Overwriting: A/K/A Exceptionally Prolific & Verbose Prose

Before I get to the actual point of my post, I want to take a second to Fan-Girl squee . . .Only 7 more days until Last Sacrifice (final chapter in the Vampire Academy series) is released.  Booyah!!  (edit: you'd think someone who was squeeing wouldn't type the wrong title)

Okay, I swear, it’s out of my system now.

Teeheeee!!

Okay, no really, I’m done.

*focus, Tracy, focus*

Overwriting.

That’s the number one complaint we hear from editors, agents, fellow writers & sometimes even ourselves. They say the fastest way to kill a great idea is to overwrite it.

What they don't do is tell us a surefire way to spot when we're doing it.

It’s not always about using an abundance of adverbs & adjectives, or spending too much time describing the scenery. Sometimes we try so hard to put a fresh new spin on things we create convoluted sentences that would sound much better if we simplified them.

I wish I had some steadfast rule to dole out on how to avoid going overboard, but I can be just as guilty as the next person. I’ve only found, for me, one tried and true method for detecting when my writing crosses the line into too much.

I read it out loud . . . and if I start sounding like a stand-in for the movie trailer voice-over guy, odds are good I've run into some serious overwriting. No lie.

In a world where Tracy tries to drum up too much drama, in a time fraught with good thoughts that fall short of reaching their potential, only one thing stands in her way. . . Over-Writing.

Hot or Not

Goodness, my long relaxing weekend turned out to be not nearly as relaxing as I'd hoped!! Sure I'm not the only one who's come to that revelation about their holiday though.

Speaking of holidays, I hope everyone who celebrated got to enjoy theirs. And I see I picked up some new followers over the long weekend. *waves* Promise I'll try to get around to everyone in the next couple of days (NaNoWriMo is almost over).

Please don't ask me why . . .  but at one point this weekend I found myself on a website I hadn't been to since high school. How many of you remember  Hot or Not ? The website where people willingly post their pictures for strangers to rate based on looks alone? (Apparently, the less clothing you wear the higher the score. . . SHOCKER)

For some reason as I was clicking along, voting --don't judge me, it was research I tell you-- I started thinking how I could draw parallels to hot-or-not and querying agents. Because I can, at this juncture, relate pretty much anything back to querying agents if you give me long enough to think about it.

We're putting a small part of ourselves out there to be judged by agents who have no vested interest in us -- at least, not at this point. Though they judge our words, not our looks (thank goodness!), which is why it really is so important to figure out how to write a query letter that best represents you, right?

Because when an agent reads our query we want them to see . . .

Henry Cavill - actor

NOT 

Pee Wee Herman - Strange Little Man

Or so I can put it in terms that my male followers might better understand.  We want agents to see this . . .

I would kill for those boots!

NOT  

I have no words

 So the moral of this story is. . . don't be a "2" when you can be a solid "9"!

Gobble, Gobble

With the holiday later this week, a NaNo project hanging precariously in the balance, family obligations and trying to cram all my work duties into a three-day work week, this will likely be my last blog post until after Turkey Day 2010.

I know, so very sad isn't it? No need to miss me though. I plan on using the extra time to also get around to visiting those of you I've been neglecting a little bit. 

I've officially decided--as of last night-- that I'm going to put my querying on hold until AFTER the first of the year. It's a tough decision, because I hate sitting on a finished manuscript. There's a paranoid little voice inside my head whispering "You know someone else is going to query your dream agent with a manuscript nearly identical to yours while you wait, don't you?" But I'm trying my best to ignore that voice. I figure I've been ignoring the others in there, why not this one too. 

Truth is, there are too many agents who are already shutting down for the holidays. And those who aren't are probably less likely to be digging through their slush piles with much enthusiasm for finding a diamond in the rough. I'm probably better off continuing to tweak my query until it sings (read that to mean, there will probably be a few critique posts around here in the coming weeks) and not have my holidays sidelined by the stress of avoiding my inbox & potential rejection I may find there. 

