Jen Seegmiller's Writing Rhapsody

Stealing time for the Queen and King of Attolia

2009-04-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Is there any greater torture than writing an NIH grant? I don't think so. That's what I've been writing for the past month and I'm lucky my hair is still attached to my scalp. I also edited two manuscripts for Allen Press, which although weren't difficult, were assigned right as I came down with stomach flu. So, have I written anything fun lately? Nope. I'm taking a break from academic writing for a while though, so I should be able to finish the proposal for Lady General within the next two weeks and then get back to Windwatchers.

Part of my decompression routine is to read a book, or in this case, three. The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia served as a wonderful escape. Megan Whalen Turner did a brilliant job writing suspenseful stories with surprise endings. She wove a living Greek-like pantheon of Gods and Goddesses into a vibrant world of political intrique and rich cultural traditions that makes me hope she has a sequel in mind. You can't help loving Eugenides, the Thief who can steal anything. Whether he's stealing an artifact, a victory, a person, or someone's heart, he does it with style and nobility. If I write any more, I'll spoil the endings, so I won't. Just pick up a copy and read them for yourself. If you love good, clean, adventure stories with multi-layered plots, these books are for you.

My Fair Godmother

2009-03-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

If you've ever read a fairy tale and wished for your very own Fairy Godmother to magically appear and make everything wrong in your life, right, you're not alone. But watch what you wish for, Chrissy Everstar just might show up and make everything worse.

Savannah's life is pretty good, until her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister right before prom. Then at the party where she intended to find a new prom date, a guy who happens to be her ex's best friend, embarrasses her in front of everyone. With so many jerks out there, where's a prince when you need one?

Savannah doesn't think her life can get any worse. Then Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar shows up to grant her three wishes. Sounds great, right? Well, it would've been if Chrissy knew how to grant good wishes. But when Savannah wishes for her own Cinderella story, Chrissy zaps her back to the Middle Ages and Savannah finds out that life is pretty rough for Cinderella. The prince is an incredible snob, too. After enough chores and bad food to last a lifetime, Savannah begs Chrissy for a prince that's kind, but still handsome. And...presto....she's Snow White.

Snow White isn't too bright, according to the dwarves, who treat Savannah like she's a serious mental case. But Snow White has a load of chores too, and Prince Hubert is a clueless wonder. As a emancipated modern teenager, Savannah's had enough. She demands that Chrissy restore her to the 21st century and find her a princely prom date who's smart, handsome, and kind.

Zap!

Savannah arrives home safe and sound and ever so happy to see the refrigerator and shower. But Tristan, the boy who accidentally embarrassed her at the party, suddenly disappears and Savannah guesses how. She already knew that Chrissy wasn't a very good fairy godmother - only fair - but now Tristan is gone and Savannah is the only one who knows where. And since no one would believe her if she told anyone, it's up to her to get him back. After learning of a clause in Chrissy's contract that allows Savannah to supervise her wishes, Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to help Tristan defeat an ogre, vanquish a dragon, and become a 'prince' so he can return home.

Things get a little more complicated when she meets the handsome princes of the kingdom and Tristan is on the verge of marrying the princess. Then there's the mysterious Black Knight that Savannah can't get out of her head. What follows is a fun romp of deceit, intrigue, and romance with a few delicious twists thrown in. How does a girl survive a ball as Cinderella, Snow White, and a girl trying to get back home - all at the same time? She might have pulled it off if it weren't for one step mother trying to poison her and the other scheming to send her back home to sweep cinders from the fireplace. Good thing her knight in shining armour (pun intended) shows up, but you'll have to read the book to find out who he is.

This book has been optioned for a movie and I HOPE it gets picked up. Full of humor, adventure, and clean romance, it would be a perfect summer flick. Excellent job Janette!

Grant for Windwatchers of Freed

2009-03-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

I've written one whopping thing in the past month. I wrote a grant that would give me funds to attend the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators annual meeting in Los Angeles. I hope I get it. I'd never spend the money to attend otherwise and it would be so amazing to participate in the workshops. It'd also be cool to visit Darin and Kate afterward, take the kids to Disneyland, and spend a day at the beach before heading home. Anyhow, here's the first page of my submission:

Winds, nets, waves, tides
In the deep my soul resides.
Near, far, where 'ere I roam,
the sea will ever be my home.
-First verse, Mariner Folksong

Chapter 1

Lost at sea - what a lonely way to die. So many questions go unanswered when there aren't witnesses or bodies to bury. How did it happen? When? Was it quick and painless or a desperate struggle to the end? Maybe no one else wondered these things, but I did. I feared the sea. Her mood swings terrified me and her depths were a mystery I didn't care to probe. I felt much safer on land. But now I would have to take my chances. I sailed on the next tide.

The clan pennant flapped in my fingers as I stood on the Breakwater Cliffs for the memorial service. The village Alderman tried, and failed, to fill his speech with something meaningful. He and Father never liked each other much. A gust yanked the pennant from my hands just as a waved slammed against the cliff. The wave snatched the pennant from the wind, and then drowned it like the ship it had already claimed.

The Alderman went on and on about the tragedy of Father's untimely death but didn't seem too upset himself. Maybe that's the best he could do, what with the recent conflict between our families and all. And in truth, Father's death was untimely. Now the whole village would suffer. An entire cargo of trade goods had gone down with the ship. Never before had a ship been lost. But the moons hadn't met up in their orbits before either. No one predicted the wild, untamed thing the tide would become when that happened. In hushed whispers, folks were calling it the Death Tide.

