I've got a Golden Ticket!

"I never had a chance to shine, never a happy song to sing, but suddenly half the world is mine, what an amazing thing!  'Cause I got a golden ticket..."

I can now answer the question from one of my previous blogs.  Do I have a golden ticket?  Yes, apparently I do.  I also believe in my last blog entry I said that it would be "some miracle of God" if I became a finalist for the Dark Crystal Authorquest competition.  Well, thank you God!  I'm officially one of the top five authors chosen for the contest.  It's actually a really humbling experience.  I don't feel like my story was any better than anyone else who entered, but I'm very grateful.

I'm also elated to say that my writer's block is completely gone.  I think what I needed was a little encouragement and an actual deadline again.  Shortly after I found out that I was on the top five I started working on the outline again.  (That will be due as the next part of the judging process.)  The ideas are flowing like a chocolate waterfall.

I'm so excited about this project.  I really, really hope that I win.  This would be my dream job, and I really want to write the book now that I've nearly finished the outline.  I feel like it's a good story that needs to be told.  I'm going to keep praying and do my best.  If my best isn't good enough, then I have no business writing the novel anyway.

They asked, if I won, if I could finish the book in two months.  Over the phone I acted hesitant, but now that I've started working hard on the outline, I can definitely say that I can.  I know it for a fact.  I've written books in two months before, and this time I have so many ideas that I know I can knock it out of the park.  I just need to be given the chance.

Even if I don't win the contest, I feel honored just being included in the top five.  At least, I'll be able to be a part of something amazing.  I also feel it might still open up some more opportunities for me.  The Jim Henson company is planning to produce an e-book compilation of the top five stories.  When they do, who knows, maybe someone will be interested in my other work.  Still, I'd much rather win the contest and work for Grosset and Dunlap (Penguin Books) and Jim Henson Company.  As I said, that would be my dream job.    

Now, I just have to avoid rivers of chocolate, new chewing gum, golden geese, and television transporters, and maybe even fizzy lifting drinks.  Wish me luck.  

In all seriousness, I'm going to have that outline polished to a shine by March 15th.  March 15th is when I find out what revisions I need to make on the opening chapters that I submitted and they will start accepting outlines.  Hopefully, the revisions won't cause a problem with the current plot of the outline, but I'll cross that bridge if it becomes a problem.

I wanted to tell everyone who has supported me, "Thank you."  I especially want to say "Thank you," to Diane, who told me about this contest and has been a good friend to me.  I couldn't have gotten here without my friends and family, and all the people who told me never to give up on my dreams.

Well, I'd better get back to work.  Keep reading and writing!

No resolutions...

Sorry, I know it's been a long time since I've written a blog entry.  I guess you really don't realize how quickly time flies by until you have a baby.  Christmas crept up on me, and before I knew it the new year was over.  However, for as fast as time is going by, I haven't had much progress in terms of writing.

I got a rejection letter from Curiosity Quills.  I have to admit that I was a little disappointed.  I really thought that "Blood Rain" would be a good fit with them, but I still haven't given up on that book.  My test readers assure me that it's a very good book, and I trust their judgement.  I'm running out of agents and publishers for it, though, so I think it is time to either finish the third book of that series or move on to a different project altogether.  My readers are eagerly awaiting the third book, but I don't have it entirely planned out yet.  I like to at least have an entire outline done before I start writing.  I have so many unfinished books, some of which I think are even better than "Blood Rain" that I had to put down for that very reason.  I had a rough idea of what to write for "Blood God," so I got started, but then I hit a snag that I'm hoping will work it's way out.

Sadly, the Dark Crystal contest judging was postponed for a few months.  I have a novel outlined for it just in case by an act of God I win, but I'm not going to start concentrating on it until I know for sure.  Just being a finalist would really help me along the way in my writing career.  Winning would be living a dream.  Be praying for me folks.  I'll need all the help I can get.  From what I understand, there were about five hundred entries.

