My Town Monday and other announcements...

Query / Pitch Critique: For those of you who haven’t ventured by lately (my own fault as I’ve been a sporadic blogger) The last two posts have been dedicated to critiquing queries and pitches... If you’d like to help crit our first query, graciously volunteered by Ms. Julie Weathers, stop on over and leave your feedback in the comments. I’m still open to new queries and pitches so if you’d like to work on yours stop by the original post and leave your pitch in the comments section.

Spotlight Blogger: My real world friend, Dina Darling, has a blog!!! Though when I knew her, we simply called her Dina Beans... Dina and I went to high school together and recently got together with another close friend for a girl’s night of silliness. She is one of the most genuine and caring people you will ever meet so if you get a few seconds, pop on by and welcome her into the blogger fold. Dina posts some poetry and verse and a lot of musical musings as well as photos – she freelances as a band photographer (how flippin cool is that?)

And on to the post...

Haunted Chicago... meet the neighbors

For those of you rolling your eyes bear with me here. One of the great things about studying the legends of an area is that it brings you closer to the place’s history. Chicago has a wide array of people from different parts of the globe and many of us are first or second generationers, which make us a little more intrigued by all things superstitious. Where there is a personal connection with these places, I’ll include it – otherwise, what follows is just a brief snapshot of some of our more infamous hauntings and the legends behind them.

Resurrection Mary

Resurrection Cemetery is located on Archer Avenue in Justice Illinois, west of the actual city limits. Since the 1930’s there have been sightings of the woman who has become known as Resurrection Mary on a stretch of Archer between what is now Willowbrook Ballroom and the main cemetery gates. Sightings include men who’ve met with the young woman (usually described as a blond haired blue eyed girl in her late teens or early twenties) in the dance hall, one that was in fact there during the 30’s, then called the O. Henry Ballroom. The men tell varying stories – some danced with the young woman for most of the night, when driving her home she asked them to stop in front of the cemetery and then she ran toward the gates and disappeared. Others say she disappeared from within the car when they got to the cemetery gates.

Other stories involve men picking up the young woman hitchhiking on the road or, in fact, running her over – but by the time they exit their vehicle the apparition has disappeared. Chicago area ghost hunters have been on the hunt for the actual historical verification of the young girl for years. There are a few different theories on who she might be, usually identified as a girl of polish decent, sometimes a girl named Anna Norkus who was killed in an automobile accident on the way home from the O. Henry with her father in the 1930’s.

There are a plethora of pictures taken by amateur ghost hunters showing orbs and other variations of light play, but perhaps the most notable physical evidence of this legend, or that has been tied to this legend, are on the bars of the cemetery itself. One observer noted the girl’s hand grasping the bars to the cemetery gates as she disappeared. When he went to look at the place she had been, the bars were badly misshapen and burned where her hands had been. Cemetery officials claim that the damage to the bars is due to an accident involving a truck.



Photo of Resurrection Cemetery Bars, from Wikipedia Page on Resurrection Mary

When I was a teenager, this was a favorite spot to go at night and creep yourselves out. We’d stand at the bars and take turns putting our hands where Mary’s hands had supposedly left their imprint. The legend as I was told it... while drinking and scaring the bejeezus out of one another, was that the bars had been replaced once, but the marks came back in the same exact spot.

Meet Emily

Theatre people have some of the best ghost stories. In Cicero, theatre is taken pretty seriously, oddly enough. As a side note for the star minded, Cicero and Morton High School and College are home to Joe Mantegna... and the kid from My Bodyguard of 1980’s fame, but I don’t remember his name.


Me loves me some Joe Mantegna - come on, he's adorable! Photo from his website

Emily is (or was) the ghost of the Morton College Theatre. Historically, she was an actual girl who was murdered in 1969 and the crime was never solved. At the time of her disappearance and death, the college campus was just about to be built – Morton College was, in its early days, operating out of Morton East High School Campus, and their Chodl auditorium has its own ghost story as well. Emily’s body was discovered when the construction crews went to break ground on what is now the site of the theatre portion of the college campus.

I had a lot of friends involved in that theatre and for a year or longer, I worked on sets and did lighting for some of their productions, so I’m pretty familiar with the lore. Emily had her own seat in the back of the theatre, to the right hand side of the booth. That particular seat got icy cold and no one who spent any time around the theatre would sit in it. In researching this particular post, I ran across a number of articles that indicated that Emily was known to frequent particularly violent productions – but I’d never heard that during my time around the theatre, so I don’t know where that bit of lore comes from.

What I do know is that sightings almost always occurred late at night. The janitorial crew was especially spooked by Emily as she seemed to like to mess with people when they were alone in the building. She did such things as play with the elevator buttons, appear on the roof and then jump off, and throw stones and small objects at people. As I recall, she was around for a lot of the musicals, or at least people seemed to think she was around. A friend of mine who’s been in and around the theatre in recent years informs me that Emily has finally moved on. She hasn’t been sighted in a long time and the theatre community no longer has a fear of the seat in the back row. The theory always was that Emily couldn't rest because her killer was never caught. There weren't even any leads at the time. So one theory is that her murderer may have met his demise or gotten caught on a different crime - there were all sorts of theories on who and why, but there never was a concrete suspect. Most of us aware of her story assumed it was a stranger, and in 1969 the idea of serial killers wasn't really well known.

Dillinger’s Alley:

Many of you know the story of John Dillinger, but I’ll refresh your memory if you’d like. John Dillinger and his band of bank robbers were notorious during the 1930’s. While FBI sources list him as a scourge and cold blooded killer, the public consensus at the time was much more forgiving. Remember, this was during the great depression and people were none too keen on banks, having been left penniless by these un-backed institutions after the crash of 1929. Dillinger was seen as a sort of robin hood, though he didn’t actually give his loot to the poor to my knowledge, but he and Baby Face Nelson and other criminals of the time did revel in burning the bank’s mortgage notes and debt records, which was a nice little boost to all those people getting ready to lose their homes.



Photo of Biograph as it appeared in 1934

Dillinger was set up and ambushed at the Biograph Theater in Chicago in 1934. He made the FBI agent upon leaving the theater, drew his gun, and tried to escape down the alley next to the building – but he was gunned down in the alleyway. The neighborhood still boasts Dillinger’s death as a claim to fame and the bar next door actually put a sign in the window the next day implying that Dillinger had his last drink there. You can go into the theater and sit in the seat that Dillinger occupied before his death and there’s a plaque erected near the ticket booth to commemorate the event. Most notorious for ghost hunters though is the appearance of Dillinger in later years. Witnesses claim to have seen him running from the theatre, a lone spector in the middle of a scene no one else can see, and then falling to the ground in the middle of the alley to disappear.


Photo of Biograph today

There are, of course, other haunts in the Chicagoland area, such as Hull House, Harpo Studios, and the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. But this post has gotten far too long already, if you feel like researching haunts in your own hometowns though, let me know... I always love a good ghost story.

I'm an idiot!!!! I forgot to thank the wonderful Travis for starting the My Town Monday series... if you've just stumbled upon it here, go check out Travis' blog for a list of all the bloggers participating and to get a flavor for all the locations being spotlighted.

Query / Pitch Critique.... Part I

The first post in this series is here. If you missed it when it was first posted, haven’t had a chance yet to post your pitch in comments, or decide after reading this one that you’d like to post your own pitch for critique, feel free to drop a comment with your pitch at the first post and I can include it in subsequent crits. Originally I planned on doing one blog post with any pitch / query critiques that were wanted – but I realized how long that one post would be, so it’ll be a series, for as long as you’re all interested in working on them.

Before posting my critique, I thought I’d point out a few things for anyone who needs to do a little digging on how to better hone their query. Most of the best advice on query and pitch writing that I’ve gotten over the last year or so has come about through blogging – it’s more than just a time suck, though as Josie points out from her time with Donald Maass, if it scratches the itch it can be detrimental.

Here are a few blog references for those looking to see how a query / pitch might work best, from some people with much better experience than I:

Most of the agents in my sidebar have done posts on how to write (or how not to write) a query – if you search their sites, you’ll find some fabulous advice.

BookEnds held a series of pitch crits that I learned a great deal from... my own pitch has changed significantly since then, but I knew I was at least on the right track there... there are numerous posts and a significant amount of great feedback from writers in the comments, but it’s worth the time to read through if you haven’t seen it yet.

Our own JJdebenedictis, who recently gained representation, held The Goblin’s Crucible, and many pitches were improved. (Check out JJ’s winning query letter for a good example of what’s worked).

The lovely and talented Moonrat held a Book Blurb contest that was stellar in not only developing pitch but also a working start at synopsis... her contest was to give a back cover blurb (your pitch), jacket flap copy (your synopsis minus the ending), and a tagline.

Okay.... and now it’s time.... our very first entry:

Dear Perfect Agent;

I’m guessing this was a typo, but just in case, it should be a colon (:) or comma (,) depending on your preference or the agent’s

(Personalized note about agent.)

I generally include genre and word count in the opening paragraph as well, that way you don’t have to include the line towards the end, “Paladin's Pride is a fantasy novel, which is complete at 130,000 words.” Which seems out of place and a little awkward stuck in between the pitch and bio sections. I try to keep it to one or two sentences particular to the agent and why I am querying them, usually I can tie it neatly in with my genre – for an example with yours, you might mention a book they rep in your genre and draw a parallel between the writing style or subject matter and your own and finish the sentence with, ‘I thought my fantasy novel would be a good fit for your list’ or ‘a good fit for representation’ I finish that small paragraph with a straight forward sentence on word count – if you’ve already mentioned the genre, you might use, “PALADIN’S PRIDE is complete at 130,000 words.” – When you reference the name of your novel, most sources state that ALL CAPS is the correct format for query.

