Ah, the inevitable ennui has descended up on me. Part of this is due to travel. Another part is due to worry. And the third part is due to a very nicely worded rejection. Not that I'm sad or mad. I like this person. I would like to work with this person. But I have a feeling my voice may not be a match for her. And that's okay. Really. Because this is business. There will be someone out there who LOVES my voice and then the door will open. And I will still admire and respect this other person for her honesty.
But the sting still sits under my skin and I am creatively avoiding my revisions. Which isn't good. Well, I'm sort of avoiding them. It seems the closer I get to achieving my dream, the harder it gets to move past the "no's." And I find myself questioning the time and energy I put into this writing deal a lot more.
It's war.
It's me against me.
It's doubt and fear against courage and drive.
So here's how the days start when I am in a mental battle with moi. First I lie in bed and I mull other possible career options which might be easier to accomplish than trying to get published. I've come up with a few:
*macrame art utilizing spaghetti noodles as the base for the knots
*knitting mittens with the leftover spaghetti noodles
*stringing pearls onto a necklace that has no knot at the end
*capturing mud covered piglets and returning them to their mommas
*sewing Tinkerbell's outfits with a small needle and thread
By the time I get to Tinkerbell, I remember that ALL I NEED IS FAITH, TRUST AND A LITTLE BIT OF PIXIE DUST!!
As my dear friend and critique partner told me one day after a frenetic round of rejections, if we quit writing we reject ourselves.
So that's it in a nutshell. There are NO EASY ANSWERS. This business IS SLOWER THAN A SNAKE DIGESTING AN ELEPHANT, and the only thing I have control over IS WRITING AND SUBMITTING.
And usually, by the time I crawl through the mental debris and flack and empty shot shells, I discover a saving grace or a timely note of encouragement or an affirmation that I'm not a total hack.
Bottom line: keep your eye on the prize. One day you will win.
Or die trying.
And that's better than not trying at all.
Showing posts with label business of writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business of writing. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Refueling Before Revisions: My Writing Process
I've discovered a lot about my writing process since I began this journey. I believe I am Crapper Pantser Plotter Fixer Upper Layerer writer.
In other words: MESSY but as many critique partners have attested, I "clean up well." Here's how it usually rolls for me.
1) I get an idea about a story. Usually it's spurred by a show or a news item or some weird bizarre trip of the wire in my brain. I have more ideas than I know what to do with and some of them are kind of not going to work with the current line I'm targeting. But I always keep them and I have files everywhere, notebooks everywhere, you name it.
2) The characters. I have a distinct scene in my head where the hero/heroine meet. How they meet. What's in their heads. What I don't have is their profession, their looks, their names. I just have a scene with dialogue and thought and bodies moving around a vacuous space. Sometimes there is more. But usually they're just talking and I see them moving around, little nuances and gestures and tones of voice are often revealed.
3) The idea grows into a blurb which I mold into a logline--the logline/tagline may not be pretty, but it's mine and I own it.
4) I brainstorm with friends, critique partners, myself to flesh out the characters' reason for being together, who they are and what they look like, what the story will be about and the basic turning points I know I have to reach. I lay down my tent poles/get the bones of the story ready.
5) I write a synopsis based on the first four steps. Truthfully, I just did for the first time BEFORE I had the story written in discovery phase with the current WIP. I got the idea straight from CJ Redwine and it works. The trick is to let go of what you originally thought was going to happen and revamp it as you go along. The current synopsis does not match the original synopsis, but it's been easy to fix the original. Way easier than writing one AFTER the manuscript is "done."
6) I write a quick discovery draft, flesh out the bones a bit,
7) I really work on the first three chapters and polish them because they are part of the partial/proposal I need to query.
8) I retool the story based on critique, suggestions, my characters telling me I'm going in the wrong direction.
9) I go in to add meat, and to take away some of the original flesh of the rest of the story based on what I'm discovering about the characters and about their love story. I do this fast, but as grammatically correct as possible (don't ask me about the commas). By this point I've cut a lot and I've added a lot.
10) I let the first revision sit for a few days while I listen to craft tapes, read other books in my genre, mull my ideas and my story, catch up on the business side of the writing world (my least favorite part but it has to be done), query, print out my book and let it sit around the office (or the tornado shelter), catch up on household mundaneness and with friends who wondered where I was for a few weeks.
11) I begin revising in batches. I send the revised batches, usually 3 chapters at a time, to CPs and continue revising forward. I don't utilize the critique till I am ready for another round of revisions.
12) I export everything to Word and work with the complete document, formatting and cleaning up Scrivener "burps." I'm not that technical so I tend to have a lot of driver error in this export stuff. But I think it just forces me to look at the book in a new way which is a good thing.
13) I continue polishing and shining up the story. I layer in more visceral elements and look for things like sensory items I can add to the story. But I don't overwork it. I would drive myself insane if I did that so I begin working on the next book. Pre-writing.
14) I start entering contests with the newest manuscript. I move forward on the next book. I query. I go through it all over again.
My goal is to get faster at this gig. I must generate 3-4 category series romances per year to be a successful career writer and build readership. I'm glad I have a "future list" ready to go out the door, but I want to write more. 3-4 48,000-50,000 word (180-190 page count) books means getting one done every 3-4 months for the editor.
For me this currently meant getting faster at revising during the MEAT phase. I already had the 1st three chapters polished and critiqued and much of the leg work done. The ending always echoes the beginning for me and I can usually visualize the scenes very clearly. I know the black moment and how they will resolve it to a point. I just keep layering in new stuff and getting rid of stuff that doesn't work. But I don't have beautiful prose until at least the 3rd time through. And I still have work to do. This isn't easy for me. I work hard. Really hard. And with this current WIP, I want to deliver on the first three chapters' promise. So I am determined to write it fast, write it smart, and be focused during this month despite the fact that I have a lot of travel interrupting my time.
