Root & Sprout

Precipice

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:03:00 +0000

Thanks to ireadiwrite Publishing, Precipice, my first digital book, is now available for purchase. Here is the synopsis:

Julia Becker is a 25-year-old elementary school librarian living in upstate New York with her successful journalist husband, Jim. Up until the moment Jim is involved in an accident while away on business, Julia's life is comfortable, secure, and hardly exciting. While tending to Jim, however, Julia uncovers some hard truths about herself, her husband, and their marriage. And when a new teacher begins at Carson Elementary, Julia finds her allegiance to both her husband and her best friend, Kris, being put to the test.

132 pages available as PDF, $4.99

Please support me and ireadiwrite Publishing by purchasing a copy directly from the site. You can also purchase a copy from Books On Board and Amazon (available soon!). Make sure to follow me and ireadiwrite Publishing on Twitter.

THANK YOU!

Sneak Peek

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:28:00 +0000

Every so often I like to post a sneak peek of what I'm currently working on. Today, I am posting the first two paragraphs of the second-in-series (yet untitled) to (tentatively titled) The Seventh Tribe. Enjoy!

The fact that Uncle David promised to teach me to drive just as soon as we got back home from our tribal meeting, or whatever you wanted to call it, did little to excite me. Any other newly-turned sixteen-year-old girl might jump for joy or squeal with delight, or otherwise exhibit some appropriate display of enthusiasm, but I just couldn’t bring myself to think beyond the week I had to somehow first survive.

I said a long, drawn-out goodbye to Priscilla, not even daring to look her in the eye for fear I’d lose my nerve and dissolve into a puddle of tears right there on the driveway. Aunt Meg had to step in and literally pry my arms from around her neck, shove me into the backseat of the car, and then quickly close the door so I wouldn’t try to escape like an animal that’s realized it’s been caged. Priscilla would have come with us if it had been allowed, but ours was a clandestine tribe and she knew too much already. We had to keep her safe, as well as protect our secret.

This Week In Writing

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:20:00 +0000

Since passing off the first copy of The Seventh Tribe to my Shadow Readers, I've been a little . . . lazy. I've been spending my 2.5 hours of "free-time" each day reading books, catching up on blogs, spending too much time on Facebook and Twitter, and watching the first season of True Blood on DVD. As far as creative work goes, I've made a rough outline for the second-in-series to The Seventh Tribe. But that's about it.

Now that it's Monday, I'm feeling the urgency to resume my writing projects. Or maybe that urgent feeling is due to the fact I'm close to broke and could use a little gas and grocery money in my pockets. Ha ha! Just kidding! (no I'm not) And despite the fact I'm assuming the role of single mom until Wednesday night, and my kids will be home on Wednesday for Veteran's Day and again on Friday for parent/teacher conference day, I've outlined a writing goal for this week.

1. Complete assignment #2 for my creative writing course and send it on its merry way to be evaluated.

2. Write at least 5000 words of second-in-series book to The Seventh Tribe.

3. Proof Precipice for publication by ireadiwrite Publishing. DONE!

4. Complete the outline for Kimberly Cooper's story, which will eventually become my second submission to ireadiwrite Publishing. *Kimberly Cooper is Julia Clark's older sister. Julia, for those who don't know, is the main character from Precipice.*

I guess it's time to get started!

What are your writing goals for the week?

it's how i see myself

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:44:00 +0000

A few years ago, my oldest daughter, Hannah, drew this picture. And although it was meant to be her caricature, I think the drawing accurately represents how I see myself, as well as how I think others probably see me.

When I first saw it, the thing that jumped out at me was the girl's smile. It took me just a fraction of a second longer to register that Hannah had drawn devil horns and a hand to the mouth as if to indicate she's saying tee hee about some mischief or another. She looks like a nice girl, and she really is, but . . . .

only a fool would underestimate this chick.

Good News!

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:49:00 +0000

When you've decided to acknowledge writing is your passion, your calling, the very thing you were meant to do with the rest of your life, any positive step forward, no matter how small, is a victory in itself. Yesterday I received two pieces of good news.

