Grammar Brigade: More Whiches!

More whiches! 

...  Uh, no.

In a previous post, I spoke about the uses of that versus which.  But 'which' isn't only used in restrictive clauses: it fills several parts of speech!  Some professors might send you which-hunting, and claim that the word 'which' is the phonetic version of ultimate evil.  Not true.  Which has several legitimate purposes, and ridding your vocabulary entirely of it is an equally dangerous proposition to overusing it.

Which, according to Dictionary.com, can be used as an adjective, a pronoun, or a determiner.  In today's blog, we'll look at which as a pronoun.

All information except definitions of which taken from OWL at Purdue. Examples are mine, but everything I learned came from OWL.  It's one of my favorite sites.  Shouldn't it be one of yours, too?

Which as a Pronoun:

In a relative clause:
As a pronoun, it is used in relative clauses or as the object of a preposition.  To be specific, which is a relative pronoun, or a pronoun which introduces a relative clause.  Other examples are who, whom, whoever, whomever, whose, and that. 

A relative clause is a phrase that modifies a word, phrase, or idea.  The word, phrase, or idea is called the antecedent. We'll illustrate with my cat, Bard.

Ex:

Also, I misspelled "antecedent."  Whoops.

That is a pronoun that replaces bird, and "that Bard caught" modifies bird.  Therefore, bird is the antecedent, because it is the word being modified, and "that Bard caught" is the relative clause.

Ex. 2:

The mouse, which Bard ate, had destroyed my cheese.



"which Bard ate" is the relative clause, with which being the relative pronoun that replaces mouse.  Mouse is therefore the antecedent, being modified by "which Bard ate." 

Note:  Why did I use which in one example, and that in the other?  Because in the latter example, which Bard ate is a non-restrictive clause: there is only one mouse to which I could be referring.  In the former, that Bard caught is a restrictive clause: there are lots of birds, so I had to specify which one Bard caught.  Restrictive/non-restrictive clauses don't mean the same thing as relative clauses, but sound enough alike that they're easily confused.  Read up on that vs. which to compare!

Which as the object of a preposition

The barn at which I threw the baseball was blue.

The dragon with which I ate lunch smelled bad.

For which of the following would I pay $10?

Which can be used as the object of a preposition, in which case it is also considered a pronoun.  It can replace an undetermined object (for which), or act as a replacement for a determined object you don't want to restate (the dragon).  In the dragon's case, which should be used, despite the fact that "with which I ate lunch" is a restrictive phrase - because which is the object of the preposition with.

Incorrect: The dragon with that I ate lunch smelled bad.
Incorrect: The dragon that I ate lunch with smelled bad.  (Note: The latter use is accepted in most informal settings, but should not be used in formal writing, because it splits the preposition from the object of the preposition.)

Which can also refer to the previous clause as a whole (which we probably should have seen coming). 

We would later grow hungry, which we probably should have seen coming.

In this case, which is a pronoun replacing the entire previous clause.

In cases in which you are uncertain as to whether to use that or which, check out the Online Writing Lab at Purdue.

What's your favorite example of using which as an object of a preposition?

Budgeting for a Writer, part 2

Last post, I talked about budgeting for taking a period of time away from work in order to write.  I said that you should save for at least six months' worth of bills, plus two months' worth for extraneous expenses.  But how much do you spend in a month?

First, your basic bills:
Rent
Water/Sewage
Electricity
Car
Credit Cards
School loans
Cell phone
Car insurance
Health insurance
Cable/phone/internet
Any other monthly bill

Take a subtotal here.  This is the money you know you pay.

Now, a few weekly bills.  There are about 4.5 weeks in each month.
Groceries - how much do you spend each trip on groceries?
       How many times a week do you shop?
       How much do you buy in food?
       How much do you buy in pet food?
       How much do you buy in nonfood (toothpaste, aluminum foil, Lysol, kitty litter, trash bags, etc)
Eating out - do you eat out?  Do you buy fast food?  Do you buy a morning coffee?  How often?  How much do you spend?
Gas - how often do you fill up?  Assume gas will increase $.50 by the end of 6 months.  Add $.25 to the current price of gas and then figure out how much it costs to fill your tank.  This will be your 'average' from which to calculate.

Add in expenses:
Do you have to pay parking fees?
Do you have regular medications?
Oil changes for your car
How often do you buy.... (for both work and home)
Clothes?
Shoes?
Contacts?
Glasses?
Makeup?

Toss in entertainment:
How often do you go to the movies?
Do you buy things with a monthly fee, like Netflix or WoW? 
How often do you host friends?  How much do you pay in 'guest food'?
What are your impulse purchase habits? 
Do you take small vacations to the beach? the mountains? your grandmother's?
What other small entertainment items do you purchase on a semi-regular basis?
Do you need to purchase school supplies, or other child-related items?
Are your kids in any sports/activities which require fees and/or supplies?

Subtotal again.  This will be your average "monthly" expense, before the "plus two."  Multiply by six to get a general idea of what you'll spend in the next sixth months.

Finally, big-ticket expenses to consider:
Assume $800 for car repairs (more for older cars)
How much do writer conferences for your genre cost?  Include hotel, gas, and food.  How many do you plan to attend?
Are there any birthdays or holidays coming up, for which you need to purchase presents?
Is there any furniture you'll be planning to replace?
Do you like techno-toys?  If so, is your technology due for an upgrade?
What are the chances that you'll need to replace your computer in the next six months?
Do you plan on any other big-ticket purchases?
Now throw in an extra $800 for other emergencies and unexpected expenses.

Total.  You've now got a budget for approximately six months without employment!  But remember - money goes out the door more quickly than you expect.  Try picking up a part-time job to stretch things out.  And never, ever round down when calculating - it's better to have extra money at the end of six months than to be wiped out financially!  Also, remember that this is your budget.  That means, whatever you said about the above, you'll have to stick to.  So don't cut corners just because you think you don't really need to watch a movie in the theatres once a month.  You'll probably still do it, and it's better to make allowances now than later.

What sort of unexpected expenses have come knocking on your door, things you didn't even think you'd ever need to plan for?

Budgeting for a Writer, part 1

What, exactly, does it take to survive a leave of absence from working, as a writer?

Budgeting, planning, saving, scrimping, and trimming off the extras.

That is to say, you've decided to stop working a regular job and take up writing full time.  You want to be an author, and you know that a few months without distractions will get your first manuscript finished and ready for sale.  Now, you're planning what you need in order to do this.  You want to know how long you can expect to need to survive before making an income off your writing (hint: self-supporting writers quit the other job after their writing begins to make money!)

MONEY, that rare and possibly imaginary thing that writers dream about, doesn't come pouring in on day one.  If you plan on quitting your day job, you need a plan.  And by plan, I mean a big savings account.

Personally, I recommend saving for a minimum of six months worth of bills, plus two.  You'll need - and I do mean need - to have plans for reimployment after your money runs out.  But, if you are serious about writing without distractions, six months is a reasonable period of time to devote to nothing but writing, editing, and learning about the writing process.  If you're a quick writer, you might even complete more than one manuscript in this time period.

Let's say you're on the traditional publishing path.  It could take another two to ten years to get published - and even if you're lucky enough to get picked up on your first query, it'll still be over a year before you're in print.

Now let's say you're self-publishing.  You'll be out on the 'shelves' (so to speak - more likely, you'll be on the eReaders) much more quickly, but you'll need to plan for buying your own editor and your own good coverart.  Your print run will probably be much smaller, and even though you'll keeping a higher percentage of your returns per book, you'll be selling a lot fewer books (excepting a few lucky instant millionaires.  Don't count on that kind of luck.)

