Quick Post

So sorry for not blogging lately! Raising two kids, working full time–ugh. I’m not even writing right now. Where do you all find the time? I just feel so overwhelmed sometimes.

Anyway, I’ve made a decision, based primarily on my total inability to write a good query letter, but also on the “feels right” sensation that I get when I think about my options. I’ve decided to forget about getting an agent and just self publish. So many elements went into making this decision, but I know it’s the right one. So, hopefully,  I’ll be writing about my journey in the world of self publishing in the coming months. First, I need to revisit my manuscript and make sure it’s as good as it can be. That might take a while, but in the end, it will be worth it.

That’s all I have, folk(s)! Wish me luck!

And here we go again

I started writing my second novel the other night. Normally, when I write, I bring my I-book up to bed with me and type away. I don’t like sitting down in the sun room at the computer at night time. I feel exposed and well, cold. But sitting in bed typing is kind of hard on my arms and hands. For that reason, the thought of starting the new story has left me feeling less than enthusiastic.

So the other night, I realized that I could simply write out the story in long hand. And that’s what I did. I found a writing tablet and pen on my dresser right next to my kids’ bakugan thingies and started writing. And you know what? I finished the first chapter! Not bad, huh? I mean, it’s crap, of course, that will require a few workouts, but getting started is the hardest thing to do. And I did it.

So how about you? Have any writing tricks up your sleeves? Where’s your favorite place to write? And have you ever written a story long hand? If so, what was the process like?

Writing tips: Flashbacks are overused. A story is stronger when it runs chronologically.

Pimping my Query

So I’m stressing over my latest query letter. Ever feel like you’ve totally lost all objectivity when it comes to critiquing your own work? Well, I have. And I’m there now. So, I’m asking you for help. What do you think of my query letter? Would you want to read more if it came across your desk? (Seriously–I need your honest opinion here.)

A former military officer must forget the past to save the life of a friend.

Mitch Makenna never dreamed that his new life would be more dangerous than the one he left behind, but that’s what happens when an old friend goes missing and the CIA recruits Mitch and his wife to track him down. A thirty-year old drama of espionage and murder is about to be resurrected and their friend is the new and unwitting target. What Mitch doesn’t know about the clandestine world could fill a book, but he’s got one thing going for him–a covert agent has his back, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep him alive.

That’s all I have. Fire away.

Choo-Choo Train Wreck

So here I am, on the bi-polar express…feeling great about my novel’s chances of publication one minute, and totally convinced that no one will ever want to buy it the next. Normal? Probably. Healthy? Probably not.

I mean, how many writers out there ever feel this way? Going through the query letter process is the worst. Writing the novel? Not a problem. Trying to sell it in a few short sentences? Really hard. It is for me anyway.

My query letter is getting there, I suppose. I remember I read Nicholas Sparks’ blog once and he said that he spent two whole weeks perfecting his query letter. Two whole weeks? Man, I have spent months trying to perfect my QL. And I’m still not there.

You know when you see a For Sale sign in the front yard of some sad little house and it has that pitiful little claim on top that says, “Must see inside!” Well, that’s how I feel about my QL right now. The book is so much better on the inside. Really! Don’t go by my QL! My QL sucks!….

Maybe the literary world should take some tips from the real estate world and come up with its own terminology for a problem like that. You know, like how ‘cozy‘ means really small, and “next to public transportation” really means that your car will be stolen as soon as you move in? Yeah. That’s what the literary world needs.

Until then, I guess I’ll just plug away on that QL until I get it right. Maybe I’ll send it to the Intern for advice. She needs money. I need advice. Makes sense to me.

Good night all! Wish me luck!

The Worst Kind of Spy

For me, all spies who work against our government are bad. Please don’t judge me. You can feel how you want to feel, and that doesn’t bother me. But I feel the way I do, because, well, I have to.

A recent post on the Rejectionist blog (see right blog list–html not working right now) about a query letter filled with hysterical typos instantly transported me back in time to 2001, just prior to 9/11.

On Thursday, 23 August, 2001, our government arrested a spy. This spy wasn’t very successful–he was caught before he committed the act, but his intentions were clear, and he’s serving time for it as we speak.

His name is Brian Patrick Regan and he lived not too far from where I work (top secret nunya). He also offered to sell to American enemies information that could result in the deaths of many aviators who were, at the time, patrolling the No Fly Zones in Iraq. That ticked me off quite a lot, since I know some of those aviators, and spent time in an overseas location protecting them.

But do you know what ticked me off most about this clown? It was the incredible disrespect he had for the English language. Consider the following passage:

“If I commit esponage (sic) I will be putting my self and family at great risk. If I am caught I will be enprisioned (sic) for the rest of my life, if not executed for this deed.”

