Pages

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Day 106

Busy with bill paying work. Submitted a short little something for an anthology. Waiting. Writing depressing book #2 is on hold for upbeat book #3 (which I supposed will end up being book #2 once its finished.). Decided against doing NaNoWriMo. Boardwalk Empire is my favorite Fall television program. Nothing else to report. Terribly sad. Still waiting.


[I'm not actually reading 1776. Started it back in '06, left my copy at my dad's house, reclaimed it this past July. I think leaving it up here will remind me to actually open it.]

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Day 94

Its been a while since I've updated, mostly because I've been going through more wacky adventures with ADHD. I love to sleep, add working full time and being easily distracted by pretty colors and whatever is on [adult swim], and you have a Bekah who is like a 3 year old on speed when it comes to focusing. It also didn't help that there was a South Park marathon on the other day completely dedicated to Butters. I love Butters.

After WEEKS I've finally, seem to have "gotten my groove" with my second book. My main character is essentially my complete opposite in terms of her natural reactions to the world around her, so it's been a challenge working through her emotions. A challenge and a learning experience. And thank god, because her mental torture is keeping my mind off the replies I'm still waiting for.

I'm all for some good old fashioned patience, but some days I just want to throw myself on the floor and roll around whining. I've done the rolling and the whining, just on the couch. Not the floor. I've "met" more helpful writers and agent types through twitter and engaged in some very informational/encourage twitchats. They've helped ease some of the query process pain. It really is like applying to college, but this time I actually care if I get in. That sounds awful, doesn't it?

I will continue to write, network, read, stalk my favorite authors... watch cartoons and fight this sudden urge to pack on winter pounds since the temperature in LA has suddenly dropped. Cookies are good.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Day 82

I'm still waiting on replies, so no tales of rejection woe this time around, but I still have things to share.

It's been a really long week, but a good week. I hopped in to a few great chats with other authors and agents on twitter and got to hear my 5 month old nephew mumble nonsense on the phone. I added a bunch of books to my to-read list, which is pretty much a book geeks foreplay. AM I WRONG??



I would also like to get these sneakers for my Wonder Woman shelf. Not to wear.

Today, I came home to a wonderful package from my friend, Margie. A group of us, who have been buddies since kindergarten, started a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants if you will. GO AHEAD. LAUGH. We are all drastically different sizes, (starting at 16 and sliding all the way down to what I'm pretty sure is a child's medium) so the pants thing made no sense. We send a giant red photo album around and fill it with deeply personal letters and pictures of our lives since we last had the book. Margie had the book for a year, but she added some great stuff and has been forgiven. I wrote my letter and it will go out with some pictures of my boyfriend wearing a really small hat and a sample of my writing on Monday morning. It's corny, but in the three years we've been sending the book around, its been pretty cool to see how things have changed in such a short amount of time.

Tonight I'm writing. Tomorrow, more writing and maybe going to Zuma Beach. Sunday I'm going to the West Hollywood Book Fair which should be great, then watching some fooootball. 

Writey-wise, I'm 6k into my next book. Hopefully that will turn into muchmorek by Sunday night.

HI NEW FOLLOWERS. It's lovely to see the two of you. ♥ Enjoy my favorite song of the week.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Day 74

My bill paying job has been pretty busy this week so I haven't had a lot of energy to blog in addition to my other writing adventures. I've had one partial requested and then rejected, but I press forward, spirits brightened by the fact that I came home to a dish-free sink and a happy boyfriend with a clean-shaven head. He looks super bald.

Here are some things I've learned/thought of since my last post in no particular order. And a picture I like. The artist is Ben Newman.

- I'm confused by writers who become enraged with agents who reject them. They said no to your query. They didn't call you ugly to your face, which hurts, trust me. I've learned A LOT from a couple agents who have rejected my query and they are actually pretty nice people. I hope to actually meet them some day.

- If you email people, more often than not, they email you back. 

- Not everyone should give advice (I knew this before, but it's come up a lot this week)

- Playing with my characters in my head is a fantastic way to pass the time while sitting in traffic in Beverly Hills. Lil' Wayne, Does It Offend You, Yeah?,  and Chromeo only add to the pleasure of it all.

- Patience does pay off.

- Even when you walk into a really awkward situation you will be able to pull something from it that you can use in your writing. An old man named Stewart weirded the hell out of me this week and he will show up somewhere in my work. I can guarantee it.

- You will get fired if you sit across from your boss and don't do any work for two weeks. This has nothing to do with queries

-There are some really nice people out there internet land and I enjoy finding them. Some times they point you toward helpful things like agents to query, good books, home remedies and recipes. And some times they just offer a virtual hand to hold.

-Current TV has hilarious programming that makes me laugh, smile and think a little harder.

Hi new followers. ♥

Friday, September 10, 2010

Day 68

Still waiting for replies...
Happy Friday Everyone ☻!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Day 59

Here's the thing I love about rejections, they give you a chance to step back and make improvements on your work. I've had some great beta readers, but I passed my book on to one more person who caught something that NONE of my pre-readers had seen. AND he caught it right before I submitted my manuscript to an agency who requests a full up front (which i think is just super, by the way. i hate query letters. period).

It wasn't something that would make or break my book, but it was something that I think this particular agent would have noticed, which I suppose could make or break my book. His super catch gave me a chance to look a little closer at two more things that were bugging me a bit. Now I feel much better about submitting my manuscript and I'm patting myself on the back a little bit for being so patient.



In the meantime, I've been getting more great tips through blogs and chatting with agents and other writers on twitter. I've added agent Jennifer Laughran's blog to the sidebar because she's got some great pointers and a hilarious review of book that remains me of this -->
which I couldn't quite finish.

I received another rejection this week and it didn't even bother me because its all part of the process. I know I will find someone who is totally into my concept and loves the way I write and is tickled by the ideas I've put down.

 The waiting sucks, but its helping in more ways than one.






Also Katy Perry is haunting my days and nights. I'm pretty much in love with this song right now.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Day 54

Last night at dinner (The Farm at The Grove has great sweet potato fries) I was suddenly inspired to tackle a particular synopsis. Then I went to see Scott Pilgrim. I'm working on the synopsis now. Will I finish it today? Let us see... I'm clever. Don't act like I'm not.

And here's a chunk of something I wrote. I just closed my eyes and scrolled to a random page. And then kept scrolling til I found something that didn't really give too much away. And now I'm just boring myself. Enjoy!

              "Is that a nightgown?" Amy asked.
              "Yup." I ditched the ribbon on my bed along with the hanger, then held the baby-doll style nightie up to my body. It came about an inch or two below my crotch.
              "See! This is exactly what I was talking about. They're gonna parade us around in lingerie and then makes us screw the OBA boys and tape it."
               "Shut up. They would never makes us do that," Amy laughed. She held her own scrap of lace up in front of her chest. "It is kinda kinky."
                "Yeah, kinky. Amy, I swear if pictures of me in this thing end up on the internet, I'm going to kill you."



I'm not sure I'll be doing that again.