stephen King on Writing." It was really interesting, I could not put it down once I started it. I learned two things about myself and the way I write. One of them I have been back and forth and cannot feel right about. I do feel better or perhaps more resolved about the swearing issue, thanks to Mr. King. I promised him as I finished that section that I would tighten up more and watch my adverb useage.
If you recieved a CD of "Load of Rocks" from me and the damn thing will not open,please let me know. My sister tried to open hers last night and all she got was a blank screen. Could it be possible I sent her a blank CD? Nah, DS2 made the CD's...who knows, I know more about walrus in winter than copying to a simple CD.

Friday, January 05, 2007

I wrote a song.

Yesterday I woke up with a song floating through the brain waves. The melody is a Celtic folk song that I have heard somewhere. I have never written music. At this late date I think it is strange that I have never written music. I majored in music for my first two semesters in college. Majored in music until it occurred to me there are as many starving musicans as unpublished writers. Changed majors to chemistry and business. I would have preferred singing, but a girl has to earn a living. There were two working opera singers in my family, my voice wasn't that good. It is good enough to use as a defensive weapon when the idiot upstairs turns on his icky music and thinks he can sing. He cannot carry a simple tune. A couple of bars of the Stanford Fight Song or "I am Pretty" and he shuts the heck up. Could it be he doesn't like his windows rattled. I digress.
Be that as it may, I wrote the lyrics yesterday morning. I was supposed to be writing chapters. Was this lyrical inspiration due to lack of inspiration on the book?
While I was keying the lyrics into the computer as fast as they were pouring out of my sleepy head, I thought I was writing poetry. I do not write poetry. There are few genres of writing that I find dreary, in fact there is only one. That one is poetry written by amateur poets, where every line is written in limerick meter. The meter where the accent is always on the last word of the line and every line rhymes. That is why I don't write poetry.
I like my song, I will have to ship it off to my sister to sing for her singing group.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

The Clean Slate

That is what the New Year always feel to me. Time renewed to achieve whatever you want to achieve, to be whatever you need to be.
I usually don't bother with resolutions. Revolutions would be more appropiate to getting me to change my ways and amend my personality. So the few I made I will try to work on, but no promises.
Today I just worked my hiney off and finished the rewrite, final, and at last done, editing of the first full length book I wrote. It is going to the agent this week coming heqq or high water. I had not read it for quite awhile and some parts of it just suck and bog down, but some parts of it, well I have to say I impressed myself. It is a rollicking good suspense mystery and the ending is just such a surprise!
Enough patting myself on the back and now I have just the extra addition attractions to the third novel and well..who knows after that. The second week in January is a long way away.
Cheers, have a great year.