New Blog on Religion and the Civil War

Just did a new history blog on Slip Into Something Victorian.

Click the link and check it out.

Fantastic News!!!

I got the email last night! The Wild Rose Press sent a contract for my short vampire story, Etenity Waits, set during the American Civil War.

This story had been sitting in a drawer for four years. I'd written it for the vampire magazine, Dreams of Decadence. But they sent it back unread because they were overstocked.

I tried a few other magazines, but they rejected it also, saying it wasn't right for their publication. So, I stuck it in a drawer and forgot about it.

I only pulled it out again because I was taking a workshop on paranmoral romance. The instructor wanted us to send in examples of paranormal creatures. I immediately thought of my vampire and sent two scenes from the story as part of my assignment.

The instructor liked the characters and encouraged me to send it somewhere. So, I revised it and sent it to my critique group, then to The Wild Rose Press, because they publish short stories.

Now, I'm a Wild Rose author and couldn't be more proud.

Ready To Start On Something New

I've got the partials of Katie Rose printed out. Just have to put dates on my query/cover letters, reprint them and send the packages out.

I've grown tired of doing edits and proofreading stories I've already written. I'd like to take some time away from those projects and start working on something new.

I have my sci-fi romance that I've been stalling on. It's still in the very early outline stage. I may take what's left of this month between holiday activties to work on that.

If I can finish the outline, I can start writing brand new pages in the new year.

December Goals

It's November 31st, so I'm listing my goals for the month of December.

Because of the holidays, I don't want to get too ambitious this month and set myself up for failure.

So, this is what I want to accomplish before the New Year.

1) I want to prepare and send out partials of my historical romance, Katie Rose.
I have two publishers I've already researched and am already working on the query letters. I've also edited and printed out the synopsis and first three chapters. I just have to edit the letters, then do a final proofread of the whole submission package and send them out.

2) Since I've entered my time travel romance in the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest, I want to apply for PRO membership.

3) I've picked two contests with January deadlines and want to start preparing my entries. This is also for Katie Rose.

4) If time permits, I want to review the notes I've made for my futuristic romance and start working on an outline for that. If I can finish this, I'll have a brand new novel to write new pages for in the new year. But if I don't get this far, this will be one of my New Year's goals.

Revisiting November Goals

As we near the end of another month, I'm happy to say I've accomplished the goals I'd listed for November.

My GH entry was sent out the Monday before Thanksgiving.

I've found two long shot publishers I want to send partials of Katie Rose to.

And I've earmarked two contests with January deadlines that I want to enter Katie Rose in.

Next post I'll list my December goals.

The Holiday Is Over

Thanksgiving's over. The turkey, except for a couple of wings, is history. Same with the pumkin pie. My family are all back into doing their own thing, whatever that my be.

I did some Christmas decorating yesterday, I'll do a little more next weekend, and completed most of my shopping online this morning. Now, I'm itching for something to do. I've gotten used to working most weekends, either on stuff for my home business or my own writing projects, but I had decided to take the weekend off and spend some time on holiday and family things.

I do have a big box of to-be-read books I've been meaning to get around to. Maybe I'll go and read.

Anticipating Failure

When talking with my writer friends about entering contests, one said you should look at it as if you were buying a chance, because if you are lucky enough to get two or three judges who like your story, you may very well final or win, but if you get at least one who hates it, you won't. It's not that your story or writing stinks, it's just that that particular judge didn't care for it.

After taking a break from contests because of mixed results, I've decided to dip my toe into the water and give them another try. But I'm going to anticipate that I won't be a finalist or winner. Then if I'm lucky enough to get judges who like my story and writing, I'll have a pleasant surprise.

It works when I buy chances. I always assume I won't win and on those occasions when I do, I'm ecstatic. No matter how small the prize, I won something I never expected to win.

This is my new approach and I'm sticking with it.

Taking Another Workshop

I'm taking an online workshop given by my Hearts Through History chapter called "Persistance."

It's not easy to live the life of a freelance writer and now I'm learning I haven't been getting my projects out there enough. I should have at least 15 to 25 submissions out on a regular basis, including requests, queries, partials, contest entries or scheduled pitches to editors.

Seems I've really dropped the ball on this one.

Right now I've got one requested short story being looked at, one contest entry out and another I'm preparing to send, but that's it. Just three submissions.

