I Did It!

OMG (yes...you can add the valley girl accent 'cuss I'm geeking out THAT much).

I just got an offer on Duty and Devotion from a great epublisher. I don't want to give details until it's official and the contract is all signed, but I just wanted you all to know.

I'd banned myself from the Internet this evening to focus on Revelation of Tomorrow revisions. Yes, on my old laptop, which was making some weird noise...sounded just like a cough. (It was totally weirding me out ya'll.)

In walks my Hubby like a knight and shining armor, carrying my fixed laptop. Not only fixed but he surprised me with an operating system upgrade to the new Windows 7. I had to explore and check it all out....soak it all in.

I open up my email and there is the new message glaring on the screen. I was so happy I almost didn't open it tonight. As a writer you get a little jaded, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. It makes the process easier. I didn't want to ruin my good mood with a rejection.

But, I was happy enough to throw caution to the wind. There it was, an extended offer.

*WARNING: Cliche about to be written. Avert eyes if allergic.*

I had to read it a second time before I really believed it. Then a third before the delayed excitement smacked me in the face and tickled my eyeballs.

I'm a published novelist (or will be next summer)! I'll post details as soon as the contract process is completed.

Good writing all!

Those Darn Obstacles

Things aren't going well with my revisions. Am I having revision issues?? No. Am I having time constraint issues?? No

Then why aren't things going so well since Sunday evening? You might ask.

Because my laptop decided to hop on the crazy train. It has drunk the electronic kool-aid. I must now pull out my older laptop. But can I just dive in and continue on my happy-frickin'-way?

No, no, no.

My older laptop does not like my shiny new version and won't open the documents. So now, this evening, I must change my files to an older version. (Thank goodness I emailed them to myself when the new laptop started acting loopy.)

We all get obstacles. This one I can beat. If not, I'll take my mental explosives and blow it sky high. Or, if I want to be reasonable, I'll walk around it....nah. I like the boom part of explosions, even mental ones.

Good writing all!

Re Vision

I had it all laid out. I thought the creature planet scenes were outlined just how I wanted them. They fit the vision I had...and they didn't work. Re-reading it, I realized two things:

1. The order of events were not natural
2. The action and reactions of both the characters and the creatures were wrong

Okay, okay. Not a major disaster. I'll just grab the scenes, throw them onto my revision document and rework it a little bit.

Uh...the scenes equalled 13K words. Oh boy. 36 hours later I had cut of 5K words from original, added 6K new words in, performed a complete wobble shuffle of scene order, and totally reworked 2 main character's motives.

You'd think I'd feel frustrated, disappointed, and discouraged. You'd be wrong. I'm feeling exhilarated, content, and productive. A year ago I would've felt all those first ways, but I've learned some things on this journey.

The writer's original vision of a story is not always going to be the final vision. Sometimes it is, but for the most part it's just the spark. That spark is just a spontaneous moment of idea, either through an "ah-ha" or a dream. You as the writer need to take the spark and mold it into a real story, which means some parts of the spark have to be revised to be true to the overall theme, motive, and reasoning.

So remember, look beyond your inspired moment to see the real story beyond.

Good writing all!

Groovin' Along

I can't help it. I'm in a good mood. My Revelations of Tomorrow revisions are going well, the characters are clicking (or not clicking depending their dynamics), and the subplots are weaving nicely with the main plot. Even the red pen and I are happily getting along.

Yup, AR's a happy writer at the moment. Of course, all us writers know it won't last. It's inevitable that the bumps and walls will come. I'll be cruising down the creative highway and BHAM, my imaginary sports car will crash right into it.

There will be blood, gore, and all around grossness. My hair will be in tufts, my eyes blood shot, and a look of confusion and frustration etched on my face. Maybe I'll climb out, turn around in wonder at how fast it happened. Or, maybe I'll be stuck in that imaginary sports car when the sparked gas fire reaches the engine and KAPOW! Eek, I hope it's not a convertible...

Sorry, my imagination got away from me for a second, but I'm back (sort of).

For now I'm going to enjoy the scenery, the curving roads, and the speed. I mean, I don't want to be an frumpy grumpy pessimist or anything.

Good writing all!

Vampires

During a discussion with my writer buddies, in which we wondered the latest evolution of vampires, I realized how much I missed my evil vamps. They were the core of horror, the kings of death, and led the pack on human destruction.

Enter cheesy 80s music...Where have all the bad vamps gone?

It clicked. I'm going to write up my evil vamp and bring the true origins of vampire lore back to life...at least for me. I've been so out of the loop on vamps since their sissy-fication that I'm not sure the market for scary vamps anymore. It may never make it to market, but I'm going to try.

I have to finish edits on Revelations of Tomorrow, but in my downtime I'm going to develop and outline a story.

Good writing all!

Sorcerer's Carnival Finds a Home

I just heard that Pill Hill Press accepted Sorcerer's Carnival for their Bloody Carnival Anthology!
There's such a sense of accomplishment when a story finds just the right home. Pill Hill Press is one of my favorite places to work with. It's hard not to be happy with a writer/editor relationship when the editors are so efficient and nice.

Sorcerer's Carnival holds a little special place for me because the idea actually sparked from my eldest son, Parkour Boy.

"Mom, what if your characters get stuck an a hell carnival some wacko sorcerer created?"

And off my creative little muse went...along with creepy big nightmares. (I'm the perfect horror audience member as I'll scream full volume at anything.)

The end result was Sorcerer's Carnival. Sorcerer Barabin, trapped for centuries, is working to gain the power to free himself from his dimensional prison...and he's only got two more souls to go. A fun evening at the carnival turns dark and dangerous for Lilia and James when they find out they're Barabin's final selections.

The submission period is open until filled, so I'll let you know when they set a publication date. I'll also keep you posted on the progress of the anthology as I get news.

Good writing all!

The Red Pen (Enter Scary Music)

Yes, a weekend of revisions and even though most is additional information from my research, the red ink is like blood dripping from wounded pages.

It's progress, it's exhilarating, and it's....messy, red, smugged, wrinkled, with a drip of chai tea on page 16.

I know I'm not the only writer that does this, but when you print the first draft (yes, I print them the first couple rounds. I know bad AR, bad!) they're all crisp and clean and shiny new, new. I place them lovingly in my purple file folder. I may or may not hug it at this point...you'll never know.

Okay, okay. I do hug it. It's a reminder to myself that I love this work, even though in the hours and days that follow it'll pretty much be nothing but carnage with a few scraps left of itself.

Hopefully after the plastic surgery is complete, the wounds healed, and the dressings removed it'll be a better version.

Of course, that means I must do it all over again, and again...and again (Billy Murray in Groundhog Day flashes anyone? Anyone?)

Good writing all! (And lots of fun slaughtering - er - revising!)