1. Michelle Halket of ireadiwrite Publishing contacted me to let me know she'd like to represent and digitally distribute my first book, Precipice. Woo hoo! I'm quite excited about this. Over the next few weeks, my book will undergo proofing and formatting, as well as get its own cover art. After that, it will be available in e-book format for purchase.

I have to be honest in that the only reason holding me back from submitting the first installment of The Seventh Tribe to ireadiwrite Publishing is that I desperately want to hold a print copy in my hands, and Michelle publishes in digital format only. I don't write with the hope of becoming rich or famous, which is unlikely to happen anyway; I write for the enjoyment of telling a story and letting those who want to read it, read it. Most of you know I've been torn about what I should do. Here's what it boils down to: I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't try to get The Seventh Tribe published in print. I think that Michelle offers a brilliant service for writers who wish to publish, and I am happy to be working with her on Precipice. What worries me, though, is that the YA market, which is the demographic of The Seventh Tribe, might be less likely to read a digital book than one they can purchase from a bookstore. (perhaps I'm wrong!)

2. I finally persuaded my husband to begin reading the first revised copy of The Seventh Tribe. Since he had a five-hour bus ride to and from NYC yesterday, he was able to read the first eight chapters (of 21, plus epilogue). He said, with a hint of surprise in his voice, "It's actually pretty good. It reads well, and I like it better than anything Stephenie Meyer has written." *I love the Twilight saga, as well as The Host, but my husband finds the storyline a little too syrupy for his taste. He's a guy. Whaddya expect? He's yet to read Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, which I think are the best anyhow.*

Despite the demographic of The Seventh Tribe being teenage girls aged 13-18, I think having a man's perspective is an asset. Already he's raised an interesting character question that has forced me to consult with my other Shadow Readers. This book has got a long way to go yet!

on being edited

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:01:00 +0000

My good friend, Lauren, is in the process of reading the (first) revised copy of The Seventh Tribe. I am thrilled to have Lauren reading for me, because we are a lot alike. In other words, we are both picky people, and I know she will be generous with her feedback. However, there is a small part of me that's worried about what Lauren will say about my creative work . . . my baby. No one likes to be criticized, after all, even if the intentions are good. Also, I think Lauren is a little concerned she might hurt my feelings. But I would rather this first round of constructive criticism come from people who are genuinely supportive of my seeing The Seventh Tribe get published and who have my best interests at heart than someone who really couldn't care less.

However, I think there is a clear distinction between giving feedback versus trying to rewrite a story as to how YOU, the reader, think it should be written. Lauren ~ that statement is NOT directed at you. Trust me. :-) I could pick up just about any book I've read and mark it up one margin and down the next with changes that I think might make the story better. Typos and clarification of ideas are one thing, but trying to make changes to a writer's particular style and voice is another. Personally, I think that's a big no-no. Either you like a writer's style, or you don't.

When I was writing The Seventh Tribe, I was writing from the perspective of a fifteen-year-old girl who is insecure, somewhat of a loner, and a little suspicious and distrustful of others. Most people see Sarah as quiet and unassuming, but she walks around with a chip on her shoulder. It's not a big chip, but she's the type of person who has the potential of exploding if provoked. Ahem. By the end of the story, she's finally reached a point where she is allowing other people besides her aunt and uncle to penetrate the bubble in which she's been living her entire life.

There were many times as I was writing the story that I tried to infuse a voice that was way more mature than what Sarah ultimately is at this point, and it just didn't work. When you're thirty-two, it's not always easy to remember what you were like when you were fifteen. How does a fifteen year old act? How does she react? What does she say? It's not me telling the story, after all; it's Sarah. In short, I think there is a fair amount of acting a writer must do when assuming the role of one (or all) of her characters.

But back to being edited. It's not enjoyable, but it's necessary. If you can have a fresh set of eyes and a mind that isn't cluttered with all the extraneous details of your story look over your work for you, I highly recommend it.

We'll see if I'm singing the same tune once each of my Shadow Readers returns their manuscripts to me and I have to wade through all the red ink. ;-)

A Year Ago

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:42:00 +0000

The process of writing a book seems to take forever when you're in the midst of doing so. But when I stop and think about it, it was just a year ago this month that I began writing my first book, Precipice.

