Ken and I are leaving tomorrow a.m. for WFC. Woot! We're driving, so we've decided to spend tomorrow night in Niagara Falls. I'm stoked. We've never been there before, so it'll be cool to see it, even if it's for less than a day. Ken and I haven't ever done an extended car trip together and so I'm looking forward to it. You can learn a lot about a person when you spend 14 hours in a car.
Then it's off to Saratogo to schmooze with the writing peeps. I can't wait to see all my writing buds, drink free beer, and stay up way past my bedtime. I've polished my nails a nice, sedate, professional shade of pale pink. It feels a little odd. Normally I go for the eggplant-navy blue-deep red-almost black shades. Maybe I'll take a bottle of dark polish on the trip with me. A security blanket of sorts, ya know?
Working on a new YA outline. Ken gave me the basic idea; I've toyed with it and changed it and made it my own. I'm going to try to do NaNo this year, so I'll start writing a zillion words a day once we get back from WFC. If I can manage to get 500 or so a day while we're in NY, I'll be a happy camper. I'll be way excited if I can get this novel fully polished and query-ready by my birthday next February. If I get a full first draft done in November, it could totally happen.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
omg omg omg omg
Remember all those queries I sent out last week/early this week? Yeah? One of those babies earned a request for a partial. That's right! Odds are this will turn into a rejection ... but I'm not thinking about that now. Tonight I'm the queen of the frickin' world!!!!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Vampire Academy--book review
I started Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead a few days ago and finished it this evening. I have that groggy, disoriented feeling that comes from spending the entire day in someone else's world. VA is a great read. While none of the revelations in the plot or the characters where much of a surprise, the ride was enjoyable. I particularly liked Mead's breeding rules among her three vampire races. There was lots of angst and romance.
On the downside, it made me feel like my writing doesn't measure up. Perhaps that's my submission angst talking.
Never fear. I feel the need to start outlining my next project. I've decided to shelve the AI/autism idea for now. I still love that premise and want to tackle it in the coming year, but right now I'm liking the whole witch school murder idea. I'm also thinking about reworking the trunk trilogy. So, three projects percolating.
As for the mundane SF short story ... eh. I'm so distracted by WFC and submitting right now that I'm just not motivated. I've started it twice with completely different approaches and nothing is flowing right. At least, not yet. Hopefully inspiration will strike this week.
Today while taking a break from reading I bought a set of four cute little halloween-theme OPI polishes. I'm actually kind of excited to try them out. There's just something about new make-up or nail polish that makes me all girly. Perhaps I'll paint my toenails black and adorn them with spiderwebs while I watch Illinois kick Michigan's ass.
On the downside, it made me feel like my writing doesn't measure up. Perhaps that's my submission angst talking.
Never fear. I feel the need to start outlining my next project. I've decided to shelve the AI/autism idea for now. I still love that premise and want to tackle it in the coming year, but right now I'm liking the whole witch school murder idea. I'm also thinking about reworking the trunk trilogy. So, three projects percolating.
As for the mundane SF short story ... eh. I'm so distracted by WFC and submitting right now that I'm just not motivated. I've started it twice with completely different approaches and nothing is flowing right. At least, not yet. Hopefully inspiration will strike this week.
Today while taking a break from reading I bought a set of four cute little halloween-theme OPI polishes. I'm actually kind of excited to try them out. There's just something about new make-up or nail polish that makes me all girly. Perhaps I'll paint my toenails black and adorn them with spiderwebs while I watch Illinois kick Michigan's ass.
Friday, October 19, 2007
I'd kick Han Solo's ass
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Which sci-fi crew would you best fit in with? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You scored as Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) The world around you is at war. Fortunately you know how to handle that with the greatest of ease. You are one of the best at what you do and no one needs to tell you that. Now if only the droids could be quiet for five seconds.
|
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Damn you, Y.
I say that with total love. The other night I stayed up waaaay past my bedtime to finish Cybermancy. I don't know much about the nuts-and-bolts of computers. I know even less about Greek mythology. Mixed together with smart-ass protagonists and familiars, though, I find that I'm okay with being oblivious. The plot's fast-paced but never confusing. There's romance and jealousy and sex. There are plot threads that could wind through the next books; those same threads don't weigh this book down. It's fun. I give it two thumbs up. Oh, and spoiler alert: I'm totally rooting for Tisiphone and Raven to get together.
Two more weeks to WFC. I'm excited and nervous all at once. I hope to send out the first agent queries this weekend. On your best behavior, people; you never know when there could be lurking agents.
Two more weeks to WFC. I'm excited and nervous all at once. I hope to send out the first agent queries this weekend. On your best behavior, people; you never know when there could be lurking agents.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Red Seas Under Red Skies--the review
I just finished Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch last night. I have mixed feelings. I loved loved loved The Lies of Locke Lamora so much that I wanted to love this one, too. But ... I didn't love it. I don't know yet if I even liked it. The book follows the same format of the first in that the story is broken up by bits of backstory. As to the actual story ... well. To me it felt disjointed and mish-mash, almost as if Lynch took ideas for two books and smashed them into one. There's lots of trust angst between the two main characters that saddened me. Bottom line: I love the characters and the world, but the plot left me a little cold. I had to force myself to finish it. I have complete faith the next book will be better.
