Halloween Greetings!

In honor of the day, I thought I'd show my current mood via Jack o Lantern.



I'm coming up on week dry spell in the Query Wars. Time to bust out a high powered, mega query blast!! Those agents aren't going to know what hit them.

*laughs maniacally*

Querying thought of the Day

I used to think I had a kind of sixth sense. I used to feel like I just "knew" things were going to happen.

Well, I was wrong. :)

It seems like the days I wake up thinking, "I have a good feeling about today," are the days that I have an empty inbox. Or a swift rejection.

So, what we've learned today, is that I am clearly not psychic.

More work (and that's okay)

This weekend I had an epiphany for PAMR. I realized that it really needed to be in first person. I've already written about 6000 words, so changing is going to be no small task. Because, obviously, it's more than just changing every "she" to "I." I've actually gone back tonight and changed the first chapter and it took me several hours. But, I really feel strongly that it's the right choice.

I'm actually kind of excited. As I have been writing it these past few days, there were times when I felt like there was something not quite right. Also, two separate times, I found myself writing in first person without realizing. So, I guess my MC was trying to tell me something. :)

I'm just glad that she told me now, and not after I had written 200 pages or something.

I just got tired of the moon

Not the real moon.

The moon on my blog template. It was getting on my nerves. So I changed it. Moved it up where it was slightly less imposing. I don't know, though. My blog still has a dark, ominous feel to it.

Oh well.

The most accurate test in the world!

Click the picture to take the test. As you can see, I came up as Galadriel. The test describes me as "Possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating your environment you selflessly use your powers to care for others."

Clearly, this test is spot on. :)

Building the wall

So, once again, a post on Natalie's blog got me thinking. I was analyzing today my unexpected emotion when it came to querying Midas.

It's been two weeks to the day since I sent out those first queries. Two weeks, and was already starting to feel like, "Oh well, I guess I failed." I almost feel silly admitting it. I mean, I still have material out with agents! I haven't even sent out twenty queries yet! I haven't even hit the double digits with rejections! And there are several agents that I haven't even heard from yet! And the troubling thing about it is that I tried to tell myself that I was just being "realistic."

No. I was letting the rejections get to me. See, since my initial interest, I have had six rejections in a row over the course of the last eleven days. (I know, poor poor me. But, hey, I'm totally scolding myself here.) So, I was starting to build up a wall. A wall that said, "Oh well, Midas doesn't have it, guess I'll move on." So, I stopped sending out queries. It's been five days since I sent one out. Instead, I've put all my attention on my new story. In short, I was seriously starting to give up under the guise of "being realistic."

Then I read Natalie's post this morning, and it had me thinking all day. Now, don't get me wrong, being realistic is important, but I was abusing the term. So I gave myself a firm smack on the wrist and said to myself, "If Natalie's not giving up, you sure don't have any right to."

So, thanks to Natalie for being a rock. :) You've helped me re-light the fire. In fact, I think I am going to send off a few new queries right now.

I'm absolutely giddy!

Today, I am thrilled to announce that my twin sister has started to write her first novel! As you can see, all the rumors about twins are true; we really DO do everything exactly the same. :)

Kidding, but truly, my sister and I have always shared a love for all things creative. I have warm memories of the many summer vacations where Diana and I would lay on the bunk beds of our family motor home, writing stories in the crisp white pages of new journals. The stories would, of course, be nothing less than slightly altered and considerably inferior renditions of whatever books we were currently reading, but hey, at least we had a blast writing them.

So, if you like, pop over to her writer blog and say hello at http://horizonsds.blogspot.com. (Though she wanted me to emphasize that inviting you to do so was my idea not hers, and she doesn't want anyone to feel any obligation at all.) Silly sis. So modest. :)

New Babies

I started thinking about an analogy I made in a comment on Natalie's blog last night. I was musing over the fact that we MoMo's (see side link list) are all starting brand new stories. I compared a new story to a newborn. In many many ways, they are the same. They require so much attention and work, we fuss over them so much, we can hardly stand to put them down. We are so completely in love with them, but so aware of the work ahead.

A Post in Two Parts

Part One: Querying is hard.

Today, I came to the end of a Dr. Pepper 12 pack. Inside the box, was a printed code for a contest. 1 in 6 win, it said. I entered the code online and a message came up: Sorry, your code is not a winner.

Imagine that box flying across the room. Then, imagine me tearing it in half and stuffing the remains into the trash can.

I find that I take out my query frustrations on other things.

Part Two: There's nothing like a new story to take the mind off above mentioned frustrations.

I am currently in the midst of plotting out a new story. Here's the thing, it's very different from Midas. Very.

It's still YA, but it's also a post apocalyptic, magic realism story. I haven't written any thing yet, but I've scribbled out nearly a dozen pages of plot and character sketches in my Moleskine.

So, it's fun so far. I plan to start writing soon. Keep an eye out for a story updater on the right side bar.

How I know I am a writer

About 4 months ago, a tiny flicker of a new story idea came into my mind. I have thought about it on and off since then, scribbling little notes in my Moleskine and such.

Well, now that Midas is out in the world, I find myself craving a new story to write. So naturally, this new idea is getting more and more fleshed out. In fact, it might not be too long before I start writing. And here I thought I was going to get a break. I guess a writer has to write, and that's that.

The Churning

So, querying has commenced, and I've already ridden the rollercoster up and down. I am trying not to let consume my mind, but I'm not sure that will be possible for a while.

The one thing I am really ready to see gone is this CONSTANT churning in my stomach. I think I am following Natalie's diet plan well.

It begins!

I just sent out my first queries!!!!!

It's funny because, I knew I was going to be doing this today for a while and didn't feel that nervous about it, but as I was preparing the email, my heart was pounding.

Also, after reading over the email four times, I hit send. But, the message didn't go. I was like, "Is this a sign???" AND IT WAS!

Just in case, I read over the email one more time and noticed that I had my OLD WORD COUNT! 64,000 words! That's like 10,000 words less than my final manuscript!

Sheesh. I nearly had a heart attack. So, I changed it, and sent the emails off to a few of my painstakingly selected agents. I'll be sending off the rest tonight!!

I feel nervous and excited. I just can't believe that I am finally doing it!

Inspired by the Condensanator

So, now that my synopsis is where I want it to be, I have begun work on . . .

**timpanis pounding**

THE FINAL EDIT!

I was actually quite inspired by the exercise of forcing myself to cut down the synopsis. It really stretched by comfort level (in a good way) to have to stare at a sentence, even a word, and say, "Do I really need that?"

I've been trying to look at my manuscript that way. My final word count was 77,500 words. I am giving myself the challenge to cut that down a few thousand words.
*dabs sweat away from forehead*
It won't be easy, but I think my story will be better for it. Oh, and here's the kicker: My goal is to finish that THIS WEEKEND.

Syn-"oh snap"-sis

Well, it's been a productive few days of not tinkering with my story. I've tinkered with the synopsis instead. And it really is as hard as they say. I think my first draft came out at 2000 words, and I thought I was being as spare as I could be.

However, I've finally gotten it down to 850 words. (holla!)So, thanks again to Natalie and others who helped.