Uglies and Pretties

2009-02-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

I've found my new favorite sci-fi YA series. Scott Westerfeld's dytopian future of Uglies and Pretties is an intriguing world where everyone is made beautiful at sixteen, and anyone normal is considered ugly. So what happens when a group tries to break free from the system of mind control put in place to suppress the uglier side of human nature? Pick up a copy and find out! The series is a unique hybrid of George Orwell's 1984 and The Devil Wears Prada morphed into an adventure-romance story that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning.

Now I'm just waiting to get my hands on Specials, the third book in the series. I'm also still waiting for Just One Wish and My Fair Godmother. My local library is SLOW to get new acquisitions into circulation. Oh well, if I had them all at once, I wouldn't get anything else done except read and I have a lot to do.

On Writers and Writing

2009-02-18T19:05:00.000-08:00

Writing is hard and often lonely work. I write, then delete, and then write some more. The next day I might delete everything again and then shut my computer off in frustration when the only words that come to my fingertips are flat. In talking with other writers, I know I'm not the only one who does this. It might be because of this struggle that the authors I've met either in person or online have been some of the most supportive, creative, and coolest ladies around, or maybe they were that way to begin with, but the people I've met over the past year or so have been an amazing inspiration. Hearing their experiences has helped me keep things in perspective. I can control if I write and what I write, but not what happens from there. With this new understanding, I have adjusted my goals and expectations accordingly and the pressure I was putting on myself is gone. It's liberating to allow myself to write only when I feel like it instead of putting myself on a tight productivity schedule. What's that about a type A personality? Oh no, not me. Hahahaha.

But as wonderful as it is to meet an already published author, it's another entirely to watch the process as a friend 'crosses over' from writer and wanna-be author to published author. It's exciting and really informative. But surprisingly, it's also painfully slow. This friend and I have slogged through revisions, sent out our query letters, and then waited, and waited, and waited some more. We both stacked up a load of rejection letters, but then, she got a call from an interested agent who wants to represent her. YAY! But that was two weeks ago. And now she is waiting to sign a contract and make the agent/client relationship official. Waiting seems to be the rule in this industry and patience must be the order of the day, or week, or month, or even year.

Hmmm....I'm probably supposed to learn something here.

Revenge of the Cheerleaders, take two

2009-02-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

When I was a cheerleader, I had this recurring fear of tripping in the middle of a dance routine and falling flat on my face in front of everyone. It never happened during high school or college, but the day has finally come. I've fallen smack on my face right here on my blog, which thankfully, is much less public than a basketball arena, but still embarrassing. Three weeks ago I posted about Revenge of the Cheerleaders by Janette Rallison - no problem, right? Well, I didn't think so until I was discussing it with my daughter today. Then to my horror, I realized that I was thinking about All's Fair in Love, War, and High School when I posted, and that because of Lindsey's unfortunate habit of removing the slipcovers from her books, I had the titles mixed up.

Gasp. Choke. Sob.

Sorry Janette.

She's such a gracious lady that she didn't even chastise me for being such an idiot. I only hope I can look back and see the humor in this situation one day. Right now, not so much.

So, here are my thoughts on Revenge of the Cheerleaders (I double-checked the title):

Chelsea is a cheerleader who seems to have it all - beauty, popularity, and designer style. But beneath the facade, she's still hurting from her ex-boyfriend's wandering eye. With her single mother working overtime to make ends meet, Chelsea is stuck keeping track of her wild little sister who is driving her crazy (on purpose, of course). When the little witch doesn't show up where she's supposed to be on Halloween, Chelsea goes somewhere a fifteen-year-old sister shouldn't be, but where that same sister's boyfriend is singing with his band - a college party.

Enter Clark Kent to help in her hour of need. Literally. Chelsea doesn't find out his real name because the witch she tackles to the ground isn't her sister after all and she's kicked out out of the party. But she can't forget him either. She runs into him the next time she's on babysitting duty, and suddenly doesn' t mind that she had to hear her sister's loser boyfriend, Rick, sing again. If Rick hadn't started singing a song that slammed her, she might have found out Clark Kent's name. If she hadn't fled the party so quickly, Clark Kent might have learned hers.

What follows is Much Ado About Nothing - high school style - where pretenses are as real as you make them, and insecurities bloom into suspicions that test loyalties and tear dreams apart. Revenge is not so sweet after all, especially when it hurts those you love. Chelsea joins with Rick to save her sister from a terrible mistake and has to put old prejudices aside for Clark Kent, who turns out to be Ricks brother, to realize that she really is the type of girl he thought she was before the fiasco. In the end, Chelsea discovers the power of love to heal wounds both old and new, and that forgiveness is as liberating as truth.

Chelsea would seem too perfect from the outside looking in, but with her thoughts and insecurities anchoring the storyline, you can't help but be drawn into her world. I found Revenge of the Cheerleaders to be an entertaining and compelling read. It would make a wonderful gift for those difficult-to-shop-for tween girls in your life. My twelve-year-old has read it twice.

Rules

2009-02-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

Lindsey handed me Rules, by Cynthia Lord last week and told me I "had to read it." So while I waited to shuttle my kids to one event or another, I did.