I'm currently revisiting a few of my old books.  I'm debating about writing a short story just as a writing exercise, something to give my creativity a workout.  (Plus, it couldn't hurt to get into another anthology.)  To be honest, I'm feeling a little down on myself right now.  I think its because I'm so ready to have something published.  It's a start of another year, and I've been doing this for at least seven years now, possibly more if I count the time before I started submitting my work.  I want to succeed.  I want to follow my dream if nothing more than to show my little girl that if you put your mind to something and work very hard you can accomplish anything.  In order to do that, I need to get over this funk I'm in and start writing again.

For once, I don't have any resolutions for the new year.  I lost the ten pounds of baby weight the doctor told me to lose, I've  had a healthy baby and I work to make sure she's healthy and happy without needing a resolution to do it.  I intend to continue to write, but I'm not so arrogant that I'll make it a resolution to get published.  That's not in my power.  At some point I'll write a story that fits with a publisher, but resolving to do that would be kind of silly since that's a two way street.  I think this year that I won't make a resolution so this time I won't break any.  I'm just going to do what I always do; take things one day at a time, work hard everyday, and write on what I feel like at the time.

Well, I guess that's about it for now.  I'll try to post a writing sample for you sometime in the near future, once I've got an introduction for my next book ready.  In the meantime, keep reading, writing, and above all, living life to the fullest.  (Something that having a baby has taught me is that writing is good, it's great, but life goes by while you're telling your stories.  Make sure your own is also worth telling.)

Must Feed Addiction...

It's a dreary day and today I just wanted to write a little bit about...well, anything.  I think that more than likely writing will be what I do for the rest of the day.  Even though there are some chores that really need doing, I really need to at least write something.  A blog entry seems like a good start to me.  After all, I promised I would keep you posted, and keep you posted I shall.  

As you know, I'm not participating in NaNo this year due to recently having a baby.  However, that doesn't mean I don't write at all.  When she takes her nap, I pick up the pen.  That's how it has to go.  Recently, I finished and turned in my Gelfling Gathering story, but my personal goal for November was to start a new novel by the end of the month.  The end of the month is almost here.

So far I've come up with some ideas for my vampire cyberpunk story.  It's been a long time since I wrote in the cyberpunk universe and I love meshing the setting with gothic horror.  But, I'm afraid I'm not really sure which way I want it to go.  I have good character concepts (except for the hardest part, picking the names), and a good setting, but I think I need a more simplified plot.  

Either way, I really want to start writing it, but I'm not what my friends like to call a "pantser."  When I just free write what comes to mind, while that can make for an interesting chapter or two, I usually get stuck at some point and can't think of anything.  Then, I lose steam on the project and usually don't come back to it.  (It's what happened to my steampunk love story, though I do intend to get back to that at some point.  I really felt like I had something special in that one, but I digress...)  The point is, I prefer to have a complete outline before I start anything so if I don't know which way I want to go I can refer back to the skeleton of the story.  The problem lies when I try to build the skeleton and I can't figure out how to connect point A to point B.  

Writing is amazing.  It lets you build worlds, build characters, and tell a story that has never been told before, or to tell a story that's been told before in a totally new way.  I wanted you to know that I still intend to be able to tell my stories to more than just a few test readers.  I recently turned in my "Blood Rain" novel to Curiosity Quills publishing company.  I'm hoping that they'll be interested because I liked their upfront and honest policy, and I think my story could be a good fit there.  We'll have to see.  I exhausted the online databases to find an agent for it, and even though I got some interest and some good responses, no one took it.  I think "Blood Rain" is one of my better novels and deserves a good home, and so does "Blood Moon" and "Blood God" (when it's totally finished).  I can't have that if no one gives it a chance, so I can't give up on it.

Well, I've talked a good bit about writing and I've come to a decision.  I'm going to write the first chapter of the new story just so that I can get psyched up about it again.  That chapter is planned out, so maybe it'll get my synapses firing with some fresh ideas.  Wish me luck.  First, I have to go fishing for the right names...

Blood of the Werewolf = RAGE! >:-(

ARRGGG!

As most of you know, playing video games is one of the things I do with my little amounts of free time when I'm not writing.  Every now and again there's a game that comes along that really leaves an impression on me.  "Skyrim" left an impression on me because it was such a fun game with so much you could do.  "Don't Starve" left an impression on me because it was so unique and addictive and I love anything that alludes to Lovecraftian monsters.

