It's started

I can't freak out about my first book any longer, because I have officially started book 2. No, I haven't sent the queries out yet. My deadline (for myself) is Friday and I have someone looking over them for me at the moment. How far in to the second book? (You ask) 198 words. But, to be fair, I outlined what will probably be the whole first chapter before I started., I also did a bit of research, to make sure my science was or could be accurate.

In other news: Twitter baffles me. It seems like it may be the quick and dirty way to network with real life writers and audiences around the world. Which is awesome! I mean seriously. SERIOUSLY. However, I'm so green that I'm afraid I'm going to commit some faux pas that banishes me from the Twitter World. (Which is a totally fun alien world where we are all pretty blue birds that fly around tweeting.) Obviously.

Anyway, I'm going to make another cup of coffee and get back to writing.

Attention.

It's come to my attention that some people who read my blog seem to think I am very hard on myself. I want to share with everyone something that my favorite author told me. (OK, he wrote it in a book and I read it - really it's the same thing) He said:

"Writers have to simultaneously believe the following two things:

1. The story I am now working on is the greatest work of genius ever written in English.

2. The story I am now working on is worthless drivel."

He suggests this is true because you need to believe #1 when you decide whether to mail a story out, #2 when revising the story, #1 when choosing where to submit it, #2 when it's rejected, and #1 when you send it back out again.

Orson Scott Card (my favorite author), speaks to my heart. I have always believed both of these, but being told that it's OK makes me feel slightly less crazy. So, now I hope it makes a bit more sense as to why I am harsh on myself. And I know what some of you may be thinking, "Tina, you don't act like you believe #1." My answer to you is this, by writing this blog and telling you that I wrote a novel and am getting ready to send it out to agents I am fulfilling that belief. I would never tell anyone, especially ALL of the internet (hey, they can read it if they want to) that I am writing a book if I didn't believe I was pretty damn fantastic, original, and that I will have a book on your hometown bookstore shelves some day soon.

The book I referred to above is: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy -by Orson Scott Card. It's pretty amazing, as are all of the books by him that I have read.

Twitter.

I've broken down and gotten a Twitter account. I was amazed to see that the @tinarazz handle was free, so I grabbed it right up. I have little idea of what I'm doing, but with my query letters getting closer to complete, I figured it was time to follow, retweet, and be followed.

So go ahead and follow. Suggestions/criticisms? I'll take them.

Follow @tinarazz

Writing news:

-I have narrowed to four agents I will query. Two email. Two snail mail.

-I think my synopsis is too long, by about 8 1/2 pages? idk

Goal for the week: Get the queries out! AHHHHHHHH

done.

Yes, the synopsis. If I am allowed to consider something that I haven't read over as done . . .

Ok. The hard part is done. It's there in black and white.

My question is: Why the hell does anyone want to read one? How can anyone tell if a book will be good? Seriously, it's cut down to: this happens, then this happens, she feels this way, he feels this way. How can I convince anyone it is well written, a master piece perhaps, when all of my characterization is cut out. How can anyone like characters who just do things? I don't think I even like my novel right now. I surely don't like my characters. The only part I do like about it are my first two paragraphs, which read more like a book cover. Maybe I should read over it.

How long is it supposed to be anyway? I've got like 9 1/2 pages. Too long? Too short? I need Goldilocks perfection here.

Synopsis?

It's harder to write about my novel that it was to write the damn thing. I want to bang my head against my metal desk and listen to my grey matter squish out of my ears and flop on the ground. (and poke my eyes out with the scissors). The craziest thing: it's effort for all the rejection letters I will get. Maybe I should just write myself a rejection letter and get on with writing the next novel.

Here it goes:

Dear Ms. Morris,

We regret to inform you that your novel entitled, (Whatever the final title will be), is not a good fit for our agency/publishing company. First, it's not Science-fictiony enough. We are looking for aliens with green skin, teleportation devices, and flying saucers. Second, your characters have stupid names and worse characterization. Third, your synopsis sucked, therefore, your writing must as well. Fourth, we don't like your name. It's simply not publishable. Fifth, we are honestly not sure where you live since your query was mailed from one state, your synopsis from another and your phone number is from neither. Sixth, we don't see where it could go after this. There is simply no potential. Seventh, I have a headache and actually didn't read beyond the first sentence. Eighth, you suck. Ninth, your novel isn't long enough. Tenth, simply put: no one will read it.

We hope we have provided you a clear enough explanation of why you and your writing are not a good fit for us. Feel free to submit again, when you get a clue.

Sincerely,

Some evil witch who hates all life

Ok, now that I have written the worst rejection letter I can think of (to myself), I feel a bit better. In fact, I highly suspect this will be the most original rejection I receive. (That is not a challenge). But if you are reading this, and planning on rejecting me anyway - go for it.

On that note: back to my synopsis (attempt)

Organizing My Thoughts

Visually, organizing my thoughts that is. New white dividers in my white binder. Freshly printed chapter by chapter outline. I'm working on typing up my character information from the random loose-leaf paper, sticky notes, and ripped journal pages strewn about.

In other new: I have written two versions of the query letter (so far).

Outline Complete

15 pages, 5,600+ words later and the outline to my novel is finished. I'm very happy about this because it will be much easier to work with 15 pages to write a synopsis rather than 224 pages.

Up next: Synopsis, Query Letter(s), and Cover Letter

Long term: Begin to outline the next book.

I'm not typically one to do outlines for stories/novels. However, I have a lot of directions I could go and I think outlining will help me determine which directions I want to go in next. Even if I don't follow it exactly, I'm hoping that it will save me some time.