Never Gets Old And Something For The Queriers

Awards!

Some sweet gals, Rhiann Wynn-Nolet and Krystal Marquis, were kind enough to pass on an award to me. They are very fun to know and their blogs are awesome! Check em out!

I was given the Lovely Blog Award couple years ago, but couldn't resist bragging thanking them! I don't play along well with awards anymore, but mostly because I'm out of "interesting" facts about myself. So, thanks to the wonderful ladies, and thanks for appreciating the blog!


I heard this song on the way home the other evening and was struck at how perfectly it fit. So, goes out to all you other queriers out there: (If you're like me and not a huge Buble fan, I'll post the lyrics below. ;)





"Haven't Met You Yet"

I'm not surprised, not everything lasts
I've broken my heart so many times I stopped keeping track
Talk myself in, I talk myself out
I get all worked up then I let myself down

I tried so very hard not to loose it
I came up with a million excuses
I thought, I thought of every possibility

And I know some day that it’ll all turn out
You'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid that I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

I might have to wait, I’ll never give up
I guess it's half timin and the other half's luck
Wherever you are, whenever it's right
You'll come outta nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazin
And baby your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

Somehow I know that it’ll all turn out
You'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And promise you kid I'll give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

They say all’s fair in love and war
But I won’t need to fight it
We'll get it right and we'll be united

And I know that we can be so amazin
And bein in your life is gonna change me
And now I can see every single possibility

And someday I know it'll all turn out
And I'll work to work it out
Promise you kid I’ll give more than I get

Oh you know it'll all turn out
And you'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And promise you kid to give so much more than I get yeah
I just haven't met you yet

I just haven't met you yet
Oh promise you kid to give so much more than I get
I said love love love love love love love
I just haven't met you yet

Hang in there, my query trench fellows, and don't be afraid those of you who aren't there yet. It's not so  bad. Kinda fun, actually, once you get over the disappointment part. But, it's totally true. Just takes one and must be the perfect one.

I'm being a WIP cheater. This weekend I had an idea I  couldn't ignore and put aside the 30,000+ of the WIP I was working on to start it. I have WIP ADD lately. Anyone else? What do you do when that happens, give in or put it back for later? How do you focus on one set of characters and story when another is screaming in your head?


Happy Tuesday, dudes!

This Is Not One Of Those Posts

Ehem . . . *shuffles in*  

Hi!

Remember me? Anyone? I'm surprised I have any followers left! But, I'm glad you're all here and I missed you and all the blogs and all the things so very much.

It's a new year (had you heard?) and I figure, since I don't make resolutions because it's just setting myself up to forget and then feel guilty when I finally remember, why not just kick my ass into coming back to blogging? WAY easier than trying to remember to not say "shit" or to drink 12 glasses of water or some shit. (would have failed miserably already. Shit.) Because, this I enjoy. I hope you all believe me when I say I missed you guys.

Reconnected with a few bloggers via twitter this past year, which was neat! FINALLY got into Twitter. It took a while, but now I check it just as often as FB and stay on it longer than FB (we all know why...). So if I haven't found you yet, come find me!

Let's see . . . Hadn't blogged in forever . . . Oh, I remember one of the last posts. Was a downer post about how I was going to blog anyway, even if I was being a downer, right? Maybe . . . either way, that post exists and I'm tempted to take it down because that was a lie. *Raises hand* I admit it. I did not follow through at all, and I am ashamed. I just couldn't bring myself to do it, guys!

But this year is different. This year I will. Because, whether or not I have good news to bring to the blogging table, some things are important to share. Like being a downer. And why. I always said I wasn't going to post about querying, which is mostly why 2012 was so quiet around here. But I'd like to share that with you now, if I may. If you don't want to read it, I won't love you any less.

I started querying in March 2012. PUMPED, people. SERIOUSLY pumped. This was the book. This was it. 2012 was my year! (I have a thing about even numbered years and 2012? Super even. Please ignore the fact that every other year in the 2000 is super even, okay?)

So I queried. Tested the waters. Sent out a couple to gauge response. Things were going along. A tweak here, a snip there. Queried some more. Then got requests! Hazzah! A couple, but lets be honest, the first time an agent says "sent me a full" you start picturing yourself signing books in Barnes and Noble to a massive crowd.