Just to give you an over-view before I get into specifics, this is too long with too much description. Your story sounds both interesting and fun, but a reader might not wade through all the extra verbiage to find that out. You want your pitch paragraph to be just that, one paragraph – two at the most, but it needs to be concise and it needs to intrigue the reader – the agent doesn’t need to know the whole story from your query, they only need their interest piqued. Look at some of the back cover blurbs on your favorite books – the really good blurbs will give you a great indication of what your pitch paragraphs should look like.

The king is missing. The infant prince is being poisoned. Guards loyal to the king are systematically exiled or killed. It's a dangerous time for a sixteen-year-old girl to join a unit connected to the king's elite Horse Guards, some of his most loyal troops. It's especially dangerous for a girl who has caught the eye of a demon, a pirate and the demon caller.

Gentyl has always dreamed of joining the Horse Guards when she was old enough. However, after the last of the missing king's personal guards is executed like a common criminal, her parents enroll her in an exclusive healing school, where she will be protected. Gentyl thinks her prayers have been answered and she has found favor with the Divine One, when she is accidentally assigned to a military unit instead.

On the verge of civil war and ethnic cleansing, her kingdom is rapidly approaching a disaster unless the king is found. Gentyl is assigned to watch over the king's seemingly senile wizard, but when he includes her in his efforts to solve the disappearance of the king and his guards, she learns Saerowyn is not nearly as helpless or addled as he wants people to think he is.

She survives an assassin's blade, court intrigue, a battle with an undead champion, the pirate's attentions, and the demon's attempts to possess her, but her greatest challenge may be conquering her temper and pride.

I like your opening three sentences, they’re punchy and to the point and they draw you right in. The last paragraph has good potential, too, it’s everything in the middle that needs to be edited down. I’m going to give you a brief rewrite at the end, feel free to keep or discard whatever you like. Obviously, you know your story a heck of a lot better than I do. Another thing to keep in consideration is the fact that your own voice, the voice of your story, needs to be as present in the query as possible.

Another thing I noticed, and this may be a personal thing but I’ll include it anyway – the name, Saerowyn, for a wizard sounds too close to Sauron from Lord of the Rings to me. It was the first thing I thought of – though others might disagree.

Paladin's Pride is a fantasy novel, which is complete at 130,000 words.

I was a staff writer for Speedhorse Racing Report for seventeen years. During that time I wrote weekly stories about Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa racing in Canada, Mexico and the United States. I also wrote several stories about the history of various tracks and articles about equine health. One of my stories was nominated for the AQHA Sprint award.

I like your bio; you keep it right on track tying your publishing history into the specifics of the Horse Guard aspect of your story. The only thing I might do differently is to list the story that was nominated for the award by name, giving the date or year of the nomination.

Thank you for your consideration and time.

Julie Weathers

My Pitch Re-Write:

The king is missing. The infant prince is being poisoned. Guards loyal to the crown are systematically exiled or killed. It's a dangerous time for sixteen-year-old, Gentyl, to join the king's elite Horse Guards, especially since she’s caught the eye of a demon, a pirate, and the demon caller.

When Gentyl’s assignment includes watching over a senile wizard, she’s drawn into his clandestine efforts to solve the disappearance of the king and his guards. She can survive an assassin's blade, court intrigue, and the demon's attempts to possess her, but her greatest challenge may be in conquering her own temper and pride.

Okay, as I said earlier, use or discard any of my rewrite / crit as you see fit. I’ve cut a lot of information that you may think is more important than what I’ve kept – you know your story better than I do, so it’s really all about how you are comfortable pitching it – the main point is to narrow down exactly what you want to say to entice a reader, rather than giving it away plot point by plot point.

A very big thank you to Julie for putting her query up for public critique. I’m going to open the comments here to you guys – add in all of your thoughts, crits, whatever is constructive to our author. As I said in the first post, honest crits are always welcome, but nothing derogatory.

If you all are still interested in my opinion, feel free to hit the link at the top for the first post on Query / Pitch crits and drop your own in my comments for feedback....

Query Critique - Work with me, people!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.... at least that’s my excuse...

Hi everyone, sorry for the long hiatus from the bloggy realm. Besides getting sidetracked with things like scrabulous and some other interesting time sucks around the internet, I’ve been catching up with friends and getting in some reading... I’m also planning my son’s upcoming Communion and softball and baseball seasons have officially started, so life is getting very full. In my writing time, I’ve been fine tuning my queries and really digging in and narrowing down my agent lists... As I said in a previous post, I’m not going to discuss much more of the submission process on that ms, unless there’s news, but a commenter on my last post gave me an idea:

She asked if I would crit her query letter, which is very flattering and I’d be glad to, but with the caveat that I’m obviously not an expert.... So instead of just exchanging emails and critting for her, I thought I’d open up this post for a pitch / query crit. I know a lot of my regular readers are doing really well with their writing momentum (if you’re all still around after my lengthy absences of late). Many of you guys are farther ahead in your careers than I am, and I know I got a ton of great feedback from pitch crits I participated in and JJdebenedictis’ blog and others....

So here are the rules: If you’d like to play, you can post your pitch or full query in the comments section. I’ll go through the pitches and give my feedback in my next post and the comments section will be open to participation and feedback from all of the writers reading along. Your comments will be censored by me (and remember I’m brutal)... I’ll allow anything and everything constructive in criticism, because I think it’s important to hear... I will not allow anything demeaning or derogatory – I’ve never had a problem with that on this blog as you guys are all fabulous, but I thought I’d mention it in case we get someone new around these parts who’s a knucklehead.

If you’re not done with your novel, this still might be a good exercise as it will help narrow down your pitch for when you’re ready. I worked on mine months before I was finished with revisions, and it’s been a great load off my mind to have a polished pitch so that I can really concentrate on my agent research, narrowing my opening paragraph and tailoring it specifically for that agent, and following their specific guidelines... If you already have representation, feel free to leave links to your own pitch (so other writers can see what’s worked for you) or to post in comments.

And away we go......

My Kids Are Weird... and other parenting dilemmas

First, a hearty congratulations!!!

For those of you who hadn’t heard, JJ Debenedictis has a new agent!!!! Go drop by her blog when you get time and help her celebrate.

And, on with the post:

My kids are strange... Lately I’ve been reading and hearing a lot of different things about parenthood and motherhood and it got me to thinking about my own mode of parenting. It’s funny how it evolves. It’s funny how on top of things I thought I would be when I first became a mom, the things I never thought I’d do, the kind of parent I thought I’d become... you know, as opposed to the parent I actually am... What happened to my once lofty goals? Well, I had kids. They don’t actually conform to what you think they’ll be – they have a need to be their own person, which means switching up the way you raise them because what works for one will not work with all... Ah, if new parents only realized that.

When I was a new mom my television set was almost never on. I watched a few shows here and there, but mostly I watched baseball and my husband watched football and I thought, jeesh, those people who plop their kids down in front of the TV and use it as a babysitter are just terrible.

Yeah... my TV’s on all the flippin time these days. Oh, yes, I shut it off and we play games or do school work. But my kids watch way more TV than I ever thought I’d allow, and my youngest has watched TV since infancy, because I already had three and you’ll take any break you can get at that point!

When I was a new mom, I stood aghast that anyone would allow their kids sugar all the time. No pop for my kids. Candy would be a rarity, and only as a treat after a good, healthy dinner.

Ha! I still don’t let them drink pop, my two youngest don’t even want it... but the ten year old, well, she’s had it at friends’ houses and she likes it... really likes it, asks for it all the time. We’ve settled on her having one (sprite or sierra mist with no caffeine) occasionally with dinner – not every night, I’d say once every two weeks or so, and on those nights she foregoes dessert... but no sugar... please, my cookie jar is a candy treasure trove and they average at least one sweet a day, sometimes far far more... though they still have to finish their regular meals first, I’ll cave on the veggies way more than I should....

Those aren’t the only differences between what I thought and the reality of raising three kids. I thought that if you raise them well, they become good people... Lots of little discipline things, but I found that each kid comes with their own sensibilities, so what works on oldest would be detrimental to my middle guy. Oldest is a hard head. She’s ridiculously bright, but lazy. So being strict with her is what works. If I didn’t set hard and fast rules, she wouldn’t care what grade she came home with or how many rats her bedroom drew... she’s just that way. She’s independent; too, so you have to check up on her, because she won’t tell you she needs help she’ll just try to wing it.

My second is a sweetheart. He gets very nervous about doing things wrong and needs a lot of encouragement and a bit of hand holding in new situations until he hits his comfort level. I’m far less strict with him because he wouldn’t do well with it, and he doesn’t need it. He never has to be asked twice and often will tell me he wants to do his homework, clean his room, go to bed, etc.

Really all of this is to say that they will surprise you and often teach you a hell of a lot more than you teach them. My daughter, while she drives me nuts with her procrastination, is a constant source of amazement for me. She’s ten, just the age where you really start to worry. Sitting at the kitchen table after dinner the other day, she informs me that she wants to be a medical examiner when she grows up... Oooo-kay. I figured she didn’t know what one was. But she did. She wants to examine the bodies and tell the police how they were killed and help them find the bad guys... That’s her take on it, which is pretty good for a ten year old, though a little scary (But I bet Josie would love her). I figured, heck, it’s better than wanting to be a trampy pop star or something.

