FRIDAY STIR FRY - Conference Time!!!

2013 ORACON



It's conference time for one of my writing groups http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/conference-2014/oracon-2014/

I love going to this event. We always have great presenters, inspiring and motivational content and great networking opportunities. It helps rejuvenate my muse. 

The last few years I've helped with the planning because I've been on the board - two years as secretary and this year as treasurer. It's fun and exhausting at the same time. But we have great volunteers and everyone wants this day to be a complete success. 

Four years ago I pitched to a New York agent and she requested my manuscript. What a thrill. I was so nervous, my voice shook and cracked as I gave her the summary of my novel Beyond The Horizon. After she said she wanted to see it, I walked on air the rest of the day. Unfortunately, she ended up leaving her publishing house and they sold and my book came back. But, I will never forget that thrill.

The next year: 

Not so good.
The agent I pitched to was less than thrilled with my story.
In the critique session with a published best selling author, she ripped me a new one for my choice of language and references to characters in a bar scene.
And then the final blow was a critique of a query letter I submitted for the Query Letter Gong Show.
It also got ripped apart.

But, I learned something even from that conference. I better get a thicker skin if I was going to succeed in this business. 

This year, I'm not pitching but I am getting a professional head shot from http://www.davisphotodesign.com/        Wish her luck trying to make me look pretty. :-)

Do you enjoy conferences or do you see them as a waste of time?

FRIDAY STIR FRY - What to do?

    

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1238452

I've got lots of questions swirling in my head right now. What is the meaning of  life? Why do I procrastinate? When can I retire? Why is the sky blue? And finally, what should I do with my book?

 

It has been with a publisher since the last of November while I patiently waited for a reply as per their guidelines. (I think I've mentioned I hate publisher guidelines). I sent a follow up e-mail again per their instructions last week. Haven't heard a word. So, what do I do? Should I re-submit to another publisher? Should I query another agent? Should I publish on Kindle? Or should I just give up on it?

 

 The Kindle option is tempting but seems to involve quite the learning curve. Not sure I have the time or patience. Plus what about cover art? Pay someone or muddle through that on my own?

 

 I don't want to give up on it either. I think it's a story that needs to be told.

 

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Suggestions?

 

 

 

ROLLER COASTER RIDE (part one)

What a ride the last few days have been. I've went from so sad I couldn't function, to mad, to determined in three days time. What started this roller coaster? Rejection - every writer's nightmare. I've heard it said that if you can't stand rejection you shouldn't be a writer. And for about a day, I thought about just quitting - giving up on my dream. Thank goodness that passed. Let me fill you in on the details:

One of the writing groups I'm in had their annual conference this past Saturday. At last years conference, I pitched my book to an editor with Avalon books. First time I've done anything like that. She asked for the first three chapters and synopsis. After I sent it, she asked for the whole manuscript. To say I was on cloud nine would be an understatement. And of course, I had to tell everyone I knew. Then the bottom fell out. After waiting for about seven months for an answer, the editor quit and Avalon was acquired by Amazon and my manuscript came back to me with a form rejection letter on top. Okay, okay, not the end of the world, right? It was good enough this time, it will be good enough the next time. Oh how naive I am.

I pitched to an agent this time. First words out of her mouth were that my word count was too small. My head started swirling - she's going to reject it - oh no! But, she said it sounded interesting - go ahead and send it. Okay, I thought, but what good is that when you've already said the word count is wrong?

Next came a critique session with four other wannabes and a very successful published author. I'd worked all morning the day before polishing my piece. It was ten pages. First thing she said was we could only read five pages. Okay . . . I frantically picked what section I wanted to have critiqued and waited my turn. The only feedback - I can't use derogatory words. Or if you do, you have to qualify them. That was it. No encouragement at all. Excuse me, Miss Famous Author, those words are totally in context with what the characters would say.

The final blow was later in the afternoon. Some of us submitted query letters for a query letter gong show. The agents lined up at their table and our letters were read. They were supposed to gong when they lost interest. I'd followed all the sage advice of experts when I composed my letter and I had imagined them saying something like "This is great. Who wrote this. Please send me the manuscript." Naive again. Instead I got the worst review of them all.

I left the conference before it ended and cried most of the night away. The next day, I was still wallowing in self pity. But something changed Monday. I started to get mad. How dare they try to dash my dream (granted they probably had no intention of doing that) but, I had to blame somebody. Because, obviously, it's not me or my writing that's at fault. Right? Right?

Today, I have moved from mad to determined. What am I going to do? I'm still weighing my options. I know for sure I'm not quitting. Stay tuned for Part 2.

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN

I want to tell you about a couple of women who have inspired me this week. The first one is a co-worker Dana Johnston. You can read a little bit of her story here http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120517/NEWS04/305170052/Ozarks-Technical-Community-College-Springfield-commencement-speech?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

As good as that article is - it only tells part of the story. I watched it unfold over the past two years. I've seen her ups and downs, her highs and her lows. I'd met her husband and her kids. I listened when she needed an ear and I stayed out of her way when she didn't. I even helped her edit a few of her college papers. Words can't describe how much I admire her. The way she handled this hard chapter of her life made me realize I don't have it so bad. So what if I didn't get a book deal. So what if I've lost my MoJo. (see previous post)

The second woman is Cecily White. I haven't know her as long as I've known Dana, but the short time I have, she has also inspired me. Here's a little something about her. http://www.larsenpomada.com/pam-van-hylckama-vlieg-sells-golden-heart-trilogy/

She's probably half my age (I'm guessing, I haven't asked her). She's a college professor, a wife and a mother of two young children. She is the conference coordinator for one of the writing groups I'm in http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/   and secretary for another. And during all that, she managed to write a fabulous YA book, get a wonderful agent and sign a three book deal. Not bad!

I've used every excuse in the book lately to not write, not submit and basically not care about my dream anymore. But, these two women have made me feel a bit ashamed of myself. No more pity party. It's time for action instead of reaction. WE ARE WOMEN - HEAR US ROAR!