Thursday, February 18, 2010

Queries and birdwatching

I found out this morning that Pyr Books has opened to unagented submissions of certain fantasy subgenres, as of yesterday. Since as it happens I'd rewritten my Bell-Men query yesterday to make it a little less generic (I spill the beans about elves, for one thing), it seemed like a sign. I shot off a query to Pyr. Once I get the form rejection, I can go on and shop it to agents.

The weather here is finally warming up just a bit, thank goodness. I'm thoroughly ready for spring. Mom got a birdfeeder a few weeks ago and I've started sketching birds, which will be a lot more fun when I can actually sit outside (sitting very carefully still at a distance) to sketch. I'm also getting really into the whole birdwatching thing. I bought a cheap pair of binoculars today, and I've got three bird identification books close to hand while I sketch. I've already identified several birds I never knew the names of before.

I'm especially excited about the binoculars, the wildlife sketching, and the little pocket animal identifier book I bought a few weeks ago. Once spring really is here, I can take the show on the road--or the trail, anyway--and see how many animals and birds I can identify and draw out in Clear Creek. My goal, of course (since I'm obsessive this way) is to draw every single animal and bird that lives around here. I think it will take me approximately 200 years, which should keep me busy.

12 comments:

Fox Lee said...

Titmouse!

Cate Gardner said...

Good luck, Kate

BT said...

How do you write so much, work, walk for miles, have a life and then decide to take up nature drawing and birdwatching?

Does the clock move slower in your hemisphere or is Groundhog Day repeating a real event for a couple of months each year?

K.C. Shaw said...

Natalie--Now every time I see a tufted titmouse, I'll think of you. :)

Cate--Thanks!

BT--Somehow I still find time to waste hours and hours playing video games, too.

If I had to drop one activity, I'd drop work. :)

Carrie Harris said...

Suckola! I'm sorry I missed query time, although it looks like you got some fabulous feedback. That's what I get for taking a blog break and editing like a crazy person.

Good luck!

Aaron Polson said...

Good luck. It's time you were due.

K.C. Shaw said...

Yeah, how dare you edit your own stuff when you could edit my query? :p

K.C. Shaw said...

Aaron--Thanks! My fingers are crossed.

Jamie Eyberg said...

I am intensely jealous of anyone who can draw as I can only draw stick figures, and not very good ones at that. Sounds like a nice relaxing time though.

K.C. Shaw said...

Well, look at the guy from xkcd--he draws stick figures and everyone loves them. :)

LMEighmy said...

Just don't add insects to that list or you could be drawing for the next millennium! :P

K.C. Shaw said...

No problem about that, I don't want to look close enough at bugs to draw them. :)