Play Time

Today's Mood: Relieved. Today's Music: Alison Moyet. Today's Writing: Queries. Today's Quote:

"Many young writers make the mistake of enclosing a [SASE] big enough for the manuscript to come back in. This is too much of a temptation to the editor." -Ring Lardner, How to Write Short Stories.

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I am basking in the glow of having just sent off seven query letters. Yea me! Since June I have been worked on revising BD (several times in fact). And then I worked on creating an intriguing query letter. THEN I researched, and researched, and researched who to send it to. AND NOW I GET TO PLAY!

So what should I play with? Free Lunch? IFFY? poetry? an essay? The writing possibilities stretch out limitless in front of me like the Kansas highway. Only problem is I want to do it all. And paint. And draw. And and and....

What have you all been up to? Any exciting writing going on? Any advice on how to pick the next project?

Short Story Contest

Today's Mood: Calm with just a tinge of melancholy. Today's Music: Mad Season- Matchbox Twenty. Today's Writing: Mary Monologue II. Today's Quote:

"The longest journey is the journey inward." -Dag Hammarskjold

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One of my colleagues passed this Short Story Contest on to me, and I'm passing it on to you. Shore Magazine is accepting short story entries between Dec. 1, 2007 and March 1, 2008. The stories must be between 3,000 and 7,000 words with no set subject matter or style. Stories must be submitted online with credit card or by mail with check attached. The entry/reading fee is $35. Each story should have a header on every page with name/story title/page number. You can enter as many stories as you want--as long as you pay the fee for each one.

The first-prize winning story will be published in the June 2008 issue of Shore and will be posted on the website http://www.visitshoremagazine.com/. First prize is $1,000, second prize is $500, and third prize is $250.

Not sure if I'm going to submit or not. I'll think on it. It is $35, so I have to believe in what I send in. Of course, as I always tell my children, I can't win if I don't play!

Celebrations of small things

Today's Mood: Industrious. Today's Music: The Call. Today's Writing: Thank you letter. Today's Quote:

Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness - I wouldn't know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self- consciousness. -Aaron Copland

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If I waited to celebrate until there was a publishing deal, I might never get to celebrate. Besides which, all of life is made up of a myriad of little accomplishments. First we celebrate rolling over, then scootching, then crawling, then the first step, then walking, then.... So I am celebrating hearing from a publisher. A publisher that I thought very well might have a.) never received my manuscript, b.) thrown said manuscript in the circular file, c.) left said manuscript rotting on some huge pile of manuscript/query slush, or d.) still be considering that wonderful manuscript of mine. Although I have to admit I felt that option d. was unlikely since I had followed up with a note of inquiry and had no response to that as well.

Well, lo and behold! On this past Saturday, I received a letter from that publisher saying they were still considering my manuscript! And furthermore, if I don't hear from them within the next two months, I can call them! And they even included a number! Which, granted, I haven't called the number, but it LOOKS authentic.

Good news to me! Picture me doing the celebration dance! Today I worked on a thank you note, along with which (some very wise writer suggested) I will send a copy of my Black Dragon illustration. The brain, remember, is very visual. And it LOVES color!

Details

Today's Mood: relaxed. Today's Music: Ray LaMontagne--Till the Sun Turns Black. Today's Writing: Synopsis for IFFY--technically it is a plot outline for me since I'm writing it before I write the book. Today's Quote:

"Writing a synopsis does not mean you have to throw yourself into a tar pit
before you roll in the feathers." -Beth Anderson

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I went to my daughter's Parent-Teacher conference last night. She does very well when it comes to reading and writing, but--the teacher pointed out--she needs to work on capitalization and punctuation. Now, understand that my daughter knows very well how to use capitals and proper punctuation; she just doesn't want to be bothered with the details. This doesn't come as a surprise to me--I see that in other places as well (including cleaning her room). But it did make me stop and think. I also don't like to bother with the little details. Details like finding out the name of a person to whom I can address my query letter. Sending out reminder postcards when I haven't heard from a publisher in what is now eight months. Thank-you notes for those editors who took the time to write an encouraging personal note at the bottom of the form rejection. Even details like sending a manuscript--or short story, or essay--out again, and again, and again.

