2011 Goals for Writing

I am usually not one to make goals. Only because I work on them for a week or two, and Ppphhhhbbtttttt. I'm done.
I'm not lazy, I just don't like to be "structured" sometimes. So, without further ado, here is a modest set of goals I have set for myself, for 2011:

1) Sell a five-book series and become as famous as Stephenie Meyer
2) Have said books made into movies that will garner record attendance, putting me on Forbes Top 100 Bazillionaires List
3) Meet the Queen

Okay, I know, I know. I'm being silly. Here are the REAL goals:

1) Write every day.
2) Submit to agents/Hope for the best
3) Write Unnamed Book #1
4) Finish edits on/finish sequel to EMMA series.

Voila! There you go! Like I said, modest. I'm moving AGAIN this year, so, I need to keep it real. (Moving from our rental to our new house.)

Happy New Year, all!

I'm Confused.

They say the first novel you ever write, you need to stick in a drawer and forget about.

So, why won't this novel DIE already?

It was the first full novel I wrote, at age 18, as a freshman in college. It's had many names over the years. "Clara's Secret." "In the Garden." Now, twenty years later, I've retitled it once again and I've completely reworked it.

I think it's kinda good. Granted, I may need a reader or two to CONFIRM whether or not it's any good, but I will say I've already shopped this novel around--to eleven editors at publishing houses.

We got ten rejections, then an "almost" which led to a rejection. That was six years ago. SIX. None of the editors we submitted to are still around, the story has been retooled--I don't know...something keeps telling me to submit it again! Of course, I need an agent for this--my last agent and I parted ways (amicably) because I like to write stories with Fantasy elements and he does NOT rep Fantasy, so we weren't a good fit...but I just don't know what to do.

I'm so confused. It's the NOVEL THAT WON'T GO AWAY. Hubby says it's the best writing I've ever done. (Only because I've been editing the durn thing for 20 years!) He's solidly behind me "getting it out there" again, but I just don't know.

LAME.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving...

Yes, folks, I have been writing. Well, EDITING. I haven't heard a peep back from my latest batch of queries, but I happened to query agents who have a lot on their plates, AND this time of year I won't expect to hear back from them until after the holidays.

So, I've been editing. Quietly. Every day, a little more and a little more. Yesterday, I had some fun pulling pics off the internet and creating my "dream cast." And I've figured that since this is the second time in a row I've included Tom Welling as my hero, I must really REALLY like the way he looks.

What's not to like?

:-) Happy Writing!

Let the Roller Coaster Begin...

I did it. I sent my query/ms off to two agents! I will find out relatively quick from one of them (within a week I imagine) and in about 4-6 weeks from the other one.

I feel really good about this draft. I've changed the name, changed the voice, and this time, I have an end game. Four books, and the series will end. Because it's middle grade fiction and at the end of the fourth book, my heroine will be 15 years old, and getting into the "YA" range. So, I need to end before she gets too old. ;-)

Let the nerves and obsessive email checking begin!! WOO! Gotta love it.

"CLICK"

Had an amazing experience. I got crits back from my readers on my EMMA story, and both of them didn't like my "info dump" chapter. Now, any writer or avid reader knows when they're getting info dumped. I don't like writing info dumps. But in this story, I was kind of "married" to the info dump chapter, because it was necessary for the reader to know what was going on before the action started happening.

So, using their notes, I actually did away with the info dump, and wove the information into an opening scene. It flows SO much better! There's action, and information, and they go together with an audible "click." At least to me. I hope prospective agents feel the same way!

I am 60% through with my edits from critique notes, and by next week, I'll have query letters out. Gotta beat the NaNo manuscript onslaught in December!

I am thisclose...

That's Why I'm a Writer.

Nearly finished with my sequel edits. MAN, it is super hard to "sound" like a fourteen-year old! Granted, she's borderline genius, so she uses bigger words (makes it easier on me) but she wouldn't say things like "quite" or "rose up," (she would say "stood up") and I need to be careful.

SUPER careful. And I am hating it.

Editland. And a Deadline.

I'm editing my sequel. I'm giving myself a deadline of two weeks. That will put me almost mid-november--and I'll be able to take a break from it and work on the feedback edits from my readers. THEN I'll ship my EMMA story out to the five top dream agents on my list, and see what the feedback is. One of them I'm sure won't get back to me for MONTHS. But who cares. It's not like I'm in some major hurry. I've been doing this for a while. I get the whole "you gotta have patience" thing. The only "teensy" problem is, once my baby goes out there, I'm just not very patient. :-)

Currently on page 20 of 208. Two weeks. You think I can do it?