My writing has gone by the wayside where The Shepherdess Princess is concerned. I want to revise it some more before I send it off to the final three possible agents on my list. I have been wanting to go back to working on my manuscript, but other stuff takes priority first.
I am still writing, of sorts...
I'm looking for grants for a family friend to start a homeless shelter in my hometown. The grant applications I've applied for on her behalf have been misses, so I'm still searching for grants coming out in 2017. She hasn't raised any money towards opening the shelter through grant funds yet, but there is a donation jar that she put out at her place of business for anybody who wants to donate to the shelter project.
I have one potential grant application to turn in come July 2017 that could give her all the funding she needs to open up. It is so far off that in the meantime I will be looking for grant applications due earlier in the year. February or March is the earliest I'm pushing for because that will give me all the time I need to get all the additional paperwork that gets included in the grant applications attachments.
Not much new has been going on since my last update. I can't believe Christmas is just a few days away, and the year is ending so soon.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to all!
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Finally, a Blog Update...
It's been a long time since I updated my readers on this blog because I've had no news to share. I'm still searching for a literary agent for my book. I'm still waiting to hear back from several of them that I contacted three months ago.
I was able to bulk up my manuscript for "The Shepherdess Princess" some since I started contacting possible agents. I'm hoping the new pages, which is very close to the publishing standards for a novel, will help me get an agent very soon. I noted the changes to the last ten query letters I sent out three months ago, and have yet to hear back from four of the ten agents.
Over the last couple weeks, my priorities have shifted. I am helping an owner of a local thrift store, and a friend of the family for several years, get a grant so she could open up a homeless shelter in my hometown. She already has a possible location for the shelter, the neighbors are excited at the prospect of having it there, and she's going to use part of the space to expand her business. She gets so many item donations from people she knows that she has had to turn back some donations in the past, so she has the inventory already for the expansion. I should have the grant application sent off this week for her.
She is going to be compensating me for the work I've been doing, but we haven't discussed how much she is going to pay me for it. I offered to volunteer my services since she doesn't make a lot of money because she gives so much back to the community, but she wouldn't hear of it.
I was able to bulk up my manuscript for "The Shepherdess Princess" some since I started contacting possible agents. I'm hoping the new pages, which is very close to the publishing standards for a novel, will help me get an agent very soon. I noted the changes to the last ten query letters I sent out three months ago, and have yet to hear back from four of the ten agents.
Over the last couple weeks, my priorities have shifted. I am helping an owner of a local thrift store, and a friend of the family for several years, get a grant so she could open up a homeless shelter in my hometown. She already has a possible location for the shelter, the neighbors are excited at the prospect of having it there, and she's going to use part of the space to expand her business. She gets so many item donations from people she knows that she has had to turn back some donations in the past, so she has the inventory already for the expansion. I should have the grant application sent off this week for her.
She is going to be compensating me for the work I've been doing, but we haven't discussed how much she is going to pay me for it. I offered to volunteer my services since she doesn't make a lot of money because she gives so much back to the community, but she wouldn't hear of it.
Monday, May 16, 2016
A New Update! (Finally!)
I can't believe the last time I posted a blog entry was last November. I'm still searching for a literary agent. I've contacted 30 agents total so far, and have had no takers. I still have about 20 more to contact on a list I compiled when I began the search. All of the agents I have heard back from think the novel is good, but it's not what they are interested in themselves. They do encourage me to keep searching because they know someone else might love it enough to represent it. A few of them have even said they wouldn't mind seeing it on the shelf of a bookstore someday, but, again, they had too many clients already and weren't taking any new authors at the moment.
I have been doing some editing to The Shepherdess Princess because it is still a little shorter than the publishing companies recommend. I was planning to add more to my manuscript file on Microsoft Word today, but I forgot my notebook at home so I will have to wait to do that later.