What does that mean for the rent?  It means that if you haven't saved up for two to ten years of unemployment and don't have a spouse/partner/trust fund to support you, you'll be picking back up your day job (or a new one, for that matter - it's not like you won't have six months to look for the perfect fit!)  It also means you should be planning to hold down a part time job while you're writing to extend your finances, because today's job market might turn six months into ten.

And then there's the extras: you'll want to join a writers' association.  You'll want to attend professional conferences.  You'll need to be ready for sudden emergencies, like car problems or sick pets.  That's the "plus two" I mentioned earlier.

In my next post, I'll be discussing how to figure out how much you spend each month - that means, uncovering those hidden expenses besides the bills in the mail.

As a side note, most writers have regular jobs as they get started.  The whole 'quit your day job' thing?  As I've said before, I'm currently young, single, and childless - if that wasn't the case, quitting my job would have never been an option.  But, even without a family relying on me to bring home the bacon, I've still been working: first part-time, and now making provisions to return to full-time. 

For those published authors out there - how long did it take between your first completed manuscript and the first income?

Guest Blog: RWA Conference Review with Joanna McKethan

I was sad to miss the annual Romance Writers of America Conference this year.  It's a pretty major conference (the major conference, if you write romance!)  The conference lasted from June 29-July 1, this year held in New York, NY. 

But just because I wasn't there, doesn't mean I won't post a review - I called on the talented Joanna McKethan to write a review for me!

In addition to being a  PRO member of the RWA, and another member of the much-vaunted (by me, anyway) HCRW chapter, Joanna is also a member of the Gothic Writers and the North Carolina Writers Network.  You can pick up a copy of her novel Lady in White at Red Rose publishing, and keep an eye out for A Deadly Provenance, which won 3rd place in the 2007 Haunted Hearts Contest.  She's also a published author of over 60 poems in various literary journals and poetry anthologies (one in both English and Russian!)  Joanna published her first short fiction in Americal Girl at 16, and went on to work in the writing industry for 8 years, split between working as an assistant editor at Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Kentucky, and four years writing features and a newsletter at Vision Verlag in Starnberg, West Germany. 

And, because most writers also have a day job, Joanna is a professional artist who owns j'Originals Art Studio in Dunn, NC.  She paints watercolor and oil paintings on commission and has also taught art for 30 years.  As an award-winning artist, you might catch her exhibited on regional and national levels.  She's a member of the Portrait Society of America and of the Southern Watercolor Society, and has served as a board member of the Wathercolor Society of North Carolina for 12 years. 

So what did Joanna think about the RWA conference?  Here's her take:

Wow--about the conference itself--the keynote luncheon was simply incredible-- listening to Diana Gabaldon of Outlander fame, Steve Perry who writes thrillers, both NY Times best-selling authors, and Tess Gerritsen whose series detective inspired Rizzoli & Isles answer expertly placed questions. That in itself would have been enough for me. But then we got to hear Sherrily Kenyon and Madeline Hunter tell their stories, and what mind-boggling, stirring stories they were.

We got chances to pitch our own finished novels to major agents and editors, including those on the NY scene, rake in free books from top publishers, devour incredibly informative workshops and meet members of national interest groups (mine being Gothic Writers) that we had never seen before. I particularly liked Michael Hauge's workshop on character arc and plot/novel structure, but also those which encouraged us to get savvy with the marketing tools of the industry.  Plus, our published authors got a chance to sign books for their fans - the HCRW made a good showing at our panel!

For my own part, I got pitching sessions with 3 literary agents (all top choices for me personally), one a New York agent, and a request for a full from a top publisher. I am racing to get it off to them, now. I made some terrific new friends, got and gave some good pitching tips, made neat contacts, heard scuttlebutt insider tips you only get from conferences, new books I want to read and I had two or three "revelation" type ideas for presenting my WIP.

The total conference cost for me was around $1300, but this isn't all at once. You pay the conference fee first. My room for four nights, shared room, was $485, which was charged to my card last, my meals were $120-$150 of the $200 cash I took to spend. My flight, with insurance, with broker, was $230, and the optional shipping of my books home was $53 (their largest), for a grand total of (how much was the conference fee? 375 or 450?) 1300-1365. I have made a commitment to myself to afford myself one major conference a year in each of my expertise areas, which has more than elevated my craft in each area. Entrepreneurs ALWAYS know they have to put back into the business, often repeatedly, before they take much out.

Oh! And I bought a book from Michael Hauge, $20.

I recommend the conference to people in several phases: first of all, to beginners:  to get a notion of the scope of the industry which will inspire and light a fire under you, straight on. Secondly for those with a completed book to get opportunities to pitch novels to editors and agents who are otherwise closed to open queries. And thirdly, if you're needing fresh infusions or if you've won something, to bask in it a bit.

Okay, you want to know my crazy conference story? Get this. I made the mistake of returning to my room to get my evening earrings & returning to an overloaded elevator system. None of the elevators would take me down on this computerized elevator system. Our conference had overloaded the brain and I was told I "had to wait." I was on 42nd floor of the Marriott Marquis. You talk about a panic attack. Trapped? Moi? Alternate routes? The staircase! So I trotted known 36 double flights of stairs so as not to miss the award dessert banquet--my legs were trembling at the end when I got on the escalators at ninth floor. My thigh muscles clinched and didn't return to normal until Tuesday! But I did get to see the awards given, including Virginia Kantra from our own HCRW. I heard there were two finalists from my gothic group. Oh well. It was still one hundred percent worth it.

Go ahead and laugh! I wasn't laughing then, but I am now.

You can't have a conference without a crazy conference story!  I asked Joanna to share hers, and now I'd love to hear yours - add your story as a comment, and take a moment to laugh at everyone else's!  The five which make me laugh the hardest will be accumulated into a post for July 18th (Wow, I already know that I'll have a hard time choosing!)  Thanks again to Joanna McKethan for the terrific review!

A completely random and baseless prediction

It's dangerous when I think.

No, really.  Having a task which engages my hands but not my mind has led to antics such as the time I reenacted the French Revolution with tomatoes at work.  (Not my fault - the tomato slicer makes a sound exactly like a guillotine.  And I was on task the entire time... I just happened to be marching aristocrats from the Roma family to their beheadings as the masses lined up on the cutting board cheered.  See?  You wouldn't be able to resist, either.)

One of the things rolling around with the marbles in my head recently has been the concept of branding, as applied to e-publishing.

First of all, this is an idea based entirely out of the (il)logical confines of my head - there is absolutely no support for this that I've seen to date, no studies suggesting it, and nothing but my very basic grasp of marketing, American consumerism, and brand labeling driving it.

That said, I sincerely believe the concept of brand marketing is going to significantly impact the sales of e-published works within the next 2-3 years.

Why?

Because spamming in the self-publishing world is beginning to take off. Because, for every self-published writer who edits her works thoroughly and actually has a plot to her novel, three more do not.  Because a book bought through a traditional publishing house will always have had someone look at it and say, "this is worth reading" - meaning it's passed some minimal set of standards for readability and plot.

Therefore, I expect to see branding to become the next big thing on the e-bookshelves.  Publishers will start making their icon large enough to be seen on the cover art in a thumbnail, so that browsers will know the book has passed their inspection.  And browsers will probably begin creating brand loyalty such as formerly been absent in the literary world (Do you buy your regular books solely based on who published them - or do you buy them based on the pretty cover art and the intriguing blurb?)  If I know that Baen, for example, typically prints books with higher-quality plots and better editing, I'm going to be more likely to purchase from them online than a book from a publisher I've never heard of.

Obviously, this would be Bad News for small publishers and self-published authors.

As a writer, one of the things on my contract wishlist would therefore be that my ebooks include a visible publisher logo on the cover art (maybe discreetly in the corner, but still large enough to be seen on a thumbnail.)

