Saturday, March 8, 2014

Off to the Races and Didn't I Promise Not to Do This Again?


It's been three months. THREE MONTHS! Three months since my last entry and my life has been so crazy I haven't had time to breathe. I promised myself last year I wouldn't overload myself and here I am again with a full head of ideas, an exhausted body recovering from a respiratory infection, and stress through the roof. Shame. Shame on me. I keep saying "no" but the responsibilities keep piling up. I'm not sure how that works.

In the good news front, I'm now one of the board members for Walrus Publishing. I'll be working in my geographic area to acquire manuscripts to take to the Board and defend to try to get them published. Basically I'll be a manuscript public defender. Hehe! If the manuscript I've supported get's accepted, I'll work with the author to get it edited/revised and in shape to be published within the timeframe of the contract from Walrus. It's exciting but daunting.

I also have an opportunity to try to get my first manuscript published. In the next few weeks I'm going to submit the first 50 pages and a synopsis to a new publisher, Simon451, and see what they think. Shot in the dark, but hey, all they can do to me is say "no." I may also submit to Pyre and Tor, too, since I've re-worked it again.

And I'm almost ready to pitch Shadow of Redemption at the Missouri Writers' Guild conference in April. I have a few more chapters to write, then I revise once more, send it to my pre-paid editor, then we'll see what the conference brings.

Contests! Did I mention contests? So many contests I'm entering lately. The WOW! Winter Flash Fiction contest, the Missouri Writers' Guild contests, and several others. Writing up a storm and excited to be sending out so much material.

The only thorn in my side is yet again I didn't make the deadline for either Clarion workshop. My pieces (again) weren't ready and I can't see spending money on a contest I know I can't win because it isn't my best work. It isn't about perfection. It's about feeling I've put my best work out there and I don't have my best work into either piece, yet. Next year. NEXT YEAR!

It's been the coldest, snowiest, iciest winter in my memory and I'm hoping the worst is over with. Although I've enjoyed the time to edit and write (and do laundry!) we're going to be going a lot more extra days at school. Trade off.

So MORE blog entries, say "no" and make sure they don't get you to do something else in a sly way, and get over that cough! 'Nuff said.

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