Writer’s Ego

Well, I didn’t final in the first pargraph contest, but that’s perfectly fine with me 🙂 The ones that did semi-final and final are truly awesome so I suggest you go to Nathan’s blog and check it out!

Anyway, I have to admit that I’m finding my writer’s ego inflating. It’s not a bad thing per se, but I want to keep it in check so I don’t become too proud. I think much of it has to do with the comments I seem to be getting on a daily basis over at the NaNo forums. I started a thread over there about making mock book trailers and it seems to be quite popular now (5 pages of comments last I checked). I think that starting the thread is what’s making me get the daily NaNoMail comments about how much everyone wants to read my book 😛

I’m glad I started that thread because it at least makes me see that there could be a market for a historical fantasy based in Japanese mythology. (Also glad that it’s really inspiring people to want to write!) Of course that may not be an accurate representation of the market, but it’s nice to see the comments. It’s really helping me stay more focused on my novel as opposed to the last few years.

I’ve always been self conscious about my writing (what writer hasn’t?) and sometimes I don’t think I’m ever going to be talented enough to get an agent, let alone get published. I know I shouldn’t be thinking this, but I tend to be an negative person by nature, unfortunately, so it’s hard for me to break that mindset. But the comments are really helping me break that perception I have of my writing.

Of course I know I still have a lot to learn and a great deal of crafting to do. I’m still searching for my writer’s voice–not quite sure I’ve found it just yet–and I should be reading up on the craft a little more.

 Perhaps my dream is not as far off as I once thought. 🙂

Ramble and Babble

Since I can’t quite think of one thing to post about, I’m just gonna ramble 😛 Hence the title.

Anyway, I entered the first paragraph of LotS for agent Nathan Bransford’s 3rd Sort-of-Annual-Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge.  Considering there’s well over 2000 entries, I highly doubt mine will even come close to placing–especially after reading just a few of them. Of course there’s always a very *slim* chance…

 (BTW, if you wish to enter, the contest ends 4PM Pacific time. Tomorrow, readers will get to vote on the finalists).

Curious to see what I entered? It’s similar to what I had posted once before for Excerpt Monday a few months back, only I changed it a little to make flow better.

Yukionna floated along the wind, blending in with the whirling snow as she watched her prey. Two men in straw coats and wide-brimmed bamboo hats stumbled along the narrow mountain pass, piles of wood strapped to their backs. She held back her laughter as she watched them fight against the winter winds. Their last memory would be of her icy breath against their skin as she took their pitiful lives.

Not the greatest ever, but oh well. I am slightly comforted by the fact that I do think it is better than some of the entries…

On to another seemingly related though slightly off topic rambling…

NaNoWriMo is having a new project/contest/a bit of fun by doing 30 Covers in 30 Days. Basically, they will be perusing the Novel Info pages of each Wrimo and reading over the novel synopsis section and choosing one per day to make a spectacular “book cover”, courtesy of Chris Papasedero of the graphic design firm Fwis. Now I realize it’s another crapshoot having my novel-in-progress chosen, considering there’s nearly 40,000 participants signed up for NaNo this year, and that number will increase as November approaches. But that still didn’t stop me from making my little novel synopsis as catchy as possible. Here it is, in it’s as-close-to-perfect-for-now glory (also posted on my Current Projects tab):

She is the embodiment of winter: Cold, cruel, yet serene and beautiful. She revels in taking the lives of those who travel the narrow mountain roads in the harsh winter months.

Then one blustery night, she encounters a young carpenter, whose eyes seem to stare past her cruel exterior. Conflicting feelings of sorrow, remorse and passion assail her, transforming her from a phantom of the snow to an ordinary human.

Angry yet desperate, she embarks on a search for the reason why she became mortal–and why memories of a distant past ignite pain and longing within her cold heart. She is determined to gain the trust of Kazuhiro, the man who cursed her with human vulnerability, and make him ultimately regret surviving his encounter with her.

However, as she spends time with Kazuhiro and his family, she realizes that being human may have more power than she originally thought…and may not be such a curse after all. Yet there are those who are suspicious of her and seek to unveil the truth behind what she is, threatening to turn her back into the vengeful Lady of the Snow forever.

Bitterness, hatred, love and happiness war within her as she struggles to discover where she belongs. Can she become something other than a monster?

Ah, I’m having my little daydream now about how awesome the cover would look…

If anything, that little synopsis has helped boost my writing ego a tiny bit. I’ve gotten two or three messages via the NaNoMail thing telling me how fascinating it sounds. I’ve also had a few random people add me to their buddy list, so I’m assuming they read my novel synopsis and found it slightly interesting too.

OK, time to stop inflating my ego 😛