With just over two hours before the start of National Novel Writing Month and I still can't get online with a laptop at home. But I will still start at 12:01 a.m., Nov. 1, which is two hours and one minute away.
Wish me luck.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
NaNoWriMo woes
National Novel Writing Month starts in under 12 hours and I am facing several problems. I still haven't worked out the creative problems with the story. Howevber, I will write the story regardless of that. That is part of the purpose of NaNoWriMo. No plot, no problem!
But more worrisome are my technical problems. I still don't have reliable access to a reliable computer. I may have a solution to that later this afternoon so I will have to see. Right now, however, it is a challenge.
Either way, I intend to write my novel. Some way or another I plan to upload more than 50,000 words on the NaNoWriMo website before 12:59 p.m. on Nov. 30.
I will try to update you later. But for now, Happy Writing, particularly if you are doing NaNo this year.
And thanks for reading.
But more worrisome are my technical problems. I still don't have reliable access to a reliable computer. I may have a solution to that later this afternoon so I will have to see. Right now, however, it is a challenge.
Either way, I intend to write my novel. Some way or another I plan to upload more than 50,000 words on the NaNoWriMo website before 12:59 p.m. on Nov. 30.
I will try to update you later. But for now, Happy Writing, particularly if you are doing NaNo this year.
And thanks for reading.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Computer problems, AGAIN
My laptop crashed this afternoon and, given that it is three years old, it will probably cost too much to be fixed and the data recovered. So I will probably have to buy a new computer.
And where is the money coming from, you may ask. I asked the same question and I haven't gotten a satisfactory answer. So my posts may be sporadic for a while.
This is particularly worrisome because National Novel Writing Month starts on Monday morning at 12:01. While I will continue preparing for several weeks of intense writing -- I am in the middle of outlinging, which I do in longhand -- I'm not sure yet home much computer time I will have in the coming weeks. I can use the computers at the public library but I can't sit there for the amount of time it will take for me to make my daily writing goals.
Anyway, this is just to let all you people in Russia, Brazil and Japan know my posts will be a little more sporadic. Keep a little prayer going for me.
In the meantime, thanks for reading. I look to see you again soon. And keep writing.
And where is the money coming from, you may ask. I asked the same question and I haven't gotten a satisfactory answer. So my posts may be sporadic for a while.
This is particularly worrisome because National Novel Writing Month starts on Monday morning at 12:01. While I will continue preparing for several weeks of intense writing -- I am in the middle of outlinging, which I do in longhand -- I'm not sure yet home much computer time I will have in the coming weeks. I can use the computers at the public library but I can't sit there for the amount of time it will take for me to make my daily writing goals.
Anyway, this is just to let all you people in Russia, Brazil and Japan know my posts will be a little more sporadic. Keep a little prayer going for me.
In the meantime, thanks for reading. I look to see you again soon. And keep writing.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Justin Bieber and other rants
I know this is going to sound like so many sour grapes -- and perhaps it is -- but it seems there is a certain injustice in the universe when there are so many talented, struggling unpublished authors in the world and someone like Justin Bieber can get a book contract for an autobiography.
I was in the bookstore last weekend and saw FIRST STEP 2 FOREVER: MY STORY by Justin Bieber. What in the world can this 16-year-old boy, whom no one had heard of two years ago, say would be interesting enough to pay good money to buy, let alone to read? He has no life experience. He's had no great struggles since he was a child. He was a healthy middle-class kid growing up in suburbia in Canada.
It looks a lot like a picture book for the pre-teen set but I know several young adult authors with far more to offer that age group than what they will get from Bieber. Fortunately, two of them are getting published next year but neither will get nearly the sort of publicity granted to Justin Bieber.
What I think is worse for Bieber, who apparently has a nail polish line coming as well as a unisex fragrance, is that it seems as if some marketing guru is trying to turn a boy, who already has lots of effeminate characteristics, into a girl. He could be messed up for the rest of his life as in private moments, which could be few, he struggles to understand who he is. He could end up like poor Michael Jackson.
