FAIRIES.

I've written a story about them. Well, it has Fairies IN it, but the main creatures are of my own invention. I sent it around a lot last year, but I think I might resurrect it once more, and dust it off. I haven't looked at the manuscript in about 8 months, so I'll definitely have fresh eyes to see the major flaws.

Let the edits begin!!!

Music is Essential.

Mood. Ambience. Tone. Atmosphere. I am one of those writers who writes best with music. Not BLARING, mind you, but in the background, softly playing as well...a background. Or backdrop, rather, to my writing. I'm currently writing a story set in a medieval-type society, so my "Medieval and Renaissance" music I downloaded in iTunes is perfect. Or my Celtic Harp music, which frankly, never gets old.

I love the power music has, to inspire creativity, mood, anything. I mean, how many times have I listened to Aaron Copland's "Rodeo" music and not wanted a nice juicy, well-marbled bone-in Ribeye? (For those of you who are wondering it's the "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" music.) Or when I listen to John Williams play the Rodrigo Fantasia, I'm transported to the sunny Spanish Countryside. Or Enya. When I'm writing fantasy, Enya is always my #1 choice.

Just one of the things I'm grateful for. Music is AWESOME.

FINIS.

I finished SHADOWFEVER yesterday. WHEW. I won't post any spoilers. Not even my thoughts. Because if I say I loved it, you'll know it ended happily, and if I say I hated it, you'll know it ended bad, or on a cliffhanger, or not the way I'd have liked.

So, I'm saying nothing! But my friend is officially mad at me for loaning her my Fever series books, because she wasted the whole day yesterday, reading Darkfever.

Heh heh, she still has four to go. Those dishes are going to pile up! ;-)

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

Well, not for ME, not yet. Shadowfever is out today, and if I wanted to, I could stroll down to the nearest store and just BUY a copy, but no, I pre-ordered it through Amazon. And like every book I've ever ordered from Amazon, I selected "regular" shipping. Because I've always gotten the book on release day, no matter WHAT shipping I selected. I guess Amazon caught on to this, because NOW, I have to wait an extra day. My book isn't coming today, it's coming TOMORROW. I have to wait a whole 24 hours longer than everyone else.

Which really stinks. So, don't say anything! No spoilers! I'm going to stay offline and read read read read once I get it, and only THEN will I feel safe to go online again.

I should have just paid the extra $$. I want that book now!!! ;-)

SALIVATING.

I am literally foaming at the mouth, hands itching and major ANTS IN THE PANTS to get SHADOWFEVER in my hands!!!

I haven't felt this way about a book release, since DEATHLY HALLOWS. Seriously. I loaned all my FEVER books to a friend last night, and knowing her, she'll read them all in a week, and guess what? She'll be able to just GET the last and final book--which was not a luxury I had. I had to wait a whole year! UGH! As did my dear friend, Mik, who got me into the books in the first place. :-)

So, all my questions will finally be answered! Who did Mac kill at the end of Book Four? Who was the "Fourth" who kept himself hidden? What the HECK was the LM's role in her sister's death/life, etc.???
Where in the hell is V'Lane??? And my yummy Christian MacKeltar (who I actually like BETTER for Mac than Jericho Barrons, SACRILEGE, I KNOW!)--where the heck is HE stuck?

Itchy Itchy.

Daydreaming?

My mind, lately, has been in my story. Rather, my character's world. She lives in a medieval-type era, in a village that is covered in January snow, and lots of STUFF is happening. I know what the inside of her hut looks like. I know what her special herb garden looks like. I know how she feels and thinks, and the amazing things that await her. And the not-so-amazing things.

I can see her entire world in my head, and I write what I see. Would people call that daydreaming? All I need to do is sit in front of my computer, put on some medieval music, and I'm THERE. And I literally have to be pulled from that place kicking and screaming (usually to a "Mommy, I need to go potty" request...) because I'm so deeply into it, I am not aware of anything else around me. And when I go to sleep at night, I've got the Alphasmart by the bed, because I'm still lingering in Her world.

Daydreaming? Or overly generous Muse? I'd like to think it's the latter.

The Long and Short of It.

Got my first rejection the other day. After NINE weeks. Wow, that was a wait! It was a very nice rejection. But still...

So, I immediately queried the next agent on my list. I was hoping SHE wouldn't take nine weeks!

She didn't. She rejected me with a "sorry not for me" in under THREE MINUTES.

Which is fine, because hey, I'd rather not wait so long, right? But, then again, she clearly didn't even read my ten pages I'd pasted into the body of the email, like she'd requested.

Again, at least it was quick. It was just VERY quick.

I guess rejections are better somewhere in the middle? Don't take too long in getting back to me, but at least mull it over a while, right?

;-)

I Wrote!

4100 words yesterday. I would have written more, but I was editing them, too. The beginning of a story is so...tricky sometimes, and I like to get the flavor right.

