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Welcome to the Writing Life! (Read 41743 times)

Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Welcome to the Writing Life! Jun 21^st, 2010 at 9:32pm	Print Post
	It occurred to me that a site that has a work of fiction as its original reason for being really should have someplace to discuss the art and craft [not to mention the addiction and torture!] of writing. So from now on, my wails of frustration will be located here where the unwary will not stumble upon them unwarned!


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #1 - Jun 22^nd, 2010 at 12:35am	Print Post
	I'm hopeless! There is a scene in Book 1 that finds Our Heroine belly dancing on the bar in Our Hero's night club, causing that healthy, young half-vampire stud no little consternation! So now, purely for my known reference, I'm wondering what song she danced to and what the choreography was! I justify spending time on this by saying that when the "Sourcebook" is being put together, I can put that information in it so that interested belly dancers can perform the dance which should be a big hit at SF conventions. [Our Heroine dances in a variation of American Classic Style, incidentally...] The fact that I'm lusting indecently for a belly dance floorwork dvd for my own dance training does NOT help the situation!
	« Last Edit: Jun 22^nd, 2010 at 12:37am by Penthesilea »

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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #2 - Jun 22^nd, 2010 at 6:34pm	Print Post
	I'm forcing myself to work right now. It doesn't look like the weather is going to settle down much and I need distraction while I'm waiting for the next blob of meteorological nastiness to get here. I'll be moving around to various spots in Chapter 5 until I find someplace were I can be productive.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #3 - Jun 23^rd, 2010 at 6:42am	Print Post
	Well, I found a good spot and got a good bit written down and figured out something else that I will get written down but not tonight. Dinner is almost ready and I'm ready to collapse once everyone including me is fed. And I'm yawning so hard my jaw is about to crack. Not enough uninterrupted sleep last night and no nap today. I am SO ready to crash. I just need to hang on for another hour....


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #4 - Sep 6^th, 2010 at 4:55am	Print Post
	Penthesilea wrote on Jun 22^nd, 2010 at 12:35am: I'm hopeless! There is a scene in Book 1 that finds Our Heroine belly dancing on the bar in Our Hero's night club, causing that healthy, young half-vampire stud no little consternation! So now, purely for my known reference, I'm wondering what song she danced to and what the choreography was! I justify spending time on this by saying that when the "Sourcebook" is being put together, I can put that information in it so that interested belly dancers can perform the dance which should be a big hit at SF conventions. [Our Heroine dances in a variation of American Classic Style, incidentally...] The fact that I'm lusting indecently for a belly dance floorwork dvd for my own dance training does NOT help the situation! It took FOREVER but I finally settled on the music for the Bar Dance. I ended up selecting three pieces since the text doesn't specifically state that she danced to only one song. The three songs, in order. are Disco Beladi from Desert Wind's album Flute Fest, Chifli (Isis) from Desert Wind's album Kali Ma and Desert Gypsy by Mohamed Al-Bakkar from the album Bellydance Oasis. The first one is a "party" song, the second one is slow for the "floor work" that takes place on the bar and the veils and the last is a fast piece that will end with Our Heroine disappearing with a "pop!" Won't be able to do that at a convention but if the dancer is in a spotlight that is turned off at exactly the right moment, it would work. Now.. to flesh out the choreography...
	« Last Edit: Sep 6^th, 2010 at 4:56am by Penthesilea »

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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #5 - Mar 18^th, 2011 at 11:21pm	Print Post
	pout SNARK! GROWL! I've managed to pry some information out of the website of the last agent I queried. As of March 8th, the agency had 161 email queries and 47 hard copy queries to go through. Since I have yet to hear a peep from them, I'm assuming that my hardcopy query is in that pile somewhere. � Elsewhere on the site, they laughingly stated that they would be back up and "running" by May 1st. (more ) If they are that damned busy handling the work/clients that they have, maybe they should, oh perhaps, hire an intern or two! Said interns could, at the least, proofread contracts, handle routine correspondence/emailing/phone calls with clients and publishers and other routine office tasks so that the agents could do what only they CAN do -- like meet with editors to sell books, meet with writers about writing/selling books and ACTUALLY READ THE QUERIES THAT THEY RECEIVE PROMPTLY SO THAT WRITERS LOOKING FOR REPRESENTATION AND GET ON WITH IT IF THEY TAKE A PASS!! I've gotten used to being rejected but damnit, I wish that they'd be prompt about it so I can get on to the next victim on my list!fume!


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #6 - Mar 19^th, 2011 at 5:05pm	Print Post
	From my mouth to some God's ears. The latest rejection was in today's mail. Back to the agent list....


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Veridian Etoile Ex Member Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #7 - Mar 20^th, 2011 at 4:09pm	Print Post
	Penthesilea wrote on Mar 19^th, 2011 at 5:05pm: From my mouth to some God's ears. The latest rejection was in today's mail. Back to the agent list.... Well darn Penth!! I am hoping you get an ACCEPTED letter soon!! You're a darn fine writer, those stories need to be told to all out there!!