That saddens me but it isn't the point I am trying to make at the moment.
I love it when a debut author breaks through because it provides hope for the rest of us. But it seems that when some celebrity, such as Bieber or with novels by Nicole Richie, comes out of nowhere and gets a contract, there is a little less space for the rest of us. I have an online friend who was published this year (and it was a wonderful book) and he footed the bill for his own book tour. It was worth it to him and I support that. But I'm sure Justin Bieber doesn't have to foot the bill for his publicity, tours or book signings.
It just doesn't seem right.
So there is my rant.
I truly don't wish young Justin Bieber ill-will in any way. I just wish there was a little more equity in the universe.
Thanks for reading and don't give up on writing. Don't let the injustice silence your voice.
I was in the bookstore last weekend and saw FIRST STEP 2 FOREVER: MY STORY by Justin Bieber. What in the world can this 16-year-old boy, whom no one had heard of two years ago, say would be interesting enough to pay good money to buy, let alone to read? He has no life experience. He's had no great struggles since he was a child. He was a healthy middle-class kid growing up in suburbia in Canada.
It looks a lot like a picture book for the pre-teen set but I know several young adult authors with far more to offer that age group than what they will get from Bieber. Fortunately, two of them are getting published next year but neither will get nearly the sort of publicity granted to Justin Bieber.
What I think is worse for Bieber, who apparently has a nail polish line coming as well as a unisex fragrance, is that it seems as if some marketing guru is trying to turn a boy, who already has lots of effeminate characteristics, into a girl. He could be messed up for the rest of his life as in private moments, which could be few, he struggles to understand who he is. He could end up like poor Michael Jackson.
That saddens me but it isn't the point I am trying to make at the moment.
I love it when a debut author breaks through because it provides hope for the rest of us. But it seems that when some celebrity, such as Bieber or with novels by Nicole Richie, comes out of nowhere and gets a contract, there is a little less space for the rest of us. I have an online friend who was published this year (and it was a wonderful book) and he footed the bill for his own book tour. It was worth it to him and I support that. But I'm sure Justin Bieber doesn't have to foot the bill for his publicity, tours or book signings.
It just doesn't seem right.
So there is my rant.
I truly don't wish young Justin Bieber ill-will in any way. I just wish there was a little more equity in the universe.
Thanks for reading and don't give up on writing. Don't let the injustice silence your voice.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
NaNoWriMo Kick-off
I went to a National Novel Writing Month Kick-off this afternoon and I am really excited about the coming month and the writing challenges that will come with it. I saw a couple of friends I made last year during NaNoWriMo. After saying she was glad to see me, one particularly wonderful and thoughtful woman asked me about my health. I had forgotten that last November was only two months after I learned of my prostate cancer and NaNoWriMo marked my return to fiction writing.
I don't have my outline finished yet -- actually, I haven't even written any of it on paper, although I have some of it mapped out in my head. But I described the plot to a couple of friends today and they thought it was intriguing. So I feel encouraged.
I don't know if I have a 50,000-word novel in my head yet but that won't deter me. It's time to see if I have any creative juices flowing and can face the challenge.
I like the idea of writing by abandon, as if I am walking on a tightrope without a net. (Though I must admit as a child -- and as an adult -- I hated people tightrope walking without a net. I was always afraid they'd fall and get killed in front of me.) Writing during NaNoWriMo is freeing. It is writing for the pure joy of the experience.
Writing is always hard, or I think it should be. If not, you are not digging deep enough. But there is also joy in the experience of crafting something out of nothing. It's a little like playing god.
So bring it on.
This is a generally upbeat posting. I am listening to some music I love and I am enjoying myself. But tomorrow or sometime during the week I am going to blog about something that troubles me in the publishing industry. So stay tuned.
But for now, have a good week of writing. Don't give up. And thanks for reading.
I don't have my outline finished yet -- actually, I haven't even written any of it on paper, although I have some of it mapped out in my head. But I described the plot to a couple of friends today and they thought it was intriguing. So I feel encouraged.
