My Little Announcement of BIG Proportions

Kate Schafer Testerman gave me an early Christmas present. She called last week to offer represent representation, so I am now a proud client of kt literary! Squeeeee!

You can check out Kate's announcement >>here<< and find me on her client list, as well.

This is how I feel about all this:

(Thank goodness for braces in this picture, right? I have a lot of teeth. And my mom will probably tell me I should've brushed my eyebrows.)

It's funny how at moments like these you feel so humbled and grateful and absolutely unworthy. Well, at least that's how I feel. Thanks for being with me on this crazy writing journey, all my bloggy-friends -- not to mention family and other friends who read this blog. Continuing this marathon-of-awesome would not be possible without you and I'm really not just saying that.

And thank you, Kate, for giving my books a chance. I'm so excited to work with you (as I've probably repeated ad nauseam)! 

Celebrating with Interpretive Dance!

I think this new addition to the Hacky Sack Club stable of embarrassing videos pretty much speaks for itself:


Please, please stop by Janet Johnson's and Kristin Rae's blogs to wish them huge congratulations! YAY!!!

WiP Wednesday: A Seagull and a Butterfly

It's Wednesday! I haven't done a Work-in-Progress update for awhile, so here's the scoop.

I'm working on two books simultaneously. This isn't ideal, probably because my regular life mothering five kids requires so much multitasking, it's hard to also do that in my writing life and stay sane. But, I'm doing it anyway. Slowly, but surely. 

1) SEAGULL RISING: I'm still editing this one, polishing it for submission. At this point, my agent and I are down to "fine-tooth editing." With this edit I only have one plot point to adjust, which is an improvement over the last round of edits where I rewrote most of the ending. (But it's a much better ending!)

I'm honestly wondering if most writers cause their agent this much trouble. I hope so, because if most people are turning in flawless manuscripts that go straight to submission, I'm going to feel terrible. But I'm thankful to my awesome agent, Emmanuelle, for taking the time to help me get my book as perfect as possible.

And I have a feeling this is good practice for when I do get published *someday.* I'll be that much better at this editorial-feedback back-and-forth thing.

2) RED BUTTERFLY: This is my new novel, set completely in China. Wow, this one has been hard to write because its subject is so emotionally charged. I'm close to finishing my second rewrite and getting it out to a first-round of critique partners. 

Now that I'm almost done with this draft, I'm in love. I liked it okay after the first draft ... I mean, I loved the idea, but I wasn't in love with my execution. But after this rewrite, I can honestly say I've fallen for the characters--all of them, even the male lead who was making me pull my hair out at first. And maybe, just maybe, I'm getting better at plotting? I guess that remains to be seen....

So, I'm dying to hear how your WiPs are going. Even if it's not related to writing, what are you working on right now?

And if you don't feel like answering that question, maybe tell me why you think I've named both my books after animals that fly? I really have no idea, but I'd like to hear your opinion. (There might be a deeply psychological reason.)

Truth Tuesday: Poop Happens

We writers all look forward to The Call.

It seems illusive and then suddenly it's happening. An agent asks if she can call you! You think she'll probably offer representation! YIKES! Leap around the house. Scrub the bathtub. Sing silly songs. Kiss the baby.

I cleared the house for The Call. I farmed out my children in preparation. I put the baby down for a nap early. It was awesome.

During The Call my house was totally quiet. I was perfectly professional. (*ahem*--except for the nervous giggling at the beginning and the "Oh, I've been so excited to talk to you!" in a sixth-grade girl voice--*ahem*)

Then came The Acceptance Call. Short and sweet. My agent said she was thrilled, we both danced a jig on our opposite sides of the continent. All was well.

Then came The Call After the Acceptance Call to talk details. I didn't prepare so well for this call. My big kids were at school, but my two little girls were home and both awake. I figured it would be fine. My two-year-old was playing nicely, so when the call came, I took it in the office.

I have no idea how long this call lasted, but it was going great, I was making notes, when all of a sudden the door creaked open and my two-year-old was standing in the doorway, bare bottomed, holding out a long stream of toilet paper smeared with poop.

I don't remember exactly what Emmanuelle was talking to me about at that moment. I think it was something about cover ideas (I'm sure it was a wonderful cover idea), but suddenly all her words ran together and I was faced with a dilemma.

I'd been trying so hard to be professional.  

But here is my daughter smeared with poop standing in the middle of my office.

