Happy Thanksgiving---to all and to me!

So, Thanksgiving is a few days away and I am feeling in the thankful mood.

My thanks (here goes):
-I am thankful for a loving family, a good job, and my week long vacation.
-I am thankful for the Internet, and blogger... as I have found both to be very helpful on my writing quest.
-I am thankful for Evil Editor, Phoenix Sullivan, Query Shark, Lynette Labelle, and a slew of others that have provided me insight over the last 12 months.
-I am thankful for this laptop, without it my writing would be strewn across tablets of paper.
-Finally I am thankful for good food, a bottle of Bud light, and music... all three keep my creativity flowing.

Just submitted to a great contest

To writers everywhere:

I just submitted to a great contest, Fairest of them all .

I really enjoy it when other's with experience take the time to mentor and share their knowledge with those who may not be at the head of the pack. It is refreshing to really get in the spirit of competition as well and I only hope that my entry is worthy of being chosen.

So, to all who need a little query buffing, similar to bikini waxing--but much more painful, click the link above and check out Lynnette Labelle's blog. She is offering up 4 detailed query critiques for a little bit of work on the author's part. Deadline submission is Friday, Nov. 12th.

NanoWriMo

So, the month of November is here and NanoWriMo has officially begun.

Am I taking part... ummmm, sort of. Not really, but I will try to accomplish more in the ways of writing this month than in the month of October.

I am back again toiling at Helium and posted a new intro for another novel idea that has been tossing around in my brain. I really need to work on editing the original book I finished in January. Re-tool and edit the synopsis and query into a fine piece of literature.

Unfortunately the new idea beckoned to me tonight and I went ahead a jotted down a few hundred words of effort. Time is my enemy... my goals of being published by 2012 are severely dwindling.

So, NanoWriMo, serious NO GO! But with every effort I will re-dedicated more of my time to writing. In fact I already am with this blog post :) Talley-Ho, Tweedle-Loo!

Longing for the past

As a member of the never-ending rat race I try to dwell in the present and future vs. the past. The idea of keeping my mind occupied with moving forward is a challenge to say the least.

Never a day goes by when my memory banks aren't stirred with thoughts of my previous existence via driving by a particular location, seeing a post from an old friend on Facebook, or hearing a song on the radio. How I long for the sweet days of freedom and less responsibility. Even now I would happily turn the clock back 72 hours for a chance to right wrongs or provide my mouth with a much needed filter.

"Hindsight is 20/20"

We see more clearly in the future what we should have done in the past and the quote above only re-confirms this. I do regret those decisions that I made out of anger and frustration. Giving up my precious violin to focus on friends and money or not adjusting quickly to the required fancy dress up that comes with being an adult woman.

I firmly believe we are also jealous of our former selves, our innocence, naveity. The world was much simpler at the age of 6 then at 16 or 26. When running around without shaven legs was not faux pas. The unibrow did not exist and dresses were for make-believe.

So while I sit wishing for the days when I could sprawl out on the couch and read for hours without interruption, or lounge around with my un-shaven legs in my mother's bell bottoms from the 60's, please forgive my divulge into the past.

Revenge of the fly

The strip of wax evaded and now the winged insect is posed in defensive posture. Microscopic eyes would surely reveal a glimpse of the devil's pointed feeler aimed at my head. So sure of this tiny beast's want of my demise I wait, fly swatter in hand. Duel to the death, and my batting average is low. The developed squirmy being takes flight. I swing, hooray! I miss, boo-hoo! The fly has completed it's buzz of the tower which is my head and soars off to plan the next attack. Subconsciously this fly wants to be a kamikaze.

Talk about Buzz!

Here I am toiling away at the beginning of a late night and what do I spy? Blog writers in the publishing world talking about creating buzz!

Now in that area I am skilled. My creative writing forces are in desperate need of honing, but marketing is a whole-nother story. My degree is in marketing and my favorite topic of discussion with peers of late is buzz!

Buzz otherwise known as viral marketing is the fine art of marketing through word of mouth or any form of communication.

We get our thoughts "viral" everyday via phone calls to friends, discussions with co-workers, and our desperate need to communicate via various Internet applications. My blog being one of those (*wink). How do you create the right buzz though?
This is my big question. In the evolving age of communication, especially on the Internet, we are inundated by spam everyday. While spam is just a marketing ploy it mimics viral marketing taking the shape of emails, blog comments, etc. How do you control it? How do you convince others that your piece of info is not the next piece of spam eagerly waiting to be blocked?

