Priming the pump

Today's Mood: a little wild. Today's Music: Alison Moyet (in the car anyway.) Today's Writing: IFFY. Today's Quote:

All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath." -F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Sorry for the lag in posting. I've been massively busy with helping direct a play, and organize birthday parties for my daughter. Unfortunately it seems that one kid somehow generates the need for multiple parties. I'm sad about this because my mothering skills have never much tended toward the party organizing. Nonetheless, I managed to pull off a 1st grade bowling party in the same weekend as a party with my side of the family (which is, at the moment, populated with many small children).

On the writing front, I managed to finish my big revision of Black Dragon and sent it out to agents--which left me at loose ends. What to do next? After a lot of thinking (and probably driving my friends and family crazy by constantly gnawing on the problem out loud) I decided to get back into IFFY and see if I could pound out a rough draft. Then I can give it breathing room while I revise Free Lunch.

So for the last two (very busy) weeks I've been trying to immerse back into the story. It's been a bit like getting into cold water though. I dip in a toe by reading what I've written. Then I step in up to my ankles and study the character profiles and pictures I've drawn of those people. I wade deeper and look over my notes. I'm up to my thighs, revising a little and listening to my IFFY playlist. But only in the last few days have the characters started to play in my head again. Yesterday I found myself thinking about the MC (main character) while I was drying my hair. And when I was getting ready for work today, a whole scene played out in my head. Yay! The story hasn't completely dried up!

Prime for long enough and the pump will produce water. Now I just need to find ways to keep working the pump, and keep those writing waters flowing. What do you all do to keep spinning your story? Especially when you can't spend all day on it (or even much of the day at all on it)?

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?

Reblocking

Today's Mood: Dizzy. Today's Music: singing in church. Today's Writing: this blog. Today's Quote:

Do you suffer from blogaholism, Twitteritis, RSS Dependency, or Status Update Disorder? Then this is the seminar for you... -by Polly Frost

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Okay, I just had to share this since I am definitely one who spends time in the blogosphere when I should be working on that query of mine. Check out the Polly Frost's article Reblock Yourself the Polly Frost Way. The truth hurts--and is also hilarious. My only complaint is her characterization of librarians. Hey, we can fracture and fragment the English language with the best of 'em!

So get to work and reblock yourself. Hopefully you can agonize over your real writing then.

Hunting Season (for an agent, that is.)

Today's Mood: Upbeat. Today's Music: Neil Diamond (I know--but hey, I was a teenager in the eighties after all!) Today's Writing: Query letter for BD. Today's Quote:

The amount of time you spend formatting, coloring, bolding, italicizing, and adding pictures to your query is inversely proportional to how professional it looks when you're finished. -Nathan Bransford

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Agent hunting season has officially begun! I'm dreaming of bagging one early, but just in case, I'm working to locate several different hunting grounds. And, of course, I'm making sure I have all the right permits and weapons. I bought the 2009 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, I have perused many writer, editor, and agent blogs looking for tips on query letters and searching for suitable game. Nathan Bransford has several informative posts about query letters (including a mad-lib style query letter format), and Cynsations has several interviews with agents that give greenhorns like me insight into the business.

I have to admit, I'd probably rather write a whole novel than a query letter. It seems like there is so much hanging on one page. I always like the agents that want to see several pages of the novel as well. Gives me hope. And the other thing I dislike about query letters is that even writing them forces me to think about what if. What if he/she doesn't want it? What if no one wants it? And maybe even a little bit of what if he/she DOES want it? That has a fear element in it as well. (granted, a more exciting, pleasant fear element, but still scary in its own way.)

Of course, I want to send my manuscript off to the person most likely to love it as much as I do, but who is that mysterious person? I find a dozen potentials in the Market, and then I search them on the web. Should I go with the one who is well-known? The one who represents several big time young adult authors? Or should I try one who is more actively seeking clients? I want the best. My novel deserves the best. But, in the end, a small trophy is better than none at all, right?

The query letter itself is stressful. Sure I know what my novel is about, but what tone do I take when talking about it? Light and humorous? Serious and professional? Like I'm talking to someone I know--except I don't know that person and THAT is the problem. I'm not a good social chit-chatter. It is hard for me to do anything other than serious with people I don't know. If I'm teasing you--then you can be sure I like you and feel comfortable with you.

So it goes back to research. I have to find out as much as I can about these agents in order to feel like I know them (even a little bit) so that I can write in my own voice--and not some stilted, fill-in-the-blank letter.

I guess I need to develop a stalker mentality. Notice all the little details, look up their myspace and facebook accounts and check out their friends. Read the books they like. Listen to the same music. Ewwww, I'm creeping myself out! Besides, I really don't have enough time to be a stalker. Guess I'll go for serious and professional.

Roll-Over Dreams

Today's Mood: Content. Today's Music: Lifehouse. Today's Writing: Finished 3rd (or 53rd probably, but 3rd round now) revision of Part II BD. Yeah! Today's Quote:

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. -Jack London.

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Sigh. What a lovely day! Sunlight, shopping for creative stuff, Steak-n-Shake lunch including a Mocha Malt (with whip cream and a cherry!), and writing--lots of writing. In fact, I finished this rewrite of Part II. I am so psyched! One more revision of Part III, then a run-through edit of the whole thing and it is ready to go out into the big, bad world again. One word at a time, I'm getting there.