And now, there's "Blood of the Werewolf."  I got this game (among many others) during a Halloween sale on Steam.  I enjoy platformers and consider myself to be decent at them, and this one sounded perfect for me.

Let me start by saying one of the things that really irritates me about video games is how women are portrayed in them.  I'm not what you would call a "feminist," but I don't understand how in video games  a woman is either portrayed as a complete "batch" or a damsel in distress that needs to be rescued.  (Don't get me started on "Metroid Other M...")  Anyway, I always thought it would be compelling to have a story about a woman facing overwhelming odds to rescue her kidnapped child.  One thing that people tend to forget is how powerful motherhood is and that it is one thing that makes a woman very strong.

Well, I got my wish.  "Blood of the Werewolf" is about a woman whose husband was murdered and her child was kidnapped and now she's facing impossible odds to get him back.  (And, she and her family happened to be werewolves, but you get the idea...)  Anyway, I was ecstatic.  Hooray for a powerful female character protecting her child!

This is the most difficult game I've ever played.  This is the kind of game that makes hard core gamers want to throw their controller through their screens.  I found myself close to the end of the second level shouting obscenities and fighting the urge to bite my controller in half.  The game was more difficult than original "Castlevania," but the deathtraps were more like "Meatboy." But, dare I say it, worse?   The point is, this game was too damn difficult.  I like a challenge, but I no longer have time to memorize every way to jump or spend thirty minutes trying to figure out one puzzle.  (I actually tried for about twenty minutes or longer before I gave up.  I can be pretty stubborn...)

So, long story short, what is frustrating and filling me with werewolf-like rage is the fact that I will never be able to beat this game, so now I won't get to see the ending.  GRRRR!  I suppose I could cheat and look it up at some point, but I hate doing that.  Well, I can have a little grim satisfaction thinking that probably since the child is a werewolf, his mother will get to the end only to see he's wolfed out and killed a his kidnapper anyway.

If you're a hard core gamer, pick this game up.  I must admit, when you get through one of the rough traps it is very satisfying and does make you want to go on even if you wished you had put the game down thirty minutes ago, if not, good luck.  If you're protonjon, please play this game with some friends and put it on youtube.  And, if you're a gamer and like to watch people play and comment on obscure, old, and indie video games you can check out "http://www.youtube.com/crono141" and you can listen to me, my husband, and our friends playing and commentating on various games.  

In the meantime, I'm going to go crinos and release some of this rage for awhile...

Halloween is over, let the writing begin...

Hello all,

Sorry it took so long to post anything.  This has been a long and kind of weird month.  Things are going pretty well, though.  Our Halloween Party was a success and we got to see a lot of friends that we haven't visited in a long time.  Everybody has a strange schedule now, so we have to make the most of our time together.  The only bad thing was that I got sick with a sinus infection a day or two after the last party so on Halloween itself I was mostly curled up on the couch trying not to feel ill.  And, as usual, not many kids went trick-or-treating on our street.  (This is probably because we're the only house that obviously gives out candy.)

I'm happy to say that I've finished my story for "The Gelfling Gathering."  I'm done with revisions and now I just have to have someone check the grammar and then I can send it in.  Even though I seriously doubt that I'll be one of the top five, please be praying for me.  That still would be my dream job, and I think I have as much a chance as anyone else.  It really just depends on what sort of story they were looking for, and you never know unless you take that first step and compete.  I'm hoping that I can send it in next week.

I'm also working on a Castlevania PDQ game to run for my friends.  Even though it isn't "real" writing, it's a good creative exercise and has been a lot of fun to plan.  I'm hoping to start that up next weekend.  Ever since I ran the "Grimm" game, I've wanted to run a pure Castlevania gothic horror style game.  Some of the most fun we had in that game was a side adventure where the group braved Dracula's castle to rescue one of their friends.  I have high hopes for finishing this campaign as well.

Also, even though I'm not actively participating in "NaNo" this time around, I actually do have an idea for another urban fantasy vampire story.  So, I'm going to work on that whenever I have the time.  I think the ideas are good, but I have a lot of planning to do before I even attempt the first page.  Still, you never know, I might manage to get a really good start by the end of the month.  I think that starting it by the end of the month will be the goal, rather than 50,000 words.