Cathrine just wants a normal life. But that seems like an impossible dream when her entire existence revolves around her autistic brother and his disability. Catherine writes a book of rules for him so he will remember how he's supposed to act. One of David's rules is to keep his pants on, another is no toys in the fish tank. Convincing him to keep his pants on and his toys out of the fish tank are hard enough, but what's a girl to do when everyone thinks she's weird by association and her parents hardly notice she exists? As Catherine struggles to find her own identity and cope with her brother's embarrassing behavior, she discovers that she can't really be herself until she opens her heart to the people that matter in her life, regardless of whether she is accepted by her new next-door-neighbor who is both beautiful and popular.

I love this book. It's a sweet, funny, sad, and an incredibly touching character-driven story. I really liked the authentic narrative voice. I've been studying voice a lot lately to try to figure out how various authors create it and use it to tell their various stories. In some of my writing, the narrative voice is strong, in other pieces, not so much. So the challenge is to combine a strong narrative voice with an amazing story. Sure, no problem. Hahaha.

I'm like the Little Engine chanting, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.... The Little Engine's story ends with success, but it doesn't really say how long he was stuck on the hill. So I think I'm stuck in 'I think I can' mode until I come up with my own magic formula to combine voice and story to write a book that will give me the satisfactory ending of 'I knew I could.'

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer

2009-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

Here's the book Joelle sent me that I couldn't put down. Highly original and extremely well-written, it's an amazing debut novel. Dreamdark is as colorful and wondrous as the Jinn-crafted tapestry that gives it life. If the cover art didn't tip you off, this book isn't the gag-me-sweet faerie world of little people who flit around and make things grow (there is one in the book, but you can't help but like her). It's the brilliantly conceived tale of Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, who hunts devils that have been released back into the world by meddling humans who keep opening bottles hoping to have their wishes granted. She's tough, she's good, and she's endearing from her foxlick to her crow feather skirt. Shannon Hale calls it a tremendous book, and I agree. I hope Laini Taylor writes a sequel soon.

Anyhow, after reading that book and getting a reality check about the odds of getting my books published, I've been rather discouraged. Janet Evanovich says on her blog that she queried every agent in New York, twice, for her first three novels with no bites. Ten years later, she finally got a book published and now she's a NY Times bestselling author. But it took a whole decade! Publishing a book is a much longer road than I first thought. Now the blinders are off. Nearly 4,000 manuscripts were submitted to Fire Brand Literary during their recent open submission query holiday and mine weren't counted in that total. I think DK, Princess Pots, and my works-in-progress are good, but I'm not sure they are good enough to get noticed in the crush of hopeful writers. I think getting published is a lot of luck, perseverance, and hard work. But given the odds, every new writer that gets a book published is a small miracle.

I believe in miracles. I guess the big question is whether I believe that this particular miracle can happen for me.

All's Fair in Love, War, and High School

2009-01-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

I haven't had time to read much lately, because I was helping Jeff submit two articles. I have one more to go, but I took a break on New Year's and nicked Lindsey's copy of All's Fair in Love, War and High School by Janette Rallison and finished the next day. Yes, a year of painstaking work, voraciously read in mere hours. It is unfair. Wouldn't it be nice if the words just poured from our brains to our fingertips in final version? It sure would save time. If anyone figures out how to do it, please let me know;)

All's Fair in Love, War, and High School was very cute and made me smile. One of my favorite scenes was the psycho cat who freaked out on the way to the vet, puked in Samantha's boyfriend's car, and then escaped to the roof of the clinic while Samantha's boyfriend took off. What a break up! You'd think those types of things can't happen, but since Janette's own psycho cat inspired the scene, I thought she did a fantastic job taking a really bad day and turning it into a funny read. Maybe I should just sit down and brainstrom my worst days ever and then figure out how they could work in one of my stories.

Anyhow, that was the last book I read, until I started a new one yesterday. I have a ton to do, so it wasn't on my radar screen of 'things to do next.' But becuase I'm sick and I feel crummy and when I got the mail, surprise, there was a book for me from Joelle (post on Pay it Forward and I'll send you something too), I couldn't resist cracking the cover and taking a peek. I really only meant to take a peek, but after the first paragraph, I had to read the second. Then the third and before I knew it, I was on Chapter 5. It's sad that my life is so busy right now that I have to justify reading, even to myself. So my excuse is that I need to recharge before I can help anyone else and reading always cheers me up.

Inaugural address

2009-01-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

President Obama's speechwriter is amazing. I thought that was one of the best inaugural addresses I've heard in a long time. Of course, having a President who is good at public speaking really helps. But when I read the transcript of the speech afterward, it was still fantastic. I wonder how many drafts he or she went through to get to the polished final version?

Misty Moors of England, oops, I mean, Idaho

2009-01-18T19:59:00.000-08:00

I've read a LOT of books set in England. Misty moors and foggy streets are a geographic feature in most of them and even a plot necessity in many. I used to imagine these settings and try to picture them in my mind. And then I'd try and figure out how anyone could get so lost in the mist that they would fall into a pond and drown, or fall off a cliff, or assume ghosts were haunting them. I'd honestly never been in fog so thick that you could really get lost in it. Then I moved here. Wow. The fog has been unbelievable over the past month. It comes and goes rather unpredictably. My headlights could hardly penetrate the mist a few weeks ago. In fact, later that night a woman came to our door because she was hopelessly lost and couldn't find the highway. Most days the fog lies thick in the lowland where we live because of the stream near our house. But with the rolling hills and numerous valleys, there is fog somewhere most of the time whenever moisture is present.

