Rejections - WHAT? - And Things Accomplished

I was pretty busy through the months of October and November, I did one blog-hop, and wrote two short stories and sent them off, and also I entered a lot of writing contests.

One thing I have to admit is I hate waiting on anything that I've sent out. I don't like wondering if it will be taken or rejected. Any more I'm not exactly biting my fingers. I've stopped doing that a while ago. But even when you have writing credits which include published books, you can still be rejected.

I wrote a short story for Penumbra, it was to be steampunk. Unfortunately I just couldn't fit into a short story what I felt it needed. I used a few scenes from my third book to try and write this, but it was rejected. But the rejection was nice. They said they wouldn't mind seeing something else from me. Believe me, when they say this, you want to get something to them in the near future, so that they don't forget you. I intend to, but I don't think it will be a short story. I'd like to try my mystery novel--when I get that finished I don't know.

I also entered a few writing contests. There was one that took your first chapter and it would be considered by a publisher, if you won, they would give your whole mss a read through--and after that who knows?

I wasn't exactly sure about this one. Several people had entered, they were all different. I was actually surprised at those that were chosen... but I won't go there. I find myself rather dismayed at what catches the eyes of those who are the gate keepers.

But out of the three things I sent out over the past few months I did get one thing published. This was my "The Spy Who Bit Me" short story which I sent to Dark Moon Press. I actually was on a blog hop at the time and caught the request from the editor on facebook, and she asked if anyone could write a vampire story and send it to her quickly, I knew that I had something in my rejected files.

"The Spy Who Bit Me" was written at least 10 years ago and sent off to everyplace that took vampire fiction. It was rejected each time. When I began working on it for Dark Moon, I could see why. My beginning was too slow. I needed to get to the meat of the action right away. I cut the length of the original to about half. There were a lot of scenes I had to get to the very kernel of the action and jack things up. I believe my editor's eye had been sharpened in the last decade. It's a good thing to know, I guess.

I was sent the proofs earlier this week, and I went through them and sent my approval of them and this is going to be out in time for Christmas. In fact I think they are going to print beginning of this next week--if I read correctly. I will give a link to Amazon when it comes out on this blog's side bar... if anyone is interested. The cover looks like this.

Right now I'm working on a novelette, and I want to send it off to Dark Moon Press which only takes horror. I'd begun writing as a horror fiction writer--because back then vampire fiction was under that heading. Now we have to get all fancy and give it some other names like Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy. I write under Urban Fantasy, when it isn't horror. I enjoy writing fantasy.

I have a story in me that feels longer than a short story could be, yet not quite novel length. So I'll see where this takes me. I've just begun it, I have some scenes already fleshed out. The climax is also done. All I have to do is get new characters into place, and that's what I will busy myself with this winter. I'm hoping to get it written by mid-January.

So, what have you been up to? Let us know. Any news? Any writing working out for you?

The Connections & Continuation

Working on the 4th book & news.

I've got a lot of friends, and when you are connected--on facebook esp.--you can put a question out there and you will probably get an answer within 24 hours. I asked one person I know from work what old car had big tail fins. He told me the '59 Cadilac. He is to send me some link, later, I guess so I have a visual.

I need the visuals--who doesn't--when working on a book. I've got a lot happening, pretty much all at once. I've discussed here how I keep notes, but also write note cards so as to keep scenes in order when I go to write them.

This book is slightly different in that I'm going with two different POV's. I'm using the 1st person for Sabrina, but everyone else I'm going with 3rd person. This is the first of this series where I'm showing the thoughts of other characters. I think while a 1st person book is good, you are very limited in telling a story. You really have to think about what your story is about, before you begin writing it in any POV. So many people are involved with Sabrina I felt I needed to bring their voices into this story, and let them tell their own background and reasons why they are persuing her.

Meanwhile, my publisher, who is located in Maine, has said that everyone is fine after Irene hit. I'm sure there is a lot of cleaning up going on. But we are discussing the book cover for the second book. That's sort of fun. I didn't complain about the first book's cover at all, since it was so awesome. But this one I want it to capture a little more of what the book is all about, rather than keep it with any theme or whatever. He agreed with me. So, I'm waiting to see what he comes up with next.

Other than that, I've won a contest. Since I chose to have something critiqued, I'm going to send the first 1,000 words of my 3rd novel to Sylvia Ney of Writing In Wonderland. I know that it isn't perfect, and I'm not expecting her to gush with "Oh, this is wonderful! blah-blah". All I want is to have someone look at it, find the dumb mistakes, let me know what I might be able to do better, and go from there.

I once went to some site that said they would "critique" so many words of whatever, about 2 years ago and got insulted six ways to side ways--and on line no less! I thought the person running the thing was rather brutish about it and allowing other people to sling crap at it was not instructive at all. It was almost like being thrown to the lions. I really didn't think that was fair. It took me a long time to get over that.

So, not wanting to go through that again, I know Sylvia is kind hearted and will review my opening of the third book with an editor's eye, so that I can at least find anything I might miss otherwise.

Anyone out there send out for critiques? Have a critique group? It's nice to have good people who will give you honest helpful critiques of your work, I think.