Collision Course

Have you ever looked around and noticed that your life is on a collision course? You can see that it is going to be bad, but you can't actually do anything about it?

That's where I am right now and it is taking a lot of my energy to deal with it. I have a lot of family issues that are coming to a head, finals, and a bunch of other things that are all about to invade my life at once. Some of them I have some control over, others I am helpless to stop.

So, I know that I haven't been around here a lot, but I am officially saying that I am going to be away a while. I just have too much that has to get done and I am trying to find ways to pull as much of my life together as possible.

In case you didn't know...

I'm impatient. Really, REALLY, REALLY, impatient. I like things to happen the way I want them to happen, at the exact time I want them to happen. I know, right now your thinking, doesn't everyone? Well, I suppose this is true, but I have a really hard time waiting for things.

I have to believe that a lot of this comes from the fact that a lot of good things happen to me. In the past year I've finished my master's degree, visited three countries, gotten married, gotten into and started a PhD program, been accepted to a training program, been awarded a fellowship, and been accepted to present at a conference. So I suppose it's safe to say that things are going pretty well for me. But, (and this is a really big but) for everything that I can list that I've gotten there are things that I haven't gotten. Internships and scholarships that I was rejected from, my first choice school for my master's that turned me down (I imagine they were laughing while they were writing that letter), I was not awarded another training position, and a hundred other things that didn't work out the way I planned.

So why exactly does this make me impatient? I think its because I image that things will always work out. Sure, when I get rejected from something I'm devastated. I mope around the house for a few days, cry in my office, and eat a lot of chocolate. But at the end of the day I honestly believe if I try hard enough, for a long enough period of time, I will eventually succeed. I'm not sure how I got into this mindset, but it has served me well. Except for the fact that it make me really impatient, because I believe I will eventually succeed and I would really like to get to that part. I'd really like to skip the parts that I"m in right now and get to the part where I am succeeding.

Someday

Someday I'll be amazing. I'll graduate from my PhD program, get a job, own a house, two and half dogs, and be able to do whatever I want. I'll win the awards, be the one who gets the applause, and find myself with a thirty page CV. Someday I'll finish my novel, query, get an agent, a publisher, and I'll visit my book at Barnes and Noble every week. Someday I'll learn to start projects before the day before they are due so I won't have to stay up till 1AM writing a paper. Someday I'll be brave enough to ask for things I know I deserve. I'll manage to overcome my insecurities. Someday I"ll be the person I always wanted to be.

Someday is not today.

I'm Waiting

Dear Editor:

At twenty-four, Jamie is quickly losing her mind.

Her PhD coursework may be overwhelming, but somehow she is determined to continue writing and submitting her work. Little does she know that the evil editors are out to make her life miserable. Despite the fact that deadlines for responses have not passed, Jamie can't keep herself from checking her email every twenty seconds, searching frantically for any sign that an editor has actually read her work.

JUST REJECT ME ALREADY is complete at 1,000,000 words.

Sincerely,

Jamie

***If you are an editor, I don't actually believe you are evil. I promise :)

There's a loop? Where?

Current word count: somewhere around 24,000.

I haven't been so good about keeping up here, but I have been writing. A lot. A lot, a lot. I am a little over halfway through my novel now and hoping to keep up this momentum. April will be for editing and hopefully I will start querying in May.

On a totally unrelated note, I was checking up on my PB submissions this week and was double checking the time it was supposed to take one of the ones I emailed. Guess what? Sometime between when I sent it and now they stopped accepting submissions. So I'm guessing they aren't going to get back to me. Ever.

I've been reading all sorts of stuff this week about how agents and publishers like to be kept in the loop about if your work is no longer available to them or if you have another offer. Shouldn't authors be kept in the loop? I mean, originally they said they responded to everyone, so I've been very (im)patiently waiting for a reply. If I hadn't gone to their website and poked around I would never know that I wasn't going to get one.

Sigh.

