Well, He's Not Hugh Jackman

Sometimes you just need to cut loose.

Taking Chances

Currently reading - Death's Excellent Vacation by CHarlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

After sending a whiny e-mail to the crit partners on Tuesday evening, Faye immediate response was "Get back on the horse."

Okay, that's really not a direct quote. I left out the more colorful language. But the gist of her comment is the same.

I pointed out to her that theoretically I'm still on the horse. I'm just hanging from a stirrup with my head bonking along the rough terrain.

And that's where the ever-lauded perserverence comes in handy. I pulled myself up, sent out another query for ZL and wrote a couple of thousand words on the current wip. If you want that publishing credit, you can't stop just because you got kicked in the head. (Ask Jody. She's been kicked in the head for real a few times.)

Next on the list--practice that pitch for the Lone Star Conference.

Pitch Analysis

Currently reading - Death's Excellent Vacation, edite by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

For those of you who write romance and want a pitch analysis from a real editor, check out Casablanca Authors Blog. Sorry this is a little late since I just found out (too many errands to run before I had a chance to read/write blog stuff today).

About once a month, Deb Werksman from Sourcebooks takes a look at authors' work. Sometimes it's just the pitch, or maybe the first page depending on Deb's schedule. But it's definitely worth looking at the pitches to get some ideas of what works and what doesn't.

Deb's a straight shooter, doesn't put anyone down, and gives some valuble insight into the mind of an editor.

And Then the Coyote Realizes She's Running in Mid-Air

Currently reading - Death's Excellent Vacation, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

After all my whining yesterday (which goes very well with Colby Jack cheese I might add), guess what awaited me in the Inbox when I arrived home from work?

Yep, the scores. *sigh* And yes, it was as bad as I feared. DH held me as we read over them, and then he said, "Put it away for tonight, glean what you can to tweak the book before you pitch it at the conference, and let's go kill something."

The conference he referred to is the Nortwest Houston RWA chapter's Lone Star Conference in October. If you can be in the Houston area, it's well worth the money.

The killing he referred to only involves the Xbox, I swear. Hey, did you know you can put Halo's Master Chief in pink armor?

On a positive note, one of the judges did get my Mel Brooks' tribute. If you haven't watched Young Frankenstein with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, and Cloris Leachman, go rent or buy it now.

Wrestling with Pigs

Currently reading - Death's Excellent Vacation, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

George Bernard Shaw had it right. Wrestling pigs is not a good thing.

I admit I spent the last two days wallowing. I entered AVT in a writing contest a few months ago. AVT did not final.

I'm very proud of it. It's the tighest book I've written so far. Other books have finaled. Heck, the second book I ever wrote missed finaling by one friggin' point. If I'm totally honest, it didn't deserve that high of score. But AVT? When the worst thing any of my critique partners said was I went a little gerund crazy? Then yes, it did deserve a high score.

Unfortunately, I've got a feeling why it didn't do so well. The subject's a little quirky. My heroine's an Amish vampire.

Well, technically Anne's not Amish. She was bitten before she was baptized in the church. And a lot of the internal conflict is Anne trying to reconcile her Amish upbringing with what she is now--an eighty-year-old virgin.

(Oops, wrong story!)

. . .trying to reconcile her Amish upbringing with what she is now--an Enforcer (the vampire equivalent to a cop).

So I'm sitting here for the last two days, fretting about the judges' comments I haven't even received yet. Do they matter? In the long run, probably not. I did my best. And wallowing about it only leaves me covered in a layer of mud.

Damn, I need a shower.

And Now for Something You Really Enjoy. . .

If you're trying to break into publishing, just keep singing Gloria Gaynor's anthem and watch out for those disco balls. . .

If DH Is Confused, Where Does That Leave the Rest of Us?

Currently reading - Death's Excellent Vacation, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

DH has been keeping an eye on the business news in regards to the publishing industry. He asked my thoughts on the looming proxy fight within Barnes and Noble. His point being with the advent of our e-reader overlords, why are the shareholders fighting over a sinking ship?

First of all, I can't see print totally disappearing. Like vinyl in the music industry, I think it'll become a niche market.

Second of all, once I explained the actual manufacture and distribution of print media, his eyes bugged out, and he muttered something along the lines of "How quaint!" And yes, I agree with DH that a correction in the industry is long overdue. When most other businesses use just-in-time inventory and high-speed communications to faciliate their work, the publishing industry looks positively stegasaurian by comparison. It's only been in the last five years that the number of agents and editors taking e-mail queries has flipped from the miniscule minority to the majority.

Finally, a lot of authors are using these new technologies to strike out on their own and self-publish. The jury's still out on whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Some folks are smart enough to get the professional support they need, i.e. editors, cover designers, etc. Some aren't. Some have the savvy to build a platform and market to their audience. Some don't. I think in the short term, the public will have to wade through the slushpile. Word of mouth will become even more important as we look for the jewels we want to read.

So what's going to happen in the next five years? Hell if I know. But it's going to be a bumpy ride.

(And people wonder why I use the white water metaphore.)

Life Sucks and So Do Vampires

Currently reading - Soulless by Gail Carriger

If you haven't seen it and need a pick-me-up, take the afternoon off and go see Vampires Suck. Don't go expecting Citizen Kane or Ben Hur. It's stupid fun, it's meant to be stupid fun, and it's so worth it for what Becca (Bella) does to Buffy Summers (yeah, that Buffy Summers).

On that note, here's Rebelliouspixels' Buffy vs. Edward:

Censorship Sucks

Currently reading - Soulless by Gail Carriger

The following is a letter I sent to Guy Sconzo, superintendent of Humble ISD after YA author Ellen Hopkins was "disinvited" from the Humble ISD Teen Lit Fest. Several writers have withdrawn form the festival in protest of the censorship. For more information on the controversy, please see Ellen Hopkins blog or Tera Lynn Childs blog. If you live in the Houston area (heck, even if you don't), please let Mr. Sconzo know what you think of censorship. His e-mail address is guy.sconzo@humble.k12.tx.us.


Dear Mr. Sconzo:

I want to say thank you for reinforcing my decision to withdraw my son from the Texas public school system and homeschool him. Your decision to sponsor censorship by "disinviting" Ellen Hopkins from the Humble ISD Teen Lit Fest proves to me that the Texas school system is moving backwards, not forwards, in educating our children.

I want my son exposed to a multitude of ideas, including one that I don't agee with, in order for him to develop his decision-making process. Ms. Hopkins writes honestly about the very real dangers our children face. By ignoring these same dangers, we adults set up our children to be sucked into the very things we want to protect them from. I want my son to know about these dangers, so I can help him prepare coping mechanisms. Many authors' books, including Ms. Hopkins, have been the gateway I've used to open up discussions about these issues with my son.

I hope you will reconsider your decision. Censorship does not protect our children at all.

Sincerely yours,
Suzan Harden

A Difficult Position

Currently reading - Soulless by Gail Carriger

Most unpublished writers know not to ask a published author for a referral. (You do know that's bad form, right?)

So what happens when a very successful author vigorously insists that you must send your work to her agent?

Let's just say the results aren't pretty. For anyone.

Lessons Learned:

1) Don't refer your unpublished friend if the work isn't ready.

2) Don't refer your unpublished friend if your agent doesn't represent the genre your friend writes.

3) And whatever you do, don't get on the phone with your agent after drinking a couple of martinis and chew her out for rejecting your friend.

Despite everything, the agent was a sweetheart to me and offered to look at my next project. Maybe someday I'll get over my embarrassment and look her in the eye again.