Do you think this particular prediction has any basis in reality?  As an author, will you require a logo for your own ebook cover art, or do you think it's too soon to start the branding process?  Theoretically, what do you see this doing to the market?  Do you see a solution to help small publishers and self published authors stay in the game?

Online class: "Breaking Free From the Slush Pile"

As you all know (or maybe as you now know,) I'm a member of the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapter of the RWA.  I recently took an online class I discovered through the group called "Breaking Free From the Slush Pile."  It was taught by CJ Lyons (who has a 90% response rate for her queries!!!)  Online classes such as these usually do charge a small fee, usually around $20 (with a discount if you're  a member of the host chapter.)

In this class, we had lessons on writing blurbs, pitches, and queries.  CJ defined for us elevator pitches, premise pitches, and high concept pitches.  She gave us guidance for writing our own, and gave us feedback on each.

She also gave a lesson on searching for agents (mostly "Do your research!") and what to do during an actual in-person pitch (like at a conference, or in an elevator where they can't run away when they graciously allow you to give your pitch.)  Turns out, most agents don't like being stalked.  It's a little unprofessional (not to mention creepy.)

I would very much recommend the course and the teacher (her new website on writing: http://www.norulesjustwrite.com/)  It's not just for romance, either.  I'd have to give the course an A+ for usefulness, for clarity of information, and for honest (and somehow still tactful) feedback

Here's a little teaser from the course:
A high concept pitch: combine a universal icon (coming-of-age) with a hook (of a genetic experiement).  This should ideally evoke an emotion and also draw in your listener.  For HALVES, my high concept pitch would be: The coming-of-age story of a genetic experiment.

An elevator pitch: Gives a person with ultra ADD a quick comparison between your work and something similar.  For POSEIDON'S DAUGHTER: The movie 300 meets Jean Johnson's Sons of Destiny series.  (The latter is a fantasy romance - if the agent doesn't recognize the series, there's a discernable chance he or she isn't the right agent for me.)

A note on queries: The one and only purpose of a query is to get an agent interested enough to ask for more.  It isn't to tell them the story.  It isn't to introduce the characters or teach all about your awesome world.  It's to spark enough interest that they want to read the synopsis (which does tell the main plot of the story) and then pick up the sample pages (hey look, the characters and your awesome world!)  Just give the agent enough of a blurb so that they know your writing style and what makes your book unique. 

Oh, and you should probably include one of your plots, too.  Preferably the main one.  But don't make it too confusing - the longer your query is, the less likely your overworked prospective agent is going to spend his or her time reading it.  Under 250 words is pretty much the standard.  And yes, I KNOW.  I had to slice and dice mine, too.  It was about as nerve-wracking as walking into surgery to find a doctor with shaky hands and a bottle vodka, and as fun as removing unnecessary bodyparts (such as fingers, tonsils, and that extra kidney) - but I did it, and now have an excellent query to show for the pain.  Now it's time to turn those form rejections into some requests!


Many thanks to CJ for instructing the course!

Interviewed by a character

We're doing a blog-chain at the HCRW, where characters get a chance to interview their writers.  I'm letting Lauralyn Reynolds, one of the stars of my science fiction work-in-progress (WIP,) interview me - but shhh!  She doesn't know who I really am! ;)

Full list of blog-chain participants:  (Go check out their interviews!  I really enjoyed them!)
Aimee Laine
Lyla Dune
Carol Strickland
Amy Corwin
Lilly Gayle
Rebekkah Niles : Hey, you're here!
Laura Browning
Andris Bear
Marcia Colette
Nancy Badger
Sarah Mäkelä
Jennifer Harrington
Scott Berger
The interview:

I’m just finishing a cup of tea when someone knocks on the door to my third floor apartment.  I hear my roommate rustle out of her room to go answer – she’s expecting a package, and her room is closer to the door than our sunny little dining room.  A second later, she calls back to me.  “It’s for you!  A couple of guests?”

“Oh!  That must be her, the girl I mentioned wanted to interview me.  Thanks, Angel!”  I get up to greet them, setting my teacup by the sink to deal with afterwards.  My guest has indeed brought her pet, as she’d warned me she might.  “Lauralyn Reynolds?”  She nods.  “Please come in.”

She enters with a polite smile, the backpack on her shoulder typical for a college student. Nothing about her shouts 'money'; it's more a subtle whisper in her posture, in her voice, and in the tailored-perfect fit of her unlabeled suit.  Her backpack, though, shows all the well-battered signs of overuse: a practical woman, then, not one obsessed with appearances.  After a moment, I remember that her father is a wealthy businessman, one of those big-shots who probably considers his kids to be accessories as much as children.  “Please, call me Laurie.  And thanks for agreeing to this interview.  It’s a big part of my grade.  Mother will murder me if I fail a humanities course.  And I promise, Jake won’t be any trouble – he’s well-trained.  He won’t bother your cats at all.” 

Jake is a rosy-skinned half-oni, his straight black hair atypically long for his kind and his fitted clothes much neater than expected.  Like most half-oni, his eyes are wide, bright, and about as comprehending as the average cat’s: humans and oni aren’t completely genetically compatible, and the rare offspring are incapable of developing more than animal intelligence.  Since the war began, there have been an increasing number of them born.  No one was on board with genocide, so the politicians came up with an alternative to dumping the unfortunates on our already overburdened mental health system: for a fee and with a couple of months of training, families could adopt them as pets.  They're ridiculously expensive to adopt, and that's probably why they've become such a fad.

“All right. I was thinking we might sit in the living room?”  It’s fairly nice for a two-bedroom, but it’s still an apartment, and that means our choices for sitting space are limited.  Laurie and I settle on the couch, which has a nice view of the morning-glory covered balcony.  She pulls out a pet-pad for Jake, unrolling the yoga-mat-like pad on the floor at her feet.  He obediently migrates to it, and she places a toy in his hands.  He immediately begins gnawing on the rubber top and playing at the brightly colored dangles, ignoring the large stock of board games inches away from his face under my coffee table.

“He’s very well trained,” I comment.

Laurie nods.  “We’ve had him since I was four.  He’s always been a good boy.”  She pats his shoulder, and he leans affectionately into her knee, his face flushing a slightly darker rose of affection.  And then it’s time to get to business, because she takes out a recorder and a pad of paper.  “Now, then.  Let’s start easy: What kinds of books do you write?”

“I write fantasy romance and science fiction.  I say fantasy romance, because it’s more towards the emerging market of high-fantasy romance than towards the better-known paranormal and urban-fantasy end of the scale.”

“Wait.  What?”

“My romance is about mages in the Bronze Age, trying to save an island stuck between a volcano and an invading army.  In order to cast magic, though, they have to first find their soul mates.  And since the enemy numbers in the tens of thousands, and the island’s forces are about five thousand, they’re really going to need a little magic on their side.”

She looks a little confused.  “Where does the volcano come in?”

“The army is after the island’s natural power source: a huge pool of magic underneath the mountain.  Unfortunately, the magic happens to be very volatile, and if it’s not properly drained, it could cause the mountain to erupt.  When the islanders found out that the enemy would be invading, they allowed the magic to fill, in hopes of intimidating the larger army.  The plan backfired when the pool got out of control, and they had to sacrifice the only mages capable of controlling it in order to stop an eruption.  Now the islanders have to find seven new mages strong enough to drain it before it refills.  Only a mage isn’t really a mage without a soul mate, so they’re scouring their own people for their true loves.  The first book is on the general of the islander’s army.  If finding a soul mate weren’t hard enough, he also has to repel the invaders.”

I’m pleased to see her leaning forward, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.  “So it’s a series?”

I nod.  “Yes.  But enough about the book – you can read it when it comes out.  You said you had more questions?”

Disappointed, she sits up and glances down at her paper.  “Oh, yes.  What did you do before becoming a writer?”