When it freezes during the night, we're treated to a glorious morning. Here are pics of this morning before it warmed up and the frost turned back into mist. Everything on the trees is frost, not snow.

I think I need to make sure that my stories have a strong sense of place. I want readers to picture my settings in their minds and want to go there. I've had descriptions of quaint villages, thatched roofs, hedgerows, imposing Downs, and misty moors running through my head for most of my life. Maybe I need to write a story set here, among the misty hills of the Palouse. The only problem is that a town full of tract homes and student apartments doesn't impart the same level of ambiance as a village of thatched-roof cottages. Sigh. Sometimes I wish the American west had a little more charm to go with its natural beauty. Oh well, I guess that is what fantasy is for.

Pay it Forward

2009-01-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

On the writing front, I've started writing Diary of an All-American Goth Girl, but not much is happening with DK. Adams Literary sent me a really nice rejection and I sent my revised manuscript to Elizabeth. But I also posted my first chapter on an online discussion board and it was picked apart. There weren't any major issues, but a lot of individual word choices and imagery that the other writers on the board didn't like. Some comments I agree with, others I don't, but I wish I had waited to send it off. Oh well. I just hope those little things don't turn Elizabeth off. But if they do, I guess I'll take care of them in my next revision before I send out my next batch of queries. Sigh. Have I mentioned how much I hate the query process? No? Well let me put it this way...I'd rather give birth to twins...without drugs. Once I find a good agent, then I can focus on the writing. Right now, I feel I'm split between selling my potential and realizing that potential and it's rather counterproductive.

Now off the subject for a little fun. I was catching up with some of my friends blogs over the holiday and found that Joelle was doing a fun 'pay it forward' game. I posted on her blog at http://www.joelleanthony.com/ and, woohoo, now I get to play too. And so can you - if you want to. Here are the rules:

The exchange focuses on doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will pass the kindness along and pay it forward in their own way. This is how it works… I am going to send something fun, inspiring or uplifting to the first 3 blog owners who post a comment on this entry (please leave your email address if I don’t all ready have it.).

In turn, you will then post about this on your blog, link to me, then send something to the first three people who sign up to play along through your blog. There are no rules on what to send, but don’t go crazy! The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found. No biggie, just a gift that will make the person smile. Maybe something unique from where you live? And remember that kindness doesn’t have to involve money; there are untold ways to help others every single day, everywhere you go - just look around.

The Beauty in Ugly

2008-12-27T23:55:00.000-08:00

My re-write is DONE (for now). I figure I've probably written over 200,000 words to get a polished 90,000 word, 370 page manuscript, but that's just how the process works. At least for me. Maybe it's different for others, but I don't think so. The first ugly draft has to exist before it can be beautiful.

So for those of you who read and critiqued my ugly early drafts, thanks. I wouldn't have learned as quickly without your feedback. I'm not one that re-reads books very often. If a book grabs me, I'll read it again a few years later. But in writing The Devil's Key, I've re-read the story so often that I can scroll right to the page where certain events happen without having to search. That's a LOT of re-reading and there were days when I was so sick of it.

I'm not now, though. Now, I'm excited. It's becoming beautiful. The choppy parts are smoothed, the extra dialog tags are gone, the characters are deeper, and the plot is tighter. I even have moments when I forget that my characters aren't real people. Jeff thinks I'm half crazy sometimes. But of course, I am. I have six kids, I'm general contracting a house, and I'm trying to break into the publishing world, each of which requires a certain level of insanity to try in the first place. So I must be three times crazier than everybody else. But seriously, I love the creative process that goes into writing and if I had my wish, I'd write six hours a day, publish a book a year, and putter around in my garden whenever I wasn't operating the mom taxi.

Now on to find an agent...

Third re-write, fifth revision

2008-12-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how many people are writing books - like one person in ten. Seriously. It seems like every other day I meet someone new who is in some stage of writing one. So naturally, I ask questions. It turns out that some folks only have a story idea and haven't actually started writing (an obvious flaw in logic there, but whatever). Others have made it past that hurdle and are part way through. A few actually make it to a first revision. It seems most quit at or before this stage, which is a good thing or agents would drown in a flood of query letters and wouldn't accept any at all.

But now I'm on my third re-write and fifth revision. Am I there yet? Will this revision be THE ONE? No idea. Honestly. I hope so and I know I need to send out another round of queries to put some action behind that hope, but I'd rather skip it. I hate the query process. I wonder if agents can tell a first-draft newbie from a writer who's slogged through several re-writes. I hope so. Are they willing to invest a little time to help a writer grow, or do they have so many prospects that they only accept perfect work? 'Cause if that's the case, I'm doomed. I don't think there's any such thing as a perfect draft. So why am I trying so hard to produce one? Oh yeah...I don't have an agent yet. So my goal for this next month is to finish revising the last one hundred pages of my story and send it off to Elizabeth while I research more agents to send it to.

