carfiniel

I just realized that I forgot to note that I submitted "Better to Have Loved" to the Writers Digest Popular Fiction contest.

John O'Neill of Black Gate gave me warm fuzzies when he rejected that story a few years ago. I know, he rejected it, how did I get warm fuzzies? But look at part of what he wrote:

I enjoyed 'Better to Have Loved', which I found to be an extremely well-written tragic romance. However, it's not right for Black Gate. While we purchase a wide variety of fiction, we publish tragedy relatively rarely, and usually when it has a more bittersweet element. I'm afraid I'll have to return it, with my regrets. You have an obvious gift for character, and I hope you'll consider us again soon. Warm regards,
John O'Neill
Editor
Black Gate

Maybe it's a rejection, but it's still darn high praise, especially from a man I've been told is a pretty hard sell.

Anyway, this is the same story I cut and polished for the popular fiction contest. So if you remember, pray for that story. I think it's a good one, and John O'Neill obviously did, too, so maybe it'll find a home there.

thesnapelyone and I have been working on a co-written Remus/Severus fanfic titled "Vicious Moon", and tonight we're unveiling it.  While it will involve other characters, such as the Marauders and Dumbledore, the Malfoys, and Lily, it's going to be mainly Remus/Severus-centric.  It's set in late 1979 during the first war against Voldemort, and if you're interested in following it, you can watch the community viciousmoon.  We're going to be posting on Tuesdays and Fridays for the moment, and the first two scenes are already up.

Man, there's nothing like spending an afternoon looking through stories you wrote ten years ago and reading the critiques from your creative writing classes (including the one where I got a C for the assignment and was told basically, "Way to write every cliche in the book, now scrap it and start with something fresh.") to make you feel inadequate.

Then I came back to the story I'm working on now and thought, wow, I really have improved a lot in ten years.

*grin*

Of course, now I want external validation. Someone buy my story!!!

Testing Writely.com here. Have I used this before? Not sure.

I suck. I have the perfect opportunity to be a full-time writer (well, until I find a job or my unemployment checks run out) and instead I am playing Sims. Okay, I'm also doing things like housework and yard work and picking blackberries and canning, but...

*sigh* Where has all my willpower gone? Do I save it up all year for November? Why can't I do November every month?

Today entered "Fireships" and "Inheritance" into the Writer's Digest short story competition. I haven't finished the rewrite of "Inheritance", but with the deadline only two days away, I'm not going to. Decided to go ahead and submit it.

Today was a discouraging day. I've been failing badly at my attempts to write consistantly on the novel, though I've got a lot further on the two Harry Potter fanfics I've been writing, and my Sims2 characters have managed to have a horrible breakup after the wife was caught cheating. *sigh* Willpower, thy name is NOT Stephanie.

Posting for my own reference:

Glimmertrain's Fiction Open - July 15th deadline

Donard Publishing - 20th July deadline

Writer's Digest Writing Competition - 15th May deadline (Schnell! Schnell!)

• Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.) (4,000 words maximum.)
• Mainstream/Literary Short Story (4,000 words maximum.)
  
• $15 for the first manuscript; $10 for each additional manuscript submitted in the same online session
  
• Top Award Winners will be notified by mail before October 21, 2006.

I personally think "Inheritance" is the story that's most polished, as far as a quick submission goes. I wouldn't mind submitting "Nightlights" to the literary fiction section, but I have a feeling that I submitted that story once before. Maybe "Ghosts in my Mind" would be a better choice for literary. Hmm.

So most of y'all know that on April 26th I got fired. Obviously I'm looking for a job, etc. But in the meantime...

I've set myself a goal of 3,333 words per day until I find a job. I'd like to write more than that, obviously, but basically what it amounts to is finishing The Loyalty Factor in less than 60 days.

I have adapted a spreadsheet to track my progress. I did not create the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet creation is credited to Erik Benson, and was adapted by someone else whose website is now defunct. I just adapted it further.

Other tasks:

• Buy 2006 Novel and Short Story Writers Market
  
• Go thruogh all my old stories with a red ink pen and sift for marketability
  
• Find markets
  
• SUBMIT SUBMIT SUBMIT

After a visit from author Colleen Coble at my library this weekend, I've joined American Christian Fiction Writers. Unfortunately the site doesn't seem to be loading this morning, but I did get an email from them telling them my application had been accepted, so hopefully this week I'll be spending some time exploring the members-only sections. My braces come off this week and I'm having oral surgery to begin the last phase of fixing my teeth, so I should have some down time.