I don't know if I have a 50,000-word novel in my head yet but that won't deter me. It's time to see if I have any creative juices flowing and can face the challenge.
I like the idea of writing by abandon, as if I am walking on a tightrope without a net. (Though I must admit as a child -- and as an adult -- I hated people tightrope walking without a net. I was always afraid they'd fall and get killed in front of me.) Writing during NaNoWriMo is freeing. It is writing for the pure joy of the experience.
Writing is always hard, or I think it should be. If not, you are not digging deep enough. But there is also joy in the experience of crafting something out of nothing. It's a little like playing god.
So bring it on.
This is a generally upbeat posting. I am listening to some music I love and I am enjoying myself. But tomorrow or sometime during the week I am going to blog about something that troubles me in the publishing industry. So stay tuned.
But for now, have a good week of writing. Don't give up. And thanks for reading.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
4 Golden Rules for Being a Writer -- Now wait a minute
I was reading an online edition of Writer's Digest this week and happened upon an article by author Anne Fortier, who wrote JULIET, a novel about a young woman who discovers that she is descended from Shakespeare's Juliet. Great premise, by the way.
Fortier's article, "4 Golden Rules for Being a Writer," appeared on Chuck Sambuchino's blog. (The blog address is below)
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+4+Golden+Rules+Of+Being+A+Writer.aspx
Now I originally agreed with Ms Fortier's suggestions until I started to think about them in greater detail. And the more I thought, the more I started thinking some of her suggestions were something out of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. (Fortier is originally from Denmark, which is a beautiful country.)
Her first rule, Start at square one, essentially says forget about networking.
"The world is full of people who know people who know an agent. But you can save yourself a lot of time and disappointment by ignoring them. Because the truth is, no one really knows anyone, and even if they did, it is probably not going to help your chances one bit," she says. ". . . if you run around looking for them, chances are you will still end up back at square one, wondering why you just wasted six months on hearsay."
I'm sorry but that's crap.
While I don't think you can hang your hat on such long chances, there are numerous examples of people who connect with an agent or publisher through social and professional contacts. I know of two people who just this year got agents through knowing someone who knew someone. In both cases, the aspiring authors were prepared for an opportunity if it came. So when it did, they ran with it.
Ms Fortier's second rule is Do your homework. She is right about this.
Not only should your manuscript be "finished, brilliant, formatted correctly, and edited to near-perfection . . . the same goes for the query letter," Fortier says. "Invest the time and do a proper job; this is the most important page of your entire manuscript."
I think this is where I somehow must be failing. Yes, as you know, I have honed my query to the best of my ability but apparently something about it doesn't entice agents. Not sure what, so I continue to work on it. But it is a tight, 250 words. And I think she is right on this point. It is probably the most important page you will write.
Rule No. 3 is Pitch your book before you write it.
"What I mean by this is that you can save yourself a lot of time and headaches by thinking ahead to your query letter as early as possible in the writing process. Once you've done your homework and know what a query letter needs to accomplish, you are very likely to look at your finished manuscript and groan," she says. "So, make a point of thinking through the story early on, with the pitch in mind."
I agree in part and dissent in part.
I agree you should think your story through but she seems to suggest that you should write out an outline before you start. I know I lot of writers who do outline but just as many who don't. And there are successful writers in both camps. It is through hard work and the re-writing process where you keep your novel being "a rambling, pointless, dead-boring excuse for a book." And if you do that, it won't end up being "un-pitchable" as Ms. Fortier suggests. You should think ahead but you also must allow the story to develop. In the end, you could end up with a better story than what you originally considered.
The last rule is Don't jump the gun. "The book world looks pretty darn big from your office chair, but it actually isn't. So, once you have compiled that beautiful list of desirable and reliable agents (once again: by doing your homework), make sure you don't waste it. Don't send query letters to more than one agent at a time," she writes.
That is insane. There can be scores of agents who potentially may be interested in your book. But the response time for most agents is between two and eight weeks for queries, or so they say. Some answer in minutes while others never respond. If you send out only one query at a time and wait for a response, it could take you more than a year, at the earliest, to get through your list of potential agents.