Anyway, we had this whole conversation about what kind of education she’d need and how she could work toward a career like that – seriously, I was just happy she was so intent. I figured telling her she’d have to get a medical degree would have kyboshed the whole thing... nope, but my figures for future tuition just went up dramatically. In my surreal state of not really fathoming how my ten year old daughter arrived at this career choice we exchanged the following dialogue:

Me: You really want to play with dead bodies? (I’m occasionally flippant)
Her: I’m not taking them out to tango or anything.
Me: (doubled over laughing, cause I thought that was pretty good for a 10 year old)
Her: Though, I wouldn’t have a problem getting to lead.

Okay, seriously, love that she has such interesting career goals, but I’m really thinking comedian... she just doesn’t know it yet.

My Town Monday – Wrigley Field

(Photo above, Wrigley Field - from Chicago Tribune)

I haven’t participated in Travis’ My Town Series for a few weeks, mostly because the day keeps slipping past me. But I thought Opening Day might be a good one to pick back up on my posting for this – a look at Wrigley Field... It is, after all, one of my favorite Chicago features.

If you haven’t seen any of the news stories on the naming rights at Wrigley Field, let me fill you in. The current owner, Sam Zell, is selling the naming rights separately from the park and the team.

On the Cubs’ Website, Zell is quoted as saying:
“As far as Wrigley is concerned, Wrigley is an obvious worldwide icon and Wrigley Field is worldwide known, but in the world of economics, when I bought the Tribune, they didn’t give me a discount because I wasn’t going to use the naming rights that the field represents,” he said. “Perhaps the Wrigley Co. will decide that after getting it for free for so long, they decide to pay for it.”

Well, what kind of logic is that?!!!! For my two cents, and because it is my blog I can add my two cents, I will not purchase or support any product that removes the name ‘Wrigley’ from that ballpark. There are an awful lot of Cubs fans out there and many of them feel the same way... so if some other company buys the rights, they might want to think about keeping the name Wrigley – I know a lot of fans that will go out of their way to give you business if you help preserve the history of the park. And on with the post:

A Brief History:

Wrigley was built in 1914 and is one of the oldest ballparks in baseball. I think Fenway (which I’d love to see, I hear it’s fantastic... plus they serve chowder!!!) is two years older. Wrigley was originally named Weeghman Park after the first owner, Charles Weeghman. He built the stadium to house Chicago’s Federal League team, the Chicago Federals which were later known as the Whales.

The Federal League was short lived, folding in 1915, at which point Weeghman, along with a number of other investors (including William Wrigley, Jr.) bought the National League ball club from Charles Taft – the Chicago Cubs played their first game in Weeghman Park in 1916. Wrigley bought out the other investors’ shares in the park and team over the course of the next few years, becoming the sole owner by 1919. The park was named Cubs Park in 1920 and then in 1926 it was renamed Wrigley Field in honor of William Wrigley, Jr. (the man, not his chewing gum company which was also given the family name).



(Pictured above, Wrigley Field 1928, photo from Chicago Tribune)


For those of you keeping score, the Cubs, a nickname originally given the team by a local newspaper and one that obviously stuck, have never won a World Series since taking residence in our beloved Wrigley Field. Our last World Series victory occurred in 1908 when the club resided in the West Side Fields. Our last appearance was in 1945.

Personal Perspective:

I have to edit this here, to give you all a link the the story on the Cubs site today. I forgot to mention that today they are unveiling a very special statue - for Ernie Banks, #14, everyone's favorite who is forever known as Mr. Cub. Even if you're not a baseball fan, go check out the article. You have to love this guy, who was one of the greatest players ever, yet never made the post season, and never let it diminish his love of the team, the city, or the sport...

I’ll spare all of you non baseball fans the wealth of sports history, names such as Ernie Banks(see edit above, I obviously lied a bit) and incidents such as Babe Ruth’s called shot. We’ll focus instead on the stadium and the fans. The thing about Wrigley Field that evokes such passion from those of us who love it is this: the stadium itself reeks of the City. It’s like a little snapshot with all of the myriad facets that make up Chicago.

Those of you who have never been here would love it – those who have know exactly what I mean. Chicago is as much small town as big city. We house every walk of life, pace, view, and vantage point. You can easily find the highest of society among the little green rigid seats, along side the hotdog vendors and bus drivers watching the game.

When you’re inside Wrigley Field, every person is a neighbor and friend. It doesn’t matter that you’ve never met them before in your life; they’ll strike up a conversation just because you’re in the vicinity. The bleachers... ah, I love the bleachers. They are the most uncomfortable seats in the house – but you feel right in the action of the whole damn game. The bleachers are just what they sound like, long rows of benches – there are no ticket numbers here. Get there early and you might find a good seat – get there late and God help you, because I’m not giving mine up... Luckily they start serving beer long before the game begins. I’ve sat all the way down near the basket and all the way up under the big green scoreboard – that seat’s not actually too bad, the beer stand is only a few steps behind : - )

I would never take my kids to the bleachers – it’s a party and a fun one, but I don’t think it’s for kids. I’ve seen them there, but I wouldn’t do it myself, you never know who’s going to get rowdy. But the main seats in the stadium are a perfect place to introduce your kids to the love of baseball. Whether I’m there with the kids our out with a girlfriend, I’ve never failed to make friends with the people sitting near me – guy or girl, rich or poor, it just doesn’t matter in Wrigley. The only rivalries that are bitter are the Cards and the White Sox – our fans can’t be around each other without tweaking noses or worse. I’ve been in the stands with every other fan under the sun and had a good time watching the game and a better time at the Cubby Bear after. Brewers fans are especially fun; we tend to have an attitude that if it can’t be us, we don’t mind rooting for you..... probably because we all hate St. Louis.

I’ve learned a lot and had a great time reading all of the My Town Monday posts. I have places marked to check out if I ever get to those parts of the country... I have to go explore Texas and Washington and definitely New York... would love to see New Orleans and a lot of other places. If I can post on one next week, I’ll try to give you all something more historical, because Chicago does have a fantastic history and some wonderful sites. But, if you’re a baseball fan and you’re heading this way, I can’t recommend Wrigley highly enough – I guarantee you’ll have one of the best times at a ball game in your life.

The Age of Internet and the Loss of Common Sense.... or, Hey, Idiot, Stop Screwing It Up For the Rest of Us!!!!

Well, how’s that for a long and wayward title to a blog post? Do you have the feeling you’re in for a rant? Good, because you are!!! Buckle up and grab some popcorn, it’s going to be a doozy.

Those of you who follow my meandering posts on a regular basis might recall how much I adore anonymous sniping and otherwise nasty forms of internet discussion. While blogging and the Internet in general have transformed the speed and ease with which we can communicate, it’s also had some nasty side effects. Common sense and good old fashioned manners seems to go out the window when there’s a computer screen between the speaker and the listener – probably because the speaker is an ass, but I’ll digress on that point for the moment.

I think a large portion of the problem is lack of accountability. The sniping in comments when cloaked by a username or plain old ‘anonymous’, those I can overlook because as far as I’m concerned, if you don’t have the nerve to sign your name to a sentiment, I don’t have time to listen to it.... huge disclaimer – that’s not all anon comments, just the ones that are derogatory or otherwise intend to twist the topic.. I get the need to use anon for certain things, such as asking questions that you’re afraid not knowing makes you seem less than professional (I’ve done this... I’ve never signed anonymous to insult someone, but then, I’ve never found the need to insult someone when they’re not standing in front of me either... I’m funny that way – if I’m going to say it, I’ll say it to you).

This particular thing has been bugging me for a while, in many facets. I mention blogging because obviously we can all relate – as I am discussing it on my blog and all... I’ve also had other cyber friends email to complain about crits they received on various posts and contests... which I also disliked – if you have a serious problem with the crit, open it up on the board you’re on, don’t email me about it because then I feel the need to reply with long windy diatribes about not asking for crits when you want praise... (Ornery aren’t I? I am. I know that) Not everyone likes critique, and I do understand that. A lot of us blogging, do so because the back pats for our writing really do give us a boost... yes, I like them too, obviously, I’m still here. I also like the connection with other writers... la, la, but, if I put my stuff up for critique, I want to hear the flaws. That’s the point – to get it ready for publication, not to get unabashed praise.... That is my take, but if it’s not yours then either a) don’t put it up for inspection or b) only put it up for critique with people whose opinion you trust implicitly and will be nice enough for your own sensibilities....

Why am I ranting about this? Because whining about the person who took time to read your stuff and then write, sometimes paragraphs in response, makes me nuts!!! It also makes me not feel like critiquing because I’m afraid I’ll alienate someone. Just, dear writers, keep this in mind, and I think I speak for most writers who are willing to critique for you (but if I’m wrong, correct me in comments) – when I take the time to read for you and offer my honest opinion, I am not pointing out things that I find wrong to be mean, rotten, nasty, or any other variable of evil. I’m pointing out things that read wrong to me. I’m pointing them out from the position of having studied fiction writing for all of my adult life, both as a writer and reader. I’m pointing them out from the position of having learned a good deal of craft both on my own and through very reputable class work... If my qualifications are not good enough for you, don’t ask me to read. If you do ask me to read, do not take anything less than unabashed applause as an insult and ask me “who the f#@% are you to criticize me? You’re not even published... or any other variable of implying that I’m beneath you”..... Critique – criticize... anyone else catch the connection there?