I've already given Gemini Curse this much of my life...what's another six weeks, right?

In the meantime, hope you all have a Happy & Wonderful Thanksgiving this Thursday. Remember, be good to each other!! 

To all the Honorary Students of Hogwarts...

Happy Graduation Day!!

Judging from my blog roll this past week, there are quite a few Pottheads (shush, it makes me laugh) out there.

I must confess, I've never been a fan of the Potter. Not that I have anything against the story or it's success. In fact, I love the way Rowling is one of the authors responsible for the boom in the YA/Adult crossover market. I'm just one of the rare few who didn't get sucked into the mayhem -- unlike Melissa over at Through the Looking Glass . (Awesome chicky, with a cool blog. You should totally check her out).

In my defense, my tastes have always leaned more toward paranormal than fantasy. I tried to give the Potter a shot, but it just wasn't me.  Seriously, I'm amazed I loved Lord of the Rings as much as I did -- though I suspect Orlando Bloom had a little help in creating that fixation.

That being said, practically everyone I know is all revved up about the release of the last movie (part one). And this I understand. Trust me. I may have escaped the Harry Potter Mania, but I absolutely fell vitcim to the Twilight Epidemic. So, I feel your excitement and expectations almost as much as if they were my own . . .  and I fully expect you all to give me leeway when Breaking Dawn is released. Thankyouverymuch.

Anywho, for those who are heading out this weekend and braving the crowds in order to get your first taste of the end of the Potter -- Hope you have a great time, and may there be no screaming babies in your theater!!

Happy Friday, All!

Seriously?! I'm an Idiot.

Since you might not be able to read the tiny writing at the bottom of the pic. Homer asks "How Come... things that happen to stupid people keep happening to me?" That about sums it up for me too, Homer.

I may or may not be the only writer around these here parts who'd heard of Query Tracker before but never actually took the time to go check it out. (Sometimes, my independent streak really bites me in the ass)

Last night, while browsing through the list of old saved "Agent/Writing Websites" -- that's the highly original name I gave the bookmark, btw -- I found Query Tracker. This time, unlike the last, I actually took a few minutes to stop and look around. Now I'm kicking myself in the pants for having made one portion of this journey much harder than it needs to be.

True, Query Tracker may not be all encompassing, but over 1200 agents listed gives a pretty damn good starting place. And it is sooooo much easier to click a genre and have agent names & websites -- with statistics -- pop up, than it is to sort through the 2000 or so pages in my current literary guide.  And it's FREE!

Oh well, better late than never. But I have to ask, what are your MUST SEE sites? I'm wondering what other places I may have heard of & inadvertently dismissed in those early days when I was positive I knew more about this whole writing deal than I actually did.

REMINDER: DGLM agent, Jim McCarthy, is holding a live online chat from 3-4 EST this afternoon. Click here for the details.

Happy Thursday, All!

The Hardest Part of Being A Writer

Personally, I don't think the hardest part of being a writer is dealing with the occasional bouts of writers block. Or trying to wrangle time away from the rest of life in order to get the writing done. It’s not about tackling insecurity. The hardest part isn’t even the inevitable amount of rejections that occur—not that they feel good, mind you.

For me, I’ve found the hardest part is finding the energy & optimism to continue to be my own support system. Each of the obstacles I’ve listed can be tough, but in their own way they’re manageable. Writing gets a lot harder when several of them (and plenty of ones I didn’t list) dump on you all at once.

You can & should have others (friends, family, betas, etc) who believe in your ability & are there to give you pep talks when you need them. But at the end of the day, YOU have to be the one who believes in you the most. Especially when it comes to hearing the good stuff, you’ll never trust anyone as much as you trust yourself.

YOU have to be your biggest cheerleader. YOU have to be able to pick yourself up when disappointments come along & remind yourself that you have what it takes to keep going. YOU need to be the one to balance equal parts of realism and optimism in order to make it through to the finish line. YOU have to be the one to assure yourself there really IS a finish line, even when things have gotten so crazy you can’t see it anymore.