Sambuchino says carpeting the industry with a query doesn't work and he is probably right. He suggests sending out a small number, say, seven, and if that doesn't work, there is probably something wrong with the letter. You can then hone the letter without having invested too much time in a letter that doesn't work.
That is reasonable.
But I agree with Fortier when she says, "Don't test the water by sending your second-best. Be patient. Finish the book. Write the most attractive query letter ever. And then sleep on it. And sleep on it again. Remember: an agent is not some opponent you need to blitz; an agent is someone who would like nothing more than to be your ally. All she/he needs is a good reason."
As with most advice, you have to take from it what works best for you. In that way, you will be prepared when opportunity comes knocking. And even if you fail to accomplish your goal, you can be comfortable in knowing you did your best.
Thanks for reading and, above all, don't give up.
Fortier's article, "4 Golden Rules for Being a Writer," appeared on Chuck Sambuchino's blog. (The blog address is below)
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+4+Golden+Rules+Of+Being+A+Writer.aspx
Now I originally agreed with Ms Fortier's suggestions until I started to think about them in greater detail. And the more I thought, the more I started thinking some of her suggestions were something out of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. (Fortier is originally from Denmark, which is a beautiful country.)
Her first rule, Start at square one, essentially says forget about networking.
"The world is full of people who know people who know an agent. But you can save yourself a lot of time and disappointment by ignoring them. Because the truth is, no one really knows anyone, and even if they did, it is probably not going to help your chances one bit," she says. ". . . if you run around looking for them, chances are you will still end up back at square one, wondering why you just wasted six months on hearsay."
I'm sorry but that's crap.
While I don't think you can hang your hat on such long chances, there are numerous examples of people who connect with an agent or publisher through social and professional contacts. I know of two people who just this year got agents through knowing someone who knew someone. In both cases, the aspiring authors were prepared for an opportunity if it came. So when it did, they ran with it.
Ms Fortier's second rule is Do your homework. She is right about this.
Not only should your manuscript be "finished, brilliant, formatted correctly, and edited to near-perfection . . . the same goes for the query letter," Fortier says. "Invest the time and do a proper job; this is the most important page of your entire manuscript."
I think this is where I somehow must be failing. Yes, as you know, I have honed my query to the best of my ability but apparently something about it doesn't entice agents. Not sure what, so I continue to work on it. But it is a tight, 250 words. And I think she is right on this point. It is probably the most important page you will write.
Rule No. 3 is Pitch your book before you write it.
"What I mean by this is that you can save yourself a lot of time and headaches by thinking ahead to your query letter as early as possible in the writing process. Once you've done your homework and know what a query letter needs to accomplish, you are very likely to look at your finished manuscript and groan," she says. "So, make a point of thinking through the story early on, with the pitch in mind."
I agree in part and dissent in part.
I agree you should think your story through but she seems to suggest that you should write out an outline before you start. I know I lot of writers who do outline but just as many who don't. And there are successful writers in both camps. It is through hard work and the re-writing process where you keep your novel being "a rambling, pointless, dead-boring excuse for a book." And if you do that, it won't end up being "un-pitchable" as Ms. Fortier suggests. You should think ahead but you also must allow the story to develop. In the end, you could end up with a better story than what you originally considered.
The last rule is Don't jump the gun. "The book world looks pretty darn big from your office chair, but it actually isn't. So, once you have compiled that beautiful list of desirable and reliable agents (once again: by doing your homework), make sure you don't waste it. Don't send query letters to more than one agent at a time," she writes.
That is insane. There can be scores of agents who potentially may be interested in your book. But the response time for most agents is between two and eight weeks for queries, or so they say. Some answer in minutes while others never respond. If you send out only one query at a time and wait for a response, it could take you more than a year, at the earliest, to get through your list of potential agents.
Sambuchino says carpeting the industry with a query doesn't work and he is probably right. He suggests sending out a small number, say, seven, and if that doesn't work, there is probably something wrong with the letter. You can then hone the letter without having invested too much time in a letter that doesn't work.