–In a letter to Saddam Hussein, Brian Regan demanded $13 million in exchange for providing data such as detailed information about US reconnaissance satellites

Seriously. And the above example is not the worst of his butchering. There’s plenty more where that came from if you’re interested in seeing just how bad (Can I say Stupid? Oops, too late. Already said it.) this guy is. His total lack of respect would be kind of amusing if it wasn’t so pathetic. Here’s a link to the indictment since I can’t link it for you:

http://cicentre.com/spycase/courtdoc/Regan021402supind.pdf

Now, to be honest, I’ve had my share of typos, and anyone who has edited my manuscript or work-related documents know that. For instance, ‘winch’ and ‘wench’ are two very different things. I had to learn that the hard way. I was embarrassed. My boss was tickled silly. But at least my word was spelled correctly! AND I’m not a spy. So I have at least two things going for me. Well, maybe just the one, but still.

So what kind of typo stories do you have? Is there one typo you made that haunts you still? I’d love to read about them.

No time left for me

Remember that Guess Who song? If not, you’re probably not as, ehem, old as I am. Great tune. Lousy title when it applies to me, though. I seriously have no time for blogging this week. I’m getting used to having kids in school. For those new to me and my peeps, we adopted a 7 year old boy from Vietnam in January, and we had a cute little 5 year old from Korea already at home. The 5 year old has been with us forever, so that was cool. I knew what to expect with him. But with the new one, who we’ve put into first grade, we’re going through a brand new learning process. And let me tell you, two is way more work than one. In fact, it’s twice as much work. If not more.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about getting published again and wonder how each writer knows when they have a great story. I mean, the first book I wrote was okay. Historical fiction. Nice read, but nothing special. The second one, however, the one I’m trying to get published now, is different. People really like it and can’t wait to read the second in the series. I actually have a mini fan base developing. This is all very cool, but does it mean that I’ll get published? Sadly, no.

So, for those of you writers out there who have a couple of manuscripts under your belt, do you know which ones are good and which ones are stellar? If so, how do you hand out the rankings? Is it your own personal opinion? Opinions of others? A combination of both? Or is it something else?

How do you know when you really have a “hit” on your hands?

Living Vicariously

So I stumbled into a blog yesterday about a young woman who writes young adult and children’s books. She JUST got an agent–actually, it looks like at least two want to take on that role and this lucky young has the horrific job of choosing which one will represent her. Wow.

It seriously does not get any better than that. Well, unless you count it happening to me, which it hasn’t, yet. But hey, it’s happening to someone, and that’s very cool. The writer’s name is Natalie Bahm. Check out her blog and wish her luck. Writers need encouragement. Constantly. No kidding.

Ooops. My littlest little one just trekked down the stairs and wants some lovin. So, on that note, I’ll end this entry…but, if anyone purchased the new Dan Brown book, tell me how it is!

Ciao for now…Jeanne

Connections

Based on what I’ve read about getting published, it really pays to have connections. If you know someone who’s been published (not self-published), and if they like your book, they can refer you to their agent. When an agent sees a referral, they’re much less likely to toss it in the trash. From what I understand, anyway.

So, I’ve been bugging everyone I know to see if they know any published authors. I have my hub working for me, too. So far, we’ve found two friends who know people who are published.

The first friend knows someone who knows Curtis Sittenfeld (a young woman), who has written three novels–each a NYT bestseller.  Not too shabby. But so far, that connection hasn’t panned out.

The second friend is actually our neighbor, whose brother knows Baltimore writer, Madison Smartt Bell, who has published 13 novels. Again, not too shabby! My neighbor has my manuscript now and will pass it to her brother when she’s done. If he likes it, maybe he’ll pass it to Mr. Bell, whose agent actually represents suspense and mysteries, in addition to literary works. If Mr. Bell likes it, maybe he’ll refer me to his agent. Simple, right? Ehem. No. Lots of “big ifs.”

Am I optimistic? Sure. And hopeful. But knowing people won’t get you published. It’ll just get my one foot in that waiting room that’s filled with really good writers. So. We’ll see.

Even if nothing comes of it, at least I learned about two interesting authors, whose books I plan to read. Wish me luck

In Memoriam

Are God and Nature then at strife,

That Nature lends such evil dreams?

So careful of the type she seems,

So careless of the single life;

I falter where I firmly trod,

And falling with my weight of cares

Upon the great world’s altar-stairs

That slope thro’ darkness up to God,

I stretch lame hands of faith, and grope,

And gather dust and chaff, and call

To what I feel is Lord of all,

And faintly trust the larger hope.

In Memoriam, Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Back in Baltimore

Mystic was great. As usual. Love that place. We were unable to get a rental car this trip and had taken the train up from Baltimore, so we walked all over the little city to get from point to point. It was great. And, honestly? We’re glad that we couldn’t get a rental. The exercise was good and we got to see way more of Mystic than we did last time.