This means I CUT a lot of words. But I like cutting. I like revising. I am the Queen of Revision. I know of no other way to allow the actual story to unfold than be getting rid of beloved words and scenes and people. Oh, I keep them all in another file, but the story demands I make changes. This is a good mindset to get into as I have had a Revise and Resubmit letter from editors at a publishing house. Basically, I had to cut 30 thousand words and start all over again to take the story in a new direction with the same characters. They even asked me to change THE PREMISE. So I did. We'll see how the new premise flies.
Right now I am in Stage 10 and getting ready for Stage 11. I am printing out my batches today. Fritzing around with business of writing stuff, and giving my wee brain a break.
What's your process? I know mine continues to evolve. How has your process evolved?
In other words: MESSY but as many critique partners have attested, I "clean up well." Here's how it usually rolls for me.
1) I get an idea about a story. Usually it's spurred by a show or a news item or some weird bizarre trip of the wire in my brain. I have more ideas than I know what to do with and some of them are kind of not going to work with the current line I'm targeting. But I always keep them and I have files everywhere, notebooks everywhere, you name it.
2) The characters. I have a distinct scene in my head where the hero/heroine meet. How they meet. What's in their heads. What I don't have is their profession, their looks, their names. I just have a scene with dialogue and thought and bodies moving around a vacuous space. Sometimes there is more. But usually they're just talking and I see them moving around, little nuances and gestures and tones of voice are often revealed.
3) The idea grows into a blurb which I mold into a logline--the logline/tagline may not be pretty, but it's mine and I own it.
4) I brainstorm with friends, critique partners, myself to flesh out the characters' reason for being together, who they are and what they look like, what the story will be about and the basic turning points I know I have to reach. I lay down my tent poles/get the bones of the story ready.
5) I write a synopsis based on the first four steps. Truthfully, I just did for the first time BEFORE I had the story written in discovery phase with the current WIP. I got the idea straight from CJ Redwine and it works. The trick is to let go of what you originally thought was going to happen and revamp it as you go along. The current synopsis does not match the original synopsis, but it's been easy to fix the original. Way easier than writing one AFTER the manuscript is "done."
6) I write a quick discovery draft, flesh out the bones a bit,
7) I really work on the first three chapters and polish them because they are part of the partial/proposal I need to query.
8) I retool the story based on critique, suggestions, my characters telling me I'm going in the wrong direction.
9) I go in to add meat, and to take away some of the original flesh of the rest of the story based on what I'm discovering about the characters and about their love story. I do this fast, but as grammatically correct as possible (don't ask me about the commas). By this point I've cut a lot and I've added a lot.
10) I let the first revision sit for a few days while I listen to craft tapes, read other books in my genre, mull my ideas and my story, catch up on the business side of the writing world (my least favorite part but it has to be done), query, print out my book and let it sit around the office (or the tornado shelter), catch up on household mundaneness and with friends who wondered where I was for a few weeks.
11) I begin revising in batches. I send the revised batches, usually 3 chapters at a time, to CPs and continue revising forward. I don't utilize the critique till I am ready for another round of revisions.
12) I export everything to Word and work with the complete document, formatting and cleaning up Scrivener "burps." I'm not that technical so I tend to have a lot of driver error in this export stuff. But I think it just forces me to look at the book in a new way which is a good thing.
13) I continue polishing and shining up the story. I layer in more visceral elements and look for things like sensory items I can add to the story. But I don't overwork it. I would drive myself insane if I did that so I begin working on the next book. Pre-writing.
14) I start entering contests with the newest manuscript. I move forward on the next book. I query. I go through it all over again.
My goal is to get faster at this gig. I must generate 3-4 category series romances per year to be a successful career writer and build readership. I'm glad I have a "future list" ready to go out the door, but I want to write more. 3-4 48,000-50,000 word (180-190 page count) books means getting one done every 3-4 months for the editor.
For me this currently meant getting faster at revising during the MEAT phase. I already had the 1st three chapters polished and critiqued and much of the leg work done. The ending always echoes the beginning for me and I can usually visualize the scenes very clearly. I know the black moment and how they will resolve it to a point. I just keep layering in new stuff and getting rid of stuff that doesn't work. But I don't have beautiful prose until at least the 3rd time through. And I still have work to do. This isn't easy for me. I work hard. Really hard. And with this current WIP, I want to deliver on the first three chapters' promise. So I am determined to write it fast, write it smart, and be focused during this month despite the fact that I have a lot of travel interrupting my time.
This means I CUT a lot of words. But I like cutting. I like revising. I am the Queen of Revision. I know of no other way to allow the actual story to unfold than be getting rid of beloved words and scenes and people. Oh, I keep them all in another file, but the story demands I make changes. This is a good mindset to get into as I have had a Revise and Resubmit letter from editors at a publishing house. Basically, I had to cut 30 thousand words and start all over again to take the story in a new direction with the same characters. They even asked me to change THE PREMISE. So I did. We'll see how the new premise flies.
Right now I am in Stage 10 and getting ready for Stage 11. I am printing out my batches today. Fritzing around with business of writing stuff, and giving my wee brain a break.
What's your process? I know mine continues to evolve. How has your process evolved?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thanksgiving Week Break
It's Thanksgiving week and I have much to be grateful for--my health, my family, my ongoing pursuit of my goals.
I'm taking this week off to finish writing my fourth Golden Heart entry, prepare for Thanksgiving feasting, and decorate for the Christmas holiday.
I'm planning lots of adventures during the month of December. Travel to fun places, another trip to a Tennessee winery, pampering myself after a hard two months of writing, writing and MORE writing. I'm so excited to start posting about these adventures next week.