	We creative types have to create in order to feel ALIVE... That's why I write. Without my writing, I would not be living, only existing. ~Me~ Music is essential to life. ~Me~ I'm sunny natured with a side of EVIL...
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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #8 - Mar 20^th, 2011 at 4:41pm	Print Post
	Thanks, hon. I'll be getting another query package together to mail this week -- tomorrow I hope! This particular agent wants to see the first three chapters along with the cover letter and a synopsis which is the kind of query I prefer to make -- one with some ACTUAL WRITING in it.


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Veridian Etoile Ex Member Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #9 - Mar 20^th, 2011 at 4:49pm	Print Post
	Fingers are CROSSED!!

	We creative types have to create in order to feel ALIVE... That's why I write. Without my writing, I would not be living, only existing. ~Me~ Music is essential to life. ~Me~ I'm sunny natured with a side of EVIL...
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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #10 - Mar 20^th, 2011 at 5:12pm	Print Post
	I'll let you know when it goes out. Some people think that once writing the book is done, the hard part is over. NOPE! The hard part is getting an agent to represent you and then a publisher to put your book out. You can self-publish, of course, but unless you are an established author, bringing out past successful work that is otherwise out of print, you aren't going to make any money and aren't likely to be noticed either.


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Veridian Etoile Ex Member Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #11 - Mar 20^th, 2011 at 5:17pm	Print Post
	Exactly. Getting it written is only ONE step in a huge journey, not the end of it or the hardest part. Actually sometimes the writing is the easy part, it's getting published that can be the toughest part of it because you have to find a company that publishes your genre of story, meet the requirements word count wise, etc, and then have someone within that company to like it, then convince others to approve it, etc...

	We creative types have to create in order to feel ALIVE... That's why I write. Without my writing, I would not be living, only existing. ~Me~ Music is essential to life. ~Me~ I'm sunny natured with a side of EVIL...
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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #12 - Mar 20^th, 2011 at 5:39pm	Print Post
	Yeah, it is a battle fought in knee deep cold mud every step of the way! As I've said to Skywise -- "Writing is easy! Getting published is HARD!" And it is. I get stuck sometimes and have to take a break to pull back and think about it but on the whole, writing is easy for me. The rest of it, not so much!


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #13 - Mar 21^st, 2011 at 12:20am	Print Post
	All the materials that I need for the query package have been proofed, printed, copied, put in order and in all ways checked over. Now all I need is to make out the SASE, sign the cover letter, box it up and label it. THEN it can be hauled to the post office in town tomorrow.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #14 - Mar 21^st, 2011 at 10:32pm	Print Post
	Just spent over an hour updating my list of literary agents. Turns out that some info I had was wrong which has resulted in my having another agency available to query if I need to. I sent off the latest query this morning to the tune of $10.05. I shouldn't complain, as a "Postal Service household" postage pays the bills around here but DAMN! I hope I start making money soon at this! sigh My next victim only takes email submissions so that one won't cost me anything. I've been at this since the summer of '09 and my list of agents is getting short. I may have to get a copy of the 2011 (or the 2012 edition) Literary Agents Guide to find some new ones to research.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #15 - Apr 10^th, 2011 at 1:45am	Print Post
	Book 3, Chapter 8 is done, pending future tweaking. Chapter 9 looks in pretty good shape but I'm going to need to add some new material. I have two of the "teams" activities pretty well laid out, it's "Team Three" that needs work. Once that material is in there, the last part of 9 will be moved and become the first part of 10. The way it is going, Book 3 is going to be finished before I have an agent. sigh Yeah, that last query earned me another rejection. There are 16 "possibles" left on my list. I guess once I've run through them, I'll have to get an up to date copy of the Literary Agents' Guide and start looking for agents I haven't tried yet. �
	« Last Edit: Apr 25^th, 2011 at 6:04pm by Penthesilea »

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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #16 - Apr 14^th, 2011 at 11:16pm	Print Post
	I'm been wrestling with how to get Our Heroine's little brother the clues he needs to solve his part of the puzzle. I've thought of a way, reasonable and logical, but it means that I might have to scrap something I've already written but I'm not sure yet. I also have another spot that needs "something" where that piece might work with a little tweaking. That is one of the things about writing, never be so attached to something that you won't throw it out if something better presents itself. If you absolutely CAN'T throw something out, cut it out and save it elsewhere. It might be just what you need at another point in the story or even in another story.
	« Last Edit: Apr 25^th, 2011 at 6:04pm by Penthesilea »

