Trying to De-scramble

  My mind is scrambling!  It is a nonstop scramble that is keeping me up at night.  The scrambling is with the endless short stories I have rattling about, my novel series I desire to keep moving ahead and the several comic book series I am writing with my artist.  Trying to maintain some sort of focus is becoming difficult and I do not have ADHD or any other form of concentration issues.  In fact, I have great concentration and can sit for hours keeping my focus on one thing.  Technically, I am doing this now since all of the above is considered writing but really I am scrambling.

  I have a schedule and each night is dedicated to accomplish one item but as I begin the inking an idea will creep in around one of the other stories.  How frustrating!  The real issue is my desire to have them all done and NOW.  I must take a writer’s moment, look at my outline I have before me and push the other voices to the side allowing the one with the conch to have their voice.  Easier said….

  Am I complaining here?  Nah, I am just in a moment where my ideas are scrambling my attention.  This is a great thing to have by the way since writer’s block seems to happen to other writers.  I am fortunate enough to not experience this lack of idea or motivation to ink it out.  I get to deal with the scramble.

  Now if I can find a way to put the egg back into the shell whole again I think I will be okay or maybe just stop complaining and write already.  I do enjoy this writer angst though!  I want to be no where else but with the words during these moments.

 I hear my novel calling me back and really want to be there for her.  Happy writings…..

Why I #WW those writers I follow!

  ***The following is a REPOST from an earlier post I wrote about those I follow on Twitter.  I am posting again because I decided to do some #WW and I really want those writers to know I am out here and listening.  I love being part of this community!  You all rock!!!!!***

  Writing for me is a place where I allow complete freedom of my senses and feelings.  I found it many many many years ago to be my bless, my awareness and often not, my meditation.  These similar connections follow me when I fall into a book.  Yes, I did say fall since this is the sensation I often get when I am reading a great book or enjoying a good tale. 

  Through these many years of participating in this writing thing I do and being part of the writing community, I found myself desiring the need for more information about it.  I read periodicals, magazines, blogs, tweets, forums, websites, etc… to gain this knowledge.  This need grows my energy and experience with it every day to the point now where I have become a picky writer.  Picky in the sense of where I get this information (often find the same thing repeated in several different platforms) and with who is releasing this material.

  This brings me to twitter and blog following and why I recommend those #WW.  I carefully peruse twitter and follow those writers, agents and publishers who are sending out good, no great information about the world of writing.  I do not just follow someone because they follow me.  My time spent reading and learning the ways of this writing world, to me, is precious because it has the ability to intervene between what is really important to me.  MY FAMILY. :)  I do not take it lightly when I follow someone and I certainly read the material they are writing and handing over to this world for consumption.  It was important to them to share so I find it important to read.

  I love this writing thing we do and will ALWAYS promote and market every person in this writing world of ours!

Happy #WW writers, agents and publishers!

Run Forrest Run!

   I found my writing doing something it had not done in a long time.  I was chasing it AND it was running; really fast!  It has been awhile since the last time I caught myself chasing after this story but sure enough there I was forcing it.  As a writer, the story should always flow from your mind to your fingertips and float onto the paper.  This is easy to do with your first piece of work since there really are no expectations and the freedom to write is all yours.  The chase begins, often not, when you get a fan base or following and the demand to have a sequel to the last masterpiece is sitting next to you screaming - 

“ARE YOU DONE YET?”

  I am in the midst of my 3^rd masterpiece and now with my readership having the true taste of my series they are wanting more and NOW.  They have dropped down their hard earned money for 2 pieces and are willing to depart with more if I can provide the goods.  Oh yeah, this monkey is jumping and screaming (plus throwing some pooh). 

  I must stop!  

  For the grace of the story and respect of my characters, I must stop the chase and allow it to come when it is ready.  I do not speak of writer’s block.  No, writer’s block is not having anything next in thought.  The chase is where I have the story, outline and the feel of where it is going but chasing the story to be written.  I cannot rush to get it finished and have it available for sale, what a rip off!  I know as a reader I am willing to wait for the next in line if it means the story continues to be inviting and adventurous to my imagination. 

  So I have put it down for the week and shall pick it up a week from today.  This gives me enough time to shake the chase away and smile when I begin plucking at the keys.  

  Happy Writing and remember this is not a race.  

  Unless your book is about racing, in this case type faster. :)

Why does this writer #WW those he follows?

  Writing for me is a place where I allow complete freedom of my senses and feelings.  I found it many many many years ago to be my bless, my awareness and often not, my meditation.  These similar connections follow me when I fall into a book.  Yes, I did say fall since this is the sensation I often get when I am reading a great book or enjoying a good tale. 

  Through these many years of participating in this writing thing I do and being part of the writing community, I found myself desiring the need for more information about it.  I read periodicals, magazines, blogs, tweets, forums, websites, etc… to gain this knowledge.  This need grows my energy and experience with it every day to the point now where I have become a picky writer.  Picky in the sense of where I get this information (often find the same thing repeated in several different platforms) and with who is releasing this material.

