Hey there.
I just finished another rewrite of The Cabin. I think it's solid. I also just sent it off to an editor at Little, Brown and Company. This is the editor who replied to my query saying that she was intrigued.
Hoooooo boy. I'm really on pins here. I know it'll probably take a lot of time before I hear anything back, but I'm feeling pretty jumpy right now.
This rewrite really does flesh things out better. It's funny, I tend to write telegraphically, so my rewrites tend to add rather than subtract.
Anyway, I have to get my oldest lad off to school and I need to get to work. I've had quite a few short nights lately; I'm looking forward to sleeping more tonight. Oh, and I've got a freelance project I have to do today.
Finally, apparently I was voted a top 25 writer at www.Helium.com recently. That's quite an honor. I really like those guys.
Better run.
I am going to carpe my somnium. It's happening.
Showing posts with label editor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editor. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
First writing group meeting last night...
and it was neat-o. Nobody tried to force romance into anybody else's book, everybody gave advice to Mike about fatherhood, the salsa was excellent, as was all the rest of the food, and I think we all gained from the meeting.
I personally benefitted on a global level for The Cabin. Good thoughts about tone, tightness and characterization came my way. We had Liz, Kristi, Mike, Melinda, Kaye and me in attendance. Hopefully more will show up next time. We've decided on the 16th of August at 10 AM for our next meeting. I have promised to bring some zuchinni (spelling?) and some of my garden blender salsa.
So today while Annemarie, Emma (my lovely sister who is visiting) Benjamin (my newly minted lad) and I were out to lunch and such, the main kickstand on my scooter broke. That will complicate the parking of the wicked little beasty some, so that's nice. :-$ (This is me gritting my teeth...)
On the writing front, I will be condensing the first three chapters of The Cabin into two in order to tighten it up some and get the first few scenes more powerful. I plan to have queries out by the end of the month. Also, I haven't yet heard back from the editorial team at the company that bought The Mars Betrayal, so I will continue to focus my fiction efforts on The Cabin.
The people in my writing group are very impressive writers. I am in august company.
I need to get some work done now, so I will sign off.
By the way, tonight I and my sister will be going to see The Dark Knight. That should be fun.
I personally benefitted on a global level for The Cabin. Good thoughts about tone, tightness and characterization came my way. We had Liz, Kristi, Mike, Melinda, Kaye and me in attendance. Hopefully more will show up next time. We've decided on the 16th of August at 10 AM for our next meeting. I have promised to bring some zuchinni (spelling?) and some of my garden blender salsa.
So today while Annemarie, Emma (my lovely sister who is visiting) Benjamin (my newly minted lad) and I were out to lunch and such, the main kickstand on my scooter broke. That will complicate the parking of the wicked little beasty some, so that's nice. :-$ (This is me gritting my teeth...)
On the writing front, I will be condensing the first three chapters of The Cabin into two in order to tighten it up some and get the first few scenes more powerful. I plan to have queries out by the end of the month. Also, I haven't yet heard back from the editorial team at the company that bought The Mars Betrayal, so I will continue to focus my fiction efforts on The Cabin.
The people in my writing group are very impressive writers. I am in august company.
I need to get some work done now, so I will sign off.
By the way, tonight I and my sister will be going to see The Dark Knight. That should be fun.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Oh the power of typos
Okay, so I just clicked on the link I posted to my other blog. The site is called 'To Grunt and Sweat,' and I posted the link in the list on the right. However, I typed: gruntandsweat.blogpsot.com
Do you see the typo? Apparently the URL above takes a person to a rather uptight Bible-ist (since it is clear this person's true religion is the Bible) and his website. It is full of fire, brimstone and self-righteous vindictiveness.
So if you clicked on the link to check out my new blog, I beg your forgiveness. I have fixed the problem and it now works as flawlessly as I eat ice cream.
Moving on.
I am still waiting to hear back from the editorial team about The Mars Betrayal. I won't say I'm confident. I keep imagining all kinds of creative ways for them to crush my spirit again, such as simply sending a letter saying, "Well, you suck. We need that advance money back and we would rather you never contacted our company again. Incidentally, you should quit your day job, since you probably suck at that as well."
Or something along those lines. I hope it doesn't happen. I feel like I wrote a better story this time, so we will see.
Of late I have been working on polishing a synopsis of The Cabin so that I can send it out to agents and get the publication process going. I really like this book. This is a nice thing, since I'm darn near puking each time I go to work on The Mars Betrayal.
Please erase that tragic, pitiable image from your minds. Now click on the link to my new blog, titled To Grunt and Sweat and have a great experience. Bonus points if you know where I got that blog's title from.
Oh yeah. I've decided to give my writing my best time. I will be doing it first thing when I begin my work day. I should be able to give it from 1 to 2 hours each morning. Maybe more.
I must to work. But first, a freewrite. Today's topic: paper mache. (Or some other correct spelling.)
Paper mache, papier mache? is one of the greatest art forms on the planet. I mean think about it, you are using so many different materials in this work. You use wood pulp from trees which has been pressed into floppy sheets. Not only that, there is ink on those sheets of paper, particularly if you are using newspaper. What's more, you are using a symbol of what made western civilization so vibrant: the printing press.
You also use glue that has been made from some kind of grain, more than likely, and water, which we cannot live without. If you are making some kind of round shape, you are likely using a balloon, which is rubber, which is a synthetic these days and a fitting sign of the lasting damage mankind's carelessness is doing to our lovely Earth.
