(I ACCIDENTALLY LINKED TO MARIA’S BLOG., SO IF YOU’VE ALREADY READ HER BLOG THIS MORNING, YOU’VE READ MY BLOG, TOO.

Diana’s Diversions: Julie Elizabeth Leto on Getting it Written
This is a great post.

I’d like to add my thoughts to it…

I’ve been writing almost 4 years exactly. In that time I’ve finished one manuscript and I have 2 more half complete and a 3rd in proposal form. (about 75 pages and fully plotted out)

I worked on my complete manuscript for 2 years. I kept going back and revising the first few chapters and not going forward. It really hurt my writing. I became stagnant because I stopped learning the craft. I can’t tell you what a feeling it was to finally finish the manuscript!

Finishing was a big deal…but I think the most important thing is to just write. Don’t get stuck in trying to make your first few chapters perfect. Just write. It makes a difference. Your voice gets stronger with every new scene you write.

Your style develops with every new idea you start.

Your passion for the craft of writing increases with every breakthrough you have!

By the end of this year, I will have 2 more completed novels. I’ve already started playing with another 2 ideas. These ideas didn’t come to me until after I finally finished the first manuscript.

You have to write forward, otherwise you’re just treading water.

I wrote 25 pages this weekend!

WHOOHOO!

Now, for some writers, that’s chump-pages; but for me, that’s a huge amount. I tend to max out at about 5 pages at a time during the week and 10 pages on the weekends.

But yesterday, I was Butt-on-futon-fingers-on-keyboard (BOFFOK) for the majority of the day and managed 20 pages. Then this morning, another 5.

The first draft of my proposal is now sitting in my CPs’ inboxes.

Anyone wanna celebrate with me?

I wrote 25 pages this weekend!

WHOOHOO!

Now, for some writers, that’s chump-pages; but for me, that’s a huge amount. I tend to max out at about 5 pages at a time during the week and 10 pages on the weekends.

But yesterday, I was Butt-on-futon-fingers-on-keyboard (BOFFOK) for the majority of the day and managed 20 pages. Then this morning, another 5.

The first draft of my proposal is now sitting in my CPs’ inboxes.

Anyone wanna celebrate with me?

Hey guys! My brother-in-law, Tony, is in the Air Force Reserves and is currently serving over in Kyrgyzstan. He’s having my husband blog for him while he’s there. His birthday is April 16th and he’s going to be there without his family. If you get a chance, jump over to his blog, read about his trip, and wish him a happy and safe birthday.

Hey guys! My brother-in-law, Tony, is in the Air Force Reserves and is currently serving over in Kyrgyzstan. He’s having my husband blog for him while he’s there. His birthday is April 16th and he’s going to be there without his family. If you get a chance, jump over to his blog, read about his trip, and wish him a happy and safe birthday.

I have been chastized by my former college roommate, Pam, because I haven’t blogged about Survivor yet.

Well, I was so damn irritated last night, that I couldn’t. You can’t do stupid things and survive Survivor.

I’m not sure who I’m more angry with–Terry for being such a dumbass and not giving the idol to Austin or Bruce and Tinkerbell for not switching sides.

IF Terry had given Austin his immunity idol then the game would’ve changed. Aras would be gone and the power would’ve shifted. But he held on to it. He’d promised it to Tinkerbell, but she decided not to switch. She and Bruce deserve to get voted out now. They had the chance to switch the power of the tribe and they didn’t do it. Now they’re gonna be goners.

If Shane wins this year, I won’t watch again. Not really because of him, but because everyone around him was so damn stupid they let him stay. Have these people never seen this show before? Don’t they know a manipulative piece of shit when they smell one? Has the hunger gone to their heads?

And until yesterday, I thought Terry was the smart one. I really can’t believe he didn’t give Austin the idol! You know he was kicking himself last night all the way to camp.

Oh well, next week should be interesting. I’m going to miss Austin. He was my favorite to look at. I really wish the girls would ban together with Terry. That would be the smartest move of them all…and really, it will be their only hope.

I have been chastized by my former college roommate, Pam, because I haven’t blogged about Survivor yet.

Well, I was so damn irritated last night, that I couldn’t. You can’t do stupid things and survive Survivor.

I’m not sure who I’m more angry with–Terry for being such a dumbass and not giving the idol to Austin or Bruce and Tinkerbell for not switching sides.

IF Terry had given Austin his immunity idol then the game would’ve changed. Aras would be gone and the power would’ve shifted. But he held on to it. He’d promised it to Tinkerbell, but she decided not to switch. She and Bruce deserve to get voted out now. They had the chance to switch the power of the tribe and they didn’t do it. Now they’re gonna be goners.

If Shane wins this year, I won’t watch again. Not really because of him, but because everyone around him was so damn stupid they let him stay. Have these people never seen this show before? Don’t they know a manipulative piece of shit when they smell one? Has the hunger gone to their heads?

And until yesterday, I thought Terry was the smart one. I really can’t believe he didn’t give Austin the idol! You know he was kicking himself last night all the way to camp.

