Cabin Fever & Bio

Perhaps it was the cabin fever (though yesterday I soaked up as much sun as I could, knowing it was going to rain/snow again), but I queried a literary agency about Vultures.
This is the first time I've done it since the whole Amazon ABNA contest and, even though I said I wasn't going to, I think the winter blahs got the best of me and it seemed like a good idea. We'll see....

Anyway, the main point is not the query, but the bio. It's always a challenge to come up with a short, catchy bio (the irony here is that a blogger would have a hard time finding something to say about herself). For this particular query, I wrote a new two-paragraph bio. Usually, I stick with one or, at the most, two sentences, but it was probably the cabin fever and resulting 'screw-it' attitude that pushed me to ramble on. My finger hovered over the 'Send' button as I debated the pros and cons. Finally, the 'screw-it' attitude won when I figured worse-case-scenario would be a total lack of response. (At least I hope that's worst case scenario - I have a long way to go before I establish enough of a reputation even for black-listing. I hope.)

So, here's my new bio (probably short-lived):

"MK Stover is a native West Virginian who finally moved back home. She is a wife, mother, and writer, though not always in that order. Her writing includes small mountains of unsubmitted fiction, a smattering of published non-fiction (though she finds sticking to the facts to be rather confining), ad copy, and small town newspaper columns, articles, and opinions.
Unable to find a decent cup of cappuccino, she and her husband are in the process of converting the first floor of a 118 year old brick building into her hometown’s central site for caffeine consumption and assemblage. The second floor houses her writing studio which is in dire need of organization. Currently, she is working on humorous recollections of her redneck upbringing and feels that her office mess is a symbolic representation of the mental health of her many relatives and, therefore, is a necessary aid to her work-in-progress."


According to Spell Check, 'unsubmitted' is not a word. I use a lot of those not-a-words, so that's not really a concern. What is a concern, though, is that Spell Check's suggestion for correction is 'uncommitted.'
I suppose I should be happy for the 'un.'

I love email.

Have I mentioned that I'm not the best when I it comes to staying in touch with folks who are worth staying in touch with?
Why, yes, I think I have.
Well, here's another perfect example...
I got an email this week from someone I hadn't heard from in 2 years. (Have I mentioned that I love the internet? Why, yes, I think I have.)
Jim provided much needed encouragement, comic relief, a gathering spot for our writer's group (SPAM was it's official moniker, but that's another story...) and he was in large part responsible for keeping the last few threads of my sanity from fraying (it would probably be more accurate to say he was in large part responsible for keeping me from going totally wing-nut, but I'm trying to play down my nut-hatch eligibility, even in the past tense) when I went through a particularly rough patch a few years back (and I'll bet he doesn't know this).
He contacted me to congratulate me for getting into the semi-finals of the ABNA Contest.
That made me feel pretty darn good: A writing mentor from my past shows up out of the blue and gives me a pat on the back. I needed that. And coming from Jim it means a lot (Thanks, Jim).
As it turns out, I should be the one congratulating him.
And here's why:
He has a new book out!
Jim Lambert recently published The Winds of Life.
I haven't got my mitts on a copy of this book yet, but I know I have to read it. And not just because this is what he has to say about it:
"The poems in the book cover the entire gamut of emotions from the death of my sister to my reaction to being named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year.”"
The main reason I'll be adding it to my bookshelf is because I've had the pleasure of reading some of his unpublished writings, so I know the book has got to be good.

You can order the book at his website www.jimlambertpoetry.com or over at Amazon.

I'll tell you more about it after my copy gets here.

Amazon Novel Contest

I did not make the next cut.

I wanted to let you guys know, but more importantly, I want to thank all of you who showed your support. Writing is lonely and your support really means a lot to me.
THANK YOU for the great show of encouragement! I needed that :).

I don't feel too bad about not advancing. There were quite a few really good excerpts that did not advance, so I feel as if I'm in good company. Just making it into the semi-finals really felt good. It was the first time that I've put a large project out for public review. Mostly, especially at first, it was scary, but also, it made me realize that my writing IS interesting. Odd perhaps, sometimes, but interesting and worthwhile.
Getting an outside opinion was exactly what I needed. So, I'm still writing and plan to continue, though not exclusively as I have several other worthwhile and interesting things going on, too.