Unfortunately, it can be a tiring job to be your own cheerleader. Especially since no one will abuse you quite like you abuse yourself. You can’t hide your deepest thoughts, rants, fears, bitching, internal crying -- that no one else, not even your mom, is privy to -- from yourself. It’s exhausting to pick yourself back up time and time again, and find ways to get yourself past those hurdles.

Sometimes, the cheerleader in you questions whether or not she/he wants to be a cheerleader anymore. This is where I think the difference is made between those who eventually go on to be successful (in anything, not just writing) and those who settle for comfortably normal.

Remember to be kind to your inner cheerleader sometimes. Don’t forget to let her/him enjoy some of the better parts of the process. Ease up  and don’t abuse them too much or they may leave. Trust me, I’ve been there with my inner cheerleader. Thankfully she bitched me out and set the record straight. ;o)


Query Status Update:
Though I have fallen behind the NaNoQuerMo pace quite a bit, I haven’t given up. Although several of the agents I originally planned to target aren’t helping by closing themselves down to queries until January, thankyouverymuch.

Queries Sent: 7
Rejections: 2
Still Pending: 5
Partials Requested: 0
Partials Rejected: 0
Fulls Requested: 0
Fulls Rejected: 0

Long way to go still. Long way to go.

Damn You, Auto Correct!

This past weekend I learned I will NEVER attempt to write a novel on my iPhone (never mind the fact that I don’t actually own an iPhone) when I stumbled across Damn You, Auto-Correct! 

I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. Then again, I often enjoy other people’s embarrassing mistakes. I shouldn't be the only one to make them.

If you’re at work consider yourself warned that now might not be the best time to start reading if you want to keep a low profile.

(AGENT ALERT) -- One of my absolute faves, Jim McCarthy over at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management, is hosting a live online chat, on Thursday (11/18) from 3-4 pm. EST. I’ve been following him on DGLM’s blog for quite a while and he’s a total trip. Jim’s willing to discuss any & all topics short of folks directly pitching their queries/stories to him. 

Should be fun times! I plan on being there. Just have to figure out how to get people to leave me alone at my desk for a full hour!!

I’m A Writer Groupie Now

Being a groupie (the non-sexual connotation) is nothing new to me.

I spent my pre-teens following New Kids on the Block.

I spent my late teens/early twenties following Nsync.

Last year, I spent over $1,000 on my New Kids on the Block Reunion Tour obsession. Seriously, you don’t get seats this close without forking over some serious moolah. 

Now, I’ve moved on to stalking my favorite writers.

In case you haven’t noticed the little ticker I’ve got going on over to the left somewhere (I’m not actually inside the blog, so I can’t point to it specifically) I’m eagerly anticipating the final book in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series coming out next month.

I'm so excited (and apprehensive) because this is the wrap-up of my first ever series. I didn’t pick up a any of the Twilight books until after the first movie came out... and I haven’t read a single Harry Potter to date. With the exception of Anne Rice’s vampires (I love me some Lestat)--most of which came out either before I was born or while I was still in grade school (the good ones at least)—most of the books I’ve read have been single titles.

Vampire Academy is the first time I’ve gotten hooked on a series (though I also really like her succubus series too) and because of that I’d really like to meet Richelle.  Which, if all goes well, next month Misty and I will be doing just that. We're planning to road trip it to Pennsylvania to meet up with part of her signing tour for “The Last Sacrifice”!!

I’m going to do my best not to go all freaky fan girl. That being said, Richelle’s is a career I wouldn’t mind emulating. Not saying I want to BE her, because I kind of like being me to be honest. But what Richelle has done is created a cast of characters that have gotten in my head & heart and continue to stay there long after I’ve finished reading the books. That's what I want to do.