Although the 61,000-word love story of Julia, Jim, Kris, and Wes was never meant to see the light of day, one of my good friends urged me to, at the very least, self-publish. After eight long months of writing a little bit here and there, I published the story on Lulu and sold TEN whole copies (snigger), receiving positive feedback from almost everyone. *I'm assuming my friends who bought the book and didn't give me their feedback thought little of the story but are far too kind to say as much.* But then I revised the manuscript this past weekend and sent the "cleaned-up" version to ireadiwrite Publishing, from whom I'm still waiting to hear. *fingers crossed*

In July, while I was still editing Precipice, I went outside before the onset of a storm to cover the kids' sandbox, and the sound of the summer wind blowing through the trees planted the seed for my second book, The Seventh Tribe, a YA story in which 15-year-old Sarah Guthrie discovers she belongs to a mysterious and very magical tribe of the Iroquois. In the book, not only must Sarah contend with being the only Native American at her upstate school, where she is deemed a "freak" and subjected to the taunts and teases of her sophomore classmates, she also has to deal with the added pressures of being an outcast within her own tribe. The Seventh Tribe is the first-in-series of what I hope to be at least a three-book deal. (I know - I'm getting far ahead of myself here.)

I finished the first copy of The Seventh Tribe in just three months, writing exactly 81,300 words. Hard copies of the book are now in the hands of my trusted Shadow Readers, and their goal is to help point out typos, inconsistencies, short-comings and, generally, anything bad about the story. I've given them until December 15th to deliver the story back to me, and then I will sit down and revise yet again.

Until then, I'm working on the outline for the second-in-series to The Seventh Tribe.

Not bad for a year's worth of work!

Awesome Resources And Advice From The People In The Know

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:56:00 +0000

The following are some of the resources I've used to guide me in the writing and publication process. This list is updated frequently.

How To Find A Literary Agent, by Nathan Bransford

How to Get an Agent's Attention, by Lisa Katzenberger

Query Letter Mad Lib, by Nathan Bransford

"20 Tips on Query Letters," as Told by Agent Janet Reid

What Should You Write in the Bio Paragraph of a Query Letter?, by Chuck Sambuchino

The Essential Parts of a Novel Synopsis, by Chuck Sambuchino

Formatting Your Manuscript, by Nathan Bransford

Agents who represent YA:
Nathan Bransford

Sara Crowe
Gwendolyn Heasley
Amy Tipton

FYI

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:08:00 +0000

Things might look a little strange or wonky as I fiddle around a bit. Please be patient!

S-E-X Scenes

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:29:00 +0000

I was remarking to my husband just now that this day has been the first of many in which I have not been busy with working on editing or writing for one project or another. I actually have nothing to do but relax.

To be frank, I feel at a loss as to what to do with myself. Although it feels good to sit here on the couch with the laptop perched (where else but?) on my lap while sipping a cold beer and listening to my New Moon soundtrack, it also feels incredibly strange not having a creative project to work on. Everything is in limbo at the moment as I wait for my Shadow Readers to finish with the revised copy of The Seventh Tribe and I wait to hear from ireadiwrite Publishing about Precipice.

"If I had Dead Until Dark, I'd start reading that series again," I lamented, standing in front of the bookshelf with my hands on my hips.

"Where is it?" asked my husband, half-heartedly turning his attention away from the football game.

"I gave it to Lauren to read, and she's just finished it." Lauren is my good friend, and we frequently trade books. "You know what she said to me?" I chuckled.

"What?"

"That Charlaine Harris knows how to write a good sex scene. I told her she hasn't even gotten to the best of them yet, though." (those who've read the series know which one I'm talking about)

"Oh yeah?" he asked. "I think I would like that series better than Twilight then."

"You definitely would. But Charlaine Harris is writing for a more adult audience anyway." I've often wondered if Stephenie Meyer ever wrote a steamy, graphic love scene for Edward and Bella, just for the Hell of it. I think I would have to, if only to get it out of my system.

"So who do you think could write a better sex scene: you or me?" he asked.

"Me, of course."

"Really?" He seemed genuinely surprised.

"Really," I said. Really.

I've long had this desire to write a trashy novel full of explicit sex, and I'm not exactly sure why. And I'm not talking about sex disguised as innuendos and allusions. Writing about sex in a provocative way without becoming borderline pornographic isn't an easy thing to do, though. I've tried it.