Arguing my critique, especially in an inflammatory way, is a waste of time. Why? Because you ask someone to critique to get a fresh set of eyes primarily.... Your critique partner is not the God of your ms, their opinion and insight should not be viewed as a direct order as to how you NEED to change your manuscript. Take it in the spirit it’s intended: as a gift of time and talent which you should thank them for. Mull their insights and use or discard as you see fit. If you receive the same type of feedback from more than one reader, I’d say it’s probably a good change to make, but it’s still your novel and a critique does not take your authorship away...

Ah.... basically, arguing a critique point by point is like calling the person who just did you a huge favor a big moron. It’s obnoxious. And furthermore, it doesn’t make you exactly a rocket scientist to have trusted someone you don’t respect with your work.

Wow, that portion of today’s rant took up a lot of space didn’t it? It’s been simmering for a bit. I’ve had a few beta readers critiquing for me, and all are lovely. They’ve offered some wonderful and useful feedback and, I hope, they’ve pointed out everything they truly found wrong because, just in case anyone wondered, I can take it. I want all of the ugly uglies... because it’ll make it stronger in the end. There are also a number of writers that I would critique for any time they needed, but in the future I’ll be more careful with that – I think from now on I’ll need to know someone fairly well before I let something like blatant honesty ruin the relationship. Or maybe I’ll just give out a disclaimer: I’m brutal so if you want me to read for you, prepare to hear what I actually think!!!! It wouldn’t work anyway, though; the people who need the disclaimer are too convinced their work is perfect.

But on this note, while it might not really bother anyone that I’ll be more selective in critiquing for people, it bothers a lot of us that agents and editors rarely offer feedback. Most of them have said in interviews or on their blogs that they do so sparingly because they get such nasty responses when they are, in reality, trying to help. And for free!!! They don’t get paid to respond to writers they aren’t publishing. Why do so many aspiring novelists feel that the fact they finished writing a book entitles them to something? It doesn’t. You wrote a book because you wanted to. You’ll get it published if it’s good enough, you try hard enough, the fates align just right... and a plethora of other things. But if it’s never published, don’t blame anyone else for being tasteless – it’s annoying.

Anyway, most of us treat feedback from agents and editors like nuggets of gold. Because they’re rare. And they’re especially rare because of all the nitwits who queried before us and then sent hate mail because they were given honest feedback. What does this have to do with the Internet Mentality? They’re more rampant now that you can just click the reply button and spew your anger over email.

In researching agents, I found more than one that will not reply to e-queries unless they want more material. It’s terrible, because it leaves you hanging out there, wondering if they even got your query. Do you know why they don’t reply? Because of the nitwits that load their inbox with nasty diatribes and insults at being rejected. It has nothing to do with them not being polite and everything to do with the dwindling lack of common courtesy exhibited by so many writers and aspiring writers... and they’re ruining it for the rest of us!

I’m guessing that the people who do this must be pretty green, or they just have such a bad temper and lack of self control that they don’t think. I can’t imagine many of them finding an agent, even if they’re brilliant – if you’ve ever done this, you should realize that agents do talk to each other, and I’m sure they mention stuff like that.

Well, this is lengthy enough of a rant for today. But I’ve just finished reading a great editor blogger who’s been email flamed over an honest and non-offensive post, and I’ve seen countless agent pages stating they won’t respond to email queries... if you’re anon, or snipey, just remember, there’s someone on the other end of that keyboard and they might stop playing. You might be ruining countless writers’ chances of learning more about that agent so they can submit, or learning more about the business... you might be taking away countless critiques simply because you are too immature to have honest communications with those around you when there’s a little screen involved that keeps you from accountability.... ironic that you should be an aspiring writer with those particular faults, but there it is... if your biggest hope in your chosen profession is to ‘make a difference’ – well, that you’ve done, but I doubt it’s the difference you were aiming for...

Okay guys – long rambly rant wrap up.... your turn, what’s ticking you off today?

Random Musings on Writing and Technology

(I just had to include the egg die contest up there... too funny!)

So, I’ve been zooming around, trying to catch up with all of my bloggy buddies and see what’s been going on around the internet... okay, that and I got caught up at the free rice site Precie linked on her blog... la, la, la... yes, more ways to waste time, while feeding the poor, though, and expanding my vocabulary, all and all it’s not so bad....... well, that’s my excuse, anyway.

And I finally went over and registered for facebook. Ello, Precie, and Moonrat have talked so much about scrabulous that I just had to check it out... even though I know it’s going to be a time suck... I should have probably paid attention to the warnings. What warnings, you ask? When I registered, it gave me a little code to submit before accepting my application. Do you want to know my code words?

End Violent

Seriously, I’m not making that up, I almost fell over I was laughing so hard. I wonder if Ello can teach me how to cheat at scrabulous. I still, by the way, haven’t figured out how to link my facebook site, or even what the url is, I have no clue what I’m doing over there – so it’ll probably take me a little while to get up and running.

The other thing I’ve been doing is catching up on some of the agent blogs. There are some new ones out there and some that I hadn’t really visited on a regular basis that are pretty good. I noticed that Nathan did a post on not calling a perspective agent to pitch... or for any reason. And that got me to thinking how much things have changed in the last ten years or so.

Okay, you were never supposed to call to pitch. That’s just stupid. I wouldn’t even try that one because honestly, I come off better on paper. And that’s the point, you want them to buy your writing – if you want them to see how charismatic you are, maybe you should try acting, or voice over, or running for Miss America, but if you want them to read your novel, you should probably be trying to get your pages in front of them instead of wowing them with your phone personality...

Where was I? Oh, yeah. About fifteen years ago and forever prior to that, the general admonishment was to call the agency or publishing house to verify that the person you wanted to query was still there and still the best person for your piece. That was all you were to call for – not to pitch talk or cajole, just to verify and hang the frig up... politely, of course. Publishing has always had a notoriously high turn over rate, or so we were taught in fiction writing courses and it was better to get your query in the correct hands with the correct name than have it whiling away on the desk of the person to usurp your intended victim... umn, I mean, recipient.

Today, that admonishment is a little dated. These agencies have websites and there are whole sites and message board communities devoted to keeping these resources updated. If you want to know if agent xyz is still with a particular agency, odds are you can find out by visiting the agency website or searching their name on a message board... There are reams of information at your fingertips on their preferences and submission requirements. There’s really no excuse not to have at least the basic information on any agent or editor you’re submitting to because research today is on point and updated constantly. Fifteen years ago, most writers were relying on reference books with information that was many months old by the time it hit the shelves in the first place.

The internet has accomplished a few really great things, especially for writers. It’s brought us agent blogs and whole writing communities where the aspiring author can learn the ropes and have a writing circle that they may not have found in the real world. Agents who blog are awesome because they freely give a plethora of information on the other side of the desk – information that most writers weren’t completely privy to before, at least not before having a few sales under their belt.

So what else has changed in the last few decades for writers? Is it better or worse in your estimation? Has it opened the doors? Crowded the field? What’s your take on the advancements of technology and how they influence the fiction writer? You know, besides permitting them to procrastinate with virtual word games.

I'M BAAAACK!!!!!!!!

But first, an announcement – In the comments section of my last post, some lovely writer gave me a head’s up on a new charity drive led by some of our favorite authors to benefit Autism Speaks Please take a little time to look through their website and see all they do.

The event is an eBay auction, where some very impressive authors have volunteered to name a character in their upcoming novels after the winning bidder. Bidding starts on March 23, 2008 and ends on April 2nd. Authors include such notable names as Lee Child, Jodi Picoult, and our very own Patricia Wood.

Visit their eBay site to learn more and see if some of your favorite authors are participating.

On to the Blog Post

I’m back to the blog-o-sphere... and you know what that means – my novel is finished!!!! I just completed it and reformatted to one doc over the weekend, and sent it out to a few very trusted beta readers for a second opinion. I am officially done – huzzah!!!

I’ve backed up all of my files on a disk and removed them from my computer so that I can’t just sift through it willy nilly any old time. I know me, I can’t leave it alone and I will keep reading and second guessing myself if it’s accessible, so I am officially on a break from it to gain fresh eyes before I re-read and start submissions.

In the interim, I’m taking this week and probably next week completely off of fiction writing. I’m getting ready for Easter and plan to spend next week’s school break enjoying my kids... I’ll also be enjoying some extended reading time (I read while I’m working anyway, but I don’t get long leisurely hours to do so in the throws of revision, so I’m looking forward to it). And of course, I’ll be back in the blog-o-sphere, catching up on all of the posts I’ve missed and bothering you all 

I plan on breaking from the work long enough to tweak some shorts and get them out in submission, and to start researching my next one – it’s historical fiction, so I plan on trying to really work within the constructs of an outline this time, and I think I’ll need a few months of heavy research time, just to get well acquainted with the time frame.

As for Raskin’s Wings, I already have my basic query letter and synopses in fairly good shape – I also have personalized it for my top five agents, and have put all of that aside pending my re-read. If it’s clean enough and not in need of any major editing at the re-read, I’ll start submissions immediately... If I find that I need major revisions, I’ll give it another cooling period once I’m done... many revisions make for tighter writing.... lest anyone think I just finished a book and am going to submit, Raskin’s has already been revised in total about nine or ten times... not to mention the chapters that took complete overhauls upwards of twenty times.

After this, I won’t be mentioning that work much, if at all, on this blog. I kind of feel like this blog can discuss the writing process, but I don’t want to delve too deeply into my own personal submissions. I might mention something larger, like I got a lot of the same feedback and am back in revisions... but otherwise, I’ll likely only mention it if something thrilling happens, like signing with an agent or getting a publishing deal.