Have you ever gotten a chance to meet a favorite author? Have you had to make a road trip out of it? If not, is there someone you'd totally haul it to one of your surrounding states (or countries for the internationals) to get a chance to meet?

Do You Ever Get Tired of TALKING About Writing?

Let me preface this post by saying, this is not me complaining or whining...nor does it mean I'm thinking about ditching the blog. Not my intention at all. I'm just in an introspective mood today, I guess.

I love writing.

Actually, no I don't. I love story-telling.

Writing is the tool I use to make that happen...because the days of the roving story tellers (bards, I believe they were called) are over, and no one is going to pay you to tell stories around a campfire anymore (not that I think they ever paid for that before, but whatever).  So whether you want to tell a story through creating movies, television shows, or books...writing is the process of making that happen.

Sometimes it's wonderful.

Sometimes it's a pain in the ass.

But overall I enjoy it. We ALL do, otherwise we wouldn't put ourselves through the stress. And there is ALWAYS stress.

And I enjoy blogging about the journey and reading the blogs of others doing the same thing. I don't just do it to get "followers". I only read and comment if I find the topic interesting or really enjoy the person. (And sometimes both of those criteria apply and I just don't have the time to get around to them all)

But there are some days, where I just don't feel like TALKING about writing. Some days when I feel like, "why would anyone really care to listen to what I think about (insert topic here)?"

There are some days when I read a post by someone else and wonder if it's really good advice or just more misinformation from someone who means well, but doesn't truly know any more about this whole process than I do. (For the record, there is no post or person that has me thinking this exact thought at this moment -- you can relax -- but it has happened on occasion before)

Just wondering if anyone else ever has those days/feelings when they wonder if they're better off DOING and not TALKING?

On a fun side note, I may be in the process of planning my first road trip to go to a book signing!!  I've gone on the road to see boybands before, but never a writer. This is exciting. Details to come later. 

Happy Friday, All!!

Things I Wonder About

I try to keep my brain working in some sort of sequential order, but I have to be honest and say I’m fairly sure I have borderline ADHD. Not enough to require medications, but enough to make it so I sometimes struggle to keep random questions from jumping into my head without warning. Here are some of the thoughts--believe it or not--that have reoccurred more than once. Probably because I haven’t figured out a plausible answer yet.


-- How do dogs not get freaked out that our “coats” change on a daily basis? I know if I came home and my pups looked a little bit different each time I would find that extremely unsettling. Yet my dogs don't give me a second look unless I'm holding food or a toy...or something they believe might be food or a toy.

-- What happens to book signings when e-books predominantly rule the world? Signing a picture of the author (like actors/actresses do at their signings) would seem kind of…bizarre. Not to mention there are a few whose pictures would scare me.

-- Why does Canada have Thanksgiving in October while the US celebrates in November? Did all the original settlers move to the Great White North and we’re really the second string that didn’t get here until a month and a half later?

-- Are the people in the E-Harmony commercials *REAL* couples? They say they’re real couples, but I’m not entirely sure I buy it. I’m always half expecting to be out & about one day and see one of the guys with another woman.

-- Why do Charlie Brown & The Peanuts Gang continue to hang out with Lucy? Let’s be honest, she’s kind of a bitch. Since she’s always snarky & mean, yelling at her “friends” telling them what idiots they are…why don’t they ignore her until she leaves? Maybe her mom is the PTA captain, I don’t know, but it bothers me.

Trust me, I could go on and on. I try to tell myself everyone has these thoughts, and it's not really strange to be so...random. Feel free to share any wonderings you have to help make me feel a little less "Tracy". Oh, and if you happen to have any answers for these let me know, because it would be nice to clear out some room in my head!

Character vs. Plot

Okay, before I jump into today's post, I have a confession to make.

10 days in & I've already fallen off the NaNoQuerMo mark. Not because I forgot, got scared or even lazy. But because -- despite my dozens upon dozens of attempts -- as of yesterday I still hadn't created a query that felt right.