- Gain more friends. Don't pitch right away... sell yourself, then your book.
- Encourage relatives, co-workers, and family to help spread the news the "viral" way.
- Share other ideas besides just your book pitch. You want to be interesting not annoying.

These are my brilliant marketing thoughts at 11pm CST. I would love to hear yours.

Follow the yellow brick road

My query is coming along. I have received some great feedback this week from the lovely Phoenix Sullivan and commenter's.

Just wanted to express my thanks via the blog to those who assisted in providing the feedback. I will once again begin toiling away at the query and hope I can continue to move forward.

The other novel I am working on is still a work in progress, and my new deadline for the rough draft is the 1st of October. While my dreams of being published, and my books in the greedy hands of literary fanatics are far from reality, my long hours and mad typing will continue.

Thanks to all and may those who continue to work as hard experience success in the future.

Ding* Light dawns on marble head

Writing is a tough job, hobby, or whatever you may call it. I find that the most simple communication can be hard to understand because with writing the author has to not only speak the words but describe the voice that is providing them.

How often do you read what a person may write in an email or blog and not know the manner in which they speak the words? I find this a common problem even with a simple post to facebook.

I could say, "Well, isn't that special!"

This one phrase could be taken in the following ways:

-I am being completely sarcastic and rude.
-I really mean something is truly special.

Which is it? Readers may never know. Now if I add a smile :), does that change things. Nonewhatsoever! Unless you know who I am my intentions will be completely unknown. One can only assume.

All I mean to say by this is that people, myself included, have to be cautious when posting their comments and feelings on a blog. Especially those of us who are budding author's. I don't want someone to think I have a poor attitude to constructive criticism. But I do want to express my opinion's and provide feedback if I feel it is needed.

Reading comments posted by others I find that sometimes words are misconstrued and maybe we should take more time double-checking our response before we click the button that reveals our thoughts to the world.

While I may think that XYZ is a completely moronic thing to say, hurting another's feelings with those exact words is not conducive to my aims as a person or goals as a writer.

As I always tell my children: Every person is responsible for everything they do or say, and the consequences or reactions that follow.

Finding my niche

Okay.... so I disappeared for a while again. But the disappearance was productive. I revised a query and am in the process of getting it torn apart by some peers.

I am working on my latest and greatest project still and have been submitting some snippets on Critique Circle, which has been interesting. The feedback, though free, comes at a price. You can never be certain if the feedback you receive is quality or just for quantity.

I would like to say that I have special place for a few CC members that have been a great help in beta-testing my newest work and I recommend the site to those who are just not sure.

Now for my fake promises (*cheesy smile)... I vow to attempt at least one blog post a week and that my posts will be of a purposeful nature. I vow to keep any rants limited and plan on a fruitful posts that involve sugar plums, wisps of clouds, and dandelions that roar. Finally I vow to one day succeed in getting at least 2 poor souls that actually want to read this silly blog on a weekly basis...lol

Goodnight, and happy dousing.

I'm Baaaccckkk!

Okay so I disappeared for a while.
You try working a job, experiencing holidays, having kids home for summer break, visiting family, helping a husband start a paranormal team, and trying to work on a couple of books. Wait... most of you already do that plus more.

Or you have other responsibilities, hobbies, and dohickey's to keep you occupied. So, I don't have any excuses.

You can now find me on Critique Circle. I have officially joined, posted a blurb for critiquing, and have been having a go at politely offering advice on other writer's WIP's (Work-in-progress).

For fellow author's or avid-readers with overactive imaginations check it out:

http://www.critiquecircle.com/

See you on there, hopefully and I will be back to write more slushy tales soon.

Getting ripped

I have officially had my query letter ripped by the Holy Evilness and his muttonchops. My first reaction was: "Wow! My query is an embarrassment."
After a few hours, and a few minion comments my second reaction was: "Holy Smokes, I am such an amateur!"
Even with the bashing I feel the saws and jaws were necessary. The constructive criticism I received was enough to show me some of the problems. The hard part is fixing them.

The biggest lesson(s) is not letting the teeth shred your body, maintaining your leather skin, and keeping an open mind.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."- anon.

Working hard or hardly working

 I have been toiling away at my latest attempt of a book. No clue if it deserves a book status or if the topic should be downgraded to short story. We shall see!