I glance out at the flowers on the balcony.  “Before being a writer, I was a florist at a grocery store.  It wasn’t a bad job; I discovered that I really like working with flowers, and I made a lot of friends.  But the promotional potential was at that point almost non-existent, and I was barely making rent working more than 40 hours a week, especially with trying to pay off my college loans.  I decided that if I was going to be losing money, I might as well do it while doing something I loved: writing.  So I quit my job, wrote a romance novel, picked up a couple of part-time jobs, and started a science-fiction novel while I plan the second romance.”

Her eyebrow, at this point, has practically climbed into her hair.  “You quit your job to become a writer?”

I shrug. “Yes.  I did.  I had some savings, thanks to a few months of living at home with my parents.  I don’t have kids, or a husband, or a mortgage.  If I’m ever going to have a chance to pursue my dream, it’s now.  And I knew that I would always, always regret it if I never even tried.”

She jots this down, and I think from the amount of writing she does, she probably just took a full quote.  When she looks up, it's with another question already on her lips.  "Does your family live in the area?"

I nod.  "I grew up in North Carolina, and as you can see, I still live here.  I attended college at Appalachain State University, then moved back to the peidmont.  But even though I'm NC born and bred, I've done a lot of traveling in my life.  Both sides of my family have spread out across the country, and family is very important to me.  That means that, from a very early age, I've been flying to the four corners of the States, sometimes alone or with my older brother."

"Is that why your stories are in such exotic locations?"

I nod.  "I'm fascinated with traveling outside the country.  I've only been a few times, mostly in late high school and college, and I'm dying to go further.  I have to admit, I'm really curious to visit Santorini, since that's the volcano around which I've based my romance.  Oh, and I'd love to see Fuzhou, China, which is a key location in my sci-fi."

She pauses, a little indulgent smile on her lips.  "That's the name of the army base my brother serves on.  You'll have to wait until it's well-secured before you go visit: it's on the front lines right now.  I'm pretty sure you don't want to see what it's like with the Hanyou in the area."

That makes me shudder.  The Hanyou's a notorious general for the other side, well known to be emotionally unstable and viciously unpredictable in her attacks.  I neglect to mention that in my world, there is no war in China right now.  "You're right," I say instead.  "I'll put that on my bucket list for when it's safe.  But after spending so much time researching the area, I'd still like to see it myself some time."

Laurie’s pen flies as she sketches down a few notes on her paper.  “What sort of research have you done for your writing?  Jake, gentle with the kitty.  Gentle, boy.”  My orange cat, Bard, has wandered out from my room to sniff at the interesting newcomer.  Jake sniffs him back.  Clearly, ‘gentle’ is a command word, because the half-oni is very delicate when he wraps a hand around Bard’s tail and pulls it to his nose.  Bard gives him a very affronted look.

“Well, as I said, my first novel is set in the Bronze Age – albeit an alternative one, but still the Bronze Age.  Naturally, I know next to nothing about that era.  I was drawn to it when I decided I wanted to work with Atlantis, and I discovered that most scholars believe the Atlantean legend rose from the explosion of the island of Santorini in 1628 BCE.”  I laugh a little at myself.  I’d had no idea when I’d first started researching just what I was getting in for.    “When I first started sketching out ideas, I had Romans invading the island.  Guess what?  This story predates the Trojan War by a few hundred years! Forget Romans – we’re pre-Greek here!  So, obviously, there was a lot of research involved.  One of my first steps was finding out which civilizations actually existed at the time.” 

Bard’s noticed Jake’s toy.  With a clatter, he pounces on the dangles and begins trying to maul one.  For a second, I’m terrified that Jake will take offense, but I quickly realize that I’ve got nothing to worry about: Jake is watching him in fascination, making the toy roll over so the dangles move even more.  I  see Sonnet peek her nose out from one of the table chairs to eye the toy.  She’s a little more shy, though, and decides that interacting with scary strangers might not be worth the play.  The flash of black fur disappears again.  “Gentle, Jake,” Laurie says again, and turns back to me.  “What was your biggest challenge getting started?”

“Hm? Oh.  Probably the biggest issue I’ve had is the fact that I knew absolutely nothing about actually getting published when I started.  From day one, I’ve been researching, guessing, learning, and often flying by the seat of my pants to figure out where to go next.  I joined the RWA – that’s ‘Romance Writers of America’ – and one of the chapters, the HCRW, or ‘Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.’  That was probably the best decision I’ve made: not only are all the people wonderful, but I’ve been able to find the resources I need to learn about writing as a career.”

“Like what?”

“A little research online, for one thing, told me that I’d need an agent to get published by my target publisher.  And for that, I’d need a query letter.  But let me tell you: since I joined the HCRW, my query letter has undergone about fifteen or sixteen substantial revisions.  I now know how horrible it was at first, and more importantly, why it didn’t work.  I’m taking a class online through another RWA chapter, ‘Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal,’ or FF&P for short.  I expect to revise the query at least one more time by the end of class, and then send it out again.  Hopefully, I’ll actually get a request for a full submission this time.”

Laurie looks a little lost at the alphabet soup, so I give her a moment to catch up.  When she’s finished writing down all the names, I have a question of my own: “You said that you had to do an interview for a humanities class.  Mind if I ask what the assignment is on?”

She takes the break to shake out her hand.  “Not at all.  We’re supposed to talk about the risks and rewards of self-employment, and whether or not it’s something we’d consider for ourselves.”  She shrugs.  “Writing seemed like a good self-employed career to me.”

“If you ever do get into it,” I warn, “don’t expect to make millions.  I chose romance because it’s a genre with a large market, and thus I stand a reasonable chance at making a livable salary from it, if I can get published and build an audience.  We’re not looking at six-figure incomes, here: enough to pay the bills is all that I want.  Even New York Times best-sellers tend to earn less than $30,000 each.  I’ll have to write at least two to three books a year to be able to write as my only job.”

She nods, thinking.  I don’t know if she’s interested in writing; Laurie’s poker face is very good, so I have no idea what’s going on in her head.  But she gives me a bright smile, and pats Jake on the shoulder.  “Thank you for the interview.  I think I’ve got what I need.”  I think I see Jake unhook one of Bard’s claws from where it’s gotten stuck on the mat.  But no, even a pet as well-trained as Jake isn’t that smart.  I’m sure Bard just got himself free.  The orange fuzzball pounces again.

I stand up, and Bard stops playing with Jake’s toy to dash into the kitchen and meow plaintively.  Crunching follows as soon as he realizes that his food bowl is, in fact, not actually empty.  “You’re welcome.” I watch as Laurie packs up, and shake her hand as I walk her to the door.  “Thanks for coming.  Good luck with your paper!”

“Thank you,” she replies, and waves good-bye as she walks off, Jake’s leash in hand.  He follows obediently, walking on his feet instead of all fours, as most half-oni prefer.  I wonder-

But no.  Everyone knows half-oni are just animals.  Right?

Avoiding the Computer Desk Pounds

Writing isn't exactly considered aerobic exercise.  So staying in shape when I'm putting a lot of time on the keyboard isn't something that just spontaneously happens - I have to manage my lifestyle to make sure I don't pack on the pounds.

What works for me may or may not work for you, but here's how I maintain a healthy weight:

1.  Walk every day.  The advantage to writing is that I can get out while there's sunshine, so throwing in a short 30-45 minute walk is no big deal.  It's harder when I've got a job that keeps me inside during daylight - I've done gyms in the past, once or twice a week, but that was all I could make myself go.  Personally, I prefer walking outside to a full-body workout in a small, sweaty-smelling room, but that's just me.  Exercise, afer all, is exercise.