Silence

2008-11-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

I'm still slogging through this revision of Devil's Key. I want the draft I send back to Elizabeth to be as good as I can make it because if she doesn't like it, that's it. I won't have another chance to have her be my agent. I have yet to hear back from Samantha McFerrin about Princess Pots, nor have I heard from Adams Literary about Devil's Key. Those are the only two queries I have out right now and I've heard nothing but silence. I'm hoping it's a golden silence and not a deathly silence, but time will tell. I have learned that immediate responses are almost always rejections. Not that I'm counting days or anything (38 and 22, respectively), but I do hope to hear back before New Year's. Adams Literary's exclusive runs out the second week in December. But I have enough to keep me busy until then. My goal is to finish this revision of DK in the next three weeks and get it to Elizabeth before Christmas. Clock's ticking.

Janette Rallison

2008-11-09T15:33:00.000-08:00

I met Janette Rallison last week. She's so cool. She was invited to speak at my children's Jr. High and High Schools, but she also spoke to the young women at church. I introduced myself and started asking about writing and the publishing industry in general. Then I invited her out to lunch. Being a kind, helpful person, she offered to review my first three chapters. Hooray! I handed them over two days later. Embarrassingly enough, I'd never read any of her books. So I stole Lindsey's copy of It's A Mall World After All and read it straight through. It was very cute (and clean), which are elusive qualities in today's young adult literature. If you are looking for a fun YA read, I definitely recommend her books.

Anyhow, Janette met with my writers group on Thursday evening, returned my marked up chapters, and offered valuable feedback. THANK YOU JANETTE! I internalized more about fiction writing from her in four hours than I did at an all day conference. So I'm back to the editing chopping block. However, now I am focused with specific things to fix. I only hope that once the surgery is over, my story will have new life.

Revisions, revisions

2008-11-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

A year ago, if someone had told me that in order to write a book, I'd have to re-write it three times with several rounds of revisions in between, I might have quit before even beginning. It's truly a labor of love because even if I find an agent who sells my story, I'm not likely to earn more than 1 cent for every word I wrote. That's some seriously low wages. Once I'm done with this round of revisions on Devil's Key though, I won't do any more until an agent or publisher requests them. I'm finally at a place where I'm comfortable with what I've written and can honestly say that I've enjoyed the process. Hopefully, the lessons I've learned this time around will reduce the number of re-writes with the next story. Maybe. But as Shannon Hale wrote on her blog, the first draft has to exist before it can be changed into the draft that you keep.

Sci Fi Romance

2008-10-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

As I was discussing books with an acquaintance, she offered the opinion that 'most women like romance novels and don't read science fiction.' WHAT??? How could she think that? I seriously had no idea. I grew up reading tons of sci-fi. As an adult, I'm a literary omnivore, but still love science fiction. Kevin J. Anderson's Saga of the Seven Suns is my current favorite sci-fi series. So here's my question, what do you read?

Inspiration

2008-10-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

A belated congratulations to Joelle Anthony, whose book Restoring Harmony, will be gracing bookstore shelves sometime in the near future. Way to go! And truly, hearing a success story is inspiring. It means that maybe all these frustrations and rejections are just part of the normal learning curve. It means that persistence pays off. It means that I still have hope that one of my stories will be published some day. Maybe.

Doubt and uncertainty offset hope and confidence in my roller coaster moods about my writing. I get SO excited about a project, only to be dashed to pieces by an editor or agent. But each time I crash, I learn, so I guess it's worth it. Thank goodness for friends and sisters who put this Humpty Dumpty together again, every time. You ladies rock!

The funny thing is, I woke up this morning with a story bug and couldn't settle to the grant I'm writing right now until I jotted my thoughts down. Sure, on a day I have NO time to write for myself, I can't get going until I do (the grant deadline is in less than a week). No complaints though, it's a cute little story. I was okay after the writers conference and e-mails from Elizabeth. But as the days have slipped past without any blocks of time to write for myself, and really, no idea how to improve the efficiency and quality of my writing efforts in the few stolen moments I snatch now and then, I've become increasingly frustrated. So now that I've had my little release, back to the dreaded grant. I want Jeff to get tenure soon so I won't have to do so much academic writing. It's not nearly as fun and adds so much stress to my life.

Writer's Conference

2008-09-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

I just returned from my first writing conference. I loved it, but was entirely overdressed. Next time I'm wearing jeans. My meeting with the editor from Harcourt didn't go as well as I could've hoped, but it was okay. She said my writing was good, but that my title and prologue didn't go with my first ten pages, which also seemed a little choppy to her. She suggested taking out most of the beginning to get to the main plot of the story quicker and read my revisions aloud to myself to make sure they are smooth (okay, will do). I got the sense that my story wasn't exactly the type she gets excited about, but she was very nice as was everyone else I met there.

When I returned home, I checked my e-mail and, wouldn't you know it, the agent from Levine & Greenberg had replied about my manuscript while I was gone. Her rejection was the kind that tells me that I almost have a publishable story. She actually read the whole thing (all 400+ pages), and gave me specific suggestions for areas that she thought could be improved. YAY! She also said my writing was 'quite good' and the story was exciting. So I am pleased.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

2008-09-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

The only things I've written in the past month are two poems and a building permit application. Yeah, I know, pathetic. I suppose thinking and plotting don't count as writing time, but hopefully, whenever I move past the insanely busy schedule I've been pushing lately, I'll have a very clear idea of where I'm heading as I write. I did read The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King for the second time. I read it four years ago and chose it for our book club's September title. It was an enjoyable read this time around too. Intelligent, brilliantly conceived, and smoothly delivered, I recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries of the non-frightening variety and is interested in a Sherlock Holmes remix better than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original.

