Posts Tagged ‘MG’
NEXT!!!
May 29, 2011
So, I got my first ever official rejection.
But, I’m okay. Frankly, because I don’t exactly know how to handle it…=) Do I now send a thank you for looking card? Do I curse and rant and rave? Do I print it out and throw darts at it? The options are limitless…
Probably it was just the impersonal touch to the rejection that made it not only bearable, but non-shocking. Kind of like a cut and paste rejection with no pointing fingers, no sad tears, no lingering bitter taste in my mouth.
And that kind of takes the fun out of it all. I’d expected to tear part of my hair out, sink into a depression and hole up like a hermit for days. Live on chocolate, scratch at fleas and rent my clothing. Instead I had microwave popcorn and read Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Even today, when I’m supposedly over the shock, I’m not ….depressed.
Huh.
Instead, my first thought was actually – now I belong to part of the club! Margaritas for everyone!
Yeah, I’m weird that way.
I’m just moving on. Plodding along with my writing. One step after another. There’ll be more rejections, highs and lows, possible renting of clothing. Bur for now, I’m just saying –
Next!!!
=)
carrie
Posted in It's all about me, WIP's | 
Tags: carrie c spencer, carrie spencer, MG, rejection, rejection letters, smart ass romance, smartass, smartass romance, writing, writing skills | 
8 Comments »
I’ve been naughty
February 28, 2011
Naughty. Busy. It’s all the same right?
Sorta.
So I did warn you, I was going to be entering contests. And enter I have. I entered my MG in one, my Man Hunter in two and a separate one I made up today in about six hours in another.
I’ve entered two pitch contests. TWO. One of which was an audio pitch. And them puppies ain’t easy, I’m tellin’ya. =)
Am I done?
I think so. =) The written contests will be months to hear from. The pitches I heard from within the week and got good reports (although no wins) all the way around. I entered contests where the judges were either editors or agents I wanted to get my work in front of, and I’m feeling pretty good about that. I’m going to hold onto that feeling, because I KNOW what happens when you get the judging sheets back. Intense agony and soul searching. Pain and agony. Screaming and margaritas.
Contests aren’t for wimps.
So that’s where I’ve been, MIA. I promise I’ll be better now that I’ve gotten all that out of my system.
Except there’s just that one more…..hmmm……
=)
carrie
Time off for good behavior
December 19, 2010
This week I am taking some time off. Mostly because all of my college girls are back and want LOTS of hours at the restaurant. But also because I am simply buried.
And because there’s another blizzard forecast.
=)
I have my MG I’d dearly love to finish by December 31. That’s really pushing it, especially since I found a few plot holes in the first half. Eep. But if I don’t try, I won’t enter the Delacorte contest.
On the other hand, my mind is a blank when it comes to my MG. I’ve hit a brick wall. And that really sucks because it’s such a great story. Makes me laugh out loud. So, today I’m going to brainstorm with myself, see if I can get it back on track, see if it’s been derailed or if the train simply hasn’t left the station. =)
What do you do when you hit the proverbial blank wall? Keep pushing? Stop and take a break? Find someone to bounce ideas off of?
I’m hoping I’ll power through this week. I know it’s Christmas and all, but with an extra two days off, I could do some serious damage.
=)
carrie
150 days and counting
December 11, 2010
So I’ve been writing like a madwoman.
And I sent off my Mills and Boon first three chapters and a synopsis yesterday. And I’m working on my SYTYCW synopsis and chapter one today to send off on Wednesday to Harlequin. AND I’m trying to finish up my MG for a contest on December 30.
Things have been a wee bit crazy.
Oh, and I started a new story, a Christmas one. =)
So, what do I do in my spare time? lol…I seem to have become the door person for the cats. Let them in, let them out. Rinse, lather repeat.
Although, I do have to say I’m quite thrilled to be writing as much as I am. I belong to a group where you post your daily writing totals. When you get to 100 days of writing with no days off, you win a virtual tiara. As of today, I am at 150 days straight of writing over 100 words a day.
When I did nano, I wrote in the thousands every day. Now, I’m back down to less than 500, but still attacking the keyboard on a regular basis. On my days off, I generally get 2K or more.
For me, it pays to hold me accountable to a group. My writing level has gone up, I’m finishing projects and starting new ones. And my writing skills have improved. Um, my crit partners might not agree with that….lol…but I feel they have.
Guess I just need someone to kick my in the rear every day.
=)
Thanks Club100 for being the kicker!
carrie
Posted in It's all about me, WIP's | Tags: back up, carrie spencer, contest, contests, Harlequin, how to write, MG, Mills and Boon, Mills and Boon New Voices, rom com, romance, romance author, romance novel contest, romance writing, romantic comedy, smart ass romance, smartass, writing, writing contests, writing skills | 6 Comments »
Pantsing It
August 14, 2010
Pantser. Flying by the seat of my pants. Flying into the mist.
Usually spoken of quite derogatorily by authors who plot, pantsers write their stories with no outline, no idea of who the characters are or what’s going to happen in the story.
I personally love it.
Words just pop out onto the page, characters develop themselves, plot twists and turns magically appear. Usually.
In the MG I’m currently working on, it’s been 4 chapters of pantsing. And almost every single page has a twist or tweak I never saw coming. It’s been fun. And I haven’t gotten stuck yet.
One of the biggest problems with pantsing is writing yourself into a corner. How did I get here? How will I get out of this? What comes next?
I’ve discovered, with a little help =), that I do really well as a pantser, if I also write an outline covering the major parts of the story. I still surprise myself, and still enjoy the writing process without a black cloud lurking over my head – the one that says but Carrie, what’s going to come next? The outline looks nothing like the rest of the story, but I also rarely write myself into a corner anymore.
I haven’t outlined any of my MG as of yet, but I think that’s going to go on my to-do list this weekend. Just an hour of brainstorming will usually give me enough of a plot outline that I can zoom back in, fly off into the mist, and not have to worry about that darn plot corner.
And I can still have lots of fun finding out what Dwayne’s going to get into next.
=)
carrie
Posted in WIP's | Tags: comedy, MG, romance, smart ass romance, smartass, writing, writing MG, writing skills, YA, young adult | 4 Comments »