Ah crap. . .

Ooohhh there are some things stressed out writers to be shouldn't do. One of them is check the submission page AFTER you have sent in the submission. My assumption was that as certain things were requested of me, that was all I had to worry about.

After reading the full set of submissions for Tor/Forge (which isn't as easy to find as you might think) I realized that I may have sunk my boat before every getting it out on the water. The wee little bit of hope I have is that the submissions page is related ONLY to unsolicited queries, which mine is not.

So maybe I am okay, maybe I am just freaking myself out. Or maybe I have made yet another mistake. Unfortunate for me, I do have a knack for mistakes.

And did I mention that for unsolicited queries it takes 4-6 MONTHS to get a response?! Mother of Pearl!

Any guesses at how long I will have to wait for a response? I am thinking, if the editor chooses to respond, if I haven't totally screwed up, I may hear from her in the next year or two. If I'm lucky.

Funnies

I have heard some good sayings lately, things I actually wrote down they were so funny, unusual or downright perfect for the moment. Here they are in no particular order :

"Mother of pearl!" - a statement of "how stupid could I be?" when you are somewhere that there are little ears listening.

"Gossip is like ice cream for Port Alberni, you just can't get enough of it." -Put whatever town you would like in here, I m sure you can think of a few.

"We're tight, like a fat kid in spandex." -Self explanatory

"Dumbassidy" - the trait of being a dumb ass, eg." You've got some serious dumbassidy!"

Who me? Obsessive?

Oooh, I have just found a new favorite position. Get your mind out of the gutter! Using my super tech powers (hahaha!) I managed to link my laptop up to the Internet and am sitting in bed, more comfortable than ever before as I use the Internet.

An update on the submission I sent in. No news. But I am realizing that I have it in me to be obsessive compulsive, a new trait never before occurring in my life. Checking my email at least ten times a day- most of that from my blackberry- is making me believe I may just have a problem, at least with the waiting game business.

In fact, the first night I sent off my manuscript, the OCD was so bad that as I pondered on the time difference between here and New York, I counted out the hours and promptly woke up at 4am without an alarm clock because that would be 8am in New York and maybe, just maybe the editor would have already read my manuscript, realized it was the one and sent me a contract.

And yes, I did check my email at 4am. Thank goodness for my blackberry! I just checked it again and nothing. So though I may get through this process with a contract, a new career and a published book I am also seeing that I will probably come through it with a new and lasting disorder. Dang.

Blast off!

It's done. My manuscript is officially sent to Tor/Forge. I am excited, nervous, anxious and brilliantly happy all in the same moment!

Did I mention nervous? I don't know how long I will have to wait on a response and that is probably the worst part! Good or bad I just want to know as soon as possible so I can move on or cry or throw up or whatever. . . I'd rather not throw up but it is an option.

Everybody say a prayer for me, cross your fingers, give me some good karma and hope to all that is holy that she (the acquisitions editor) loves-or at least strongly likes-the manuscript. :)

Outlining = Good

I have never, never been the writer who outlines work. I just go with the flow, write what comes and see what happens. And in the past it has all been fine and dandy.

Not so much now. I am beginning to realize that not only is an outline a good thing, it can actually generate excitement to write and get going on a project. It helps to know where you are headed I guess.

With that in mind, I just finished the outline for book # 2 in the Chronicles series, which is now totally different than the original idea I had. And I am part way through the outline for book #3 in the same series. Of course, I am also working on my revisions for book #1, working on my new series (which is all done in outline form first) and don't forget my full time job. Yet somehow, it all seems to be coming together this time around. I don't feel overwhelmed or under major pressure.

Must be the outlines. :)