Well, I'm off to take down the decorations from the Halloween party.  Hope to talk to you again soon.  

New Ideas and Revelations

Well, I looked at "Blood Rain" again and found that, though the character is a young adult, it's not young adult fiction.  I came to this realization after one of my test readers pointed out that there are some very graphic and disturbing scenes that either need to be changed or revisited before it can have a young adult audience.  I was thinking that might be the case as well, so I've decided to market it as pure fantasy rather than young adult fantasy and reread it later to make sure that's what I want to do with it.

However, even though "Blood Rain" isn't suited for young adult fantasy, I'm positive that my story for "The Gelfling Gathering" is perfect for it.  I just hope that those reading the entries think the same.  I feel good about what I've written, but I don't know if it's what they're looking for.  I've come up with 7,500 words and the first few chapters of a potential novel.  It was very fun to write and I was pretty enthusiastic about the project which is generally a good sign.  Still, I need to polish the story a little more before it's ready for submission.  I have a few months, though, and I think I should have it ready before it's even time to enter the competition.

I have a new idea for a fantasy story.  It isn't quite fleshed out yet, but I had an idea for an opening scene that I can't get out of my head.  I'm going to start on it very soon, but before I get too far into a new novel, I'm thinking of looking into the anthology market again.  Even though I've gotten into various horror anthologies, I think that if I'm going to focus on fantasy I need to try to get a story published in that genre as well.  Plus, even if my story isn't picked, it'll be a good opportunity to practice and to get other ideas that can potentially be expanded into an epic fantasy novel.  Wish me luck.  It's been a long time since I submitted anything to a magazine or anthology.

So, anyway, that's my writing news for now.  I'll keep you posted if anything changes.  Once I finish the introduction of the new fantasy novel, I might post it here.  We'll see.  In the meantime, keep reading and writing.

DragonCon

Hello All,

Well, I am exhausted from my one day at DragonCon, but it was definitely worth it.  That was more walking than I've done in a very long time.  I was lucky that we finished registering just in time and I got to attend the Mighty Men of Fantasy and SF panel to listen to Kevin J. Anderson, Jim Butcher, and D. B. Jackson speak.  It was very informative and fun.  It gave me a better idea about the personalities of some of the writers I admire and there were some useful tips about writing that I picked up on as well.  Next time we go we're hoping to have a longer weekend.  The problem this year was mostly money and a lack of enough days to take off.

Even though money is tight, we're considering buying the tickets early while they're on sale and going ahead and planning to go next year too.  I hope that we can.  While I can't afford going to most cons, I might be able to afford this one.  If I'm going to be serious about getting published, I really need to keep up with my connections from the writing class last year and anyone who is willing to help me on the road to success.  At the very least, I should be placing more business cards about my website around where people can see them.

I hand delivered a letter to Jim Butcher when I went to get his autograph later in the evening.  Honestly, the main reason I wanted to go (other than spending time with my sister, which I need to do more often...) was because I really wanted to meet Jim Butcher and to see the kind of person he is in reality.  My friends got to go and get his autograph about a year or two ago and I was very disappointed that I didn't get to go with them.  It seems like whenever I try to attend some sort of writing event, something unexpected comes up.  When I went to attend Neil Gaiman's writing tour, I suddenly came down with flu like symptoms and had to stay home.  I didn't want the same sort of thing to happen again.

I wrote the letter to Jim Butcher because I wanted him to know that he's one of my favorite authors and that I respect him and read all of his work.  I was also hoping that he could give me some advice on finding an agent and taking the next step in starting my career.  It occurred to me recently that I've been writing for well over five years now.  I've finished seven novels and am about halfway through three others, and I haven't had any luck finding an agent yet.  I understand that the first one that I pitched definitely wasn't ready for it, but I have to admit that I'm disappointed about the lack of interest in "Everburn" and "Blood Rain."  I really could use all the help or encouragement that I can get, so I ended the letter with, as a joke, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi.  You're my only hope."

I hope he reads the letter and I get some advice.  If any of you have any advice, please feel free to share it.  Right now, I'm just going to take the advice he gave at the panel.  I'm going to write everyday.  I'm going to find the time again, somehow.