A Request for MLE & Progress on ST

Sometimes the Universe acts in mysterious ways. Today I got a request for a full (MLE) from NCP. I still have a few days until my crit group gets the chapters back to me before I panic and send it on the editor. But, hey, I can look at it like this: I'm 50/50 with one "R" and one full request on only two queries.

I dun good. :-)

And, over the next two weeks I'm also participating in Fast Draft (by Candy Havens), and this is day one. So far, I've written 8 pages out of my required daily 20, and my goal is a 70K first draft mss I can then expand upon in edits. I'm still not sure about a title yet, but I'm leaning towards "Forbidden Pleasures," which I like very much for the characters (hint: the heroine is a feisty support character in MLE). So I'll be working double-time on both stories. Here's my total for FP:

2,000 / 70,000 (2.9%)

And about my progress on ST . . .

53,500 / 100,000 (53.5%)

He faced her, his tone cold. "Pleasure and pain are two facets of the same gemstone. My business is to know each to it's greatest intimate effect."


Okay, back to work now. ;-)

~A

ST

MUSIC - Jon Jenkins "CrossOver" - BlueMars, Music For The Space Traveler

MOOD - enthralled

40,750 / 100,000 (40.8%)

"I am keeping to my agenda." He stalked closer, knowing she didn't know which directive he referred to.


~A :-)

ST

Moving along . . .

33,750 / 100,000 (33.8%)

~A

ST

Some progress. :-)

28,250 / 100,000 (28.2%)

~A

Onward . . .

Well, ranting and grumbling the other night made me feel a lot better. And today I'm doing something about it. I'm researching more on agents and the publishing business. I'm also revising my Agents list (to query to). At least I'm thankful the latest "R" didn't take three months (or three years!) to appear. So . . .

It's onward I go, to submit my work again this week.

Wish me luck.

~A

MLE - Rejected

Well, I didn't have to wait long at all for this one, a mere three weeks, garnished with (drum roll, please . . .) another form rejection letter that specifically laid out exactly what they wanted like I didn't bother to read their guidelines. I even got my submission back, in *pristine* order. Makes me wonder if some actually read my story or synopsis or just my cover letter. :-/

Okay, off to do more research about what pub accepts shorter stories.

~A

ST

Curse you page 101, an your inevitable betrayal!!

Needless to say, I found an inconsistency and had to back up several pages. :-p Not happy about it, BUT at least I did catch the problem.

25,250 / 100,000 (25.3%)

~A

ST

Feeling a bit better today, but still under the weather.

25,500 / 100,000 (25.5%)

~A

Back To Work

Well, after a nice long holiday weekend I have the flu. Blahhhhhhh... I'm full of Dayquil and going to try to stay on my writing schedule and get some pages done. Keeping my fingers crossed for at least 5 more pages.

~A

Plotting Not Plodding

Another one of my online, month-long workshops began today, one of my favorites, Plotting For Un-Dummies. I LOVE teaching this class! There are so many possibilities and directions for my students to go with their writing. I always have fun, and I think I learn as much from those taking my classes as they do from me (at least, I hope so ;-)).

Lots of work to do, especially since I'm almost 1/4-way through editing ST. I'm going to enjoy it.

21,250 / 100,000 (21.3%)

~A

ST

16,250 / 100,000 (16.3%)

Busy, busy, busy . . .

~A

More fun

Find me on MySpace and be my friend!

~A

ST

Re-editting and final polish due to a request for a full:

12,250 / 100,000 (12.3%)

~A

MLE -- Finished

23,876 / 23,000 (103.8%)

And . . .

Thanks so much "M" for the kick in the butt you left on my doorstep, your thoughtfulness is VERY much appreciated. ;-)

~A

A Day In The Life

My dad always told me when I was growing up, "If you work hard, you'll get somewhere in life and achieve whatever you want." I've believed this for so long, even though it never seemed to happen. I've worked many years for two major corporations before deciding to be a SAHWM (Stay At Home Working Mom), and I just don't know any more. My dad's advise may have worked for him, but it's never worked for me, no matter how hard I've tried (and believe me, I've really, really spent a LOT of time on the trying part!).

It takes a solid, string foundation for a building to stand firm on and folks can be confident in. One corner cracks, and it can tumbles into rubble and dust. People can be the same way. We go through life learning and spending time perfecting our knowledge in our chosen field. We spend obscene amounts of money on a good education, hocking everything to get ahead. Then we take entry-level positions in hopes to rise through our achievements. Fortunately, most of the time, this strategy works, and we don't have to start all over.

But Fate has a nasty way of intervening. It's nice to get positive feedback (hell, even just feedback!), even when it accompanies a rejection letter from a publisher. You learn, you adapt, you modify, you move on. Sometimes, though, the ladder of success seems impossibly tall and unachievable, especially when you never get a nibble. So, why keep on trying to get published? Am I stupid of something??

I've been told I'm a great writer by critiquers and judges. I've even placed and won writing contests with several different stories. I also have a folder full of rejection letters and a few form rejections (those skewed copies with a list of what's wrong with a submission that an over-worked editorial assistant quickly checks off and sends back in your SASE). The vast majority of the time mine have been plain-Jane vanilla rejections, I don't even get the letter with that list, and I have NO IDEA WHY I've been rejected or what I can do to fix the problem to make a story more salable.

Frustration makes it more and more difficult to concentrate on writing. I feel like my Muse has deserted or perhaps is laughing at me for even trying to have a career. Maybe I should just be content with being a stay at home mom. I dunno right now.

I have two scenes left to complete MLE, and I can't seem to get those last few pages out of my head and into the computer. Oh, the story's done, just not written down. And right now I'm wondering why the hell I bother when I don't even get nibbles. BTW, my very first rejection letter was back in 1986. Why do I try so hard?????

Nope, no rejection this month (yet). I just feel like a frustrated failure. Me, a writer? Damn right. I wrote this, didn't I?

Okay, I have laundry to go fold.

~A

MLE - revised goal

I have to add a few additional pages to my goal, because I've already ran over my original. New goal is 22,000 words for this story.

~A

20,363 / 22,000 (92.6%)