Then I got the first no on the full with no explanation. That's okay, right? I still have another full out and it's early in the game and all isn't lost! Then a second no with no explanation came not too long after. Cue the whu-whu-whu-why sobs.

But, I have amazing crit partners who know how to lift spirits. I dusted off, they helped me up, and got back to it. People, lemme tell you, It was not pretty. To sum up the rest of the year, until late late 2012 you could hear crickets over my MS.

The query was changed (big changes) maybe four times. I lost faith in this book. I lost hope in myself. Every other day I wondered if I should just quit. Then the next day I'd laugh...and laugh and laugh...because that wasn't happening. Not write anymore? Seriously? Instead of writing when I normally do I'd be...doing...what? What is there besides writing? I couldn't tell ya. So, dejected or not, I queried on. I started a fourth book. Moped.

It wasn't until someone said "okay, but give me and R&R" that I got back the love for this again. If I'm being honest, I'd lost the love. It happens. But with the R&R, I looked again at my book, THE book that was supposed to be the one, and went "Huh . . . yup . . . those are excellent points. And not small points either . . ." When shown to me, I thought I saw maybe the reason I'd been doing so poorly. Made total sense! It was an epic *facepalm* moment where I wanted to go back to all those agents from the beginning and apologize and say "try again, give me another go, because I get it now!" But, we don't have that luxury, unfortunately.

So, I stopped querying. I threw myself into the edits. I asked for help, got one of my fabulous critters to go over it again and BOY DID SHE EVER. Pumped, this was it (again). These changes were going to do it. The R&R was going to be big stuff, guys.

And then, half-way through editing, that particular person quit the industry. It was like all the hope I'd regained shattered around me. (melodramatic anyone)

I was angry for a couple days, I admit. There was no word to me, no apology, nothing. I felt, in those two days, I was owed one. On the third day I fully realized that no, I wasn't. And that maybe it wasn't the end of the world. I got very valuable insight into why the book wasn't working, I was making it better, and perhaps, though that door had been slammed shut in my face, it could be for the best. Everything happens for a reason, I believe that. So why was I having a hard time accepting it in this instance?

Bruised ego pushed aside, I finished the edits in time for another full to be sent. And this is where I am in 2013. At first, I thought I was no where different than I was in March of 2012. I've had a few pep-talks about it and because of them, I can't really believe that.

The biggest thing I learn last year was that it takes others to show us what we don't see. You can stare all you like, but if your thinking isn't challenged, you'll never see it any differently.

I'm still not agented, but I am still a writer. I am still querying. I'm not even half as pumped this year as I start querying again, but whatever. And I won't be giving up anytime soon.

Also, I lost another Goodreads Challenge, dangit! *shrug* Aim lower, that's my new motto. (mostly kidding)


How was your 2012? Anything new I may not know? Share! Share! I would love to hear about it!

Happy Monday! Welcome back!

Fear Itself

Anyone watched that? Fear Itself? It's pretty good! Pretty weird! Just started on it last night, just curious.

Anyway!!

This week marks the beginning of the hunt for that dream agent. I'm grateful I never tried with my first novel and decided to give another one a try before approaching anyone. I've learned a lot since starting out. That's the beauty of this whole gig. Ever day you write you learn more.

But this is very new. It's terrifying. It's exciting. And every time I think about submitting my little novel to a professional I want to vomit and jump for joy at the same time. (what a mess that would be...)

I run and check my query every half hour. I double check...triple check my agent list. I scour their website/blog and am on the verge of stalking the ones on twitter(Gimme a little credit, I have some restraint...right now...)

And all the while think "Oh God, what am I doing!?" while another thought, an excited thought that sparks unwanted hope pops in-"I can do this."

But mostly I know: whatever will be, will be!


General Updates:

• Almost broke my right elbow Saturday mowing the grass. Weird? I'm accident prone that way. The weird way.

• Buffy marathon this weekend rocked. Only halfway through season 2, which is awesome. I savor Buffy. Is that weird? It's all for Spike, though. Mmmmmm Spike...

• A friend lent me 16 Stephanie Plum novels. They. Are. Bitching! My mom has been hassling me since they came out to read them, but I have always blown her off. She totally got a ridiculous "I told you so" moment on Sunday. There. Happy Mothers Day, you were right! ;) 

What's new with you guys?

Happy Monday!

