It's taken me a few days to process this, but on September 11th my short story "The Librarian of Talimbourne" was accepted to Ruins Metropolis, an anthology due out later this year. I have some minor changes to make this week to get the final draft to the editor, but all in all, this is very exciting news! I keep pinching myself; it seems unreal that I will actually be published! Now I suppose I will have to finish the other short story and start sending that out.
In the meantime, I've been working on the YA when I can. I just wish I had more time to really devote to writing right now so I could get the first draft of the YA "in the can" and focus on the revision.
And Viable Paradise approaches. I'm nervous. For now, I'm more stressed out about travel arrangements than anything else. I always wanted to be on The Amazing Race, but without the million dollar prize, the all day flight to Boston, 2-hour bus ride and tight connection to the last ferry of the day doesn't look as appealing. One way or another I'll get there, I suppose. And then it will be magical.
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Monday, September 17, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
C'est Finis! (Again)
Boy, do I need deadlines!
After a very exciting request for the full from my #1 choice of agent, I spent a harrowing weekend resuming the temporarily postponed Book One revision project. I am happy to say that I have cut over 5,000 more words and tightened up the book considerably. I am very pleased with the outcome. While I could nitpick eternally, I don't think I could find too many more nits to pick. Hopefully, I will soon have an agent who will do that, and, ideally, an editor, too! While I will cheerfully revise upon demand, I am now content that Book One is in top submission form. Away she goes tomorrow afternoon.
And, in other news, I even wrote a few pages on the YA this weekend. I discovered that switching from the revision part of my brain to the creative part was difficult, but not impossible. This is good.
Now that this project is finished, I hope to switch permanently to the creative part. Viable Paradise approaches (exciting! terrifying!) and I'd like to speed the YA along now that one of my characters has popped on-scene a little earlier than planned to try to convince my rat of his destiny. I must be careful not to allow the characters too much freedom in writing their own story, although I did appreciate the help. Otherwise, I may not have had anything for writing group.
Tomorrow, after an early morning commute, fifteen diet cokes, and four classes of remedial Freshman Comp, I will think about goals and deadlines. But for now, I'm going to babysit the printer and pray it doesn't run out of ink before my ream-of-paper long book prints.
Then, I'm going to pass out.
After a very exciting request for the full from my #1 choice of agent, I spent a harrowing weekend resuming the temporarily postponed Book One revision project. I am happy to say that I have cut over 5,000 more words and tightened up the book considerably. I am very pleased with the outcome. While I could nitpick eternally, I don't think I could find too many more nits to pick. Hopefully, I will soon have an agent who will do that, and, ideally, an editor, too! While I will cheerfully revise upon demand, I am now content that Book One is in top submission form. Away she goes tomorrow afternoon.
And, in other news, I even wrote a few pages on the YA this weekend. I discovered that switching from the revision part of my brain to the creative part was difficult, but not impossible. This is good.
Now that this project is finished, I hope to switch permanently to the creative part. Viable Paradise approaches (exciting! terrifying!) and I'd like to speed the YA along now that one of my characters has popped on-scene a little earlier than planned to try to convince my rat of his destiny. I must be careful not to allow the characters too much freedom in writing their own story, although I did appreciate the help. Otherwise, I may not have had anything for writing group.
Tomorrow, after an early morning commute, fifteen diet cokes, and four classes of remedial Freshman Comp, I will think about goals and deadlines. But for now, I'm going to babysit the printer and pray it doesn't run out of ink before my ream-of-paper long book prints.
Then, I'm going to pass out.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
A Long Dry Spell....
Procrastination is an ugly thing.
A blank brain is uglier. Not only have I not had the time to write/ revise; even if I had the time, I don't have the brain. Until this morning, when I channeled a completely random scene from the sequel to Book One (which shall henceforth be known in blogland as Book Two), I literally haven't had a thought about my writing.
Hmmm.
I think this is all J.K. Rowling's fault, actually. Had Deathly Hallows not been so all-consuming and freakin' brilliant, I might have gotten a lot more done. Oh well.
