Month: August 2008

I have a question for all of you agented writers. Recently, July 25th, an agent wrote me via email and said that he would send me some comments on Substance soon.

By the way, yes, this is a very good sign, I know. I think there might be some interest there, else why not just send me a rejection? At any rate, the mystery continues. Three weeks have gone by with no sign of any email or snail mail, both of which methods have been used by the agent in question.

How long should I wait before asking the agent if he might have sent anything? Would one month be appropriate, or should I wait two? I understand that publishing is a slow industry, and if the agent’s life has been like my own work life recently, I certainly understand. Yet, I do not wish to miss an opportunity by being unresponsive.

What would you do to look professional in this situation? I really don’t want to look more like a noob than I already do.

Thanks for any advice.

Catherine

I’ve been at a convention this weekend, and so have been very busy. And then, today, work was very intense. I leave you all to get back to my HH: PW outline, which didn’t get touched this weekend, because of all the teaching. It’s good. I’m ahead of where I should be, but I HATE getting off the routine.

Anyway, why write here at all? My copies of Indelible Companions arrived, the small publication with Yellow Cat and the Man in it. Yellow Cat appears to be the longest piece. Bryon picked them up Saturday morning by accident, and read the piece, and had to cry for fifteen minutes. I looked them over in the room, read it, and had to cry for fifteen minutes. We have to stop doing that.

So, I think this is all of you reading this who asked for a copy.

Cat
Dan and Lisa
Mark and Michelle

After I factor in family, I still have 2 extra, so I can’t figure out if those more comps, or if two more of you out there want them? Please let me know, because I’ve (stupidly) misplaced my list. If I’ve missed you, I’m sorry.

Must away to write!

Catherine

Time to confess. I am about to move out of first drafting and into second drafting.

Wait, you might say. You’re still writing the first draft of HH:PW. Ah, that I am, little buckaroos. And I still intend to have my first draft done by October 1st.

However, writing for many of us is a lot like taking a 4X4 out into the mud. You might remember doing this, back in the days of plentiful gas. I’ve actually only ever done this in my metaphorical redneck imagination, but if I *had* done it, I would’ve gotten mud everywhere. Yup, windows, doors, mud flaps…the salient point here is that writing gets messy.

So, I can write for a while, but that gets my brain clicking away on how it could be better almost immediately. Then I’ll start noticing crap, like how I really don’t know jack about wrestling maneuvers, or how I want the plot to go one way, not the way I originally thought. The characters’ voices become different than I thought, I’ll need to draw characters out in different ways than I thought, you get the idea.

So, then, I have to go back and re-frame and refocus. Then I’ll go back to that first draft, and expand, seriously expand what’s there. I’ll whack what I think sucks, and then I’ll add in those things that I wanted to after re-framing. So we’re sort of in the first and second drafts at the same time.

I know you guys do this. I know you do. Especially those of you who aren’t outliners?

So. Right now, tonight, after I’m done with my small confessional, my immediate task is to outline the labors, figuring out which ones will be wrestling labors, which ones will be zoo labors, and which ones will be Hera induced labors. Then I will weave in all the Tony/Bianca/Hannah school plots. Then the Modern Gods parts of the plot. The Hera plot points. The Leo/Diana/Polly subplots. The Tony/Bianca/Hannah subplots. And then I’ll organizing and expanding what I’ve already written, and take first cracks at what I haven’t.

So, bottom line is this: You won’t see a word count meter for a little bit. I’ll get started getting organized in Scrivener. I will continue to weigh in here. Remember, it keeps me honest.

I’m very interested in any discussion you’d like to share on your own process. To me, that’s fascinating stuff.

Off to outline in Scrivener. Woot!

Catherine

Well, I’d best explain this jump in word count.

My wrestling matches were getting samey. So, in lieu of producing plot today, I went out and researched wrestling moves. Ultimately, the ones I need will be integrated into matches, but right now, it’s all part of the rough draft.

I learned some fascinating things today, and I hope to learn more. For example, I now know what a lariat is. And how to do a Go To Sleep. Watch out! I’m walking dangerous. In my head, anyway.

Tomorrow, I hope to return to the regular Herc-o-meter.

***

While we’re here, yes, Cerebus’ tail is a snake. Keeping with today’s theme, do you know how to do a lariat? I know, that’s not mythology, but hey, Hercules *is* a wrestler too.

30,866 / 75,000 (41.0%)

I have purchased Scrivener for use on the Mac Air. Once I am through the rough draft, I will use it to revise HH:PW and let you know what I think. I found it irresistible as I ran through the demo last weekend.