2.  Eat whole wheat.  Controlling calories, of course, is part of staying fit (but I never eat less than 900 per day, because that basically kills the metabolism!)  The problem with white bread is that my body digests it more quickly than whole wheat, so I'm hungry again faster.  And this goes for breakfast, too - by trading out rice and sugar cereals for whole wheat ones, I go about five hours before needing lunch, even without stuffing myself.

3.  One of the big keys to not getting hungry, for me, is that I don't have a set eating routine.  I do always eat breakfast, because it jump starts the metabolism, but I don't always eat it at the same time.  And I vary my lunchtime, so my body has adjusted to not getting hungry at any specific time.  If I don't feel hungry, I eat less.  The same goes for lunch and dinner.  Some days I'll wait until 3 or 4 to eat lunch, especially if I'm working late.  Other days, I'll eat earlier, like when I plan on cooking dinner and expect that I'll be eating a larger than usual dinner.

4.  I also often eat my biggest meal at lunchtime.  Pasta, eggs and sausage, potatoes, pretty much anything that's really filling and keeps me full.  Then, at dinner, my appetite is smaller, so I'm less likely to gorge.  And since I work evenings, I'm full before I go to work - since one of my jobs is delivering pizza, being full before work is pretty important.  That's not to say I don't ever nibble a slice or two of pizza; it just means I do so less often than if I relied on pizza as dinner.

5.  I drink lots of liquids.  No, I don't measure out eight gallons of water a day, or any nonsense like that - but I also don't wait until I'm thirsty to drink.  I just keep a glass within reach of the computer chair and sip every now and then.  Some people snack.  I drink tea or water.  Since thirst can be misinterpreted by the body as hunger, it prevents excess snacking.

6.  Speaking of, I try not to habit-snack.  Sure, I'll grab a handful of crackers when I do get hungry, but I don't keep bowls of junk food by the computer.  Since I have to get up to nibble, I'm less likely to do so unless I'm actually hungry - thus, no habit-eating.

7.  I don't deny myself sweets, I just eat them slowly.  This seems pretty counter-intuitive: after all, aren't sweets one of the reasons people gain weight?  But eating my chocolates one a time, and taking time to savor them, fills the sweets craving and makes me feel like I've had more than I had.  And since I don't deny myself, I also don't feel the need to splurge.  I do, however, take into account the approximate caloric count of the sweet.  If it's particularly high, I eat a lower-calorie dinner, like stew.

8.  Do I actually count calories?  Erm, not exactly.  But I try to have an approximate idea of how many I've had, and when I've had too few.  If I'm below a 1000, I will, in fact, actually force myself to eat more.  If I know I'm going to have a high-calorie item at some point in the day, I stick to lower-calorie options for the other meals.  If I'm losing more weight than I want and feel like I need to start gaining, I eat both a large lunch and a large dinner.  And yes, I do splurge.  If I'm going out to eat (which I do very rarely, about once or twice a month) I don't even count calories.  One meal doesn't ruin a lifestyle.  If, however, I ate out more often, I would take that into account.

9. Anything-goes meals.  Breakfast for dinner? If I feel like it.  Pasta for breakfast?  Sure, I need to eat those leftovers.  Yes, I usually do eat cereal for breakfast, but I'm not exclusive, which means I can switch out my highest calorie foods when I need to.

10.  I don't diet - all these things listed above are my lifestyle, and I'm not going to stop them as soon as I reach the weight I want.  That's the problem inherent with diets - they're temporary, so the results don't last.  And by telling myself that these eating habits will one day end, I adopt habits I don't want to keep in the long term, which means, of course, I won't.  So I eat in a style that I'm comfortable with, and don't deny myself the things I really want - I just make up for them.  Since I know my healthiest weight range (I try to keep between 125-134,) I also know when I need to lose - or gain - weight.  By tweaking my average daily calorie count, I can slowly add or subtract until I'm back in the middle of my zone.

I'll admit that I have a few natural advantages on the weight issue. I never stopped eating breakfast, and I never got in the habit of skipping meals, so I've kept a decent metabolism my whole life.  When I get stressed out, my appetite's the first thing to go, so I have a tendency to lose weight instead of gain it.  I also like vegetables (except bell peppers and okra), so I enjoy eating healthy foods, another bonus. I do, however, have to make sure I don't let my blood sugar drop, because that makes my brain slow down (seriously, if it gets too low, my speech starts to slur and I have trouble finding the words I want to use. I'm 99% sure that this is a bad thing, one of the main reasons I've never gotten in the habit of skipping meals.)

How do you keep in shape while writing?

NC Writers Conference: Review

And I'm back from the NC Writers' Conference!  It was held in Greensboro, NC, on April 30 (today, in other words.) 

Most of the sessions were for memoir, poetry, or publishing with regional (small) publishers.  There was a lot of advice for aspiring poets looking to publish their work, and the exhibit hall had several small publishers advertising, as well as several poetry magazines.  There was an open-mike reading at the end of the conference, and the key-note speakers were poets, who talked about how they'd gotten to be well-known and published.  After lunch, there was an author reading, where the workshop readers got to read excerpts from their stories/poems.  I especially enjoyed Ed Schubert's short story, a very humorous science fiction piece.  There was also a chance to sign up to take the workshop readers to lunch.

On the other hand, lunch would have probably been more impressive, had it not been in the university cafeteria, and had the cafeteria realized there was a conference and thus had more stocked than the Chick-fil-a. 

I would have gotten much more out of the conference, in fact, had I been a poet or a memoir writer.  However, Edward Schubert's seminar in the morning was quite helpful, a small panel for marketing science fiction.  And Angela Harwood's afternoon seminar on marketing yourself was useful.  Although the small press for which she works only publishes one fiction novel a year (everything else is nonfiction), she made a point to try to address to fiction writers as well.  I also took home some very pertinent ideas for e-marketing myself.

Point in fact: Blogs.  She suggests that blog posts should be frequent, and short.  Frequent posts keep your blog high on the list.  Short blogs are more likely to be read.  Harwood suggested 3-4 sentences at a time; she made the point that a blog shouldn't be a journal, but method for connecting with readers.  Clearly, I need to update more: I'm thinking I may go to a 3-posts-a-week pattern.  I might try for one long, informative post and two shorter tidbits.  She also suggested that no more than 50% of either tweets or blog posts should be about your book - the rest is networking, drawing in a new audience and keeping your readers interested.  All good advice.

Overall review: For a non-poet, a C.  There were a limited number of seminars, and the options for fiction writers were minimal.  Most of the focus was for small publishers or self-publishing, which isn't much help if you plan to write a novel and get a paycheck for it.  Still, I did get some very helpful ideas, and I met a few people.  I won't attend again until I have money to spare - I don't think I got quite enough out of it to pay for the cost of the conference ($165, and gas and food.)  But, I did get something out of the conference, so I won't count it as a loss.

For a poet, an A.  I'd recommend serious poets attend for the contacts and the publishing advice.  If you're not planning to make money off writing, but can afford to do it only as a hobby, it's also worth attending.  I found out about several small writing "boot camps," including one run by Orson Scott Card.  They're very expensive, but include from one to six weeks of intensive writing seminar, including food and board.  Would I go?  No.  I have neither the time nor the money.

If I could afford $600 (before hotel and travel), I would go to the RWA conference in New York.  I can't.  But StellarCon, RavenCon, and ConCarolinas are all within plausible distance and price, as is Moonlight and Magnolias.  I can't help but think about the contacts I could make at a conference dedicated to my genre!  Time for me to go digging for conference information... after a nap, that is.  u.u-zzzzzz

Ugly Confessions

Okay, confession time:  I'm getting behind on writing.

Wait, what?  Ms. 3000-word-a-day is behind?  What's going on?