When I was writing a specific scene for two of the characters in Precipice, I made a lot of allusions as to what they were doing together. But when I was revising the story this weekend, I felt the scene wasn't as exciting as it could be, and so I set to heating things up a bit for them. I can't tell you how many times I scratched through my notes and revised the scene. Either it was too risque for the overall story, or my descriptions sounded too . . . cheesy. Hopefully I got it right in the end. I've read and reread it so many times, I feel somewhat desensitized to the whole thing now.

Hey Nova - you'll have to tell me if it does anything for you this time around! ;-)

Going Digital (again)

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:44:00 +0000

I spent the weekend revising, and revising yet again, my first e-book, Precipice, so that I could submit it to ireadiwrite Publishing. I've just sent my file on its way and should hear in about a week whether or not they wish to represent it.

The changes I've made to the story are minor copy edits, with the exception of one scene, which I've embellished only slightly. Although the heart of the story has not changed one iota, I would be happy to send a revised copy to those few who have purchased it from the Lulu website.

Please note that you will receive a file, not a PDF copy, and that I expect you to honor and protect my copyright. You may not, in any way, publish or distribute any part of my book without my permission.

I pretty much know who has purchased a copy of my book. However, if you did not tell me you purchased a copy and would like the revised file, please send me proof of purchase.

Thanks!

My Littlest Fan

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Thanks to my Shadow Reader, Debbie, for letting me post this picture of her daughter, Peanut, "reading" Book #2 (tentatively titled, The Seventh Tribe).

just a nice, little work of chick-lit

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:17:00 +0000

My shadow readers now have actual copies of The Seventh Tribe in their hot little hands, and I'm just sitting comfortably and doing nothing as I wait for their feedback.

Yeah right!

I'm in the process of revising (yet again) my first e-book, Precipice, in preparation of submitting it to ireadiwrite Publishing. It's just a nice, little work of chick-lit that I'm combing through one last time to correct for typos. What I am not doing is changing or adding to the plot in any way, so those of you who have purchased the book can rest assured that I am not ripping you off by trying to get you to buy another copy.

I have to be honest. I was afraid to read Precipice again for fear I might hate it, but just the opposite has happened. I've fallen in love with my characters all over again. At just over 61,000 words (still a good 20,000 less than The Seventh Tribe), I think I've done a pretty good job of telling Julia's story of having to choose between her own morality and giving in to temptation.

Here's the preface:

“I’ve been trying to convince myself since the first time we met not to go down this path,” he started, “but I just don’t know if I can restrain myself any longer.”

I took a deep breath in anticipation of what he was about to say next, knowing I was balancing on the precipice of a great betrayal. From where I stood, the feeling was new, a little terrifying, and completely exhilarating.

“Wes,” I interrupted, before he could continue, “you know I can’t.” My mouth spoke the words, but my heart and body were screaming something else entirely different.

“You can,” he whispered seductively . . .

Have you ever found yourself in that same scenario? Okay, maybe not that exact scenario, but a similar one? Mine is usually my husband telling me I can indulge in another piece of cake and me saying you know I can't, and him saying, you can. Let me just say, I have NO willpower over sweets, so it doesn't take a lot of urging on his part to get me to cave.

I've often wondered what I would do if I were Julia. And the truth is . . . I don't know. But, don't judge Julia without first reading her story. And certainly don't judge me, the storyteller!

In other news, I'm putting the finishing touches on creative writing assignment #2 for my writing course, a (no more than) 1000-word middle-grade short story. After coming off of a 80,000+ word manuscript, writing a complete story in less than 1000 words was not the easiest thing for me to do.

PS - Nova has asked a good question on her blog. Does writing make you a writer?

and here we go again

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:04:00 +0000

The other night, I had a dream that one of my shadow readers, Nova, was right pissed at me and seriously giving me the "what for" because of the fair amount of whining and complaining I was doing. Me? Whine and complain? Oh, surely not. But 'twas true, and Nova didn't like it one bit.

The reason why I was all in a dither was because I was having second thoughts about following the traditional route to publishing where I spend a year trying to find an agent and publisher and, if I do happen to find one, spend another year revising until I end up with a story that wasn't really mine to begin with.

