Ohhh Context 23. I had to bail early for family stuff, so I only got one night and a day out of it (missed the legendary Shroud party and ALL of the readings–bah!), but what I got of it was great fun.

The last con I went to, I’d made maybe a handful of short story sales–no book upcoming, etc, so not so much of a reason to blab about me me me. This one taught me that I have a larger problem talking about myself than I realized. Not about writing, I’ll blabber all day about that, but about the stuff I’ve actually written. Apart from the obvious newbie self-consciousness, I already know all that crap, so I’m easily sidetracked by new shiny things. So here I am talking to folks whose names I’ve admired on book covers many, many times (oh, what, me overawed?) trying to list the awesome people lined up at Belfire Press and I get through two and my brain stalls, and the conversation jumps tracks.

I mean, that’s cool for now, but probably something to watch out for when I’m trying to promote a whole book next year. Maybe I need a script. Ah well, like GI Joe says, knowing is half the battle. I’ll get this!

But seriously, it was great, and everyone was so nice. I wish y’all had come with me! (Next year? Pretty please?) And I got tons of books I’ve wanted for ages but just haven’t gotten to yet, and got them signed, at that. Which is cool because I always read a ton when I’m doing rewrites, and guess what September is all about?

Good thing I took Diana Botsford’s awesome rewrites workshop, huh? Oh yeah.

(Dude, she wrote for Star Trek: TNG. And she writes Stargate Books! How I avoided a fangirl freakout on everyone there, I do not know, but I was very demure, thanks. Er, at least, for me.)

So yay!

I sold another weird little tale too, but I suppose it would be best to wait for contracts and all to say anything. Yes, that seems rational. I can be rational, sure.

I have the 10 By Then bet to thank for this recent glut of good fortune. I won’t win it, as I only have 5 subs taken care of and only one more day to go to magically produce 5 more. But between these lovely acceptances and the knowledge that I have somehow produced 4 completely new works of short fiction (not counting 2 flashes meant for a particular market that isn’t open now–foiled again!) and edited another this month–well, that removes some of the sting. Hell, I’m usually lucky if I turn out that much short stuff in a year. Mercedes, you and your bets rock.

And in closing, there’s still one more day left in Australia before the Ditmar votes are finalized. For voting rights, you just have to be a member of Dudcon. They make it really easy, so have at it!

(And thank you for all the kind wishes before I left. Yes, I am 30 now. Almost a real human being. Plus, my family gave me Absolute Sandman Vol II. Mwahahaha, no grown-up gifts for me!)

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Now playing: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Gold Lion
via FoxyTunes

I’m home from my vacation, which was absolutely lovely, thank you. Wild ponies and bald eagles and all kinds of interesting wildlife were discovered, plus I got an adorable plush fox. There’s nothing for fending off that post-book-writing letdown like good friends and interesting things to do, is there? (Also, cute toys.)

In truth I have no right to be let down about anything just now. I’m very pleased to tell you the reason for my champagne drinking the other day: I promised myself a bottle of the Good Stuff, normally reserved for New Years celebrations, when I sold my first book. And now the lovely Jodi Lee at Belfire Press has accepted my dark Appalachian fae novel, Scripped, for publication! The tentative date is June 2011, and…

Man. Awesome.

It needs saying: Thanks Megh for “getting it” and Manda for cleaning it up. <3

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Now playing: The Jam – News of the World
via FoxyTunes

(or The Progression of My Week, During Which A Work of Fiction Last Seen Over a Year Ago Was Prepared For Submissions Anew)

Stage 1: Nostalgic Affection
Oh, how I missed this book. These characters are like dear old friends. I’m so glad to see you all that I’m actually excited to edit, that I may introduce you to my actual friends some day. Joy!

Stage 2: Optimism (or The Idiot’s Contentment)
Well there are some problems here– man did I suck a year ago– but I can definitely make something of it. Tally ho!

Stage 3: Trepidation (or The Dawn of Intelligence)
Hm, more problems than I thought. Better go back and start from the beginning again and make sure I’m being consistent. And go back again. And again.

Stage 4: Disillusionment and Despair
Oh god, I’m getting nowhere, there are just too many issues. This book is terrible, my writing is brittle and pathetic, and no one will ever love these characters! Woe!

Stage 5: Heroic Resolve
Okay, fuck it. I liked it once, I’ll like it again, someday. I will finish, no matter how many hours I spend. And I will finish by tomorrow, dammit.

Stage 6: Rewrites in Earnest
You know what, it’d be a lot faster just to rewrite this whole scene. Or these five scenes. And maybe rearrange the ending a little. Yeah, hey, this is kinda fun.

Stage 7: The Forgetful Trance
Write fix write write write write fix write fix fix write– what do you mean it’s dinner time? I haven’t even had lunch– oh. Damn.