The last Golden Heart entry must go out by the 30th--overnight mail. I'm not sure how good it will be, but it ups my chances for two of my other entries which I think are strong. I enter the Golden Heart because it is a great way to push out a new story and a great way to force myself to write a synopsis. Finaling is a bonus that I would love to happen -- who wouldn't want to be in that golden circle? But to be honest, I'm more interested in generating stories that will sell one day.
Everyone who finals deserves to be there. Everyone who doesn't final should not believe that they didn't deserve to be there. I've read a lot of wonderful entries as a judge and many did not final. So there you have it--one entry must have many kind judges who read the story without prejudice and malice and are receptive to the story.
This is subjective.
But I digress. I'm back in my writing dungeon and I'm working hard. See you all in December!!
Happy Thanksiving :-)
I'm taking this week off to finish writing my fourth Golden Heart entry, prepare for Thanksgiving feasting, and decorate for the Christmas holiday.
I'm planning lots of adventures during the month of December. Travel to fun places, another trip to a Tennessee winery, pampering myself after a hard two months of writing, writing and MORE writing. I'm so excited to start posting about these adventures next week.
The last Golden Heart entry must go out by the 30th--overnight mail. I'm not sure how good it will be, but it ups my chances for two of my other entries which I think are strong. I enter the Golden Heart because it is a great way to push out a new story and a great way to force myself to write a synopsis. Finaling is a bonus that I would love to happen -- who wouldn't want to be in that golden circle? But to be honest, I'm more interested in generating stories that will sell one day.
Everyone who finals deserves to be there. Everyone who doesn't final should not believe that they didn't deserve to be there. I've read a lot of wonderful entries as a judge and many did not final. So there you have it--one entry must have many kind judges who read the story without prejudice and malice and are receptive to the story.
This is subjective.
But I digress. I'm back in my writing dungeon and I'm working hard. See you all in December!!
Happy Thanksiving :-)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Contests and Deadlines Oh My!
I love writing contests. They force me to sit in the chair and get the job done. I've entered two different contests to push my *shiny* in front of the computer and get my manuscripts polished.
Four manuscripts are entered in the prestigious Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest. I'm polishing two of them and fine tuning the other two. I entered the Linda Howard Award of Excellence because Southern Magic is committed to excellence in first round and final round judging. I expect solid feedback and fairness from this contest that I can use to fine tune my WIPs for future submissions. I believe there is still time to enter the contest. If you're on the fence or worried about the costs, offer to judge the contest and get a $5 discount on your entry!!
I'm also officially entered in the Mills & Boon New Voices Contest. I haven't submitted my entry because I'm still polishing my chapter, but I've got the blurbs ready and a short one posted on the Mills & Boon Website. I'm super excited about the story. Last year I entered the contest with another story and I had so much fun. Even though I didn't win the Mills & Boon contest in 2010, I ended up writing a brand new story and it's placed 2nd in the 2011 FAB FIVE contest and has been requested. So I feel like I won by entering the contest.
This is why I enter contests folks. Yes, it's great to win or to final, but the reason I enter is to discover a new story, give myself deadlines, force myself to sit in the chair and see if my new ideas are going in the right direction.
But I am also careful about which contests I enter. There are some that don't match my writing style. Others may not have judges in the final round who fit my targeted line. Or I may have had a bad experience with the contest and have decided to put my money somewhere else. I usually enter 5-6 contests a year. I keep track of the finals/wins/placing and whether or not the final judge requested my material as a result of the contest. My spreadsheet helps me determine where to put my contest money.
For fun I am going to keep you posted on the Mills & Boon contest with little additional blurbs and bits of the story.
Here is my Mills & Boon short blurb for THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION:
Maverick Zach Tanner returns home to rebuild his dying friend’s resort, but he doesn't count on the woman he once loved to handle the construction contract. Now he's determined to satisfy his craving for Kennedy Gibson without losing his heart.
Here is my longer version which gives a bigger picture about the story:
I love the longer version, but the trick to writing and submitting is to learn how to carve away the words to get to the heart of the story. I'll use both these versions to create different elements for my new story. I can build a synopsis out of version 2. I can build a query letter out of the 1st and 2nd versions. I can build a story out of a sentence if necessary.
This is why I write. I write to discover stories about two lost people who find each other and discover home. Love matters. Romance isn't dead. And I love Romance!
Do you enter contests? If not, what's holding you back? Tell me why you love or don't love contests.
Four manuscripts are entered in the prestigious Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest. I'm polishing two of them and fine tuning the other two. I entered the Linda Howard Award of Excellence because Southern Magic is committed to excellence in first round and final round judging. I expect solid feedback and fairness from this contest that I can use to fine tune my WIPs for future submissions. I believe there is still time to enter the contest. If you're on the fence or worried about the costs, offer to judge the contest and get a $5 discount on your entry!!
I'm also officially entered in the Mills & Boon New Voices Contest. I haven't submitted my entry because I'm still polishing my chapter, but I've got the blurbs ready and a short one posted on the Mills & Boon Website. I'm super excited about the story. Last year I entered the contest with another story and I had so much fun. Even though I didn't win the Mills & Boon contest in 2010, I ended up writing a brand new story and it's placed 2nd in the 2011 FAB FIVE contest and has been requested. So I feel like I won by entering the contest.
This is why I enter contests folks. Yes, it's great to win or to final, but the reason I enter is to discover a new story, give myself deadlines, force myself to sit in the chair and see if my new ideas are going in the right direction.
But I am also careful about which contests I enter. There are some that don't match my writing style. Others may not have judges in the final round who fit my targeted line. Or I may have had a bad experience with the contest and have decided to put my money somewhere else. I usually enter 5-6 contests a year. I keep track of the finals/wins/placing and whether or not the final judge requested my material as a result of the contest. My spreadsheet helps me determine where to put my contest money.