Time to recommit. Happily, the scene I downloaded from the mothership this morning solves a longstanding plot problem that led me to put that book away last winter. Unhappily, I have too many irons in my writing fires to go back and spend any length of time on Book Two. After all, I've got polishing of Book One to finish (although I'm convinced that I'm through the worst of it) and characters to Get Out of Danger in the YA. I'll make it a goal to jot down that scene tomorrow, then onward with the other projects.
On the business side of things, I've started officially sending off my almost-contest-winning short story. It hasn't come back yet, but if it does, I intend to make it my publishing ping-pong game of the summer, slamming it back over the net until I score. Wish me luck.
A blank brain is uglier. Not only have I not had the time to write/ revise; even if I had the time, I don't have the brain. Until this morning, when I channeled a completely random scene from the sequel to Book One (which shall henceforth be known in blogland as Book Two), I literally haven't had a thought about my writing.
Hmmm.
I think this is all J.K. Rowling's fault, actually. Had Deathly Hallows not been so all-consuming and freakin' brilliant, I might have gotten a lot more done. Oh well.
Time to recommit. Happily, the scene I downloaded from the mothership this morning solves a longstanding plot problem that led me to put that book away last winter. Unhappily, I have too many irons in my writing fires to go back and spend any length of time on Book Two. After all, I've got polishing of Book One to finish (although I'm convinced that I'm through the worst of it) and characters to Get Out of Danger in the YA. I'll make it a goal to jot down that scene tomorrow, then onward with the other projects.
On the business side of things, I've started officially sending off my almost-contest-winning short story. It hasn't come back yet, but if it does, I intend to make it my publishing ping-pong game of the summer, slamming it back over the net until I score. Wish me luck.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Done
There. First three chapters, all polished. I am very happy with them. I've managed to cut about 2,000 words as well, which is lovely. On the last read-through this morning, I didn't even miss them.
YA chapter has some glitches, according to writing group. It's awfully tricky when a handful of unnamed boys beat up another boy-- lots of pronoun issues. But I will tackle that later. Overall, the beating up was well-received, and the story moved along nicely.
For the two hours that remain before it's time to get the kids from school, I'm going to plug on through my polishing of the rest of Book One, which doesn't have as much to change from Chapter Four on.
At some point, writing became less of a hobby and more of a priority for me. I love that.
Even if it does feel a little too much like work.
YA chapter has some glitches, according to writing group. It's awfully tricky when a handful of unnamed boys beat up another boy-- lots of pronoun issues. But I will tackle that later. Overall, the beating up was well-received, and the story moved along nicely.
For the two hours that remain before it's time to get the kids from school, I'm going to plug on through my polishing of the rest of Book One, which doesn't have as much to change from Chapter Four on.
At some point, writing became less of a hobby and more of a priority for me. I love that.
Even if it does feel a little too much like work.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Starting to Feel Like Work....
I have been a good little writer bunny the past few days. I worked for hours on Thursday and Friday, and I've almost got the first three chapters all polished and shiny. As they seem to be the worst of the first ten, I'm feeling much better about Book One as a whole. I also solved a plot issue that's been nagging me. Reading the book again is going well overall; as it goes on it gets better, and I absolutely love my ending. If only I could send the last 300 pages to the agents....
Today, I got up early to shift gears and work on the YA, which was really difficult at first, but I think I've got a good chapter going after all. I did start this a couple of weeks ago, but I had the characters taking baths, which didn't really work in terms of story or plausability (how does a girl posing as a street boy go into the public baths unnoticed? Answer: she doesn't). I have a fondness for baths in general, but every time I write them, they get cut (see Book One). I imagine this is why Aragorn only cleans up twice during the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. I bet Tolkien wrote lots of dips in the Anduin and such, but they just didn't make the final cut. Too many words.
Instead, I beat up my characters. That worked much better.
Today's progress: a nice 1986 words. That's 25.5% done. And I'm not even late for Writing Group!
Today, I got up early to shift gears and work on the YA, which was really difficult at first, but I think I've got a good chapter going after all. I did start this a couple of weeks ago, but I had the characters taking baths, which didn't really work in terms of story or plausability (how does a girl posing as a street boy go into the public baths unnoticed? Answer: she doesn't). I have a fondness for baths in general, but every time I write them, they get cut (see Book One). I imagine this is why Aragorn only cleans up twice during the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. I bet Tolkien wrote lots of dips in the Anduin and such, but they just didn't make the final cut. Too many words.
