Look, If I'd known I was going to realize the necessity of an important revision to my novel six months after I'd begun querying, I would have waited to query. My story was 2.5 years old, ten months to write and the rest for editing and revision. That's a lot of work put into polishing … Continue reading Major Revision with Queries Out →

When do you actually become a writer? Is it when you feel comfortable saying "I'm a writer" when people ask what you do? Is it when you publish your first book? I'll probably never get to the point that I'm comfortable enough to call myself a writer absent publishing that first book. Who knows when … Continue reading Metamorphosis →

If you ever wanted empirical proof that money can't buy happiness, spend a little time in first class. One leg should be sufficient--no need to burden yourself with the experience more than that.  There are exceptions to every generalization, of course, but I hardly expect there is a more concentrated collection of wealthy and comfortable, … Continue reading First Class →

And that number after "Agents" is certain to climb! I'm solidly in the game now, having received my first three rejections. One was a nicely written and carefully worded form rejection and the other two were more substantive. One of those was particularly thoughtful and detailed, having come after she'd read the first 50 pages. … Continue reading Agents 3, Chris 0 →

I just finished day 2 of the conference put on by the Writers' League of Texas. This was my first writers' conference and what an experience. I felt a real connection with all of these people, as is often the case when large groups who share common goals are brought together. As a rookie, there … Continue reading Milestones & Category Wars →

"Am I overdoing this?" Chris asked as he typed a new entry into his readerless blog. What am I talking about here? Well, I know I'm close to querying. I've said that for over a year now. But it's really true this time. Nevertheless, there are a few more things I'm going to do before … Continue reading Writers’ Conference & A Second Editor →