Me on Writers Who Aren't Published Yet

because i am one, like a lot of you.

sometimes i feel left out in the writing community because i'm not published yet. i'm working away on my laptop in an attempt to write something interesting and different and exciting that will one day find me an agent, an editor, a publisher, and readers.

i love writers/authors who talk about what it was like when they were writing their first book, or their second (or in the case of me, my fourth), because it makes them sound human. it's nice to know they were once me, all full of hopes and dreams and novel ideas they hope aren't complete garbage.

i really hope mine isn't complete garbage.

a couple years ago, when i was hoping it would be easy to be a writer after i finished university, i was listening to The Writing Show with Paula B (http://www.writingshow.com/index.html). i will admit, i didn't listen to all of the episodes, but i listened to the 'Getting Published' series of episodes that featured Paula talking to someone who was writing something they hoped would find them an agent and get them published, especially the ones with Mark Leslie (http://www.markleslie.blogspot.com).

he's Canadian and he was working on a werewolf novel: my attention was totally grabbed.

i loved the episodes with Mark because he was writing while dealing with a day job and a family and all the other ways that life can get in the way of writing a novel.

i want more of this. i want more people trying to make it as a writer talking about how they're trying to make it as a writer. i want more acknowledgment to people who aren't there yet but want to be so much. i want to see more blogs by book reviewers and how-to-write people about the not-there-yets, the people who are writers but not published authors.

i'm still a writer, i'll always be a writer, even if it never works out. i hope it does, i really think the novel i'm working on will be a good one, but i'm still working on it. i'm barely halfway through my first draft.

this is for all the aspiring writers, because you're out there, working hard every day, writing as much as you can in the little gaps of time you're given.

and because you're out there, i want your thoughts.

i want you to talk about what it's like as an aspiring writer, unsigned, unpublished, and not yet ready to throw your novel into the giant slush pile that's out there waiting.

you could do at your own blog, or comment here, or talk about it on Twitter. whatever you prefer.

it would be an interesting thing to do as a podcast. hmmm. *pulling on my thinking hat*

now, i'm going to go write as much as i can for the next hour. it's almost time for bed.

Me on What I'm Doing With My Life

so, it's all official and stuff. i'm now the proud owner of a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in English from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

is it wrong that i'm a bit panicky??

i feel kinda old, like i should have a totally solid life plan and stuff, but i don't. i barely have a job right now.

well, i kinda figured that i'd take the summer to think about what i wanted to do and look into some things, so i'm not totally worried at the moment. i guess in August i will be, but not now.

so, for the moment, i'm taking things one day at a time, trying to write every day (even if it sucks, because then i'm still writing something), and doing things around the house so it looks like i'm being productive.

and now, because i'm fun (i am, i promise :D), here is the latest info on my work in progress.

i'm still working on it, and i'm still enjoying it, which is good. you need to enjoy what you're writing. i keep thinking of bits to add, to takeaway, to edit and fiddle with, but i'm trying to move forward and write down what i want to fix so i can go back later and edit it.

the fact that i want to go back and edit it to make it better is a good sign. it means i'm taking it seriously, that whatever i write first isn't always the best. the hard part comes when i have to decide what needs fixing and what doesn't.

i thought up a good plot twist the other week, and i'll have to do some editing to work it in a bit more, but i think it'll be a good twist. i like it. it makes the whole book seem kind of MC in the dark and sneaky.

i do think i'll need beta readers, but not until i finish this first draft, and the second, and the third, and maybe a fourth, but i'm not sure. three drafts before beta readers/critiquers sounds okay to me.

i can only hope that by the time i query agents, they're still interested in werewolf MC struggling to figure out who she is coming of age YA novels with a romance subplot but it's not the main plot.

*crossing my fingers*

Me on Trying to Break the Writing Block

me: *looking over at Sam sitting next to me on my nest of blankets on the floor of my bedroom* dude.

Sam: *looking down at one hand while chewing on the fingernails of the other* what?

me: where've you been? it's been two weeks since i've written anything that wasn't a typo fix or a line added on to the previous scene that might make sense.

Sam: i'm not the one writing this, you know. you are. aren't you supposed to be able to get past these dry spells?

me: not if i don't know what's going on. did you ever have that talk with your mom?

Sam: *glares at me from her spot next to me, still chewing on her nails*

me: you ever think she would've been happier if when your dad died she died, too??

Sam: are you asking me if i think Mom's suicidal??

me: not really. like, if they'd died in the same accident.