A few days ago I was all set to send out two copies of my Black Dragon manuscript. Then I heard that the price of a stamp was going up. Of course, I had already enclosed my SASE and sealed up the whole package. I was so tempted just to send it--I mean, come on! They could afford to throw a two cent stamp on it, couldn't they? And how could they expect me to consider that ahead of time?

In the end I opened everything up and hauled out the SASE and put a two cent stamp on it. Details. What is the old saying? The devil's in the details? Something like that. I wish I could just concentrate on the story--but I suppose I must deal with the details as well.

What details are driving you crazy? Anyone hear about those life-long stamps? Stamps that are good even if the price goes up?

***On a side note, I found on of those links on the site that Karen mentioned to be a wonderful help. I am working on writing a synopsis for the book I recently started, and Beth Anderson's article on how to write a tight synopsis has given me a step-by-step guide. I found out that part of my problem has been that I don't really know what I am writing--what the main focus of the book is going to be--journey to self-acceptance or romance. Makes a big difference.

Opportunities

Today's Mood: Still going. Today's Music: Robert Pollard--From a Compound Eye. Today's Writing: queries. Today's Quote:

"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis." -Margoret Bonnano

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I just wanted to pass a few things along to those who might find them useful. First off the deadline for the Writer's Digest Writing Competition is May 15. Lots of categories. Come on guys, you have got to have something that will fit into one of the categories. Just send it out. What the heck? What's the worst that can happen? Not win? Why, I happen to know many wonderful people in that club!

Second--Delacorte Yearling Contest for a first middle-grade novel. Dates for submission--after April1, but no later than June 30.

Third--long way out, but worth thinking about--Delacorte Press First Young Adult Novel Contest. Dates for submission--after Oct. 1, but no later than Dec. 31, 2007.

Then from Children's Book Insider (which I am a member of)--Highlights is seeking science and nature articles up to 800 words, but short articles of 350-400 words are welcome. Puts high value on articles that show science as a process. Articles about animals that are high interest to kids. The article may cover a long period of time or just tell the adventures of one day, but info. about the animals and/or the research should arise naturally so our readers will learn something. Have enough articles on:birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and volcanoes.

For you teachers: April is National Poetry Month. I have a great student poetry contest from the American Library of Poetry. Let me know if you want me to send it to you. Also check out www.pinetreepoetry.com

Whatever you do, keep writing.

Query, synopsis, and cover letter--oh my!

Today's Mood: fair to middling. Today's Music: Foo Fighters (although, maybe it should be something like Bang Your Head) Today's Writing: Cover letter for Black Dragon. Today's Quote:

"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it." -Jane Wagner

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When I finished revising my first novel (for the zillionth time), I still remember thinking I had finished the hard part. Wrong. Oh so wrong! Then came writing the query letter, the synopsis, the cover letter. Why it is harder to write a 400 page book in 5 pages is one of the mysteries in life--but it is, trust me.

And then there is the figuring out all the ins-and-outs of the publishing business. What happens when Writer's Market says a company doesn't take SIMULTANEOUS submissions, but that same company's website says it doesn't accept MULTIPLE submissions? Not the same thing, but which one should I go by?

I received another form rejection yesterday--from a publisher that said it didn't respond AT ALL unless they wanted to publish the manuscript. It had an encouraging hand-written note at the bottom, and they had paid the postage to send it to me, but then the signature was unreadable. So okay, I've been told by writers far more professional than me that I should refer to that hand-written note when sending my next manuscript to them. I looked at all the names in Writer's Market and on the website--can't find a one that looks even close to what's on the note. I called the company, and after being shuffled around six or seven times, the mail room guy told me just to send the note itself with the next manuscript. Sigh. I'm trying to make connections, really I am. But it sure isn't easy.