I couldn’t wait to have pizza at Mystic Pizza the night we arrived. What I hadn’t expected, however, was a change in the pizza itself. I remember the crust being so buttery and crusty that every other pizza paled in comparison. This time, though, the crust was different. It was like frozen pizza. I mentioned it to my husband, who wasn’t in total agreement with my negative critique of the pizza, but he did  say that the crust was a little different. At least I think he did. (Right, hon?) Anyway. I started thinking that maybe  I was wrong and that I just remembered the pizza differently. You know when that happens. Right? Your memory of places or food being better than they really are? Well, I immediately discarded that notion, because I totally recall that particular pizza crust and everything about it. It was divine! Now? It’s simply ordinary. Will I go back? Probably. But I won’t dream about it.

Then I started thinking about the movie, Mystic Pizza, and how I really loved it the first time I saw it. We watched a bit of it in the restaurant as we ate (they have it running continuously, I think) and I thought, hey, the movie is kind of dated and dumb now.  It’s an okay movie, but not all that. Not unlike a lot of other movies that I thought were great at first, but now think are ho-hum, if not out-right hilariously dumb. Like Footloose. St. Elmo’s Fire. Weird Science.

Then I started thinking about books that fell into that same category: good the first time around, but bad the second. And you know what? I couldn’t think of any. Whether it’s kids books (I still enjoy reading the oldies to my kids and never tire of it–okay, maybe I do a little, but only when they make me read it three times in one evening), or the thick adult reads. Books don’t seem to have the same shelf-life issues that movies do.  Maybe our eyes deceive us into believing that a movie is now bad–visual and auditory queues that make you judge, in a negative way, what the actors are wearing or saying. Books describe how people look and how they talk–and sometimes those descriptions can be dated, but reading about them doesn’t seem to change our perception of the book. At least it hasn’t for me. I honestly can’t think of a book that I once liked, but don’t anymore, for whatever reason. Can you?

The Dan Brown Scare

Dan Brown has a new book coming out. It’s called Lost Symbol. And I was reading an article the other day about how everyone in the publishing business is scared witless about its release. No one wants to go head to head with the book (i.e. release their clients’ books at the same time as Brown’s in mid-September).

The author of the linked article above thinks that the hysteria is hogwash and hugely hyped. Nice alliteration, huh?

And I agree with him. While I don’t plan to buy Brown’s latest (at least not until I hear good things about it) at the bookstore, if I were to, I’d buy other books while there. I rarely go to bookstores anymore (got kids, job, and the book to sell), so I normally purchase my books online. When I do go to a bookstore, it’s like Christmas. I get to feel the books, flip through them, and hold them to my chest and stuff. And there’s no way I’m leaving with just one. Ask my husband. He’ll attest.

So my questions for today are, 1. Are you going to buy Lost Symbol? and 2. Do you think publishers should fear its release?

Puttin’ it out there

So, I sent a query letter out to Nathan Bransford for whatever reason a while ago—I didn’t think he’d accept my request for representation–my story just isn’t his cup of tea–but I wanted to “get it out there” just to get it over with.  It felt good to send it off, even though he rejected me outright. But I knew he would, so it’s okay. Still, it stung just a wee bit.

Next in line is Barbara Poelle (pronounced poh-elle, stress on the elle) of Irene Goodman Literary Agency. Barbara is a former stand up comedienne, which has got to make working with her a blast. I mean, she’s funny, right? That would work for me. And I’m waiting and waiting for her to reply. She had the flu or something, from what I can tell–she blogged about it on Dead Guy (see link, bottom right).

I hope she’s interested, but if not, I plan to submit to Abigail Koons of the Park Literary Agency. These folks represent none other than Nicholas Sparks. I know. As if. But, hey, Ms. Koons says she’s looking for thrillers in Pakistan, and my story is just that.

The word from Pimp my Novel (see link on right) is that mystery/thrillers are hot and will continue to be hot for some time to come. THAT is good news. Now I just have to get an agent to read the darn thing…

(Please excuse any typos or grammar mistakes. I have two young ones and it’s late and I’m tired. Yawn.)

Story Origins

The origin of each of my stories is always a person–a very special, intriguing person who, for some reason, stays on my mind to such an extent that I end up writing a story about them. Usually, wrapped around them is, of course, some sort of espionage event, but also attached to that person is some sort of medical, social, or philosophical condition that I find interesting.

In that respect, I suppose my stories are pretty much all character driven, rather than plot driven. And, when I think back and regard all the books that I have found most memorable, the stories are almost entirely character driven (Harry Potter series, Bee Season, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Les Miserables, Pillars of the Earth, The Eye of the Needle). I wonder if that fondness has influenced me in how I write today. I suppose it must have.  I mean, what book hasn’t made some sort of impact on the way we write? Everything gets absorbed. Processed. Regurgitated. Etc.