Now, for the question of the hour – I’d love an opinion on this. I have my top agents picked out and have researched them as thoroughly as I can. Some of them, from what I’ve read on author boards, are prone to request exclusives when they request the ms. While I’ve read that they’re all fine with the author declining because the work is out elsewhere, I’m a little nervous about the scenario where, say, uber agent #1 requests an exclusive and I jump at the chance only to get a request from uber agent #2, who I have to decline... and if #1 passes, #2 will know it’s a rejection and won’t that taint their vision of the project?

So, while all of my research says it’s fine to send out multiple queries at a time, and the wait for response would be endless going one agent at a time, I’m still a little nervous about the process... anyone got any thoughts on this?

Happy Birthday, Shammy!!!!

So, I was thinking that I should probably put up a post, lest all of my favorite blog pals find somewhere else to hang out... like a blog with actual new content on occasion... I am getting lots of work in, revised revisions - the first agent who gets this thing will see their reflection in the pages it’s so friggin’ sparkly polished... okay, I hope so anyway... so there’s no progress report on that front, but I should be posting one shouting from the rooftops that I’m done in the very near future. Since there’s not much to post about revisions, and I have no writerly type posting at the moment, I thought I’d take a page out of Ello’s book and tell you a kid story, because it amused me, so I figured, what the hell...

My youngest begged me for his very own pet last year. He was four, going on five at the time and, as we already have a lovely yellow lab, named Dulcie, I said “No” and promptly ignored his four year old and very cute wheedling. This went back and forth for a number of weeks, as I recall, each time I reminded him that he already had a dog, but he really wanted something that was his... I get it, but he was four and I knew ‘his’ meant I’d have some rodent infested cage to clean up, or worse... the answer stayed a firm no.

One day soon after, he picked up a rock at the park. It was a smooth rock; about the size of my palm, gray in color, nothing particular about the way it looked... it was a rock. He carried it home with him, which is par for the course with four year old boys. But then he kept carrying it around for days afterward. He put it on his bedside table at night, carried it down to breakfast, brought it in his backpack to school, and hid it in his pocket when I told him to leave the dirty rock at home.

We were sitting at the kitchen table for breakfast one morning, I was in a rush to get my two oldest to finish and get out the door for school and the little guy says,

“Wait, I have to get Shammy!!!!”

We were in the car before I thought to ask, “What’s a Shammy?”

Little guy held up the rock and said, “Shammy!”

“You named it Shammy?”

“His real name is Sham Rock, but I call him Shammy for short... Shammy,” said little guy, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The only thing I could figure was that it was close to St. Patrick’s Day and he got the idea from all of the decorations around... still, I thought it was rather cute, but I also knew he was really still pushing for the pet.

Fast forward to now. He still has Shammy. He has lost toys far bigger and way more expensive in the void where all new toys go, wherever the heck that is. He has abandoned games, gotten bored with TV shows, and grown a year older in every way, but he still has Shammy. Shammy now has a face, with a silly nose and googley eyes, he has green hair, because little guy thinks that would be fitting for someone named Sham Rock. And little guy never did get his pet... after a while he stopped asking.

He doesn’t carry Shammy around everywhere anymore, sometimes he thinks of it and grabs Shammy to watch a movie or sit with him at the table, but mostly Shammy sits guard on little guy’s dresser and keeps his Clifford company.

Today little guy informed me that Shammy’s birthday is coming... I was kind of surprised, mostly because he’s right, it’s about a year since he found that rock – I still don’t know if he’s just that good with birthdays or the whole St. Patrick’s Day hoopla reminded him.

“Wow, we’ll have to wish him a happy birthday, then, which day is it?” I asked in my sweetest, mom’s patronizing kind of voice... you know the one you hated when you were a kid... yeah, I know, I want to kick myself sometimes, too...

“It’s tomorrow,” Little guy said, matter of factly, “We’ll have to bake him a cake. Shammy likes chocolate with chocolate frosting...” he smiled, that very large, I’m too cute not to do my bidding smile and added, “with sprinkles... Shammy loves sprinkles.”

Okay, it’s official, my five year old is smarter than I am. Guess who’s baking a cake this weekend....

Six Words About Me

Happy Cat In Search Of Spirits

My wonderful friend, Pinhole tagged me for this meme.

The objective is to come up with a six word memoir (see my silly little offering above), inspired by Hemingway, who once bet ten dollars that he could sum up his life in six words. He came up with: For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Here are the meme rules:

1. Write your own six word memoir.

2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.

3. Link to the person who tagged you in your post .

4. Tag five more blogs with links.

5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Okay, guys, here are my picks for bloggers to participate: Jaye Wells , Erica Orloff , Stephen Parrish , Ello, and Precie


As a side note, right around Valentine’s day, Stephen awarded me with the E for Excellence badge you’ll see in my sidebar... Thank you Stephen, it’s much appreciated even if it took me a half a month to get it up on yon blog. Instead of passing it to specific bloggers, all of you located on my blogroll should consider yourselves awarded this honor if you haven’t received it elsewhere already...

Those I tagged, drop me a line to let me know your memoir’s up... I can’t wait to see how creative some of you will get with this one.

Adding to the Bank of Weirdness

Erica Orloff recently put up a post about the odd experiences writers can use as research for their characters and stories. She posted five random facts about herself that might come in handy in a story – the idea being that each of the writers that participate will give a bit of an overview on their own personal experience and knowledge, opening themselves up so that other writers can tap them for information and insight on things they might be working on or might like to work on.

As we know, no knowledge is completely useless to a writer. The comments at Erica’s ran long with wonderful and many varied vantage points. I was amazed at how many writers felt they didn’t have much to say, but really we all have our own bank of knowledge, large and small, that becomes unique to all of those who haven’t lived in the same places or had the same adventures... even if they seem to be non important adventures... hell, I might want to write about a character who’s a seamstress, but if I don’t sew, how will I make that lifelike?

So, I’m posting my own five things here. Feel free to ask me about any and all of them or tap me for research material on a subject – I’m always game to talk... I’d love to see some more of these pop up across our little bloggy circle...

1. My first love was neither reading nor writing... Okay, I always liked reading more than average, but my first real love was art. Some of you may know that already, but I actually planned to pursue art professionally from the time I could hold a crayon up until my senior year of High School. That’s when I fell in love with writing. I still draw and occasionally paint. I’ve had formal training in most mediums, except oil painting and sculpture – I do love oil painting it’s on my list of classes I’d love to take when I get some time, but I’ve never studied it formally... I do have a pretty extensive knowledge working with other mediums, though, and of course the experience of art courses... ask me sometime about art stores, seriously, they are my favorite places on earth – there is something about the smell of charcoal and brand new kneaded erasers... I swear, it’s heaven... I still love to play with new supplies and love the smaller stores where all the clerks are art students and just as excited to play with the merchandise as you are...

The sketch at the top of this post (which hopefully came out well – still haven’t mastered Photoshop, which is another thing on my list)... anyway, the sketch is a pencil drawing I did of my daughter from a photo... personally, I like working from life better than photos, there’s more depth to the work that way... anyway, this one was from a photo of her when she was five.

2. I am a font of information on all things Catholic. Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m neither a priest nor a theologian, so you should really check with the experts for absolute clarity. I did go through Catholic grade school and an all girls Catholic High School. I also sent my kids to a Catholic grade school for six years and served on their school board for three... so I have a pretty good knowledge of how the Catholic schools run from the inside out... I’m also pretty well versed in our Sacraments and traditions and I have a pretty good grasp of the Church’s teachings as well... So if you’ve got Catholic questions, I’d be glad to field them the best I can...

3. This next one will completely contradict the last one... we’ll just say I’m an enigma wrapped in a riddle, covered in blasphemy... or something... Anyhoo – I read Tarot Cards. There! I said it! Actually, some of you that knew me from the old blogging community already knew that. But yeah, I started learning tarot when I was a teenager and we used to hang out at this new age store where the owner read cards for us. She taught me how to read and let me sit in on readings to learn, when the customers didn’t mind. I sometimes use the cards to help me flesh out characters – someday I should do a post on that, because it’s really a great exercise.

I also have a pretty good knowledge of candle magic and color magic and some Witta, Wicca, and Stregheria knowledge – I don’t practice these, I’ve just learned a bit here and there (still Catholic, just an open minded one). Oddly enough, I find that most of these philosophies actually match up really well – but that’s a lengthy discussion...

4. I’m a baseball nut and obviously a Cubs fan... so if you ever want to know what it feels like to get your heart broken repeatedly and keep coming back for more... yeah, I’m your resource... seriously, though, I understand the game pretty well, most especially where my team is concerned but I pay fairly good attention to the sport in general during regular season play. I also hit at least a few games a year, so if you need to know what Wrigley’s like for a scene, well, that I could probably recite like poetry.

5. I have a Thyroid condition which requires that I take synthetic thyroid medication daily... so far I don’t need surgery, but it’s a permanent condition and I’ll have it for life – my mother also has it, though she had to have her Thyroid removed when she was about my age. Thyroid is a pretty common malady and one that’s often misdiagnosed or goes untreated... so if you need a good descriptive of how it feels or what the symptoms are, just ask... I’m hypo, which means mine is slowed down and therefore I get tired without the medication (there are other symptoms too) some people are hyper, which means the opposite, as you can imagine. This also means they have to biopsy my thyroid on occasion to make certain there’s nothing else wrong... which means sticking a really large needle in my neck... not fun, but would probably make for a really nasty scene in your book.

