Last year I made a list of new year's resolutions. I kept some of them. For instance, I did get a tattoo, and in fact tomorrow I go back to get it colored in. I will post pictures, I promise!
I also hiked more last year and lost a bit of weight (although I want to lose more) and did some interesting things and did actually improve my writing. I wrote a number of short stories--more, in fact, than I'd written since 2008--but only one book and a novella.
The kickass steampunk YA I wrote in 2013, The Steam-Powered Raven, has attracted some agent interest. We'll see how that works out. I haven't decided on my next writing project--I'm halfway through a Lizzy and Jo novel that I want to finish, have a few stories I need to revise, have a few novels I need to revise in major ways, and want to finally write the final book in the Bell-Man trilogy so I can find a good publisher for the whole thing. I also want to continue writing short stories. They helped me improve my writing a lot more than I expected.
I decided to keep my new year's resolutions really, really simple this year. I'm only making one: learn to play drums. I've wanted to learn drums since I was in college but never got around to it. Well, it's time. Because it's never too early to have a mid-life crisis.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Friday, January 3, 2014
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Bits of good
I didn't actually mean to stop posting after my 1,000th post. I've just been busy.
Right before the new year, I saw a tweet from someone who suggested keeping a jar throughout the year where you put slips of paper with notes about good things that happen to you. Then at the end of the year you take the papers out and read them, to remind yourself of small kindnesses and pieces of luck that came your way. I love this idea. It's so easy to forget the good stuff and only remember the bad.
I need to buy a jar, but I already have a few slips ready to put in it. And we're only ten days into the new year.
Right before the new year, I saw a tweet from someone who suggested keeping a jar throughout the year where you put slips of paper with notes about good things that happen to you. Then at the end of the year you take the papers out and read them, to remind yourself of small kindnesses and pieces of luck that came your way. I love this idea. It's so easy to forget the good stuff and only remember the bad.
I need to buy a jar, but I already have a few slips ready to put in it. And we're only ten days into the new year.
Monday, December 31, 2012
1,000 posts
This is my 1,000th post since starting this blog on September 1, 2007. I think it was 2007. Anyway, milestone post!
Writing-wise, 2012 was a disappointing year in some ways. Three different markets that had accepted my work went toes-up. On the other hand, I did have a story in Daily Science Fiction, which was pretty cool.
I wrote two full-length books in 2012, the YA Shadow Trail and the fantasy Wharf Rat. I'm in the final throes of revisions for the latter, which I hope to finish tonight so I can send it out to beta readers. I am no closer to getting an agent, but I have a kick-ass YA steampunk fantasy lined up for my next project, so maybe....
As for resolutions, I didn't make any for 2012 because it was so crazy and horrible with Mom's death on Jan. 3. The only resolution I've ever made that I've kept was from 2011, when I resolved to floss my teeth every single day. I have, too.
But I feel the need to line up all my ducks (OMG, I seriously didn't write ducks the first time) and make some resolutions for 2013. I will try to keep them simple.
1. Get a tattoo. (I've been seriously intending to for about 15 years. This is the year! I just need to figure out what and where and then find someone to hold my hand when I go to get it done.)
2. Take up a sport, whether fencing or horseback riding (or both) or something else. Exercise daily, even if it's just for a few minutes.
3. Hike more.
4. Travel more.
5. Reach my weight loss goal, or at least get to a point where I feel better about my appearance. Respect myself and take care of myself.
6. Do more interesting things and spend less time sitting in front of the computer.
7. Keep striving to improve my writing in every way.
Writing-wise, 2012 was a disappointing year in some ways. Three different markets that had accepted my work went toes-up. On the other hand, I did have a story in Daily Science Fiction, which was pretty cool.
I wrote two full-length books in 2012, the YA Shadow Trail and the fantasy Wharf Rat. I'm in the final throes of revisions for the latter, which I hope to finish tonight so I can send it out to beta readers. I am no closer to getting an agent, but I have a kick-ass YA steampunk fantasy lined up for my next project, so maybe....
As for resolutions, I didn't make any for 2012 because it was so crazy and horrible with Mom's death on Jan. 3. The only resolution I've ever made that I've kept was from 2011, when I resolved to floss my teeth every single day. I have, too.
But I feel the need to line up all my ducks (OMG, I seriously didn't write ducks the first time) and make some resolutions for 2013. I will try to keep them simple.
1. Get a tattoo. (I've been seriously intending to for about 15 years. This is the year! I just need to figure out what and where and then find someone to hold my hand when I go to get it done.)
2. Take up a sport, whether fencing or horseback riding (or both) or something else. Exercise daily, even if it's just for a few minutes.
3. Hike more.
4. Travel more.
5. Reach my weight loss goal, or at least get to a point where I feel better about my appearance. Respect myself and take care of myself.
6. Do more interesting things and spend less time sitting in front of the computer.
7. Keep striving to improve my writing in every way.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Be happy like ice creams
Then this morning my alarm clock went off and I couldn't find it. Seriously, what the hell? I have five things on my nightstand overnight: a box of tissues, a tube of lavender hand lotion that I don't use but which looks pretty, the alarm clock, my glasses, and my cell phone as a backup alarm since my alarm clock is old and sometimes doesn't go off. Sometimes it just stops keeping time, too. I fumbled around in the dark, cursing and knocking my glasses to the floor, before I smacked the alarm and got up. Then I remembered the happy ice creams.
It hasn't been a bad day, actually. I've tried really hard to keep a good attitude even when, for instance, I had to wait ten minutes for a security guy to show up at work to open the closet where I keep my stuff (and which I do not have a key to). I made beef stew and chocolate chip scones tonight and did not burn either hardly at all. I sent my two submissions to Harper Voyager--and yes, I didn't get an autoreply email for either the way I was supposed to, so I had to send an email to make sure they got them and I haven't heard back yet. And the book I was reading had a stupid ending and both ebooks I had as backup books turned out to be terrible. But I HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE DAMMIT BECAUSE THE ICE CREAMS ARE HAPPY.