I submitted my manuscript to an agency called Prospect Literary Agency. They have an online submission form, which makes things easy, but what I found interesting is that they ask some rather unusual questions in that form. For instance, they asked what the last book I read was. (It was Protect and Defend, by Vince Flynn). And they also asked which writer has influenced me the most. Yikes. I couldn’t answer that one as they requested–just one writer–and I wonder if it was a test or something. I cited Hugo, Rand, Ludlum, and Rowling as authors who have equally influenced me. Hugo and Rand for their unforgettable characters, Ludlum for his intricate plots, and Rowling for her darn near perfect story telling. What will my answer suggest to them? I have no idea.

And then they asked me for a sentence in my manuscript that I was particular fond of. While the first thing that came to mind was, The End, I knew better. I chose something that I thought did a couple of things–said a lot about the person who was thinking it, but it also showed voice. I chose: The country was flailing like a black crappie on a jig pole and he wondered how much more the US could take.

Reflecting on the question, I have no idea why they would ask it. Are they looking for literary only? (I’m not–I’m very much mainstream, thank you.) Are they checking to see what “I” think is a good sentence? Don’t know.

At any rate, I don’t expect to hear back from them soon. In fact, their website says three months.

God I love this new world I’m stepping into. It’s scary, complicated, and exciting beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before. And that’s saying something.

Not so fast

I think it’s cute when friends say how easy it will be to get my book published. They love it (which feels good), and tell me how well it’s written (even better), and conclude that, because of those things, I will have no problems getting it published.

How I wish that were true. Those of you who write and have gone through the query letter process know what I’m talking about. It’s the query letter that counts. It’s all the agents see–and from that, they must decide whether they want to see more or not. Agents get anywhere from 100-400 query letters a month. They ask to see maybe 2 0r 3 manuscripts from those submissions. Think mine will be one of the 2 or 3? Yeah, me neither. I mean, it’s really a crapshoot, isn’t it?

Do you think your query letter gets selected from all the others because it’s so well written? Or because the story sounds so promising? Or because the agent was looking for just that type of story? Maybe. But it has more to do with the latter–the agent is looking for something in particular and there’s no way of knowing what that is. I doubt the agent can even pin it down in words. They just know it when they see it. I’m presuming all this, of course. Could be totally wrong. But imagine looking at that many queries every day. What would you choose? And why? If they’re all well written (okay, say half of them are), and they all have somewhat interesting stories, how do you know which one will hit pay dirt? I don’t know how they do it, frankly.

Still. Getting published is anything but easy. Writing is easy. Coming up with stories to write about is easy. Selling the stuff requires another talent entirely. And not everyone has it. I’m wondering if I do. Time will tell. I’ve only had one rejection. The others are still waiting in the queue. (Funny word, queue, isn’t it? I hate spelling it. Always feel like I have too many vowels.)

So there you have it. Just because a story is a well written page turner with engaging characters doesn’t mean it will find a publisher. The good thing is, it doesn’t mean it won’t. Maybe I’ll focus on that fact, and not the former. People like The Zero Line. And they can’t wait for the next in the series. In a way, I’ve already made it.

Cities that Inspire

We’re going to Mystic, Connecticut, in a few days and it reminds me of the notion that certain cities just scream inspiration for writers. Mystic is definitely one of those cities. Maybe it’s the food. Or the people. Or the waterside setting. I really can’t pin it down. But when I’m there, I feel like writing.

Remember the movie, Mystic Pizza? With Julia Roberts. I know. It’s been twenty years, but bear with me. The origins of the movie are interesting. When screenwriter Amy Jones spent a summer in Mystic, she was so inspired that she decided to write about it. The result was Mystic Pizza, which, of course gets its name from the restaurant Mystic Pizza (which is some of the best pizza you’ll ever have, by the way.)

So many cities fall into the inspirational category, not just Mystic. Big cities like Austin, San Francisco, and Seattle; but little ones too, like Ellicott City, MD, Gruene, TX, and Mobile, AL. And let’s not forget the foreign cities–Prague, Tel Aviv, Hanoi, St. Petersburg. It makes my head spin just thinking about it. And again, is it the food or the people or the setting, or a combination? These cities just have such personality that it makes them feel almost human.

I love to write about cities in my stories. The Zero Line investigates the dusty, dangerous streets of Peshawar, Pakistan, birthplace of al-Qae’da. My next book, Beyond the Banks, will take place in Hue and Hanoi, Vietnam. I’ve learned so much during my research that I’ve come to love these places. While I’d love to go to Peshawar to see it for myself, it is just far too dangerous, so I rely on my research and on friends who have been there in person. For Hue and Hanoi, I’ve done that and can’t wait to start the research, which is almost as fun as being there.

Favorite cities anyone? What city inspires you?