For fun I am going to keep you posted on the Mills & Boon contest with little additional blurbs and bits of the story.
Here is my Mills & Boon short blurb for THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION:
Maverick Zach Tanner returns home to rebuild his dying friend’s resort, but he doesn't count on the woman he once loved to handle the construction contract. Now he's determined to satisfy his craving for Kennedy Gibson without losing his heart.
Here is my longer version which gives a bigger picture about the story:
Corporate Maverick Zach Tanner returns to North Carolina to rebuild his dying friend’s resort. He’s got the money, the power and the will to transform Sweetbriar Springs into a premier spa for the glamorous, but he doesn’t count on the woman he once loved and lost to handle the construction contract.
Construction company owner Kennedy Gibson is eager to bring her best friend’s last wish to life, but when she realizes Zach is her new boss she’s terrified he’ll learn the truth about their breakup. She denies the attraction sizzling between them and works with the one man she vowed never to hurt again.
Zach thought he’d buried his desire for Kennedy five years ago, but he’s still drawn to her. He’s determined to seduce her and satisfy his craving for her until the project is completed to get Kennedy out of his system.
Kennedy yields to Zach but protects her heart. When their friend dies, the barriers to their emotional union drop and they turn to each other for comfort. But Kennedy’s secret threatens to destroy their red hot reunion. Only the power of love can heal the wounds of their past and give them the future they deserve.
I love the longer version, but the trick to writing and submitting is to learn how to carve away the words to get to the heart of the story. I'll use both these versions to create different elements for my new story. I can build a synopsis out of version 2. I can build a query letter out of the 1st and 2nd versions. I can build a story out of a sentence if necessary.
This is why I write. I write to discover stories about two lost people who find each other and discover home. Love matters. Romance isn't dead. And I love Romance!
Do you enter contests? If not, what's holding you back? Tell me why you love or don't love contests.
Friday, December 31, 2010
New Year's Eve Goal Review
Every year I set new goals for myself and for my writing. I posted my writing goals for 2010 on this blog along with my focus statement and my Top Five Priority List. You'll see that again in the New Year. But for now, I want to check my list to see how well I did in 2010.
My Writing Goals for 2010
*finish 4th book revision, possibly make it a single title DONE
*enter 4 contests at a minimum with 4th MS, including the MAGGIES and GH DONE
*start fifth first draft of story plotted loosely during a writing workshop DONE
*work on fifth first draft during TOUR DE FORCE in February STARTED IN NOVEMBER
*write every day except for high days DONE
*continue querying agents and editors with 3rd MS DONE
*send partial request and synopsis to agent for 4th MS DONE
*maintain daily blog REVISED TO 3X A WEEK
*continue guest blogging on Romance Magicians DONE
*judge writing contests DONE -- judged 3 that I can remember
*attend Moonlight and Magnolias Writing Conference DONE
*attend RWA National Conference DONE
*pitch 4th book at both conferences DONE
*help with PRO Retreat DONE
*continue learning and growing in my craft with online courses and craft books DONE
*read for fun DONE but would like to increase time spent reading for pleasure
*get a domain name DONE
*coordinate online workshops for the Heart of Dixie DONE
*find a co-chair for the online workshop coordination DONE
*work on YA idea over the summer Played with the YA idea on Scrivener
*realize that life happens and enjoy the detours Yup, done!
*set top 5 priority list and review it regularly to maintain my focus DONE
*be courageous, strong and focused on my dreams and goals DONE
Wow, I accomplished almost everything I asked myself to do this year. I love this list. And I love all the DONEs. These were reasonable and attainable goals. I can't wait to see what my list looks like in the new year after I sit down and think about 2011. I'm excited about all the upcoming possibilities and new directions I will go as a writer.
What goals did you set for the year? Did you revisit them? If you haven't set goals yet, I encourage you to write them down and post them somewhere (publicly or privately). Share your victories and celebrate your successes.
Focus on what you have accomplished this year and reward yourself for all your hard work.
And now it's time to usher in another new year with some champagne and dark chocolate.
Seekerville Goal Setting Post
Word Wenches Procrastination Post
Seekerville Goal Setting Post
Word Wenches Procrastination Post
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Business of Business Cards
When I attended the RWA National Conference in Orlando, I had the opportunity to meet many other writers in the industry. Some were published, many were on their journey to publication and some were in a league of their own. I was just happy to breathing the same air as they did.
Random meetings, in elevators or in the lobby, occurred with strangers. People who I shared space with for a brief moment while I waited to pitch or stood in line for food. During the keynote lunches and speeches, we sat at round tables and ate various versions of the same chicken. Old friends and new acquaintances shared a laugh and made new memories. I also attended the planned meetings: pitch sessions. Another type of exchange occurred. Story teller to an audience of one. An audience I hoped would like my story enough to ask for a part of it or all of it.
And during all of these random or planned meetings, one thing occurred: we exchanged business cards.
Now the coveted agent/editor business card is the special one you pray you don't lose before you get home. But the other cards are just as important. They are the building blocks of new relationships and friends; a network of support for now and in the future.
But how do you keep track of all these new friends? Acquaintances? I have a trick or two. First, I write down where and when I met the person on the back of her/his business card. I might even include a small note about our conversation so I can reference it later. Then I put all the business cards together and wrap them with a rubber band so I don't lose them.
Now the goal is to reconnect with these people. But all things in good time. First, I must respond to the coveted agent/editor cards. They are my first line of business. You can thank them for meeting with you in a separate card and post. Or you can do so in the query/follow up letter as part of the introduction. These cards are put in a special card holder. The first line of business also means preparing and sending in the requested materials.