I will sit here and breathe deeply through my nose now until I can be civil.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Short Stories
I hate writing short stories. I find them way, way harder to write than novels, although I have no idea why. I also don't particularly like reading them. What's the point, when there's not really enough room to get to know the characters or to develop a decent plot? I like novels.
But several things lately have made me decide to write some short stories:
1. It kept coming up during Worldcon and I decided there was a reason I kept catching that message.
2. The Daily Science Fiction September lineup was published last week and my short story "Blood Oranges" will run on Sept. 25.
3. That Daily SF story is my second of three pro sales required for me to be eligible to join SFWA, and if I don't write anymore short stories, that third sale will never happen.
4. I've been on the treadmill of writing a novel, trying to find an agent, failing to find an agent, writing another novel for several years and it's worn me down badly; I need a few short story sales to regain some confidence in my writing.
5. I suspect if I start to sell to pro magazines regularly, I'll get more interest from agents.
6. Some relatively quick money would be nice too.
So once I decided to write short stories--and focus on writing for the pro markets, not the smaller magazines--I also decided I needed to read what's being published these days. I went to the book store and bought copies of Analog, Asimov's, and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine--EQMM because I like mysteries, not because I expect to write any.
I read EQMM first and loved all but one story in it. I mean seriously loved them, to the point where I may subscribe. In fact, I went back to the book store yesterday and bought Aflred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, because I wanted more. I haven't read it yet, though. I was floored that I reacted that way to short stories and picked up Analog expecting I'd react the same way.
I didn't. The stories were pretty well written but I found most of them dull, pointless, and thought they were trying awfully hard to sound important. In short, the magazine was everything I remembered from trying to read SF stories years ago, and the reason why I don't like reading them now. Asimov's was better; I enjoyed maybe half the stories. I also bought The Magazine of Fantasy & SF yesterday and read the first story today, and liked it. Hopefully I'll like some of the other stories too.
After reading these short stories, I've come to a major conclusion: a huge percentage of stories in all these magazines--including mystery stories--take place in evocative, exotic settings, which I suspect is an effective way to hook a reader into a story that might otherwise come across as bland. Foreign settings usually have a white man as the main character; "normal" settings frequently have an "unusual" main character (native American, Chinese-American, woman, etc.).
My writing has improved considerably (I think) since I stopped writing short stories a few years ago. Now I know the secret to setting, I think I can start selling to pro markets. If only I can finish some wretched shorts.
But several things lately have made me decide to write some short stories:
1. It kept coming up during Worldcon and I decided there was a reason I kept catching that message.
2. The Daily Science Fiction September lineup was published last week and my short story "Blood Oranges" will run on Sept. 25.
3. That Daily SF story is my second of three pro sales required for me to be eligible to join SFWA, and if I don't write anymore short stories, that third sale will never happen.
4. I've been on the treadmill of writing a novel, trying to find an agent, failing to find an agent, writing another novel for several years and it's worn me down badly; I need a few short story sales to regain some confidence in my writing.
5. I suspect if I start to sell to pro magazines regularly, I'll get more interest from agents.
6. Some relatively quick money would be nice too.
So once I decided to write short stories--and focus on writing for the pro markets, not the smaller magazines--I also decided I needed to read what's being published these days. I went to the book store and bought copies of Analog, Asimov's, and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine--EQMM because I like mysteries, not because I expect to write any.
I read EQMM first and loved all but one story in it. I mean seriously loved them, to the point where I may subscribe. In fact, I went back to the book store yesterday and bought Aflred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, because I wanted more. I haven't read it yet, though. I was floored that I reacted that way to short stories and picked up Analog expecting I'd react the same way.
I didn't. The stories were pretty well written but I found most of them dull, pointless, and thought they were trying awfully hard to sound important. In short, the magazine was everything I remembered from trying to read SF stories years ago, and the reason why I don't like reading them now. Asimov's was better; I enjoyed maybe half the stories. I also bought The Magazine of Fantasy & SF yesterday and read the first story today, and liked it. Hopefully I'll like some of the other stories too.
After reading these short stories, I've come to a major conclusion: a huge percentage of stories in all these magazines--including mystery stories--take place in evocative, exotic settings, which I suspect is an effective way to hook a reader into a story that might otherwise come across as bland. Foreign settings usually have a white man as the main character; "normal" settings frequently have an "unusual" main character (native American, Chinese-American, woman, etc.).
My writing has improved considerably (I think) since I stopped writing short stories a few years ago. Now I know the secret to setting, I think I can start selling to pro markets. If only I can finish some wretched shorts.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Thinking ahead
I've got an idea for a sequel to Misfits, and I can't wait to get started on it. But...I'm not sure if I should start writing it yet. What if Misfits doesn't sell? What if I get an agent for it and she/he wants me to take the next book in a different direction?
Anyway, I've got other books waiting for my attention. I don't like leaving projects half-finished when they're still "live" in my imagination. I've been planning to finish Adventures in Zoology for over a year; maybe I'll work on it next. And The Trickster Society really needs me to finish the rewrite.
Besides, until I can think up a working title for the Misfits sequel, I'm better off not starting it.
Anyway, I've got other books waiting for my attention. I don't like leaving projects half-finished when they're still "live" in my imagination. I've been planning to finish Adventures in Zoology for over a year; maybe I'll work on it next. And The Trickster Society really needs me to finish the rewrite.
