07/08/00 -- A Day of Ups and Downs

Get on the Emotional Roller Coaster -- A New E-Ticket Ride

Well, not really new for me, but anyway...

Today was a weird sort of up and down day for me.  We had our first meeting with Beth Meacham this morning and she told us a lot about publishing and the process of submitting a novel and then having it bought and what the editor does behind-the-scenes to buy a novel and why it's a really really bad idea to simultaneously submit your whole novel manuscript anywhere.  Which I knew was bad, but now I know doubly why it is bad.  Sheesh.  I'd hate to do all the stuff an editor does to get folks to say okay, let's buy it and have the author sell it out from under me.

So we did that... and signed up for our conferences with Beth.  She's here until midday on Tuesday.  Wow.  That's one heck of a weekend!

Then I came back up to my room and worked on t-shirt stuff.  Finished the quotes for the back and tried to come up with something different for the front.  This is when I totally lost my shit.  I don't care.  I just don't.  If people don't frigging like it, they can go do something themselves.  That's all there is to it.  We've got two weeks to get art submitted to a t-shirt place, get the shirts done, and get them back.  I don't want to be wondering if we're going to get them in time.  I don't want Lister or Mary or somebody to have to mail them off to people after figuring out exactly who gets what.

So there.

After running around to get opinions about a rat-and-a-toaster sketch I threw together, I went back to my room and freaked out quietly until almost 6pm.

6pm.  Conference time with Beth.

In truth, I had no idea what to expect.  I've got my novel (rough first draft, needs a major rewrite).  She's got my longest story from Clarion.  What is going to happen?  The only thing that was a certainty was dinner.  I'd managed to fit my conference in at dinner time.  I had a car.  We went to Chili's.

Anyway.  We talked about a lot of things.  She liked my story (big ego boost, there!).  She had a few good suggestions for making it better.  And another suggestion for making it a good deal longer.  But I'll keep that one to myself and mull it around in my head for a while.  Maybe for the post-Clarion novel dare if/when it happens.  We talked about some of the questions I had as far as novel submissions were concerned.  And about editing, in general.  (As in her job, not me going through and revising/editing my stories *grin*.)

After we ate, I dropped her off by Van Hoosen and then went to find my way back to the parking garage.  When I got back to Owen, I was bouncing.  I was happy.  I was excited.  Energized.  I was going to go write.  Except I didn't.  I bounced at people.  I almost flitted around the dorm.

Then grabbed my backpack and went over to Van Hoosen.  In theory, we were going to play Mafia.  Weren't enough people, though.  *grump*  Paula came down and then ran back to her room for Once Upon a Time.... a game where you make fractured fairytales.  It's insane.  We played two rounds of that.  Apparently, it's easier with four people than with seven. :)

Random chit-chat.  Random alcohol (well, not me, other folks).  Then back up to my room to try and go to sleep so I could get up in time for the 10am with Beth in the morning! 

Maybe I'll come up with some idea that inspires me.  Or at least makes me sit up and go, 'keen'.  It'll be better than nothing.  I've accomplished six stories so far.  Two more weeks to go.  In theory, I could turn out another 2.  I'd like to.  If my muse would stop dillydallying and lollygagging.

Not that I think she'd ever do that.  It's not dignified.  Or very goth/angsty.  *grin*

 

Oh!  Today was also the day of gifts.. Er, unless I'm totally screwed up and it's yesterday and today that are the days of gifts.

Jennifer got a care package from home and in it was a present for me!  I've got a Final Fantasy VIII Diabolus (or however it's spelled -- can't see it quite well enough frmo here), now!  Dude with wings!  Woo!

And got a nifty rubber stamp from Hmm!  I can now twirl my moustache while I revel in my dark side.  :)

Thanks oodles, both of you!!!  *hugs*

 

Okay, so other folks are talking about their productivity here.  I decided I may as well, too. This list (and my productivity) is subject to change without notice. :) (Note the distinct lack of additions to this table over the course of the week.  *sigh*)
Title	Word Count	Finished	Critiqued?
"Where the Blood Roses Grow" Week one, first story.  Wahoo.  And I was worried that something wouldn't come.	5000	6/13	6/15
"Uprooting the Tree" Will probably change the title at some point.	3400	6/16	6/19
"Mockingbird Girl" I think I'm happiest with this story, so far.	2800	6/19	6/26
"Poor as Paupers, Rich as Royalty" My challenge story from Sean's week.  I hated writing it.  It gave me a toothache.	2000	6/22
That fucking first person narrative (not yet complete) - May never be completed.  Don't I feel like an idiot...	(400)
"Switched to Overload"  (That other fucking first person narrative) Actually, I like this one better than the one above it ...  Even if it did wind up being two first person narratives in one story.  o.O	4900	6/27	7/3
"Sweeter Than Honey, Stronger Than Wine"  (My Tananrive Due challenge story.  Write a story in the style of an author whose work you admire.  Aieee!  It was sort of supposed to be in the style of Tanith Lee.  I'm not sure I hit that.  But it's definitely got a Christina Rossetti influence.)	9200	7/2