Yelling From Mountain Tops.

Image by: winnond@FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I am NOT having fun. I've finally sent my novella off to beta readers, and have had reasonable success formatting Chasing Monsters in order to send off to agents and publishers. Time to get on it. The first agent query went out  on the 24th.

So I decided to page through the agent and publisher section of my copy of the 2015 Writer's Market with a highlighter. I'm almost sorry I did. Talk about overwhelming and discouraging! Page upon page of people and organizations with specific requirements and discriminating tastes. Even the avant garde looks daunting. There are several pages without the telltale neon yellow of possibility.

This one only wants Canadian content. This one, only wholesome Christian content. This one only Imprints, whatever that means. No unsolicited manuscripts. No fiction. No romance. Did you know there is a publisher that deals exclusively in vampires? They don't care about the word count or genre, just as long as it has vampires. No vampires, no publishing contract.

I got such a weird feeling. I had a visual of my cartoon self climbing a mountain. (Just a smallish one. No Kilimenjaro or anything.) I stood on the top, listening to loud murmuring from the ground. I yell, "HEY!! I WRITE PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVELS!!" The noise lessens as groups of people leave. "I WRITE ANGELS, DEMONS AND GODS. PLUS REINCARNATION." It gets a little quieter. "I WRITE GRAPHIC SEX SCENES." By now, I can barely hear the voices from the Earth. "I'VE PUBLISHED TWO NOVELS, BUT I DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A PLATFORM." I'm greeted with silence.  No one out there is listening to me anymore. And I'm worried.

Now I understand the allure of self-publishing. I used to think, "Why would anyone want the hassle?" Now I know. The world of literary agents and publishing houses is an unwelcoming place.

But it isn't a reason to give up. I'm an optimist after all. I'm also an armadillo, and I will persevere.

Happy 2014

Illustration by: Ideago@FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Happy New Year! Hope your holidays went well...

Mine was filled with hordes of family and friends descending upon my house like a cheerful avalanche of hobbits seeking second breakfast. It was wonderful!

Having said that, I'm going to be glad for the ordinary routine. The chaos that is Christmas is always awesome, but it's time to get off the ride. Time to get some writing done.

New Year's Resolutions? It's all about health and well being. I need more exercise. I'm finding that the more I write, the less I get outside and get moving. Heck, I don't move much at all! The irony is, the less exercise you get, the harder it is to think. Fact. Therefore, harder to write.

I'm signing up for more belly-dancing lessons, and I'm getting back on the vegetable wagon. I'm going to designate a time in my routine to use my Wii and get my husband to teach me how to set it up.

My husband and I agree that I should get another car so I can get out more. Oddly enough, I believe I will get more exercise if I do.  I assumed that without a car, I would spend more time walking. Instead I found more excuses to stay inside. Too cold, too hot, too far. Not enough time to make the trip anyway, etc.

People make jokes about folks who drive to the gym or park to exercise and then drive back home. Why, they ask, wouldn't you just WALK there and get more exercise? Isn't that the point?

I can answer that. Say you are a large person like myself, who is in varying degrees of physical shape and healthat any given time. How far away is your park? Your gym? Have you ever found yourself kilometers from your house dehydrated, sick and exhausted only to have to turn around and go home? Been there. Not fun. Dangerously unhealthy.

At least if you find yourself sweaty and feeling ill from over extending yourself, you can get in your air-conditioned car, and go home. Or go to the store to get water. And when your energy levels are unpredictable that is a nice safety cushion to have. So there. Not everyone is an athlete with sound knowledge of their limits.

So here I am, pledging once again to reclaim my health. Lets hope I'm more successful this year than I was the last. Wish me luck!