Two publishers still have that book, and I'll probably fine another to send it to this week. I have two other short stories also waiting to hear about publication for.

Off to get my 1500 words in.

On Writing Without an Outline

Word Count Update: 4,318 (I'm not quite done for the day though. I will make my 4,500 word goal by the end of the day).

You know those people who have pages of outlines and notes before they start a novel? I'm not one of them. I really just had a basic idea and one character. I just write what comes to mind in whatever order it comes to mind in. That said, this current word count is split between two different sections of the book, neither of which is the beginning. I see author's on various blogs and forums posting about how they use excel to predict word count and how far they are in outline. The truth for me is that I have no idea where I'm going. I have a couple plot points worked out, but the rest of it will just have to happen.

When I was in college, we always had to turn in long assignments explaining our characters and outlining the plot of our story. There are a lot of benefits to this method. I'm still getting to know my main character and that will lead to massive amounts of editing at the end for the parts I'm writing right now. A good outline would prevent the days (that I'm sure are coming) when I sit down to write my 1500 words and discover that I have nothing to say, but that would take time away from the actual writing, which is what I love to do.

I've always been told that there is no right way to write. You can use an outline, but you don't have to. You can write from beginning to end, but you can also write scenes as you find the inspiration. Whatever you do, just make sure it works for you :)

Goal Setting, Productivity, and Life

Hi! Remember me? Yeah, I know its been a while. Okay, okay, a long while. I promise I've been productive while I was gone. I wrote two short stories (both of which are not out on submission) and started my novel. I am planning on being super productive this month, NaNoWriMo style. For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo is an event that takes place in November that challenges writers to complete 50,000 words of their novel over the course of a month. I have participated twice, but never won (for a variety of reasons). November is a terrible month for me, so I am doing this in March.

I'm expecting my YA novel to finish at about 45,000 words, and I am going to have a rough draft complete by March 31. I figured I need to write around 10,000 words a week to make this happen, so my goal right now is to get 1,500 words a day done. So far I have been very good about this (yes, I know it is only the second day of the month). I have completed a little over 3,000 words in the last couple days and haven't gotten stuck yet (knock on wood).

The real question is how I'm going to motivate myself to keep going. I have a couple of plans in place:
1. Lots of coffee and chocolate. In my mind, this is the key to any great life success.
2. I made a graphic that I hung up over my desk demonstrating my progress. I get to move the little sticker along as I get more words done. Yes, this is incredibly dorky, but looking at it reminds me how far I left to go (and how far I've come).
3. I plan to update my blog more often with my word count. Maybe you can give me a kick in the butt if I fail to make my weekly word counts.

I'm off to see if I can crank out another hundred words or so before I have to report to class.

Happy writing!

Writing for Children's Magazines

One of the worst parts (in my opinion) of submitting work is writing a cover/query letter. You have so few words and yet have to convey so much. The first time I wrote one I was following a sample provided by a professor. I got through the first two paragraphs and was ready to write the third one when I discovered I was supposed to list my publishing credits. That was going to be a problem. Why? I didn't have any (unless being published in the high school anthology counted, which I decided it didn't).

So what are you supposed to do if you don't have any publishing credits? Get some. I know, you're thinking that is stupid advice. Just hear me out. Every author has at some point had no publishing credits. Sure, it might be easier to get past the first reader if your cover letter shows that you have been published successfully many times, but not having any publishing credits doesn't make it impossible. Once you've been published once, you can start listing those credential, which might not only make you more attractive to publisher, but also make you feel more confident.

Magazines are a great way to begin getting some credits. There are a wide variety of magazines that publish both fiction and nonfiction for a wide range of age groups. Each of these magazines has to put out an issue every month or so. That means there are quite a few spots available for stories.