Okay, guys, I’m not going to tag anyone to do this, but if you have time and wanted to volunteer, I’d love to see your five things. If you post them, make sure to drop me a link or go over to Erica’s to drop her one, so other writers can benefit from your own font of useless knowledge.

Cicero - There's Something in the Water

Travis Erwin posted the idea that each of us oddly assorted bloggers should take Mondays to post about our hometowns... I don’t think he knew exactly what he was asking for, but here goes....

I grew up in Cicero, Illinois and I’m oddly proud of that fact.... the best way to describe my hometown is rough around the edges. We are an odd combination of hardworking salt of the earth and hardnosed cretins. I learned the fundamentals of baseball on the corner, using the curbs as bases and a perfectly placed sewer as second... the corner house wound up with a lot of broken windows and the ragtag assortment of neighborhood kids wound up with permanent scars from sliding on concrete – being afraid to slide would have earned you more scars. Louisville sluggers are still better than aluminum, in case you’re ever wondering...

My town is best known for racism and Al Capone.... there’s an interesting combination to live down, so the attitude becomes an ever present chip on your shoulder because you know, from the jump, most people have a judgment before you open your mouth... opening your mouth is another problem – for those of you not from Chicago, the accent is fairly atrocious in certain areas... Cicero has about the worst of the bunch... if you’ve ever heard a Cicero accent, you will recognize it anywhere – people from other places sometimes confuse it with Brooklyn, but I think ours is actually worse... and no, everyone in Chicago does not have this weird bit of language skewing, just a few neighborhoods. If you’re wondering, my Cicero-eeze is pretty bad... so bad in fact that I’ve passed it down to my children... My daughter was giving my son a little spelling quiz one day, my son was about six at the time... the conversation went like this:

Daughter: Spell tree.
Son: T-H-R-E-E
Daughter: No, I said TREE
Son: That’s what I said, T-H-R-E-E
Daughter: No, not tree, like one two tree, Tree, like where a bird builds a nest!
Son: I’M NOT PLAYING WITH YOU ANYMORE!!!!

For all of its foibles, and there were many, Cicero was a great place to grow up. The title to this post will tell you a lot of what you need to know, every single person from Cicero is a character, with a story and an odd sense of humor... each one is unique. If you've ever read Stephanie Plum novels, I swear to you Trenton and Cicero are twin towns.

When I run into people now who were from Cicero or Berwyn, it always comes down to which Parish they were from... which streets they hung out on, and we almost always know people in common... ate at the same places, loved the ices at Freddie’s. We were all the same, then, kids with dirt under our nails and a sarcastic sense of humor. Every kid I grew up with had heart – they all did, every one of them. For every classmate and kid down the street I remember, there’s at least one instance where they put their friends first, where they put their own wants or needs to the side and did something noble, even if it was just something small... like standing up to a bigger kid – usually one with a bat or knife, or in later years, worse. Every one of them was the same as me, just as important, just as valid, with just as much to give to the people who loved them and the ones they loved.

I often think about my neighborhood when I watch the movie Angels with Dirty Faces For those of you who have never seen it, it’s an old Cagney movie with the Bowery Boys in it. Cagney plays a gangster who just came out of jail and his best friend is now a priest who tries to keep the Bowery Boys on the straight and narrow... Cagney’s character did his first stint in juvenile for something he did with the priest... and there’s a scene toward the end where the priest says something along the lines of, ‘there but for the grace of God goes I...’ and ‘spare a prayer for the kid who couldn’t run as fast as I could...’

Sad to say, there are a lot of great kids that I grew up with who didn’t make it into adulthood, and more that didn’t see thirty. Back then, I thought it was a great neighborhood, and there really are a lot of great people who came out of there – but it wasn’t the safest or best place to grow up... there were shootings and stabbings, a lot of people got into drugs and generally fell down a slippery slope... I know more than my share of people who died too young or wound up in jail, sometimes they just didn’t have a shot and sometimes it takes more than heart to make it through the obstacles life throws at you... sometimes it’s just dumb luck, or maybe it’s providence.

The most recent of Cicero’s citizens to make the news was Catalina Garcia She was a 20 year old student who died in the shootings at NIU this past Valentine’s day... She was a graduate of Morton East High School whose parents still live in Cicero – I don’t know Catalina, you won’t find much about her in the news because the media is too busy discussing the shooter – but I do know this is a girl who beat the odds getting to NIU, this is a girl whose parents worked damn hard to make sure she had a head on her shoulders in a neighborhood that often didn’t... this is a girl who deserves to be remembered because she earned it in honest work and determination...

These shootings leave me cold – now the media is focusing on gun control... it’s not the issue, it’s a political rally cry and a way to divert people’s attention from the fact that there are some things in this world we just can’t control... if you want my opinion, I think the media should be more responsible in their coverage of these events... I’m sure the shooter has a story, but he doesn’t need twenty headlines... Why don’t you memorialize the people who deserved better instead of building up role models for nut jobs of the future? As far as gun control, Illinois is already ridiculous with its gun laws – it won’t stop anyone, there are other ways to kill people. And even if you do put more laws on the books, those only stop law abiding citizens... criminals really don’t care how illegal it is.

The Spreader of Love!!!!

The lovely, Colleen Katana gave me The Spreader of Love Blog Award Thank you, Colleen... now I’m all pink and happy!!!

I think I’ll pass this one along to Ello and Christine Eldin Both are fabulous bloggers for to recharge your creative juices – congratulations, ladies, and thanks for posting things what make me smile... or think... or need to write... or make me procrastinate – I realize the last one sounds bad, but at least I can procrastinate while thinking of writing!!!

I have no writing updates to share today... revision... revision... revision..... and I don’t do word count on those because it’s hard to judge. Some of it’s moving around phrases and editing down, some it is writing completely new scenes... but it’s going, so my bloggy absence in not for naught...

Take care, everybody. See you all soon.

Why is the Song, Loser , Running Through My Mind?

Soy un perdedor.... I’m a loser, baby, so why don’t you kill me.... Well, you all get the idea....

So, missed my out date on Raskin’s Wings and the first word I could think of starts with a big fat F....

Not that one... well, okay, that one, too.

Failure: Breakfast of Champions

January was like a friggin’ brick wall for me... I swear it was. Every time I thought I was making progress some other stupid thing took my attention away from where it needed to be...

In the last few weeks I’ve run across posts by other writers, such as Tena’s fond farewell at In Her Write Mind, telling us that blogging was getting in the way of her work and so, she’ll be back but not until the work is done...

Josephine has been covering her meeting with uber agent, Donald Maass (cue choirs of angels singing), and her first post made me giddy... for a second, and then I realized, yes, this blogging thing really does scratch my itch... worse still, I’m not even under the delusion that this blog will be adequate platform to attract readers – if I thought that, I’d watch my mouth a lot more.

I could give you a list of reasons why the novel is not complete... I have them, believe me, and yet, I fit in time to puts around on the computer... so obviously, I was not so busy that I couldn’t have done it, or at least done more. And yeah, I did a few productive writing things this month. I submitted my pitch, jacket copy, etc for Moonrat’s awesome contest, which brings me one step closer to query ready.... I sent out two things on submission.... I put myself out there a bit more than I was... but the novel is not done and that was the priority...

(Pssst.... are any of you worried that I’m calling it quits?) I’m not. Can’t do it – I’ve gained far more from blogging than any other avenue of writing improvement, so no, I’m not calling it quits. I’m not even calling it hiatus, though I probably should. I stayed largely away from blogland this week and did a bit more writing and a lot of soul searching.... I abstained from Nathan’s Attempt To Bring Down Blogger, for God’s sake, I must have been serious... By the way, I missed most of the whole anonymice sniping about critique over there, but I still think Josie, JJdebenedictis, and a few other selfless writers from that thread should get standing ovations and bloggy kudos just for the effort. I know Josie was a bit miffed by the results there – but, for what’s it’s worth, most of the commentary I read was posted by people who wanted and appreciated the effort.... (okay, caught me... I read it, but I didn’t comment and return a million times)

The other thing I did this week was run across an old friend at myspace. How that happened I have no idea, but he was about my favorite person in the world back when I was twenty... we exchanged a few emails and the like and all of that’s nice, but what it really did was remind me of me at twenty... (gee, a little narcissistic, am I?) I should re-phrase this in case he’s reading, a side effect of talking to him again was being reminded of myself at twenty – I’m very happy we touched base in the here and now. Anyhoo....

At twenty, I thought I knew everything... now I realize that I know very little in the grand scheme of things.

At twenty, I used to say, ‘I just want to be worshipped, is that too much to ask?’ – I was only half kidding... now I think that would just be creepy... *shivers*

At twenty, I wanted to be a writer... never with grand plans of million dollar advances and legions of fans, I just saw this great future where my days were spent at my word processor (see how friggin’ long ago that was?) and afternoons or evenings out with friends... I’d have time in the day to drink coffee and read at my favorite place (I had one of those in my head, too) and I’d make up for it with long sessions of writing through the night......

I still have that last one – that’s why it sprang so readily to mind... at twenty I knew I wanted a family, but it was an abstract thought and not a reality in my little ‘I’m going to write for a living even if I have to live on saltines’ fantasy... they are obviously a part of the equation now and don’t really allow time for afternoon coffees, or writing through nights without payback the next day... but still, it’s largely the same in my little noggin and I think I owe it to myself, nearly fifteen years later than I thought, to really aim, really give it a shot.