Nova was yelling at me, "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST MAKE UP YOUR MIND?!" And I'll tell you why: Because I am still trying to decide what is most important to me.

Do I write because I love writing? Certainly. Do I write because I want to be published? Only to some extent. But I'll tell you this, the more agent and agent assistant and publisher and published author blogs I read, the more I have my doubts about wanting to pursue traditional publishing. It's not that I don't have the guts to pursue the glory; it's that they, to some extent, seem to diminish the joy of writing. I don't want to grow to resent or become frustrated with what I do. I want to love it every step of the way.

I've been following Michelle Halket on Twitter. She is the creative director of ireadiwrite Publishing, which is a small, but growing, digital press. Michelle first contacted me this summer right before I completed and self-published my first book, a chick-lit romance called Precipice. She wanted me to submit it to her for possible publication, but I ended up publishing on Lulu, instead.

The reason why I didn't submit Precipice to Michelle is that I wasn't prepared for it to be rejected. Lulu felt safe to me, because nothing ever gets rejected there. Now that Book #2, whose title I'm still unsure about, is in the hands of my shadow readers until mid-December, I've decided to revise Precipice (again) and submit it to Michelle. And hopefully she'll like it enough to publish it on her press.

There's been this little voice in my head and an ever-present feeling in my heart that says I should submit Book #2 to Michelle, too. Book #2 is not the end of Sarah Guthrie's story; she has at least two more books worth of her life to share, and I feel quite strongly about writing them on her behalf.

Some people might think I'm giving up before I even get started, but I don't see it that way. I'm just trying to enjoy the process of writing and being creative as best I know how.

what 81,300 words look like

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Book #2, after the first revision:

Now to hand out copies to my shadow readers for them to mark up. And then I can start the revision process again.

Oh my . . .

reassurances

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:17:00 +0000

Yesterday I was having doubts about whether or not Book #2 would ever make it to the shelf of any major book store. A few of my Facebook friends chimed in with their reassurances. Whenever I'm faced with those doubts again, I'll just refer back to this post.

"YES, you can do it. And, if one rejects it (or 5 or ten) the smart one will take it. Then the others will kick themselves later. :-) There is no failure in putting your book and yourself all the way out there.

In fact, that is an awesome achievement!"

"Go out to a book store and start poking at the shelves. A lot of bad books out there, huh? Realize that the crap on the shelf, the crap your book kicks the butt of, is the BEST those editors saw. Pathetic, isn't it?

Chances are you won't get published on your frist try. Or second. Or maybe even 10th. But with each try, you'll get one step closer. Maybe the book will need more revising later. Maybe it'll need a different marketing strategy, but keep trying. It might not come on your 6th try, but certainly before your 60th. And if not on your 60th, then on your 600th. And if not on your 600th, then... well, then yea, you may want to hang up your writing pencil and take up something else. But don't fret! You'll be published way before that."

"Are you crazy?! (JK) I can totally relate to your fears and doubts. And, they are just that... fears and doubts and not reality. It is a story you tell yourself to keep yourself from stepping out and taking a risk. If ever you need a good butt kicking, let me know! : ) Seriously, I may have some great resources and people you can connect with when you are ready."

"Yes, you can! But, you're bound to feel that way as you near the end of your edit! You may be biased (who isn't?), but you're also a good writer, Melissa. So, take that deep breath--and another one if you need it--and then get on with the project. The worst that can happen is that the first publisher will say No, in which case you can simply move on to the next one. Your faith in your own ability as a writer will give you the perseverance you need to keep trying till you succeed."

crazy writer dreams

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:44:00 +0000

I spent most of yesterday (Saturday) editing Book #2. Four chapters done. Five, maybe? I don't know; I lost count. All I know is it was a lot of time invested and a lot of words read through again. In a way, it felt strange to rediscover parts of my own story I'd forgotten about. How many months have I been working on this book?

Whenever I've immersed myself in my work to that extent, though, I always have crazy dreams as a result. But the strange this is, I didn't dream about my own book or characters last night (and I wouldn't have minded at all dreaming about Adrian). I actually dreamed about Stephenie Meyer's female vampire, Jane, of the Italian Volturi family.