Besides, until I can think up a working title for the Misfits sequel, I'm better off not starting it.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Looking into 2012
Things feel very unsettled for me right now. I don't know what to expect day to day with Mom's health, which makes it hard to plan for the immediate future. But my writing schedule is pretty well set for the year. Here's what I have coming up in 2012.
January 6
My steampunk novella Goldie will be released from Musa, for only 99 cents! I have cool bookmarks ordered that I'll be giving away as soon as they arrive next week.
April
My novelette "Never Be Alone" will appear in the spring issue of Strange, Weird and Wonderful Magazine, and I'll also be the Featured Writer of that issue.
July
I just found out (adding this January 1) that my novel Evil Outfitters, Ltd will be released from Double Dragon in July, more than six months ahead of schedule!
Summer
My novel The Weredeer will hopefully be released from BeWrite Books. We've had a lot of delays, none of them anyone's fault--my editor had to have eye surgery, my mom got sick, etc. But the editing is nearly finished and hopefully soon I'll have some cover artwork to show you. This is my favoritest book I've ever written. I can't wait to share it with the world.
Labor Day Weekend
I'll be at the World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago this weekend, where I'm hoping to meet up with some of the other writers still waiting to hear our final decisions from Angry Robot Books.
I've got some other stuff I'm working on, some rewrites and revisions that will hopefully bear fruit by the end of the year. I have a short story and a novella already scheduled for release in 2013, and if The Weredeer does well the sequel may be released in 2013 also. I'm also messing around with doing some self-publishing, starting with that misguided romance I wrote last year (I'm just not a romance writer). And I'm going to try to write more short stories this year, since I miss that instant gratification from sending a story out and getting a yes from an editor in weeks instead of months (or years).
All the best to everyone in the remaining hours of 2011, and good luck to all of us in 2012 and beyond. Assuming the world doesn't actually end next December, and I'm pretty sure it won't.
January 6
My steampunk novella Goldie will be released from Musa, for only 99 cents! I have cool bookmarks ordered that I'll be giving away as soon as they arrive next week.
April
My novelette "Never Be Alone" will appear in the spring issue of Strange, Weird and Wonderful Magazine, and I'll also be the Featured Writer of that issue.
July
I just found out (adding this January 1) that my novel Evil Outfitters, Ltd will be released from Double Dragon in July, more than six months ahead of schedule!
Summer
My novel The Weredeer will hopefully be released from BeWrite Books. We've had a lot of delays, none of them anyone's fault--my editor had to have eye surgery, my mom got sick, etc. But the editing is nearly finished and hopefully soon I'll have some cover artwork to show you. This is my favoritest book I've ever written. I can't wait to share it with the world.
Labor Day Weekend
I'll be at the World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago this weekend, where I'm hoping to meet up with some of the other writers still waiting to hear our final decisions from Angry Robot Books.
I've got some other stuff I'm working on, some rewrites and revisions that will hopefully bear fruit by the end of the year. I have a short story and a novella already scheduled for release in 2013, and if The Weredeer does well the sequel may be released in 2013 also. I'm also messing around with doing some self-publishing, starting with that misguided romance I wrote last year (I'm just not a romance writer). And I'm going to try to write more short stories this year, since I miss that instant gratification from sending a story out and getting a yes from an editor in weeks instead of months (or years).
All the best to everyone in the remaining hours of 2011, and good luck to all of us in 2012 and beyond. Assuming the world doesn't actually end next December, and I'm pretty sure it won't.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
One thing I did right in 2011
I've flossed my teeth every single day this year. No matter what. Before, I was a floss-sometimes-but-not-every-day person. On January 1, 2011, the one new year's resolution I made was to floss daily. And I have! Even while I was staying with Mom at the hospital, I flossed every day. And now, I cannot imagine going without flossing.
With this success, I'm sure I will accomplish even more in 2012.
With this success, I'm sure I will accomplish even more in 2012.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
I'll drive all night
Since I drove around all weekend long (seriously--I now have 500 miles on my car), I hardly did any writing. And my brain seems to be tired of Bloodhound, since it keeps suggesting I work on other projects for a while. No way, brain! I can't quit now!
But tomorrow is the start of a new month, and I really want to work on something else. So I'm going to try (once again--it's never worked very well in the past) writing two projects concurrently. If I work on Bloodhound during my lunch hour and something else--Stag in Ruin or Little Sparrow or Adventures in Zoology--in the evenings, I might get more done.
Or I might get nothing done. I won't know until I try it.
But tomorrow is the start of a new month, and I really want to work on something else. So I'm going to try (once again--it's never worked very well in the past) writing two projects concurrently. If I work on Bloodhound during my lunch hour and something else--Stag in Ruin or Little Sparrow or Adventures in Zoology--in the evenings, I might get more done.
Or I might get nothing done. I won't know until I try it.
Friday, April 22, 2011
The To-Do List
I don't usually write actual to-do lists for myself. I keep 'stuff I need to do' in a mental drawer that I check pretty much constantly, sort of like my email. But right now the list is getting so unwieldy that I'm worried I'll forget something important.
1. Address The Taste of Magic edits.
I got them Tuesday! I haven't even opened the file! I feel really guilty about this, especially since I try to make edits a priority once I have them. I've got to do this first thing tomorrow, even if it takes me all day. At least I'm off work for a change.
2. Type up Bloodhound handwritten pages and finish writing the freaking book.
I'm close. At least, I'm pretty sure I'm close. Who knows? But I really want to finish this thing before I leave for the beach (!) early Wednesday morning, because if I don't I know I won't get around to it until I get back late Saturday night.
3. Mow lawn.
This wouldn't be so complicated except that first I have to go out and get gas for the mower, which is smelly, messy, and time-consuming. On the other hand, I suspect I'll be desperate for a break from editing tomorrow and can get it done then.