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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #17 - Apr 21^st, 2011 at 2:11am	Print Post
	I discovered Mercedes Lackey's website today and I've been reading it as I have loved her work since I read "Children of the Night" more years ago than I will admit to. But after reading one of her essays, I am VERY glad that I've chosen to work in a world of my own creation that bears no relation to this world. Furthermore, if I ever contemplate writing a "urban/horror thriller" I will go back and re-read that essay. Then, if the story is a good one, I'll put it in MY world rather than this one or one like it. I am not as forbearing as she is and if what happened to her started happening to me and mine, someone would, at worst, be dead because as the saying goes, "I would rather be judged by twelve than carried by six." Or have someone I love carried. Or an innocent bystander.
	« Last Edit: Apr 25^th, 2011 at 6:05pm by Penthesilea »

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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #18 - Apr 22^nd, 2011 at 9:13pm	Print Post
	I haven't been writing this afternoon -- didn't want to be in the middle of something and have the lights go out -- but I've added a couple of small details to the description of a minor character as her appearance became a bit more clear. When the dang weather settles down, I'll be back with my nose to the grindstone.
	« Last Edit: Apr 25^th, 2011 at 6:05pm by Penthesilea »

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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #19 - Apr 25^th, 2011 at 6:03pm	Print Post
	I got a book that I ordered today. I usually don't order books on "how to write" or "how to get published" since I have a nice selection of those already but this book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction" was recommended by Mercedes Lackey on her website as being a better response to the writing/publishing questions that she was asked than any answer that she could give. Since I greatly admire Ms. Lackey's work and the fact that she's successful at it, I decided that the book would likely be a worthwhile investment. I've only just skimmed it and I like it so far -- straightforward and no filler. What more can you ask for?


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #20 - May 4^th, 2011 at 8:56pm	Print Post
	Well, I've finished the first 31 pages of this section I'm working on and it has become "Chapter 9." The rest of that section (about 40 pages) has been shifted to the next section (Saved as Chapter 10) and I'm currently looking to see what needs to be done to finish the first 30 to 35 pages of that with the remainder to be bumped to Chapter 11. I'm going to be getting into pages that I haven't edited yet so it will be slow going for a while once I do. Lots of stuff to delete and rewrites to be done. But, since I still don't have an agent, I guess I have time.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #21 - May 16^th, 2011 at 1:31am	Print Post
	My latest query was rejected so I still have no agent or the prospect of one. I'll pick my next victim, prepare my query and get it off by the end of the month hopefully. We're on vacation for another week and I know that getting something done is going to be unlikely. We spent last week getting "stuff" done around here in preparation for summer and I would like to enjoy this second week! I've had an idea for a covert ops group that will work for Our Heroine and be the likely basis for some short stories. I just need to figure out who is in the group, who leads it (it can't be Our Hero, he's too well known for true undercover work) and what the group is called -- Impossible Missions Force being well and truly taken. Having them work out of Our Hero's night club is looking attractive and it gives me a way to use that setting. Gonna have to chew on this idea some more.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #22 - May 17^th, 2011 at 3:42am	Print Post
	I've drafted one character from Book 2 into the covert ops group. I've decided that the group will have 2 female "regulars" -- a "girl next door" type and another more glamorous type and several males with different useful skills, probably all new characters. I'll build the group the same way I'd put together a team for a roleplaying game so I'm gonna need to put on my thinking cap. Once I have the group, I can start a file of short story/novella ideas -- a collection of which would make a nice little anthology and a break from the main story lines and characters.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #23 - May 18^th, 2011 at 1:17am	Print Post
	I've come up with the perfect name for the "MegaBitch" villainess that will be the primary cause of trouble in Book 4 and I know what she looks like finally: honey blonde hair, light green eyes, creamy skin and a figure to die for! And a lot of people do! 'Cause this gorgeous bundle of sexy, feminine charm has a heart blacker than the Ace of Spades and as much compassion as a rock. One of the original posters gave me the idea back in '06 and I've been chewing on how to make the character despicable enough to do what she does and by George, I think I've got it! Or at least, I'm on the trail. The only thing remaining is to decide just WHO will run a sword through her black heart and cut off her head for good measure: Our Heroine or Our Hero. And if it is Our Hero who does the deed, what will his reaction be? Can't say more or I'll give too much away but let's just say that killing this particular bed toy has the potential to upset him.....


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: Welcome to the Writing Life! Reply #24 - May 30^th, 2011 at 10:38pm	Print Post
	I've been looking at what will be the last chapter of Book 3 and thinking about some of the minor details that will have to be settled. There is some things in there now that I think I'm going to change as soon as I figure out what to change them TO.... The "wedding night" needs more embellishment as does those incidents when Our Hero and the men at the "pre-handfasting retreat" are running around naked. The "bachelor party" for Our Hero needs to be written and there will be a surprise or two there too. And somewhere in Chapters 9 or 10, I gotta kill someone off. I've already decided who and how, I just need to get everyone into position and get the stage set....


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