Five rejections and a realization

A couple of weeks ago I sat down in a frenzy and wrote out a synopsis of SotO and a query and sent it off to a dozen agents. I got nothing but form rejections back, which makes me immediately wonder if the query is weak. With no way to verify its strength, I decided that I needed to look deeper into the manuscript and see if there was anything unusual about this book that makes it worth publishing.

In talking over the process with friend Will Davis, I learned that his novel, already accepted by a publisher and previously in editing stages, was put on hold since the industry is suffering now. This is not only disheartening, it's shocking, because a strong literary fiction piece deserves to be put on shelves and enjoyed by readers the world over. Trouble is, his agent told him, only one genre is selling now: Horror.

I've been mulling this news around in my head, and ever the jump-the-gun kid, wondered if I shouldn't put SotO on hold and shift to ...err Shift, a book that definitely blends horror and fantasy. From the research I've been doing, genre blends seem to be much more popular with publishers than straight fantasy novels. Teen fantasy, modern fantasy, fantasy mixed with medical drama, every agent seems to be looking for these on Twilight/Harry Potter things that don't fit solidly into one box or the other. Striding the fence is all well and good, but ultimately Shift is little more than a spin-off tale, and one that doesn't have a backbone of its own as of yet.

I admit it's hard to write horror when I don't read much of it, and I learned with Molly's Fault that stepping out of your genre completely leads to nothing short of disaster. I sit on the precipice therefore, mulling over which story should get the first big push.

SotO is my original story, that "I have a novel in me" book, the story I have been writing since my childhood. Shift was the "oh hey, I think I can write something NOT SotO for once" revelation piece, and it's still amorphous and globbular the way that all unformed thoughts begin. I haven't found where this story wants to go. But maybe I need to form this unsculpted mass into something presentable, seeing as how it's a blend story with horror elements and all those things spell saleability.

Also I have gotten back into reading fantasy again, living in the genre I want to write, and I've come across some great work. Excellent work, the sort of writing I want to weave into my story. So I have also been chewing on how much tweaking is needed to deepen my world. Yes, ironically enough, it's the world building I have a problem with -- I know, shocking for a fantasy writer. I think it's because I read as a young writer that world building kills perfectly good fantasy tales, so I reverted to the opposite extreme. The notes I've gotten back from others reading my work indicate that the reader is left to fill in the blanks, which is fine for a murder mystery, but not when you're describing the sieging of a city.

I've started building bones for the SotO world, but none of them are represented in the actual novel as of yet. Essentially I built my origin stories for the races on the world, and in that received some much needed perspective, but there is no skeletal structure in the novel. It is still at its core a novel written by a twelve year old, with none of the solid description that comes from building out your universe until it's so real anyone could see what you see when they pick up the book. My bones are different from other fantasy books in that this is a fantasy based on American history and geography, not British, but you would never know that from reading it. Damn, I have a lot of work to do.

My brain is full, but nothing's getting done

A week from now I will be on a plane to New York, but today I sit here with a brain swimming with ideas and a body that has no direction with which to focus them. Even as I sit down to blog, I don't know which of the sixteen topics in my head I should write about. Should I talk about the rediscovery of good fantasy fiction and how I realized my work is missing the mark? Should I stew over the wedding? Should I lay out our lovely engagement pics for the world to see, even though I ressemble something that needs to jump hoops at Sea World? Do I discuss our troubles at home, and the brewing drama that has my stomach in knots?

Yes, I'm all over the place, and flooded with emotions and thoughts to the point that I don't know where to turn next. I guess I can only take things one post at a time.

The final countdown

It's officially 30 days until the wedding -- a day I am celebrating as our -1 month preemptive anniversary. Today I sent out the last of our invitations and received our first response card. It's a good thing because I was really worried that the response cards were too difficult to find behind the directions card.

At this point, we're so behind we JUST settled on bridesmaids' dresses last night, and the worst part is, it's a wedding happening across the country. It's a strange situation for a control freak, knowing I can control nothing having no cash and being in California. Perhaps I can hand make something clever for favors, but there might be nothing at all.

But I still have a month to go. I've lost ten of the 20+ pounds I need to drop to feel less than planetoid at my own wedding, and am searching for a pair of shoes that will look nice, feel comfortable, and yet still not cost $100. The family keeps saying don't stress, but life is throwing flaming curve balls of late. Not only have I been out of work since October, but Art came down ill last month, so we've been dealing with some pretty heinous complications from Diabetes. It's odd how things end up on the extreme ends of the life continuum for us. It's great things or horrible things, but very little in between. That's the way it's always been, but no matter what the heartache, I still have a faux anniversary to celebrate.

The synopsis, the query, and the insomnia

It all came together this evening.  Something about the smell of the rain outside, I'm not sure, but round about midnight I pulled Art's laptop into bed with me and the synopsis came pouring out of me.  This after five failed attempts over the course of several weeks.  After that, I was so giddy I couldn't sleep, so got up, sat down at my computer, and out came the query letter.  On a roll, I figured after re-reading them both five times a couple submissions couldn't hurt.  

