Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Prepping a submission package

I’ve been spending all of my time readying my requested submission package to an agent. So far, I have: the resume, coverletter, publishing credits and 3 writing samples. (Why request writing samples when you’re getting my complete manuscript?? Interesting.) My manuscript is almost ready to go into the box. Talk about scary! One query I sent to an agent was rejected within a couple of hours and on the same day I had a request for a full. I’ve only queried 2 agents and I plan to submit this package exclusively to the agent who requested the full.

I’m trying to finish up the submission and get it in the mail so I can have a bit of a break before school starts again. I found a couple of new magazines I want to query and have been listening to way too much holiday music. I think I hear “Jingle Bells” in my sleep.

Happy Holidays to all!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Good Things!

Yesterday was a great day to be a writer. First, I e-queried a N.Y.C. agent and she emailed me back and said she’d be “pleased” to read my entire manuscript after Jan. 15. Shock, surprise and excitement! Yes, I realize she’ll most likely turn it down but to have her request a full M.S. seems like a good thing. At least I got past a query. So, I’m re-reading my M.S., touching up my resume and am preparing the package that she requested.

And then..

I got an email from Guideposts Sweet 16 and the editor asks me to revise 2 questions on the spec quiz I sent in Sept. It appears that they will probably publish it next year! Elation!

The blog may be neglected until Jan. since I must focus my attention on my M.S. and get that thing to New York. Cross your fingers!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Winner!

So, I got up early and typed like a fiend. I trotted over to the NaNo “official” word counter and pressed “submit.” Oh, yay for 50,000 words!! Woo hoo! My wrists hurt, fingers are cramped and I’m sick of staring at my computer screen. I’m off to watch a movie and relax. The next project for my NaNo draft, you ask? March 2007’s National Editing Month or “NaNoEdMo.” 50 hours of editing on the NaNo novel. Bring it on!

Monday, November 20, 2006

NaNoWriMo Day 20

Wow, only 10 days left until the end of National Novel Writing Month! At times it was painful, depressing and scary but most of all- it was EXCITING! Rarely do we get up the drive to force ourselves to write 50,000 words of fiction in 30 days. Yes, 30 days people. It’s an insane contest but sooo worth it! Instead of reading books about writing, scouring the writer’s market and reading other writer blogs, I wrote. Plain and simple.

Today’s stats shape up like this:

Word Count: 34,620
Today’s caffeine intake: 2 coffees and 1 green tea
Character’s goals: Make the advanced riding team, hook the boy she’s lusting after and outsmart the evil girl who is making her life miserable

Monday, November 13, 2006

NaNoWriMo Day 13

NaNo Stats:

Word Count: 28,102
Character Count: 14ish (minors and majors)
At this rate I’ll be finished on: November 21.

Yesterday really picked up. I typed late into the night and managed to type about 2500 words. I’m swamped with schoolwork today, so I won’t get to NaNo until later. I’m finished with my entries for Harper and have to wait until Wednesday to find out it I made the finals. My chapters weren’t as good as they should have been, so I’m not too hopeful for round 2. I hope to work more on my entries for round 3 and I’ll need to be more creative with plot twists and such.

I’ll probably be checking my email every 5 minutes today to see if I hear from an editor at Sweet 16. I’m hoping it doesn’t take too long to get a yes or no!

Thursday, November 09, 2006

NaNoWriMo Day 9

Word Count: 23,265
Plot Holes: 1 MAJOR hole!
Fits thrown: 1 (mine-not my character’s)

Yep, I have this feline staring at me when I’m typing furiously and trying to write. I get a cold nose shoved against my hand, a paw on my keyboard and the occasional lick on my hand.

As you can tell, I’m one of those cliched writers who loves cats. No, I don’t plan to be sixty, live alone and mutter to myself while living with 10 cats.

In fact, it was a wonderful book series about Siamese cats that got me interested in writing and desiring my own Siamese cat. Ever hear of the Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Bruan? Yep, her famous felines KoKo and Yum Yum made me want to write. And I did. Dozens and dozens of awful cat stories. Oh well, everyone has to start somewhere!

