Acknowledgement Paranoia

Apparently I got lucky.

My creative writing professor was more than happy to not only show me the finer points of writing a query letter, but she's now editing it for me. I'll have to remember this for my acknowledgements page, though its not like I don't have enough for that: My family, Shawn, Knutsen, Outland Comics, the Concordia Coffee House, etc.

I'm really getting excited for the process, even if I do get turned down. Because, at least if I get turned down, I'll at least know that someone is paying attention.

On a side note, my Writer's Cafe homepage is pissing me off, as my read requests box is not formatted correctly. So first they have this huge flub and loose everyone's writing, and now the site is more technically glitchy than normal. What fun.

I'm also having difficulty deciding what project to move on to. I have 'Death' By Inferno, The Atara-Orn, Flagg's Empire (though it needs a concrete outline first), Red Mourning, and The King of Nothingness. So many stories, and they all need priorities. *sigh* I suppose I'll just wait until the moment strikes. It'll come. I'll figure out which one comes next.

Needle in a pinbox...

This search for publishers/agents is getting tedious, and I'm getting worried. Everyone seems to only want writers with a history, or writers with recommendations. The issue is, I'd have to get something published before this can happen. It's this kind of vicious cycle.

I don't do enough short stories for magazines, but I suppose I could start tailoring those I have...

I really wish I had someone around to give me advice. Do I need an agent beofre a publisher? How do I write a query in the first place? I'm sure I can find answers for this, I just need to find the right avenue.

This has to get easier after the first time...right?

I'm Late For Work!

Robert's closing line was cheesy when I wrote it 4 hours ago: "Not if you let me stay.", but 3 hours and 55 minutes ago it become "I'm late for work!," which in the context of the novel fits MUCH better.

But I am terrible at endings, so I will be trying to get someone to read this epilogue and give me suggestions. The former suggestion for radio transcripts in one narrative fit perfectly, so I may go to the same source.

But for all intents and purposes, the book is finished. Almost 10 years later (8 to be exact), I think it's finally done, minus the small tweaks that any manuscript needs.

zOMG. I knew I skipped class today for a reason.

There's No Acocunting for Taste, Is There?

So, keeping a Last.fm has helped me keep track of just how weird my music taste has been sliding. I went from a very heavy metal focus to hippy/indie. WEIRD.

And I finished that damn narrative this morning. Which means that all I need to do at this point is somehow pound out the climactic fight scene, and tie up the very OBVIOUS loose ends with Katherine's character. Somehow.

I'm putting off an essay project on Raymond Carver and editing right now. Shh, no one tell. XD

Mmm, mmm, PAPER.

I'm so close to the end now that I can taste the tang of the wood in the fibers of the paper. I just started chapter 14, which means that I have finished the three opposing first-person narratives, and am on the way to jumping the last hurdle (though of course, it always has to seem to be the highest).

It'll be more difficult with this, as it's all radio feedback with no inserted narration. ARG. It'll be like reading the Police Log in the local newspaper...in fact, I should probably go find one for reference material.

It's just annoying to have to have a full chapter in the perspective of two people who, for all intents and purposes, do not exist in the timeline between Robert's funeral and the time prior in which he recorded the incident.

Gods, the stress my art induces. My muse is a TEASE.
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And I have a midterm short-story due for Creative Writing in two weeks, and the professor hasn't given the prompt yet. YIPES. Oh, and that housing meeting this week. Likely paper layout too. *sigh* I think Februaries involve too much work.

Nothing Happens on Tuesdays

"The King of Nothingness" went through peer critique today. And I have two differing opinions. One is that people wanted more information on the kid's backstory, and the second was to skip the backstory and expound on the ending. This story is uploaded HERE is anyone desires to read it before I edit and upload here.

I got THREE different people in the class tell me that it reeked of Gaiman-esque-ness. And apparently that's a word now too. Shawn knew that I was aiming for something kinda like the Sandman, but I got a Good Omens reference out of NOWHERE. Which means I did something right. And I was told today that I was deep. And coming from pretentious art kids, my ego has been FED. It's a horrid thing to say, I'm sure, but I suppose my ego has to feel better once in a while.

I finished my biography for the Promethean journal today too. And I managed to keep the "who would win in a fight between." RAD.

Where's Your Crown?

I've finished it. Shawn says it works, and we worked on the things that didn't. So, the new short story is basically done. "The King of Nothingness." It's based both on The Sandman and Metallica's "King Nothing." This random piece of literature just...popped out.