Question 1: Is the editing done?

Yes and no.  I know, should prospective agents stumble on this I'll be crucified, but honestly, I am at the point where I think I need to hand the manuscript over to a higher power, a professional power.  No, it's not perfect, and I can even see where some of the weak points are, I'm just not sure about how to fix them.

Question 2: Don't you think you should wait until you have a sleep-rested brain to work with?

Definitely not.  I always used to write my best work in the small wee hours, and I really feel in my bones that what I created tonight represents my work as best I can.  

So now it begins.  I'm making a 100 query pledge.  100 rejections before I even consider giving up.  Maybe it will take 1000, but more than likely once I get 100 rejections from agents I'll just move onto the publishers directly. Making a mental note here to go buy a rejection binder for my first ever foray into novel submissions.  I feel so very grown up alluva sudden.  

on Word Counts

This month sucks.  I can say that with all affection because so much has ended up happening in November.  Not only is Nanowrimo happening, but also I have had to look for an apartment, start weeding through the garbage heap that holds my personal possessions.  Add to that the new World of Warcraft expansion released on the 13th, and my word count has been doomed from the get go.

I'm not giving up, not by any stretch of the imagination.  I still want to win, but I sit here blogging instead of writing, so I obviously have an issue with focus.   This morning I posted on my other blog, cleaned out the refridgerator, answered emails, updated the wiki, started adding songs to my computer playlist...and did a SMALL bit of writing.  What is it about novelling that gets me to do other things?

So yes, I have words down.  I don't much like this novel, I have to say, but I have almost 29k of it down, and five days to go.  Why am I not daunted?  Because I know that if I stopped procrastinating I could technically have it done tonight.  I write quickly, the words flow, but I have this problem with getting myself to let them flow.  Not sure how to fix that.  

I tried to make cupcakes with numbers to motivate me like I did last year.  Trouble was, I ended up eating those without numbers and leaving the numbered ones to rot because I couldn't get myself to right.  

Right now I work in 2oo word increments.  At the moment I am working up the gumption to get to 29, and then to 30.  After 30 comes the hard part.  The hard part meaning 31-50.

Hell, I'm not even witty in my blog anymore.  This month really has sucked.

Not Sure about Nano

It's been months since I've blogged here...exactly five months I believe, but I have a good reason. I started blogging professionally (http://www.omgrpg.com/), and it wasn't until just recently that I started getting back to my personal writing. Now that so much time has passed, what have we learned?

Well, I finished SotO, and am almost done with the second draft. It's got good bones, as they say in genetics, but the words don't really flow like the poetry I wanted to make them. Still, it's a novel, and it's completed, with a beginning, a middle, and an end that jumps out of nowhere (with a purpose). I am happy with it, even if Chapter 4 is largely blank and there are whole scenes missing.

Shift on the other hand is a trial for me. I am still working around how to rewrite it, how to make straight, meandering fantasy into tight, brooding horror. It might end up as dark fantasy, but I really am not a ghoul and vampire kind of girl. Still, the story needs to be told, and as I see it, Shift will tie in a lot more with SotO, in content if not in style. I just need to figure out what that content is.

This year's book is much more of a puzzle. Even more of a puzzle is the idea that I might not get to Nano at all because as of October 25th I will be jobless. This means that I will be tasked with job hunting, which means I won't be allowed to write a novel. But if I manage to get work (anyone need a personal assistant/trainer/corporate writer/customer service rep who can work hard and start immediately?) I will still face the challenge of picking a topic. In the previous years it was a no brainer, write a new book based on a previous world then rewrite the previous world. Now I sit at a crossroads with four possible paths to take, and I can't really say I am sure about any of them.

Here are my possibilities:

1. Molly's Fault: This is a story wrapped around Molly Bates, a little character that popped into my head this year. Essentially, Molly is living in a Los Angeles being ripped apart by natural disasters, and her only desire is to pick her dog up from the kennel.

2. SotO Prequel #2: Yes, I am getting into a Star Wars thing, but honestly, I find it intriguing to start with the traditional fantasy tale and then tell how people got there. This Prequel tells a Pocohontas-esque story set in a fantasy world. (The Native Americans will tonight be played by the Elves). It's a good idea, and one that will get written, I'm just not sure it will get written now.

3. SotO Sequel #1: There is also a tougher story out there, one without form or inspiration. At the end of SotO a young boy is crowned king in the absence of his sister, and he vows that his people will return to their nomadic lifestyle. His dearest friend, the crazy Joppa, transforms out of her madness to become the High Priestess of a new religion. I'm eager to know what their stories are, and if they end up romantically connected. I don't see this as being stronger than SotO, but I could always be pleasantly surprised.

4. SotO Sequel #2: This is the story of the absent sister. She's stepped into a portal, leaving her world behind. This tale is actually better formed, but takes a completely different turn, with new characters and a very strange backstory relying on another author's world. I want to tell Mylena's story, show where she goes and what happens to her, I'm just not certain that this sequel should be written first.