Voices in my Head

2008-08-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting post on Shannon Hale's website this past week regarding the process of developing a story. She said that writers tend to either outline the plot and then develop their characters or a fully formed character tells their story during the writing process. So that got me thinking about how it works for me and I realized that the answer isn't so clear-cut. It depends on the story and the character. I came to love two of my characters from The Devil's Key so much, that I wanted to change the plot to suit them, and I did somewhat. However, in the sequel, I can't or it ruins the story line. So the plot where everything does not turn out happy in the end is definitely driving that one. We'll see if I ever get to write it.

Right now I'm developing the world that my characters live on for a new story I've started but can't seem to write about any more until I know what it's like there. I know the basic plot elements already and have a clear sense of the protagonist and what motivates and frightens him. But the other characters? The setting? They've been mere shadows on the fringe of my sub-conscious. But as I hear and see them more clearly in my head, I understand how everything fits together. I've even imagined an entire backstory, which I like better than anything else I've come up with so far.

I can't wait to write that one because Kali keeps whispering to me and it's very character-driven but still has a fantastic plot (at least, I think so). I know that hearing voices is generally NOT considered psychologically healthy. But maybe every writer has voices in their head. Jodie Foster in Nim's Island was hilarious and I totally related. I write what I dream, what I wish, and what terrifies me. To one degree or another, parts of myself are woven into whatever I write. I think that's why rejection can be so hard. Because if a writer can't separate out themselves from their writing, criticism feels terribly personal. Maybe bestselling authors don't have this problem, only emerging writers like me. So here's to the voices in my head. I hope they tell me a fantastic story that no reader, agent, or publisher can refuse.

My First Writing Conference

2008-08-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

I am heading to my first writing conference next month and I'm so excited. And nervous. I've posted some of my writing online and been ripped apart over the relative anonymity of the Internet. Dealing with nastiness in private wasn't too hard. But memories of my one awful experience getting ripped in person is giving me the jitters. I HATE crying in public, and as I listened to the first person outside my circle of family and friends to read The Devil's Key (actually, she didn't read it, she told me she skimmed it because it didn't seem worth her time to read) tell me that I didn't know how to write, my characters were flat, and I should just concentrate on writing magazine articles, I bawled. So now I've voluntarily signed up for a personal critique session at this conference and I'm terrified of a reprise. But I know I need it, so I'll bring lots of tissues just in case. I'm hoping I'll learn a lot, make some new friends, and gain valuable feedback that I can work with as I revise and continue writing. My friend Kim is attending too, so it should be a lot of fun, even if I do have to take time out for a crying jag.

Full Mansucript Request

2008-08-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

I planned to write so much this summer, but with the crazy schedule we've had over the past few months and all the kids home for summer break, it hasn't happened. I hadn't even finished the revisions I thought of during our move. So imagine my surprise when I returned from Nicole's wedding to find a message from an agent I queried back in May. Is the project still available? she asked. YES! I wanted to shout. Then she requested the full manuscript. After my little happy dance, I 'finished' (it's a relative term, remember?) my revisions at top speed and sent the manuscript to her. However, this time around, I'm not expecting anything. I love my story so well that I expected the first agent who read it to love it too. When she didn't, I was crushed. I don't know if I'm calloused now, or just professionally detached, because I'm not at all anxious or impatient. I know, pretty weird for me. If this new agent passes on it, I'll thank her and move on. I am pleased though. To me, it means my query letter worked. That's it. With a good query letter, I know I can move forward and keep querying until I find the right agent for this story. In the mean time, I have building permit documents to write, a manuscript to review, and a middle grade sci-fi/fantasy that is demanding attention. So between those things and getting four kids ready for school, I think I'll be pretty busy.

Becoming

2008-08-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

I realized that I never mentioned what happened with the full manuscript that I sent Elana. Well, she passed on it. She was very nice, saying that she enjoyed reading it, but ultimately, didn't feel it was a right fit for her representation list. Sigh. At least she didn't simply say it stunk. Oh...wait...maybe that's what she really meant. But I don't think so. Most of the people I've 'met' either online or in person in the writing world are very, very, cool. With one glaring exception, everyone has been professional and supportive, yet honest. And with each new experience I'm learning how to look at my own work more objectively. Now I spot things that I don't think I could've seen before. So despite (or maybe because of) all the discouragement and frustration, I am becoming a better writer. Ah the process of becoming - so painful at times. So humbling. I just wish my learning curve from wherever I'm at to wherever I need to be was a bit shorter. But two days after getting that rejection, a different agent requested the first hundred pages, so that helped a bit. I just wish those pages were stronger. So that's what I'm working on now. Well, not right now, but in the near future.

I had to stop everything to read Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn yesterday. Yep, I was a total bookworm. Jeff was very patient while I devoured all 700+ pages in twelve hours (I wish I could write as fast as I read). Needless to say, I loved it. She did a really good job twisting the story line around in unexpected ways and then ironing it all out for a very satisfying, if a little too neat, ending. I'd discuss my favorite parts, but I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone else. So go find a copy!

