Where Have I Been?

The Blog-O-Sphere seems to be growing increasingly quiet. My favorite editors and agents have all been less active than usual because there is a great disturbance in the publishing force – namely an onslaught of new queriers during a time when houses are taking even fewer titles. The general consensus is that many of the newly unemployed are taking the opportunity to write the books they’ve always wanted to write... good luck to them. They picked a rough time to be an author, but then, any time is a rough time for this profession.

Some of my favorite blogging writers have ceased blogging – the latest announcement was posted by Stephen Parrish, who I love and will miss. But I get it. Sometimes you need a step back; sometimes your energy needs to be spent elsewhere. Hopefully, he’ll come blazing back with announcements of a book deal. In the last year, I’ve lost many of my close knit blogging circle – Josie is on hiatus and may or may not step back into blogging. Precie’s lovely presence is gone, and many others have cut down or are absolutely silent.

Hats off to you guys. I hope you’re using the time to make amazing strides in your professional and personal life... or just to enjoy yourself a little more. Thanks for the time you spent around these parts. I’ve learned a lot from you, and enjoyed it immensely.

I, myself, have been less active in blogging and commenting. I’ve been diverted by a few things, besides writing, lately. First, I am on the great employment search... which is almost as hard as finding an agent. I could do a full post about that, and maybe I will soon.

I’m also working on some artwork... my friend, Dina asked me to do the cover for her soon to be released poetry book!!! We’ve gone over various ideas and photos and I’m currently working out a detailed portrait. It’s fun, I have to say, to have my hands full of charcoal again. Different from writing, it’s just a completely separate sensation from any other creative work. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I picked up the pencil.

On the writing front, I’m getting very little done right this second. I know, double damn. Though, I’ve been thinking through the motion of the story while I’m drawing, which usually for me translates to a very productive period once I sit back down at the keyboard to get to work.

I did, however, stumble on a blog I didn’t know about. Miss Snark’s First Victim is a blog run by the lucky writer who was the first author ripped apart by Miss Snark. She set it up a year ago, and hosts writing critiques and blind agent contests... meaning an agent is judging the entries and critiquing them, but you don’t know who the agent is until after the contest... I think the last winner’s prize was a request for a full from that agent – which is pretty flippin’ cool.

Anyway, she’s hosting another game right now, though the entries are closed. (This one is just an open critique - no prizes other than feedback and no agents playing) She asked for chapter endings – any chapter in a current or past wip, the last 250 words... the objective is to see if it makes you want to start the next chapter or not... should be fun... if you’d like to read and critique along, she’ll be posting the entries with her critique tomorrow... mine’s #27.

How about you guys... what’s been keeping you busy lately? Are you missing any friends from the blog-o-sphere?