Anyone who has received requests for full or partial manuscripts at a conference knows how daunting this task is to perform. First of all, that story? Well, we return home and look at it and think we need to polish it to the nth degree. It must be as PERFECT as we can make it before we send it to the editor/agent. This is an opportunity to shine. And believe me, the scrambling that goes on to make transform a pretty decent MS into a stellar MS is nothing short of painful, time consuming work.
And anyone who has returned from an RWA National Conference also knows that it's hard to start this work right off the bat because you're just so tired. I'd say bone tired isn't even an apt description. The conference is a high energy, fast paced, on the go and just plain "on" all the time experience. I think it takes me at least a week to recuperate and restore my bopping brain cells into a normal, steady rhythm.
So a week or two might go by before one even starts responding to the important requests. But eventually, at least in my world, I finish and am ready to move onto reconnecting with my new friends in the writing world. Some of them are here--new writers or writers I just met that live in my area. I can meet them for coffee, call them, see them at a chapter meeting or connect via one of the social networks like Twitter or Facebook.
Now I am almost ready to send out a short note via email to the many people I met at the conference. I will look a their cards, flip them over and see what we talked about and be able to send a personalized note. Then I'll file their cards in my holder and hope to meet them again at the next writing conference I attend.
How do you handle all the business cards you receive when you attend a conference?
Random meetings, in elevators or in the lobby, occurred with strangers. People who I shared space with for a brief moment while I waited to pitch or stood in line for food. During the keynote lunches and speeches, we sat at round tables and ate various versions of the same chicken. Old friends and new acquaintances shared a laugh and made new memories. I also attended the planned meetings: pitch sessions. Another type of exchange occurred. Story teller to an audience of one. An audience I hoped would like my story enough to ask for a part of it or all of it.
And during all of these random or planned meetings, one thing occurred: we exchanged business cards.
Now the coveted agent/editor business card is the special one you pray you don't lose before you get home. But the other cards are just as important. They are the building blocks of new relationships and friends; a network of support for now and in the future.
But how do you keep track of all these new friends? Acquaintances? I have a trick or two. First, I write down where and when I met the person on the back of her/his business card. I might even include a small note about our conversation so I can reference it later. Then I put all the business cards together and wrap them with a rubber band so I don't lose them.
Now the goal is to reconnect with these people. But all things in good time. First, I must respond to the coveted agent/editor cards. They are my first line of business. You can thank them for meeting with you in a separate card and post. Or you can do so in the query/follow up letter as part of the introduction. These cards are put in a special card holder. The first line of business also means preparing and sending in the requested materials.
Anyone who has received requests for full or partial manuscripts at a conference knows how daunting this task is to perform. First of all, that story? Well, we return home and look at it and think we need to polish it to the nth degree. It must be as PERFECT as we can make it before we send it to the editor/agent. This is an opportunity to shine. And believe me, the scrambling that goes on to make transform a pretty decent MS into a stellar MS is nothing short of painful, time consuming work.
And anyone who has returned from an RWA National Conference also knows that it's hard to start this work right off the bat because you're just so tired. I'd say bone tired isn't even an apt description. The conference is a high energy, fast paced, on the go and just plain "on" all the time experience. I think it takes me at least a week to recuperate and restore my bopping brain cells into a normal, steady rhythm.
So a week or two might go by before one even starts responding to the important requests. But eventually, at least in my world, I finish and am ready to move onto reconnecting with my new friends in the writing world. Some of them are here--new writers or writers I just met that live in my area. I can meet them for coffee, call them, see them at a chapter meeting or connect via one of the social networks like Twitter or Facebook.
Now I am almost ready to send out a short note via email to the many people I met at the conference. I will look a their cards, flip them over and see what we talked about and be able to send a personalized note. Then I'll file their cards in my holder and hope to meet them again at the next writing conference I attend.
How do you handle all the business cards you receive when you attend a conference?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Writing is Easy--Selling is Hard
I spend the weekend doing fun activities with the girls, but working while they slept in. They sleep a lot Praise the Lord! Any rate, I zipped the full MS up to autocrit twice--am disregarding some of the info as it is, well, automatic, but it is useful for misspellings and basic grammar, echoes etc. I reworked my synopsis to reflect the changed ending. I obsessed over what to send first and how to approach it.
Do I send both the partial and the full out? Or do I hedge my bets that the agent is the one and send the full to her? I asked my trusted CPs what to do and a few other writers I just met. My gut and my CPs said to send the full out to the agent, but to tell her that an editor has requested a partial and another editor has expressed interest. As she is the agent, knows the publishing house better, I'd like her to read it and rep it if possible.
If I don't hear back in a month, then I'll send a small nudge. Best of all, I will see her in October, so I can pitch the next book to her and then find out where she's at with the 3rd book.
But it's daunting. I mean, now I give it a few more polishes before I send it out, but the truth is, at a certain point, I have to let it go. It'll never be perfect, but I want it as perfect as I can get it for me without changing the story globally.
And once it is out there, I must refocus my energy and write the next book. I need to revise it! That's what I want to do. All this other stuff is important, but not my main emphasis. With the third book, I'm trying not to worry too much about grammar and perfection as much as I am trying to get the emotional elements of the story down. With the fourth book, I need to do research and get the syntax down.
At least I know what the editors at BLAZE are looking for now. It's a start.
But writing is easy. Selling it is work. And it is hard work.
I am going to the Moonlight and Magnolia's conference this October. I'm building on the momentum of my national conference. I need to work on that side of my writing. It's an expense, but one worth taking if I am serious about my SELLING my writing.
For some, it might be about the social aspect. And certainly that is true. It's wonderful to be surrounded by other people who get the writing life. But it's also about networking. I've just begun. I plan to go further.