I had to make a decision:

1) FULL DISCLOSURE: "Ha ha! My daughter is standing in the middle of my office with a bare bottom and poop all over her."

2) PARTIAL DISCLOSURE: "Sorry, I have a little emergency here. Can I call you right back?"

3) DENIAL: Keep talking on the phone and silently guide the poopy child back to the bathroom; try to finish the call with some kind of grace.

It was probably not the best choice, but I chose option 3.

In hindsight, I should have gone with option 2. But I was in panic mode and in panic mode you don't always make good choices.

Now that I know my agent a little better, I'm sure she would have been very understanding even if I'd dropped the Option 1 bomb. She's gracious and has a great sense of humor, so I'm sure she would have laughed along with me.

Did I learn anything from this fiasco?

1) Only that parenthood is sometimes not synonymous with professionalism.

2) That it's good to stay humble. You never know when a child covered in poop will walk into your office and interrupt a phone call.

3) That you can do your best, but in the end, poop still happens.

I'm sure you all would have handled this situation much better than I did, but tell me your thoughts. Any other lessons I could learn from this? Is anyone totally grossed out? Have I convinced anyone to swear off having children forever?

Well, that last one wasn't my intention, so just in case, here's my daughter looking like the angel she often is:

"Mommy, this is for you."

Yep, she's worth it!

The Synopsis as a Tool

We all have our own routines and processes when we write. Some of us wing our way through a draft. Others plan. Years go by and we learn new tricks and techniques. We experiment different ways of writing novels. We try out different methods of drafting and editing.

I'm always trying new things. For instance, with my WiP, I'm typing it in a weird font because for some reason  the voice comes out better than with Times New Roman. Of course I'll change it back to TNR before I submit, but it's fun to draft it this way.

But I did something REALLY crazy for me the other day. I actually PLOTTED out the last quarter of my WiP. I've never done this before, because I've always been a strict pantser (meaning, if you're new to writing lingo, I draft by the seat of my pants.)

I got to this point because of my lovely agent Emmanuelle. She's teaching me seriously helpful things.

For instance, when I got ready to query before, I'd polish up the manuscript, send off a few queries, and then maybe think about writing a synopsis as an after thought. But Emmanuelle has been teaching me how to use the synopsis as a tool. She has taught me to study the synopsis to find places where I can heighten the tension, raise the stakes, and also analyze character arcs.

It occurred to me (I'm slow sometimes) that this is what people do when they plot in depth BEFORE they start the novel. Technically they're taking out the guess-work and going in with a really strong story. (I still think it's possible to mess up with this, because there are always characters who don't want to cooperate with really strong story lines ... but that's a blog post for another day.)

I don't think I'll ever be a firm plotter, but I like the bird's eye view a synopsis gives me when I'm editing.

And in this case, since I was having a hard time envisioning my WiP's ending, a one-page plot plan is helping me get there. Who knows if I'll stick to it. I'm sort of a free spirit. But it's actually nice to have a plan. (I can't believe I'm saying that!)

I know I've asked before whether you're a plotter or a pantser, so I'll change the question. Do you use your synopsis as a tool? Or do you type it up last minute when an agent requests it?

Reflections on the Journey

The other day I posted about signing with literary agent Emmanuelle Morgen and so many of you chimed in with your congratulations. Thank you for that!

Heather made this comment:

Please give details on how you hung in there and kept the faith, despite the rejections! I'm in the trenches right now!

Everyone’s journey to publication is different. You hear that all the time, right? For some it happens quickly, for others slowly. Insanely talented people are rejected all the time and sometimes the scum rises to the top.

You also hear that finding an agent willing to represent you isn’t the same as “arriving.” 

This is true. If authors have “arrived,” that arrival happens when they get their first book published, when that first advance check posts to their savings account, when they receive their first fan mail from a total stranger. 

 

But even these milestones don’t feel complete without great sales and another best-seller-hopeful in the making. We’re always striving for the next big thing. So it’s logical to conclude that if we’re not content where we are (even as aspiring writers), we probably never will be content. 

And maybe that's good. We're driven people. That's why we're even attempting this. If we weren't driven, we'd be writing stories in our closets, hidden away from the world.

But don't let the fact that you don't have an agent yet steal the JOY you find in writing. We love it first. That's why we write these insanely long bodies of work. Let agents reject. They can't (shouldn't) steal the JOY we find in the process (for long, anyway).