I haven't written anything new in months. I don't think it's writers block. I've been sick twice with the flu, and twice with a really bad head cold over the last couples months. Then, I had allergies to complicate matters. The important thing is I'm feeling well enough to pick up a pen again, and I hope to work on one of my writing projects this weekend.
I have been doing some editing to The Shepherdess Princess because it is still a little shorter than the publishing companies recommend. I was planning to add more to my manuscript file on Microsoft Word today, but I forgot my notebook at home so I will have to wait to do that later.
I haven't written anything new in months. I don't think it's writers block. I've been sick twice with the flu, and twice with a really bad head cold over the last couples months. Then, I had allergies to complicate matters. The important thing is I'm feeling well enough to pick up a pen again, and I hope to work on one of my writing projects this weekend.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
National Novel Writing Month!
It's November again, so that means NaNoWriMo has started for those authors trying to write a 50,000 word, or more, novel in 30 days. I've participated in the past, but I'm not doing it this year because I can't use the same novel for two consecutive years. I would have to start a new novel from scratch to participate. That's doable for me because I have so many new story ideas to choose from, but I have been writing up a storm in the sequel to The Shepherdess Princess. I don't want to lose the momentum because I have had writer's block for several months prior to my breakthrough.
At the rate I've been writing over the last few weeks, I could have the sequel completed by the end of the month. That would be something because I don't have a literary agent for the first book, yet.
I would like to try the traditional publishing route this time around, but I am contemplating self-publishing The Shepherdess Princess straight to Kindle as a back-up plan. I know someone who is growing impatient, and wants it to be published so he could read it.
At the rate I've been writing over the last few weeks, I could have the sequel completed by the end of the month. That would be something because I don't have a literary agent for the first book, yet.
I would like to try the traditional publishing route this time around, but I am contemplating self-publishing The Shepherdess Princess straight to Kindle as a back-up plan. I know someone who is growing impatient, and wants it to be published so he could read it.
Monday, October 19, 2015
A New Poem & Agent Update
I finally have some new stuff to share here. I wrote a new poem last weekend for the first time in two years. I had just found out that a friend's dad had passed away in the beginning of October, and this is what popped into my head. Here it is:
Agent Update
I completed my second round of queries to possible agents. I've received five rejections, and have five more yet to hear from. That makes 15 rejections out of 20 total. I'm not letting it get me down. Each agent has said the same thing: "It's not a right fit for them, but good luck finding an agent." One even said it "sounded like a good book, but they had a full client list and wasn't taking on any new authors" with the standard "good luck" in closing.
I keep a positive outlook by thinking:
Stephen King was rejected 100 times before he sold Carrie.
John Grisham was rejected 25 times before he sold A Time to Kill.
If they could persevere, so can I!
A Heavenly Reunion
(In Memory of Traci & Vincent Guillot)
(In Memory of Traci & Vincent Guillot)
I showed up in Heaven today,
And not even God would stand in my way
When it comes to seeing you again:
The daughter I loved until the end.
And not even God would stand in my way
When it comes to seeing you again:
The daughter I loved until the end.
“Living the past four years without you has been hard on me,
But that doesn’t matter now that you’re here with a heart full of glee.
Only our love for each other shines through
To the loved ones still missing me and you.”
But that doesn’t matter now that you’re here with a heart full of glee.
Only our love for each other shines through
To the loved ones still missing me and you.”
“Dad, I’m so glad to see
We don’t have to be
Separated from each other anymore
By a gulf between two distant shores.”
We don’t have to be
Separated from each other anymore
By a gulf between two distant shores.”
“I’m glad to be here, too.
Where the colors are so vibrant and new.
Let’s walk hand in hand
As you give me a tour of the Promised Land.”
Then the two strolled
Together down a street made of the purest gold.
Where the colors are so vibrant and new.
Let’s walk hand in hand
As you give me a tour of the Promised Land.”
Then the two strolled
Together down a street made of the purest gold.
