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When I was a kid (probably middle school age), I bought this postcard at my local Hallmark store. It was so pretty and magical, I just fell in love with it. I still have it, framed, and keep it on my writing desk. I've studied it over the years and tried to figure out what exactly made me love it so much. Not only is it very charming visually, but the sentiment makes a lot of sense to me.
I generally am a pessimistic person. I try not to be but I've been that way all my adult life. This querying process doesn't help my "glass-half-empty-ness" so I'm trying to find little gems of optimism where I can. This postcard is one of them.
If I want my dreams (of becoming a published author or any of my dreams) to come true I have to nourish them and put work in on them and not just expect them to happen. Sure, I've written two novels now. That was relatively easy. It's THIS part, the getting noticed and getting represented part, that seems to be the challenge. I can't just abandon all that I've done because I keep getting rejections. Some day I may just get a YES! It just takes one, after all!
Working on more editing for SHADOW GIRL. Just got through with Chapter 6. I've edited SG a couple times already but have always find more mistakes each time I read through. I want to get through at least page 50 (which will probably be around Chapter 10 if I remember correctly) this weekend. Several of the agents I want to query want the first 50 pages sent in with the initial query.
Also need to get that synopsis done. Why is that so hard for me? I just need to sit down and WRITE IT!! It's like an annoying monkey on my back right now. I could easily just DO IT and get it off my back but...I'm procrastinating. Will send more queries this coming weekend too :) Definitely need to!
Thinking about starting a cookbook project. I love to cook and, frankly, am pretty darn good at it :) I love to make up my own dishes and alter existing ones. As a vegan I'd love to do something to "spread the word" about all the fabulous, tasty, healthy (and easy) foods one can eat while causing no/minimal harm to animals, the environment, and themselves.
A cookbook isn't exactly a "paranormal romance" but hey...might be fun to do. This would definitley be a long-long-long term project as I'd have to do a ton of experimenting and food testing. Still, might be something cool to explore.
Just an update for my two blog readers (ha ha ha!) Sent out three more queries today. That is a total of 34 sent so far. I've heard back from 14 agents (with 14 rejections) but onward I go. I'm thinking it may be time to rewrite the query letter. I'll suffer through a few more rejections and then revisit it. "Life" seems to be sucking up most of my energy right now and I'm in a bit of a writer's funk. Need someone to cattle prod me! More soon!
Just reporting in on my progress since last time my last post (where I ranted about my germophobic issues and book-buying obsession.) I sent out six more queries today which, for some reason, always makes me feel very hopeful. I realize that 99% of these (if not 100%) will meet with rejection but I just have to remember that IT ONLYTAKES ONE YES to make my dreams come true. Yes, I know that the query process is a trial. Getting an agent to read my book is just the beginning. However, I'd like to at least have a chance at that. Wish me luck as I continue to send more...
You're probably saying, "Well, duh!" I know...here I am...former middle school Language Arts teacher, current school librarian, and wannabe writer. Of course I love books! I just sometimes get overwhelmed a bit by my (dare I say "unhealthy?") obsession with books.
In case you didn't know I happen to be a bit of a germophobe. This characteristic of mine results in an insane amount of handwashing and an inability to check out a library book. Yes, I realize I'm a librarian. I don't check out library books, however, unless they have JUST come into my schools' libraries from a new book order and I am the first one to check them out. (I will allow myself to check out audio books, which is strange but I guess that is because I don't touch the cd case that often, just to change disks. A book, however, requires constant touching. Then with those icky germs on them? Gack! This girl just can't hack it!)
So, since I love books so much I buy a butt-load of them. I'm doing my part to make sure Barnes and Noble and Borders stay in business (although Borders isn't doing too hot right now, are they?) With every pay check I get I either place a book order or take a trip to a book store. My personal home library (which I've cataloged using Delicious Library software) is now close to 2200 books (and counting.) I'm quite the book hoarder and it's a point of pride for me when someone walks into my house, sees my library and says, "Wow, this is the coolest room!"
The problem I just realized today is that when searching for a specific book online, say at BN.COM or Amazon, I find that title and then end up following the "you may also like" links to the others, throwing several of them into my shopping cart as well. I don't know when to stop! I accrue books faster then I can read them and this is creating a bit of a literary bottleneck in my brain. For instance, I always have at least one or two ficiton books going...usual something paranormal, often something teen-y. I also have one, sometimes two audio books going. Lately, I've been trying to have a non-fiction book going at the same time. I've never been a non-fic fan and always found it hard to focus on non-fic when I was a student. I do realize the great knowledge building potential of non-fic though, so I'm trying to expand my mind.