I have a busy week ahead. The last days of my DD's BFF visit are drawing to a close. We're taking her to the airport in Birmingham on Tuesday. On Wednesday, clean clean clean. On Thursday, schedule pick up (dreading it) and drive to Asheville. We stay in Asheville till Sunday. Then it's home again. I start major polishing on the following Monday.
Who knows? Maybe this will be a hit. Doubtful. But I can dream.
Do I send both the partial and the full out? Or do I hedge my bets that the agent is the one and send the full to her? I asked my trusted CPs what to do and a few other writers I just met. My gut and my CPs said to send the full out to the agent, but to tell her that an editor has requested a partial and another editor has expressed interest. As she is the agent, knows the publishing house better, I'd like her to read it and rep it if possible.
If I don't hear back in a month, then I'll send a small nudge. Best of all, I will see her in October, so I can pitch the next book to her and then find out where she's at with the 3rd book.
But it's daunting. I mean, now I give it a few more polishes before I send it out, but the truth is, at a certain point, I have to let it go. It'll never be perfect, but I want it as perfect as I can get it for me without changing the story globally.
And once it is out there, I must refocus my energy and write the next book. I need to revise it! That's what I want to do. All this other stuff is important, but not my main emphasis. With the third book, I'm trying not to worry too much about grammar and perfection as much as I am trying to get the emotional elements of the story down. With the fourth book, I need to do research and get the syntax down.
At least I know what the editors at BLAZE are looking for now. It's a start.
But writing is easy. Selling it is work. And it is hard work.
I am going to the Moonlight and Magnolia's conference this October. I'm building on the momentum of my national conference. I need to work on that side of my writing. It's an expense, but one worth taking if I am serious about my SELLING my writing.
For some, it might be about the social aspect. And certainly that is true. It's wonderful to be surrounded by other people who get the writing life. But it's also about networking. I've just begun. I plan to go further.
I have a busy week ahead. The last days of my DD's BFF visit are drawing to a close. We're taking her to the airport in Birmingham on Tuesday. On Wednesday, clean clean clean. On Thursday, schedule pick up (dreading it) and drive to Asheville. We stay in Asheville till Sunday. Then it's home again. I start major polishing on the following Monday.
Who knows? Maybe this will be a hit. Doubtful. But I can dream.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Business Brain
I decided that part of the reason I am in limbo is so my brain can wrap itself around the business side of writing. To that end, I've already started looking for clever taglines for my professional business cards as well as my future website. I am also going to do the following:
*read through my pitching workshop lessons
*prep my query letter for the third MS
*critique my synopsis and revise
*prepare my spreadsheet for querying
*research web design sites
I'm also going to take some very necessary time to vamp up my garden and house so I won't feel "guilty" about how much time the writing is taking up.
So time spent in limbo is actually good for the writer's life.
*read through my pitching workshop lessons
*prep my query letter for the third MS
*critique my synopsis and revise
*prepare my spreadsheet for querying
*research web design sites
I'm also going to take some very necessary time to vamp up my garden and house so I won't feel "guilty" about how much time the writing is taking up.
So time spent in limbo is actually good for the writer's life.
Monday, March 30, 2009
PRO Status
I had to write a blurb about what being a PRO means to me as well as a little bio for my Romance Writing chapter's website. Here's what I wrote for my bio:
True to form, Christine ***** has worked backwards to achieve her writing credentials. Unaware of word counts or any other writing rules, she wrote her first novel, Love Builds a Chance (don’t laugh), in 2004. Silhouette Desire requested and rejected this novel before she joined RWA in April 2005. Christine found critique group two years later, joined Virginia Romance Writers of America with them, and, after moving to Alabama, she joined Southern Magic and Heart of Dixie in 2008. After settling into her new home, Christine dusted off her many rejections for the first three novels she completed and achieved PRO status. Christine loves to write very spicy Contemporary Romances and has just completed her 4th first draft as she continues to work toward her publishing dream.
I have done everything backwards. And when I read some of the other bios, I feel so small in comparison to what they have already accomplished. But that's okay. I have never done things the easy way. I wrote in my blurb about what being a PRO means to me that I believe it forces me to market my work. And it teaches me how to go about that business. I've learned so much, but the more I learn, the less I know.
At times it is overwhelming. I remember when I decided to write the first book. It was pure joy. Since that first day, I've not always experienced a lot of joy, but I love to write. I'm hooked. I can't stop and if I could avoid all other activities such as housecleaning and laundry and more, then I would just to have more time to write.
I am in revision mode again. I must polish this book. I don't know if it will sell, but I won't know if I don't try to get it out there and that means fixing any glitches I recognize before I pitch it. I feel soooo behind compared to some of the other writers out there in the PRO roster. I'm only just starting to feel like I am on the ball. I still don't have a web site or business cards but I am working toward it. Am I behind? Am I ever going to get there? I don't have anyone here to network with and that is driving me batty. I wish I had a website and a place to look more professional than I am.
Sigh. This day is medium is best.
True to form, Christine ***** has worked backwards to achieve her writing credentials. Unaware of word counts or any other writing rules, she wrote her first novel, Love Builds a Chance (don’t laugh), in 2004. Silhouette Desire requested and rejected this novel before she joined RWA in April 2005. Christine found critique group two years later, joined Virginia Romance Writers of America with them, and, after moving to Alabama, she joined Southern Magic and Heart of Dixie in 2008. After settling into her new home, Christine dusted off her many rejections for the first three novels she completed and achieved PRO status. Christine loves to write very spicy Contemporary Romances and has just completed her 4th first draft as she continues to work toward her publishing dream.
I have done everything backwards. And when I read some of the other bios, I feel so small in comparison to what they have already accomplished. But that's okay. I have never done things the easy way. I wrote in my blurb about what being a PRO means to me that I believe it forces me to market my work. And it teaches me how to go about that business. I've learned so much, but the more I learn, the less I know.
