11th Free Dear Lucky Agent Contest (Middle Grade Fiction)

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11th Free “Dear Lucky Agent†Contest (Middle Grade Fiction)

Dreams and writing

So I have been trying to finish rewriting my first chapter of my MG novel, but then read advice that once you finish a novel, you should read it once through without trying to fix anything.

Tried to do that tonight and I CAN'T STOP MARKING EVERYTHING UP WITH HIGHLIGHTER OR MY FAVORITE ORANGE PEN!

Which is making me feel like I'm going crazy, and impatient at my own slowness, because I can't finish reading it through, becuase I'm going ORANGE PEN CRAZY!

So, then I find myself stopped completely and try to dive into more advice on the web on editing. And voila! Sanity is given. I found wise direction to completely put the manuscript in a drawer and walk away.

And work on another project or do anything else that is not about that manuscript that I just hid from myself.

DON'T even think about it!

Then after a week or so with fresh eyes sit and read it through. With no orange pen or highlighter in the vicinity.

Okay. So this is the plan. I have put it away and I will not think about. Not even once! Nope. Not once.... :/

So here enters my dream. Last night I actually had a dream about a boy named Jake. (Husband doesn't have to worry it wasn't that kind of dream!)

The dream was vivid and crazy! I don't write YA but man, this dream was action packed with killing and family lineage stuff I couldn't even create on my own! I told it to my coworkers at work today and they all said. WRITE IT DOWN!

So, I guess I am writing my first novel with a male protaganist. Crazy! I already wrote 2000 words. Maybe I can reach 5000 tonight!

We'll see, but man, Jake is damn interesting! Will keep you posted on how this goes and in one week I'll reread my finished mani and see how that goes... Dun-dun-nuh~. Lol

First Read

Wow! What the crap did I write! That's all she wrote :(:.. So far OH SO! NO GOOD! Yikes!

I guess that is why they say revise, revise, revise! Wishing I had a Edit partner.

My Writing Progress

AAAHHHHH Just finished first draft!!! I can't believe it.  Printing now... Crap now the hard part!  BUT LOVING IT!  YEAH!!!!

WOW! Look at me... I haven't posted in forever now I have two great things in one night to share!!! WOOHOO!  Yes I woohoo'd!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON FRIDAYS?

Okay, even if you are one of the cool ones with a bazillion friends and so many cool things to do, I highly recommend you take ten minutes to hang with Kristin!  That is who I spend every Friday with for at least ten minutes. (Actually, sometimes almost every day while driving!) 

Who is this Kristin?  

It's AGENT KRISTIN! of Nelson Literary Agency and she hosts a video blog on YouTube and she is amazing!  Lately she missed a couple of Fridays, (boohoohoo) but I listen to her last 8 videos over and over and over and over and over again. ;D  You get the picture.

She really breaks it down from should you do a Prologue, breakdown of what is Middle Grade, Word Counts, Pitches Vs Synopsis, and just plain ole' amazing advice of how to just write better.  She is like a mini university and it's free!  Love her and her pithy way of speaking about writing.  It is so empowering!

Now, stop reading how wonderful she is and GO CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF!

Just google "Friday's with Agent Kristen" on YouTube and voila!  University Kristin!

or click below!

http://www.youtube.com/user/77881122

And she also has a blog Pub Rants, so check that out too! 

http://pubrants.blogspot.com/

Or check her out at Nelson Literary Agency

http://www.nelsonagency.com/

She sounds like an amazing Agent as well, so check her out and learn my padowans!

Definition: Exclusive Query

So I recently just had enough courage to think that my finished manuscripts, just might deserve to be seen by a professional, for a chance for it to one day maybe be published. I have read and researched soooo many literary agents I can't even keep count. I finally found three agents that I really liked and sent each one of them different manuscripts I thought they would like by what I learned of their likes and dislikes from my cyber stalking them.

Then once I pushed send on the third agent, I sat in my kitchen at about 2 in the morning, realized... WAIT!!! DOES EXCLUSIVE MEAN YOU CAN ONLY SUBMIT ONE AGENT AT A TIME NO MATTER IF IT IS DIFFERENT AGENTS! I was mortified that after making such tireless research and effort to be as professional as possible I could of over looked this question!!!

So I immediately remember Literary Agent Mary Kole of Kidlit.com, even with her busy schedule, answers questions for us newbies. And BAM!! She answered my question by the next day!!!!

Okay, first I just have to say...my tummy was filled with butterflies seeing her response in my inbox! Wow! Okay, back to the answer... So she clearly stated that yes exclusive does mean PER MANUSCRIPT, [Phew!].

But she recommended to really concentrate on one agent with the Best manuscript you have. I think this is wise. Because it will make you work harder and more meticulous to make a perfect manuscript. But I am sure many unpublished authors are thinking if we sent only one out at a time the wait and process of getting rejected or hopefully accepted can be daunting and to long of a process.

But at the same time you would be sending out only the best, to the best agent, you researched ultimately making your odds at getting signed even better!;D So I think I am going to heed Ms.Kole's recommendation and wait this round of submissions out.  (Since the send button has already been pressed.)  But if I don't hear anything from the three lovely agents I queried, I will make my next query even better. :D And while I wait I will work on my other works in progress.

Write.Learn.Grow.Write.

OPINION PLEASE: Boundaries

     Today I was listening to a wonderful YouTube video of a interview with JK Rowling and she spoke about how when she was creating Harry, making boundaries was the most important for her.   This really resonated with me for I have been trying to finish a young readers chapter book and I realized I never asked this question.  I had decided about what age my character was, what she looked like, what she was wearing, and even all the characters that would be helping her on her journey, but I never set solid boundaries.  May it be physical, psychological, or magical... I gave her limitless power... which ultimately so not interesting.
     Though in certain situations I didn't allow her to know the answers, this didn't make sense since in previous, or chapters ahead, she was able to rectify what ever turmoil she was in, by herself easily.  So today I set boundaries for her and now I have some major editing to do.  But I think this will allow the reader to trust my character, that when she can or can not do something it rings true, and by default making my character more powerful, even if I am making her weaker at the same time.  (and sometimes viceversa ;D)
     Does anyone else have any extra tips about boundaries while writing?  Or maybe you think too many boundaries hinder the writer's ability to discover along with their character... Making things too pridictable.... hmmm Opinion please... ;D

My First Post

This is my first post on my new Literary Night Cap Blog and I have no idea what to write.  Well, the only thing I can say is that this blog is hopefully my escape, when I finally have time to myself, usually around ten to midnight when everyone is asleep.  But today, my girls decided to take a very long afternoon nap, giving me time to post this during the day!  Wow.  What wonderful girls I have.  Heehee. So well behaved.  Now to make bottles and hopefully I will post something again soon.  ;D