Instead, I beat up my characters. That worked much better.
Today's progress: a nice 1986 words. That's 25.5% done. And I'm not even late for Writing Group!
| |
16,570 / 65,000 (25.5%) |
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Plotting and Planning
I tried something new yesterday. I did what I am always encouraging my students to do: I prewrote. More specifically, I decided it was time to sit down and actually figure out the timeline for the YA novel.
It was an interesting process. First, I decided about how many days lapse between the current chapter and the close of the novel. Then I drew columns and wrote plot bits down under each column depending on which day events had to take place, working backwards from the denouement. (Fortunately, I learned very quickly that I ought to use pencil for this process, as I erased and rewrote several plots bits many times before they settled). In the end, the rough sketch of the novel even looked like a story arc, with more plot per day until the climax, then less for the final day.
Needless to say, I am very pleased. I learned a great deal from this. First and foremost, I learned that I probably ought to practice what I preach more often. While I talk a good game about the importance of prewriting in my comp classes, I have always been a "sit down and channel the story from the muse as I go" sort of writer. I will probably still write that way, but it's nice to have something committed to paper that I can look back on when I get stuck.
Side benefit: I felt productive without having actually added to the chapter. But it will all work out in the end.
It was an interesting process. First, I decided about how many days lapse between the current chapter and the close of the novel. Then I drew columns and wrote plot bits down under each column depending on which day events had to take place, working backwards from the denouement. (Fortunately, I learned very quickly that I ought to use pencil for this process, as I erased and rewrote several plots bits many times before they settled). In the end, the rough sketch of the novel even looked like a story arc, with more plot per day until the climax, then less for the final day.
Needless to say, I am very pleased. I learned a great deal from this. First and foremost, I learned that I probably ought to practice what I preach more often. While I talk a good game about the importance of prewriting in my comp classes, I have always been a "sit down and channel the story from the muse as I go" sort of writer. I will probably still write that way, but it's nice to have something committed to paper that I can look back on when I get stuck.
Side benefit: I felt productive without having actually added to the chapter. But it will all work out in the end.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Waiting
Today I really hate the USPS.
I'm not good at waiting, which is why the whole publication process, in general, is very frustrating. What is even more frustrating is having to wait longer than I should to know whether or not I've been accepted to Viable Paradise.
This is where the USPS comes in.
Had they correctly delivered my application packet the first time I sent it, at the beginning of April, I would be receiving my acceptance/rejection this week. However, now, not only have they just received my second packet, I am also certain that my chances of being accepted at all are greatly diminished.
Honestly, I'm good enough at self-sabotage without the USPS helping me out.
Meanwhile, I am also waiting on another level. I am waiting to "download" the next installment of the YA novel so that I can write it. In other words, I have no idea what happens next. Today, in a fit of whimsy, I considered having one of my two main characters slip and fall off the roof and die. That would certainly move the story! However, it would move it in a completely wrong direction and necessitate the introduction of a totally new character to fill in for this one, so I decided to just close the blank notebook page and go shopping instead.
So, I'm three tank tops, three new t-shirts, and a little sundress closer to knowing what happens next in the story.
It's better than just sitting around, waiting.
I'm not good at waiting, which is why the whole publication process, in general, is very frustrating. What is even more frustrating is having to wait longer than I should to know whether or not I've been accepted to Viable Paradise.
This is where the USPS comes in.
Had they correctly delivered my application packet the first time I sent it, at the beginning of April, I would be receiving my acceptance/rejection this week. However, now, not only have they just received my second packet, I am also certain that my chances of being accepted at all are greatly diminished.
Honestly, I'm good enough at self-sabotage without the USPS helping me out.
Meanwhile, I am also waiting on another level. I am waiting to "download" the next installment of the YA novel so that I can write it. In other words, I have no idea what happens next. Today, in a fit of whimsy, I considered having one of my two main characters slip and fall off the roof and die. That would certainly move the story! However, it would move it in a completely wrong direction and necessitate the introduction of a totally new character to fill in for this one, so I decided to just close the blank notebook page and go shopping instead.