That is reasonable.
But I agree with Fortier when she says, "Don't test the water by sending your second-best. Be patient. Finish the book. Write the most attractive query letter ever. And then sleep on it. And sleep on it again. Remember: an agent is not some opponent you need to blitz; an agent is someone who would like nothing more than to be your ally. All she/he needs is a good reason."
As with most advice, you have to take from it what works best for you. In that way, you will be prepared when opportunity comes knocking. And even if you fail to accomplish your goal, you can be comfortable in knowing you did your best.
Thanks for reading and, above all, don't give up.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Red Planet Blues, (sadly) Part ll
I sadly learned today of the passing last week of another Earth Angel, Frances R. Kirch.
Mrs. Kirch was the mother of Kerry Lou, the author of RED PLANET BLUES, and who provided some of the funding for the novel. Kerry dedicated the book to her mother, which only seemed right. I think at some point there was a stack of books in Mrs. Kirch's garage.
Mrs. Kirch was a wonderful woman, always charming, kind and pleasant to me. And that probably wasn't that easy 40 years ago. To me, Mrs. Kirch lived the life she was expected to live -- a very white bread with mayo life. But here was Kerry, this skinny, little, white girl, with this skinny, little, black kid as a friend who stopped by from time to time. But I never felt unwelcome in the Kirch household. Even their dog, Blitz, seemed to like me.
Mrs. Kirch had one very distinctive trademark. She always wore bright red lipstick. I don't think there was a time when I saw her when she didn't have it on.
I last spoke with Mrs. Kirch in late March, just after I learned of Kerry's fatal accident. She was as nice and charming as ever, and implored me to keep in touch. I knew she had been battling cancer for some time and I sent her a couple of notes over the summer. I never got a reply but I never expected one. I just wanted her to know I was still thinking of her.
I am saddened for her two surviving daughters, and the entire family, for their loss. But there can also be an element of joy in knowing that there is one more Earth Angel soaring above looking down at us.
May she soar in peace.
Mrs. Kirch was the mother of Kerry Lou, the author of RED PLANET BLUES, and who provided some of the funding for the novel. Kerry dedicated the book to her mother, which only seemed right. I think at some point there was a stack of books in Mrs. Kirch's garage.
Mrs. Kirch was a wonderful woman, always charming, kind and pleasant to me. And that probably wasn't that easy 40 years ago. To me, Mrs. Kirch lived the life she was expected to live -- a very white bread with mayo life. But here was Kerry, this skinny, little, white girl, with this skinny, little, black kid as a friend who stopped by from time to time. But I never felt unwelcome in the Kirch household. Even their dog, Blitz, seemed to like me.
Mrs. Kirch had one very distinctive trademark. She always wore bright red lipstick. I don't think there was a time when I saw her when she didn't have it on.
I last spoke with Mrs. Kirch in late March, just after I learned of Kerry's fatal accident. She was as nice and charming as ever, and implored me to keep in touch. I knew she had been battling cancer for some time and I sent her a couple of notes over the summer. I never got a reply but I never expected one. I just wanted her to know I was still thinking of her.
I am saddened for her two surviving daughters, and the entire family, for their loss. But there can also be an element of joy in knowing that there is one more Earth Angel soaring above looking down at us.
May she soar in peace.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Busy day tomorrow
I have a busy day tomorrow surrounded by other writers.
In the morning, I have the monthly meeting of the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists, and in the afternoon I am attending a book fair at a nearby Barnes and Noble bookstore. And several of the authors in BEDLAM AT THE BRICKYARD will be signing copies at the book fair.
It looks to be a fine end to a busy and hectic week. I have been writing a lot and when I haven't been writing, I have been researching material for National Novel Writing Month. All in all, it has been a productive week.
The book signing should be fun, and there promises to be lots of people milling about looking for a good book. I hope we sell a lot of copies. Plus, I think our book trailer may be finished and we will be able to show it on a laptop. That should be fun.