I am planning to send at least two partials of my historical romance out next month and am looking into a couple of contests for January.

But, I think I have to work on getting my projects out there more.

November Goals

As promised here's what I want to accomplish writing-wise for November.

1) This is the biggie. I have to finish polishing and proofreading Erin's Rebel for the Golden Heart contest. The full manuscript plus partial copies have to be in by December 3rd, so this is a goal with a real deadline. So far, I have the partials ready to send, I just have to polish the last quarter of the full manuscript.

2) I want to start researching possible publishers for Katie Rose. I've finished the first draft and had the opening chapters critiqued and have revised them, so if I come up with a list of publishers, I can start sending out partials to see if any of them are interested in this story.

3) Research contests for Katie Rose. I want to find a few contests where I can enter the synopsis or opening chapters to see if I can gain editor interest.

So, these are the areas I want to focus on for the month of November. I'll let you all know how I did at the end of the month.

Revisiting Goals

I just realized we're coming to the end of October--Halloween's just around the corner--so I thought I should revisit my goals for this month.

My big goal was to work at getting my time travel romance manuscript polished up for the Golden Heart contest.

As of this date, I have my synopsis and first five chapters that will be judged in the preliminary round, polished and proofed and have printed up the six copies that I have to send.

As for the full, I'm about two-thirds of the way through with the polishing--I'm also proofreading as I complete each chapter--and I still have a month to go. I'm sending the full on floppy disk and have already converted my file to Word.

As for the futuristic that's still in outline stage, I've looked it over, but haven't really worked on it. I thought for now I'd just put that aside, until I can come back and give it my full attention.

My next post will be my goals for the month of November, as soon as I figure out what they are.

Coming Out Of the Closet

I've been writing since I was in grade school, but had always been embarrassed to admit that I wrote and would never dare to call myself a writer. I had notebooks full of stories stuffed away in drawers that never saw the light of day.

Years later, after my boys started school and I started writing and submitting stories, I wouldn't tell my relatives for fear that they'd discourage or--even worse--laugh at me.

After I had a few short pieces published, I told my close relatives and proudly showed off my work. Then I finally had my first novel published. I think my family thought that was my big break, but the book didn't turn out to be a bestseller and I'm still trying to get my first romance novel published, but so far, no takers.

But, I'm no longer ashamed or afraid to tell people that I write. I even told my dentist that I write romance novels. He was actually impressed. In fact, most of the people I've told have reacted that way.

I realized that even though I only make a minimum amount of money off my writing, the fact that I spend at least eight solid hours a week--often more--in writing related projects, makes me a writer.

And that's something to be proud of.

Post on Victorian Children's Clothing

I just posted a new blog on clothing styles for Victorian children on my group site: Slip Into Something Victorian.

http://www.slipintosomethingvictorian.com

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

As a freelance writer, my life is full of waiting. I wait for editors and agents to get back to me on submissions. I wait for the results from contests I've entered and for that ever elusive royalty check.

It doesn't help that my day job--typing manuscripts for other writers--involves waiting for payment to come in after a job is completed.

My strategy is to continue working on other projects and keep the things I'm waiting for in the back of my mind, but they always seem to surface and interrupt my creative flow.

How do all of you deal with the endless waiting?

Latest Goal

Haven't posted my goals for awhile, but now I've got a big one. I just entered Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Contest for my time travel romance, Erin's Rebel.

So, my primary writing goal for the next two months is to get this manuscript polished, reprinted and proofread to meet the December 3 mailing deadline.

Besides this, I'm also going to continue to send chapters of this manuscript to my critique group and revise as many chapters as I can before the deadline.

Time permitting, I also want to get back to working on the outline for my futuristic. I had started on that project, but it's been languishing for awhile as I was trying to finish the first draft of my historical romance. But, since that work is completed and I want that story to sit and cool for awhile, I should have time to focus on these two tasks.

New Interview

I've just been interviewed for the second time, this time by Shirley Kiger Connelly on her author site.

Here's the link: http://shirleykoinonia.tripod.com

What's the Deal With Word Counts?

As I shop my time travel romance around to publishers, I have to wonder why they can't all get togther and come up with a uniform word count for romance novels.

Case in point: When I completed the first draft of my time travel, I found it was too short to submit to the first publisher I wanted to target. So, during revision I added words and whole scenes, even chapters to get up to the minimum word count accepted.