And it's awesome, because I am REALLY sick of reading memoir in Creative Writing. Apparently that's the only literature that means a damn. *eyeroll* Whatever. It's dark, funny, and philosophical, and I am rather pleased with the outcome. That isn't to say that it's perfect, because I'm sure someone in the workshop will have issues with it.

I just hope it doesn't get reamed because it's not "real." Literature can be an escape too, can't it?

"How's it going to be when it goes down?"

I'm halfway through chapter 13 now. One "off" 1st person narrative down, two more to go...I think. I think the transition paragraphs might star getting old, interrupting the story and all, but how else to do this? Eff it. I'll worry about it in editing.

I also have to have a new short story in the works by Sunday. YIPES!

On the plus side, The Promethean picked up another piece (according to my friend), which would make this year record with two pieces instead of one. Apparently the editors only liked "Atara-Orn" for the writing style, as no one but my friend has an appreciation for fantasy. But I suppose this is what happens when the entire editing staff is made up of poets, and indie-art fans. Fantasy? What is that? People at this school read that? Lord of the Rings was too long. *whine*

*Sigh* But it got picked up on the argument that, YES, people do INDEED read fantasy. Hopefully, that wasn't the only reason, but it got picked up, and I refuse to grouse about it.

Now to the new story. I think I want to pull an Uncle Silas...

Take Me Higher...

I'm sick right now, but I can't find myself caring. Apparently I get more creative work done when I don't feel like getting real work done.

I've redone the entire main site here, but the auxillary pages are still undergoing some work. But ultimately, I think that not only does this work a ton better than cutenews was for me, BUT, I think it looks a tad better (though I think there are still some kinks--I'm working on gettng them resolved).

And I've hit chapter 13. I've figured out how to accomplish the three main narratives while still giving each character their distinctive voice. The problem comes in the next chapter when I'm using two characters who do not survive (or are not seen throughout the rest of the timeline). *SIGH* I hope I figure that out. The scene has a walkie-talkie in the original. Perhaps feedback and someone ELSE relays the conversation? It'll be interesting to say the least.

It's my fault for staring it in a funeral to begin with.

Progress is Fun!

41,00 words, and only about 36 pages of prior material left. I'm getting to crunch time, and it's giving me those cute butterflies that I'd rather shoot down than put in jars. Dead, they'll leave a nasty taste in my mouth, but in jars, someone can let them back out, aflutter, in my stomach again.

I've just started Chapter 13, and I definitely forsee it being the toughest, as I'm writing a first person single narrative, and need to switch between three characters...

This will be *cough* fun.

And the Nerd-of-the-Week Award Goes To...

40,000 WORDS. Nocturnal Melee is now 10,000 words ahead of its last draft, and I still haven't gotten to the end fight scene. OMG I'm so happy!!

I've been quite the little busy nerdling these last few days. I went to painting today, hoping to be able to finish the dice painting, only to find out we were doing critiques today. *sigh* At least it was mostly done. I tried to put some finishing thouches on it when I got home, but the table needs to be redone. However, despite this, it still looks DAMN good.

Oh, and for those of you who care, I found a trailer for Coraline. I didn't know this was even in production, but I am very excited. OMG TRAILER (2). Oh, Neil, how I adore your writing. Speaking of, I FINALLY got the right edition of Sandman: The Wake. I have officially finished the series, though I am ashamed it took so long. AND it made me hate my Shakespeare class, because this "Shakespeare was Edward de Vere" ruined the effect of the last arc in the TPB. ARG.

And I've been listening to basically nothing but Katie Gray, Sufjan Stevens, and Regina Spektor for the last week. The indie-feel-good rock is taking over my life. And Ms. Gray (who voices Seras for Hellsing) was awesome enough to reply to me on MySpace. Life is a win, if I don't involve outside drama. And we won't go there right now. I want to feel happy and inspired.

Life...or Something Else Like It?

How can so many things get in the way of something I want to do for the rest of my life? Especially when that one thing involves expressing the emotions that are causing the roadblock?

I just need to hammer it into my head that people lie. A LOT. And until Judgement Day comes, they always will. Even then, they'll probably lie even more. *GUH.* I just hate lies and disloyalty, and finding out what lies beneath a mask that looked real was nothing like the mask itself. Masks are abhorrent.

However, there are still good things in life, even if most people I know are really NOT the people I know. Like dressing up like a hooker for RHPS, or watching a Buffy marathon instead of the annoying Superbowl; vampires TRUMP primitive grunting and a antiquated music-act at half-time.

And I have a short story due at the end of the week. On what, I still don't know. Hopefully something hits me. Something SUBSTANTIVE at least...