4. Finish crocheting this shawl.
My etsy shop is down to only seven items. I've been working on a shawl like the one I made my Mom for Christmas, and I need to finish it; I was hoping to get it done in plenty of time for Easter orders, but, um, that didn't happen. I estimate it'll take at least six more hours of work before it's done, and that doesn't include adding the beaded fringe at the very end.
5. Read the Leather, Denim & Silver anthology and start the contest.
I got my copies of the antho today, but since I'm leaving for the beach (!) Wednesday morning and not returning until Saturday night, I don't want to run the contest until I get back. So this is one thing that's not quite as urgent--in fact, I think an anthology of monster hunter stories is perfect beach reading.
6. Read an e-arc and post a review on Tuesday.
I wouldn't stress over this except that I requested the arc from the publisher and I'm honor-bound to follow through with a review. I just forgot about it until today. The book releases Tuesday. Another e-arc I requested and forgot about releases on May 1, so I need to get to it too before then.
7. Fill up my MP3 player with interesting stuff.
Since I'm going to the beach (!) Wednesday, and since I'm riding down with my mother and my sister-in-law's mother, I need to make sure I have many hours of listening pleasure on tap. Otherwise I'll be tempted to read while riding in the back seat, which will give me a raging case of carsickness. I'll probably go for This American Life episodes, but if anyone has any suggestions I'd happily welcome them.
8. Pack.
Because I'm going to the beach (!).
1. Address The Taste of Magic edits.
I got them Tuesday! I haven't even opened the file! I feel really guilty about this, especially since I try to make edits a priority once I have them. I've got to do this first thing tomorrow, even if it takes me all day. At least I'm off work for a change.
2. Type up Bloodhound handwritten pages and finish writing the freaking book.
I'm close. At least, I'm pretty sure I'm close. Who knows? But I really want to finish this thing before I leave for the beach (!) early Wednesday morning, because if I don't I know I won't get around to it until I get back late Saturday night.
3. Mow lawn.
This wouldn't be so complicated except that first I have to go out and get gas for the mower, which is smelly, messy, and time-consuming. On the other hand, I suspect I'll be desperate for a break from editing tomorrow and can get it done then.
4. Finish crocheting this shawl.
My etsy shop is down to only seven items. I've been working on a shawl like the one I made my Mom for Christmas, and I need to finish it; I was hoping to get it done in plenty of time for Easter orders, but, um, that didn't happen. I estimate it'll take at least six more hours of work before it's done, and that doesn't include adding the beaded fringe at the very end.
5. Read the Leather, Denim & Silver anthology and start the contest.
I got my copies of the antho today, but since I'm leaving for the beach (!) Wednesday morning and not returning until Saturday night, I don't want to run the contest until I get back. So this is one thing that's not quite as urgent--in fact, I think an anthology of monster hunter stories is perfect beach reading.
6. Read an e-arc and post a review on Tuesday.
I wouldn't stress over this except that I requested the arc from the publisher and I'm honor-bound to follow through with a review. I just forgot about it until today. The book releases Tuesday. Another e-arc I requested and forgot about releases on May 1, so I need to get to it too before then.
7. Fill up my MP3 player with interesting stuff.
Since I'm going to the beach (!) Wednesday, and since I'm riding down with my mother and my sister-in-law's mother, I need to make sure I have many hours of listening pleasure on tap. Otherwise I'll be tempted to read while riding in the back seat, which will give me a raging case of carsickness. I'll probably go for This American Life episodes, but if anyone has any suggestions I'd happily welcome them.
8. Pack.
Because I'm going to the beach (!).
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Nearly finished
I'm nearing the end of Bloodhound, finally! It's just over 90,000 words at the moment and I'll probably be able to wrap it up at around 100k. That's considerably shorter than Bell-Men (the book it's a sequel to), which I've only managed to trim to 116k words (from 125k originally). I have no idea if having a sequel that's shorter than the first book is good or bad or doesn't matter. I'm not going to worry about it.
I'm glad to nearly be finished with Bloodhound, because I have a lot of other projects pending. I still need to finish the rewrite of Trickster Society, and I want to finish the first draft of Adventures in Zoology now that I know how to end it. I plan to do both in that order, and hopefully I'll be done with both before the end of summer.
Also, I just got my edits for The Taste of Magic and need to work on those. It would be nice to have about twenty more hours in every week.
I'm glad to nearly be finished with Bloodhound, because I have a lot of other projects pending. I still need to finish the rewrite of Trickster Society, and I want to finish the first draft of Adventures in Zoology now that I know how to end it. I plan to do both in that order, and hopefully I'll be done with both before the end of summer.
Also, I just got my edits for The Taste of Magic and need to work on those. It would be nice to have about twenty more hours in every week.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Rain for the new year
Here we are careening into 2011. This year flew by with frightening speed.
Last year I made a huge list of resolutions that I didn't keep and don't even want to look at. I did learn a lot in 2010, though. I learned that if you stop writing short stories, you stop selling them (funny how that works out). I learned that I have a huge capacity to read other people's books, especially if it means I don't have to work on mine. And I've learned that I like writing novellas and can even sell them occasionally.
So this year I wrote one novel and two novellas--technically two novels and a novella, but the romance book is so short I'm counting it as a novella (and I still have 5k to add to it, today I hope). I wrote zero short stories. Coincidentally, I sold one novel and two novellas this year, and zero short stories.