So, what about Vultures?
I'm putting it back on the shelf.
Yes, really. I'm working on another book project, though I anticipate it taking two-three years to complete. At that time, I'll probably take another look.
In the meantime, I'm still writing some magazine articles, blogs, of course, and a couple of short stories.


Tonight PC and I are kayaking.
Really.
Only it's not all that adventurous: it's in the YMCA pool.
Hey, I've gotta start somewhere, right?

"Vultures" - Is it finished?

This seemed an appropriate blog post for today. It's in response to an interested reader (I love interested readers):

Yes, it is. "Vultures" started in 2004. It took two years and 8,432 revisions (I'm not exaggerating much) to come close to being finished. In early 2006 I stuck a printed copy on the bookshelf where it did a great job of collecting dust. I knew it still had some problems, but I was so close to it I couldn't tell what they were (I couldn't see the forest for the trees).
I queried literary agents a couple of times, but never got anybody to look at it. When I saw this contest come up last October I signed up right away; the rules gave me seven days to submit. I spent those seven days reading and revising. I realized that the problems I had with the manuscript were minor chronology issues that were easily fixed (I was relieved). I'm sure there are some minor typos, too, since I was the last person to look at it, but generally I was happy and sent it off.
I won't post links here (not doing so well with that;)), but if you're interested you can go over to my blog and look at October's Archives to read about some of that process. There's one entry over there, "Plot Threads," that talks a little bit about the planning process for "Vultures" and for another novel that I was doing prep work on.
I'm very glad to hear that you liked what you read so far (the excerpt on amazon is 5,000 words). I won't say much more, but I will add that if you like it so far, you won't be disappointed in the rest of the book (about 50,000 words). The plot is tight and the ending does not disappoint.
I'm excited to have made it this far in the contest. There are some other good books over there, too. I started to read a few with the intention of reviewing before I realized that I have no hope of being objective. Even though I'm an avid reader, I am too emotionally vested in my entry to provide fair and rational feedback for a competitor.

As for Amazon reviews: I was just informed last night by a friend that unless you have made a purchase at amazon.com in the past, then you cannot write a review. At first I was disappointed, but then I realized that might actually be a good thing: It just tightens up the reviewers. If you’ve made book purchases from amazon, it’s a good bet that you’re a reader and just by that virtue, you’re vested in an honest review.
So, if you ARE an amazon customer, please write a review. If not, please know that I appreciate your cheers and encouragement. I appreciate (need) every bit of feedback that I get.
Writing is an effort of isolation. Most of the time, that’s okay with me. Sometimes, it’s hard to maintain the necessary momentum. Occasionally, feedback is the kick in the azz that I need to keep plugging. Taking “Vultures” to the semi-finals (so far) has served as much needed validation for the work that I’ve done. And continue to do.
Thank you very much for the feedback. I'd be interested to hear detailed reactions, too. If you want to, you can post it here or you can email me. Hearing others talk about my writing helps me to improve (so, yes, I want positive as well as negative).

I think I’ll go post this over on my blog for today’s post…..

Thank you for your interest!

Judge Me for Publication!

Vultures is a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest!

(Go here now to Read & Review Vultures. Click on the Download button for a 5,000 word excerpt.)

What does that mean, exactly?

Back in October I submitted a manuscript to the contest. (You can read about that here.)
By October 15th, I received confirmation of submission and on November 12th I got an email to accept the entry as valid (simply meaning I was one of the first 5,000 entrants and that my manuscript met the guideline rules).
Yesterday I received this:

"Thank you for participating in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. We received thousands of submissions and were impressed by the incredible talent and creativity seen in the entries. We are happy to inform you that you have been selected as a semi-finalist." (See the end of this post for the full letter - there are potential prizes for reviewers, too, so read on.)

The most exciting thing about advancing to the semi-finals is the fact that all the semi-finalists were chosen based on the merits of their work. That is much appreciated validation.

Now I need your help.