At times it is overwhelming. I remember when I decided to write the first book. It was pure joy. Since that first day, I've not always experienced a lot of joy, but I love to write. I'm hooked. I can't stop and if I could avoid all other activities such as housecleaning and laundry and more, then I would just to have more time to write.
I am in revision mode again. I must polish this book. I don't know if it will sell, but I won't know if I don't try to get it out there and that means fixing any glitches I recognize before I pitch it. I feel soooo behind compared to some of the other writers out there in the PRO roster. I'm only just starting to feel like I am on the ball. I still don't have a web site or business cards but I am working toward it. Am I behind? Am I ever going to get there? I don't have anyone here to network with and that is driving me batty. I wish I had a website and a place to look more professional than I am.
Sigh. This day is medium is best.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Forced into Nothingness Equals Learning about Somethingness
I haven't done any writing in a while, or any organizing of my writing in a while, but I have managed to read and digest a lot about marketing my writing.
It's daunting. But it's also forced me to think about a lot of ways to approach this process when I return from our vacation. For several years, I'd not considered E publishing because too many people said there wasn't any money in it, or it would not be recognized by RWA as valid. I focused primarily on HQN, AVON, and other largers houses' red lines/steamy lines. But I'm rethinking it all.
Why not go for the two or three e publishers, one in particular, who are recognized by RWA and who are just now branching out into the print world? The truth is, I can't see why not? As long as I see some of these e publishers in the first sales section of the RWReport, then they are recognized. And isn't that the point? Getting published is part of the writing process.
The other thing that occured to me is that if I can get my foot into one door, then there's a good chance I can get my foot into more doors and swing them open as well. It is a numbers game. And my numbers for attempts at publication have dropped to zero in the last twelve months (with good reason--hello? can we say move?). Now I need to amp them up.
If I can get my goal of 3 working first drafts going per year and increase my production levels, then I'll be able to work in three levels of the business, four including the classes I will continue to take throughout the year.
Level 1: Write New Books--it's key. If I don't produce, I have nothing to sell
Level 2: Revise Existing Books--an important ongoing element that is very different from first draft writing.
Level 3: Market/Query/Enter Contests: I consider this the selling element of writing. But I am cutting down on the contests. The contests must provide great final judges, editors in the final round I am targeting, and/or an opportunity for excellent feedback. Querying is essential. I must do it more often and to more houses. Marketing is querying along with polishing what I submit.
Level 4: Learning to Improve My Writing: always a must. On-line classes, bootcamps on PRO, attending as many chapter meetings as I can if the topics are relevant.
If, out of all this hard work, I get published by the time I am fifty, I will be very pleased. I have four more years to achieve the goal. Then I'll have done it for ten years. Actively for five. At that point, much will depend upon finances. Do I continue chasing a rabbit without compensation just because it is my dream to write? Well, I don't know. I am driven to write. I want to write. But at a certain point, I may reevaluate where to put all this talent and energy.
Or I may not.
It's daunting. But it's also forced me to think about a lot of ways to approach this process when I return from our vacation. For several years, I'd not considered E publishing because too many people said there wasn't any money in it, or it would not be recognized by RWA as valid. I focused primarily on HQN, AVON, and other largers houses' red lines/steamy lines. But I'm rethinking it all.
Why not go for the two or three e publishers, one in particular, who are recognized by RWA and who are just now branching out into the print world? The truth is, I can't see why not? As long as I see some of these e publishers in the first sales section of the RWReport, then they are recognized. And isn't that the point? Getting published is part of the writing process.
The other thing that occured to me is that if I can get my foot into one door, then there's a good chance I can get my foot into more doors and swing them open as well. It is a numbers game. And my numbers for attempts at publication have dropped to zero in the last twelve months (with good reason--hello? can we say move?). Now I need to amp them up.
If I can get my goal of 3 working first drafts going per year and increase my production levels, then I'll be able to work in three levels of the business, four including the classes I will continue to take throughout the year.
Level 1: Write New Books--it's key. If I don't produce, I have nothing to sell
Level 2: Revise Existing Books--an important ongoing element that is very different from first draft writing.
Level 3: Market/Query/Enter Contests: I consider this the selling element of writing. But I am cutting down on the contests. The contests must provide great final judges, editors in the final round I am targeting, and/or an opportunity for excellent feedback. Querying is essential. I must do it more often and to more houses. Marketing is querying along with polishing what I submit.
Level 4: Learning to Improve My Writing: always a must. On-line classes, bootcamps on PRO, attending as many chapter meetings as I can if the topics are relevant.
If, out of all this hard work, I get published by the time I am fifty, I will be very pleased. I have four more years to achieve the goal. Then I'll have done it for ten years. Actively for five. At that point, much will depend upon finances. Do I continue chasing a rabbit without compensation just because it is my dream to write? Well, I don't know. I am driven to write. I want to write. But at a certain point, I may reevaluate where to put all this talent and energy.
Or I may not.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Juggling and Jostling
Today is a lazy day for me. I know we have to get ready for the trip and there is a good chance my DH and I will get the plague. And that will mess up all of next week if that happens.
So today we will make our packing lists and start planning our trip. I will organize the cat stuff and give that to a neighbor on Monday. Next week I will go get my first root canal and my hair done. Then there is packing. And probably coping with absence idiocy at the school. But comeheck or high water, we will be on the road next Friday. And I am pulling out my DD from school no matter what.
I haven't gotten any writing done. I have done a lot of reading, mostly online, about selling my writing and pitching my writing and I am overwhelmed by the information. But I think once I get back from the trip and hit the writing again full throttle, I'll be able to take the new knowledge and apply it to marketing my writing.