Next year, hm. Frankly, I'm tired of being in a holding pattern at this stage of my career. I'm going to see if I can kick things into gear by going completely commercial. I've already started that with my ignoble experiment of the romance book--still untitled; if I can sell it to Harlequin, that's a good, solid sale to mention to agents when I query. Maybe it's not what I ordinarily write, but it'll prove that my writing is at a professional level. I also hope to finish the MG book I started this year, Christopher Kaplan, since MG sells pretty well and I might be able to find a good home for it (or interest an agent). And I also want to finish the mystery novel I started at the end of November. I'm reading a lot of mysteries lately and the genre is pretty hot. I was going to give my mystery book fantasy elements, but I dropped that in favor of pure, unadulterated commercialism.
Yes, I'm a sell-out. Or trying to be, anyway.
My two-week vacation is almost over, but it's been really good for me. I feel less stressed than I have in a long, long time. In 2011 I'm going to have to make some hard decisions about my day job. For various reasons I won't bore you with, I'm very frustrated with it and I'm wondering if it's time to move on. Of course it's a terrible time to try to change jobs, but I've got a weirdly specific skillset now and if the right opening pops up, I'll probably apply. Or maybe not--there's a possibility that things may change at work for the better since we have a new branch campus opening this fall (hopefully) and I'm the logical person to move up into the new position that will have to be created for it.
Anyway, so, I guess my resolutions for 2011 are:
lose weight and get in shape (that one's always on the list)
join a fencing group
write at least one novel and one novella
write a few short stories, because I really like selling them
stop carrying stress from work into my off-hours, because it's not worth it and makes me sound whiny on my blog
Keep up better with my online friends
Sell out, yo
That's fairly reasonable, I hope. Happy new year!
Last year I made a huge list of resolutions that I didn't keep and don't even want to look at. I did learn a lot in 2010, though. I learned that if you stop writing short stories, you stop selling them (funny how that works out). I learned that I have a huge capacity to read other people's books, especially if it means I don't have to work on mine. And I've learned that I like writing novellas and can even sell them occasionally.
So this year I wrote one novel and two novellas--technically two novels and a novella, but the romance book is so short I'm counting it as a novella (and I still have 5k to add to it, today I hope). I wrote zero short stories. Coincidentally, I sold one novel and two novellas this year, and zero short stories.
Next year, hm. Frankly, I'm tired of being in a holding pattern at this stage of my career. I'm going to see if I can kick things into gear by going completely commercial. I've already started that with my ignoble experiment of the romance book--still untitled; if I can sell it to Harlequin, that's a good, solid sale to mention to agents when I query. Maybe it's not what I ordinarily write, but it'll prove that my writing is at a professional level. I also hope to finish the MG book I started this year, Christopher Kaplan, since MG sells pretty well and I might be able to find a good home for it (or interest an agent). And I also want to finish the mystery novel I started at the end of November. I'm reading a lot of mysteries lately and the genre is pretty hot. I was going to give my mystery book fantasy elements, but I dropped that in favor of pure, unadulterated commercialism.
Yes, I'm a sell-out. Or trying to be, anyway.
My two-week vacation is almost over, but it's been really good for me. I feel less stressed than I have in a long, long time. In 2011 I'm going to have to make some hard decisions about my day job. For various reasons I won't bore you with, I'm very frustrated with it and I'm wondering if it's time to move on. Of course it's a terrible time to try to change jobs, but I've got a weirdly specific skillset now and if the right opening pops up, I'll probably apply. Or maybe not--there's a possibility that things may change at work for the better since we have a new branch campus opening this fall (hopefully) and I'm the logical person to move up into the new position that will have to be created for it.
Anyway, so, I guess my resolutions for 2011 are:
lose weight and get in shape (that one's always on the list)
join a fencing group
write at least one novel and one novella
write a few short stories, because I really like selling them
stop carrying stress from work into my off-hours, because it's not worth it and makes me sound whiny on my blog
Keep up better with my online friends
Sell out, yo
That's fairly reasonable, I hope. Happy new year!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Just add time!
I'm awful. Not only have I not been posting, I haven't been reading my friends' blogs. It's been busy at work, busy at home, and I have been frantically reading a series of mystery books that I'm obsessed with--one more and I'm done until the next one comes out--as well as trying to scrape up enough words to keep from being defeated in this year's NaNoWriMo.
Here's what I've been doing. This is the condensed-soup version. Just add time!
I bought my membership for the 2011 DragonCon, since I checked with my coworker who is the only one who can cover me on Saturdays, and she said she can work for me that weekend in 2011 and 2012. This is what you call planning ahead.
I finished the steampunk Goldielocks story, which turned out to be 20,000 words and not appropriate for the market I had in mind initially. I edited it and sent it out to IGMS because the editor sent me a nice personal note last time I subbed to them.
One of my (few) short stories has been shortlisted at Apex!
After I finished the Goldielocks story, I intended to start work on Adventures in Zoology. Instead, for some reason I immediately began to work on my untitled romance. I've added about 7,500 words and I'm actually getting pretty close to the end. I reckon another 10,000 and it'll be done. It'll still be too short, but there are some scenes I want to add anyway, which will hopefully get it to the right length for a Harlequin Intrigue. Once I finish this blog post, I'm going to jump right in and write a steamy sex scene, ooh la la. For the romance book, I mean, not the blog.
I've decided that November should be my "read nothing but mysteries" month, in hopes that I can read without it distracting me from my NaNo projects. Instead, what's happened is that my NaNo projects have become not-fantasy. The Goldielocks story started out as fantasy but it almost immediately turned science fiction instead. And of course instead of writing fantasy after I was done with it, I went to the romance book. Apparently what I'm reading affects what I want to write. That explains why I started writing Christopher Kaplan suddenly a few months ago--I'd been reading a solid diet of middle-grade books at the time. Incidentally, Christopher Kaplan is up for finishing as soon as I'm done with this romance. I'll have to stop reading mysteries and go back to MG books, though.