Before cats, I found horses but that’s another day.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

NaNoWriMo Day 8

Today’s word count: 20,891 (almost halfway!!)
Coffees: absolutely none
Background noise: Election coverage (go blue!)

Well, I’m not as productive today. I’m trying to write an essay for my Gender and Society in Ancient Greece class and the topic is a bit difficult to work around. But, I’m making progress. I was up half of the night biting my nails and cheering for change in the House and Senate. Looks like I may get my wish! 🙂

Still plowing through my novel and it’s getting tougher as the days go on. I’m waiting for the book Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund to arrive. I met her on a NaNo forum and I think I’m going to love her book. Can’t wait to start reading that one! She has been offering me great advice and I’m dying to read her work.

I need to get back to typing and stop wasting time. I should be doing follow ups on a few magazine queries. I sent one follow up to an editor and haven’t heard anything for 2 months. Do you follow up on a follow up?!

Ooh…I just heard an interview with Sara Gruen (I mentioned her in a previous post) on WriMoRadio. Chris Baty, NaNo’s founder, mentioned that Sara struck a two book deal that is rumored to be worth….$5 million. I couldn’t believe it! When I interviewed Sara over a year ago, she was still somewhat new in the book business and I don’t think she was making anything near $5 million for a two book deal. That is such exciting news and I’m so proud to have spoken to her. There is hope for the rest of us!

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

NaNoWriMo Day 7

A week into NaNo and I’m still going strong!

Word Count: 17,234
Sanity: 98.5%
Diet Sodas: 2
Current writing location: Living room floor with cat on lap

The plot is moving along at a nice clip. I tried the BIC method “book on an index card” and plotted heavily last night. That helps tremendously! After a week, I was starting to get a bit lost in my plot as to where I was in the month. I really like the book Novelist’s Boot Camp and started to use that to help my draft. I struggle with turning off that inner editor!

I’ve learned a LOT from NaNo forums in the past day or so. People searching for agents aren’t limiting themselves to following the “rules” that writing books tell them. I’ve learned of some unconventional ways to query an agent and I think I’m going to try them.

So, today’s goal, you ask? At least 2000 words, hopefully I’ll hit 3000.

I’m also working on a holiday short story for a newspaper contest and the deadline is November 15, so I better get going. 🙂

Reading this week: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I loved her two previous books and had to give this one a shot. I was lucky to interview her last year and highly recommend her novels

NaNoWriMo Day 5

So, NaNoWriMo day 5 is coming to a close. The progress:

Word Count: 13,102
Coffee: 0
Miles walked: 1.5
Treats given to cat: 3

Once again, I’ve been incredibly happy with the people I’ve met on NaNo forums, particurarly the YA writing forum. Learning about the agent search from others who are going through the process or have had success is INCREDIBLY helpful.

I’ve been moving through my first draft at a good clip and I fully anticipate to make 50,000 words. I’m studying agent listings and trying to get a feel for what agents are looking for and see if I can incorporate any of that into my draft.

Okay, well, still typing and trying to watch ice skating. Happy Sunday

I’m going to be doing several blogs that will be from back in the DAY! I want to take a look back at the journey from writing TAKE THE REINS in 2006, to selling it in 2007, to it pubbing in 2009.

Let’s kick this off with November 2006!

This is my third day of writing TTR. 🙂

Friday, November 3, 2006

NaNoWriMo Day 3

Words: 6061 by noon today
Sanity level: 95%
Coffee intake: 2
Swear words used: 5

Those are the stats! Lookin’ good so far. I’ve met more people of interest this year in NaNo and the Harper Teen FanLit contest than I met last year. I was surprised to find successful authors on NaNo willing to help someone like me with the agent and publishing process. I figured authors with books on actual store shelves wouldn’t give time to the little people but I was wrong! Kudos to those who have offered me encouragement….it goes a long way. 🙂