Then I accidentally stumbled upon a simple piece of advice which had never been expressly pointed out to me before. And sometimes I really need things spelled out for me in huge, neon letters!!

If your story is character-driven than your query should be character based. If your story is plot-driven than your query should be plot based. 

YES! That makes so much sense. . . but um, I've always been sketchy on what the distinction is between the two. I mean all stories have characters right? But they also have plot . . . very sketchy indeed.

Sadly enough, in order for it to make sense I needed to relate the terms to movies. So for those of you who've also been kind of not exactly sure how your story fits into things...

Character Driven
Character driven stories are ones where it's the characters, more than anything else, that moves the story forward. The actual events that happen aren't as important as how the characters feel, act and relate to those events. Case in point:

The Notebook

The story is about Noah & Ally and their star-crossed love. You could swap out virtually all but one of the reasons that continually drive them apart (the whole alzheimer's thing is pretty damn important) because in the end, the only thing that matters is Noah & Ally finding their way back to each other no matter the obstacles.

Their story is character driven.


Plot Driven
Plot driven stories can have wonderful, quirky, well-developed characters, but ultimately they don't matter as much as the plot. It's the events that happen that drive the story along. Case in point:

Armageddon

(okay, I know technically Ben Affleck wasn't the main star of the movie, but I was so in love with him back then!)

Yes, Bruce Willis & his rag-tag group of deep-sea oil drillers are a diverse and interesting bunch, but this movie kept us on the edge of our seats because of the plot. When there's a giant asteroid hurtling through space on a collision course for earth, while there's only 18 days to figure out a way to stop it . . . the characters really have no choice but to play second fiddle.

Their story is plot driven.

****

Now back to me. <---- That just made me feel like the Old Spice guy. Creepy.

Anyway, it took me all this time to realize, the reason my query never felt right to me was because I was trying to write a plot-based one for a character-based story. Two days ago, I began redrafting my query (for only the bazillion and tenth time), but I focused more on my character and less on the intricacies of the plot. . . and low & behold I found the "voice" that's been missing from every other version I've created thus far.

Now, I'm not claiming the query is perfect, but for the first time I feel much more comfortable the agents who read it are getting a better idea of the type of story they'd be requesting. Now, I just have to spend the rest of this week getting caught up on those few days of querying I missed while I was completely revamping.

If I Knew Then What I Know Now...

Last week  on Twitter there was a trending topic I absolutely loved. It was  called "Tweets to Your 16 Year Old Self". Not the first time the idea has ever been bounced around, but it's always a good time!!

I thought it might be a fun little game for us bloggers to pass around this week. (Feel free to borrow the idea, just give me a little love).  Now I could write an entire novel to younger self if I had the time...but since time is of the essence this month, let's just stick with the top five things.

Five Pieces of Wisdom My Adult-Self Wishes I Could Go Back & Tell My Teenage-Self:

1.  You're only going through an 'Ugly Duckling' phase right now. The swan is coming, I promise. Just hang in there.

2.  Enjoy the hell out of your friends while you can, because no matter what you all say now life WILL get in the way of K.I.T. after high school.

3. There is NO form of rejection that comes close to the painful suckitude of carrying around "what ifs" for the rest of your life. Don't be scared to take chances.

4.  No need to be embarrassed by your obsessive love of boy bands, vampires & sports. They'll bring you some of the best friends you've ever had.


5. This may sound stupid now, but start pitching the idea of "a blanket with sleeves". I'm telling you, it'll make you rich!

Now, let me hear some of the infinite pieces of wisdom you wish you could go back and tell you.

Man's Best Friend

These are my "puppies". Daphne on the left. Gonzo on the right. 

They may look intimidating, but I believe just before this picture was shot my mother asked if they wanted a "cookie". Yep, those are doggy smiles, people!

