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.