In which I share my insomniatic ramblings...

Yeah, it's a word... Maybe. Ok, no.

I've just plotted through my second act of my WIP. I am a self-proclaimed pantser to the very end. Thing is, I already pantsed it in my had, so I'm just storyboarding it so I can remember when I have time to write. I love all of my characters and I'll probably think this about every WIP, but this one is special. The characters are angsty and snarky (not at all like me), but also deep.

People keep asking me how I could just sit down and write a book. But it doesn't really happen that way at all. Ever since I can remember, I've existed at least 50% of the time inside my own head. Stories just happen in there, either based off of things that are happening to me at the time, or just craziness out of nowhere. Back when I was a kid (but older than I wish I was), I would use things like dolls and toys to help work out the story. It looked like I was just playing make believe like a regular kid--but I was most assuredly never a 'regular kid'. At times I would even have a cast list with full names (first, middle, and last) for each of my characters, and I would write down major plot points while I was working them out. I could do that for hours but, eventually the story would collapse in my young mind, and I would get frustrated and give it up for days at a time.

While age may have tempered my imagination a bit, it has allowed me to be able to work around the inevitable collapse of the story. Once I was able to do that, I just started writing them down. I really can't say why I felt capable of being able to put it on paper (so to speak) because I have no formal training and no background in writing, other than having been good at it in school. Most of my knowledge of writing comes from, well, reading. But that is a valuable resource for a writer--possibly even an underestimated one.

The coming week, and most definitely the coming month, will be bringing about many exciting changes for me. I've got some things to sort out on the business end of things, but it's quite possible that I may be getting published in the near future. While it's so exciting and so freaking scary at the same time, it makes me feel a lot better about my WIP. Kind of hard to pour yourself into a sequel if there's a chance the first might flop.

In other news, I am trying to convince my friend Amanda Sue Paige to come to New Orleans with me for (up to) four nights of Tab Benoit and other musical greatness. Woo! Until next time y'all.

ETA: I have my hair pulled back with a twist tie. Just thought I'd share.

A week in the life...

...of a reluctant housewife, apparently. I've just completed my first week of not working, and it is definitely different. While it's nice to have some time to get things done that I never used to have time for, I don't think I'm cut out for the whole stay-at-home thing. However, after speaking with former coworkers, it's clear that I made the right decision.

In other news, two agents are currently reviewing my first 50 pages. This is an awesome thing! I don't want to get my hopes up too high, as they both might hate the writing... but it's encouraging that people like the concept. It may be within the realm of possibility for me to get representation. That's only half the battle, but it's arguably the hardest half. Once you sign with an agent, you have someone in your corner for the rest of it.

I'll keep everyone updated! Until next time...

Sure looks good to me

So don’t rain on my parade
Life’s too short to waste one day.
I’m gonna risk it all, the freedom to fall
Yes it sure looks good to me
- Alicia Keys

I have finally taken the leap to do something about my unhappiness in the last few months. With respect for the fact that this is a public forum, I will simply say this: I was unhappy at my job and disagreed with a lot of the things that went on there, so I resigned.

James and I kicked the idea around for months, because it was definitely a scary thing, willingly going down to one income. I also struggled with guilt, because I know there are many people out there who would kill to just have steady paycheck. But I finally realized that me being absolutely miserable didn't affect anyone else's job status. It just put one more miserable person in the world.

Life is too short to spend any large amount of it dreading getting up in the morning. Eventually, the choice to leave became no choice at all, but the only option. I expected to work a two weeks notice, or perhaps train a new hire, but I was immediately released. That makes it so much harder on the other employees which I regret, but I was honestly relieved.

We have a very concrete plan as to how we are going to get by. I already have one interview set up, and I am glad to have the opportunity to slow down and find something that is write for me. I've also gotten a request for some sample pages from another literary agent, so I'm hoping to find representation soon. On top of all that, I'll hopefully be doing some freelance graphics as well.

So this is a very, very good thing for me. I'll miss my friends at work, but we weren't allowed to talk to each other anyway, so as long as we keep in touch, nothing should change. I'm excited for this new chapter in my life. Until next time....

Theme Song Monday!

I've totally found a theme song for book two and, quite possibly, my life from here on out! Check it:

Bush - "She's a Stallion"
Fave track off their new album.

That is all.

Excerpt Sunday!

Here is an excerpt that may give away a little more plot/genre than I originally wanted to, but I love this scene. I am deleting a character name because I don't want to give away that much.

Again, we join Ray in the midst of his trials and tribulations. You should remember that Ray is not one of the main characters, but an important secondary character since he is the father of one of the MC's. He might possibly be my favorite character though, which is why I continue to share him with you. Enjoy.

Ray hit the floor hard. He spat out a mouthful of blood, watching it splatter on the concrete, and glared at his captors with the one eye that wasn’t swollen shut. Feeling around with his tongue, he checked one of his back molars on the side where the goon had clobbered him. Yep, loose. Bastard.

Levering his body up with his hands, he struggled into a sitting position. The clicking of high heels on the hard floor announced [????]’s return. Stopping in front of him, she cocked her head to one side, ebony hair cascading over her shoulders, and she looked entirely too innocent for the evil Ray knew has hidden inside.

Clucking her tongue and shaking her head at him, she crouched so they were eye level to one another. “Oh, beauty, I told you to do this the easy way, didn’t I?”

Ray swiped the back of his hand across his mouth, smearing the blood on his lips. Glancing at the red stain, he laughed bitterly and gave her an incredulous stare. “That was the easy way?”

“Of course, pet. You have information I need. And since you weren’t willing to give it up with a little… encouragement, I shall have to take it from you.”

That was all the warning he got before she seized his head in an iron grip, her claw-like nails digging into his skin, drawing blood. Again, he felt the searing pain lance through his brain, scraping the inside of his skull.

It was all the more unbearable because of the direct contact with her. His entire being was paralyzed, his eyes frozen open. Tears streamed down his cheeks from his inability to blink. He tried desperately to fight, to even think about fighting, but it was impossible.

He felt a sharp tug deep in the back of his mind, as if she were extracting a piece of him. An image of Raven’s face, swimming in his field of vision, was the last thing he saw before his world went dark.

Just finished up another scene and I am taking a break for a little while. Maybe I'll read something. Until next time...

Submission Stats

Very sick today, so not going to write much. Just a quick update on the stats for my querying. So far, I've queried a total of 21 agents. Here are the stats so far:

Pass=3
Request for samples=1
Still waiting=17

Going out of my mind here, people! Just have to keep on trucking, because I know I've got something here. I've made a lot of new friends in the literary community as well, mostly through twitter. It's a very supportive industry, unlike many others. I look forward to being a part of it. Until next time...

I'm sick, therefore I'm bored...

This is the first time I've started a post from the front end... Interesting. I have been out sick from work since 9am yesterday. I really hate doing nothing, and I always hope that when I am unable to work, I'll still be able to write, read, do anything else useful. But all I feel like doing is lying in bed like a big puddle of sludge.

I have done a few useful things, but not really the ones that I would rather do. Paid a couple of bills, queried some more agencies, and now I'm blogging. Overall, since I made the decision to start querying agents, I have sent letters to 16 agencies. So far, two passes, and one request for sample pages. The waiting is hard, but it will definitely be worth it in the end if I can accomplish my goals.

Here's a little tidbit of info about the books because I'm feeling generous:
Plot setting:
Book 1: Scotland (Primary) & New Orleans
Book 2: North Carolina Mountains (Primary), Las Vegas & New Orleans
Book 3: New Orleans, secondary locales TBD

That's it for now as I go back to wallowing. Until next time.