THE END...A Great Way to End the Year!

I finally wrote "The End" on a book I started years ago and it felt so good.  It was a great way to end the year.  I loved this book the moment the idea of it popped into my head.  It was one of my first NaNo stories and then I let it sit for a while. A long while.  I've started other stories since and hadn't paid much attention to this one.  A few months ago the characters started to nag at me.  As if saying "don't forget about us" or "please finish our story".  Luckily along with that came some new twist and turns that I wasn't even expecting.  I love when a story takes shape and ends up surprising me.

Now it's time to start the first round of editing.  I dread the grammatical part of editing.  I'll admit I'm just not good at it. I do like going through the story and making changes here and there and polishing the characters.  I have a really good feeling about this story and hope that I can work through the stages of editing quickly so I can start submitting to agents, but before that comes the dreaded query and synopsis.  The query is my biggest challenge.  I always question whether I have a good enough hook and when the denials come in I wonder if it was a result of the query not doing it's job or they weren't interested in the idea of the story.  It would be great if more feedback could be provided.  I do understand that agents must get inundated with query letters and how difficult it would be to send back individualized feedback.

Well, it's off to editing. 

Happy New Year to all!!

Preparing for the new year...

I think about writing more lately than actually doing.  It's the time of year where so many things are going on it's hard to keep your head on straight.  I've neglected this blog and my writing.  Well, I've actually been doing rather well on the writing part.  At least from where I was a year ago.  I participated in NaNoWriMo this year.  I did not get to 50k words, but I got a nice kick start on a story that was rolling around in my head.  I find that's my biggest issue.  I have so much going on up there that I need to figure out a way to organize it all and focus on one project at a time without loosing my ideas for the others.  I have notebooks o'plenty, but I do need to come up with a better system.  Hopefully that's something I can figure out over time and perhaps other writer's can lend advice on what they've found to be successful for them.  Becoming more organized overall in my daily life wouldn't be a bad thing.

I haven't sat and read a book in a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't purchased any. :)  My last trip to Barnes & Noble was the first in a while.  I purchased a series by Lori Foster that I am excited to start reading.

Movies I've watched recently.  Ted.  My boyfriend was so excited that this movie was finally available to rent.  I wasn't looking forward to it, but figured it would be funny if nothing else.  It was one of the worst movies I had ever seen.  A nice waste of my time.  However, he owes me now. :)

As for my former blogging partner, I previously posted about her, but this time I went and changed the profile and the blog to show that I am committed to this.  I love her, she is my cousin, and at one time was considered one of my best friends.  Sometimes life takes us down different paths.  That's what has happened with her.  We went from talking or texting daily, getting together at least once per week, to not talking in five months.  It's sad really.  I hope she's still writing as she has an immense amount of talent and creativity.  I do miss her.  Life goes on and maybe one day she'll be here again.  Until then it's just me and I'm good with that.

Kellie

Where in the world is Lisa Capp??

Alas, it has been too long.  Last I wrote I was submitting queries and getting rejections.  As expected.  I really didn't think I would get any requests back.  I stopped submitting after the five rejections.  It did make me question my work all around.  Is my story good enough?  Is my synopsis up to par?  Most of all, is my query good enough to hook someone?  So I pulled back and stopped submitting for the time being.  I've got a lot of projects rolling around in my head and wish I had the time to devote to all of them as fast as they hit me.  I feel like now I need to pick my best, polish it, and get back to submitting. 

In other news, I feel as though I've lost a comrade or even worse a part of me.  My blog partner, who yes has been just as absent on the blog as I've tried not to be, has found other priorities in her life and has put writing to the back burner.  Not only is she my other scribe, my partner, one of my closest friends, but my cousin.  You will no longer find her on Facebook or Twitter, which is sad as I've missed her comments, posts, and humor.  Most importantly I've missed her. I hope that one day soon she will find the fire again because she has an immense amount of talent that I hate to see go to waste.  But for now RIP Lisa Capp and I hope for a resurrection someday soon.  But, the show must go on.

That is all for now.  Short, sweet, and to the point. 

