(Must. Finish. Chainsawing. My. Book. Here. So I can reward myself with someone else’s book and not worry that I’m going to unintentionally absorb someone else’s style. Because that would be rude.)

You know… I just realized that Novel 1 has cats. Darn. I’ll bet that’s the flaw in the first chapters I couldn’t identify. Maybe if I make them penguins…

I’m still convinced that somewhere we have to believe that our first novel will be the exception, or else we won’t write it.

Oh, sure. I mean, Ken sold his first novel in a five book deal. It definitely happens. Heck, I’m still sure Novel 1 will sell eventually. I think the thing that made everything click for me was when I realized that I didn’t have to try to sell the novels in the order in which I’d written them.

I’m still convinced that somewhere we have to believe that our first novel will be the exception, or else we won’t write it. Combination naivete, ego, whatever. It has to get us through. Unless it’s a pure word marathon like NaNoWriMo, which is an great exercise.

I wonder if many writers stop at the first novel though, because their ego dashed, they will no longer work on the novel. The difference between the successful writer and the failed one is simply a matter of perseverence. We may have lost some of the naivety on the second novel, but we have to still believe this one will work, and we believe that because we think we’ve learned enough.

Either that, or we just love to write no matter what.

I think, yes, werecats count as required cats. Congratulations! That’s now out of your system. Novel 4 sounds fascinating.

Novels 2 and 3… they have been declared “first drafts” and I might, some day, go back to them. Unlikely as my focus as a writer has shifted since then.

Novel 1 is: Werewolf love story-Sex and Violence version
Novel 2 is: Wannabe rock star werehyena vs vampires
Novel 3 is: A werecat story. Does that could as the required cats?
Novel 4 is: Post apocalyptic CSI complicated by the existence of shape shifters and vampires

Hang on. That was high school. Oh my god. They were one and the same!

Is that bad?

I realized that I should have mentioned that Ken Scholes booked with Jennifer on the basis of his first novel and immediately sold it in a five book deal. As I said, mileage varies.

Oh. Did I mention that my winged-cat-human-aliens also regenerated… nine times? Not that this is an adequate defense, but the regeneration thing came from Dr. Who.

::sigh::

Giant, walking catfish!

Top that!

(Actually it was my 2nd novel. The first had crap. No, not carp. Crap!).

Okay, I’m done writing. Back to The Sopranos.

After meeting Jay (via LJ) and reading his short fiction I decided that perhaps mastery of shorter pieces would tighten my writing to the point of publishable quality. I think there’s something to that approach— and the world can blame Jay Lake if my short fiction gets published.

My second referral was for Kathy Sedia, on pretty much the same basis — I’d read her full length work and was sufficiently impressed.

And good luck with yours!

If a fellow writer likes your work enough to recommend you to his agent, you won’t need to ask.

I’ll take back everything I said about the ISS and the picture in the attic. I’ve never seen you look better in fact!

Seriously, the process of submitting work is harrowing. I am on eggshells waiting for my book to get out of the slushpile and under someone’s eyes. It’s nice to see these posts as they give one an understanding of how this weird world works.

Oh, but wait, I should be writing another book now instead of surfing, posting and commenting so I will say goodbye.

(Second confession: I’m working on something vaguely kinda sorta similar and I want to see what works, that I might take the lessons, sea-change them, and use them myself.)

If not out, I, a complete internet stranger, am now crossing my fingers that its sale and/or publication goes smoothly and well for you. O:>