The best advice is to do your research. If there is a specific magazine you are interested in go to the library and read as many issues as you can find. If the library doesn't carry the particular magazine, contact the publisher to see if you can get a back issue (many publications offer this for writers). In addition, look into the way you are expected to pitch your story. Many magazines, like Cricket and Spider, require you to send a full story with a cover letter. Others, like Cobblestone, prefer query letters for stories. If you don't have any publishing credits, it will be easier to start with one where you send your whole story in. This allows your writing to speak for itself. You should also look to see whether there are any upcoming themes that you might be able to write to.

There are many market research guides available to help you find potential publishers. The Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (released each year) has a special section that lists magazines.

There are some major benefits to writing for magazines as opposed to writing books. First, the process is often a lot faster. While getting a book published after its been accepted can take upwards of a year, magazine pieces often run sooner. Another advantage is that you often receive payment upon acceptance, instead of waiting. Sure, you won't make as much off one article as you could off of one book, but you can often crank out multiple magazine type stories in far less time.

Before submitting, make sure to edit your story thoroughly. Magazine editors will not usually accept work that needs a lot of polishing.

Down the Rabbit Hole

Shhhh...

Yep. It's a plot bunny. This little one may look super cute, but he is also easily spooked. I'm trying to keep him around for a few more hours so I can finish a short story that I'm working on. Plot bunnies don't seem to come around to my living room very often, perhaps because there aren't many carrots (mental note: look into getting more carrots), so I am keeping today's post fairly short.

What I did want to mention that there are a lot of ways to build your writing career. Getting a book published is probably one of the harder ones I've come across. If you are a good writer and are looking to get a few publishing credentials and make a little money, there are some markets besides traditional book publishers that you should be looking into. I plan to discuss each of these in an upcoming blog post, but for now consider the following outlets for your work: e-publishers, websites, and magazines.

I'm off to keep track of my plot bunny. He's starting to look bored and I'm afraid he'll hop off to another writer's computer.

How to Pass the Time During a Snow Storm

Friday it was snowing. Saturday I discovered 23 inches of snow piled up outside my door (yes, I measured). Two days later the streets are just starting to become passable and you can walk single file down a little path on the sidewalk. While the snow (and cancellations) have made me a huge procrastinator on my schoolwork, it definitely helped with some writing goals. I indeed wrote the 1000 words on my MG novel that I promised to (1224 to be exact) and did some editing on my picture book. I also managed to discover a new genre that I'm interested in writing and started work on a short story (that I have every intention of finishing tonight). That said, being snowed in can get, well, boring. I present for you reading pleasure my list of things to do during a snow storm.

1. Play board games. I would highly suggest starting with this because once you are snowed in with the same people for 3 or more days you will no longer want to play games with them. However, they can make for a lot of fun and are especially useful for passing the time during power outages. If you are already tired of your games, try making up new ones. You'd be surprised how many ways you can use the same pieces. If I'm home tomorrow (please let me be home tomorrow!), my husband and I are going to find a new game to play with the Jenga pieces.

2. Bake. Now is the perfect time to try out all those recipes. So far this weekend I made chocolate lamingtons and pound cake. Tonight I am going to be making cookies (I am supposed to take them to school tomorrow (please be canceled!)) and possibly some lemon meringue lamingtons.

3. Do your taxes. Your W-2s are just sitting around waiting. You know you are procrastinating your other work (please let class be canceled tomorrow so I can procrastinate another week!), so you might as well do something productive. You never know, you might just be pleasantly surprised.

4. Discover a new life path. As I mentioned, I discovered a new genre I want to try writing in. I also discovered an academic program at my university that I think I am going to pursue as a graduate certificate (but I really don't want to start tomorrow. 1 more snow day? Please?!). You could also discover that you want to drop out of school and become a yoga instructor. Scan through random blogs and you are bound to find something that catches your interest. The "next blog" button at the top of Blogger blogs is great way to discover blogs you never would have found otherwise.

5. Call everyone you know who is not in the snow storm and brag. Hello, little brother? Yeah, I don't have to go to class today. You do? That sucks. click. That may sound horrible, but trust me he would do the same to me (please be canceled tomorrow so I can call him again).