As you can kind of tell if you've read any of my recent blog posts, I'm not immune to the query process craziness. I think it's natural to let yourself get a little nervous when asking agents to like your work. But it dawned on me earlier tonight, when I was playing with my dogs in the yard, that it might do me good to take a couple lessons from them.

Gonzo --that's him in my bed with MY Scooby-- loves to play fetch. If you can throw it, he'll chase it down (it's been 8 years and we've officially given up on the "catch" idea) . All he cares about is retrieving the ball/ frisbee, etc. and getting it back to you as quickly as possible so you can throw it again.

It doesn't matter to him that I have my sadistic moments where I pretend to throw the ball and chuckle as he takes off and spins in a circle trying to locate where it went. It takes a minute, but he eventually figures out I did him wrong. Yet, he doesn't care.

He comes back and woofs at me, encouraging me to throw it again. Gonzo's not deterred by a minor setback (the setback being a sadistic mom who enjoys his momentary bouts of confusion). He knows eventually I'm gonna throw that ball. The time I didn't throw it is completely gone and forgotten. It's not important, so he moves on.

Gonzo doesn't sit there and think... "Gee, my mom must not think I'm a good dog, otherwise she would have totally thrown that ball. I suck. I'm such a terrible dog for thinking I could get someone to throw the ball. Maybe I'm not really cut out to be a dog after all."

I can tell by the look in his eyes as he's sitting there -- actually his butt hovers an inch or so above the ground because he's too excited to sit-- but I can tell he's thinking ...  "Sooner or later she's going to throw the ball... and when she does IT'S ON!!"

So from here on out, no matter what happens with this round of querying, I'm going to strive to be more like Gonzo. I'm gonna let the potential bad stuff roll away and focus on woofing at the agent who's gonna throw the ball for me.

Contest Alert:  Jessica over at the Alliterative Allomorph is hosting a contest on her quest to reach 400 followers. She's giving away some good swag from Amazon. Go check it out and follow her if you aren't already. Aside from potentially winning stuff you'll be following a blog of a kickass Australian living in Greece. Talk about multi-cultural!

Tracy in Queryland

Alice in Wonderland was never a favorite of mine as a kid. Like Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory it was filled with way too much off-the-wall, trippy stuff for my already overactive brain. They taught me, at an early age, I was not cut out for hallucinogenic drugs.

Now that I'm an adult and re-entering the world of querying, I'm beginning to feel a little more like Alice every day.

Sending out a query (or several of them) and hoping for some sort of response, is kinda like hanging around  the castle waiting for the Queen of Hearts to make an "OFF WITH HER HEAD" command.

My ego is beginning to resemble the results from the "Eat Me", "Drink Me" potions: one minute I feel larger than life, the next I feel small enough to fit through the rabbit hole.

Many of my writer/blogger friends (wrapped up in their own querying--not to mention NaNoWriMo) are starting to sound like guests at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

And no matter how I try to immerse myself in other things, my manuscript hovers in the corner, grinning at me like that damned cat.

It's enough to drive a girl insane. Or at least make her want to toss on a blue dress, pair of tights and a headband from time to time.

Anyone else feel this way or is it just me?

I'm Not Bitter...OK, Yes I Am!

Recently, Barnes & Noble announced the upcoming release of the fully colorized version of the Nook 


Now, I only currently use mine to read e-books and review PDF’s of my own writing (during the later stages of editing). I haven’t used it for reading magazines and I’m more likely to use my BlackBerry than my Nook to access the internet. At this stage there is virtually NO reason for me to get the "Nook in Color".

But I want one… and can’t have it, because Karma is a beyotch!

Seriously. This is the second time I’ve fallen victim to B&N’s bad timing. (I fully contend it is THEIR timing that sucks, not mine)

Earlier this year--when I bought my first Nook--it just so happens I made my purchase purchase a MONTH  (as in 30 stinking days) before they slashed the price by about $100. *sigh*

Then two months ago (if that)--due to an unfortunate treadmill incident that we won't go into at this juncture--my Nook suffered a tiny comestic wound. A slight crack in the plastic casing (in a place few would even notice) which, had I bothered to read the manufacturer's warranty would have known was covered for the first year. Before one of the B&N staff was kind enough to point out the warranty oversight, I’d already bought a new one and given the other to my brother.