Yes, it's true: lately, the days I've been writing, I've been averaging no more than 1000 words... and most days don't get that!  Since I finished my first novel, I've been in a lag as I picked up two part-time jobs to pay the bills, edited the first, began looking for agents (still no success), and tried to start on my second.  The biggest problem is not time, because my jobs still leave me my mornings free.  The problem is endurance and plot - two things I'm lacking.

At first, I was so unsatisfied with the plot of my second novel that I couldn't bring myself to write. So I rewrote it.  And rewrote it again.  Then, by the time I was happy with my story, my writing muscles had gotten out of shape - I'm getting tired after 1000 words.  I've said before that writing is an endurance sport, and since I've stopped, my mind is getting flabby.

Solution?  Discipline.  No, I'm probably not going to get back to 3,000, at least not right away.  But I have to keep pushing myself, and no more excuses to put off what I should be doing first: writing!  I'll try for a week at 1-1.5k, and then push upward from there.  Wish me luck! 

What do you do, when you find yourself slacking?  How long does it take for you to get yourself back shape?

Query: Again?

I've hacked.

I've slashed.

I've trashed and started from scratch.

I've irritated my friends, annoyed my best editors, read QueryShark (http://queryshark.blogspot.com/), read the BookEnds Blog (http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/), looked up author advice, trashed again and then dug through the trash for bits I wanted to save after all, only to throw them right back in there.

And I've come up with Query Version (mumble-point-oh).

This version is much tighter, more gripping, and shorter.  It's still more than 250 words (the query rule of thumb,) but not much more.  Also note that I have my title in all-caps (POSEIDON'S DAUGHTER); that's standard form for queries. 

I also worked on showing, not telling, my characters' personalities.  That's important: telling is passive, and showing is active.  I don't need a lot of background; I just want the agent to read the letter.  So I cut out most of the plot, offered my two main characters, the love connection, and their biggest problems.  Do I say that Lygos hates politics and doesn't want to stop being a general?  No, I say

"he’ll have to join a new Council, taking up the most disgusting profession he can imagine: politics." 

Same idea, but here you get into his head and find yourself saying the word like it's profanity.  And that tells you just how much he hates it, without having to say "Lygos hates politics."


I also don't specifically say that POSEIDON'S DAUGHTER is a time-travel romance.  But do I have to spell it out?  No, you catch on immediately with the questions that also indicate Carol's confusion, and her exasperation/disgust with having to deal with a dead body minus her typical tools.  That's showing. EDIT 10/3/11: I've been advised (by the professionals!) to clearly state the time-travel up front, because many agents who do paranormal have preferences for or against specific subgenres such as time-travel. Since time-travel is not a central theme, I'm call it "a fantasy romance with elements of time-travel."


Will this query work any better than my last versions?  I don't know for certain, but I think it has a much better chance!  If you're working on writing your own query, I highly suggest hitting up queryshark and reading through the advice and feedback they've put together for writers.  It takes a lot of reading, but it's worth it.  As for me... Cross your fingers and wish me luck?


And on a random note - finally got around to fixing the "mysterious sinking island" loophole.  Poor Aegadon.  One day you're a mile-wide island ten miles off shore; the next, you're one fourth the size and 95% closer.  Either way, you get sunk.  Splash!

Reinventing the Query-Wheel

Yesterday, I went to the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers' meeting.  It ran from 1-3, and involved a published novelist and college instructor giving a presentation about editing your own novel.  I learned a couple of things - for me, most notably, 'find your favorite phrase, then SEARCH AND DESTROY!'  In other words, find out the one phrase you like too much and have a tendency to throw in several times, then go through and get rid of all but one occurence in the entire novel.  Ouch!  That's going to be hard.  But I know I play favorites to a couple of phrases, so it's advice I'll heed.

We ended right at three, and then the REAL meeting began: going out to tea with the members of the group, and later dinner with whomever was left.  In this informal setting, I got a chance to talk with several published authors, as well as quite a few unpublished authors in the same writing boat as me (finished manuscript, no publication as of yet.)  I have to say, I learned more from the four hours following the meeting than from the lecture, and it was a very good lecture.

Amongst the conversation, I discovered one invaluable piece of information: I need to rewrite my query letter.  You see, I've made one, small, fundamental mistake: I forgot my audience.  In my original letter, I've sold an interesting world and a pair of interesting characters.  There's nothing wrong with that; if I were publishing a science fiction or a fantasy book, I'd be set.  But I'm writing a romance novel.  I need to sell, first and foremost, the romance.

You know the cliche.  I'm starting over; I'm beginning again; I'm throwing it out and doing a Lady McBeth in my mind: "Out, out, damn letter!"  It's time to rewrite based on what my potential agents are looking for, and never mind how much I love my world.  If an agent doesn't see a worthwhile romance in the query, she'll never get lost in my setting or blown away by my steamy love scenes, because she'll never read the book! 

This may take a while, because the query is, understandably, the hardest part of the novel to write.  But I'll get back to you when I've figured it out.  Meanwhile, if you're a writer trying to find a agent, I suggest you take a good look at your query, too.  What genre is your novel?  Does your letter address, first and foremost, the selling point your genre revolves around? "No agent is going to sign something that won't make them money," a quote from Katharine Ashe, and an agent with a pile of letters is going to skip anything that doesn't address the selling point of the target genre.  Time for me, at least, to rewrite!

Rejection!

Well, it's official.  I must be a real writer now.  Why?

Because I've just received my first two rejection letters!  Wahoo!

Wait, you're surprised I'm excited?  Shouldn't I be upset, or crying, or something?  Pssh.  Every writer starts out being rejected.  It's the first step on the road to success.  Me, I think I'm going to frame my first rejection letter and hang it on my wall somewhere...

Since I've only sent out brief queries, and haven't had full manuscript requests yet in response to my queries, I haven't gotten any kinds of specific feedback.  And, I'll admit it: I've been lazy.  Instead of sending out queries on a weekly basis, I've been editing my first novel, planning and beginning writing on my second, applying for a second part-time job, and working a first part-time job.  See?  Pure laziness: If I don't get my query letters sent out, no one will ever publish my book!  Priorities, girl, priorities!  It takes (on average, based on the majority of agents I've sent letters to) about 4-6 weeks to hear back for an e-mail query.  Having sent my first queries out in mid-February, I'm doing pretty well to have already heard back from two!

What does a query letter look like?

Okay, so, I haven't had a successful query letter result yet.  But here are some important elements:

• Correctly spell the agent's name. Use the agent's name, too, and not "Dear Agent"
• Immediately state your title, genre, word count, and that your novel is complete (don't query an incomplete manuscript if you're a fiction writer)
• Give a short blurb about your story. Include your plot hook (what makes your novel unique) and vivid, fast-paced, intriguing language. Don't leave your agent hanging with a question, even a rhetorical one. Every agent I've found discussing queries hate blurbs that end with a question.
• Include a short section with your creditials (if you have none, don't pad it.) Include ONLY information directly related to your ability to write, your past writing experience, and your experience as it relates to THIS manuscript. You may also mention why you chose this specific agent, and show that you did your research.
• Try to keep it under 250 words.
• Sign with your real name, not your pen name.
• Include your contact information.

 

Important things to note about my query: I've included my word count, my membership to Romance Writers of America, that I have no previously published works, and why I chose this literary agent/ Each letter is a little different, because I personalize to each agent.  I have been very picky in whom I send the queries to, because there's no point in sending it to someone who isn't interested in what I've written.  Yes, that's right: I research each agent before sending the query. Oh, and I have the title of the book, too.  Don't forget that!  I also have a brief plot synopsis designed to catch the reader's interest, and I spelled the agent's name correctly.

What does a rejection letter look like?