Embracing these truths early on helped me to keep going through the query trenches, helped me through the pain of being one in a slushpile of thousands.

That, and I believed I could succeed. I knew it would take the combination of a unique, marketable idea, a ton of hard work, and great writing, but it was possible.

This assurance didn’t come with a timeline, though. I had this fuzzy idea that I’d give this aspiring writer thing twenty good years before I gave up. Okay, maybe thirty years. (Fine, I'd give it forty.)

So, it’s been four—going on five—years and I just signed with an agent. Phew. Check that off the to-do list.

So far having an agent is euphoric. And terrifying. And wonderful. And crazy. Rather like standing on the first ledge of a very high cliff.

Which leads me to this invitation: 

If you're interested in a play-by-play of my writing journey so far, click >>here<<. My former critique partner, amazing author S.J. Kincaid, offered to host me on her blog. She wanted all the gory details, so be prepared. 

I hope something I wrote here helps those of you in the trenches. I'm soon to be in the trenches again myself: the submission trenches. I'll keep you posted on which trench is worse....

Until then, happy writing!

My Big News

I don't know how to say this, so I'll just say it in big red letters:

I HAVE AN AGENT!

And not just any agent. I have a wonderful agent. She's kind, professional, and she has an incredible vision for my book. Emmanuelle Morgen is with Judith Ehrlich Literary Management. You can read her bio by clicking >>here<<.

Wow.

I still can't quite believe this myself. I wonder how long this news will take to sink in. I've been walking around the house, doing my regular thing, feeling totally normal, and then it will hit me all over again: "I have an agent!"

I'm sure I'll get my act together and be able to fill you in on all the details soon: what it was like to persevere through countless rejections, endless rewrites, reams of feedback. This road to publication isn't an easy one. We walk it because we are determined to succeed. To be honest, I think I'm just as terrified of the future (submitting to real editors!) as I am giddy with excitement. But that's all part of the journey. I'm learning to face my fears.

The Dashingly Handsome Sidekick and I haven't had a chance to celebrate yet because it's (*cue funeral dirge*) football season. But maybe we'll get a chance this weekend after the big televised game tonight (you read that right--the Mustangs are going Live!). After all, we get three days to party (very responsibly), right? I hope you all have a marvelous weekend.

Now I must descend into the realms of MASSIVE REVISIONS (well, maybe not MASSIVE, but I do have to change a few things). Thankfully, this is not a dark realm. I'm excited to make my book stronger. I'll keep you posted....

New Beginnings

Since we were talking a bit about beginnings and first chapters the other day, I was thrilled to see this post on Literary Agent Jill Corcoran's blog. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you're struggling with where to start your book, or you're in the rewrite phase after finishing a first draft.

I sent off my WiP to a writer-friend this afternoon for her to critique. It's always hardest to push the send button when you're getting a brand-new manuscript off to a critique partner. Much like a first query.

After the initial shock of sharing your soul with others, it gets easier.

Last Minute Contest!

There's only a little time left to enter this contest, but I had to tell you about it anyway.

Sarah LaPollo at Glass Cases is an associate agent at Curtis Brown, Ltd. She's giving away manuscript submissions and query critiques as prizes on The Siren Song, Renae Marcado's blog.

All you have to do to enter is follow both blogs and leave your novel's pitch in the comments section of Renae's blog.

Here's what Sarah's interested in:

I’m looking for character-driven novels, mostly. The genres I’m most interested in are literary fiction, urban fantasy, magical realism, paranormal romance, and young adult, particularly older YA or crossover.
This reminds me of some of your books, which is why I had to post about this!

Hurry! The contest closes at midnight Kansas time, so polish those pitches. (And even if you miss this contest, I'm sure Sarah would be a great person to query down the road.)

Good luck, everyone!

Links and News

A few quick things to take a peek at this lovely Tuesday evening:

• Literary Agent Kate Testerman really did change her submission guidelines! (No April Fools joke this time.) Click here to read about what she changed and why.
• The same Kate Testerman is hosting a hilarious contest where her readers post their most embarrassing writings from their teen years (living proof that most teens can't write!). I've already posted my doozy of an entry in her comments, but there are still crazy ones pouring in. I'm sure you have something embarrassing hidden in your bottom drawer to share, too. Check it out and/or enter here. (Please note: The prize is pretty fun!)
• I'm planning to enter the Dear Lucky Agent contest on Guide to Literary Agents. Click here to read the entry requirements. Anyone else thinking of entering?