I've been looking at The Loyalty Factor again, partly at slightlyjillian's urging. I'm going to set myself a fairly easy goal for right now: 5,000 words a week. It doesn't seem like much, considering during NaNoWriMo I sometimes write as much in a single day. But since I'm stuck working full-time at the moment, I figure it's a good way to ease myself back into disciplined writing.

My main journal, with permanent account status, that is over three years old, has been suspended. No email, nothing. I've submitted a support request, but I'm scared. I don't have the same work and home email addresses that I had when I opened the LJ account, and according to the FAQ, they won't answer any correspondence unless it's the official email address. And in some cases they require an email from the ORIGINAL email address that you had when you opened the account. I mean, my gosh! The work email address belongs to someone else now!

It's frightening how LJ is my life. I mean, I don't realize how much until something like this happens. I haven't violated any terms of service! What's going on!? I would NEVER want to do anything to endanger my LJ account! Especially after I've shelled out probably over $300 on LJ over the past three and a half years. My first post was September 11, 2002. That's the longest I've ever kept a journal with anything resembling regularity. I've made some of my dearest friends on LJ. What would I do without thesnapelyone or slightlyjillian or astraea36 or cindale or killer_the_cat or _lore or jenw118 or mike_smith or writerbuggie or...or...or...

I mean...

*wails and clings to LJ for dear life*


I know this is probably just a random mistake on LJ's part. I know that. Admittedly I have about three people who probably consider me an enemy and MIGHT have done something this horrid to me. But...still.

Requisite

Prompt: 26 - Kiss
Pairing: Remus/Severus
Warnings: Slash
WC: 1,896
Series so far:
1. Reconciliation 2. Rehabilitation 3. Recovery 4. Reply 5. Rediscovery 6. Receiving
7. Repartee 8. Relapse 9. Requisite 10. Retreat 11. Refining 12. Repose 13. Reconsidering
14. Renaissance 15. Retribution 16. Return 17.Rematch 18. Redefining 19. Relishing
20. Recognition 21. Remembering 22. Refrain 23. Reformation 24. Recrimination 25. Reliance
26. Reverting 27. Repercussion 28. Reminder


( 9. Requisite )

Hmm.  I've read two books already this year, so I suppose I should start the 2006 reading list post.

1. Twilight - Stephanie Meyers
   
2. Kitty and the Midnight Hour - Carrie Vaughn
   
3. Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris
   
4. The Decoy Princess - Dawn Cook
   
5. Shadowmarch - Tad Williams
   
6. Bitten and Smitten - Michelle Rowen
   
7. Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder
   
8. The Dwarves of Whiskey Island - I'll look later for the author's name, I left the book on the plane that was delayed five hours.
   
9. P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern (Bertie Ahern's daughter, yes)
   
10. Gimme a Kiss - Christopher Pike (yes, couldn't resist a reread, shut up)
    
11. Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz
    
12. Moon Called - Patricia Briggs
    
13. Raven's Shadow - Patricia Briggs
    
14. Ill Wind - Rachel Caine
    
15. The Naming - Allison Croggon
    
16. The Riddle - Allison Croggon
    
17. Polaris - Jack McDevitt
    
18. The Deed of Paksenarrion - Elizabeth Moon
    
19. Windigo Twilight - Colleen Rhoads
    
20. Shadow Bones - Colleen Rhoads
    
21. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
    
22. Stormcatcher - Colleen Rhoads
    
23. King's Man and Thief - Christie Golden
    
24. Hurricane - Beth Brown
    
25. Mazes and Monsters - Rona Jaffe
    
26. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
    
27. The Family Trade - Charles Stross
    
28. Whose Body? - Dorothy Sayers
    
29. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club - Dorothy Sayers
    
30. Inda - Sherwood Smith
    
31. A Novel Idea - Aimee Friedman
    
32. A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
    
33. gods in Alabama - Joshilyn Jackson (Yes, the g in her title is lowercase)
    
34. New Magics - edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden
    
35. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
    
36. Breathtaker - Alice Blanchard
    
37. Staying Dead - Laura Anne Gilman
    
38. Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman
    
39. Curse the Dark - Laura Anne Gilman
    
40. The Oath - Frank Peretti
    
41. Firebirds - ed. by Sharyn November
    
42. Thunderbird Falls - C.E. Murphy
    
43. Luck in the Shadows - Lynn Flewelling
    
44. Stalking Darkness - Lynn Flewelling
    
45. Magic Study - Maria V. Snyder
    
46. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
    

So I have some opportunities here.  And as it is the last day before NaNoWriMo begins, I feel it is time to confront these matters.  I have to decide what I'm going to write.

