Once upon a time I started this blog to talk about my writing… I’m not sure what happened with that, but somewhere between Shoeless Joe and my rant on home improvement I’ve clearly lost my focus.  So, let’s catch up. 

 

On our last episode of “Tales of the Sad and Unpublished”:

 

I finished a novel, “Next Year I’ll be Perfect.”

·         Good news:  In June I was asked to submit the book to an agent

·         Bad news:  I haven’t heard anything since I sent the book

·         Good news:  I just heard from another agent that wants to read the book

·         Bad news:  It’s poor form to send a book to two agents at the same time

·         Good news:   I’ve sent a letter to the first agent asking if she is still interested.  If I don’t hear from her this week I can send the book to the second agent. 

I started a second, untitled novel.

·         Good news:  I took the first chapter to Stonecoast Writing Conference and got amazing feedback

·         Bad news:  I got so much amazing feedback that I’ve completely reworked the novel in my head.

·         Good news:  I think it will be a much stronger novel once the reworks are done.

·         Bad news:  After spending most of the day in an office in front of a computer, the last thing I want to do is come home to more typing.  (Also… Writing is hard and I am lazy…) 

I decided to turn my completed novel into a screenplay and I’m entering it into a writing contest next year.

·         Good news:  I really like writing dialogue, and this is the most fun I’ve had with my writing in a while

·         Bad news:  Writing a script is nothing at all like writing prose.  Something I could tell the reader flat-out in the book needs to be somehow finessed through the characters’ words or actions.   I’ve had to create brand new scenes and situations.

·         Good news:  I have months and months until the contest deadline.

·         Bad news:  It will take months and months to finish.