My husband is currently reading New Moon. Why? So he is familiar with the story line when he sees the movie in the theater with me come November. He's just awesome to humor me like that anyway. Although . . . . the fact I agreed to learn a few guitar chords might have been what sealed the deal, now that I think about it.

So the first part of my dream entails my husband clapping the New Moon book shut rather dramatic-like. He looks at me, and I see tears streaming down his face. He's bawling.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing's wrong," he says, choking on his words. "It's just that New Moon is the best book I've ever read in my entire life!"

And then he proceeds to cry and cry and cry like a big old baby while I stand aside and laugh at his nonsense.

But then my husband disappears, as dream people often do, and someone else appears in his place. It is Michael Angarano, which is a coincidence since he is Kristen Stewart's real-life squeeze, or he supposedly used to be (I don't keep up with these things. Okay, that's a lie.), and the fact he happened to crop up in my dream was just a little freaky. But I wasn't really even paying him much attention. He was just there.

So the doorbell rings. I answer it and am totally shocked to see Jane standing on the other side. Actually, I was scared shitless that she was going to stare me down and cause me to fall to the floor and writhe in agony, as is her specialty, so I tried not to make eye contact with her. But all she wanted to know was if she could come inside and take a bath in my tub.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I haven't had one in so long," she says.

"Then how do you clean yourself?" I wonder.

"Like this," she says, and she proceeds to lick her arm, demonstrating how she grooms herself like a cat.

Appalled, and feeling sorry for her, I drag her inside and let her have a go in my tub.

Then my dream sequence cuts to Jane spotting my Honda minivan, and she's like, "Oh cool! Can I drive it?"

So in we go, the three of us (Michael is still in the dream, too). Jane drives us around Ithaca, giving me a tour of the town even though, hello . . . it's my hometown and not yours, Jane. We drive past Cornell where she points to one of the buildings my youngest likes to refer to as Harry Potter's castle (it's a dorm anyway), and Jane informs me Cornell actually belongs to the Volturi.

Huh. Nice to know.

Then I hear a distant: "MOMMY?! MOMMY?!"

And I wake up. It's 6AM.

For some reason, I haven't been able to forget about this dream all day long.

I won't tell you the part about Michael and me making out; it's not important. And it was quite unsatisfactory. I don't even think he's cute, anyway. I definitely sway towards the vampires. With maybe a werewolf on the side. Gah. Why couldn't I have been making out with one of them?

;-)

PS - I got the New Moon soundtrack today, and this is my favorite song:

The First Hit

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:21:00 +0000

I've suffered the first hit to my self-esteem. The already shaky confidence I have in my ability to entertain with my words is leaning a little more to the side, threatening to fall over completely and mess the floor.

It would appear I am not a finalist.

With over 2000 entries, I wasn't holding my breath.

But I was hoping.

The finalists' first paragraphs are awesome, and I'm happy for them.

No really, I am.

Seriously.

Excuse me while I call my husband and tell him to pick up a case of beer and a package of Oreo's.

Chapter 10 Tease

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:49:00 +0000

I'm nearly halfway done with the first go-round of my manuscript revisions. In the meantime, here's a little tease. Fifteen-year-old Sarah Guthrie is on her way to school when she is stopped by her new neighbor, Adrian:

He smiled at me, his straight, white teeth gleaming. He was like the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. As dangerous as I thought him to be, there was also something very inviting about him, too.

“Come on,” he coaxed. “Just get in the car with me.”

future storyteller

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:10:00 +0000

I opened up my oldest daughter's homework folder to find the following two sentences scrawled on a piece of composition paper:

You don't know what I'm capable of. I'm not like other people you know.

She claims this is for a writing assignment. I mean, I hope she's telling the truth and that I don't have a closet bully on my hands. But if it is for a writing assignment, I think it's bloody brilliant for a 10 year old.

It would make a great opening of a book.

open-door policy

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:42:00 +0000

When I was but a young woman of twenty, I worked as a teller for a bank in the Midwest. Aside from my brief stints as a cashier for one or another drug store or grocery chains, being a bank teller was one of the most awful jobs I've ever had. I got along great with my co-workers, but I hated (most) of the customers. They were rude, and they were smelly. And the guys were a little too forward, if you know what I mean. Oh, and we got robbed once. But that's not the point, though.