That's it. Hope today's Story A Week story didn't freak anyone out. It did turn out kind of weird. Scraping the bottom of the creative-juices barrel at the moment, unfortunately.

Have a great evening!

Double A Thursday: Agents & Awards

What's Cooking? Beef stew, which is quickly becoming my favorite food in the world. Is that weird?

I have a great piece of news to share today! Weronika Janczuk just announced that she's now a Junior Agent at the Maddox Agency. Read about her good news here! She'll be accepting queries starting 5/1/10 and will be representing YA, Romance, and Memoir. Make sure to stop by her comments section and wish her well on this new and exciting endeavor.

In addition, two very popular agents have announced important changes to their submission guidelines that are worth checking out. Kate Testerman's new guidelines are here and Janet Reid's here.

I'm also very excited to accept the Prolific Blogger award, given to me by Night Writer, Myrna Foster, and Krista V. of Mother. Write. (Repeat.). Thanks Myrna & Krista!

"By definition, a prolific blogger 'is one who is intellectually productive...keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content.'"

*Blush* I'm honored, and feel very undeserving of such high praise.

Now, to pass on the award to five intellectually productive bloggers. I apologize if you've already received this award, but I guess that means your blog is just extra enjoyable....

Tess Hilmo who wrote one of the best posts I've ever read on how to start a novel. Since that post I've been a Tess-Hilmo-blog addict. Tess's debut novel With a Name Like Love is scheduled for release by FSG/Macmillan in Fall, 2011. Hooray for Tess!

Sharon K. Mayhew at Random Thoughts. She recently held a Authoress-esque first-four-sentences critique session that was loads of fun!

Wendy Paine Miller over at All In A Day's Thought. Wendy always has thoughful and thought-provoking things to say.

Lisa Schroeder is a published author whose most recent book, It's Raining Cupcakes, had its book birthday last month. Yay, Lisa! Lisa's blog is fun and interesting to read because she's very open about what life is like on the other side of publication (hint: it's rewarding and awesome, but not all cupcakes! tee hee).

Caroline Starr Rose of Caroline by line who just announced the sale of her debut novel, May B., by Tricycle Press in Fall, 2011. Congratulations, Caroline!

So, there's your homework: five awesome blogs to check out. Happy April Fools Day, everyone, and don't let anybody pull your leg when you're not looking!

Crumbling Foot & Other Randomness

What's cooking? Probably pizza. The frozen variety.

Thanks for all the great comments on Wednesday's post. I appreciate you sharing your wisdom with me.

The nice thing about *not* being published is that the only pressure I feel about my writing is the pressure I put on myself. One thing's for sure, I think I'm trying to focus on too many projects at once. So, for the next couple weeks, I'm just going to work on finishing my WiP (55,000 words at the moment!).

After that first draft is done, while I'm letting it sit, maybe I'll come back to my list of changes for V-Day. If I feel like it, that is. Yes, the unpublished life is a pampered one.

And while we're on the subject, Elana Johnson had a great post the other day about Dream Agents. It goes right along with what I was blogging about on Wednesday.

In other Sonnichsen news ... Here's a transcript of a conversation I had with eight-year-old Olivia last night:

At bedtime. Of course. Because that's the only time great conversations begin when you're eight. It's a tried and true sleep-avoidance technique.

Olivia: Mom, what is a crumbling foot?

Me: Uh, can you tell me the context?

Olivia: Well, when I was watching the documentary about King Tut with Daddy the other day, they said he had a crumbling foot.

Me: Um ... was it Tut's mummy? Maybe they didn't preserve his foot well enough and it crumbled?

Olivia: No, when he was alive he had a crumbling foot. They said he might have died because of his crumbling foot -- when he was hunting or when he was fighting in a battle, his crumbling foot made him die.

Me: Do you think they said he had a crippled foot?

Olivia: No, it was a crumbling foot.

Me: Okay, well, let me talk to Baba about it and see if he remembers anything about a crumbling foot.

*several minutes later*

Me: Olivia, Baba says King Tut had a club foot. Do you think you heard 'club foot' instead of 'crumbling foot?'

Olivia: No, it was a crumbling foot. (Then, in a perfect Egyptian accent, a direct quote from the documentary, and she did not forget to roll her r's:) King Tut lived all his life with a crrumbling foot.