One day, maybe this year, my ship will come in. But this is just another big step up the writing rung and I have a lot more rungs to go!
So today we will make our packing lists and start planning our trip. I will organize the cat stuff and give that to a neighbor on Monday. Next week I will go get my first root canal and my hair done. Then there is packing. And probably coping with absence idiocy at the school. But comeheck or high water, we will be on the road next Friday. And I am pulling out my DD from school no matter what.
I haven't gotten any writing done. I have done a lot of reading, mostly online, about selling my writing and pitching my writing and I am overwhelmed by the information. But I think once I get back from the trip and hit the writing again full throttle, I'll be able to take the new knowledge and apply it to marketing my writing.
One day, maybe this year, my ship will come in. But this is just another big step up the writing rung and I have a lot more rungs to go!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A Lot to Juggle and A Lot to Write
As I head into the next week, I know I will be unable to focus all my energy on my writing. A part of me is very frustrated by that knowledge, but the truth is, I have to run my household. I have fallen behind on filling out paperwork for my daughter's and my eligibility to regain my Dutch citizenship. I have got items to return to BB&B. I have to hunt for missing receipts for taxes. I have to do tons of laundry, clean house, cook meals, and finish planning my vacation for spring break.
It's frustrating. I want to just jump back in, but it'll be tippy toes first. And to top it all off, I am very tired. I think I am getting a sinus infection and I know that will bugger up my good intentions. Because I still have to do the house stuff. And if I am sick, all my leftover bits of energy will go into those chores.
And my brain is sort of full of stuff I don't need in it and I want to pull it out and park it somewhere else so it all doesn't distract me from focusing on my writing.
How do professional writers without maids and personal assistants manage to do it all? I guess they are like me. How do other writers manage, ones like me who aren't paid? I could see my husband's eyes glaze over when I moaned about wanting to get back into writing. He's seen the entire household turned upside down for two weeks now and he is missing my being able to juggle house and writing and child for him. But I don't blame him. He's been great and has picked up the most important balls for me and kept them in the air.
Now they are tossed back to me.
Hope I manage to keep them up in the air long enough to get through this week without getting sick.
It's frustrating. I want to just jump back in, but it'll be tippy toes first. And to top it all off, I am very tired. I think I am getting a sinus infection and I know that will bugger up my good intentions. Because I still have to do the house stuff. And if I am sick, all my leftover bits of energy will go into those chores.
And my brain is sort of full of stuff I don't need in it and I want to pull it out and park it somewhere else so it all doesn't distract me from focusing on my writing.
How do professional writers without maids and personal assistants manage to do it all? I guess they are like me. How do other writers manage, ones like me who aren't paid? I could see my husband's eyes glaze over when I moaned about wanting to get back into writing. He's seen the entire household turned upside down for two weeks now and he is missing my being able to juggle house and writing and child for him. But I don't blame him. He's been great and has picked up the most important balls for me and kept them in the air.
Now they are tossed back to me.
Hope I manage to keep them up in the air long enough to get through this week without getting sick.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Considering the Business of Writing
I'm already chomping at the bit to revise this book, but I am not starting till after I tinker with the third one. Instead, any ideas that float to me, I am writing down in my notebook, or putting on post-its and transferring over to the notebook when I have time.
I must get my third book tighter, fix some trouble spots, and march it out the door in queries to agents and publishers.
I am targeting BLAZE/HQN, and Ellora's Cave, Red Sage, and Avon Red to start. And I need to find some more publisers that will accept unagented submissions and queries. It's so hard. I tried to find out who the editor was for Avon Red, but can't find a portal into that mysterious knowledge. Argh.
It's the business side of writing that drives me crazy. I think I was almost grateful for an excuse not to query as it meant I couldn't be rejected at all last year. I could just write to my heart's content.
Well, head up out of the sand, quick gander around, and back to the dreaded business of trying to get someone with the power to sell my books to actually READ ONE!! Argh. And that means coming up with a witty query, an eye catching letter that stands out from the slush pile, and a good enough synopsis to get someone to say, oh yes, by all means send the first three chapters! Argh again.
I had entered a lot of contests last year in the hopes that if I finaled I would get an editor to read my work. I managed to get one editor in my Touch of Magic contest final, but it was not to be... boo hoo.
This year I am entering contests because they force me to tighten my writing, and to write the dreaded synopsis -- it is like a CURSE for me to compress all my words into 3-5 pages, double spaced. But I will do it.
And I have to wrap my head around all of that in a week.
But for now, I still get to play a bit.
I must get my third book tighter, fix some trouble spots, and march it out the door in queries to agents and publishers.
I am targeting BLAZE/HQN, and Ellora's Cave, Red Sage, and Avon Red to start. And I need to find some more publisers that will accept unagented submissions and queries. It's so hard. I tried to find out who the editor was for Avon Red, but can't find a portal into that mysterious knowledge. Argh.
It's the business side of writing that drives me crazy. I think I was almost grateful for an excuse not to query as it meant I couldn't be rejected at all last year. I could just write to my heart's content.
Well, head up out of the sand, quick gander around, and back to the dreaded business of trying to get someone with the power to sell my books to actually READ ONE!! Argh. And that means coming up with a witty query, an eye catching letter that stands out from the slush pile, and a good enough synopsis to get someone to say, oh yes, by all means send the first three chapters! Argh again.
I had entered a lot of contests last year in the hopes that if I finaled I would get an editor to read my work. I managed to get one editor in my Touch of Magic contest final, but it was not to be... boo hoo.
This year I am entering contests because they force me to tighten my writing, and to write the dreaded synopsis -- it is like a CURSE for me to compress all my words into 3-5 pages, double spaced. But I will do it.
And I have to wrap my head around all of that in a week.
But for now, I still get to play a bit.
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