Agent Update
I completed my second round of queries to possible agents. I've received five rejections, and have five more yet to hear from. That makes 15 rejections out of 20 total. I'm not letting it get me down. Each agent has said the same thing: "It's not a right fit for them, but good luck finding an agent." One even said it "sounded like a good book, but they had a full client list and wasn't taking on any new authors" with the standard "good luck" in closing.
I keep a positive outlook by thinking:
Stephen King was rejected 100 times before he sold Carrie.
John Grisham was rejected 25 times before he sold A Time to Kill.
If they could persevere, so can I!
Monday, August 31, 2015
Still Looking for an Agent...
I have heard back from the first 10 agents I sent my novel to, and they weren't interested, but wished me well in my search. None of the prospects thought my novel was bad, but just wasn't what they were looking for in a new project. In the next week, I'll be continuing down my list by contacting the next 10. I want to spend some time over the next couple days double-checking my list to see if some of them might not be taking on new clients right now. Everybody on my list was accepting new clients at the time I compiled it, but a lot can change in three months.
I hope everybody is having a good summer. I can't believe tomorrow is September 1st. I don't feel like I've accomplished much over the summer, but I am starting to get into a writing mode again. I've been making slow progress on the next book in the series, but I'll be sitting down to actually write more once I got my next 10 possible agents contacted.
Today is the last day for the Summer Reading Program at my local library. I won a basket a couple of weeks ago that contained Sun Tzu's Art of War, and Thomas Paine's Common Sense and other Selected Works. The basket also included a new book bag that I'm using to pick items up at the library. I've read over 100 books since the Program started in June.
I hope everybody is having a good summer. I can't believe tomorrow is September 1st. I don't feel like I've accomplished much over the summer, but I am starting to get into a writing mode again. I've been making slow progress on the next book in the series, but I'll be sitting down to actually write more once I got my next 10 possible agents contacted.
Today is the last day for the Summer Reading Program at my local library. I won a basket a couple of weeks ago that contained Sun Tzu's Art of War, and Thomas Paine's Common Sense and other Selected Works. The basket also included a new book bag that I'm using to pick items up at the library. I've read over 100 books since the Program started in June.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
What's Been Going on in my Writing World...
I finished compiling a list of possible agents to contact a couple weeks ago, so I'm in the process of writing query letters to send out. All of the agents I have information for either want to be e-mailed the queries, or there is an online form to use on the agency websites.
Some of them ask for a synopsis, or anywhere from 5 pages to three sample chapters of the manuscript to be included with the query letter. Some agents don't mind attachments to be included, and some want everything to be in the body of the e-mail.
The Shepherdess Princess Sequel
Aside from the above, I spent some time yesterday updated my manuscript for Maryann, the next book in the series. I'm about halfway done with the novel pertaining to word count. I'm beginning to think that at the rate I've been adding new stuff to my spiral notebook, I'll actually be close to having the second book in the series done by the time the first book gets published.
Other Story Ideas
I was in the middle of writing a new scene in Maryann a couple weekend ago when I was struck with not one, but two new story ideas to write in the future. One has political overtones, and the other is considered sci-fi/fantasy. Yesterday, I also took some time out of my day to add these two novel ideas to the file I keep on my USB drive specifically for story ideas.
Some of them ask for a synopsis, or anywhere from 5 pages to three sample chapters of the manuscript to be included with the query letter. Some agents don't mind attachments to be included, and some want everything to be in the body of the e-mail.
The Shepherdess Princess Sequel
Aside from the above, I spent some time yesterday updated my manuscript for Maryann, the next book in the series. I'm about halfway done with the novel pertaining to word count. I'm beginning to think that at the rate I've been adding new stuff to my spiral notebook, I'll actually be close to having the second book in the series done by the time the first book gets published.
Other Story Ideas
I was in the middle of writing a new scene in Maryann a couple weekend ago when I was struck with not one, but two new story ideas to write in the future. One has political overtones, and the other is considered sci-fi/fantasy. Yesterday, I also took some time out of my day to add these two novel ideas to the file I keep on my USB drive specifically for story ideas.
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