Bakers Dozen Agent Auction 2013

Just a little heads up about the upcoming Bakers Dozen Agent Auction.


The pertinent details are here: Bakers Dozen @ Miss Snark's First Victim


I entered last year and, although I wasn't selected as a finalist, it was a great motivation to get The Steampunk Novel query-ready. (In fact, I started sending out queries the same week as the auction.)


There is a $10 fee required for entry but it's well worth the money for the opportunity being offered. AND there are log-line prep sessions in the months leading up to the auction. AND it's loads of fun.


So mark your calenders.


October 29 and 31: Submissions for the Adult Fiction Category (everything except Erotica and Erotic Romance)


November 5 and 7: Submissions for Young Adult and Middle Grade (all genres)


THE AUCTION DATE: December 3

Keeping Your Butt In Chair and Fingers on Keyboard After the First Draft

Two weeks ago I finished a round of revisions on The Steampunk Novel. They were changes I feel made the book stronger. Changes an agent had requested to see. But there were still days it was difficult to stick with my plan of attack.

"Maybe this is good enough." That thought crossed my mind a lot. Especially while I was trying to brainstorm how to keep a chapter I knew was weakening the whole second act. (It wasn't a bad chapter, it was just slow. And very little happened and then only by accident.) "Maybe I should just leave the rest alone. It's pretty good."

And it was "pretty good". But I don't want just "pretty good". I want "really good" and "the best I can do".

Eventually I cut out the chapter I had and wrote a new one. And it was better than "pretty good".

But it made me think about the challenge of keeping the excitement in a project after the first draft. First drafts have their own pitfalls. The whole "Where the hell is this story going?" and "OMG! Why does every word look stupid!" problems. And let's not forget "I'm so sick of this story". But with first drafts the excitement usually comes back. We remind ourselves that we want to see how it all turns out (even for those of us who outline the ending is not always a guarantee), that we want to mark "Write First Draft of Project X" off our to-do list, we want to write those magical words "THE END" and throw up our hands and say "Yes! Done!"

And then we realize we aren't done and there's another draft waiting to be done and maybe one (or four) after that. And that's about the time I start thinking "This is pretty good. Maybe I should just leave it alone."

So, how do I keep my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard while revising? Well, not every day is the same but here are some things that work for me.

1. Set page goals. I think the most I've done was 80 pages in a day. (And that included writing about 40 of them from scratch.) Most days I try for 10 pages.

2. Schedule breaks. Revising (for me) requires more analysis of what's one the page and that means making sure I'm not getting foggy headed or blurry eyed from too much done at once. I try and stop about every 30-45 minutes and do something else for a little bit. (Refill coffee, get a snack, use the bathroom, check my email, whatever.)

3. Trust your gut. If something seems off, it probably is. While your inner editor may be screaming for you to set the whole manuscript on fire, that's a little extreme. But when a chapter seems clunky or slow or incomplete, I stop and pay special attention because that's usually a spot that needs more than just a few whacks with the editing machete and/or revision bat.

4. Take your time. Sometimes you just have to wait for your brain to sort out the issues that have you stumped. Having deadlines (real or self-imposed) may be pushing you to hurryhurryhurry, but don't be afraid to walk away for an afternoon and let the dust settle. You'd be surprised at what you'll see when you come back.

5. Trust your gut. I know, I already said that. But in this case I'm talking about NOT fiddling with stuff. It's hard to stop tweaking a manuscript once you start, but you'll reach a point where you'll start to think "This is ready". For me that thought is usually followed by a loud mental voice that says "No it's not. You suck at writing. This can't be finished." In which case, the revision bat serves a different purpose. But, trust your gut and don't overthink the revisions.   

storySouth Million Writers Award

storySouth is holding the Million Writers Award again this year.

Individuals (readers or writers) are allowed to nominate one story that first appeared in an electronic format via editorial selection during 2012. (In other words, self-published stories do not qualify.) You can check out the full details here: storySouth Million Writers Award

If you feel so inclined you can nominate either of my stories from 2012: Insomnia or Happy After All 

Abyss & Apex Publication

My longish short story ("In the Cool of the Day") is live at Abyss & Apex.

This piece of Southern Gothic Fantasy has been one of my favorites ever since I first wrote it. I was so pleased when it found a home at Abyss & Apex. 

I hope you like it as well. 

Stupefying Stories Showcase: Issue #1

I thought this would be out soon and it is!

Stupefying Stories Showcase: Issue #1

Featuring four tasty stories including my flash piece, "Caught". 

And just in time for some weekend reading. Enjoy! 

Forthcoming!

A quick note about some upcoming publications.

"In the Cool of the Day" is scheduled for publication in the July issue of Abyss & Apex. This is one of my favorite stories and I was so very pleased when it found a home. 

"Caught" will be out in the brand new, super-shiny, Stupefying Stories Showcase - the web-zine edition of Stupefying Stories. I'm still waiting on the exact date, but copy-edits have been made so I think it will be soon. 

"Legacy" is coming out in the spectacular The Beast Within 4: Gears and Growls - edited by Jennifer Brozek and published by Graveside Tales. The release will happen sometime this fall (2013) so stay tuned for more info. 

"Love Like Dysphoria" will be part of the New Lit Salon Press anthology Southern Gothic. Exact details coming soon. 

And "Insomnia" (originally published at Daily Science Fiction) will be part of the Write 1, Sub 1 Anthology coming soon from Parsec Ink. Details to follow.  

We All Say The Same Things

A few years ago I was discussing the appeal of emo music with someone. I had been thinking about the quality of isolation so many emo/neo-punk lyricists draw on to write their songs and how that feeling of being "the only one who feels this way" is common to just about everyone. I had also been thinking about the irony of that juxtaposition.

Well, I didn't think "That's ironic." I thought "How fucking stupid are we?" Everyone feeling like they're the only person who ever had a lousy day/week/year/decade. Each of us feeling like we're the only one who ever struggles to make ends meet or love the people who love us or pursue the things we're good at (but maybe don't make any money doing). And in reality the things that hurt us or make us happy or give us hope are all the same.

(Not identical. It's not like each of you will get the same thrill from reading Gormenghast as I do. But we all have something that makes us ache and brings us to tears and laughter.)

Yesterday while writing up my Alternative Booker Award post, I threw out the comment that it's no surprise I write the way I do when you see the books I love. And I immediately thought "Duh. Like every writer doesn't say that." I felt stupid. And more than a little like a hack. Of course, the things I read will influence how and what I write. That's the most obvious and uninsightful observation I could make about myself.

In fact, I was so embarrassed by even thinking that, I almost deleted that line.

But I didn't. Because the more I thought about it, the more it wasn't a stupid thing. An obvious thing, yes. But a truthful one all the same. Because as writers, especially the ones who are narcissistic enough to talk about their writing process, we do say the same things. Not identical things. (I mean, aside from "Butt in Chair" and "You have permission to write a steaming turd of a first draft" and all the other writerly mantras that my generation of writers lives and breathes.)

We all say the same things about loving our craft. About finding inspiration. About working through the hard things. About celebrating the small things. About making time for what's important and letting go of what is not.

And those things that we say resonate. Not because we're so smart or even so very good with words. (Though, you know, we kind of hope to be since we're trying to do this writing thing professionally.) And not even because we are writers talking to fellow writers.

The things we say resonate because we are humans talking to other humans. About finding inspiration. About working through the hard things. About celebrating the small things. About making time for what's important and letting go of what is not.

So when I say something obvious about knowing my writing motives by knowing my influences, it's okay. Because you understand. And you would say the same thing.