Thursday, July 30, 2009

30 Pages of Sheer Terror

Last night I sent out the first 30 pages of my YA paranormal for agent Kristin Nelson to critique as part of a prize I won at a recent auction. Okay, technically it was 1:00 this morning. But I drafted a query letter to introduce the book. It looked pretty great at one a.m. I'm kind of afraid to look at it now and see what it really looks like.

It might have helped if I hadn't wasted two hours revising my WIP, in case I decided to send that one. My sister, who is also a writer, jumped in and read the first 30 pages of both books at the last second and helped me make the right decision.

I think.

Now nothing to do but wait for the critique. Did I mention--- YIKES!!!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Falling in Love, Not!

I've been working on my WIP and it occurred to me that I haven't fallen in love with my main character's love interest. She hasn't either, which is fine, because she won't, at least not for a while. But I think I need to.

So now what? Like life, I can't force it. Either it happens for me or it doesn't. I'm going to give him a chance to win me over, but I have my doubts about him.

I guess I'll keep writing and see where it takes me...

Thursday, July 9, 2009

A Day Late

I am in the midst of a massive head cold. Probably not the best time to fly. I have to keep my day job, so today I found myself flying to LA and back for a meeting. No, not a meeting with movie execs or publishers, just an ordinary everyday business meeting.

On the first flight I downed cough drops and orange juice, loading myself up enough to survive both an Amazing Race-style cab ride through East L.A. (we only just missed entering the freeway going the wrong direction, and only because I was screaming wildly from the back seat), and a two hour meeting with a potential new client. I faked my way through the meeting on Adrenaline alone.

It was the ride back that killed me. I thought my head was going to explode during the last twenty minutes of the flight, just like that movie from the 80s where the psychic's head blows up? I was pretty sure it was gonna happen. I was almost hoping for it.

But none of that was the worst part of my trip...

Nope.

That honor goes to the moment when walked into the Airport bookstore and saw a hot new YA novel with almost the exact title of my WIP. My wonderful, amazing, completely original, blow-your-mind (not literally this time) high concept?

So done.

At least the story was not at all similar, which gave me some hope. My husband is thrilled now that I'm now forced to go back to my alternate title, which he always thought was better.

Still. I feel so violated.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Writing for Writing's Sake

Today I was thinking about the reasons I write. In no particular order, they are:

1. When I hear a cool name, or even better, when someone says something amazing and original, my first thought is "Ooooh, I have to steal that for my novel!"
2. When I am in the car for long hours, characters invade my head, and I need to get them out without spending a fortune on psychiatric help.
3. I crave those moments when I am "in the zone" and my characters do and say things that are both unexpected and wonderful. (Okay, this doesn't happen too often, but its like hitting a great golf shot- it's just enough to keep me coming back to the computer).
4. Anything can happen. Anything.
5. I am so much cooler when I have days to think of a response instead of seconds. (But no less prone to sticking my foot in my mouth).

Writing is such a personal experience, that I'm sure there are as many reasons as there are writers. Publication is usually a goal, but not always. Sometimes writing is just for writing's sake.

Oh who am I kidding?

Like the actor who toils in a local dinner theater troupe (which, um, I might know something about), I love the craft. I do. But I long for fame and fortune. Not necessarily in that order.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Starting Somewhere

So this is my blog. Okay, so this is my blog, part two. I started my own website a few weeks ago. But after drafting a few posts I realized there was no archive and my posts dropped off the face of the earth. So I am starting over.

Follow me on my journey from unknown writer to slightly better known writer. I am working on two Young Adult novels, a paranormal and a (hopefully) high concept contemporary. I know they're good because my Mother loves them. (That's a joke folks).

This May I won some items in the Brenda Novak and Bridgette Zinn auctions that I hope to use to take my writing to the next level. First, a professional editor is going to review the first thirty chapters of my WIP. Then, a published author is going to review them. Third, a literary agent will review them. I'm simultaneously thrilled and terrified. I know there's a word for that, but I just can't think of it. Thrillified?

So much for a career as a writer. I'll start again tomorrow.