So that’s two times (in the past year) I’ve purchased an e-reader I didn’t absolutely need, a matter of weeks before a better deal came along. This…this is my typical luck with technology. *double sigh*

Blogger's Note:  Due to the craziness of adjusting to life with both NaNoWriMo & NaNoQuerMo at the same time, I've been a little bad about getting around to everyone's blog. Have no fear, by the end of the week I'm sure I'll have it all figured out...and if you've commented here, I'm definitely going to hit you up.

Happy Hump Day!!

Do You CARE Who Your Agent Is?

Participating in NaNoQuerMo has gotten my focus back on the query process and targeting agents, etc. Which has gotten me to do some thinking (my most favorite--and dangerous--pastime). Do you ultimately care who your agent winds up being?

Now, of course we all know we don't want to end up with one of those Agents From Hell we sometimes hear about. It's a given that any who's serious about a potential career in writing wants an agent who is on the up-and-up, professional, etc. But beyond that aspect, do you really care WHO your agent turns out to be?

I believe it was Janet Reid, who once made the statement that a dream agent is the one who's selling your work. (I can't find her direct quote, but I know it was something close). Basically, it's along the lines of "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with". Or maybe the spin is a little more positive than that, but hopefully you get my meaning.

The reason I ask, is because even though I'm in a situation where I can't afford to be too picky, I still kinda am a little bit. I have the proverbial Dream Agent -- the one I would give almost anything to have respond with an offer of representation-- in mind. However, I also know the odds of making it in this business are slim as it is, so the odds of me landing my dream agent on top of that are ... well, I don't have to say it. And I'm okay with that.

But still, I don't JUST look to see if an agent reps my genre. I mean, that is the FIRST thing I look for, but then I read around to see if I get a good vibe about that person. If they have a blog or twitter account I do a little stalking.

Believe it or not, there have been agents who -- by all accounts -- are legit and have a good track record, but there's something in their manner that leads me to believe I wouldn't be able to work well with them in the long haul.

Just curious to see if I'm getting in my own way (not that I've passed on that many because of the "vibe" thing) or if personality, etc is something you all take into consideration when/if you query agents for your work.

Later this week I'll start posting my query stats for NaNoQuerMo. Just getting the first one out of the way is the hard part. It should be smooth sailing from here.

Holy Crap, is it Really November Already?!?

It's officially November, which means... my crazy life is about to get uber crazy.  Not only that, but the uber craziness will be of my own doing. (I've heard that insane people don't question their sanity, so for the time being I'm still safe in that regard.)

First up is NaNoWriMo. If you're a writer, in the blogging atmosphere, you'd pretty much have to be completely out of the loop not to know what NaNo is, so I won't go into a long drawn out explanation.

Next up is NaNoQuerMo. Unfortunately, NaNoQuerMo doesn't have a nice fancy site...because I made the idea up myself. Not only did I make it up myself...BUT I only made it up about a week ago. It's sort of an unofficial deal really.

For those who don't want to read the longer version. It's basically a challenge to stop researching and starting SENDING out those query letters. Highly nerve wracking.  (Do you see how nervous Evangeline Lily--at least I think that's her--is for those of us participating?)

So far, Anne from Piedmont Writer is planning on joining in on the NaNoQuerMo insanity.  And, unless he's changed his mind, Adam Purple is thinking of attempting his own modified version. Hey, with NaNoQuerMo in its infancy, you can pretty much make up your own rules.

If anyone else is interested in joining in on the fun feel free to hop on in. For those of you who aren't ready yet, but understand the potentially nerve wracking experience we're about to undertake, please lend us your support and encouraging words throughout the month. Hugs help!