Did I happen to mention that I would really appreciate it if school was canceled again tomorrow?
(Update: class is indeed canceled for tomorrow :) )

*Please not that the author really does enjoy her graduate program, she would just like a little more recovery time.

5 Things You Should Know About Writing a Picture Book

Before attempting to write my first picture book, I did a lot of research. I didn't think I could write one because I had no artistic ability (except for the little doodle flowers that I draw all over my notes when I am bored in class). I quickly learned that this would not be problem. Since I have done a lot of digging, and I thought I would share the tips I learned for writing a picture book.

1. No artistic ability required. Picture book manuscripts are submitted with just the text. It shouldn't be formatted like a picture book or laid out in any special manner. Just neatly typed and formatted like any other work. Publishers have artists that they use for picture books and once a book is accepted they will match it with an appropriate illustrator. That was a big relief for someone like me. If you are an artist, you should think very hard about whether you should submit art with your manuscript. First, if you are not a professional illustrator, just don't. It is difficult for a publisher to call and tell you they want your text but not your artwork. More than likely they will just reject the whole thing. It is hard enough to get accepted as a writer (or an illustrator) without having to get both the writing and drawing accepted. While we're on the subject, you also should not tell a publisher that your aunt, uncle, or cousin's best friend is willing to do the artwork.

2. Word count is key.  Word count is always important when submitting, but becomes especially important when your space is as limited as it is in a picture book. Picture books are usually limited to 24 or 32 pages, with about 4 of those pages used for the title page, copyright, and other non-story related material. You should limit yourself to 500-2000 words. Are there picture books out there with more or less words? Of course, but they are not usually by first time authors. With so few words, it is important to consider what really needs to be said in the text and how it is said. Remember that there will be pictures, so you don't need to describe the scenery or the characters, the pictures will do this for you. Use action words and present tense to help keep your word count down and the action moving.

3. You might be on your own. Agents are an extremely important part of the writing business, but many are not interested in first time picture book authors. Picture books do not typically make a lot of money for the writer or the agent. Most children's book agents accept middle grade and young adult manuscripts, but do not want picture books. That is okay though. A large number of publishing houses will accept unagented picture books. You can always go the way of looking for an agent (there are a number of online and print resources that will help you do this), but you might be better served by going it alone. Once you have an offer on the table, you could turn to agents to help you negotiate the contract. Once you have some publications under your belt, getting an agent to represent you for your picture books will be a little easier.


4. It doesn't have to rhyme. Like illustrations, if you are not a very poet, don't attempt to make your story rhyme. Before you write and submit a rhyming story, ask yourself if you are really good at it. Then ask a bunch of people that you know won't lie to you (not your husband, best friend, or mother). It takes a very special person to write a story that rhymes perfectly and has extraordinary rhythm. It is okay not to be that person. Most picture books don't rhyme anymore and publishers are often wary about publishing ones that do, simply because they must be extraordinary if they are going to make it. If you write a wonderful story that is engaging and doesn't rhyme, your are in far better shape that if you write a story that is clumsy because of the forced rhyming and rhythm.

5. You're not writing for the children. Okay, you are writing for children, but they are not your only audience. Small children don't buy books, parents do. Your book not only has to appeal to children, but also to the adults who buy and read books to them. Children usually demand that their favorite books are read over and over, so parent are careful to only bring home books they think they can stand reading 999,999 times. Think about whether your story appeals to parents as well. Is there another level to the story that is understood by adults but not children? Does the story subtly teach a lesson that benefits parents? Is it exciting enough that parents will want to read it again and again?

Did you lean something while writing/submitting a picture book?