I've outlined the whole thing, I know what happens. It's not a series, it's one, stand-alone book. It's totally not something I would usually write, but when TUB INSPIRATION happens, (see former post) I have to listen to it!

Today is another snow day--maybe another 2K for me???

I'm going to get lost in the story and see where it takes me!

OOooooooh.... Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh...

Guess what I did last night? I couldn't sleep, so I made my first-ever PDF on my iPad! I have Pages on my iPad, and I made a recipe page, complete with a picture of the dish scanned by my iPhone! I am VERY happy with the end result!

Here is where I'm feeling dumb--when we first bought our Mac, I was so aggressively ANTI-Mac, I insisted Hubby buy the Microsoft Word package for Mac. So, we have Word, Excel, Powerpoint, all the stuff that we are "used" to from a PC, on the Mac. It did make the transition easier. But, now that I've gotten a taste of Pages, I am thinking I like it MUCH better. Interesting.

Oh, and by the way, I got up at 4am (couldn't sleep this morning) and wrote my first chapter of the story that's been really really really really REALLY wanting to get written. 1800 words. Done. I had my 13-year old daughter test-read the pages for me, and she liked them. And this girl is brutally honest with me, which is good!

Guess I'd better keep writing! ;-)

The FUN Part...

The cool thing about making up a whole world? YOU are the creator. You don't have to research, you just need to come up with cool names for everything. (and then Google them, to make sure someone hasn't beaten you to the punch--a handy little trick I use!)

I have writer friends who HATE research. They truly loathe it. Research is actually FUN for me. Since I write some historical fiction, the research happens way before the writing. During the writing. After the writing. I like my stuff to be accurate. Some people hate research so much, they choose to just "make stuff up."

Careful, I say. Because there is a hitch to creating your own world. You have to REMEMBER all the stuff you make up. Keep lists and time lines and glossaries. Because you run the risk of A) not making sense and alienating your readers and B) going against your own canon and alienating your readers.

So, I am making lists, and writing down everything I "make up." Because I don't want to fall into that trap.

Tubs and Showers Rock.

Why the cryptic title, you ask?

Because every story idea in my life, except ONE (my first) has hit me while I was either A) in the shower or B) in the tub, soaking away all my worries.

Last night, it was the tub. I was bone-cold and achy because I finally caught my daughter's lovely virus, and I was just sitting in the tub when the idea literally fell out of the sky and splashed right in the water.

Okay, it didn't happen THAT dramatically, but I've spent this morning outlining the story (as dictated by my sweet-as-sugar yet feisty heroine) and I'm typing out my thoughts while making a batch of my cranberry cake muffins.

I have something to keep me busy between submissions! Woo hoo!

Wow.

So, I dusted off the manuscript I've been talking about (see previous post titled "I'm Confused.") and I realized I changed the name and the character's names, but not much else. Then, on a whim, I decided to look up some of the editors who rejected it in 2004.

Okay, seriously, and I'm not kidding--THREE of the first five editors I looked up are STILL THERE. The same editors who read my story six years ago and gave me feedback, are still in their same positions! I guess the Children's market is not a high one for turnover? Who knows, but I am thinking after six years, would they even remember it?

Hmmmm...

A Mini Rant About (Some) Literary Agents.

Don't misunderstand me, I like Lit agents. They know what they're doing, and I don't. But there is one thing some agents do, that drives me completely BONKERS/NUTS/BERSERK/FLIPPING CRAZY.

Some of you may feel the same way. You find an agent who looks like they would totally "get" you, so you look at their submission guidelines. And, Lo and Behold, the dreaded "Opt Out" sentence:

"I usually reply to queries within X amount of time. I will only reply to queries that interest me, so if you do not hear from me, you can assume I am not interested."

**Cue Gutteral Scream**

I mean, really? I would SO much rather have an impersonal standardized template FORM REJECTION, than nothing at all! Because then, I hope, and hope, and hope...

Case in point: I sent a query to an agent a couple years ago. Waited. Waited. After eight weeks, it was safe to assume said agent wasn't interested. I moved on. Forgot I queried him. THEN, SIX months later, I get a request for a full. Honest-to-gosh, and I had completely written him off my list.

See? SEE??? Confusion!!! So, take this as a plea to all agents out there (probably none of which will ever see this blog) a simple "no" is better than nothing at all. Why? Because it gives us CLOSURE. So, we won't wonder if you're really just taking your time digging yourself out from under that slush pile of queries.

Call it a kindness, if you will.

FINALLY!!!

One of my uber-dream agents, who has always requested SNAIL mail submissions since like, FOREVER, is finally joining the 21st century! She now accepts e-queries! She requested additional material the last time I queried her (only the entire process took five months before the rejection) but I have a new story and I just EMAILED my query! Rock on!

Since it is the New Year, and NaNo just happened, I'm sure her assistant is BURIED in QUERIES (ha ha that rhymed!) but maybe it will only take a couple of months to hear back, instead of five?

One can hope.