Sam: *looking out the window* well, she wouldn't be in the giant depressing hole she's in now. i don't know. for all i know, i would've gone nuts without her after Dad died. you thinking of killing her off??

me: *glancing off into the opposite corner* it's crossed my mind.

Sam: you think it would make for a better story?? there are a lot of single parent family deals out there, like that Hush, Hush book. Nora's dad died, too.

me: yeah, but from what the summary of the next book says, there might've been a reason for that. i don't think someone wanted your dad killed. not even your grandparents.

Sam: *scoffs*

me: no, really. sure, they're manipulative jerks and need to get the sticks out of their butts, but he was still the prodigal son and everything.

Sam: and now i'm the prodigal granddaughter.

me: sorry about that.

Sam: *waves it off* so.

me: so. *giant pause while i try to find a better song to listen to* do you like the title i came up with??

Sam: yeah, even if you did steal it from that song.

me: it's not stealing if i say where i got it, like when i wrote all those papers and had to quote sources.

Sam: *fake snoring sound*

me: *giving her a dirty look* bitch.

Sam: damn right. *nibbles on her thumbnail* what're you going to do?

me: something. i need this scene, even if i haven't quite figured out your mother's state of mind and motivation and all that crap. and my butt's falling asleep.

Sam: sit on the bed.

me: *waving it off* nah. *sighing* why can't the first draft be perfect?? i've got craploads of edit ideas.

Sam: you're the writer, not me.

me: i hate you.

Sam: then why're you writing about me?

me: self-torture??

Sam: *chuckling* probably. *makes a face* i don't like this song.

me: *glancing over at her* it's not your song, is it?? so, deal with it. i could make you end up with Gabe.

Sam: *cringing* i'd have to scrape off the slime every morning.

me: yeah. sometimes i wish you liked him a little more, like you'd shoved him right into the friend zone instead of the don't like him zone. would've been interesting.

Sam: *drilling her finger into my shoulder* edits.

me: maybe. i don't like him, either. it's kinda hard to make you sort of like him.

Sam: make me?? *giving me a look*

me: you know what i mean. *looking at Sam out of the corner of my eye* you just want to pump me for info about Jack.

Sam: *turns her face away after i catch a glimpse of her blush* you're the one who's got him talking to me.

me: that's cause he wants to. why else do you think he asked about that project thing?

Sam: *shrugging* is his mom going to hate me?

me: hate you? no.

Sam: *glancing out from under her lashes to look at me* but?

me: but what? *rolling my eyes when i get what she's asking* oh, i don't know yet. look, dude, you're like if Romeo and Juliet had a kid. the purists from both sides see you as a smack in the face. not everyone's going to like you. besides, i thought you didn't care.

Sam: *making a growling noise* i don't. i just don't want the whispers to continue.

me: me, too.

Sam: it's not fair to Mom. maybe it would be better if they'd both died in some kind of accident.

me: then everything would get dumped on your shoulders, you know, and then i'd have to come up with some cousin or aunt or uncle, and i'd have to re-write a bunch of stuff before i could continue. i hate making big changes when it's still a work in progress.

Sam: i know, and you've written that intro chapter like, 4 times already.

me: i'm going to do it this way, and when it's done i'll see if i like it with your mom there. if i don't, then i'll change it.

Sam: *nodding while we both sit there as the song changes* is it still raining out there?

me: don't think so.

Sam: darn. i like the rain.

me: me too.

Sam: *reaches up to fiddle with the ring on her necklace* am i going to change soon?

me: soon. i have to write everything in order.

Sam: cause you're neurotic and anal-retentive that way??

me: pretty much. i know what i want to happen. i think i'm better off writing what i want to happen without caring about word count, even though it's hard not to care. then, when all the basic stuff is done, i can fill in the little gaps and do the edits i want to do.

Sam: is everyone going to be the same in the edits?

me: *sighing* i don't know. Evie's good at being normal. you need normal.

Sam: yeah. could you kill off Morgan?

me: no.

Sam: why not?

me: because if you want a sequel, Morgan probably should exist. i don't think she'll be around a lot, except for an argument or two, and then that big fight at the end.

Sam: *nodding* that'll be fun.

me: yup. *looks outside while both of us don't say anything for a minute or two* you think you're ready to talk to your mom now?

Sam: if you turn on the light and sit on the bed. and get rid of that song. it sucks.

me: *sighing* i'll get rid of the song, okay?

Sam: deal. should we do that spitting in the palm handshake thing?

me: no. eww.