Fortunately, it promises to be a quiet Sunday. I will need the rest because next week I will start and, hopefully, complete the outline for my NaNoWriMo book, and I need to finish up the freelance project I am currently working on.
So, have a good weekend. And thanks for reading.
In the morning, I have the monthly meeting of the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists, and in the afternoon I am attending a book fair at a nearby Barnes and Noble bookstore. And several of the authors in BEDLAM AT THE BRICKYARD will be signing copies at the book fair.
It looks to be a fine end to a busy and hectic week. I have been writing a lot and when I haven't been writing, I have been researching material for National Novel Writing Month. All in all, it has been a productive week.
The book signing should be fun, and there promises to be lots of people milling about looking for a good book. I hope we sell a lot of copies. Plus, I think our book trailer may be finished and we will be able to show it on a laptop. That should be fun.
Fortunately, it promises to be a quiet Sunday. I will need the rest because next week I will start and, hopefully, complete the outline for my NaNoWriMo book, and I need to finish up the freelance project I am currently working on.
So, have a good weekend. And thanks for reading.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Query advice
In my every-other-Wednesday critique group, two of the other writers last night passed around query letters to critique. One we went through one as we sat. But the other one we took home to read and will critique once we see each other again.
After reading the letter, I decided to write the author privately.
It must be stated that I'm not the best source for what is an effective query letter. If I were, I wouldn't have the tons of query rejection responses sitting on the hard drive of this laptop. But I think I have a handle on what is not a good letter.
Unfortunately, the query letter I took home wasn't very good.
The person who wrote the query is an excellent writer. I have read numerous examples of their writing and find it well-crafted, thoughtful, tight and entertaining. The writer is a great storyteller, with great imagination and color.
But to my complete surprise, none of that was displaced in the query.
It was flat and unfocused. I wasn't sure who the main character was (except that the author only mentioned one character by name but I still wasn't sure if they were the main character), and there was no conflict in the letter. The author also failed to clearly identify the genre and didn't mention the word count.
Nearly nothing in the query would entice me to read the whole letter. If I didn't know the writer, I would have stopped reading after the first paragraph.
I e-mailed them suggesting that they clearly identify the main charcter, show the challenges they face and the forces standing in their way. And I hope my comments weren't too harsh. I didn't mean for them to be.
Being in this group has helped me tremendously. I hope I was of help to this author. I haven't heard back from them. So only time will tell.
Thanks for reading. And never give up.
After reading the letter, I decided to write the author privately.
It must be stated that I'm not the best source for what is an effective query letter. If I were, I wouldn't have the tons of query rejection responses sitting on the hard drive of this laptop. But I think I have a handle on what is not a good letter.
Unfortunately, the query letter I took home wasn't very good.
The person who wrote the query is an excellent writer. I have read numerous examples of their writing and find it well-crafted, thoughtful, tight and entertaining. The writer is a great storyteller, with great imagination and color.
But to my complete surprise, none of that was displaced in the query.
It was flat and unfocused. I wasn't sure who the main character was (except that the author only mentioned one character by name but I still wasn't sure if they were the main character), and there was no conflict in the letter. The author also failed to clearly identify the genre and didn't mention the word count.
Nearly nothing in the query would entice me to read the whole letter. If I didn't know the writer, I would have stopped reading after the first paragraph.
I e-mailed them suggesting that they clearly identify the main charcter, show the challenges they face and the forces standing in their way. And I hope my comments weren't too harsh. I didn't mean for them to be.
Being in this group has helped me tremendously. I hope I was of help to this author. I haven't heard back from them. So only time will tell.
Thanks for reading. And never give up.
Monday, October 11, 2010
A brief pause in querying
I was interviewing a successful businessman last week for a series of freelance articles I am doing. And one of my favorite quotes from him was, "You can't just hope for things to happen."
I'm sure that's one of the reasons he is successful because he has faced -- and continues to face -- serious challenges. He owns an auto dealership, and it's a Chrysler dealership, to boot. And he is a minority. But he is doing well and is quite successful.