And speaking of mysteries, I know what my next new project will be. I plan to plot it out very carefully before I start writing, but I have a title. It's going to be a...mystery! Bet you didn't guess! And I'm finally going to use the character Darla Dare, which I've been dying to write about for literally years but didn't know what to do with her. The title will be Darla Dare, Girl Detective and it'll use my other old idea of a mystery series with a woman who works as a temp. In Girl Detective, Darla Dare takes a temporary receptionist position with a private investigator, who promptly drops dead. Darla has to solve the murder! Because no one else thinks it's a murder!
So anyway, that's what I'm up to. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to write a sex scene.
Here's what I've been doing. This is the condensed-soup version. Just add time!
I bought my membership for the 2011 DragonCon, since I checked with my coworker who is the only one who can cover me on Saturdays, and she said she can work for me that weekend in 2011 and 2012. This is what you call planning ahead.
I finished the steampunk Goldielocks story, which turned out to be 20,000 words and not appropriate for the market I had in mind initially. I edited it and sent it out to IGMS because the editor sent me a nice personal note last time I subbed to them.
One of my (few) short stories has been shortlisted at Apex!
After I finished the Goldielocks story, I intended to start work on Adventures in Zoology. Instead, for some reason I immediately began to work on my untitled romance. I've added about 7,500 words and I'm actually getting pretty close to the end. I reckon another 10,000 and it'll be done. It'll still be too short, but there are some scenes I want to add anyway, which will hopefully get it to the right length for a Harlequin Intrigue. Once I finish this blog post, I'm going to jump right in and write a steamy sex scene, ooh la la. For the romance book, I mean, not the blog.
I've decided that November should be my "read nothing but mysteries" month, in hopes that I can read without it distracting me from my NaNo projects. Instead, what's happened is that my NaNo projects have become not-fantasy. The Goldielocks story started out as fantasy but it almost immediately turned science fiction instead. And of course instead of writing fantasy after I was done with it, I went to the romance book. Apparently what I'm reading affects what I want to write. That explains why I started writing Christopher Kaplan suddenly a few months ago--I'd been reading a solid diet of middle-grade books at the time. Incidentally, Christopher Kaplan is up for finishing as soon as I'm done with this romance. I'll have to stop reading mysteries and go back to MG books, though.
And speaking of mysteries, I know what my next new project will be. I plan to plot it out very carefully before I start writing, but I have a title. It's going to be a...mystery! Bet you didn't guess! And I'm finally going to use the character Darla Dare, which I've been dying to write about for literally years but didn't know what to do with her. The title will be Darla Dare, Girl Detective and it'll use my other old idea of a mystery series with a woman who works as a temp. In Girl Detective, Darla Dare takes a temporary receptionist position with a private investigator, who promptly drops dead. Darla has to solve the murder! Because no one else thinks it's a murder!
So anyway, that's what I'm up to. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to write a sex scene.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Yet another bunch of plans
I didn't get much writing done this weekend, but I did catch up on a lot of other stuff. The upstairs bathroom is finally really clean (well, except for the floor) and I bought myself a new toothbrush and lavender soap, and made some awesome beef stew with the best turnips I've ever seen in my life, and finally planted the winter radishes and cleaned out the garden a little, and read someone else's book that I'll review tomorrow, and did laundry. I have my usual end-of-October feeling of setting things right for winter--compounded, of course, by the feeling of getting things sorted before NaNo.
The steampunk Goldielocks story is going well. I'm not as far along as I want to be, but I think it's really good so far. I'm definitely on track to finish it by November, at which point I'll pick Adventures in Zoology back up and finish it over NaNo.
No one believes me anymore when I set out my writing plans. I don't believe me either. Oh well, whatever works. As long as I'm writing and finishing at least one book a year, I think I'm good. Of course, my "need to finish" projects are piling up.
I've still got two and a half months left in 2010. I want to finish the Goldielocks story, Adventures in Zoology, Christopher Kaplan, and possibly even the unnamed romance this year, but I'll settle for any two of the four.
The steampunk Goldielocks story is going well. I'm not as far along as I want to be, but I think it's really good so far. I'm definitely on track to finish it by November, at which point I'll pick Adventures in Zoology back up and finish it over NaNo.
No one believes me anymore when I set out my writing plans. I don't believe me either. Oh well, whatever works. As long as I'm writing and finishing at least one book a year, I think I'm good. Of course, my "need to finish" projects are piling up.
I've still got two and a half months left in 2010. I want to finish the Goldielocks story, Adventures in Zoology, Christopher Kaplan, and possibly even the unnamed romance this year, but I'll settle for any two of the four.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
And that was 50!
I've now read 50 books this year, ten of them published by small presses. I may not be doing so hot on any of my other new year's resolutions, but by golly I've nailed this one.
Book #50 was a very funny one by Harry Harrison, which I reviewed over at Skunk Cat (of course), and which happened to also be published (okay, republished--but it counts) by a small press. Go me.
Skunk Cat Book Reviews is actually the main reason I've been keeping up with my reading. Since I want to keep new content up (at least one review weekly is my goal), and since I want to post reviews of a good variety of books, I have to read read read. I can't say that my to-be-read pile has shrunk (because I just buy way too many books), but at least it still fits on the new shelves I built this summer.
Book #50 was a very funny one by Harry Harrison, which I reviewed over at Skunk Cat (of course), and which happened to also be published (okay, republished--but it counts) by a small press. Go me.
Skunk Cat Book Reviews is actually the main reason I've been keeping up with my reading. Since I want to keep new content up (at least one review weekly is my goal), and since I want to post reviews of a good variety of books, I have to read read read. I can't say that my to-be-read pile has shrunk (because I just buy way too many books), but at least it still fits on the new shelves I built this summer.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
How long can I keep this up?