Anyway, what about you all? Sending things out? Want to rant about writing queries, synopsises, cover letters? Any publishing frustrations? Or is life all roses for everyone except for me? (Ha-I don't believe you!)

Submitting Articles

Today's Mood: industrious. Today's Music: Dixie Chicks--Taking the Long Way. Today's Writing: 2 query/cover letters and research (which involved both cutting things out of magazines and meeting a strange man for coffee) Today's Quote:

Keep writing. Keep doing it and doing it. Even in the moments when it's so
hurtful to think about writing. -Heather Armstrong

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Submitting articles to magazines is a frustrating thing. First off, I'm never exactly sure which one would be the best one to submit to. Then there is the issue of writing a cover letter. Top that off with trying to figure out exactly who to address it to, and the whole experience is complete frustration. This week I made myself submit one of my essays even though I'm not holding out much hope on it actually being published. I can't quite decide if I am simply a masochist or just a determined writer. Maybe they are one and the same.

I also wrote up another cover letter for my first manuscript. I didn't print off the manuscript yet--I'm still trying to decide if I should send it out again even though I still have 4 queries out there. Of course, they've been out there since July so it's not like I'm rushing things here. I'll probably just send it out. What the heck. You can't win if you don't play, right?

The researching for my next novel is definitely more fun then submitting. I was having fun cutting eyes and noses and hairstyles out of magazines to "create" my characters. In the last novel I kept forgetting what eye color each character had, so this time I decided to come up with a picture (more or less) of each character. On the top of a sheet of paper I put his/her name and then go through magazines and cut out a picture of eyes the color of that character--nose, hairstyle, clothing....and glue those body parts on the sheet of paper. I write down the height, weight, interesting habits, physical characteristics, and any other unique things about that character. In the end I hope it helps to have that to refer back to as I write the book--if nothing else it's fun and I got a great picture of Orlando Bloom.

Anyone writing out there? Anything interesting going on? Done any submitting? Character profiling......? Hello?

Post-Submission Depression

Today's Mood: Strangely let down. Music: n.a. Writing: Article for Inklings about this blog. Quote:

Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it's just an
illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it. -David Sedaris

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Saturday morning I mailed out my manuscript to the Delacorte Press Contest for a First YA Novel. I should have been dancing. After all, I had spent the last three days in a writing induced coma. Grandpa and Nana had the kids, so I wrote non-stop, either skipping meals or eating leftover lasagna (it was an Italian Christmas on the Sirianni side) at my computer.

But instead of the expected elation, I felt (and still feel--although now it may be the ugh weather) strangely let down. The day was already Saturday--almost the last day of 2006. Things were growing in my refrigerator. The piles of laundry almost obscurred my desk (which is conveniently located between the cat literboxes and the washer and dryer). The children wanted my attention when I got them home--and needed to be fed meals, and bathed, and have their fights referred so that no one got bit or squeezed. It all seemed... anticlimactic.

Now, however, as I sit writing this (the laundry washed, the moldy items thrown out, the children quiet--which probably means a big mess is forming somewhere) I realize that this is the normal way of things. I labored and delivered, but that's not the end. The book (kind of like a child sent off to college) will come back to me (one way or another--although I'm hoping it's in a positive We want to publish this way!) and in the meantime, another story has been growing in me, waiting for the right time to be born. It's getting close, I've already been feeling a few twinges--names, descriptions, a few scenes....

So, as the end of the year rapidly approaches, I make the resolution to accept the labor of writing as on-going. I will never be done. I look forward to another year of writing (even more than in 2006--if I can manage to get out of bed on time!), and submitting, and marketing. Best of all, I go into the new year with a fresh reminder of how wonderful it is to be part of such a great writing community. Thank you so much to all the Peninsula Writers who have labored alongside me, giving me advice, encouragement, and support.

Keep writing!