Successful pitch session and more writing news
I’m happy to report I survived my pitch session at the WriteNow conference! As a result of that session, I disappeared from the face of the earth–and this blog–for about 3 weeks. Details below.
But first: welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get this party started.
Writing News
How my pitch session went
In my last post, I mentioned I’d signed up for the WriteNow conference, including submitting the first 30 pages of my suspense novel in progress, Delta Dawn, for professional editing and pitching my time travel romance, Vanishing, Inc., to an agent. I should get the edited pages back later this month. As for the pitch session…
She requested the full manuscript!!
My first ever full request!!
So of course I sent it right off to her and got back to work on my current project.
Hahahahahahahaha. Right.
I spent the next 2 weeks frantically doing another full revision pass, existing on caffeine and sheer stubbornness and ignoring everything in my life that isn’t absolutely essential (like housework and this blog). I ended up cutting several thousand words from the manuscript–mostly really boring ones like “almost,” “nearly,” and “started” but also one whole scene. Yesterday I finally finished and sent it off to the agent.
I’m eagerly awaiting my rejection.
And in case you’re wondering about the story behind the featured image for this post: Vanishing, Inc. is set in a fictional town in northern Arizona, where the main character lives in a stone cottage built in the late 19th century. Before I moved away from northern Arizona, I drove all over Flagstaff taking pictures of stone houses. This is one of them.
More news
- I entered a short poem called “Mourning Doves,” in the Arizona Authors Association annual literary contest and… it’s a finalist! Winners will be announced at the awards banquet in early November, which I can’t attend because I’ll be at a work conference in Seattle.
- I’m going to appear on another podcast! I’ll be a guest on Mysterious Goings-On, a well-known show hosted by J. Alexander Greenwood. It focuses on creativity, writing, and mystery and includes interviews with traditionally-published and indie authors. I’ll be talking about using short stories to launch a writing career. Recording is scheduled for later this month. As soon as I have an air date, I’ll make a huge deal about it here on the blog.
- I’m running for president of my local chapter of Sisters in Crime. I’m running unopposed, so I’m liking my odds of winning. I’m not liking my odds of getting any sleep for the next 2 years.
Weather whining season is over! (I hope)
Just look at this beautiful forecast! Not a single night over 70F! Not a single day over 95F!
You know what this means, right? It’s now officially Weather Bragging Season here in Tucson. Prepare for lots of insufferable gloating from yours truly.
The memery
First up – not a meme but a real, actual book I saw in the checkout line at Sprouts supermarket.
No, I didn’t buy it.
I thought about it though.
That’s my kind of workout.
Continuing with the healthy eating theme:
In my case, it was an Extra Toasty Cheez-It. I do have some standards.
Why don’t I eat better? This is why:
Similar descriptions apply to broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
Let’s move from health food to history:
Nah. If you want to walk in the snow, up hill, both ways, you need the tonic containing cocaine. This stuff sounds like it’d make you sleep for, like, a decade.
And finally:
If you need me, I’ll be on the floor, turning to dust.
So what’ve y’all been up to for the last three weeks?
10 Comments
Barbara
I’ve joined 5 monthly book clubs and now have too much to read!
Janet Alcorn
Wow! That is a lot. What kind of book clubs?
Barbara
Two book clubs vary: this month’s books are a mystery and a true crime autobiography. The other 3 clubs are by genre: mystery, thriller, and romance.
There are very few books in my life that I started and didn’t finish – until now.
I already have books everywhere. What should I do with half-read books? A pack rat needs to know.
Congratulations on your literary successes. It’s exciting knowing an author.
Janet Alcorn
I’m like you—I rarely do not finish a book. But when I don’t finish one, I donate it or leave it in a Little Free Library. I’d rather save my shelf space for stuff I want to read.
Thanks for the kind words! Publishing is a tough business, and I have no illusions about my odds of actually getting an agent and a traditional publishing deal. But writing is fun, and I have to try.
Joanne
Good luck with the manuscript! That is exciting and I’m sure very nerve wracking.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! For me, every submission is nerve-wracking. I’ll spend the next couple of months obsessively checking my Gmail till I hear about the novel manuscript, the poem, and the short story I currently have out there.
Esther O'Neill
Today, Aol has locked me out again,/rejected me, never happens on Proton. That magic mixture – The local Army museum carefully draws visitors’ attention to the small print on Army issue tablets for WWI. Cocaine, of course. Not sure how this goes down with school visits. In Stirling, a WWI soldier’s letter to his parents describes how out of it they are when going over the top.
Submissions ? After skirmishes with two of the Five, even an invite to London, massive rewrites that failed, my agent’s death , and a horrible crisis, the mentor I call The Spy – ex WWII codebreaker ( RIP) , steered me towards indie. I live in a stone house, Charles II , not a bit posh, just old . Should that help ?
Janet Alcorn
I’ve always wanted to live in an old stone house, so I’m jealous!
I’m sorry to hear you had such rough experiences with traditional publishing. I hope indie is working out well for you.
Natalie Aguirre
Congrats on getting a request for a full manuscript. That’s so exciting!
Janet Alcorn
Thanks!