Until a week and a half ago I was wibbling over lack of plottiness in my Regent's series, the first two of which are also NaNovels.  I have the characters, but they weren't agreeing on what they wanted to do.  During conversation with slightlyjillian while I was visiting her, I decided perhaps it was time to invoke the Zokotou Clause for NaNo, which states that if a writer has already successfully completed ("won") NaNoWriMo, said winner is allowed to spend the month working on a project that has already begun.  My epic fantasy novel has been languishing for over a year now, and it really needs my attention.

Then, in the days following my visit to Illinois, The Slightly One read the now-unnamed first Regent's novel, and made comments on it (and wrote a fanfic for it) that validated a plot bunny that had been quietly nibbling the clover in the back of my mind, and until that point had been ignored in the name of avoidance, denial, and non-confrontation.  BUT.  Now that slightlyjillian brought it up...I am tempted to give blood to that lovely little Bunnicula and turn it into the next novel.

Which would be a ghost story.

Yep.  A modern-faerie-cum-ghost novel.  (Slashy subtext included free of charge.)

So.

Now.

Ghost!Barnabas: PICK ME PICK ME!!!
Michael-and-Justin: Woe! We languish! You have neglected us!
Steph: *waffles*

( In which Steph proves it is, indeed, possible to set your laser printer to kill. )

Got another rejection letter today, this one from Donald Maas Literary Agent.

Happy day before your birthday, Steph.


*bummed*

arcaedia gave some useful information, in this entry, regarding word counts for novels.

I'm excited, as last night the discovery of an absolutely lovely Waterboys song gave me my title idea for NaNo. I always do better once I have a good title. It gives me an idea of the theme for the novel. I find this interesting, as until NaNoWriMo 2003, I worked completely backwards regarding titles.

Interestingly, I've found an anthology market that I think will be good for a story I have mostly written. The theme is Blood and Devotion, and those are two things that feature VERY strongly in this piece. What's even funnier is that I sent krycek_chick a link to their submission page because of their art guidelines...and didn't realize I have a story well-suited for it. Then I went to see Serenity, and was discussing it with krycek_chick, and, in explaining to her why I liked one bit of the movie in particular, cut-and-pasted part of one of my stories--the blood and devotion story. (If you're curious and you've seen the movie, the connection is blood, and River.)

Anyway. I got to thinking about that story, and how I really liked it, and it was a shame it would never be more than novella length, if that, and how I'm pleased with the way it ties to my other epic fantasy novels (loosely time-wise, but in the same world). And then I started looking over some of it, and I was like, "Oh! This is about blood and devotion!"

Heh. Funny old world, ain't it?

( Non-slashers and those of you who got mad at me first time around should feel free to not click. )

Yesterday I sent out my first agent query letter. The agency in question promises to respond in two weeks or less from receipt of the letter. I also bought the 2006 Guide to Literary Agents (though that may not be the exact title).

Tonight I'm going to update my submission database to include agents, since I've decided that's the route to take.

I forgot to post in this journal when TOR rejected my novel. That was about four weeks ago. I've been wavering back and forth on what to do, because looking over my list of prospective publishers and checking their submission guidelines, I have discovered that most of them don't accept unagented materials. So today I have decided to attempt to find an agent for the novel. We'll see how that goes.

In the meantime, NaNoWriMo is coming up at a breakneck pace. I've started thinking about the novel, but haven't gone beyond thinking to plotting yet.

So I've been thinking a lot about Severus and his service to the Dark Lord, his time in the Death Eaters, why he got out, that sort of thing.  I've received a lot of praise for his story in "Ashes and Possibility", but since my newest fic-in-progress is not Severus/Ginny, I want a new backstory.  So while working that out, I've come up with a couple of questions.