***

Today’s Word Count:

21,010 / 75,000 (27.0%)

27 percent, baybee!

***

Yesterday’s trivia was correctly answered by Frankie: King Augeas of Ellis was our man.

Now, to change gears. Cerberus had three heads. What was his tail like?

And Herculean wisdom: Most of the gods who wanted to get even weren’t bad. They were like many of the people in stories. Someone had to be the bad guy. Someone had to be maligned. Even if the real perpetraitor of terrible events turned out to be a much worse scoundrel that the stories decided they would glorify.

Life isn’t fair, Hera. Life just isn’t fair.

The next installment of Blood is Thicker than Water is up at Las Habladoras.

And Julie Rose’s interview with Hal Duncan is up at Writers and their Soundtracks.

Catherine

This month, The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman.

Here: Ian, Mark, Michele, Michelle, Tracy

Next Month: Tanya Huff’s Valor’s Choice

Let ‘er rip!

Mark: This is not his best work. This would have made a nice short story.

Tracy: For me this is a short story. I loved the book. I’m a physicist. I thought it was very accurate. I read it in about two days.

Catherine: Is this typical of hard SF?

Michele: Hard science is based on harder principals.

Ian: It’s all tell and no show.

Continue reading “Book Club: The Accidental Time Machine”

Stay tuned for our book club’s discussion of The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman later tonight!

Meanwhile, today’s Herc-o-meter:

19,695 / 75,000 (25.0%)

And trivia: Mochi Monkey has it totally right again! Hercules had to take a king to court because he re-negged on promised cattle. Do you remember the name of the king who’s stables Hercules cleaned?

Finally, Herculean wisdom!

“They’re smart kids, your brother’s children,” said Nonna. “They were figuring it out without me. When they came to me with the majority of it figured out, I decided it was time to be honest with them.”

Adults should respect the intelligence of children as well.

Things are really getting jumbled now in the rough draft, but still the word count continues, and while yesterday was super, super lame, today’s work looks keepable with expansion.

I also find it very nice to be working on my Mac Air in the living room while Bryon is working away on our computer. I love modernization! And I’ve checked out the tutorial on Scrivener, and will probably upgrade to fully operational soon. Given that I’ve started writing HH: PW via word processor program, I will probably keep that up, and then switch over when I begin the rewrite. Does anyone know if Scrivener does word count before the final draft, or are my achiever days of posting word meter bars over?

Anyway, today’s word count!

18,509 / 75,000 (23.0%)

And yesterday’s answer was Zeus, or Jupiter, or Jove, and I think Kurt got all three.

Today: In which labor did Hercules actually have to settle a dispute in a court of law?

And finally, Herculean wisdom.

“Why do the gods hide, Nonna?”

“You know, Bianca, sometimes the gods just want a chance to start again. All your uncle really wants is a chance to be an average guy, to love someone like Polly, maybe to have a family of his own again.”

Yup, even the gods need a century or two of down time.

I lifted this from Karen Mahoney, and if you’re a YA author, you should probably check this out.

Trisha Telep, who edited the fabulous (and recently published) Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance is looking to become an agent. She needs to show the potential agency her instincts when it comes to saleable submissions. Trisha is not only a professional, but is also a great person. As well as her editorial work, she is the romance buyer at Murder One bookstore here in London – although for this call she is looking for Young Adult submissions.

If you are UNPUBLISHED (i.e., have no novel-length work contracted or published; I believe short stories are OK), and have a YA proposal (good) or sample chapters (better), Trisha would like to hear from you. These are electronic submissions; send your sample chapters (best) or proposal (okay) to her AS AN ATTACHMENT WITH A COVER LETTER to: murderone_vampires@yahoo.co.uk. (The email address does not indicate a bias towards vampire projects!) If, during this process you really wow Trisha, don’t forget that means you will also have wowed a potential agent/agency. You’ve got nothing to lose.

[As an aside, yesterday Trisha told me that she is “not averse to working hard to get something ready to submit.” In fact, she enjoys that – I think this is where her editorial experience will stand her future clients in good stead.]

Disclaimer and directions time: This isn’t a guaranteed offer of representation, it’s a submissions call. Submissions should be sent as a Word ’97-2003 Compatible doc, double-space and 12 pt in a clear readable font (Courier is good). Don’t forget your name, title, and page numbers in the header. Your cover letter should include your name, a way of contacting you, and a little bit about the attached sample–whether the manuscript is finished, how long it is, why Trisha should read it. Last but not least, good luck!

Spread the word if you know of any YA writers who might benefit from this.