I have been so busy with this freelance project that I haven't spent as much time as I'd like researching agents and querying them. In fact, I haven't sent a single query in about two weeks. Now that's sad.
(I have gotten one more rejection from the last batch I sent out last month.)
Though he was talking about success in general and not about me -- he knows nothing of my aspirations of being published -- this businessman reminded me that complacency can quickly set it -- that merely hoping for an agent can take over for actually doing the work at finding an agent.
Merely hoping isn't taking over in me but I know I can backslide. So while I still have a busy week, I will get more queries out this week. I still have a list of about 10 or 12 agents I really like but haven't tried to contact yet. Plus there are more out there I haven't even discovered yet.
The query is done. Time for it to start flying -- but only a handful at a time, of course.
Thanks for reading and don't ever give up.
I'm sure that's one of the reasons he is successful because he has faced -- and continues to face -- serious challenges. He owns an auto dealership, and it's a Chrysler dealership, to boot. And he is a minority. But he is doing well and is quite successful.
I have been so busy with this freelance project that I haven't spent as much time as I'd like researching agents and querying them. In fact, I haven't sent a single query in about two weeks. Now that's sad.
(I have gotten one more rejection from the last batch I sent out last month.)
Though he was talking about success in general and not about me -- he knows nothing of my aspirations of being published -- this businessman reminded me that complacency can quickly set it -- that merely hoping for an agent can take over for actually doing the work at finding an agent.
Merely hoping isn't taking over in me but I know I can backslide. So while I still have a busy week, I will get more queries out this week. I still have a list of about 10 or 12 agents I really like but haven't tried to contact yet. Plus there are more out there I haven't even discovered yet.
The query is done. Time for it to start flying -- but only a handful at a time, of course.
Thanks for reading and don't ever give up.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
NaNoWriMo -- 2010
I have made the momentous decision to write a different novel in November for National Novel Writing Month than I had been planning. What's worse is that it is going to take a lot more planning and research, and I only have a little more than three weeks to get it done.
It will be a challenge because it is a mystery -- what else were you expecting? -- but will have parts that occur more than 60 years in the past and some occurring today. I haven't decided on how to handle the past elements but they are too numerous and complicated to disperse throughout the novel.
So, I may open with an entire section in the past with its own dramatic elements, and then open a second section in the present, where the novel will conclude.
I have been paging through one of my favorite novels, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, to see how John LeCarre handled crucial past events in his novel. And there are a couple of other works that are inventive that I will consider.
The novel, tentatively titled THE TONTINE, is going to require that I step well outside my comfort zone. The protagonist may be a woman -- haven't decided on that yet, but at the very least a female will be a central character -- and I will stray well outside the mainstream or Black communities and into another ethnic culture altogether.
It should be fun.
Just to prepare you, I probably won't have a lot of time to blog next month. I still will be freelancing and also trying to write a novel. It will be crunch time and something will have to give. I suspect blogging will be part of the give, though I won't give it up all month.
I will let you know as we go along.
As for now, thanks for reading and don't give up.
It will be a challenge because it is a mystery -- what else were you expecting? -- but will have parts that occur more than 60 years in the past and some occurring today. I haven't decided on how to handle the past elements but they are too numerous and complicated to disperse throughout the novel.
So, I may open with an entire section in the past with its own dramatic elements, and then open a second section in the present, where the novel will conclude.
I have been paging through one of my favorite novels, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, to see how John LeCarre handled crucial past events in his novel. And there are a couple of other works that are inventive that I will consider.
The novel, tentatively titled THE TONTINE, is going to require that I step well outside my comfort zone. The protagonist may be a woman -- haven't decided on that yet, but at the very least a female will be a central character -- and I will stray well outside the mainstream or Black communities and into another ethnic culture altogether.
It should be fun.
Just to prepare you, I probably won't have a lot of time to blog next month. I still will be freelancing and also trying to write a novel. It will be crunch time and something will have to give. I suspect blogging will be part of the give, though I won't give it up all month.
I will let you know as we go along.
As for now, thanks for reading and don't give up.
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