There will be more.  Next time perhaps we can talk about what to do when we start to feel the fire go out.

Peace.

Kellie

How i've missed you old friend...

It's blatantly obvious that we have neglected our blog for way too long.  No excuse will suffice.  However, I will list a few or at least offer an explanation.  Life.  That's the only explanation I can give.  So many things have occurred these past couple of years on a personal level for both of us.  Unfortunately life sometimes sidetracks even those things most important to us.  Writing was put to the back burner for a while as I sorted out a few things.  I'm happy to say that I'm getting back in the saddle. 

Last weekend I sent out 5 query letters to agents looking for representation for my completed mss. First, I had to experience and navigate the daunting task of writing a query.  I feel this was way more painful than the synopsis.  I'm not good with developing a hook, which is very important for the query.  I worked on it for several hours, left the computer for a while, and then went back to it. I used several websites as tools which I have to say were extremely helpful.  I finally got to the point where I felt like it couldn't get any better and the more I played with it the worse I was making it and my sanity.  So I put it all together and out they went.  Five query's.  The worst part now is the wait.  It could take up to 4 months to hear anything back and one even said that if I don't hear anything after a certain amount of time then to consider it a no. 

I only had to wait a week to hear back from one, a rejection of course. That is what I am expecting at this point; 5 rejections.   For me it's better to expect the worst and not even hope for the best.  Any other way would be a recipe for rejection heartache.  So, with my first rejection behind me, I'm patiently waiting for the next 4.  While I do that and try not to check my email daily, I am working on two other projects.  One is finishing a paranormal RS and another is an erotic that I started.  I figure those will keep my mind busy.

Right now however I must go figure out what to feed my little ones dinner while trying not to give in to the desire to want to scream at the extremely rude, noisy, and obnoxious upstairs neighbors that I have.  That's a story for another time.

No more neglecting.  Until next time.

Kellie

Where has our sanity gone?

It's been a while since we posted a blog. We promise to be better.

Since our last post we have actaully accomplished quite a few things. Which is why our brain cells are fried!

First, we decided to enter out first contest. It's something that all writers should do at some point, even if it's just for the feedback that you get in the end. Well, we entered The Emily contest through West Houston RWA. We each submitted 35 pages of one of our manuscripts to the contest and we should be hearing something by the end of the year (if we final) or the beginning of next year (if we didn't). I am setting my sights low and trying not to think about it. I'm the kind of person that expects the worst, but hopes for the best. I try not to get my hopes up and that way the let down isn't as hard.

What else? Well, I must say that it makes me utterly happy to say that I have finished by synopsis and am ready to send it off to the agents that requested it & my MS. I know, I know. It's about time. I know it and I hear it and I feel it. I am seriously hoping that my next synopsis will take me a few days instead of a few months.

Then there's NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starting on 11/1. This will be my third year doing it and if I think my sanity is gone now, then I can just imagine how it will be in a few days. NaNo, even at it's craziest moment, I have to admit I really enjoy. There are so many times throughout the year that I would love to start a new project, but I'm too engrossed in others that I'm working through. NaNo is my chance to start something new. A fresh slate. I am so looking forward to Sunday when I can sit down and watch my characters come to life. I have already worked with the character profile worksheets so that I know who my characters are and now I am just impatiently waiting to meet them...and in most importantly, to torture them. And I say that with all the love that I have as a writer toward my H/H. What fun would it be if we didn't have a little bit of torture at their expense? Better them than us.

In the meantime we have Halloween. Not a holiday that I would rate as one of my favorites, but my little ones certainly love it. This year I will be tooling around with the cutest little cowgirl and my insanely smart Harry Potter. Bags & bags full of candy can equal happiness for all.

I hope everyone has a safe and ghoulish Halloween!

Kellie

P.S If you find our sanity, please return it. We are pretty sure it is located in the pants pockets of Johnny Depp on our imaginary private island which we are checking into as we speak!

Here we sit....

