Monday, December 10, 2012

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

On Patience and Publishing


On Patience and Publishing

The first query I sent received a request for a full in less than five minutes. (I know, right? I had an instant heart-attack.) Upon later enlightenment (much later) I realized that particular manuscript stunk on ice. This was an unfortunate event. Why you might think. Well, because it gave me unreal expectations about the timeline of publishing.

Don’t fool yourself kiddo. Writing is a long-term investment of your mind, and your heart.
What I've come to realize is that you’re going to do your time before you emerge triumphant. You’ll also head down into the Valley of Fail (many times) and work your way back up to the peak of I can do this. (If you want to win)

There will be rejections.

Either you’ll get them at the front from agents and editors or you’ll have them from reviewers. They will be there—in spades. But there will also be moments of pure joy. The day you write THE END on a story and the first time you hand pages to someone to read and you can see them sucked into the world you've created.

The best of all is the day you’re signed by your dream agent. (I was so floaty and flabbergasted that I lost a brand-new phone—seriously, I never found it again. Only Heaven kept me from wrecking the car because I absolutely do not remember driving.)

Everyone has a different experience. Some few go straight to the top. But most of us plug along day after day and take years. Don’t think you’re all alone out there in the dark.

The rest of us are rooting for you. So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get to work. We know you can do this
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Here is a hug. *HUGS*




Tuesday, November 20, 2012

On Being Thankful and Zombies


On Being Thankful and Zombies

Sometimes, along with the stress and worries of the holidays, a great big boat load of amnesia takes over our brains. Not only do we forget we’re human, we manage to forget that the rest of the world is, too.
We scurry along in a rush of shopping, cleaning, cooking, and then turn into Holiday Zombies. Our faces are pale and black circles appear under our eyes. Fingers turn red and green from the food color in holiday cookies.
  
Eventually our hurried stride turns into a slow death walk while we moan “Sugaaaaaaaaaaaar.” (Okay, some of you groan “Caffeiiiiiiiiiiiiine,” but you do that every morning anyway,)
Pretty much, Zombies terrify the rest of creation —especially children. All of the pumpkin pie and stuffed turkeys in the world won’t make up for the fact that there is a monster in the house. (Seriously guys, it won’t.)

You don’t need fourteen side dishes—no one is that hungry. Your bedroom doesn't have to be redecorated just in case a guest needs to have a nap. You needn't zombiefy your poor self or drive the bank account into the red to pay for dinner
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What people really want for the holidays is to enjoy time with friends and family. If they’re at your house, they already love you and will forgive a few dust bunnies. Before you start the tightrope walk on that silver wire of stress, take a minute to be thankful for what you already have. Count your blessings and cut your list.

You’ll thank me for it later.