I attribute it to Sophomore Slump. You write and work and polish a book in the hopes it'll get published without a whole lot of though into what comes after. Then blammo! Your book is picked up and they love it so much they want you to write more. Oh, and by the way, it's due in six months. Lots of pressure. Here's hoping that this time next year I'm under such pressure myself.
Next off the To Be Read pile: Cybermancy by Kelly "Y" McCullough.
I attribute it to Sophomore Slump. You write and work and polish a book in the hopes it'll get published without a whole lot of though into what comes after. Then blammo! Your book is picked up and they love it so much they want you to write more. Oh, and by the way, it's due in six months. Lots of pressure. Here's hoping that this time next year I'm under such pressure myself.
Next off the To Be Read pile: Cybermancy by Kelly "Y" McCullough.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Writer's Symposium
The group of authors that present the "Writer's Symposium" programming track at Gen Con Indy have made a blog and an Ezine. I've been invited to be a part of both. Rock! I suppose this means I'm making headway. Anyhoo, go on over to writerssymposium.blogspot.com to check out the blog. It's still really new, but I think once folks get warmed up it'll be awesome.
On the writing front, I've gotten good feedback for the ghost story I submitted for the Blue Kingdoms: Shades and Specters anthology. One of the editors asked if I'd change the title, and I was more than happy to oblige. I suck at titles, and the one I picked sort of fit the story but not as well as it could have. Ken actually thought up the new title, "Accidental Vengence." I love it. Hopefully that antho will be available for order in a few weeks. I'll post a picture of the cover once I have it.
Working on the mundane SF short. It's ... stalled. Not because I don't know what happens next, or I'm struggling with tone, or anything like that. I'm anxious to get back my beta-reader's input on Stormy Weather so I can polish that up and send it out to the world. I know, I know ... back to the grindstone and all that. Can't stop writing new stuff while I wait on the old stuff. I have tomorrow off work so it's nothing but writing and laundry for me. Maybe I need to take the laptop for a field trip and write in a coffee shop or something. The change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered.
On the writing front, I've gotten good feedback for the ghost story I submitted for the Blue Kingdoms: Shades and Specters anthology. One of the editors asked if I'd change the title, and I was more than happy to oblige. I suck at titles, and the one I picked sort of fit the story but not as well as it could have. Ken actually thought up the new title, "Accidental Vengence." I love it. Hopefully that antho will be available for order in a few weeks. I'll post a picture of the cover once I have it.
Working on the mundane SF short. It's ... stalled. Not because I don't know what happens next, or I'm struggling with tone, or anything like that. I'm anxious to get back my beta-reader's input on Stormy Weather so I can polish that up and send it out to the world. I know, I know ... back to the grindstone and all that. Can't stop writing new stuff while I wait on the old stuff. I have tomorrow off work so it's nothing but writing and laundry for me. Maybe I need to take the laptop for a field trip and write in a coffee shop or something. The change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered.
Calendar says October 8th ...
Yeah, today it was like 90 degrees. Kelly no likey. I want my fall weather, dammit. I want 65 degrees, red-and-orange trees, burnt-leaf smell hanging in the air, spiced cider, and hay rides. Where's the love?
On a completely different topic, if you haven't checked out "Chuck" on NBC, do so immediately. It's on right before Heroes; they also rerun the episodes on USA on Saturdays, I believe. Chuck is a geeky-cute computer guy whose brain accidently gets uploaded with all the CIA, NSA, and FBI secrets. While the action is sometimes a little TV-cheesy, the writing is fun and the characters are great. The casting dudes definitely picked great actors. Two thumbs up.
On a completely different topic, if you haven't checked out "Chuck" on NBC, do so immediately. It's on right before Heroes; they also rerun the episodes on USA on Saturdays, I believe. Chuck is a geeky-cute computer guy whose brain accidently gets uploaded with all the CIA, NSA, and FBI secrets. While the action is sometimes a little TV-cheesy, the writing is fun and the characters are great. The casting dudes definitely picked great actors. Two thumbs up.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
The perfect evening
Enjoy awesome, sunshine-y late afternoon
Perform hard cycling workout
Sing along with husband to a kick-ass song on the radio during drive home
Bake perfect batch of chocolate-chip walnut cookies
Watch Cubbies play their first game of the post-season
Mix all ingredients together in the stated order.
Perform hard cycling workout
Sing along with husband to a kick-ass song on the radio during drive home
Bake perfect batch of chocolate-chip walnut cookies
Watch Cubbies play their first game of the post-season
Mix all ingredients together in the stated order.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)