All personal information removed to protect the literary agents, here's what I got back:
Thank you so much for querying us with your project. Unfortunately, we did not feel it was the right fit for our agency. Thanks for thinking of (Agency name) and we wish you nothing but the best in your writing career.
Sincerely,
(Agent)

And my second rejection:

Dear Juturna,
Thanks so much for letting me take a look at your material, which I read with great interest. Unfortunately, the project you describe does not suit my list at this time.  I sincerely wish you the best of luck in finding an agent and publisher for your work, and I thank you, once again, for letting me consider your work.
Sincerely,
(Agent)

I have to say, the latter was a very, very nice rejection.  Kudos to this agent for incredible people skills!

Writing Your Own Query

Pretty much any agency you visit will have somewhere on their website what they want in a query letter, and there's hundreds of different sites online about how to write a query.  Here's two links to get you started:
http://www.traceylyons.com/queryletter.html
http://www.carolynjewel.com/craft/querysamples.php
Rejection isn't something to be feared.  It's as much a part of writing as making an outline, and probably just as essential.  Remember, literary agents get thousands of queries, so every unsolicited query is like buying a lottery ticket - even when you know your book is just what your agent would like.  Here's a glance at the other side of the ticket, through the eyes of a literary agent talking about writing rejection letters:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/dec/03/publishers-rejection-letters

Have you ever sought an agent?  How many letters did you get before getting accepted?  I'll make sure to include a final count when I finally do get published.  For me, the biggest challenge is not to get discouraged.  So instead of looking at rejection as a critique of my self-worth, I consider it a necessary part of the writing process, and a chance to improve on my weak points as a writer.  Most of all, I always keep thinking, "When I get published..."  I don't give myself if's, or any kind of subjunctive clauses.  This isn't a wish or a possibility; it is something which will happen, and I just have to keep working at it until it does.  When it comes to rejection, it's all about stubborning yourself through. 

Fortunately, I'm pretty good at stubborn.

Square One, Book Two: Moving Forward

I've finished a novel.  What next?

Part One: Edit!

After putting the final touches on my rough draft, and editing to my satisfaction, I sent my story off to my beloved beta readers: aka, my friends who also write and/or read romance and who've agreed to give the story a look-over.  I've already taken out as many errors as I could find and rewritten most of the scenes that I didn't like, taken out whatever extras I could excise, and added a Prologue to make the beginning make more sense.  Now what I'm looking for from my friends is for them to catch what I've missed: mostly word choice errors ("He reached into his back and pulled out a packet"... ouch!!!) and plot holes created by my rewrites.  You might think I should already have caught those plot holes (and I do wish I had!), but remember: I already know what I'm thinking, and I've all the background information on my story and my characters floating around in my head.  That means I'm actually less likely to spot little plot errors, or even major ones, because I've still got the original storyline in my head - including the parts I cut out! 

As my lovely, awesome betas read, they point out mistakes, and my job is to go back and fix as much as I can.  Some errors simply can't be fixed without a massive storyline rewrite.   For example, I completely rewrote how magic worked in the world about halfway through, and thus an island that sank into the sea had originally a reason to do so; now it just sort of happens.  It's kind of pivotal to the plot later in the series, so what do I do?  Band-aid: My mages sink it on purpose, casting a spell for that reason, in the middle of a spell-casting bonanza that I already had in the story.  Note that the island also mysteriously shrunk by three-fourths a mile, and moved nine miles inland.  It's not what I first planned, but then, the story isn't, either.

What's important is that it flows, and that it makes sense. 

I'm writing a story to be published.  My story is polished, but like all writers, there will be things that continually bother me, that just aren't good enough.  I'll keep trying to fix them, but I'm too much of a perfectionist to ever be truly satisfied with everything.  Therefore, editing will last only until I succeed in my next step: Sell!  I don't know when I'll have to stop, so fixing goes in stages, with every edit leaving the story saleable without further editing.  Remember that you should never submit an unedited manuscript to an agent.  Therefore, if you don't think your story is polished enough to be a finished product, you're not ready for selling it.  By the time it goes to agents, the only changes you should be making are minor tweaks.

Part Two: Sell!

Hey, that's the point!  I've already sent out five query letters to literary agents, but now I need to keep sending.  The publishers I'm looking at all require submissions to be agented.  Therefore, I'm looking for agents who are reputable and who publish my particular genre.  Paranormal Romance that isn't urban fantasy is a tough niche to find an agent for.  I'm avoiding agents who require a reading fee, because those are often scam artists (read Writer Beware before seeking an agent), and I'm researching each agent I find to discover what they usually publish. Remember: do your homework!  When you're looking for an agent, it's important to spell their name correctly!  And even more important is to choose people who actually represent what you write.  Don't waste their time; they get enough junk mail already.  Also, follow their instructions for submittals precisely.  If they don't want the first five pages, then don't send them: the agent won't read what you've sent, and they'll probably just delete your e-mail (or trash it, if you're going snail mail) for the crime of being unable to follow directions.

I'm also keeping an eye out for local literary agents.  Yesterday, I heard about a website (NCwriters) that I plan on researching over the next couple of days.  I also heard about a writers' support group (Write 2 Publish) that meets about once a month in Raliegh.  I went to talk to the host bookstore personally to find out more, and discovered that they sometimes have literary agents show up, plus they often have authors in all stages of publication.  They next meet April 2, at 6:30, so I'm marking my calendar.  I plan to show up with several copies of my first five pages and a book-back plot synopsis to catch interest, but I know they might not ever get read.  That doesn't mean I'd be disappointed if I got no leads.  Networking is a big part of selling.  Since I don't personally know any published romance authors or agents, I have to do a little legwork before I can hope to be noticed.  "Solicited query" is a much better place to be than "unsolicited query" - the previous has a good chance of getting at least a request for a partial (that is, when the agent asks for the first few chapters to get an idea of your writing style, but not the full manuscript), while the latter is just another e-mail in an inbox.  Here's hoping I find an agent soon, but I'm not about to hold my breath as I wait.  Instead, I'm going to hedge my bets by starting to work on another novel.

Part Three: Start planning another!

Although my first novel sets itself up for a sequel, the next story I plan on writing will be entirely different.  Why?  Because if one storyline doesn't catch an agent's attention, another might.  That's right, I'm hedging my bets, giving myself two 'rummy' cards, increasing my odds... however you want to say it!  Since I write quickly, I can complete a stand-alone novel and still write the second in the series within a reasonable period of time (four-five months for each is my goal).

This is going to be a very complex story.  I'm going to have to work hard to keep it to a reasonable length.  That means I'll need extra planning, but I still want to start writing by the end of the week... hopefully by March 7, no later than March 10.  I know some plot elements will develop as I'm writing, so I'm not too worried if I'm not perfectly ready to begin, as long as I have a starting point... I'll start writing, and let the ideas ruminate in the back of my mind while I work.  And sure, I'll have to go back and edit portions later, but that's okay.  After all, every story starts as a rough draft - it's expected to be less than perfect.  What matters is that's it's written, because you can't fix something that doesn't exist.

So it's off to lunch for me, and then a quick bout of editing before work.  Planning is this evening, and if I'm awake, a little research, too.  Wish me luck, and remember - you're not an author if you don't write!

Getting started: My Foundations

So you want to follow in my footsteps and become a full-time writer.  You're wondering, how did I become a good writer?  What makes me think I can just jump into writing and pull off a full-length novel?  That takes a lot of confidence in my ability as a writer.  So what makes me think I'm good enough?

Talent? Or education?

Can anyone pick up a pen and write?  Yes, and no.  I won't claim that I was always a great writer.  In fact, I actually have learning disability in written English, diagnosed in the first grade.  I didn't find out about it until I was in late high school, but it's because of that disability that I am a good writer, above and beyond most of my peers (it's true, as humble as it isn't.)  My mother should be given credit - having been a teacher herself, she knew what to look for, and furthermore, she advocated to make sure I was tested and then fully supported throughout my earliest education.  Thus, I (and all my classmates, too!) received extra instruction on grammar and mechanics during an educational time period when the fad was to ignore the mechanics and expect kids to develop them on their own. 