Till then, I have to ask if writing of any kind is working hard or is limited writing hardly working? Some writer's view themselves as hardworkers by measuring the number of pages, scenes, or # of words written in a day. I view writer's hardwork as more quality than quantity.

The quantity of the pages seems redundant, and while you may have 50 pages of material in that Word doc., it could all be the biggest load of crap ever submitted to the pile. On the other hand 10 pages of great quality work, that provides a strong emotional reaction, could be the beginnings of a bestseller. The biggest problem is finishing it. ;)

Word of the day: Quality
Definition: high grade; superiority; excellence

How do you decide love?

Love is in the eye of the beholder or at least it appears that way. You could think of it in terms as one person's junk is another person's treasure. In terms of a novel, when do you decide if you love it or not?

Is it after you catch a glimpse of the cover art and title? Is it after you read the brief, hooking paragraph on the back cover? After the first 3 chapters? Or when you finish the book having either laughed aloud, sobbed through the last 20 pages, or yelled at the main character for being an idiot?

I would say in all my years of reading, the words, "I love this!", come after the finale- never before. I have to read all the pages to know if the book really has me hooked. The cover and title may be interesting, the back cover catching, the first 3 chapters alluring, but the end tells me if the whole experience was worth my money.

This philosophy is present with the music I choose to listen to, the movies I watch, and the other forms of media I submit myself to devoting time to.

For those who decide the fate of something prior to the end miss the magic, romance, or horror that unfolds in the middle and the revelations at the end.

The phrase, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", has no meaning if you have never read Romeo and Juliet.

To truly love something you have to experience the entirety not just a little tidbit.

Monday Monday

That classic song by the Mamas and the Papas says it all. If only the word 'sucks' could have made it into the song. I guess us 9-5ers are naturally programmed to hate Mondays because they bring a close to our glorious weekends.

Though Sundays are officially considered recovery from Party Hearty Fridays and Saucy Late Night Saturdays. I must admit there is no allure to hauling a size 12 butt out of bed at 7am on a Monday morning, throwing that same lusciously plump body into the shower and then attempting to charge around the house for a good 15 minutes gathering the tools needed for the work day. Drive a traffic logged 8-10 miles to work with the other tuna shoved in cans, and then proceed to spend 8 wonderful hours increasing the spread of carpal tunnel of the wrists responding to emails and a variety of other challenging, enjoyable tasks.

I know it sounds wonderful, hence the announcement:

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! From now forth Mondays will hereby be referred to as Wish I Could Stay In Bed Days.
No, scratch that!
If The World Ended I Would Not Care Days.
Nevermind that one either!
I'm stumped, but open for suggestions.

Post your suggestion for the new name of Mondays to the comments.

I'm a little LOST

After reading an article about the series finale of Lost, which is airing in a couple weeks. I finally took time to try to re-trace what Lost was about. When the series originally premiered I was captivated. As the episodes continued throughout the first season I got LOST! The show was abandoned and I ceased to understand what was so intriguing to the awe-struck masses. Needless to say I reached a state of profound confusion.

So, I attempted to re-acclimate myself with the show, like attempting to get involved in a book that you previously had turned away from. Following an hour of reading synopsis' of all the episodes, I am still LOST. The time jumping, large amount of characters, and never ending senseless drama make for an extremely LOST in translation television show that makes no sense to me.

Now this is not to say that those who are die-hard fans are wrong in their never-ending worship of the expensive, and elaborate production. I applaud those who are able to find interest in something that LOST me entirely.

I do however feel a need to raise a valid question: If LOST had originally been a book, not a television show, would agents or publishers be grabbed by a confusing jumble of plots, characters, story lines, and time jumping? Or would this brilliant idea have been LOST in the slush pile for eternity?

Bada Bing! Bada Boom!

Today I rise, fully aware that my position amid the bottom of a large slush pile may never change. Though faced with enormous odds, I will continue to become more than the sum of my commas, periods, and random interjected semi colons.

My lack of editing skills will improve along with my grammar abilities. The words like, dude, and slightly will disappear slowly from the pages as I fine tune my prose.

Words of the day: Witty! Engaging!

These are two things I desperately pursue in my quest to win partials or even *gasp*- a full manuscript.

Until then I will write here, there, anywhere. Until at last my slush rises through the dripping, oozing queries amid the pile.

Here begins the Rise of the Slush!