Finally, you use your hands and you can smell the glue and even taste it if you want. Hearing the sploshing, sticky noise of the paper in the glue basically means that you are having a fully sense-engaging experience.
Okay, that took three minutes, but there you go.
Do you see the typo? Apparently the URL above takes a person to a rather uptight Bible-ist (since it is clear this person's true religion is the Bible) and his website. It is full of fire, brimstone and self-righteous vindictiveness.
So if you clicked on the link to check out my new blog, I beg your forgiveness. I have fixed the problem and it now works as flawlessly as I eat ice cream.
Moving on.
I am still waiting to hear back from the editorial team about The Mars Betrayal. I won't say I'm confident. I keep imagining all kinds of creative ways for them to crush my spirit again, such as simply sending a letter saying, "Well, you suck. We need that advance money back and we would rather you never contacted our company again. Incidentally, you should quit your day job, since you probably suck at that as well."
Or something along those lines. I hope it doesn't happen. I feel like I wrote a better story this time, so we will see.
Of late I have been working on polishing a synopsis of The Cabin so that I can send it out to agents and get the publication process going. I really like this book. This is a nice thing, since I'm darn near puking each time I go to work on The Mars Betrayal.
Please erase that tragic, pitiable image from your minds. Now click on the link to my new blog, titled To Grunt and Sweat and have a great experience. Bonus points if you know where I got that blog's title from.
Oh yeah. I've decided to give my writing my best time. I will be doing it first thing when I begin my work day. I should be able to give it from 1 to 2 hours each morning. Maybe more.
I must to work. But first, a freewrite. Today's topic: paper mache. (Or some other correct spelling.)
Paper mache, papier mache? is one of the greatest art forms on the planet. I mean think about it, you are using so many different materials in this work. You use wood pulp from trees which has been pressed into floppy sheets. Not only that, there is ink on those sheets of paper, particularly if you are using newspaper. What's more, you are using a symbol of what made western civilization so vibrant: the printing press.
You also use glue that has been made from some kind of grain, more than likely, and water, which we cannot live without. If you are making some kind of round shape, you are likely using a balloon, which is rubber, which is a synthetic these days and a fitting sign of the lasting damage mankind's carelessness is doing to our lovely Earth.
Finally, you use your hands and you can smell the glue and even taste it if you want. Hearing the sploshing, sticky noise of the paper in the glue basically means that you are having a fully sense-engaging experience.
Okay, that took three minutes, but there you go.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Holy smoke...
I'm 3 for 3.
Okay, so if you've read many of my earlier posts, you will know that I have been writing for a company called ChartedCourse part time to keep some bills at bay. Of late I have been working primarily in my office at their corporate offices, actually doing my fiction writing there as well.
Anyway, I am the National Sales Director's Assistant, in that he and I hit around ideas regarding training and sales development. We're also good friends. I am also now functioning as a sales team leader and am actively recruiting sales people who want to make some good $$ while helping people get their finances figured out.
So today I led the corporate overviews for three prospective recruits to the sales team. All three committed to a second interview. Not bad eh? The reason this is so good is that as I get this team going I can actually get a commission percentage increase, which will be a healthy thing for my bank accounts.
This is supposed to be a writing blog, though, so enough of that. Should I sell my soul a little?
Nah.
The Mars Betrayal is at 6042 words. I will do a tiny bit now, then some more later. I need to run an errand or two, stop at home, then come back to the office tonight at 6PM for another overview. Of course, this one is with a guy who has scheduled twice before, so I'm winding up for his last strike basically.
If you haven't read How to Win Friends and Influence People, I recommend it.
I am still planning on sending two chapters of The Mars Betrayal to my editor on Friday. The thing is that I would like to have the whole new version done. This may be because I am a masochist and want to have my editor come back again saying it sucks so that I have to do it all over again.
Maybe I ought to work on those first two chapters a little more before sending them... but then my internal editor is being allowed to run amok before the story is done.
What to do?
No clue. I'll think of something.
I've added links to some blogs of new friends. Check them out.
carpe somnium
Okay, so if you've read many of my earlier posts, you will know that I have been writing for a company called ChartedCourse part time to keep some bills at bay. Of late I have been working primarily in my office at their corporate offices, actually doing my fiction writing there as well.
Anyway, I am the National Sales Director's Assistant, in that he and I hit around ideas regarding training and sales development. We're also good friends. I am also now functioning as a sales team leader and am actively recruiting sales people who want to make some good $$ while helping people get their finances figured out.
So today I led the corporate overviews for three prospective recruits to the sales team. All three committed to a second interview. Not bad eh? The reason this is so good is that as I get this team going I can actually get a commission percentage increase, which will be a healthy thing for my bank accounts.
This is supposed to be a writing blog, though, so enough of that. Should I sell my soul a little?
Nah.
The Mars Betrayal is at 6042 words. I will do a tiny bit now, then some more later. I need to run an errand or two, stop at home, then come back to the office tonight at 6PM for another overview. Of course, this one is with a guy who has scheduled twice before, so I'm winding up for his last strike basically.
If you haven't read How to Win Friends and Influence People, I recommend it.
I am still planning on sending two chapters of The Mars Betrayal to my editor on Friday. The thing is that I would like to have the whole new version done. This may be because I am a masochist and want to have my editor come back again saying it sucks so that I have to do it all over again.
Maybe I ought to work on those first two chapters a little more before sending them... but then my internal editor is being allowed to run amok before the story is done.
What to do?
No clue. I'll think of something.
I've added links to some blogs of new friends. Check them out.
carpe somnium
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