March 27th 

Woo hoo, again! 

Last week I received notes from my publisher. Notice how that just rolls off my tongue, “my publisher.” (Still pinching myself!) Anyway, these notes were from the submissions editor and excitement filled my soul. He made me feel good about the whole process of re-writing. His comments spurred new story lines and understanding of my own manuscript. He pointed out I would be able to see what my readers would think and feel. He was quick to point out what worked and what didn’t. Rather than take offense, I was elated! Now, I’m used to getting good feedback from my critique partner and I’ve come to expect honesty – I don’t need someone to pat me on the back and tell me it’s good, when it’s not. That’s the difference between a good critique partner and a bad one. Me, I’ve got a good one. So when my editor apologized if he came across as tough and critical, I took it as positive feedback. So here goes. Someone send me toothpicks for my eyes.

Stress. The word for the day. Will the editor like my revision? Am I on the right track? What does he mean by that comment? Heaven Help Me! But when I read the revised copy, my heart sang! The changes made my story so much better and probably made me a better writer. After all, if I can’t commit what I see in my own mind to paper, how will anyone else see it?

Take away: Editor’s Note: I can feel your excitement in the story, because you know what happened; but unless you write it down--what you actually saw and felt, the dark versus light, the dampness and smell, I have to take your word for it. Make me experience it, too.

A Surprise In The Mailbox

The contract finally came by snail mail, and I’m ready to sign on the dotted line! I can’t wait to begin the process of rewrites; and then, I understand, I’ll actually hold my book (my book!) in my hands sometime in 2018.  From my first submission in 2007, to now, March 2017, it’s been a L-O-N-G journey—not exactly an overnight success. But today, I’m celebrating. The only possible downside to my week was reading the Obamas inked a contract for their books for $64 MILLION DOLLARS. That’s Million with an “M.”

The take-away here is never give up. Never stop writing. Keep on trying. Remember: “A winner is a loser who tried one more time.”

Now if I can get these characters inside my head to quit talking, I’ll get some sleep. Stay tuned as I continue my journey to holding my first MG Mystery in my hands. This story is about Erin and Elwood who embark on a journey of their own. Only they foil a bank robbery and meet some pretty unsettling characters along the way—there’s no such thing as shape-shifters, right?

THE SECRET AT ONE BELMONT LANE— coming soon!

“A winner is a loser who tried one more time.”                                            March 13, 2017

I’m thrilled to announce that after a L-O-N-G dry spell from writing, but with the constant encouragement from my wonderful critique partner, Nancy Allen, (author of The Riddler and Forty Winks and Coming Soon:  Gone Cuckoo and Hiram’s Gifts);  not only am I writing again, I received my first offer of a contract! The quote above is how she summed up my efforts

During 2016, I submitted to three publishers. That’s it. Three! That’s almost begging for failure. And fail, I did. Oh, I had a near miss from a story I submitted in November, but after a couple of attempts of going back and forth, it was clear to me we were not a good fit. I was able to walk away with no regrets.

Then lo and behold! I submitted a different story in late January 2017. On Feb. 3rd, this publisher requested the full manuscript and six days later offered a contract! I didn’t believe it at first and even when it began to sink it, I still had my doubts: what if they want too many revisions and I can’t deliver? Or what if they change their minds after they work with me for a while? Or what if they made a mistake and really meant to offer the contract to the next person on the list?

Words of Wisdom: when you’re not writing something new, re-write something old. There’s always room for improvement, a better word, a sharper description, a fix for that dangling participle. Plots come, plots go, back-stories grow more important, and characters take on a whole new identity. So even if you are not writing new stories, spend time sprucing up old ones. It’s a process. I knew it in 2016 during the L-O-N-G dry spell, and I know it today.