Failure is not a problem. Failure does one of two things – it either makes you stronger or it defeats you... I’m not the second one. I know I’m not, I just don’t have it in me to lie down. I’ve made a lot of great progress over the last fifteen years, in my life and in my writing... if I hadn’t started my family over ten years ago, well, I wouldn’t be here – in any sense, I wouldn’t be able to write with the depth I’ve attained through my own experiences... it’s not the only way to achieve depth, but it’s not a part of the journey I’d give up... it’s also a path that makes the writing harder.... for a bevy of reasons that any working mother can explain.... add to it the fact that there’s no guaranteed paycheck and you have a job no one else takes seriously on top of everything else... Will that make me quit? No. I told you earlier, I’m not a quitter... this year is starting really rocky for me, it’s been a rough few, and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to give this my full effort without going back into the workforce for the paycheck... because that’s a consideration, too...

But whatever else happens, I’ll finish this one and I’ll start on the next... now’s the time to do it in earnest... so I just wanted to let you guys know, I haven’t abandoned blogland... I will be around, if less frequently... I will post, when I can get to it.... I’m still here – just a bit quieter.

Okie-dokie.... if you made it all the way to the end of this long and rambling little purging of mine, thanks for the ear... keep up the hard work, and I’ll stop in to visit when I can.... Take care guys.......

Bloggy Breaks and a bit of fun

Hi All,

Sorry it's been so long since my last post... hopefully I can make it up to you soon, with something a bit more thought provoking or, at least, an explanation for my absence...

In the meantime, amuse yourselves with a few words from

OUR SPONSORS...

Hee, hee... seriously, that was one of the best videos I've seen in a long time...

Not My Baby!!!!

I’ve seen whole series of blog posts and articles lately that discuss writing as an author’s baby... This is not a new analogy and it’s not an altogether bad one, either... the creation of a novel is a very long and difficult journey and I can see how an author will come to love their work and words in an overpowering way...

When your love for your words, though, gets in the way of the story it’s time to decide what exactly it is that you’re doing... I’ve seen editors discuss how an author, whose word count is double what is reasonably feasible, refuses to cut even one single syllable from his monstrosity... yes, they’re his babies, but we’ve all met kids that were monsters... (Liar! You have too!)

So here, for your pleasure, amusement, and perhaps legitimate ponderings, are the top ten reasons ...

Why My Novel Is Not My Baby

10. I can’t edit my children. I’ve tried and they’ll have none of it. Besides, if I chopped off aspects and pieces of my real children, people would frown on it... if I didn’t do it with my fiction, editors would run screaming in the night... or send ‘Dear Writer’ rejections...

9. I have never felt the need to make my children more active.

8. If we could ‘plot’ our children, no one would ever become a bum or miscreant, and then what the hell would we write about?

7. I have never yet felt the need to raise the conflict on my children... parenting is conflicting enough – I would prefer it in passive voice if I could pick it (see reason number 9)...

6. No matter how wildly successful any of my novels become, they will never love me back.

5. I’ll tell you right now, there will never come a day when I think a sex scene might spice up my kids’ lives, not when they’re forty, not when I’m dead... I shall refuse to admit I even read such stuff so they can walk through their ultra cool lives without the need for a shrink.

4. I will never stay up nights worrying about when my novel will get her ass home.

3. My novel may someday spawn sequels, but it will never give me grandchildren... okay, that’s not a guarantee with kids either, but I’ve got a better shot there.

2. There is no trauma in my novel that I can’t fix myself... it is completely up to my writing, craft and work ethic to turn my fiction into the best story I can tell – if only that were true with children... what wouldn’t I give to be in full control over their health and well being.

1. I might joke, but I would never sell my kids... No one on the planet has that kind of money...

Getting Naked With Josie - er, umn... I mean posting my entry...

As some of you may have noticed, Moonrat is holding a competition that you can learn about: here and then updated, here and here.

Josephine Damian has bravely posted her entry for open comment on her blog, which she commented somewhere or other made her feel naked... so I thought I’d be, gulp, brave enough to do the same. Comments and crits are welcome – I’m closing in on query time so anything that helps me tweak is always appreciated.

The following is my entry for Raskin’s Wings, my middle grade novel.

Headline:

Why Benny is the only boy who can see Raskin remains a mystery, but helping the wayward fairy to win back his wings may just earn them both salvation.

Back Cover (133 words):

Raskin is not your average fairy. His affinity for mortals gets him in trouble more often than not, culminating in his being clipped as a punishment for his crimes. Now he’s in a race against trolls and a fairy on a power trip to right his past misdeeds and win back his wings.

Benny Sherman doesn’t need the hassle. First, he and his mom are crammed into Grandma’s overcrowded bungalow after his parents’ separation. Then he’s forced to attend Catholic school, where every day promises to be as much fun as church. Meeting a wingless fairy in need of his assistance isn’t likely to help him fit in and, if he had to be caught up in such nonsense, why couldn’t he at least get cool creatures? Instead, Benny gets girly fairies!

Jacket Copy (353 words):

When Raskin’s impetuousness leads him to trust one mortal too many, he has no idea it will mean the loss of the Tuatha De Danann, or his own wings. Recovering the talisman before it falls into the hands of trolls is his only chance of regaining the kingdom’s forgiveness, but how can one fairy hope to accomplish such a lofty goal without wings or magic? Raskin’s journey takes him across the ocean and onto the path of the only boy who can see him.

Benny Sherman’s sixth grade year is heading in a less than stellar direction. His parents’ separation forces Benny and his mom to move in with Grandma Sicola, where play dates are unheard of and chores are expected. Rounding out the series of changes, Benny is sent to St. Michael’s Catholic school – he can’t even remember all of the prayers, how can he fake being a real Catholic all day long? His mother’s preoccupation with her new job means that Benny needs to navigate his surroundings on his own... but it’s not all bad, new responsibilities come with an exciting independence the eleven year old has never known.

While fleeing from Branaugh, the neighborhood miscreant, Benny and his buddy John find themselves falling into a fairy den, where they come face to face with Raskin and his companions. When Raskin realizes Benny can see and hear him, the fairy is convinced that the boy is meant to help and, more than that, he’s a balm to the fairy who has missed human companionship more than any of his magic. Once the boys determine that they are neither dead nor hallucinating, they agree to bring the fairies home and aid in their search, but keeping the whole thing secret means alienating friends and a whole lot of creative lying. If they can outsmart the troop of fairies trying to thwart Raskin, stay away from the nefarious trolls, and retrieve the talisman, Benny’s life can go back to normal...

When the trolls set their sights on the boy rather than the fairy, Benny steps into more danger than he bargained for...

Author Bio (word count: rather short, but I can puff it up with a little creative fibbing ;-):

Merry Monteleone has been weaving stories since she was a small child, though persnickety adults often referred to it as ‘fibbing’. Most of her fiction is set in the Chicago land area, where she grew up and is now raising her three children. Raskin’s Wings is her debut novel.

Contest, and Challenges, and Blog Posts, Oh My!!!

Moonrat – Where it’s at!

First, I have to point out a contest that our dear old moonrat is hosting. Moonie, also known as Editorial Ass, is hosting a contest to win a tee shirt with a Robert the Publisher gem of the winner’s choice. For those of you unfamiliar, go check out her blog, it’s fantabulous. The first contest is to write up your own jacket copy, author bio, and back cover copy, as you would for your publisher if your novel was accepted for publication... it’s a great exercise to zone in on your pitch, for those of us getting ready to query, and it is being a judged by an editor so it’s a nice opportunity for the aspiring masses...

She has a secondary contest for those who don’t have a book or are already with a publisher to write her an ode in iambic pentameter... you can enter both contests just for shits and giggles, if you prefer...

On to My Own Silliness:

I have no prizes, except pride in a job well done.... okay, there are no prizes. My last post was a meme and I tagged Travis Erwin, who had already completed the same meme and therefore declined... sorry I missed your original post, Travis (bad blog buddy). And I told him in comments that I’d come up with another just for him... ‘cause I’m evil that way... but on thinking about new memes, I decided a Writing Challenge would be far more fun...

Here’s the skinny:

Write a satire for your blog. It can be on any topic you like, and can be written as essay, news story, what ever mode you prefer. If you need an example, Stephen Parish recently posted a satire of his own volition that was a pretty good play on Swift’s A Modest Proposal. You can also look to The Onion or things of that nature for a good example... and if thoughts fail you, just get sarcastic.

It’s open to all; I’d love to read them. There’s no judge, no voting, and no prize, but it does make for a nice break to get to read a lot of creative, humorous writing by your friends in blogland, so pass it on to anyone who might want to play. If you drop me a link or let me know you’ve posted, I’ll drop by to visit and later put up a post with links to all the great satires floating about...

So, Travis, this one’s for you... It’s not a meme, but I think you might enjoy it anyway.

Well, What Did You Expect?

Shelly Bryant tagged me for a meme some time ago, and I’m finally getting around to the post... The question is, what do I expect from this blog? This is a bit different from the general, ‘why do you blog?’ question, which I’ve answered a hundred times... it poses the query in a slightly different light: what do I expect to get out of this blog, on these topics, that I wouldn’t get out of a blog on underwater basket weaving or the many uses of Peruvian shoe leather for someone with a fetish... okay, see that last one might key you in on something... as it did, me – though I consider this my professional writing blog, I obviously don’t treat it as professionally as I should – given the fact that I’m writing middle grade fiction... fine to add the off color silliness if I was a regular adult writer, but it’s probably not a great thing for someone writing for children.