Of course, I can never come out of a bookstore without buying a book. In this case, it was a really cool one called Idea Log. It is divided into five sections: idea log(alphabetized), project log (for when I act on my ideas), sketch log (I'm excited to use this for art ideas), quotation log, and fantasy log. The fantasy log is funny--it even has a feasibility rating scale!

Between the writing and buying craft stuff for making cards (PW cards, I hope!), I'm brimming with creativity today. And I had a phone conversation with another PW writer about setting up a morning writing schedule. I have to admit, it is one thing I miss during the holiday breaks. But still, I managed to get some writing done. Not as much as when I stick to my schedule. I am a firm believer in having a set-don't-mess-with-me writing time. There is no way I'd get as much written if I didn't. Although, I have to say, I hate mornings. A necessary evil in the working world.

The other day my friend pointed out that our goals for 2008--for me, the goal was to get something accepted for publication--didn't work out so well. I told her it was okay; they were roll-over hopes and dreams, so they'll work fine for 2009. What about you? New goals? Roll-overs?

Glorious Vacation

Today's Mood: Happy. Today's Music: A Windham Christmas (new CD from Gloria) Today's Writing: Finished this revision of Part III Black Dragon (Glory Be!) Today's Quote:

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I think too much. (Huge surprise to you all, isn't it?) It took me waaaaay too long to finish revising the last few chapters. Over the weekend I'd boot up the computer, open the BD file, stare at it, maybe switch (add or delete) a few words, then shut down. I'm having a hard time settling--being quiet enough to hear what I need to write/change. Some of it is the time of year because there are all these parties to plan for, shopping to do, and shoveling. Lots and lots of shoveling. And I suppose, truth be told, part of it is that I can't quite decide how to end it. In a way, it seems too fast--like maybe I should put more detail, more chapters. Yet why drag it out?

Today I went over to Gloria's to write. After a lot of eating, we finally did settle down to write. At one point I must have made a frustrated noise (probably get that from my dad--it sounds a bit like someone did the Heimlich maneuver on me), because Gloria asked what was up. I told her I didn't know if I liked the ending. And after talking about it a bit (and reading some of it out loud) she suggested ending the novel in a different spot. I had never thought about ending it there. I have to say, I think it might work. Always nice to get a new perspective. That's part of what I like about getting together and writing with other writers. Not that we actually work on the same piece of writing, but just having them there to talk to, ask questions, or look so diligent that it makes me feel guilty enough to be diligent too.

My self-imposed deadline of the end of December is looming impossibly close. I don't think I'll make it, but I intent to get through the next (umpteenth) revision on Part II at least. Who knows, maybe I can finish it all by the end of January.

What about you all? Any deadlines--self-imposed or otherwise imposed? Do you (like me) feel the need to set deadlines--or at least set some sort of goal?

Back from my Facebook fling

Today's Mood: Busy but good. Today's Music: Maroon 5. Today's Writing: Black Dragon second to last chapter. Agonizing. Today's Quote:

"Don't wait. If you want to be a writer, you have to write. All the time. Day in, day out. It's as simple as that." -Dorianne Laux, "Writing from a lived life," Writer's Digest, Feb. 09

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I know, I know, it's been forever. I have been writing--although, not as much as I'd like. Life is getting in the way. But it does go on, and lo and behold, word by word does get it done (albeit slowly). These last few chapters are killing me. First I worried that events seemed too coincidental, now I'm worried that I am rushing the denouement/conclusion. Face it, between the economy, the season, and my writing, I embody worried!

And, as if I didn't have enough to do in my life, someone sends me an email message saying that they put a picture of me on Facebook. What picture, is my first question. (Not that there are any sleaze shots of me out there floating around, but there could be some seriously ugly pictures of me out there.) My second question is What the heck is she putting pictures of me out on the web for anyway?! So of course I have to go check it out. And you can't see it unless you create a profile on Facebook. Yeah, I need another thing to update and check--cause I do so well keeping up on this blog.

But worry drives me to do horrific things, so I created a profile. And I was right to worry, the picture is scary. Writing for hours on end does great things for my soul but isn't so hot for my outer appearance. Oh well, I've seen worse pictures of me. I log off to go do laundry and slave-drive kids into doing their homework and cook dinner and.... the list goes on.

The next day when I check my email, there are 4 messages saying people have asked to be my friend. I felt a momentary thrill, as if I'd been transported back to high school and was suddenly popular. But then I realized all these people are already my friends! Nevertheless, I confirmed the friendships (which is just a matter of clicking confirm and nothing like exchanging gifts or spending time or making out or anything like that) and went on to check my profile.

The following day I logged into facebook to check what everyone was doing, and then I tried to think of something clever to put up on my wall. As usual, whenever I try to come up with something clever, my brain turns a drab gray and starts to shrivel. In the end, I decided I'm not the right sort of person to have a Facebook profile. I don't do witty, I can't handle looking good enough to live in a fishbowl, and I just don't have time.

Now that my fling with Facebook is done, I have grand hopes of posting more frequently--and finishing this round of revision by the end of the week!