Thank You!

I just wanted to say thank you to you, fellow writers and readers, for the encouraging comments left on my last post. One of the reasons I love being a writer is for the wonderful community that I’m part of–and incredibly thankful for 🙂

As you all know, writing a novel often involves many hours of frustration. Sometimes it’s hard to maintain the focus during one of those valleys where you’re asking yourself why on earth you wanted to be a writer to begin with, what’s the point, etc. That’s why I’m so grateful for the community of writers–you all help keep me going during those moments when I just want to throw my hands up and walk away.

So, again, thank you 🙂

Weekend Write-In

This weekend, my critique group is having a write-in at one of our member’s houses. It’s an all-day thing too; it goes from 10 a.m. (at least when the doors open; I don’t plan on arriving until just after lunch) until sometime in the evening.

You know what that means? I have no excuses 😛 I have to complete the summary for Lady of the Snow.

I’m really looking forward to this write-in because I seem to do better actually accomplishing something when I’m around fellow writers. Not sure why–perhaps it’s the creativity in the air or just the bond of sharing something so similar, yet different, with everyone. It’s also a great way to bounce ideas off each other. We’re going to be “whiteboarding” (basically using a white board to develop ideas) and it should be a great experience. 🙂

I think this is also why I’m able to write so much and keep myself motivated during NaNo. Something about all writing at the same time, aiming for a common goal–it’s easier to stay focused.

 Have you been to write-ins? Do you find them helpful or hindering in completing your WiPs?

Excerpt Monday for July

I can’t believe how fast time goes! It’s already time for another Excerpt Monday!

For all Excerpt Monday links, go HERE. **Do be aware of the ratings next to each of them as some are rated R or higher.**

Here is another blurb from Lady of the Snow, immediately following the last one. It’s shorter and rougher, but it’s the general direction I’d like to go in with the beginning:

Excerpt:

Those eyes of his…why am I so moved by them?

I am unable to control the words that come out next—words that come from some hidden part of me that I’d long forgotten.

“I intended to treat you like the other man,” I said, my voice as slight as the winter winds. “But I cannot help feeling some pity for you…”

A shadow of hope crossed his features. He opens his mouth to speak, but his words are frozen in his throat, my spell still taking hold of him.

“You’ve been spared this night. However, no one lives to tell of an encounter with me. If you ever utter a word of this night to anyone, even your own mother, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

My words must resonate with him. He bows low, his forehead to the ground in a gesture of gratitude for me sparing his life.  Though he does not speak I can hear the words: Thank you, merciful lady.

I do not respond. The slight tingling in my chest spreads, distracting me.  I let the blizzard winds carry me out of the hut without another word to the young man suddenly desperate to make as much distance between us as much as possible. It troubles me that I’ve been thought as merciful. I am never merciful.

The events of the past few moments bother me. Something was wrong.  In all the years I’ve roamed these mountains, not one person who encounters me escapes. And those eyes of his…I still cannot get them out of my mind. “It’s as if he saw me as human,” I say out loud.

As soon as my words come out, the strange tingling intensifies to something I could only assume would be akin to what fire would feel like if it consumed my body. I scream in shock. I don’t know what this is; I’ve never felt pain before. I clutch my chest as the burning spreads.  Whatever this sensation is, it’s making my body heavy too. The winds can no longer carry me and I’m suddenly on the ground.

What’s happening to me?

***

Please check out some of the other participants in Excerpt Monday, too!

And don’t forget to head to Excerpt Monday’s site to read the whole list as well.

Caitlynn Lowe, Epic Fantasy (PG) (Also my little sister! :))

Jeannie Lin, Historical Romance (PG-13)

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG)

Kaige, Historical Romance (PG-13)

Leigh Royals, Historical Romance (PG-13)

Christina DeLorenzo, YA (PG-13)

Kinsey W. Holley, Paranormal (PG)

 

Writer Frustrations

Yesterday, agent Jessica Faust opened up the floor for writers to vent about their frustrations with agents. Many of the comments were interesting and brought up good points. However, it seemed as the day went on, there were a great deal more comments that were just plain bitter and vindictive.

I know it must be frustrating for many of these writers, especially if they’ve had less than pleasant experiences with agents. I know it has to be difficult to work months and years on a project only to be met with lack of response or rejection. And even though I haven’t gotten to that point yet, I’m sure I will be just as impatient and frustrated. However, I’m trying my best to prepare myself ahead of time for the inevitability of the waiting game, however frustrating it may be. That’s just part of the business, at least from what I’ve learned over the past few months.

 I think many writers take such frustration out by playing the blame game.  I would like to suggest that perhaps one of the main reasons their  book hasn’t been repped by an agent yet is because it’s not ready and/or because of the strong competition for all of us unpublished, unrepped writers out there. There are hundreds of thousands of people wanting to be published and obviously not all will make it to that point (unless one takes the self-publishing route). You have to work harder and make your story stand out from the rest. And yes, you may end up encountering an agent or agency that’s less than professional–but that goes with the territory. Every aspect of human society, whether that’s business, religion or politics will have some people in it that make others look bad. Nothing in life is perfect, nor will it ever be. There will always be issues and we have to do our best to deal with them.

For some reason, agents, editors and publishers are expected to be superhuman and perfect irregardless of the fact that it’s just not possible.

If agentfail# has proven anything to me, it’s demonstrated that agents really do have to deal with a lot (the amount of irritated writers in the comments is definitely proof of that). Yes, they aren’t perfect. Yes, they will make mistakes. They are only human after all, despite what many writers want to think.

Venting frustrations are fine, (we all have to at some point) and giving suggestions about how to change flaws in a system are great, but it accomplishes nothing to be bitter about it.

So Much Time…But Not So Many Words

I went to a write-in tonight at this cute little cafe where we had an entire conference room to ourselves. Most of the night there were around five of us, with one or two there for an hour or so. I was there from 6 p.m. to nearly 11.

And only managed to get 2,732 written in that time. I should’ve easily hit 3 or 3.5 but of course when you get a bunch of writers together, we tend to talk a lot, and things go off on some wacky, wacky tangents (a good hour of this time was spent talking…probably more like an hour and a half throughout the night).

Still, the comraderie is good and I still managed to get a good chunk written. And of course the best part is I’m now ahead of my sister. MWAHAHA. (Can you tell I’m just the teensiest bit competitive?)

I may go to another write in tomorrow afternoon but I’m unsure because Phil’s leaving on a business trip to Seattle on Sunday afternoon and will be gone 10 days. But he insists I ought to make it to all the write ins I can, so we’ll see. It depends if I feel like driving the 30 plus minutes to get there 😛

Ok that’s it; time for the daily word count update:

Word count: 16,806