Stage 8: Victory Is Mine
Oh my god, is it really done? Really? Really?

Oh fuck it, I don’t care if it’s done. I’m done. Love you, baby– time to go back out into the world.

*hits send*

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Now playing: Muse – Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 1 (Overture)
via FoxyTunes

Updatey is not a word, I know. But it’s descriptive, you have to admit.

This weekend I’m fixing up an oldish manuscript for submission, Wolfton Paranormal. (Which I know is an incredibly vague title, but it’s meant to be more of an overarching one, as of course, what’s an urban fantasy without a sequel or three in the works?) I love going back to something after a year away from it, it feels like visiting an old friend I missed like crazy, and I’m always convinced that this one– whatever it is– is my favorite, and I can make something of it if I just keep at it.

Well no, my first will always be the favored child, I have to confess. I wouldn’t be writing now without it. But I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Anyhow, since I was at it, I figured I’d update the little project page for it over there on the sidebar, and then figured what the hell, might as well do ‘em all. So I did some tweaking and finally, finally gave Scripped its own page. About goddamn time, seeing as I’ve had the thing edited, polished, and out with a lovely publisher for a few months now. Poor neglected novel! Don’t think I don’t love you, Jonah. You know I do.

Then I updated the Short Fiction page to show the latest developments, including the upcoming Necrotic Tissue bite, and the Scenes From the Second Storey project with Morrigan Books– on that latter, the Aussie version is the one that’s up on the Morrigan site. I’m in the international one to be edited by Mark Deniz and Greg Ballam and it’s still TBA time-wise. I’d try and convince you to wait on that one, but the Aussie one looks delicious. I’m thinking buying both is the only logical course of action.

Right, but I had a point here that doesn’t involve shocking narcissism. That is that if your name isn’t over on that sidebar, and you have a blog/site that with which you’d like me to trade links/have been trading links and I’m too freaking slow to notice, please let me know. It’s a beautiful list, and I use it in concert with my trusty Thunderbird rss reader to keep up with y’all, so don’t be shy.

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Now playing: Arctic Monkeys – Dance Little Liar
via FoxyTunes

There’s this weird skill, not particular to writing, or even creative endeavors, but it shows up in them more than anywhere else since we’re constantly hammered with edits. The idea is: know what suggestions to take, and which suggestions to ditch.

I have a hard time ditching suggestions, but I’ll leave that to one side for now. My point is that this has been the single most difficult thing for me to learn about editing– possibly because it’s so very rare that someone’s suggestions don’t work for what I want to do. I’m a lucky bastard that way– the editors and beta readers who’ve raised me from the fumbling toddler to awkward adolescent stage of writing are all very, very good.

But there’s another facet to the whole thing that I didn’t expect: advice I wasn’t ready to take, either because I was exhibiting my notorious stubbornness, or I just didn’t know how to do what they were asking.

So here’s a story. The first book I subbed to agents, about two and a half years ago, was too long by– well, let’s say it pretty much had an extra novella’s worth of wordage. Typical newbie mistake, and I knew it even then. I didn’t expect anything to come of it, partly because of that, and partly because it was about vampires, and you always see NO VAMPIRES on everything these days. (Or MORE VAMPIRES, but that’s another post, too.) But I researched every agent and crafted this idiotic query letter by the book all the same, thinking of it as a practice run. To my shock and amazement, I actually got a few partial requests, and really good feedback. It all sort of came to the same thing: It gets moving too slowly– get to the good stuff. But you’re pretty good, so try again.

Only a lot nicer and more specific, of course. Considering that I hadn’t expected anything at all, I counted this whole affair as a win, and was really pleased.

Right, so then there was one of the last query responses I got. It was one sentence:

Cut it down to 80k and re-query.

And an e-signature.

I stared at that f@#ker for about fifteen minutes, going “but… but… I can’t. That’s like cutting out an entire book.”

Now, it wasn’t this agent’s job to tell me how to do that– it was nice of her to say anything at all. But I genuinely thought such a reasonable word count was impossible at that time, or god knows I would’ve done it before I sent the thing out in the first place. This, of course, meant it was not and would never be doable.

I started on the advice I knew how to execute, getting to the good stuff. I learned a bunch writing short stories and a few more books, going back to the first one between new projects. I brainstormed with incredibly patient and talented friends. I got up in the middle of the night and wrote down ideas. I refused to give up, which is probably dumb, but can’t be helped.

The thing is very near to being 90k, now. Like half what it used to be, and about 50x better. When it’s 100x better, I’ll try again.

But it’s nice to know I can be taught. Even if it takes over two years, a handful of short stories, six novels, and a crowd of cheering friends. (A copy of On Writing and Elements of Style didn’t go amiss either, let me tell you.)

Ha!

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Now playing: Clara Schumann – Piano Sonata in G Minor: I. Allegro
via FoxyTunes