Low on Writing Energy

I am running low on the ability to actually work on something this week. Since I sent my first work out to editors I have found it increasingly difficult to work on other projects. It's not that I think I am going to get anything out of these submissions (I am well aware that I will probably receive 3 rejection letters in the next few months)(though it would be really awesome if 1 of those was an acceptance instead and I am allowed to dream). I just feel like my motivation was mailed off with them. I have 1 picture book manuscript that is finished, but needs A LOT of editing before it is ready to be sent away. I have the first chapter of a MG novel that I would really love to keep working on. In addition, I have 5 more picture books and a YA novel that I would really like to write. So why can't I seem to sit down and actually do it?

Part of the problem is that I am just tired. Between classes and work I have very little time that I can use for whatever I want. A portion of that time goes to my husband and friends, a little bit (sometimes less than a little bit) goes to sleeping, and a chunk always goes to simply winding down by watching TV and reading (I just finished a great YA novel that I will post about soon). So I not only have to find the time, but the energy.

I know. Most writers have incredibly busy schedules and don't have the luxury of simply sitting around and writing. What I really need to do is carve out the time in my schedule, write it down on calendar, and stick to it. To help me with this I am making goals for myself. This weekend I am going to do an edit of my picture book and write 1000 words of my MG novel. I'll let you know on Monday if I actually made it.

Demanding Characters

Ever have a character who will just not go away? This week a character has been literally haunting me. The problem is that she doesn’t really have the sort of story that I like to write.

Our conversation usually goes something like this:

Character-Currently-Without-Name: Sorry to disturb your blog reading, but when do you think you are going to stop procrastinating and get around to writing my story.

Me: Oh hi. You know, I’ve been really busy lately. I’ve got a whole bunch of classes and I had a midterm due this week. Also, I’m sort of working on this other book right now.

CCWN: You are just full of excuses aren’t you? Do you want to know what I think?

Me: Not especially.

CCWN: I think you are avoiding writing my story because you don’t like it.

Me: Of course I like your story. It’s just, well, not really my type of story.

CCWN: What is that supposed to mean?

Me: Your story kind of has all these religious tones to it. Which is great for you, but I’m not really that kind of writer.

CCWN: {glares}

Me: Maybe I could write your story but just sort of leave out all the religious sections?

CCWN: Now you are just being ridiculous. Without those sections you don’t have a story. The religious sections are what make it my story.

Me: {sigh} Can’t you find someone to write this?

CCWN: No. Come on. Laptop on, Word open, keys go clickety, click.


Teenagers can be mean. I have a feeling this character is going to be a pain in my you-know-what. Guess I better get to work.

*Just a note: I do not actually talk to my characters (outloud).

Touching Paper

My husband is a bit (A LOT) of a tech nerd. While we don't currently have the money to buy all the latest gadgets, we do tend to purchase quite a few. Usually I am skeptical. Why do I need the fanciest new technology when my old stuff works just fine? But, I can usually be swayed when I become addicted to the genius of our new purchase.

Take my laptop. I got my new touchscreen laptop this past summer when my old laptop decided to commit suicide. At first, I was really afraid to use the screen. My husband went from telling me not to push on the screen of my old laptop to encouraging me to play with the new screen. After a while I got used to it. Now, I am in love. I find it incredibly useful for taking notes in class and for simply increasing my coolness factor.

In the past year I have watched a lot of my friends purchase a Kindle or similar e-reader. I just can't convince myself that I want one. Part of what I love about reading is holding the book in my hands. I like the feel of the ink on the paper. I love turning the pages and seeing how far I've read and how far I have left to go. E-readers take all this away. Sure they are lighter, but assuming I'm not reading War and Peace this isn't really an issue. My other resistance is because of the battery. I am famous for letting my electronics die. My mp3 player has not been used in weeks simply because I've let it die and can't be bothered to hook it up to my laptop for an hour to recharge it. How often would I find that my e-reader was dead and I wouldn't be able to read when I wanted to?

On the other hand, I travel quite a bit. Both of our parents live on the other side of the country so we make a trip to each place at least once a year. In addition, I'm out of the country for a month or more working on a research project. I can see how useful it would be to load up my e-reader before such a trip instead of attempting to haul multiple novels to the other side of the world.