Thursdays Are For Doing

Back again for day 2 at The QQQE with Matthew MacNish!

Thanks to everyone for their sweet words and kindness over there yesterday! And thanks in advance for anything you have to add in today! 

See you all Monday!

Not there, There! No, over THERE.

So, today I'm not here. I am disabling comments because I am literally not HERE to respond or reciprocate.

And, anyway, this is just a heads-up.

I...lost my ever lovin' mind, or grew some serious nads (not sure which I like better...) and asked Matthew MacNish to crit my query. *Cringe* So that is up on The QQQE today!

So, man balls, or insane, I am up on his blog today and tomorrow.

Will be keeping an eye on comments there, not here, after work. As this is the first(ish) glimpse of something I have written and my novel, I hope you will enjoy it!

Moved the possible query release to agent date to Monday, to accommodate any changes I need to make, as well as finish up my list of desired agents.

Happy Wednesday!

Am I Tan Yet?

Okay, so the blogcation wasn't really on a beach in the sun somewhere tropical. Maybe in my head. That counts, right?...right...?

HELLO! Glad to be back! Missed you guys!!! Hope you had a great month! Welcome my new followers! So pleased to have you!

I accomplished the great query write of 2011. The novel is looking pretty shiny thanks to my awesome crit gals, and no, I didn't write the synopsis. I'm holding out hope that I wont really need it. Don't rain on my parade. Denial is a real process. Be cool, guys. Be cool.

The query wasn't as hellish as I expected. Maybe to the gals it was. (3-5 emails from me a day with minor tweeks "IS THIS BETTER!?" while I do the peepee-dance of anticipation and hope to GOD they don't boot me out of the group for being a major pain in the ass.) But truthfully, it wasn't as hard as I expected. Picking out the necessities and leaving out the stuff that isn't NEED TO KNOW is probably the hardest part.

If you're there plugging away at a query or about to, I suggest getting badass crit partners who you can bounce different versions of queries off of (yes, need more than one) and ask yourself at every sentence "do they need to know that to get the story?". I'm no expert. This is the first query I have ever finished, but without the gals and the debate, the query would still be in pieces in my writing folder. Not ready to send off!

Got some balls together and asked the awesomely fantabulous Matthew MacNish to give me a hand too. So that may be up this week at some point on his blog!! SCARY! Will let you know if/when that goes up.

Either way, by Thursday I hope to begin the query process.

Lastly, this time off from blogging has made me realize something very important that is ultimately going to lead to changes around here. I miss writing. I had not realized how much time I devoted to blogging, and don't get me wrong, I love you guys and blogging, but the reason behind it all is for writing. Which I neglected...seriously neglected. SO the changes to come, I will be cutting from 3 days a week to 1-2 a week.

Still on the fence about whether or not Funny Fridays will be axed. But Mondays will not be.

I need to refocus on the dream. Ya know? THE dream. Which has taken a back seat for too long. Rededication. Yes, indeedy.

So all in all, this April I made some good progress, watched some great TV/Movies, went on a diet, lost 5lb, gave up diet cause I have no real willpower, started an exercise regiment that is pretty frikkin awesome, and had a really wonderful time getting even closer with the crit gals. So, I would say HUGE success!

Since I missed so much in April, feel free to tell me some great news you got, any news I might have missed, or anything about yourself in general. I am anxious to know what you all have been up to! 

Hazzah! And Happy Monday! 

F.F.Toodloo

Since there is an astronomical amount of bloggers going to be busy with the A-Z Challenge this month, I decided to take a break. Well, sort of.

Chances are, you'll find me enjoying many of your posts from time to time but the month long break is about getting some serious work done!

Goals for April:

• Finish ALL final edits on INTO.

• Write/edit/polish query

• Write synopsis

Now, that is a short list at a glance but I don't think I need to tell anyone how much work all those things really are going to be.

So, though I may be neck deep in the final stages of novel writing and balancing on the edge of queridom, I will be thinking fondly of you all and wishing you luck on the A-Z challenge or whatever other projects you have in April! (how effing long was that sentence!?)



But first: Last FF until  May 6th! (calm down. Don't spazz. It'll be alright.)


What is it about old folks dancing to Zeppelin that I love? Umm...I just answered my own question.





Since it is April Fools Day:




Happy Friday! See you in May!!