Writing with Kids

2008-07-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

After a two month absence from this blog, it would appear that I've abandoned it. Not so. What happened you might ask? Well, I'll tell you. School ended and I moved, so life has been slightly chaotic. Having the four older children home during the summer didn't just create four times more noise and work, more like 256 times. That's in addition to the two toddlers. So, to harness the synergy from so many bodies constantly in motion, we've done a lot of activities. However, I've come to realize that I can't write when I never get quiet time. I've tried a few times and I'll get a paragraph written and then MOMMMM! He hit me. Or, he took my toy. Or, I'm hungry. Or, I need toilet paper. You get the idea. This happens nonstop. I cannot wait for school to start. Then perhaps I'll get my writing momentum back.

In the midst of my frustration, I tried to find tips on how to write with kids. There were hardly any. This leads me to believe that I'm one of the few crazy enough to try to write with kids underfoot and that other writers either don't have any, their kids are grown, or they cart their kids to the babysitters. Ah well, I only have three more years to cuddle with my baby before he starts kindergarten. In the mean time, my lofty goal is to write for one hour each day. Pathetic, I know, but anything more would be out of reach right now. Just to illustrate, eleven interruptions and one toddler spat accompanied this post.

Manuscript Request

2008-05-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

An agent requested my manuscript! YAY! I'm so excited, and nervous. I hope she likes my story. And despite the lack of success so far, I cling to the hope that eventually, I'll find an agent who likes my story as much as I do. I just hope it's her. I think I'd really enjoy working with her. But the reality is that most manuscript requests do not result in offers for representation. It's all part of this arduous process of getting published in today's market. Someone told me that landing an agent was like winning the lottery, but I disagree. I think it's like organic chemistry. Dynamic chemistry is necessary in both the writing and the agent/client relationship, but getting there is grueling because it's the weeder process.
I dropped organic chemistry in college when I freaked out after earning a D on the first exam. Two days later, I learned the high grade was a C, but I was still in freak mode and dropped it anyhow. My friend, who earned the C, later told me that half the class dropped after that first test and the professor curved everything at the end, so she earned an A for the semester. Needless to say, I kicked myself really hard after that and promised not to quit something I started or believed in just because it was difficult at first. Since then, the type of hope that lodges in my heart has proved to be a stubborn thing. So I hope Elana loves The Devil's Key (and the Green Bean War, and Night Flier, Day Dreamer, and Windwatchers), but if not, I'll find someone who does. Eventually.

'Finnished'

2008-05-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

Finished, done, complete, kaput - are words that used to sound so concrete to me. Then I started writing, and revising, and writing, revising, writing, revising, writing, revising...you get the picture. Now I know how relative the term 'finished' is. So I am relatively finished with The Devil's Key after my latest major re-write and a million minor revisions. But I am really happy with my manuscript now. It's 99,700 words and 394 pages long, and a tight, compelling read (in my very biased opinion). Smile. Still smiling. I'm going to enjoy this happy moment before I throw myself into the task of finding a literary agent. Once I do, he or she will probably want some revisions and when/if it gets picked up by a publisher, there will be more. Maybe when the book is being printed I can claim finished status? Nope, because then I'll be working on another manuscript. Hmmm...I supposed Finnished is what I'll be when I'm visiting with my friend in Helsinki.

The Host

2008-05-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Host, by Stephenie Meyer. Wow. Few writers can keep a readers attention for 600+ pages. Yes, it's that long. But if you're looking for a great psychological sci-fi/romance with a unique twist, this is the book for you. It's light on the sci-fi for those of you who aren't fans. Without giving away the story, I would describe it as Star Trek meeting The Stepford Wives in a dystopian future. That might sound weird, but amazingly, it works. Really well.

And what about that amazing cover art? Whoever came up with the idea deserves a raise.

Lost in a crowd

2008-05-07T13:19:00.001-07:00

Here's a sobering statistic. Over 400,000 books were published last year. Yikes, no wonder it's so hard to grab the attention of an agent or publisher. New writers have to try and get a foot in the door around a lot of productive established writers and a veritable flood of fellow unpublished newbies who, according to agent Jonathan Lyons, often lack the fundamentals of written English. I'm sure he's seen enough bad queries to justify that statement. Janet Reid blogs about the belligerence of some writers who send nasty e-mails after she rejects their query. Rachel Vater posts some queries that are so pathetic, you have to wonder how the person clicking the send button could presume to call themselves a writer. Barely literate is more accurate. Perhaps that's why some agents aren't replying at all anymore. But HEY! There are a lot of us who aren't like that! And for the record, I love agents who are considerate enough to send a rejection, even if it is just a form letter.

Query Black Hole

2008-05-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

A digital 'black hole' ripping the network of cyberspace was recently discovered. This phenomenon appears to particularly affect query letters and literary agent responses, but unfortunately, spam remains completely impervious. Evidence suggests that indeed, many query letters are sucked into this fathomless vortex nanoseconds after aspiring authors click 'send.' Statistically, a few queries do arrive at their intended destination where presumably, agents respond. But without reliable feedback from agents verifying query receipt or rejection, some writers suspect that the information void is due to the digital abyss. Some writers attempt to overcome this problem by mass mailings and cyber-stalking. Some assume that no response is simply an invitation to re-submit. Others slowly pine in silent misery, but check their e-mail twenty times a day. It can only be hoped that this black hole will collapse soon and normal communication can be re-established.