  This brings me to twitter and blog following and why I recommend those #WW.  I carefully peruse twitter and follow those writers, agents and publishers who are sending out good, no great information about the world of writing.  I do not just follow someone because they follow me.  My time spent reading and learning the ways of this writing world, to me, is precious because it has the ability to intervene between what is really important to me.  MY FAMILY. :)  I do not take it lightly when I follow someone and I certainly read the material they are writing and handing over to this world for consumption.  It was important to them to share so I find it important to read.

  I love this writing thing we do and will ALWAYS promote and market every person in this writing world of ours!

Happy #WW writers, agents and publishers!

When the Crazy gets me to pause and sigh.

  So here I am well into my third novel with my writing in full energy and this ecstatic pulse on each keystroke pumping into the story when I come across a conversation an agent is having with a writer.  The agent states she is often turned off by writers who carry a series with them and have several books already written.  I found this as an odd statement.  She goes on to say the publisher often will have some rewrites with this first novel which could change the outcome and change the fabric around novel two.  There is no reason to write your novels until the first one is picked up.

  What?!?!?

Quick series background:

·        There will be 8 novels.

·        They are outlined and are consistent with the next novel in line.  

·        There is a full story board on the characters.  

·        I have created a 3,000 yr lineage on each clan involved (10 total).

·        There is a full back story on how the 5 islands (this is my fantasy play land) was created.

·        This series is a smaller series within the larger story (Oh the endless drama).

·        I also have 4 other series spawning from this initial series.

  I know there is a lot, but I am a fantasy writer and not just a fantasy writer, a fantasy geek.  I love full series novels containing history, side stories/novels and a complete breakdown of the story environment.  It makes for an exciting read and I cannot wait to see how it will grow.

  So back to my story… All of the above is in my head, in my journals, on paper and in notes (organized actually so not scattered brain).  Even if parts of book one must change or must be removed, I am fine with it and as a writer I can easily adjust to the request.  I would think being this far ahead will give us an advantage and allow us to turn over the next novel faster.  Maybe I am wrong.

  Does this mean my luck with finding an agent is almost zero?  

  Do I continue my current course with finding an agent / traditional publisher or the one I set sail on many years ago and take care of it all on my own? 

  I have been at this crossroad for a while and the questions continue to rise.  I jumped into this for fun but found people enjoyed my story and so I went with it.  But I cannot stop writing.  Sorry, this is just like asking you not to walk until someone comes along and says I approve your first 20 steps so go ahead and step them now plus 5 more for good measure.

  Oh the drama of writing.  I love it.  I really do. 

  Where else do you get a bunch of critics and naysayers all wanting to be your friend until your novel tanks?

  

  Happy Writing!  :) 

And the Query goes on.

  I have sent 49 queries so far with 14 responses.  Here is the break down:

8 sound like this - "Many thanks for your query, but I'm afraid that your project doesn’t sound like the right fit for the list I’m building."

5 sound like this – "We are not the right fit for your project."

1 sounds like this – "Good luck but I am no longer accepting Fantasy queries."

  So far no blast or hidden laughter inside which brings a smile on where I am with my project.  I will continue to search for this right person who will assist me in becoming a famous and lasting author. <-- yeah laughter there.  In previous posts I listed the following websites I am using with my search but I have found a few others and want to list all of them below.  I find these very useful and easy to use. (I have no affiliation with any of them by the way)

Preditors & Editors (of course)

Agent Query.com

AAR 

AR&E 

1000 Literary Agents 

  Good luck if you are in a similar process.  I have a few other sites saved off but have not used them yet.  I will try them coming up and let everyone know what I find.  (Hopefully there will not be a need for it - *wink* *wink)

Sprinting in place!

  This is how I feel right now with my life as a writer.  I am working on several projects which are spinning and driving my attention but are still in the stall.  Bleh.  Now the spinning is not for naught because the efforts are building to become something but exhaustion is rising.  Here are a few items I have missed this past month I should have accomplished: 

• Website is still behind and out of date.  It should be rewritten as my resume versus my project.
• I only hit 40 agents for query versus the 100 I had listed.
• We did not get the first comic book out.  We have it completed but not finalized. :( 

  I did finalize though the following things so things were accomplished:

• A synopsis I am happy with and feel tells the story (of course, next week this will change)
• A series of query letters are finalized.
• A complete edit/revision of Book 1 "EverWing" completed and happy! <-- IMPORTANT.

  I also figured out my dilemma with Twitter and how to send out my thanks to those writers I follow by using #WW and include those non writer's I follow because of their great info by using #FF.  You may be asking what is the amazement behind this since these tags were created just for this purpose (DUH)??  When I sent out the #WW last night I was afraid to loose followers because I flooded their tweet view or in particular, PHONES!  This did not happen and my efforts were well taken with no issues from anyone asking why did I flood them.   I am using Twitter as a real go to informational thing and not just as a popularity contest.

  There is also a new item which was created last night that shall spin my head BUT be extremely productive for all writing ventures going forward.  HAPPY TIMES.

Happy Writings!