Oh well, next week should be interesting. I’m going to miss Austin. He was my favorite to look at. I really wish the girls would ban together with Terry. That would be the smartest move of them all…and really, it will be their only hope.

Maria and I had a discussion yesterday which I am now going to turn into a blog.

We’ve decided that people outside the writing community have no real idea how exciting it is for a writer to get an agent. Maria thinks they think of getting a Literary agent is synonymous with getting a real estate agent.

And nobody goes around screaming: “I got a real estate agent! I got a real estate agent!”

Whippee. You found someone to sell your house. Good on ya.

So, when we are clearly thrilled to death that we have acheived a big step, the outside world is thinking “So you have a Century 21 rep for you manuscript. Big noogies.”

Well, it is big noogies because the agent hunt is tough. Some people get lucky and query the right agent at the right time and get the right response, just a few queries into the process. But sometimes, people search for years for the right agent, the right timing, the right project.

And sometimes, people sign with the wrong agent for them but don’t know it until it’s too late.

Agents and writers have a business partnership. I know most people think of it as the writer hires the agent, but really, it’s more of a joint business venture.

For the non-writers in the world, this is how a typical agent/author partnership begins:

Author queries the agent. If author has done the proper homework, author is not wasting time querying agents who do not handle their type of work.

Agent reads query and decides to read more or reject. This can take anywhere from a day to several months. Timing and fate have a lot to do with how long it takes for a query to be answered.

If agent decides they want to read the work, they send a request to the author to submit a partial or full manuscript.

If agent rejects, then the author is done with that agent with that particular manuscript. The author may query the agent with a different manuscript.

If it’s a partial, the agent reads it and decides to read more or decides to reject.

If agent wants more, they request the full manuscript.

Then they decide if the project is right for them. Sometimes they like the voice of the author but not the particular story. Sometimes they like the story but don’t love it. Sometimes they love it but don’t know if they can sell it. Sometimes it works out and they offer to rep it.

This can go on and on and on until the author finds the right agent. It can take YEARS to find the right agent. Some people swear it’s easier to get published than it is to get an agent.

So, all that said, getting a Literary agent is not like getting a real estate agent. Any real estate agent will offer to sell your house. A reputible literary agent will offer if it’s a good fit. A bad fit can be detrimental.

And it is really big noogies when an author signs an agent!

Maria and I had a discussion yesterday which I am now going to turn into a blog.

We’ve decided that people outside the writing community have no real idea how exciting it is for a writer to get an agent. Maria thinks they think of getting a Literary agent is synonymous with getting a real estate agent.

And nobody goes around screaming: “I got a real estate agent! I got a real estate agent!”

Whippee. You found someone to sell your house. Good on ya.

So, when we are clearly thrilled to death that we have acheived a big step, the outside world is thinking “So you have a Century 21 rep for you manuscript. Big noogies.”

Well, it is big noogies because the agent hunt is tough. Some people get lucky and query the right agent at the right time and get the right response, just a few queries into the process. But sometimes, people search for years for the right agent, the right timing, the right project.

And sometimes, people sign with the wrong agent for them but don’t know it until it’s too late.

Agents and writers have a business partnership. I know most people think of it as the writer hires the agent, but really, it’s more of a joint business venture.

For the non-writers in the world, this is how a typical agent/author partnership begins:

Author queries the agent. If author has done the proper homework, author is not wasting time querying agents who do not handle their type of work.

Agent reads query and decides to read more or reject. This can take anywhere from a day to several months. Timing and fate have a lot to do with how long it takes for a query to be answered.

If agent decides they want to read the work, they send a request to the author to submit a partial or full manuscript.

If agent rejects, then the author is done with that agent with that particular manuscript. The author may query the agent with a different manuscript.

If it’s a partial, the agent reads it and decides to read more or decides to reject.

If agent wants more, they request the full manuscript.

Then they decide if the project is right for them. Sometimes they like the voice of the author but not the particular story. Sometimes they like the story but don’t love it. Sometimes they love it but don’t know if they can sell it. Sometimes it works out and they offer to rep it.

This can go on and on and on until the author finds the right agent. It can take YEARS to find the right agent. Some people swear it’s easier to get published than it is to get an agent.

So, all that said, getting a Literary agent is not like getting a real estate agent. Any real estate agent will offer to sell your house. A reputible literary agent will offer if it’s a good fit. A bad fit can be detrimental.

And it is really big noogies when an author signs an agent!

Buy a cybersigned copy today!

All of Jared Bennett’s life, this strikingly handsome warrior king from another world has focused his power and energy on his people’s fight for freedom. Now, in Wyoming’s Teton Mountains, as Jared’s people discover the secrets of time, they are finally poised to defeat their enemy. But Jared’s obsession with a lovely geologist threatens the long-sought victory, a woman whose existence has mysteriously burned in Jared’s heart like the brightest distant star.

Geologist Kelsey Wells is fiercely attracted to Jared, but her fiery lover speaks of alien wars and time travel and is hiding something that could cost them a love that transcends time and space.