Ultimately the winner will be chosen based on the strength of their work (this is very important to me). However, not all semi-final entries will be reviewed equally! The manuscripts that receive the most positive reviews -both quality and quantity- will be chosen by the publisher for final review (go here and scroll down a bit for "What Makes a Good Review?").

This means that I need you to write a review of my book!

If you've been following along here at my blog, you'll have already read Chapter 2. And here is my official Amazon Entry page. Use the download button on the right-hand side of the screen to get the pdf file of Chapter 1, 2, & the opening of Chapter 3 (5,000 words). I think you can also link to it directly here, but you have to go back to the main page to submit you review (scroll down a bit to click on the "Create your own review" button).

Please take the time to read my excerpt and write a review. I value your honesty. If you find yourself at the end of the excerpt and want to read more, please pass this information on to your friends and family.
The winner will be awarded a publishing contract!
Essentially, by reviewing the semi-final entries, you are choosing a book for publication. There are 836(?) total entries in 5 genres; search through some of the other entries to read and review work from other aspiring authors.
I rarely (never) send out mass emails, but this is an exceptional opportunity; I am grateful for word-spreading and review-writing.

Go here now to Read and Review Vultures.

Thank you!


As promised, the entire text of the semi-finalist email. If choosing a book for publication isn't exciting enough, check out the final paragraph for reviewer prizes:

MK,
Thank you for participating in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. We received thousands of submissions and were impressed by the incredible talent and creativity seen in the entries. We are happy to inform you that you have been selected as a semi-finalist.
You can find your entry on Amazon.com via the following link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00124CNWQ, and access the main contest page where all entries are located at www.amazon.com/abna
Please note that we are continuing to update semi-finalist detail pages with any custom cover images that were submitted, editorial reviews, and other minor changes. These changes will appear online in the next few days.
Now that you're a semi-finalist, feel free to encourage friends and family to review yours and others' entries. The three customers who provide the most high quality reviews will be qualified to win one of three customer prizes, including an Amazon kindle reader, $2000 in Amazon gift card value, and an HP photo printer. Learn more at www.amazon.com/abna.
Good luck!
ABNA Admin Team

Amazon Novel Contest

Vultures made the cut.
I am a semi-finalist.
I will post details tomorrow.
:)

The First Cut

Looks as if I made the first cut for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Here's the text from the notifying email:

Congratulations! We are emailing to notify you that your entry is eligible for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Your Registration ID: 3**N*QC*A*

We take the contest review process very seriously, and are working diligently to consider each submission carefully. Submissions are now being reviewed by a team of Amazon editors and Amazon top reviewers. You should expect to be notified no later than January 15, 2008 if your entry will advance to the semi-final round.

Please keep in mind that if it becomes clear in the future that your entry violates our eligibility requirements, we reserve the right to disqualify your submission. For complete and official rules, go to http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200183240

Best of luck,ABNA Admin Team

However, I don't think it took much to make this first wave of eliminations. From what I was seeing on the forums, some people were worried about margin widths as an eliminating factor. The rules were specific about margins and related things, so I knew I'd be okay with that. Now the real judging begins: My entry will now be judged (and weighed against others) on my writing as opposed to how well I follow directions.

Aaaaaack!

I'm not even going to post a word count for NaNoWriMo.
Let's just say it's not going so well.
I cannot get my head into the story because I am firmly anchored here in reality with a feverish child and my own (very) early case of cabin fever brought on by being homebound this whole week.
On the bright side, the feverish child seems to have recovered (mostly) because he has been teasing the dog into a frenzy.
I'm going outside to play fetch.

4,603

After the weekend, my official word count for NaNoWriMo is 4,603.

I'm about 2,000 words behind where I should be if I were to write the same number of words every day for a month and get to 50,000 by the end of 30 days.

I've got a little bit of catching up to do.

If I stop thinking about everything else I should be doing -updating blogs, exercising, loading the dishwasher, laundry, cleaning the floor, repotting the plants that haven't made it inside yet, walking the dog, and checking on my feverish 7 year old who's upstairs sleeping (the list will change later, too, when one comes home on the bus and the other needs picked up at the high school at 6) - I might actually be able to catch up.