So what do you think? Yes, four completely different stories, each with their own challenges. I intend should I have the time to plan all four of them and then pick, but October is incredibly busy for me. I get on a plane tomorrow bound for Southern California, and that will make planning....nonexistent while I'm away, let's be honest.

I've got to say I am so very very unhappy about the idea of NOT Nanoing this year. It's become a ritual, a rhythm, a goal and a focus for me. Knowing that there are 4 books out there waiting to be written (mainly so I can find out what happens) is a thrilling notion, but I also understand Boyfriend's concern. I get too focused on the writing, it's true. But isn't that the definition of an all-consuming passion?

[image courtesy of Nanowrimo.org]

Frostsabers, Zandalar Tigers, and Polar Bears, oh my!

This morning I came across a post on the WoW forums that made me a happy Mandifesto. A while back we heard the dev team was going to phase out the Amani War Bear Mounts from Zul'Aman when Wrath is released this fall. Initially I was extremely disappointed, although I understand. Exactly how epic can the mount be if you go in and farm it at level 80?

So now Bornakk gives me hope. They are not dropping the bear mount entirely, they are simply replacing it. There will be a new Polar Bear mount attainable somewhere in the next expansion. Obviously we have no word on which instance will have the Great White Teddy, but I expect it will be another of the 10-man raid encounters. Maybe you didn't hear it here first, but you did hear it. Amani War Bear? So last expansion. The Dharma Polar Bear is for me! Complete with fish biscuits and a Hydra logo!

CONventional Speculation

Mutfak has a silly name. I'm not exactly sure how he came up with that beauty, but it's almost dumb enough to fall into my Theory on Character Naming and Player Ability(tm). But Mutfak for all his nomenclature frivolity brought up an interesting point this morning: What will the BlizzCon 2008 announcement be?

BlizzCon is not an annual event, as Blizzard has already stated they will only have the convention when they feel they have meat enough to fill the plate, as it were. No reason to simply celebrate their nearly 11 million players. No, there has to be some big reveal. Mut believes Blizzard will announce a second Hero class, a healing class, since on his server there is a terrible shortage of healers. This isn't the case, obviously, since the Hero class is an experiment all on its own. I really don't expect a second class announcement at the convention. It could happen, true, but it's not likely.

But that still leaves the question of what announcement will be made. I have a theory, recently formed on only one cup of coffee, but it's a good one. Or, at least as good as one cup of coffee on a Friday morning will get you. I maintain that there will be only one Hero class put into the game in Wrath. The next expansion is all about Fordring versus Arthas, Paladin versus Death Knight. The themes of the expansion revolve around the Death Knight. The only other class featured in Wrath to such an extent is the mage class. I simply can't believe there will be an Archmage added to the game. While cool, it's too similar to the class currently in the game.

So my theory goes that yes we will have an announcement regarding the Warcraft universe at BlizzCon (not to be confused with my belief they will also announce another MMO project on October 10th), but it will be the announcement of the next expansion. Think of it. We were told that Blizzard intended to release a boxed expansion every year. In 2005 we learned about TBC. In 2007 we had the Waht-lu-kuh announcement. I expect 2008 to bring us the Maelstrom announcement. Why Maelstrom? Azshara and Malfurion are the last of the Warcraft Celebs not to make an appearance in WoW. While we have seen videos of people travelling through the Emerald Dream landscape already put in the game files, I don't see the story jumping that completely. Yes, I can expect ED to be an expansion of its own, but I don't think it's next. Remember my favorite map? The map of the Maelstrom that we saw on the behind the scenes DVD? It included amongst other things Kul-Tiras and Undermine. And everyone loves pirates. There have been two other MMOs to come out with pirate games.

I expect that Maelstrom will have with it two new races and most likely a Hero class. Finally we will see a faction of playable goblins, as well as naga. I am still pondering what the Hero class will be, but I expect to see one every expansion as we go forward. With the Maelstrom would also come the opening up of Zandalar, meaning that trolls would finally have a homeland. Anyway, the initial coffee-created burst of energy is gone. Now that I have had my say, I will slink back into the shadows and let my prophecies go forth and bring me unsung glory.

Help me oh Great Reader!

Hitting the editing slump as I have been, I realized a couple of days ago that I am missing a key piece of information as a result of my city-girl upbringing. Chapter 4 in SotO features a harvest festival, a holiday built from the cultures of the people of Shadowhaven, a mixture of the religious and the magical. However, I don't have a frame of reference for a small town fair. I grew up in Los Angeles, where such a thing just doesn't exist.

So, in the interest of getting back on track, I am appealing you friends. Do you know of any movies or episodes of television shows out there that have a small town country festival or fair or some such celebration that I might be able to glean inspiration from? So far the only thing I can think of is the fair in Steel Magnolias but I'm sure there is better out there.

Also, I am still looking for sets of eyes to read the manuscript. Boyfriend is giving great feedback from his reading, but he's just one person, and a biased one at that. I figure that if you're interested enough to read the blog (even if it is for gaming articles) then you might also enjoy fantasy literature. Wow, did I just call this tripe "literature?"