So what, if anything, do I expect from this blog? I’m still pondering this, really. I don’t expect to use it professionally, except as a networking tool to meet other writers and publishing professionals. Obviously, if blogging will be a platform in my novel writing, I’ll need to build another blog that’s solely kid friendly – or at least pg-13. I don’t expect a publisher to come knocking down my door with six figure deals because they fell in love with my silly little blog... that’s not going to happen and I don’t treat my writing here with the same seriousness that I treat my fiction, so it’s really not a goal...

So, what the heck do I expect? Nothing. (see, you read all this drivel for a nothing answer, how’s that for an annoying blogger?) I don’t have any expectations here. What I’ve gained from blogging is another question, and its answer is diverse and ever changing, but mostly it’s a connection to other writers on topics that touch and affect us... But I didn’t expect that, I don’t hold that as an expectation... I don’t earn, or actively seek, money from this blog. I don’t promote this blog, other than being on technorati, which was more to be able to tell who linked me so I could say thanks...

I like a lot of things about blogging, but I don’t hold any expectations for this particular blog. Maybe it’s a learning curve to my author site, whenever I get around to that one. I have ideas for a professional author’s blog and, honestly, not a lot of the content I include here would make it there. Not because I don’t like what I’ve posted but because an author blog would be geared toward my readers, and this one is just me, relaxed, uncensored, and talking a lot about books and writing... okay, sometimes my kids make it into the post and occasionally a moral, because I like that kind of thing.

So there you go – no expectations. I am an aimless blogger. I’m supposed to pass this one on to five other bloggers... oy. I think, Stephen Parish, Mary Witzl, Josephine Damian, JJDebenedictis, and Travis Erwin... If you’d like to pass, I understand, but I’d also love to see what your expectations are.

Okay, fellow bloggers, as I have none, I know I’ve met my expectations... how about you? How does blogging serve you or detract from your writing? Are you an addict or a social blogger... could you stop at just one?

Writing the Children's Book... a point of pride

I recently found the blog, Editorial Anonymous, written by a children’s book editor. It’s a great blog, as you’ll note it’s suddenly appeared on my blogroll for editors and agents, and I’ve been having some fun reading through past entries that I missed.

I submit to you a link that the YA and children’s writers among us will find hysterical, or disturbing, or both... I have to give credit to Editor Anonymous, because I found the link on one of her blogs on how not to get published.

Strong Bad Writes a Children’s Book

While the little video is pretty amusing, I have to say it’s not altogether off of what *some* people, writer and otherwise, think it is to write children’s fiction... On another blog I made mention of the fact that so many of us start out with the statement, “I never intended to write children’s fiction. I always thought I’d write (insert more impressive genre here).”

I’ve actually said this, typed this, thought this... and yes, I am hanging my head in shame, but I’m not the only one who should. The more I read and studied children’s writing and publishing, the more I realized how truly asinine these statements were. And now that I’m here, a little way up the road on my writing learning curve, I realize exactly why it is that my novel, the one that most spoke to me, the one that most needed telling... the one whose characters invaded my head until I got them down on the page – and haven’t left yet, the filthy little buggers... This novel is the one I had to tell for a reason, and my audience is more important to me than the literary elite could be – they are kids, jaded and wide eyed and all stops in between. They are future readers and current dreamers. They are important, more so than any other audience might be to me at this point in my life – not because the writing is easier, let me tell you, it’s not... but because the idea that a ten or eleven year old will pick up my book and feel something, turn pages, take the story with them when the reading is done, and, hopefully, pick up another book shortly thereafter... well, that’s a thrilling thought. That ten year old might write a book report about my novel, and it’ll never appear in The New York Times, but it might be hung in a grammar school hallway with sticky tape, and that would be pretty good, too.

Point, point, oh, yeah, my point:

Middle grade might be my permanent writing calling. I wouldn’t have said so a year ago. I was chomping at the bit to get this one out of my system and get back to adult fiction... with my simmering plot that’s been waiting in my journal since before the journey of Raskin’s Wings even began... and then something changed. In me, around me, or maybe I just heard my muse a little clearer... because suddenly this thing became THE book, not the one to get out of the way, but the one to savor and hone and bring to the best form possible so that at the end of the day, when submissions go out, I know it’s a book I’d want to watch my kids enjoy... and then the ideas, the plots the characters that readily drop into my mind to work on in the future... they changed, too... two series grew out of nothing for, of all things, early chapter books... because they did... maybe it’s because I’m engrossed in my kids’ reading, and notice what I find lacking or what they would enjoy more of... maybe it’s because I skipped children’s literature as a child, and I’m so enjoying it now... maybe it’s just the type of writing that really does suit me. I don’t really know... I know what the next novel is, though... middle grade historical.... how the heck did that happen?

That’s my journey from there to here. I didn’t set out to write children’s because I thought it would be easier... I can’t believe people actually do this, but they apparently do... that’s a whole other ball of wax, too... I don’t know why anyone would want to write a book that was looking for something easy to do.... you guys are mostly writers that stop in here, do you find this terribly easy?

Will I always write middle grade or various age ranges in children’s... the truth is, I don’t know. Maybe I will get that backburner plot out eventually... Maybe I won’t... But if I do get back to adult fiction at some point, it will not be because I want to be a real writer... I’m pretty impressed by children’s authors – right now I’m just hoping to build a career among them.

Ode to Anti Wife!!!!!

Okay, this took me far too long, but here it is:

Anti-Wife’s Ode

To the tune of Stairway to Heaven... if any of you don’t know the song, kindly remove yourself from my blog...

There’s a blog that’s secure
When life gets a bit cold
Anti Wife writes of her past and present
In her Mini Mouse bows
Her dog, Belle, sits quite close
She brings readers the insight they came for
And she writes of her past and her present.

Posts that touch one and all
When there isn’t a cure
Eloquence at her loss had us weeping
She can speak of a book
With a fervor that brings
Vivid pictures of stories unbidden.

Her opinion is set
For this life she has zest
And her story is never deceiving
In her posts, we have seen
In’tresting Christmas trees
For her blog all her readers come looking
And she is a wonder.

For her humor you’ll swoon
And you’ll come back quite soon
Anti-Wife has deep thoughts for each season
Posts of men come and gone
As you laugh along
We search for hap’ly ever after.

If you want insight why don’t you go
And check her out now
Read about her life and things she’s seen
There are nuggets there to make you sigh
And some in good fun
Whatever topic it is she’s on
It’ll make you wonder........................

What's in a Name?

For those of you confused to suddenly see me posting as ‘Merry Monteleone’, wondering where the Jelinek went, and unsure why I would do such an odd thing... I figured I’d explain... For those of you who couldn’t care less, just ignore this post and come back tomorrow.

Jelinek is my married name. When I first started this blog I was still freelance writing and I decided to use my legal name in order to link it later as I built my business, etc. etc. As time went on, I found that the freelance writing was taking so much time away from my fiction writing that I had to make a choice between the two. I decided, obviously, to run full steam with the fiction for as long as I could feasibly go without an income... (I can’t do it much longer, but that’s another story)

The name Jelinek remained as my signature for two reasons:
1) I had already met a number of bloggers and made a few contacts who were visiting my blog on a regular basis and it seemed like a hassle to change it and confuse people.
2) I’m lazy.

The time had come for change... well, mostly I’ve been seeing over and over that if you’re using a pseudonym then you should use it everywhere so as not to confuse perspective agents and editors.

I always wanted Monteleone to be my byline for fiction. I still, even after eleven years of marriage, identify with my maiden name more fully. It’s mine. It’s where I came from and therefore a part of who I am. Besides, Monteleone translates to Mountain Lion – how cool is that? My full name means, Happy Mountain Lion, and I didn’t even have to make it up!!! Does anyone else get a picture of a cartoon mountain lion in a top hat doing a little dance? Maybe it’s just me...

Jelinek means ‘Little Deer’ in Czech, which is fine and good... Mountain Lion’s better, but ya know, Little Deer beats ‘light bulb’ or something...

So there ya go. It was a decision I had written in stone in my head anyway... I wanted to see my work in print long before I ever met my husband, and he’s not exactly supportive of my writing, so I don’t think his name should go on the side of something that’s mine... after all, Jelinek was already given to my three greatest creations and I think that’s pretty fabulous...

January Check In and other Odds and Ends

Book Club Blog
The book club blog is ready to get underway at Shelly Bryant’s blog – you can find the first post announcing the book right there (it’s The Man Who Walked Through Time for those of you who hesitate to follow linkage).

The first discussion will kick off in mid February, so if you have some time and like to discuss literature, I hope you’ll check it out.

Submission Progress

After careful consideration, I decided to suspend all queries and submission until early February. Many of the agents and editors I’ve been reading have talked about the landslide of submissions in January, both due to the time off and Resolution writers... I just thought it was counter-productive to send anything out when I knew they’d likely be overwhelmed already.

I did submit one piece, but kicked myself later for it... we’ll see what happens there.

Novel Progress

Yay, me!!! I’m speeding along and really, really enjoying these revisions... well, better than when I was banging my head off the keyboard trying to find my lost voice... Anyhoo... If I keep it in high gear, I think I’ll make my end of the month deadline on it. Beta Readers beware, this is such a heavy revision that there will probably be typos and things in the copy I send you... I’ll try my best to get them out, but it’ll probably take a few weeks away before I’m really focusing on the nitpicky things again.

Well, there you go... Comments a plenty, voice away... What do you think of the name – was it a good choice to change it here or do you think I should have just opened a new blog for that? What are your choices for writing names? Is it your birth name, pen name, married name? Is it something you thought much about or not really at all? And how’s the writing going?