Come on, say it out loud. I dare you. I think you'll see why my poor daughter was insistent about the state of King Tut's foot.

Have a lovely day, everyone!

I Feel Famous (Sort of)

I'm excited.

I asked agent Kristin Nelson (who blogs at Pub Rants) a question about showing vs. telling in first pages, and she gave me a great answer.* Click here to read it.

In this series Ms. Nelson has been giving examples of first pages that caught her attention and led to her offering representation. It's a great series, so if you're an aspiring writer not already following it, I'd take a look.


*And I won't even hold it against her that she spelled my last name wrong. *wink* The name my husband gave me is long and complex and throws even the most seasoned telemarketer into seizures of terror.

Good News, Bad News

I completely forgot that Wednesday was Wednesday. Must've been because we had a holiday on Monday. All my days got mixed up. I totally forgot to write my WIP Wednesday update, even though I had news to share.

Or maybe I subconsciously chose to forget Wednesday because the news I had to share needed to sink in a little bit. I had to mull it over. Twirl it on my tongue like a piece of hard candy.

So, here it is Friday and I have good news. I also have bad news. I'll start with the bad news because then I can end on a positive note rather than a negative one. Also, the good news won't make much sense until you know the bad news.

Here goes:

I got an email from the agent who had requested my full manuscript.

When I saw it in the inbox, my spirits sank because I knew it was going to be a rejection. (If someone has your full and they want to represent you, they use the phone, not email.)

So, I went and checked to see if I had any phone messages -- just in case.

Nothing. (Well, technically, there was something, but it was my contractor telling me when he was going to come to seal my backsplash tile. Not an agent offering representation. Poop.)

Back to the computer I went, dragging my feet a little bit. I didn't even want to open the email. Too sad.

But open it I finally did. And ... it was a rejection. Of course. But it didn't feel as bad as I was expecting.

For one, I appreciated her getting back to me so quickly. Some people have to wait months going on years for agents to get back to them about their full submissions. So, this agent gets kudos for quickness.

For another, she had nice things to say about my book. She liked the characterizations. If anything, she felt like it had too much going on, seemed to be heading in too many directions, which, as a critique is totally fair. (There are a lot of threads. Maybe something I have to work on is simplifying.... But, I digress.) That's why she said she was passing. Too much going on.

But then there was a good news at the end. She said she'd be happy to look at other manuscripts of mine.

Now, maybe I'm reading into this too much, but I'm choosing to take that invitation as meaning she likes my writing. This one wasn't good for her, but maybe the next one will be and she'd like to read it.

I don't think that's failure. It means that when I finish Back I can include in my query to this agent something like, "You requested the full for my last project, V-Day, and in your response mentioned that I could submit future projects to you." And hopefully she'll remember, "Oh yeah, I liked that girl's writing ... I think I'd like to see more."

You'd better believe after I closed that email, I opened up Word and hammered away at my WIP, Back, for at least an hour. (An hour I really couldn't afford because it made me late starting on the lasagna I was making for dinner. That's okay, though. Writing was therapy at that point.)

Not that I'm giving up on V-Day. Not yet. I haven't even reached my goal of half of the agents I want to query, so I'm not considering it a lost cause (though I have to admit, some days I'm tempted). I'm sure there's an agent out there who likes complicated stories with lots of story threads and a big twist at the end ... Maybe?

But even if there isn't an agent out there who goes ga-ga over V-Day, I know I'm making progress. Honestly, even getting a full request is progress as far as I'm concerned. And, as I've said lots of times before, progress has to be my goal in this business.

Otherwise, I won't stay sane.

WIP Wednesday: Waiting

I'm not belly-aching about waiting.

There are lots of things in life worse than waiting. Earthquakes in Haiti, for instance. Invisible children in Uganda. I think I have my head screwed on straight enough that I haven't lost perspective that the hoops I have to jump through as a fledgling, wanna-be writer living in America are pretty easy ones.

But, just so you know, when you're querying literary agents with a project, there's a lot of waiting. You email your query letter, personalizing it for several carefully-chosen agents, and for the next seventy-two hours you're just positive they're all going to get back to you. So you refresh your email inbox about eight hundred times a day.

After day four you kind of realize you're being ridiculous and you stop refreshing so much.

