New Year, New Ideas

Well, we're back in school and I'm hoping to get more focused on my writing. I slacked a lot during the summer, but just couldn't seem to find the motivation. Had another death in the family over the summer, and I think that took its tole on me.

I do have an idea brewing for what I think will be an awesome middle grade novel. My 10 year old son inspired me for this one. I just need to get going on the actual writing of the story. It took me five months to write my 65,000 word YA novel and since this one will be shorter, hopefully once I get going I'll be on a roll and can get finished quickly. Of course then I will begin the hard part: revising and editing. I may be able to use the work that I need to do on my own book to help my students with their revising and editing. Some of them have to take a TAKS Test (Texas Standardized Test) in writing this year and will have to write an essay and revise and edit it.

Updates to come......

It's been a while

Yes, it's been a while since I posted. It's summer-time and since I don't have to get up and go to work, I don't get as motivated. I am working on another novel. I've got a lot of it right up here in my noggin' but I can't seem to get it down into the computer. I get distracted so much when the kids are home.

We dealt with so many tragedies last week: the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and most tragically for me, Michael Jackson. I still have my Michael Jackson Ken doll with his red leather pants and jacket and his one silver glove! So sad, so sad, so sad......

I will complete my next novel soon! I will! I got seven rejections on the last query letter I sent out. I could send out more and hope for the best, but I think this new idea might be better to start with. Then I need to finish my middle grade novel. So much to do, so much time to do it!!!

Summer.......................

Querying

I've sent out some more query letters. Got two rejections so far, still waiting on the others. The waiting is the hard part, but if I can find an agent it's all worth it.

I start second-guessing my story after a while. Patience, patience..... Oh well, 9 days of school left and then we're out for summer. Woohoo!

Heading to the lake.....

Confidence

I am always second-guessing myself. I rethink my decisions, and embarassingly, my students are calling me on it. I'm re-reading my book to them, after the revisions. (We are writing stories from different genres in class, so this is tied in. Yes it's the end of the year, but we are still working! : )

I'm just going to go for it! Send out the queries, pray from some requests, and ultimately representation by an agent.

I know that there will be rejections, more revisions, and a lot of compromises along the way. I also know that this will probably be a long, drawn-out process, it has already become one. I'm ok with that.

Wish me luck!!!

Throughout the summer, I'll try to keep updating and let everyone know how it's going!

Wow, I needed that!

Spring break has come and gone, but it was a much needed rest for my body and mind. Spending time with my children and not thinking about work and responsibilities was just the thing I needed to clear my head.

I had written my complete manuscript and had two great ideas that weren't meshing well. I have decided to split the ideas and rewrite, (well, actually begin writing) two novels. I am going to write one as a YA novel and one as a middle grade novel. I haven begun both and am switching back and forth between the two. Probably not a good idea, but I needed a break from my YA novel. I have a couple of chapters of it finished, but my ideas and interest are fading, so I'm working on my middle grade book. Hopefully I can finish that one and can take a new, fresh look at the YA book.

Hopefully I will have a lot of progress to post next time!

From Tragedy Comes Inspiration

So much tragedy in so little time......

My cousin went into labor early, delivering her baby at 23 weeks. As a special education teacher, I know well how a lack of neurological development can affect a child. Little Sarah Jordan is 17 days old and has already undergone heart surgery and a spinal tap. Weighing in at 1 lb 11 oz, she is such a tiny little thing, but she seems to be a fighter!

Last week my sixteen year old cousin was the victim of a freak accident. First declared as a suicide, now the coroner is leaning more toward accident. He had gotten in trouble at school that day and was told to go home and clean his room. His father heard a gun go off and went in to check, finding Lynn laying on his bed. Because of the location of the entrance wound, the position of the body, and the questioning of friends, family, and faculty at his school, it seems that young Lynn simply lost respect for the guns he had been around all his life. His cleaning kit lay on the bed, as he was taught to never put his gun away dirty. He had been hunting with friends a few days before. The gun went off, shooting this child through the bottom, side of his chin and exiting the top of his head. So tragic, so shocking, so without reason. So many kids mourning, trying desperately to understand.

This morning my best friend's house burned down. Stacy was subbing at the local school where her two sons, one in first grade and one in second grade, attend. Her younger daughter was at the babysitter's house. Thankfully, no one was home. Stacy's husband, Jay, works for the city and heard the news that his house was on fire. This was the house that he grew up in. They had recently purchased it from his parents, who had retired elsewhere. He had to help fight the fire in his own home. They lost everything, but thankfully had insurance.

So much tragedy. So many prayers needed. So much to understand and reason. The Good Lord will take care of us though. I got a fortune cookie the other day that said, "Success and Happiness Are in Your Destiny."

I am going to look on the bright side, keep reaching for my goals, hope that everything turns out alright in the end. I can't give up. We can't give up. Maybe I can use some of this as inspiration. My characters are young adults, teenagers who will go through tough times. Maybe I can use these tragedies to help a reader cope with whatever is going on in their lives. Maybe......

Progress...

I'm finished celebrating my birthday, another year gone by. My students gave me a shirt that says "I Run with Vampires." Of course, I got my laptop, a necklace from a great friend, with an inscription that says, "Dear Friends are Always Close to Your Heart" and a gift card to my favorite restaurant. I spent the weekend catching up with old friends over dinner. Then came home to find that my cat had her kittens behind the computer desk! She and her four children are now living in a box in our living room. Ironic that she had four, the same number of children I have. One kitten for each kid! My nine year old says that, since they each have a new kitten, the cat and dog can be Mom and Dad's. Yipee! Our three year old, picked out a kitten, deciding by color that it was a goil (that's how she says girl). She has named the kitten Cindy. Not sure why, since I don't recall anyone she knows with that name. My 12 year old thinks it is someone from her former life. She's the one on the vampire, paranormal kick right now. Her kitten's name is Twilight. She is black, with just a little white - darkness, with just a little light - hence the name, Twilight. That's how she's rationalizing it, anyway.....

To get back on topic...... I have done a lot of revising and rewording, on my manuscript. My son says that they have to do revising and editing in third grade. It is good for him to know that I have to do that too. My daughter's 7th grade English teacher has asked me to come to talk to their class about writing my book. They seem to be excited, already asking me questions. I told them they had to wait until the day before the TAKS Writing Test, when I come to the class. Chelsea says I can read them the first page, and go over the process, but she doesn't want me to read them any more than that. Nothing like embarrassing your kid!