Three Cups of Tea

2008-04-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read this book yet, stop whatever you're doing, call your library and get on the wait list for it. Or better yet, just buy it.

Fantastic, is one word to describe it. Inspirational, fascinating, compelling, humbling, are a few other words that work as well. I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but this is one of the most amazing true stories I've ever read or heard of. I don't want to spoil the whole book, so I won't, but I think Greg Mortensen's wife must be absolutely amazing to support his tireless efforts to improve the lives of so many people in such a dangerous part of the world.

Greg Mortensen unequivocally demonstrates the value of humanitarian efforts in the Islamic world, despite the backlash from some small-minded Americans who don't think people in those countries are worth our attention at all. If you'd like to discover how good works have changed the hearts, minds, and future of a people, read this book. If more of us could love and help others despite religious, political, and cultural differences, the pain and suffering of this world would be greatly diminished and perhaps the ugliness of war would become a mere memory.

However, it's not a book to read when you're tired. David Oliver Renin writes beautiful, but complex sentences that slip through tired brains without leaving their meaning behind until the second try. It's a great read though - absolutely worth every minute of reading time - unless you're already sleepy. If so, you're better off sleeping and picking it up to read when you're fresh.

Kite Runner

2008-04-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Kite Runner. Wow. I haven't read something that compelling in a while. Lately, I've just read for entertainment. But I think I've shortchanged myself. I truly love a literary work that is uplifting in a cathartic kind of way, where some thread of nobility or selfless sacrifice surfaces in a flawed character who rises to greatness in the end. Maybe that's why one of my favorite books of all time is A Tale of Two Cities. As for Kite Runner, I had a hard time with the first seventy five pages. Ick. The narrator was a selfish, spoiled, unkind brat - the type of character (and person) for whom I have little patience. I wanted to yell quit whining, start thinking of others and find ways to help them, and then be grateful for what you have you little snot. If I hadn't had the sense that the story was about to change, I would've stopped reading. I'm glad I didn't. And as the story narrator said, it's the ending that matters. This ending was wonderful. However, just so you know, the story is set against the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and has some really dark, gritty elements that jangled my sensibilities of human decency and respect. Those acts were not glorified in any way, but I abhor violence and cringe at descriptions of the truly evil things some people do. So I skipped a few paragraphs here and there. Most people are good people who make mistakes, but for the most part, live decent lives. Then there are the animals - the depraved sociopaths who use power to subdue, hurt, and destroy others. This story has both, as well as the rarer person with a pure heart who rises above it all.

The Query Queen

2008-04-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

I was struggling with my query letter and added a comment to an author blog. Surprise, surprise, the author responded and gave me some tips. Yes, Joelle Anthony rocks. I was awed that she received partial or full manuscript requests almost every time she submitted. Wow, I found the query queen. She's also very nice. After she critiqued my query, I revised, sent her my revision, and voila! I have a polished query letter. YES! Now, I just need a polished story to go with it, but one thing at a time. I don't know many people in this industry yet, but the writers I have met are so cool. Another cool gal is the writer who reads my first drafts. Serious talent there, but I don't think she'd want her name mentioned, so thanks Rita Bunch! If I ever get anything published, it's because I found such great friends to guide my writing efforts.

Setting a hook

2008-04-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

My husband is great at setting hooks - in trout. I've always preferred reading to fishing, but I've realized that landing an agent is just like fishing. Bait the hook, cast, set the hook, reel them in. So now I'm learn to fish for literary agents. Like most beginners, my first attempts have been clumsy, but I'm getting better.

I read a great post on Joelle Anthony's blog last week. She wrote about how long it took her to perfect the art of writing a hook and emphasized how important the hook really is. I knew this already, but am still transitioning from theory to practice. It was really nice to read that I'm not the only one who stumbles through this process. I thought my query letters were just fine. Brief and cleanly wordsmithed, I thought they would get at least one or two partial requests. Nope. Obviously, I need better hooks. So, I'm taking notes. What I've noticed so far is that successful letters aren't formal, they're quirky and often fun. They're also a lot longer than I was told query letters should be. So maybe I'll beef mine up for the next round. The hardest thing is not to just write, READ MY STORY, YOU'LL LOVE IT. But deep down, I think that's what every writer wants to say so they can just skip the courting and rejection phase of endless querying. But just because I love my stories, doesn't mean anyone else will. I have to convince them. So query letters are really just persuasive essays with a tightly focused objective. So how well do I fish? Hmmm...don't know yet. I guess I'll find out.

Why Write?

2008-04-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

Why do I write? Because I have to. That's it, plain and simple. I wish my writing was brilliant, it's not. But it makes me happy. I love taking a blank computer screen and creating characters to tell their stories, my stories, but theirs as well. Once established in my mind, they have their own voices and aren't afraid to use them. Transferring those voices to the page is the tough part. I've jumped out of bed in the middle of the night to jot notes down in my notebook. I sit on the floor of my walk-in closet and write instead of walking downstairs to turn on the computer. If I could go without sleep, I would. But alas, I don't function very well without at least six hours. Ah well, I have a lifetime to write. I only hope that someday I'll get my stories published.

I thought the word rhapsody described how I envision my blog - an expression of feeling or enthusiasm, an irregular piece of prose, and a miscellaneous jumble.