Comments Welcome

We've had temperatures around 50 all week and today? Well, it's snowing. Not just the tiny flurries, either. These are big, fat flakes that look all nice and fluffy until you have to drive in it! As long as it's been since we've had a good snowfall, I think everyone's forgotten how to drive - again. The traffic report on the way in this morning sounded terrible. Accidents and slide offs. Come on, people. You live in Utah, driving in the snow should be in your blood! Okay. Enough griping, moving on.


I've been really hesitant, I mean, really really hesitant, to put much of my writing out there. It's just so personal and there's the fear of someone making a critique and my taking it too personally. But I did it! As part of a "Drop the Needle" critique opportunity on Miss Snark's First Victim blog I just made the cut off! The theme? Chapter endings. The rules? 250 words. Let me tell you, identifying that last 250 words at the end of a chapter in a manuscript closer to 85,000 words is no easy thing. So if you're interested, here is my submission: Just Maybe. Comments welcome.

They just said the snow should stop soon and it could get up to 40 before the end of the day! Hooray! And sunny by Sunday? Maybe the weekend won't be a total wash!

Have a great weekend!

Disclaimer

My third manuscript has been completed for a little while now. I let it sit and stew for a while before going back to do my edits and am working through that right now, but as such, I've also done a couple drafts of my query. I've had a few people read through my query, mostly just to get some general "would you read this if you didn't know me" feedback. My husband has said that isn't really a fair statement to add to my favor-asking because these people can't help taking into account that they know me. But still.

Overall, I received some great feedback and I've made some edits to my query and have since moved into the letting it stew for a few days period before I go back to edit some more. Before I do that, though, I had to share the reply to my query from one reader who shall remain nameless. I actually received 2 versions of the disclaimer, as I couldn't read the first one right away and reader decided that they needed to go back and "edit" their reply to me before sending it to me again as there were grammatical errors. Regardless, if you know who reader-who-shall-remain-nameless is, you will probably laugh as hard as I did. If not, well, it's still pretty funny.

So here I present reader-who-shall-remain-nameless's disclaimer version 2.0:

although i am not a writer nor read an absurd amount of books...in fact I'd say very little (2-3 books a year is about right), the options expressed are not in any way made through years of study, but rather from personal experiences and being an editor for a biweekly health article published at the U. I'm a biology major and all i have are experience points (which mean nothing). however, below are my thoughts on your query and I hope they help in provoking though. i did use "i think..." a lot and i'm well aware of my poor grammar, just so you know this is coming from a credential-less person. So please take this with with a grain of salt and let me know if i'm completely out-of-line or wrong. =) as i can give it, i can also take it (talking about criticism...not to be misunderstood as a statement of my sexuality...lol jk!).

Admitting the Problem

The first step is admitting you have a problem. That's what they say. I don't think I actually have a problem. Well, it's only a problem if it completely takes over your life, right?

I think it's sort of the way a lot of people describe falling in love and the beginnings of that perfect relationship. When all you can do is think of about the other person. You daydream about them, you spend all your free time with them and if you can't be with them, you're talking to them, texting them, emailing them. Every time they're around you get all sorts of good nervous butterflies in your stomach and you can't think straight and every thought you have is about them and everything you do starts to revolve around them.

Writing. Yeah. That's how I feel about it.
(Standing up now.)
My name is Windy and I'm a write-aholic.

The Flu, The Economy and Other Fun Fortunes

So it's been a while, yes. I believe it has much to do with the fact that the flu has been running rampant through our entire family! Current victim, and last to be struck? Me. While everyone was sniffling and coughing and runny noses were everywhere, I was fine. And now, everyone's fine (almost) except me. (yeah, I know . . . whine, whine, whine.)

Moving on. I read an interesting blog from Chuck Sambuchino in regards to the state of getting published in our current economic times. I really liked how simple he made it: Getting published has always been hard. Getting published in a down economy is maybe only 20% harder even if it feels like the whole world is against you. What it really boils down to, and is the general consensus (that I've read anyway) of agents is to just keep writing and making everything the best it can be. Honestly, that's all anyone can do, right? To use an already over-used cliche, the cream will rise to the top.

Maybe that's just me trying to stay positive in a less than positive environment, but I'm at the point now where I'd just rather look at the bright side of things. There's no reason to hang on to negativity and let it ruin a perfectly good (if a bit dark and snowy) day. Besides, my fortune cookie from dinner the other night said: The current year will bring you much happiness. Why not look at the bright side of things, even if it's only to help that along?

Old Songs and Half Fans

On my drive into work yesterday morning a song came on and I was immediately inspired. It wasn't the first time I'd heard the song nor will it be the last, but have you ever had that moment of hearing something you've heard a million times and feeling like it is completely new? Mind you, it wasn't a song on the radio, it just came up on the CD that I was listening to and suddenly an entire storyline started playing out in my head. I get into the office and then . . . I am so swamped with work that I can't even keep my spreadsheets straight and I'm scribbling notes to myself on my fluorescent post-its (I LOVE Post-its) so I don't forget anything. After a long day at the office and then a few more hours at home bonding with the spreadsheets, I was finally able to get a few pages of the new story down.

I have faith in it being under 100K words already! Woohoo! To top this off, after a brief chat with a friend we've determined that I am now up to a full 4.5 fans consisting of six people. Yep, that's right. I have a few half fans, but I'll take those anyday! Thanks to everyone who believes in me. This is a long road and it's nice to know I'm not on it alone.

Mondays

It feels like one of those days (most Mondays do for me) where I just have so much going through my head that I can't really focus on anything. I feel like I should have just stayed in bed today, but that probably wouldn't have worked out so well, what with having to get to work and get the kids to preschool and having to, you know, be an adult and what not. I feel like I didn't have enough time over the weekend to catch up.

So yesterday was the SuperBowl and I have decided that it is my new favorite shopping day of the year. Well, at least if you time it to where you're out and about just as the pre-game show starts. No traffic. No crowds. It was awesome.

While we were out we received some sad news of a close friend's mom passing away. I'm not entirely sure, but I think it was kind of sudden and that makes it even more tough. I mean, it makes you look at all the relationships in your life and see if you can make the most of the time you have with your loved ones.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you KFP.