Another day and here we sit. Both perched over our laptops taking our time getting down to the nitty-gritty. We had lunch, chit-chatted about family insanity, and surfed the Internet before finally looking at each other and said "alright, we must do what we said we are going to do." Me, I look at Lisa dumbfounded and say, "What did I say I was going to do again?" The damn evil synopsis that is hanging over my head like a black cloud. So, yes, I know what I must do and here I sit avoiding the synopsis, which I believe Lisa is under the impression that I am working on as I sit here typing away to update our blog. It's a painful job, but someone must do it.

I'm watching as Lisa plot away and work on her edits as she is determined to finish a project she started a while ago called DEMONS BITE. Her first draft is finished and has been for a while. I have to say that I'm glad to see that she's back at it. We've gone over some very interesting ideas and have had discussions about Satan, good versus evil, and demons & angels. Sometimes it helps to have these sit down sessions where we each have our laptops, some music, and the occasional unhealthy snack, to get stuff done.

As I sit here and finally come up with a thought that I want to share, I hear things like "we're going to do it, Kell," or "we can do this," and "is this Lady GaGa?" (referring to the music on my itouch). Of course the answer to that last one is a big No. And if it's not those welcomed, and often amusing, interruptions it's my 4 y/o daughter asking for snacks, Popsicles, juice, Tom & Jerry, and if we can go to Walmart to buy toys for a friends birthday party that is 3 weeks away. Then of course there's my always trusty shadow that follows me whenever I get up and lays on the floor next to my chair when I sit down. That would be my trusty Lab, Brandy.

I'm keeping this short and sweet because I do have to get to my synopsis, which is a word that I have grown to loath during this whole process. I think I'm going to have to come up with something else to call it that's more appropriate....shitnopsis, crapnopsis, something along those lines. I guess it shall depend on my mood.

Tootles for now.

Synopsis Hell

When I started this insane journey a couple of years ago, I really had no idea where it would take me. At first I insisted that I was writing for myself and I wasn't going to share my work with anyone. That quickly changed when I confided my newest obsession of writing to my cousin who was in the same boat. I felt beyond lucky that I had someone who knew exactly what I was going through and it was a bonus that she's a part of my family. These past couple of years we've stayed in contact speaking once a week, if not more, exchanging ideas and swapping stories from frustration to triumph and everything in between.

Prior to the RWA National Conference in DC this past July, I worked diligently to get my manuscript finished and in tip-top shape. I had an appointment with an agent and an editor during the conference and I wanted to be ready to send out my ms as soon as I got back if it was requested. Well, it was requested. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is the request of the synopsis to accompany it. I was on cloud nine after receiving the requests that I didn't really think about what the synopsis entailed. I wasn't worried. I planned to come home, spew out a synopsis, and send it off. No biggie. Right? Wrong.

That was back in July. Here it is almost September and I still don't have it completed. It's been the most dreadful experience thus far in the process of becoming published. It's my version of Hell. I'm hoping once I get practice, my vision of this will change and that it will be just a small blip of frustration on the long, bumpy, winding path to accomplishing my dream. Unfortunately, I can't see that far ahead because the synopsis is blocking my view and sucking all of the positivity from me.

Fortunately, I am NOT a quitter and I DO love a challenge. There is no way I'm going to let this get the best of me. I may whine along the way (Lisa can attest to that) and occasionally attempt to pull my hair out (the cussing and throwing of objects is a given). I must get this done. That's what I keep repeating to myself. I need to move on, to finish other WIP's, and start new ones, but I can't do that until this damn synopsis is completed and in the mail attached to my ms.

In the mean time, I have found a couple of helpful sites. One is http://www.lisagardner.com/tricks/synopsis.htm and the other http://www.charlottedillon.com/synopsis.html.

I'm happy to report that I have sat down this afternoon and am making headway. It's still dreadful, but it's something. Once I get the first draft of the synopsis down, I think it will be easier to trim/add where needed and I might feel like I've accomplished something.

Feel free to share your experiences, good or bad, we don't discriminate...although we might not share our chocolate!

I will leave you now so I can consume this heaping bowl of pasta sitting in front of me and so that I can get back to overcoming my Hell.