I queried first, then got a request for a partial, but the partial was rejected. So, on to the second publisher on my list.

But this publisher didn't go by estimated word count based on number of pages. They wanted an exact computer word count. And, I came up short again. Now, I had to add more words, scenes and chapters to make the minimum number of words.

I submited the partial, got the request for the full. But, the manuscript was rejected.

Now, I'm moving on to the next publisher on my list and finding that the novel is too long.

Meaning, if I want to query them, I have to do some serious cutting. And I mean serious cutting.

Well, what's a writer to do? It would just make things a whole lot easier for us, if the publishers could get together.

Don't you all agree?

Goals Revisited

I've just gone over my goal sheets and realized I've really slacked off over the summer. Part of it is the extra work coming in from my home business. I can't keep the clients waiting, but I also realized that I have to keep my own writing at the forefront, even if I can't accomplish as much as I want.

So, I've revised my goal sheets and here's what I hope to accomplish this month.

1) I've just joined the Historical Hearts Writers Challenge and have posted my goal of writing at least 15 new pages on my Civil War romance, Katie Rose. I'm at about the halfway point of the first draft.

2) I want to enter the first chapter of Katie in an upcoming contest.

3) I want to edit at least the first half of my time travel romance that has just been rejected. I want to give it at least one going over before approaching another publisher, but I do already have one in mind.

4) I'm signed up for an online workshop on writing romance for teenagers that starts on the 6th. I plan to keep up with the work and participate as much as I can.

So, I think I can keep up with these goals. I'll let you know how I do at the end of the month.

Acck! My Family Is Driving Me Crazy

Just had to stop work and post this blog.

I'm currently writing one novel, have revisions to do on the newly rejected one, and belong to a critique group, so have critiques to do as well.

I also type for other writers, and currently have two large jobs I'm working on simultaneously, plus have another client I have to make print-outs for.

Although I love working at home--it gives me more time to devote to my writing--here's my complaint.

Because I'm home, I'm expected to take care of all household things. This includes cleaning, laundry, dishes--no we don't have a dishwasher--keep the cupboard and fridge stocked and provide meals at dinner time, as well as paying bills, doing the banking and--it seems--everything else for everybody.

Currently, I have a husband and three adult sons living at home. The youngest is starting college in September, but will be staying home and commuting. The other two are in their early twenties. They both have jobs, but can't afford to move out just yet.

Because I'm home during the day and they're not, I wake up to notes like--Mom, Can you call my doctor so he can call in my prescription refill? I then get a frantic call from my husband--My filling fell out, find the dentist's phone number.

My youngest son, who was supposed to RSVP about a college orientation on Wednesday, told me to call the number again because he forgot to give them the date on which day he was going. When I told him to just call again, I got--My ride's picking me up. I got to go.

I can't count how many times I have to stop what I'm doing to help these men I live with.

Makes me wonder what they'd do without me.

Rejected Again

Just got the manuscript of my time travel romance, Erin's Rebel, back in the mail. The worst part, after a five month wait, was getting the standard rejection letter. "This project is not right for us at this time." Oh, well.

After giving myself time to get over the disappointment, my plan is to go over the manuscript again, make a few changes, send a few chapters to my critique group, then find another publisher and try again.

After looking over my submission sheet, I realized this manuscript has been making the rounds for the past four years. After the last rejection, I did an extensive revision, then started sending chapters to my new critique group. I stopped sending those chapters when I got a request for the full. But I'll resume where I left off, while I research other publishers where my book can find a home.

It helps having a critique group who thinks your story is great. And it also helps that I just got a request from another publisher for a short story I recently revised. Having more than one project out there, makes it so much easier when rejection rears its ugly head.

No matter what you do, never give up.

What To Blog About

So, while trying to make regular contributions for this blog, I've run into the problem of what to blog about when you feel there's nothing to blog about.

Freelance writing entails a whole lot of waiting around. I have to wait to hear back from editors on a book I submitted. I have to wait for my critique partners to go over my short story, so I can revise and submit the query for that.

I'm trying to move forward on my historical romance, but I'm in the middle and sometimes I just don't feel like writing that next scene. It just seems so overwhelming when you've still got nearly 200 pages left to write.

So, I guess this will be my complaint blog. Maybe what I need right now is permission to give myself a break.