My Writing Journey
I just received a request for three chapters of a book I submitted to a pitch event. After my heart stopped racing and I could think straight, I gathered the materials requested and, with a kiss of good luck, sent them on their way. Wish me luck.
The book in question is a middle grade fantasy I finished a few years ago and I hope it finds a home with this agent.
I just received a request for three chapters of a book I submitted to a pitch event. After my heart stopped racing and I could think straight, I gathered the materials requested and, with a kiss of good luck, sent them on their way. Wish me luck.
The book in question is a middle grade fantasy I finished a few years ago and I hope it finds a home with this agent.
FIRE WALK ACCEPTED
My short story FIRE WALK, a macabre horror story, has been accepted into the Hawaii Writers Guild annual anthology; Latitudes. I’m so proud! I submitted a story last year but it didn’t get accepted so I am excited that they liked this one. Many in this writers group are professional writers, some are professors and former journalists too.
FIRE WALK began life as a writers prompt in an online class connected with my editing software. They give classes and lectures and have all sorts of opportunities to improve writing skills beside their editing software. Usually I don’t like writing to a prompt but I was empty of ideas at the time so decided to try it.
The first line was “My feet were on fire but I still kept walking.” Living in Hawaii, my mind flashed onto fire walking. But, as I am also a horror writer, I couldn’t just do a simple ritual piece. I had to add some eerie and macabre twists involving bodies and some butterfly hair barrettes. The end result got me into this literary magazine.
I don’t know the publication date, but you can be sure I will let you know.
The sequel to ETERNAL DIET is approaching final destination. A few spiffs and buffs and a release date will be announced soon. You’re gonna love it.
Still the same, sassy Gwen, but now she’s got a handle of how to vampire. Still things to learn, but with Colin guiding her, things fly along well. In one scene, Gwen explores the musical opportunities her victims provide before she slakes her thirst. In another, an accident nudges a skill to the surface that even centuries old Colin didn’t expect.
A wanna be casino builder, an old friend returned and a lethal legend reborn join Gwen and Colin in Reno Nevada.
I didn’t get into the mentorship. *sigh* but I have made progress on the sequel and have queried Dragon Dreams to several agents. We shall see. Meanwhile I’ve decided to focus on marketing the book I have on Kindle now; Eternal Diet and its upcoming sequel You Are What You Eat. Right now I’m learning about using Canva to create videos. Never knew I’d need a marketing degree to be an author but them’s the breaks.
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I did a recording of me reading my short story; THE OTHER THING last week for the Hawaii Writers’ Guild. Got a call last night from the public relations co-ordinater of the guild; she needed information about me for a press release. I’m gonna be famous! Local paper but first one ever for my writing.
Here’s the link to the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E74S0cr_l7E
Not much to report. It’s been a bit over two weeks and no requests. I did start thinking about what might be keeping my manuscript from instant success. Re-read the first three chapters [again] and decided the first chapter needed a better ending; one with more of a bang than Addy waking up from a daydream. It also introduces one of the main characters; her father, right away. And answers some questions I had about Addy’s motives.
One of the agents I have hoped to submit to opened her queries yesterday. We communicate on twitter, mostly about dogs and from what I can see on her tweets, we’d get along. I’m ready to work on improving Dragon Dreams, if I had some idea on how to do it. Up to now, I’ve done what I can. Someone with a finger on the pulse of middle grade readers might be the answer.
Well, I did it. Swallowed my fear and submitted Dragon Dreams to their mentorship. It was hard narrowing down the potential mentors and it took me a few days of review, interview and podcast watching, but I picked the four I think will click best with me and the book.
I’ve had this out to agents and so far it’s been rejected. Professional writers in my writers group like the book but none of them are agents. I hope I am picked so I can find out what needs to be done to strengthen the weak spots and get this manuscript ready for success. I’m willing to change things; just ask my editors! I actually enjoy editing. I liken it to taking a dress that doesn’t fit and taking it apart at the seams, altering it and then sewing it back together again, better than before.
Wish me luck, friends.
I was supposed to fly to North Carolina today to meet my grandson who was born during Covid so I’m feeling a bit sad today. I’ve never seen him. Had my tickets all ready, place to stay lined up and a vehicle waiting for me at the airport.
For weeks I watched as the stories of the Delta variant grew. Kept my hopes up for things to settle but things just kept getting worse. I spent two hours on the phone last week trying to get a credit for the tickets. Since these tickets were purchased using the credit from 2020, the itinerary numbers were stuck on the 2020 dates. After two hours I finally got the ticket TO North Carolina credited back. They couldn’t find the record of my other flight. I may lose that money.
So, to bring it home; I’m sitting in my desk chair when I should be getting ready to board my plane and I feel like crying.
Yesterday I wrote about cancelling my trip to see the 18 month old grandson I have never seen because of Covid. Well, now the Kauai Writer’s Conference is cancelled as well. My plans for another fun trip after over a year of sheltering at home and wearing my mask and following all the guidelines has been ruined by the idiots who care more for their convenience than anyone else’s life.
I figured it would happen when I heard the Governor ban large meetings, but I am the eternal optimist and hoped that it could be worked around. Even fully vaccinated and covid free test results weren’t going to be enough. I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand.
But this was gonna be my first live pitch to sell my middle grade book Dragon Dreams. The book has been polished and re-polished until the only changes beta readers and myself could come up with were insignificant word changes. It’s ready. I’m ready.
At least the conference planners have worked out a plan to hold it online. I still get a live pitch, just over a zoom meeting. *sigh*. The classes will still be held via Zoom. That’s a problem though; I don’t have internet here in the boonies of the Big Island. My entire internet is based on my hotspot. Which runs out when I use zoom for more than a few hours a month.
I really wanted to go to the Luau, never been to one and the family performing at the conference is supposed to be one of the best ones on the islands. Another sigh. And much anger at the selfish antivaxxers in this country.
WBelle Author