So, I'm three tank tops, three new t-shirts, and a little sundress closer to knowing what happens next in the story.
It's better than just sitting around, waiting.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
How Depressing
I finished typing in all of the writing I'd done in the notebook, proving yet again that when I write by hand, I feel incredibly productive and powerful, yet manage to create much less writing than when I compose on the computer. My "Woohoo! I wrote 12 pages today. 12! I totally ROCK!" became "1011 words? Really? That's it?" Not to mention that 1011 words isn't nearly 12 pages when typed and double-spaced. Not even with a big fancy font.
I'm trying to turn it around. "1011 words! That's 1011 more than I had the day before I wrote them!" Or, "Hey! If I wrote 1011 words a day, I'd have my novel done in about 52 more days!"
It's not working.
The bottom line is, I need to write every day. 1011 words or not. I have all kinds of excuses for not doing so that I will not bore cyberspace with right now, but I know what I need to do.
"Progress:"
I'm trying to turn it around. "1011 words! That's 1011 more than I had the day before I wrote them!" Or, "Hey! If I wrote 1011 words a day, I'd have my novel done in about 52 more days!"
It's not working.
The bottom line is, I need to write every day. 1011 words or not. I have all kinds of excuses for not doing so that I will not bore cyberspace with right now, but I know what I need to do.
"Progress:"
| |
13,638 / 65,000 (21.0%) |
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Return of the Writing Blog
Step 1: Find blog link.
Step 2: Hack into old blog using all possible old user names and passwords.
Step 3: Discover that Google has taken over blog, and blog must be "reclaimed."
Step 4: Redouble hacking efforts.
Step 5: Reclaim blog.
Step 6: Find Something Interesting to say.
This is why I don't blog. I can't remember where I left my keys, let alone where I left my blog lying around on the Internet.
Since my last post a very long time ago, I've shelved Book Two. Book One has been rejected by everyone who asked for it (although tagged "well-written" by all the nice agents and editors who just "didn't love it enough" to add it to their lists), and I have commenced serious work on the YA Fantasy novel that's been knocking around in my head for a while. The challenge: write a refreshingly short 65,000-75,000K word novel by June 30th (Writer's Weekend).
Ha. Haha.
It's not going to be done by then. But I do have a ripping good start on it. Does that count? And now that the semester's over (yay!) and I'm not fool enough to sign up to teach summer school again this summer (double yay!), I'm writing every day, which is better than I've been able to do the past few months.
New goal? Finish by the end of summer. I like impossible goals, after all.
In the meantime, I will continue to pimp out Book One, which will have the best revised first 30 pages EVER the way things are going.
Progress:
A Respectable start, really. This word count doesn't even include the 10 or so handwritten pages I have yet to type. Cool.
Step 2: Hack into old blog using all possible old user names and passwords.
Step 3: Discover that Google has taken over blog, and blog must be "reclaimed."
Step 4: Redouble hacking efforts.
Step 5: Reclaim blog.
Step 6: Find Something Interesting to say.
This is why I don't blog. I can't remember where I left my keys, let alone where I left my blog lying around on the Internet.
Since my last post a very long time ago, I've shelved Book Two. Book One has been rejected by everyone who asked for it (although tagged "well-written" by all the nice agents and editors who just "didn't love it enough" to add it to their lists), and I have commenced serious work on the YA Fantasy novel that's been knocking around in my head for a while. The challenge: write a refreshingly short 65,000-75,000K word novel by June 30th (Writer's Weekend).
Ha. Haha.
It's not going to be done by then. But I do have a ripping good start on it. Does that count? And now that the semester's over (yay!) and I'm not fool enough to sign up to teach summer school again this summer (double yay!), I'm writing every day, which is better than I've been able to do the past few months.
New goal? Finish by the end of summer. I like impossible goals, after all.
In the meantime, I will continue to pimp out Book One, which will have the best revised first 30 pages EVER the way things are going.
Progress:
| |
12,627 / 65,000 (19.4%) |
A Respectable start, really. This word count doesn't even include the 10 or so handwritten pages I have yet to type. Cool.
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