Carolyn's Blog

Thursday, September 30, 2004

Not much news to report. Have been notebooking ASH. Feels odd and vaguely idle of me not to be typing away, but if I were to do that now, I'd only have to start over when I figure things out. Some key chapters can stay, the rest has to go. Since CK is on vacation, it's maybe too early to know on the f/p thing though I understand he has my proposal with him. Could be rumor. There's competition and since every other writer out there is better known than I am, I worry about my chances. Who (but me) would think a HR writer can do fp? It's strange to have a idea that's so cool but I can't work on it until I know if it's on its lonesome or what. On the other hand, I think my chapters and synopsis are good. But it's not just my opinion that matters.... Sigh.

Agent-wise, quite surprisingly, my last email query did not get instant rejection, we've emailed a bit and I've sent material to her. On the other hand, I've seen her client list. Not much hope, really, I think. Didn't get to the P.O. Box today, but as of yesterday still no word from the outstanding bunch. On The Rake, I believe there are two weeks left, if the representation of the proposal in lieu of the MS is valid. Stressed at work. Ick. Got an email from someone today wanting to know about the Rake. Gotta love those fans. All five of them! But they're getting impatient. Me, too, actually.

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Monday, September 27, 2004

OK, so ASH may need a bit more work than I thought. Some of it is really icky, but the basic premise is good. Pep talk to self. Icky stuff gets fixed by sitting down and fixing it. However, it's also true that it helps to have an idea where to go, which means that I will do some brainstorming tonight so that I don't fix in the wrong direction. Wait, I take back the icky part. There are too many characters, that's a problem. There are too many scenes that don't do much BUT! I know how to fix them. It involves the delete key. I'm very good at that. But, I think I might also find my fav scenes, read them and fix them up and then work outward from there. Sigh. Why can't I just wake up with it all fixed?
I swear the worst part of writing a book is when it's 50-60% done because naturally there are wretched parts. That's why the book isn't done. Oh well. Off to brainstorm and get myself solid.

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Sunday, September 26, 2004

So, have been doing a lot of futzing around because I hate trying to fix something that really sucks, which the opening of ASH does. But, I managed to force myself to get through the new chapter one (yay!) and have started on the new chapter 2, got about halfway through and realized I'd chosen the wrong pov and so have just started over in the correct pov. Still, I have saved all the "wrong" pov stuff for use in a later chapter.

Emailed a query to another agent today. Should generate a quick rejection, but it's worth a shot. Also emailed Kate Friday re sending the whole MS. So, anyway. I'm in hurry up and wait mode. Must go back to chapter 2.

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Friday, September 24, 2004

All righty. One polite rejection. One really nice one. But all else silent. Read my option clause for The Spare and realized I should have sent the entire MS in order to start the clock ticking for a response. I am too impatient to wait indefinately. Nothing on the demon thing, and that one didn't get to NY until Tuesday afternoon. So, what was he doing Wednesday, Thurs, Fri? Hmm? In reading my contracts I also realize the extent of my contract issues, as in I may not be able to write sequels. Anyway, I'm fixing ASH right now, and at the moment, probably naievely, think it's not as bad as I thought. I've figured out how to fix the boring beginning, which if true, may mean that I'll have another book to shop that's not under option anywhere, in very short order. We'll see.

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Sunday, September 19, 2004

The proposal is all ready to go. Printed out on fancy paper,letter done and signed, chapters and synopsis all, in an evelope. Will Fex-Ex tomorrow. I think it came out pretty good, but I guess we'll see. Two things occur to me. First, this is one more thing for me to be anxious about and second, what next? I need to read The Heir, plus retitle it to The Rake.

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NO matter what, the proposal will be in the mail Monday. It's sooooo close.

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Friday, September 17, 2004

I'm coming down with something icky and so have been taking advantage of fever to work my brain. Tomorrow I'll feel even worse probably. No word on my proposal for The Heir, so naturally, I am stressing that Kate hates it. Sigh. Also, I heard that another author didn't get any requests for edits on her forthcoming book, but her option book was rejected. Naturally, I immediately concluded that Leisure is in financial trouble since they can't afford to edit their authors' books anymore, plus they're not picking up any option books and that rejection of The Heir is on its way. Yes, I am sick and paranoid, only, maybe The Heir sucks (see whiplash comment coming up, there is evidence that this might be true.) On the other hand, I've had a couple more emails from people who read chapter 1 on the website, and they liked it. I am freaking over this. I hate waiting.

Anway, I think I may be able to mail my other proposal to Chris K tomorrow. It seemed pretty good today, but maybe when I re-read it, I'll think it sucks. The problem is, I need to get it off really, really soon and if I wait until I'm happy with it, I will have written the whole book and it will be too late. Arghh!

All agent queries in not-rejected-yet status. One has been out since July 25, all the rest since August 19. Am I to surmise I am being seriously considered since I haven't been immediately rejected? Maybe there's a top secret literary agent yahoo group and they've all decided that since they gave me whiplash last time around, they'll give me the water torture treatment this time. I've also been worrying that none of my queries made it out of the mailroom at work and someone will pull them out from behind the cabinet they fell off (sometime after postage goes up, or else after I get laid off) and it will be too late because I will have been rejected by Kate and Chris and hardly any publishers take queries from hopeless hacks who can't get agents. Of course, the one out since July pretty much has to be rejected since that agent got the sucky first chapter. You'd think she'd just send the blurry rejection and get it over with.

I still haven't re-read The Heir recently (which I am thinking of retitling) and now I'm afraid to because if it sucks I'd rather be in denial for a while yet. My issue of RT came today, but I couldn't stand to read any of the reviews becuase since I have no career, why depress myself reading about writers who have one? I can't bring myself to read about writers who are breaking out because that's just too depressing, too. I flipped by the ads because they're all for books that got published, probably by authors with agents. I read a couple of columns, that's it.

Sigh.

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Thursday, September 09, 2004

So, not a word from any agent. This freaked me out enough to check the USPS web site in case postage went up and none of my SASE's are getting to me because they all had insufficient postage. But no, that's not it. Unless the stamps fell off. That could have happened, right? And I didn't misaddress anything so I wonder what's up. I even wonder if my submission to the agent that requested material (who has an exclusive which means that even if someone asked for material, I'd have to wait to send it) never made it. How sick am I? Any way, demon proposal going well. Just about done. I've started drafting the cover letter and I will email a reminder to Kate to remind Chris to contact me about this. I've left The Heir bubbling away and I really want to read it again, but I'm not going to yet. Good sign that I keep thinking of all my favorite parts (and fortunately, there's more than one!) Other than that, I just have a sort of general level of anxiety about my career and about not having more time to writer. Sigh.

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Saturday, September 04, 2004

Been working away on my demon thing. I think my chapters are in OK shape, all things considered. Writing the synopsis now, seems to be going all right. But, should I end up doing this, I wonder how much of all this stuff will stay in. Anyway, still letting The Heir simmer back there doing nothing. Also, no word from any agents, aside from the one request for chapters. Looking on the bright side, maybe that means the fix to chapter one was enough to prevent the kick-it-back immediately syndrome. Not even a rejection from the agent who got the previous sucky first chapter.... On the other hand, probably every agent who went to RWA nationals is now inundated with requested material. On yet another hand, probably they're all getting back into work mode after pretending to be Europeans and doing nothing all August. They probably haven't even opened my query yet. And on the very last hand, maybe I put the wrong address on the SASE's and all the replies are lost in the mail. Nope. Checked that. I just want to have this locked up before I hear anything on The Heir and before I send chapters on the demon thing. Oh anyway. There's always reason to stress.

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