Ordinary Day

PANICKY Anna! *giggle* Funny, I didn't get this nervous trying to write a letter applying for jobs all last year. ;P :) I feel like I ought to attach my resume to it or something.

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Wait a minute, isn't your DNA already crossed? ;) Isn't that the way DNA actually COMES?

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Hehehehe. Glad to be of service!

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emmacrew.livejournal.com

Woooooo! Go you!

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Thanks! Meep! Meep! :)

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starfallz.livejournal.com

Ganbatte!!!

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Thanks! (I think. ;) What the heck does that word mean?)

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starfallz.livejournal.com

"Good luck/Do your best"

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Okay! I figured it was something like that. :)

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Woohoo! You go, girl! You are making so much progress, I can only admire you (ok, and be a wee bit jealous)! :) I wish you lots of luck, and I'm sure you'll keep us updated, so I don't have to demand it. :) I got 'Faith' in ya. ;) Super exciting! *hophop* ;)

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*giggle* It ain't anything to get terribly excited about yet--I haven't actually SENT this letter. Getting it cluechecked before I fire it off, just to make sure I haven't said anything inordinately stupid in it. ;) But thanks, and yes, I WILL be posting updates as they happen.

Did I mention I'm nervous? I've been a little shaky all evening, and I haven't even sent the damn letter off yet! AAAAAAH!

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Shaking=Excited, so don't say it ain't! And hey, I'm not anywhere near wanting to write a letter. You're cool, I say! :)

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Heh, thanks hon. So am I to glean from this that this kind of a thing is your own eventual hopeful route? (Work with me here, I'm a little slow on the uptake this weekend. ;) )

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*chuckle* Sorry, did I not mention I'm an aspiring writer? ;) I've been writing 'stories' since I was in junior high, I've always got ideas flittering around in my head, but I don't seem to have the discipline to sit down and write them. I think part of my problem is I don't feel I have original enough ideas. But I love to write, so I have *gasp* fallen back in MU*ing in the last couple weeks, on BuffyMUX. :) So I admire you for getting to this point!

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You really ought to take a stab at Nanowrimo--I forget if you have tried it already? Discipline was exactly my problem, before I put myself through the wringer and did Nanowrimo. It really helped me a lot, and taught me how to get into the groove of writing a little bit of something every day.

As for originality--I would suggest that you not fret too terribly much about that... advice I have heard professionals give on the matter really kind of lines up with stuff I've heard on MU*'s for ages. Just as there are no really truly original character concepts, there aren't any really truly original plot ideas either, or so they all say. The originality comes in when you build a cast of characters and figure out what their motives are and where they're coming from, and what kinds of problems you're going to throw into their lives and how they react to them. Then the characters start driving the story.

That's how it starts to work for me, anyway. :)

And why am I not surprised that there are now Buffy-themed MU*'s? :)

Also, in conclusion, awww shucks. *^_^* Thanks for the supportive words, hon. They are very much appreciated!

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*muses on what you've said* What's Nanowrimo? :)

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National Novel Writing Month. It's a thing this one site on the net does every November, and its entire purpose is to provide a mechanism by which aspiring writers can actually make themselves WRITE. The whole point is to make you focus on getting the words out, rather than worrying necessarily about whether they are absolutely perfect words.

Which is a very valuable skill to learn.

I did Nanowrimo for the first time this past November, and Faerie Blood is the direct result. And I heartily recommend the whole event as a learning exercise for writers. :)

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I checked out the webpage...looks very interesting. I think, if I have the time this November, what with grad school and all, I will definitely try it. I reeeeally need deadlines and this would be a great one. ;) Thanks, Anna.

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You are QUITE welcome. It helped me a LOT to have that deadline to shoot for, which led me to split the final word count down into daily chunks. And 1,667 words a day is steep, but doable. If you don't mind spending every spare moment of your time trying to pound out words. ;)

It also helps, and this may help you since you're also a MUSHer, to try to think of it in terms of "I'm roleplaying in a scene of one" rather than "I'm trying to write a story". The goal for me with this mindset was to try to get into that sort of space you get into with an RP scene, where you are ready to compose words on the fly because people are actually waiting for you to pose. This helps me break out of the 'AAAAAAH EVERY WORD HAS TO BE PERFECT OR I SUCK AS A WRITER!' trap, too.

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poetry-lady.livejournal.com

WhoopWhoopWhoop! GO ANNA!!!!!!!!! Much luck-wishing heading your way.

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Thanks hon! :) All about the nervous excitement, here!

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darthhellokitty.livejournal.com

Woo hoo! Good luck!!!!!

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Thanks hon! I'll hoard up the good wishes for when I actually get to send the letter off. ^_^

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holyoutlaw.livejournal.com

More wishes for good luck from these quarters. Yeah!

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Thank you very much! :) I need all the good luck wishes I can get! :)

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apel.livejournal.com

Woohoo! I'm pulling for you.

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Thanks! :)

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cafiorello.livejournal.com

Good for you!

And, if you'll permit a little cognitive-behavioral intervention, 1) What you are feeling physically might actually be thrills and excitement; try interpreting it that way and see if your courage increases, and 2) What's the worst thing that could happen? The worst is they don't want your story--the exact same outcome as if you don't send the letter at all. So--no worries!
;)
Cathy

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Heh--not QUITE the same outcome as if I don't send the letter, because there's a small but distinct difference between 'we have no idea your story exists' and 'we know your story exists, we just can't use it right now'! ;)

However, keep telling me this stuff, because I need to hear it!

And also, yeah, even in the middle of the nervousness I'm actually pretty excited too. :) Going to be working on the second draft now this week, in the hopes that if someone actually gets around to telling me 'why yes, we'd like to see your first three chapters', I'll have 'em ready to fire off!

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shadowhwk.livejournal.com

Woo! Go Anna! All the best!

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Thanks hon! Gulp! *nervous nervous nervous* And I still haven't actually sent the durned letter yet. ;)

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Which literary agency? I may be able to tell you a little bit about the ones you're applying to, having worked for a few.

LMG

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The Donald Maass Agency. Trying them first for a couple of reasons: I have works on my bookshelf by no less than six of their clients, according to their web page, and also, they accept queries by email.

Other recommendations are most welcome, though. :)

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They are good. You may also want to try Spectrum which is Eleanor Wood's agency. I believe they used to share offices actually.

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*Googles them* *finds web page* HOLY CRAP, they handle Doranna Durgin! :D She is one of my favorite authors!

This puts them on the list to be consulted if DMA tells me no; looks like they only take query letters by paper mail, though. So I'll have to get a letter out to them, too.

Thank you VERY much for the recommendation!

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You're very welcome. Good luck with it.

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And did I mention "AAAAAAAH I'M NERVOUS!" *giggle*

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Don't bite your nails. You'll be all the way to the shoulder by the time someone gets back to you.

Which is very Shel Silverstein ... but probably not something you'd want to actually try.

LMG

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Hee! Nah, I think my method of working out nervousness will be, well, working out! Or else playing the HELL out of my guitar, which will probably cost me a few strings, but fortunately, strings are cheap. ;)

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Strings are cheap, but the fronts of guitars aren't, so make sure the pick-guard is in place if you're going to be using something other than your hand.

I've seen a lot of people unthinkingly take the front off the guitar. On the other hand, you seem far too sensible to do that.

Best,
LMG

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