Has anyone made the switch? Do you love it or hate it?

Buying a Ticket

Ever get that nagging feeling that the universe is trying to tell you something? Well today the universe has been screaming. Loudly. For the past week I have been thinking a lot about something my 7th grade geography teacher used to say: "If you don't buy a ticket, you can't win the lottery". Well today the universe collided to convince me to write a post about it.

This morning, Natalie Whipple posted about not letting opportunities pass you by simply because you are afraid you aren't good enough. Later in the day one of my professors used a quote that tied in perfectly in his slide show presentation.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretzky

A couple years ago a family member of mine commented to me that they were going to go to University A because it was the only one they got in to. This family member happens to be an incredibly talented artist with an amazing portfolio, so I was a little surprised that he hadn't gotten in anywhere else. When I inquired as to where else he had applied, he told me that he hadn't applied anywhere else.

Well of course not! Colleges aren't just going to send you acceptance letters. It seems so easy when it is someone else, but think about all the things in your life that you haven't bought tickets for. I would love to win the lottery, but am forced to admit that I have never actually bought a ticket.

I find that writers I know are often some of the worst people about this. I know many writers who always talk about wanting to be published but have never actually submitted anything. They keep their writing locked away in their computer where no one can read it. If they can't read it, they can't like it, and they certainly can't publish it.

I am not always the best about this, but I challenge you to consider taking a chance and submitting something. Seriously, what are you waiting for? Buy a ticket and at least give yourself a shot.

Wish List: iMac

I love my laptop. It is light enough that I don't mind hauling it around to classes, the library, and coffee shops. The problem is that I always wind up leaving it in my bag when I'm at home and using my husband's desktop computer. I like my laptop better, its just that I have no where to put it.

(Side note: that's not really true. I have a desk next to my husbands that would be perfectly appropriate for my laptop. However, I have a habit of leaving it covered in random stuff so that setting up my laptop would require cleaning first.)

In my dreams, I get to carry my wonderful laptop around, but when I'm home I have a fabulous desktop that I can use for writing. Now, I have always been a PC person, but if I were to pick any desktop I would pick an iMac.Isn't it beautiful? It just looks so sleek and clean. My school's computer labs have iMacs that I use whenever I am forced to venture into them to print something. They always feel so creative and professional. Will I wind up getting one? Probably not. My husband builds computers in his spare time and could probably build me something for far less money that runs far better. But, should I actually have the money and get a choice, an iMac is definitely on my list.

Writers are nuts!

Today in one of my classes we were discussing certain personality traits that may or may not affect an individuals health. At one point the conversation turned to people who keep doing something, convinced they will succeed even though the odds against them seem insurmountable. Now, as far as the class is concerned, this is a bad trait. However, the entire time I kept thinking that this sounds a lot like writers.

Seriously, what normal person would continually send out queries and manuscripts hoping and praying that someday someone is going to publish them?

On that note, in another class this week we were discussing (BIG) grant applications. My professor kept discussing how only about 40% of people who applied for one in a given year got one. Again, the entire class seemed very concerned.

I am pretty sure most writers would kill their best friend to have a 40% chance that a publisher would publish their novel.

So I guess the point of this post is that writers are crazy (you already knew that right?), but in all of this craziness is a clarity that we wouldn't have it any other way.

The Waiting Begins

I actually did it. Today I did a final edit on a picture book manuscript, wrote some cover letters, and stuck the materials in envelopes that are now waiting to be put in the mailbox tomorrow morning. I am by no means expecting any sort of wonderful response from these, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

So what to do during the 4-9 months while I wait for a response (or silence in the case of one publisher who only responds if interested)? I have another draft that needs to be polished and then can start making the rounds itself. I also have a number of other ideas that need to be written down.

Anyone have any grand ideas for making the time go faster?