I have read one book every day this year. So far. That's two books. As you can probably tell, I am doing my best to get well ahead of the game. If I can reach my 50 book goal well before the end of the year, I get a cookie.
I'm still working on the Bell-Men rewrites. It's not that I'm not actually working very hard, it's that every time I think, "I'm almost done! I can finish this today!", it turns out that I'm wrong wrong wrong. This is precisely what happened to me when I was finishing the first draft, and I rushed it and ended up with a pile of junk. I'd really like to be finished with the rewrite so I can move on to work on the swashbuckling fantasy again, but I am not going to screw up the rewrite too.
I'm still working on the Bell-Men rewrites. It's not that I'm not actually working very hard, it's that every time I think, "I'm almost done! I can finish this today!", it turns out that I'm wrong wrong wrong. This is precisely what happened to me when I was finishing the first draft, and I rushed it and ended up with a pile of junk. I'd really like to be finished with the rewrite so I can move on to work on the swashbuckling fantasy again, but I am not going to screw up the rewrite too.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
Suddenly it's 2010. A new year to be conquered! I need some goals! I suspect this is going to be the Year of Editing.
2010 goals:
Find an agent
Become eligible for SFWA
Write one novel
Write six short stories
Sell six short stories
Finish writing the swashbuckling fantasy
Revise Bell-Men
Revise The Dragon Whisperer
Revise The Price of Justice
I think all these are perfectly doable. Note how I cleverly avoided pinpointing how I become eligible for SFWA. Either I can sell a novel to a SFWA approved publisher, or I can sell three short stories to SFWA approved publishers. It's all good.
I'd like to add "finish Little Sparrow" to the list, but I don't want to make it too long. If I can get to Little Sparrow, great. If I can't, I'll finish it in 2011.
I'll also be reading 50 books in 2010, ten of them small-press published books if I can manage it. And of course I've started my usual diet, which will hopefully last longer than last year's diet lasted (about four days) because I've got some really cute clothes in the back of my closet that I can't fit into and I'd like to wear them again, dammit.
2010 goals:
Find an agent
Become eligible for SFWA
Write one novel
Write six short stories
Sell six short stories
Finish writing the swashbuckling fantasy
Revise Bell-Men
Revise The Dragon Whisperer
Revise The Price of Justice
I think all these are perfectly doable. Note how I cleverly avoided pinpointing how I become eligible for SFWA. Either I can sell a novel to a SFWA approved publisher, or I can sell three short stories to SFWA approved publishers. It's all good.
I'd like to add "finish Little Sparrow" to the list, but I don't want to make it too long. If I can get to Little Sparrow, great. If I can't, I'll finish it in 2011.
I'll also be reading 50 books in 2010, ten of them small-press published books if I can manage it. And of course I've started my usual diet, which will hopefully last longer than last year's diet lasted (about four days) because I've got some really cute clothes in the back of my closet that I can't fit into and I'd like to wear them again, dammit.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2009 in review; 2000s in review
Here we are at the end of 2009. It went really fast. I think it went so fast we skipped over some days in there somehow. I'd like them back, please.
I did pretty good this year, all told. I met a lot of my writing goals and came close to meeting most of the others. Here were my goals for 2009:
land an agent
sell a novel
sell a novel to a major publisher (i.e. one which will get my books on shelves)
sell at least four short stories
sell a story to a SFWA pro market
write at least six short stories (flash doesn't count)
write at least two novels
finish writing White Rose
Now obviously I didn't get an agent or sell a novel to a major publisher, and I abandoned White Rose as not worth finishing pretty early in the year. I also didn't make a sale to a SFWA pro market (I might have done better if I'd actually submitted stories to pro markets more than I did). I did, however, sell a novel to Double Dragon, sold 13 short stories, wrote five short stories and five flash stories, and wrote two novels (Blood and Taxes and Bell-Men).
I most regret not finishing my "read 50 books in 2009" goal. I only read 47, which isn't bad, and if you count rereads then I easily passed the goal. Next year I'll read more.
As for the whole decade, it's been good. I started selling stories in 2007 after never having a piece of fiction published before then. I sold Jack of All Trades, my first published novel, which came out this September. I've got my own website and a new book review blog. I feel like my writing has improved in leaps and bounds in the last few years, and I feel part of a small writerly community online, which is particularly awesome (thanks for letting me play with you, guys!).
And in my personal life, two of my three nephews were born in the oughts, I gained my M.Ed, and I have a decent job with good benefits. I've had losses (two grandparents, an uncle, an aunt, my beloved dog, and one of my cats all passed away this decade), but they were balanced by the good things in life. I've seen good movies and read good books. I've had fascinating conversations with intelligent people. I met Terry Pratchett and got him to sign a book for me. I went to my first convention and loved it. In short, it's been a very good decade.
I fully expect the 2010s to be even better. Here's to the next decade, and Happy New Year!
I did pretty good this year, all told. I met a lot of my writing goals and came close to meeting most of the others. Here were my goals for 2009:
land an agent
sell a novel
sell a novel to a major publisher (i.e. one which will get my books on shelves)
sell at least four short stories
sell a story to a SFWA pro market
write at least six short stories (flash doesn't count)
write at least two novels
finish writing White Rose
Now obviously I didn't get an agent or sell a novel to a major publisher, and I abandoned White Rose as not worth finishing pretty early in the year. I also didn't make a sale to a SFWA pro market (I might have done better if I'd actually submitted stories to pro markets more than I did). I did, however, sell a novel to Double Dragon, sold 13 short stories, wrote five short stories and five flash stories, and wrote two novels (Blood and Taxes and Bell-Men).
I most regret not finishing my "read 50 books in 2009" goal. I only read 47, which isn't bad, and if you count rereads then I easily passed the goal. Next year I'll read more.