I was slow to learn to read.  Most of my friends were bookaholics much earlier than I was, and to tell the truth, for a long time I read at or below grade level.  At an age that most of the friends I would meet in years to come were reading The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, I was reading Barbie books, The Boxcar Children,  and Animorphs.  But once I started reading, I couldn't stop - reading is in the family, and what's more, it's just fun.  So although I started behind most of my peers, I caught up.  And I also began applying what I was reading to what I was writing.  By the time I hit fourth grade, I was in the top of my class in writing, especially in descriptive writing.  Reading is one of the best ways to become a good writer, because it lets you learn what you like and don't like in other people's writing.  Plus, I had developed an exceptional vocabulary for my age (mostly written - I still occasionally mispronounce words learned from books!)  Most importantly, I liked to write, so I got a lot of practice, between me and my friends' early attempts to write our own stories. This led me to be placed in advanced English classes, and having great English teachers in later years kept me challenged and inspired.  Was I the best?  By no means!  But even in elementary school, by the end I was good. 

The Foundations of Choice: Write what you know

"Write what you know."  This doesn't mean, of course, that I've ever had a perfect romance myself, or that I've been catapulted through the Bronze Age and cast spells to repel invading Mycenaeans.  It does, however, mean that I've been reading sci-fi and fantasy since I graduated past Barbie novels and Babysitter's Club.  I started my sci-fi obsession with Star Wars, way back in my tween years.  And, as some of you know, there's a rather large argument that Star Wars should actually be considered a third genre: Science Fantasy.  Not surprising my next steps were into the fantasy world with Tamora Pierce, and fantasy-like sci-fi with Anne McCaffery.  Pretty much everything I read in my developmental stages were in those genres, with occasionally a little hard sci-fi thrown in. 

Behind the Scenes: The training wheels

During middle school, my fellow writer friends and I began a little writing circle, where we began writing "books" (trust me, the quotation marks are justified, at least in my case!) and sharing them with each other.  I began two stories: One, I decided I wasn't a good enough writer yet to do the story justice as I wanted to see it done.  The other, I wrote over three hundred pages (by hand!), during which no plot ever came to the surface, the characters remained cheap knock-offs of a popular TV show, the romance was trite and overly mushy, and my writing became virtually illegible.  I also gained a deep-seated addiction to writing, one which settled into my bones and never left, and gained a little notoriety amongst my friends for having 300 pages of handwritten story.  I learned to give my characters distinct voices, and discovered the power of first-person narrative (the first fifty pages ended up with a lot of crossed-out "she"s!)  I've since lost the journals in which this novel was written and never finished, but the memories and lessons are well ingrained in my psyche.

I also go into anime during my middle and high school years.  My first attempts at "published" writing were "fanfictions," or stories written in the settings of another writer's work and put online with disclaimers admitting that you owned nothing of the characters or world, and were neither gaining nor expecting income from the stories.  I taught myself very basic HTML and set up a website posting them online (it was on Geocities.  I'm afraid it was all lost when Geocities shut down.)  They weren't bad, and I finished a novel-length fanfic - although the first three chapters were written by someone else.  I began writing that one back in the ninth grade, and finished it... two years later?  Three?  A long time ago.  I can't remember exactly, I'm afraid!  But by then, I actually had enough skill as a writer to compose a storyline and keep to it, and keep my characters in distinct personalities - the joy of writing a fanfic is that your world is already set, and your characters already have defined personalities, so it's like training wheels for an author learning to keep things consistent ("In character," in the terminology of the fanfiction world!)

Behind the scenes: My first original works worth mentioning

In high school, I did more than write fanfics and continue a handwritten atrocity; I also began writing shorts and tidbits that were actually good.  Most of my closest friends were also writers, and we geeked out together constantly.  In my junior year, three of us formed the "Lunchroom Stories," where we'd get together every Friday, choose a random topic, and present something written based off of last week's topic.  We also compared our individual projects and, of course, just chewed the fat together.  My sophomore, junior, and senior English teachers were beyond comparison - they were tough, they were strict, and they taught me more about writing than I could ever have imagined possible.  Kudos to them - I have to say they are a very large part of why I'm now a writer.  My junior year English teacher also imparted on me this:  "KISS: Keep it short and simple."  That's stuck with me through the years, and become an important element of my own writing - I try to avoid unnecessary "dross."  Interestingly enough, my sophomore year World History teacher also played a big part of my writing education: he required essays, a lot of them, and long.  He taught us to be concise and focused, and just as importantly, taught us how to write long essays on a non-English subject.  You'd be surprised how much that helped in college, when writing essays came in every subject, not just English!  In my senior year, I joined the school Literary Magazine and Newspaper.  Writing was a part of my life, and I kept to it. 

College and After: the final steps

In college, most of my writing was essay- or school- focused.  Not surprising! My first years, I took a lot of interdisciplinary courses, so almost every subject included several 10+ page essays per semester.  I found I liked essay-writing, and for most of those interdisciplinary courses, we could pick truly intersting topics!  But I also occasionally made time for writing on the side, although nothing I ever felt like publishing.  I took up playing Dungeons and Dragons, and most of my free-time writing went into developing characters and worlds of my own.  I also free-form roleplayed with some of my friends, coming up with worlds and characters, but I never turned any of the roleplaying into full-length stories (despite a few plans to do so.)  After college, I began a new job and quickly discovered it wasn't right for me.  I was pretty miserable, and I returned to reading as an escapism.  Oddly enough, this was the first time I'd ever willingly cracked a romance novel.  I found quickly that I had little interest in historical or contemporary romance, but paranormal romance caught and held me (big surprise, right?).  I read a lot of those books, and even dragged a good friend into reading them with me so I could have someone to discuss them with. 

I kept reading romance the following year, in a new job, and then began writing short projects on the side, too.  I wrote several novel-length fanfictions on romance stories (and being as they're fanfictions, I have no intention of revealing them - I will not capitalize on them in any way, because the worlds and ideas are not my own.)  When I finally decided to leave my job as a florist, I knew writing would take a lot of time and energy, especially for the amount I planned to do.  So I took an old romance story idea (begun, of course, during my romance binge of the previous year) and began writing on it while working.  I wrote every day, large amounts, and got myself back into shape as an endurance writer.  Then I quit my job in actuality, and began my journey as a novelist.

So what about the rest of us?

You don't have that kind of background in writing?  Don't worry.  What gives me confidence in writing is the fact that I know I've matured into a clean, concise writer, with the knowledge of constructing a storyline from scratch and keeping more or less to it.  My grammar is excellent, and I happily deviate from it with full knowledge of why what I'm doing is wrong.  My first drafts are often as good as other writers' second-to-final drafts (this post, for example, was written straight and barely edited.)  But you know what?  I'm not the best writer I know.  Many of those second-to-final drafts turn into final drafts that blow mine out of the water!  And those writers who are better than me, they can't all claim the same creditials that I have.  They've got their own.

You can't be a writer if you can't write.  So, make sure you know how to be grammatical, how to plan, and how to edit.  However, you don't have to be perfect your first time through!  If you're not a clean writer, then fix it in editing.  Don't expect to become a full-time writer if you can only write a page a day, but remember: writing is like a sport.  You can train yourself to be able to write more!  Just keep at it!  Set goals and reach them. 

I guess that's all my advice right now (the fact that I have to go has a lot to do with this...), but that's where I come from.  Every writer comes from somewhere different, so don't let my accreditations alarm you.  After all, I'm not even an English major!  And I've taken almost no creative writing courses in my life.  You'll have your own strengths and weaknesses, too.  It's up to you to decide when and if you're ready.