Today

Editting, rewriting, and going to a new meeting group for writers today. I do love vacations as my other life begins. And in other news, it's Christmas, Channukah, and New Years approaching. Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy Channukah. And basically anyone who might read this, peace and good will.

My wish for the new year is publication. One way or the other it will be. How is the mystery for 2012. But I have faith.

Wow

I've not blogged in ages. The truth is I'm not very good at blogging all the time and tracking my life. But I will give this an update. Hello world!!! How are you?!? If you are reading this let me know!

Let's see, since this summer, I went to New Jersey's Put your heart in a book conference. Totally amazing! I learned so much. I met with four agents and editors. Everyone asked for a partial. I met amazing women. Such a great experience.

I received one immediate rejection where she said I didn't describe enough. Naturally when I saw this... I was like 'no way; she's wrong.' Then after that upset, I see what she's talking about. She's right. I could give more description. And it's not 'rewrite everything' or 'obviously you can't write.' She gave good advice and can be fixed.

I also received my first manuscript back from an editor. She's beyond right that it needs alot of work. I didn't want to hear that but I felt that already. It's why I wrote a different book to not think about the hot mess of my first novel.

After sending off the manuscript, I would have gone mad. So I worked on a half thrown away but wasn't manuscript from years ago. It was the one I worked on in between my other massive novels and always intended to be 50K or so words. Someone mentioned nano wrimo to me. And I dived right in. My 'I wanna write Harlequin novels' manuscript is done today. Woohoo.

So I was so confused. What does one do after accomplishing the goal for a month a few days early? And the truth about nanowrimo is that I had who the characters were and an outline before November. It was rewriting for one POV chapters for the beginning stuff and then fleshing out the novel with alot of words. Next time I do Nanowrimo, I will be ready to go as I was.

So love and light friends. I will figure out how to publish this year. I can't wait to see this journey take off.

Hugs

Rejection Letters

Is it strange that I'm excited that I'm getting rejection letters? The agents have been very polite in their emails, and to me the struggle is strangely fun. It's weird, probably. But I want my book published, and this is part of the process. Struggle to continue to get out there when normally I'd be sad is making my blood pulse. I read Andrew Carnegie to my economics class where he said, "put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket." And now I'm really understanding that quote. The time will come, and it's exciting in the mean time to really remain positive and get out there.

Motivation and New Things

So I sent the letter to one agent as it was asked for. Everyone else I'm going to hold back until I hear back from some contests. I want good critiques and to send out the best possible manuscript.

My second manuscript is almost done. First draft needs about 10K and I have the ending playing out in my head. My only issue is my sequel to my first novel is playing loud in my head, and I wrote the beginning of that. The emotional intensity of my first round of characters just took so much. I decided to write a sweeter romance as a second as a means of calming my own nerves and remembering that for every flawed individual there are good souls too. Now my next single title will also feature very flawed individuals, and this just takes more from me.

And in other news, I decided to join Florida Romance Writers. The first meeting is Saturday. It's a goal to get my second novel onto paper around the meeting time. And I'm hoping there is a critique group. So fingers crossed.

I will report on my RWA Orlando experience very soon. There was just alot to digest and so much good stuff. I am planning on New York next year.

Just as my new goal is for people to read my novels in print and start to see my work as a must read. Nora Roberts shall take on Georgette Heyer's role as classic. I will be replacing Nora at the top... lol... arrogant slightly, yes... but it's my new goal and motivation!

Writing and Personal

Well I sent my first query letter and sample 3 chapters today as it was asked for. I was very excited to have this accomplishment done. And I'm still floating from an overwhelming experience in Orlando last week. WOW. Such good people and good information. I'm looking forward to joining the writers group in Fort Lauderdale next week.

Now personal stuff for a minute. I suffered from foot and mouth disease this week. I said something so out of character and so frustrating that I beat myself up this week for even saying anything of the sort. It's impossible to apologize. A left a bad impression. I was stupid! I'm letting it go finally as I'm now able to talk about it. But wow, it's hard realizing just how wrong something I said came out. Whew... I'm glad I've owned up to it. I just wish that I wouldn't say something stupid in the future, but I always seem to suffer from the dreaded foot in mouth disease. I cannot be alone in this, but it sure feels like being an idiot.

Kindle, Nook, IPad versus Paper books

I was asked alot today if I wanted a book or if I preferred ebooks. I'm not exactly an old fashioned girl, but once in a while the old ways get to me. If I loved a book so much, I wanted my friends and family to read it. Or they forced it upon me.... I'm shouting out to my brother who tried to force me to read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy... I read book One and half of the Twin Towers, but I refused to continue reading description of trees that talked half way through. I literally threw the books back at him.

I will miss exactly this. I cannot share a secret treasure and my friends and family can no longer share their secret find with me. We lose this ability to trade without breaking copyright or pirating. I can no longer lend a friend a book to share the wonder, and they can no longer do so with me. It's different than a movie. A movie is often an experience. A book can be discussed for a long time. Heck I was just discussing a classic on this page.

Either way this is a mourn for my paper bound books, both hard and soft covered. I cherished my books very much, and for friends and family thanks for opening up my reading to new worlds and adventures.

The Spark that set my first book to write

I read somewhere that Margaret Mitchell once said that Scarlett O'Hara represents everything wrong with American women, and that originally she wanted Melanie to be the heroine. Now Scarlett ends up unhappy and without her true love in the end. I kept asking myself, dang are all American women really like Scarlett? Yes many women have ambitions these days, but it's not all to end in heartache.

So this was my spark of an idea for my first novel. I wanted to create a strong man and a strong women who conveyed that yes American women might not always be the Melanie type, but that doesn't make her evil either.

So this thinking was truly the spark of my entire story. Now my story is not historical (though I love reading them!!!) It's modern times and set in small town America. But my girl Phoebe is still a strong woman with a mind of her own which causes her issues, but she's not the type to sit at home wishing on a star. And of course Nicolas is most definitely all male with his own set of macho.

Maybe this should be how I pitch the book? (I still want to revise the ending.)