1. Lord Voldemort.  He started going by that name early, and yet in the books we only ever see the Death Eaters and Severus calling him "the Dark Lord" or other various honourifics.  Why is that?  My impression was that people called him "You-Know-Who" out of fear of his name, sort of a lupus in fabula that if they name him he will appear.  Is that the same reason the Death Eaters do?  Or did they call him Lord Voldemort before Harry defeated him the first time?  The Lexicon claims that Severus 'refers to Voldemort respectfully as "Dark Lord"*--but is it respectful?  I wonder.

2. When did Severus leave the Death Eaters?  HBP would have us think that it was when the Prophecy was made in 1980 (the Lexicon says 1979--is that for sure when the Prophecy was made?).  I don't have my book on hand, so I can't check this just now.  The Lexicon also says the following: that before in 1981 but before October, he 'Approaches Dumbledore and offers to be secret agent for The Order of the Phoenix'*'.  So at some point between hearing the Prophecy (and was it 1979 or 1980? this is important!) and October of 1981, Severus realized whom Voldemort was targeting, and was suddenly penitent?


* Lexicon quotes taken from the Lexicon's Snape page.

Haven't heard anything from Tor yet on my manuscript. It's been over two months, but not quite three months. I never know when to follow up with a publisher. Once I did that with a magazine, three weeks outside the response time, and had a good reason for being subtle about it. I merely said that I'd submitted a story to them, gave the date, and said that I had recently switched email addresses, and all future correspondence should be made to this address. The editor responded with a nice note saying he'd read the story and liked it, and apologized for taking so long, but that he would have to decline the story. He did urge me to continue sending him things, though.

So...I don't know whether or not to send a note to Tor, or just wait a bit longer.


In the meantime, I've re-read the sequel, and I'm ready to begin an edit of that. I'm also inspired to work on another related short story, and to look at a final edit of "Regent", which is the next story I want to submit.

All of this after the weekend, of course, since all weekend I'm going to be ensconced in Harry Potter. *grin*

Well, I sent my novel submission packet to Patrick Nielsen Hayden at TOR Books on Monday. I'm trying to pretend I didn't, because I'm terrified they'll reject me, and I really want them to buy the book. I'm aiming for the top publisher in my field, because I think it's a strong novel, and I think it deserves the best, and if I don't aim high I'll never hit anything high. But I'm still nervous.

Well, I thought I'd completed my novel synopsis for For the Grace Go I, but another read-through by the_mountaineer and krycek_chick turned up further flaws. And yes, I totally agree with them and I'm glad they have such keen eyes for critiques. *hugs them both*

But I thought I'd post a few links that I need to keep in mind. They might prove useful for other aspiring writers, too.

TOR submission FAQ
Theresa Nielsen Hayden's blog
TNH's cover letter essay
Jennifer Jackson's submission guidelines
arcaedia is Jennifer Jackson's LJ
Jennifer Jackson's guide to getting an agent
Submissions for Dummies (link courtesy of Ai)
How to Write a Synopsis (also courtesy of Ai)

This is my first entry. I should've been in bed long since, but for some time now I've been toying with the idea of creating a journal for the sole purpose of talking about my writing. Tonight I decided to go ahead and do that. I have a number of reasons for it, one of which is petty (I use the handle "Carfiniel" all over the Internet, and recently had the shock of discovering it taken on another site, and want to make sure I get that on LJ.); most of my other reasons are more practical--for one thing, my personal journal has too many friends for me to keep up with, anyway; for another, my personal journal is friends-only due to the nature of my employment and the fact that I write fanfiction.

I have finished polishing my modern/urban fantasy novel For the Grace Go I, which was written a year and a half ago. I am in the final stages of polishing the synopsis, and have chosen a "First Pick" publishing house to which I shall submit it. I have a sequel, Come Ye Back, completed in first draft form. This is the year I get serious about submitting my work and getting it published.

I also need to return my attention to my short stories, because I have quite a number of stories I should be marketing. I have received two very nice and encouraging rejections from the editor of Black Gate, and my ultimate goal is to have a story accepted there. Am I shooting high for an unpublished author? Probably. Do I care? Nope. Aim at the moon and if you miss you may hit a star. (Or is it the other way around?)

Anyway, don't expect a high volume of posts here (if you're bothering to read at all). This is going to be, at first, a journal used largely for reading purposes. Then again, feel free to share in my defeats and victories here, because I'll be posting about them.