The point is is that my boss, who was altogether an okay guy, but who couldn't have been wound any tighter had he had an actual spring up his butt, made a habit of hiding out in his office with the door closed. Needless to say, it irritated me.

But now I'm compelled to apologize to my former bank manager and say, I understand. Closing your door wasn't always the right thing to do, but I understand.

I have my own home office. Before you get all jealous because I've an entire 10 feet by 10 feet in which to work, versus being crammed into a corner of the living room, I should point out that I also share this space with my three children. My office might very well be one of the most disorganized and un-feng shui rooms in the house. But none of that really matters when I am prattling away in the confines of my mind, which is only a little less of a disaster than my physical space.

Anyway, I've always sort of laughed at those work-from-home gurus who advise us work-from-home parents to close our office doors when we need a little quiet time to be productive. I've even read that I should hang a 'Busy' sign on the outside of my door. However, the very reason why I chose to be a work-from-home parent (albeit one who's not actually making any money at the moment) was so that I could be home and available to my kids.

For approximately 2.5 hours every Tuesday through Friday, I have the house to myself in which to feverishly write and edit. One of these days, I hope to see the actual fruits of my labors. Until then, I'm content to toil away in the metaphorical dirt. For the remaining hours of my day, however, my time is split between being a mom, wife, teacher, chauffeur, cook, maid, and all the etc's. I stand at the ready to assume any number of professions and, as time allows, I sneak into my messy office space to write a sentence or edit a paragraph.

I'd be tempted to close my door, if it would only shut all the way. I'd even be tempted to lock it, if only it had a lock, because no sooner does the flesh of my derrière hit the seat and I am being summoned for one thing or another. I grit my teeth, I grouse a bit, and I occasionally give my kids and husband that look when I've reached my daily quota of interruptions.

But even if I could close and lock my door, I wouldn't. I made a silent promise to my kids that I would always be available to them should they need me. And nothing could be more the opposite of that promise than shutting the door in their faces.

If entering a contest makes me want to vomit . . .

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:24:00 +0000

. . . how will I ever cope with sending out queries?

Nathan Bransford, literary agent, is holding The 3rd Sort-of-Annual Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge. It's pretty straight forward, really. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on his post with the first paragraph of your current WIP. Here's mine from Book #2:

I was a fifteen-year-old freak. At least that’s what my fellow sophomore classmates, and possibly the rest of the entire student body, thought of me at Fingerlakes High School.

You might not think it's much of an opening paragraph, but it's how Sarah begins her story. So who am I, a mere recorder of stories, to argue with how she wishes to proceed?

In any event, there were 391 entries last I checked.

Cripes.

revisions

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:37:00 +0000

I can't help but cringe as I revise the earlier chapters of Book #2. Now that I'm privy to the story's ending, I've had to cut and rearrange my words to support it. There are glaring mistakes, and I can see at which points the plot began to diverge from the original idea.

Even though I had a general outline for Book #2, the story and characters took on a life of their own. Everything that happened in the book happened rather organically. Also, I can see how my writing . . . matured through the course of the book, my skills getting just a little bit better (in my opinion). But I wonder . . .

If I were to pick up the story in another few months and read it through, would I still think it a good story? Or would I just laugh and toss it in the fire?

Each day is a struggle to put one foot in front of the other. I'm constantly having to convince myself that maybe, just maybe, my dream of being a published author is not so far-fetched.

But I guess it's still too early to know for sure . . . .

at least i'm not a jerkwad

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:48:00 +0000

Reading posts like this scares the cr@p out of me.

Good thing I'm not a pretentious jerkwad.

And, considering I couldn't even manage to graduate from community college and I've never published anything of significance, does that mean I have a leg-up on the competition?

The high of having finished the first draft of Book #2 is gone.

My hands are shaking.

I need a drink.

in labor

woolgatherings@gmail.com (Melissa) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:45:00 +0000

I am DONE with Book #2!!

sort of . . .

Now to begin the arduous task of revising.

One of my friends said that now I am done with my "pregnancy," I've entered the first stages of labor.

Labor, indeed.

So, let's all take a deep, cleansing breath and get ready to wait.

Hopefully this won't take long.