As for the whole decade, it's been good. I started selling stories in 2007 after never having a piece of fiction published before then. I sold Jack of All Trades, my first published novel, which came out this September. I've got my own website and a new book review blog. I feel like my writing has improved in leaps and bounds in the last few years, and I feel part of a small writerly community online, which is particularly awesome (thanks for letting me play with you, guys!).
And in my personal life, two of my three nephews were born in the oughts, I gained my M.Ed, and I have a decent job with good benefits. I've had losses (two grandparents, an uncle, an aunt, my beloved dog, and one of my cats all passed away this decade), but they were balanced by the good things in life. I've seen good movies and read good books. I've had fascinating conversations with intelligent people. I met Terry Pratchett and got him to sign a book for me. I went to my first convention and loved it. In short, it's been a very good decade.
I fully expect the 2010s to be even better. Here's to the next decade, and Happy New Year!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Early new year's resolution
In 2010, I will lose all the weight I meant to lose last year, start calling myself Alexa Serpentine, and take up treasure-hunting as a career.
700 words until I "win" NaNo. It's slow going.
700 words until I "win" NaNo. It's slow going.
Monday, December 22, 2008
How did I do in 2008? How will I do in 2009?
Because I am bored. Let's look at 2008! Here were my writing resolutions for the year:
Sell a novel or novella
Make my first pro sale
Make at least four other sales
Write two novellas and a novel
Write at least four short stories
Finish revisions for Stag in Balance and Jack of All Trades
Finish writing Stag in Velvet
I actually did really well. Not counting Trunk Novels, I did actually sell a novel in 2008. It's not a big huge deal, but I am getting cash money for it plus royalties and it will be available as an ebook or POD print book. That's Jack of All Trades that I sold to Cyberwizard Productions sort of by accident (long story) and I'm going ahead and announcing now because I'm tired of waiting.
I also made my first pro sale this year, "Sand-Skin Man" to Beneath Ceaseless Skies, which will be released on January 1, 2009! I continue to be impressed with BCS's quality.
I sold more than four stories this year (just barely), most of them early in the year: the BCS sale, a story to Fictitious Force (which then promptly went on indefinite hiatus), a flash story to ASIM, a flash story to Space Squid, and the recently released "Gaming Real Life" to MindFlights.
I wrote only one novella this year, Hilda and Justice, which was for the 3-day novel contest. I wrote only one novel, The Taste of Magic. But I did a lot of rewriting in the middle of the year, so I'm not counting that lack of a novella against me.
I wrote more than four short stories, and sold a good percentage of them. Short story production has trailed off into almost nothing, though, after a strong beginning to the year.
I finished revisions for Stag in Balance (renamed Stag at Bay) and Jack of All Trades. And I finished writing Stag in Velvet, a book which turned out to be a ridonculous 130,000 words long.
I also redid my website with its own domain name (thanks Richard!) and have released a couple of old stories for free on the site's main page. If I'd thought about it last year, I would have made that a goal on my resolutions.
So...what will I resolve for 2009?
I'll be a bit more aggressive this year with the goals. Here they are, in all their unattainable glory:
land an agent
sell a novel
sell a novel to a major publisher (i.e. one which will get my books on shelves)
sell at least four short stories
sell a story to a SFWA pro market
write at least six short stories (flash doesn't count)
write at least two novels
finish writing White Rose
Oh, and I'm about over my cold, but grouchy because I'm at work with NOTHING to do; thus, I blog. Oh, and I still haven't heard from Mundania. Or the agent who has my requested full. Or anyone else.
Sell a novel or novella
Make my first pro sale
Make at least four other sales
Write two novellas and a novel
Write at least four short stories
Finish revisions for Stag in Balance and Jack of All Trades
Finish writing Stag in Velvet
I actually did really well. Not counting Trunk Novels, I did actually sell a novel in 2008. It's not a big huge deal, but I am getting cash money for it plus royalties and it will be available as an ebook or POD print book. That's Jack of All Trades that I sold to Cyberwizard Productions sort of by accident (long story) and I'm going ahead and announcing now because I'm tired of waiting.
I also made my first pro sale this year, "Sand-Skin Man" to Beneath Ceaseless Skies, which will be released on January 1, 2009! I continue to be impressed with BCS's quality.
I sold more than four stories this year (just barely), most of them early in the year: the BCS sale, a story to Fictitious Force (which then promptly went on indefinite hiatus), a flash story to ASIM, a flash story to Space Squid, and the recently released "Gaming Real Life" to MindFlights.
I wrote only one novella this year, Hilda and Justice, which was for the 3-day novel contest. I wrote only one novel, The Taste of Magic. But I did a lot of rewriting in the middle of the year, so I'm not counting that lack of a novella against me.
I wrote more than four short stories, and sold a good percentage of them. Short story production has trailed off into almost nothing, though, after a strong beginning to the year.
I finished revisions for Stag in Balance (renamed Stag at Bay) and Jack of All Trades. And I finished writing Stag in Velvet, a book which turned out to be a ridonculous 130,000 words long.
I also redid my website with its own domain name (thanks Richard!) and have released a couple of old stories for free on the site's main page. If I'd thought about it last year, I would have made that a goal on my resolutions.
So...what will I resolve for 2009?
I'll be a bit more aggressive this year with the goals. Here they are, in all their unattainable glory:
land an agent
sell a novel
sell a novel to a major publisher (i.e. one which will get my books on shelves)
sell at least four short stories
sell a story to a SFWA pro market
write at least six short stories (flash doesn't count)
write at least two novels
finish writing White Rose
Oh, and I'm about over my cold, but grouchy because I'm at work with NOTHING to do; thus, I blog. Oh, and I still haven't heard from Mundania. Or the agent who has my requested full. Or anyone else.
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