God bless!
Carfiniel

Okay, I love making icons, but I am not skilled. I do what I can in my PSP-less world. I am in need of David-Thewlis-as-Remus-Lupin icons. In particular I would love to have an ANGRY Thewlis!Remus icon. I am not going to one of the icon communities to beg yet. I would rather beg the talented people on my Flist first. Because I know you people and love you all. ^_^

Anyone out there with l33t icon making skillz who wants to rise to the challenge?


*makes puppydog wolf cub eyes*

Okay, rockychick asked me to write this, as her prize for winning my quote meme, ages and ages ago.  I had a blast.  She gave me the lyrics, I bought the song from iTunes (so those of you with scruples, it's well worth the $0.99 there).  And this fic is what happened.


( Somewhat SOC Dark!Harry-POV gen songfic behind this cut )

Okay, I'm going to be updating this all through the year (I hope...if I remember) so I can keep track of what I've read.

1. A Hidden Magic - Vivian Vande Velde
   
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
   
3. Sword-Dancer - Jennifer Roberson (a re-read from years ago because she wrote a sequel)
   
4. The Dark Hills Divide - Patrick Carman (I have to admit, I wasn't terribly impressed with this. Plot and characterization were too ramshackle.)
   
5. Mira, Mirror - Mette Ivie Harrison (interesting - a grim fairy tale)
   
6. Sword-Singer - Jennifer Roberson
   
7. The Cup of the World - John Dickinson (I highly recommend this; lots of twists)
   
8. Huntress - L.J. Smith
   
9. Sword-Maker - Jennifer Roberson
   
10. Sword-Breaker - Jennifer Roberson (only two more to go in this series)
    
11. Sword-Born - Jennifer Roberson
    
12. Sword-Sworn - Jennfier Roberson (yay, I finished the series! And a satisfactory ending it was, too.)
    
13. The Legend of Nightfall - Mickey Zucker Reichert (rereading this so I can read the sequel. What a good book. I heart Nightfall.)
    
14. The Return of Nightfall - Mickey Zucker Reichert (a pretty good sequel, all things told)
    
15. Keeping the Moon - Sarah Dessen
    
16. Something from the Nightside - Simon R. Green
    
17. Agents of Light and Darkness - Simon R. Green
    
18. Nightingale's Lament - Simon R. Green
    
19. Out of the Silent Planet - C.S. Lewis
    
20. The Hedge Knight - George R.R. Martin
    
21. Perelandra - C.S. Lewis
    
22. Creatures of the Night - Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli
    
23. That Hideous Strength - C.S. Lewis
    
24. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
    
25. Spindle's End - Robin McKinley
    
26. Something Rich and Strange - Patricia A. McKillip
    
27. Urban Shaman - C.E. Murphy
    
28. What is Goth? - Voltaire
    
29. A Child Called It - David Pelzer (what? It's only the most popular book the 10-to-15-year-old set asks me about.)
    

Okay, slightlyjillian, I watched The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly tonight.  I'm not going to give you my opinion of it yet.  Here's my challenge: tell me why you're in love with it.

delamancha, feel free to jump in, here, too.  (But I'll remind you that I haven't read the Dark Tower books, so reasoning from the books probably won't mean much to me.)

Everyone else:  I expect there to be LOTS of spoilers in the comments, so don't read this unless you've seen the movie or never plan to.  ^_~

I saw The Passion today.

Wow.


...

( Spoilers contained herein )

It's funny--Diana commented last week that it was obvious to her that her mom cried through the movie because she was watching her best friend receive this treatment. Di couldn't feel that--not because Jesus isn't her best friend, but because she couldn't see past Jim Caviezel. I had no trouble with that. The thing is, even though I acknowledge Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, there aren't many times I really feel him as my best friend. I don't know why -- but even though I have pure faith in my God, I don't have pure love. I am more attached to Christianity in my head than in my heart. This really bothers me. I have prayed for years that God would teach me to love Him more. I don't understand it. But the thing is, for me, The Passion accomplished what nothing else has.

It made me cry for the Jesus that is my Best Friend. I loved that man on the cross, loved him and couldn't hope to understand him, and had to watch as he suffered and died.


Wow.

Innerslytherin's Wish List

• Amy Brown faerie spaghetti strap tank in XL (because apparently XL is an 8/10 for heaven's sake!)
  
• W00t!! Eowyn's sword may be released!
  
• Hadhafang
  
• Pewter Snake Pen Holder
  
• Glow in the Dark keyboard
  
• Amazon.com Wishlist