NaNoWriMo - November 1

I did well with the first day of the Novel Month.
Thier site must be jammed, though, because I couldn't even get on it yesterday. I did, however, succeed in updating my word count this morning at 4:30. Apparently, no one gets up that early (or stays up that late).

November 1st word count: 3461. Good start.

Here's the link to my profile over at NaNoWriMo (I am user #208280.)
I posted part of what I wrote yesterday over there. After I clean it up a bit, I'll post some over here. But that could be awhile.

Plot Threads & Novel Prep

In preparation for next Thursday (Nov. 1 - NaNoWriMo Month), I've been organizing my thoughts and my office.

Here's a picture of the dry erase board that I hung beside my desk. I'm using it as a visual timeline reference:

(This picture makes it look crooked, doesn't it? I used a level before nailing it on there. I hate extra, unnecessary holes in the wall.)

It's just about empty. I tried to write a rough outline of scenes and current events in chronological order, but I haven't gotten very far. Individual scenes are written on index cards and shuffled according to need. This visual aid is supposed to give me the information at a glance instead of digging through a pile of scribbled-on cards. It might work if I actually write something on it.

The next tool is a new one to me. I thought of it because I do think much better with visual prompting. I think all the reading I have done (and do) has wired my brain to more efficiently use information I can see; I like audio books, but I can't wrap my head around the information nearly as well as if I read it myself. (Or maybe multi-tasking interferes. Or maybe it's the screaming children.)

This picture is the view from the doorway to my office:

See those strings hanging from the light?

Those are plot threads (ha). Each string has a tag on it with the basic conflict that needs to be addressed and solved one way or another. The light from the window is blocking out the tags in this picture, but they are there -written big enough and simple enough that I can see from my seat behind the desk.

I needed a way to keep track of each strand of story. When I write, I have a hard time seeing the forest because I have my nose against a tree - each tree, one tree at a time. I hope that this little ploy will assist me in keeping track of everyone's conflicts - all the big ones, but more importantly, all the small ones that are easy to forget about when I've got my nose smashed into the rough bark of another tree.

Yeah, it's kind of silly, but I'm not above silly to get the job done.

When I start a project, I have a vague idea of what it's about. I start with a question, usually a 'what if?' question.

For Vultures, it went something like this:

What if you shot someone's dog?

What if that person just happened to be a bit, uh, unbalanced (or just a plain garden-variety lunatic)?

What would he do?

So, I knew the 'what if?' - the driving question that starts the book. I dreamed up my setting and the characters lived in my brain, percolating for months before I knew them well enough to start writing. The act of writing gave the characters flesh and personality, but it also did the same thing for the plot: as the characters became more involved in the story, their actions and individual quirks began to mold the plot. Essentially, the plot development is a natural consequence of character.

A threatening lunatic would be dealt with very differently by a Bible-toting Sunday school teacher and, say, a pot-smoking pregnant night shift nurse. Right?

And, of course, the ever-present energetic question, "What if...?"

What I mean is: it takes a special kind of crazy to: 1.) Shoot someone's dog. At their house. And 2.) to write a book in the first place. Doing it is a helluva lot harder than talking about it.

These physical plot threads will be a constant reminder of the loose ends that need tending to as I go along studying the moss that grows up the trunk of each tree. The more complicated the story, the more involved I get with the story, the more threads there will be.

Sometime along about the middle of November I'll take another picture so I can share the thread proliferation. I anticipate that there should be about 12-16 threads that deserve their own string. I'll try to get the string tags in that picture, too. If I remember, I'll tell you about the rejected idea of color coding (I'm not that organized) and the original purpose for which this string was intended....

Novel Contest Update

It's not much of an update, but it's all there is. So far:

"MK Stover
"Thank you for your entry. We have received your files and are currently reviewing them to ensure they meet our eligibility requirements. We will notify you no later than November 12, 2007 whether your entry is valid. To keep up to date on the latest and greatest Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award details, visit www.amazon.com/abna
"Thank you,
"CreateSpace ABNA Administrator"

It looks like that's it.
Until Noveber 12th or so.

Amazon Novel Contest

I mentioned, over at the Grafton 123, that I entered my dusty novel in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and I've had several requests to post an excerpt.

I have to go re-read the fine print of the rules and then I will.

Stay tuned.