Now, it's true, there are several agents who don't waste any time. They get those form rejections back to you pronto. You press the send button on your email, go to Querytracker.net to log your submission, and by the time you get back ... there it is. And you know it's a form letter rejection. It has to be. Because this agent obviously didn't have time to read the writing sample in two minutes. S/he can't be salivating for the next chapter already.

But that's fine. The premise didn't interest them. That's absolutely fine. We all have different tastes in literature. That's why there are so many books in the world. (Thank goodness!) It's like when I'm walking through Barnes and Noble and I pick a book off the shelf. Say I like the cover. I flip it over and read the description on the back. Usually I don't have to read more than a couple sentences to know if I'm interested or not. I'm not paying $20 for that! Set it back on the shelf. Customer rejection.

It's the same with agents, reading through thousands of query letters. They're human beings. They have tastes too. Many people loved the book I glanced at in Barnes and Noble. They loved it enough to publish it. And probably many people in the world are interested in reading it. Just not me.

But, besides those rare agents who are speed demons with their rejections, many are not. And that's okay too. See, agents are busy people. They don't get to spend all day just reading queries. They actually have to make money. And making money for an agent means spending a lot of time with the clients they already have. They have to sell their books. The massive job of reading queries is really just on the side, when they have a few minutes to spare.

So, I wait. Very patiently. And it's not so bad. Because there's always that element of the unknown when you're waiting. That excitement when you wake up in the morning, that maybe he or she will get back to me today and it will be great news. See, you never know.

I sometimes wonder if I can tell by just looking at an email sitting in my inbox if it's going to be a rejection or a request. There's this feeling: kind of a lightness when someone's asking for more, kind of a heaviness when I know he or she is not. Probably it's just my imagination.

But this week, I did make a little progress. I got my first request for a full (translation: an agent who wanted to read the whole thing), which puts me way up in outerspace orbiting the earth, doing a fox trot with the moon.

I'll land someday. Hopefully it won't be a crash landing. But no, I won't let it be. I'm going to stay realistic about this process, keep reminding myself that I don't want to be published until I'm the best I can be. And I'm going to keep writing because I love it. That's all.

And, of course, if I'm going to keep writing, I might as well keep querying.

And if I'm going to keep querying, I'd better get used to waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

WIP Wednesday: Typing Keeps Your Fingers Warm

Just a quick update on this sunny, frozen Wednesday.

For those of you who are newish to my blog, WIP stands for Work In Progress, and while I have a lot of works-in-progress that are not related to writing (my four children, for instance), this series of posts is specifically about my writing projects.

I'm busy querying agents with my young adult (YA) novel V-Day. That means I'm sending out letters and usually a sample chapter by email to find out if agents are interested in representing me and my book. It's pretty tough to sign with an agent, so this process can be emotionally turbulent. Lots of rejections. (This time around I've received just as many requests for partials as I have rejections, so that's encouraging.) When an agent asks for a partial, it means they're interested in the premise of the novel that you've presented in the query letter and they want to see more. Partials are exciting because it means someone's actually reading your stuff. And in many cases you get constructive feedback on your novel, even if the response to the partial is ultimately a rejection.

To keep myself from becoming obsessed with the query process, I'm also working on my new novel, another YA contemporary called Back. This one is slow-going so far, but I think that's because I'm being cautious with it. I don't want my plot to derail, so I'm being very careful to decide exactly what I want to focus on before I get too deeply into the story. Maybe I'm being too cautious with this one, though. Part of the fun of writing for me is not being exactly sure what the character is going to do when I start a new novel. I can have the plot all laid out, but there are always undercurrents of motivations and personality that pop out like color accents in a woven rug. You're not exactly sure how it's going to look until you've finished. You stand back and say, "I wasn't expecting that, but it's nice. I love it."

Other times you stand back and say, "Ugh. Okay, that didn't work. This is a mess." Yes, that happens too. That's when you break out the scalpel and start slicing into your story. I guess I'm trying to avoid as much of that blood and gore with this new novel as I can, which is why I'm progressing slowly. I'm thinking a lot. These characters are often on my mind.

Meanwhile, I'm critiquing/editing my writing pal Stina's new contemporary YA. It's always fun to give back a little to these writing friends who have given so much to me through the art of kind, but brutal, critique. My only problem is, I'm not sure if I'm as helpful to them as they have been to me. I'm giving it my best, though.

Now, off to be productive while my baby's napping.

Remember, if the cold weather is getting you down: typing keeps your fingers warm. Write a novel!