What to do next?

Well, I am looking at maybe trying to publish some short stories. Ha, like that will be easier than a novel, but I would like to make my bones and get accepted into this professional sci fi/fantasy organization. Well, it is an idea.

I know I need to research the next agents to try. I'm not in a rush. I want to send them to good agents. I know that the AAR is a good test of their desire to follow a code of professional ethics, but finding the best agents in fantasy will take some doing, I suppose.

I considered becoming neurotic and dwelling endlessly on book one, but really not my idiom. I think I will just continue on book II.

The road less traveled -- being a writer, being human..

When I was a kid I remember sitting in a Chinese resturant in Roswell, New Mexico, and squeezing my eyes shut and wishing on a fortune cookie. I opened it, and it gave me the fortune I always wanted. "May you live in interesting times."

I knew from my very beginning that I was different. There is some comfort in that. You aren't boring but that road less traveled can be scary, so travel light. I suggest if you are different from the norm that you pack light for the journey. You'll need only a few things to make it down that narrow path: faith in something greater than yourself, a love for your fellow man in all its amazing and flawed forms, and a sense of humor. That's about it. Carry anything else and it really is just excess baggage -- I should know. I keep meaning to drop the anxiety, but I keep thinking I need it just in case.

You have to have a spiritual life to embrace the full human experience, and as a writer you will need to have faith in yourself and your vision. You need a great love for people or you will never be able to create lovable characters and beautifully flawed villians; and as a writer you need all the friends you can get. You need a sense of humor or you might just take yourself and all your high and might words too serieously and then have your ego dashed upon the jagged rocks of rejection.

I got my first rejection this week from a real AAR agent. Wow! That was cool, kind of expected it since she didn't do fantasy, so it is time to get up off my duff and head on down the road and see what is around the bend. See you on the road, traveler. Travel light.

What is your favorite Halloween memory?

Opp, there seems to be a theme developing. I can't help it I love Halloween. I have a big Halloween party every year. As a kid, I suffered from terrible nightmares. I still have them every night. I think Halloween was a great way to bring all those things that scared me out into the open and even embrace them. Making the monsters my friends gave me some power over them, so I am queen of Halloween.

This year the theme is Tim Burton films, and I shall be Mrs. Lovett. Care for a meat pie?

Do you have a favorite Halloween memory?

writing a novel -- where to start

What would you do to begin crafting a novel?
Well, obviously, you have to develop the characters backgrounds so you know where everyone is basically coming from (yes, ending with a preposition, better for the basic
vernacular; hope it does not make you nuts).
I am working on book two of my series. I have decided to do a hero's journey for each main character, so I know what they want, where basically I want them to go, and what their end goal (emotionally and plot wise) should be.
It worked pretty well last time for my first manuscript since I have multiple points of view. I have found that keeping that basic need and general plot points foremost in my mind helps me from getting off track and wandering into meaningless scenes and pointless dialogue.
Anyway that's my plan.
How do you plan when you begin a major story?

What is your favorite horror/suspense movie?

I think I still have to go with the classics. It think Psycho is really brilliant story telling. The point-of-view shifts in the story are such cool devices to keep the audience on edge the whole time. You shift from Janet Lee's very flawed character Marion Crane who gets killed to Norman Bate who we can only stare at as a third party watching unable to get into that mind. Then we switch into The detective, just a pragmatic guy, trying to do his job, following Marion only to get killed by the unassuming Norman. Then what a terrible treat, we get to be Vera Miles -- Lila Crane -- who lets us relive the terror from part one of the movie all over again as the ultimate good guy trying to save someone we love -- in her case her sister. Finally we wrap all the way around again to Norman's point of view, and we are left still wondering, still bewildered by what terrible thing his mother did to form him into this enigma -- a great job of suspense and story telling.

What horror film has excellent story telling in your opinion?

Texas Writer's League

I recently participated in the Texas Writer's League Conference and I would recommend it. I thought it was well organized and the accomadations at the Austin Sheridan were very nice. The speakers were excellent and I felt it was money well spent to learn about the writing industry. I really appreciated meeting with the agent Kimberly Cameron and the editor Toni Plummer I thought they were considerate professionals. I had some good fortune, and Kimberly Cameron asked to see my work. The ten minute session was wonderful. I am realistic that this is my first time to show my work and many rejections are common, but I feel that to really live I must take some chances. Fortune favors the brave (Virgil). If you have insight you want to share about writing conferences and workshops I would love to learn from other writers what they have experienced.