One of my areas of personal interest is veganism/animal rights. Reading about these topics makes me feel good (although the animal rights stuff can be depressing when you look at some of the horrible situations animals are put in...hence the reason I'm now a vegan. But I digress.) I was on a blog today that I visit often (www.thekindlife.com) and they were discussing starting a book club. I thought, "What fun! I'll start right away!" The book they suggested is called (pardon the crude title) MEAT IS FOR PUSSIES. This drove me to BN.COM to look for the book, which is in led me to find three others that looked fabulous, all on the same topic. EATING ANIMALS, YOGA AND VEGETARIANISM, and THE WORLD PEACE DIET. I held myself back and did NOT order them yet as, frankly, I should wait for my next paycheck because I need to get some necessities first (gas, groceries, books from the Scholastic Book Fair I'm hosting at my junior high next week ;P) but I'm sure these four books will be added to the Darr library any time now.
Why am I telling you this? I don't know. Sometimes it helps me clarify my thoughts by ranting in writing. I'm curious if other book lovers are as big of suckers as I am or do I just lack self-control? I've typically been weak my whole adult life in that if I want something I buy it. In recent years, books have been my main drug of choice. IF ONLY I COULD CHECK OUT A LIBRARY BOOK!! What's cheaper, do you think? My book buying habits or intensive psychotherapy?
I just had an idea for another project I could start. A book about "true" ghost stories, possibly ones around the area where I live. A friend of mine (thank you Linda!) was telling me about this book she is reading called CLEVELAND GHOSTS. (She reads a lot of books like this, which, in my opinion, is uber-cool of her :P). Inside this book was a bookmark from Schiffer Publishing advertising that they were looking for authors to write books about local ghost stories. I looked up the website, saw their information, and now a seed has been planted in my silly brain!
I'm a big believer in the paranormal and have had plenty of personal experiences with "things that go bump in the night." My hubby and I watch all three GHOST HUNTERS shows religiously (GHOST HUNTERS, GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL, and GHOST HUNTERS ACADEMY). We've been wanting to get into the "ghost hunting" thing for quite some time and are mainly waiting until we buy the needed equipment (like digital voice recorders, EMF meters, high quality video cam with night vision, etc.) Unfortunately, this stuff isn't always cheap and every time we think of purchasing we have other uses for our money...like paying the mortage!
We like to visit cemeteries when we go on vacation. Old buildings fascinate us with their rich history and air of mystery. Believe it or not, we have a resident ghost that we call "Petey" who likes to move stuff around and give us the occasional "tingles." Heck, SHADOW GIRL is a novel I wrote that is all about ghosts.
So considering all these factors, why am I NOT writing a book about local ghost stories? Sure seems like it would be a fun project. We'd get to travel around and investigate/research different areas, perhaps encountering some of these awesome supernatural specters ourselves!
I'm going to put some serious thought into this project. I realize I'm probably getting in over my head but...who knows? It might be a good thing. Although my current "TO DO" list for my writing life is getting a bit cumbersome.
*Continue polishing/editing SHADOW GIRL
*Continue work on SG synopsis (the current bane of my existence!)
*Queries for SG
*Edits/cuts for OUT OF THE BROOM CLOSET
*Queries for OOTBC
*Continue writing UNDER THE SPELL (OOTBC #2)
*Start writing SG #2
*Keep blogging and updating www.erinlukensdarr.com
and now...since I'm a glutton for punishment...
*possibly consider/begin work on local ghost story book
and consequently...
*pitch local ghost story book to publishers/agents
Gee, that's definitely a full time (plus!) job! Too bad I have to have my day job. Don't get me wrong, being a librarian is actually pretty cool. It just doesn't leave much time for writing. Speaking of day jobs, I better get back to mine! Just wanted to blog while these thoughts were fresh in my head. (Again, thanks Linda, for the idea! You rock!)
Whew! Just spent about three hours querying for SHADOW GIRL. Sent out 11 more today to various agents. So far I've only sent 17, although considering I've done that within the past 8 days I'd say that's pretty good (for me, anyway!) I've heard back with rejections from 3 of those 17 but oh well! That's the writing biz! Keep writing and keep sending, that's what I've got to do!
My mind is mushy now and my butt hurts from sitting on this couch so long. (Poor couch cushions may not recover!) I'm off to clear my head with some yoga and then some pleasure reading. (Currently reading YA dystopian novel EMPTY by Suzanne Weyn. Very good! Scary premise about the world running out of oil and how that effects everything. Makes me want to start hoarding supplies like a 1950's middle-aged man who builds a bomb shelter in his basement.)
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