I’ve been on sabbatical

I’ve been on sabbatical for the last month and a half, not a vacation in the sense of the luxurious beaches filled with enjoyment, but computer-less and in pain. It’s a two part scenario, first off my BFF (for the puter has become the aged and demented best friend), and not having one and borrowing airtime from family and friends is like standing outside the bathroom door waiting your turn, while you do the pee dance hoping beyond hope they will soon finish so you can have your turn.

Finally, I’ve purchased a new(BFF) best friend (puter), and hopefully it will last as long as its counterpart. Also, in the month of May, I took a leave from Sweet Hearts of the Rodeo due to arthritis, a constant bud that will not leave your side, but I am managing to keep his burst of pickiness (which is sort of like a prickly pear cactus stingy and sticky) under control.

Getting back into what I love, writing, learning the craft of writing, and reading about the subject of writing, I came across several good articles on the topic, and want to share with you the links.

Alexandra Sokoloff’s Blog article Story Breakdown – THE MIST (Act One)

Here is a link to Stephen King’s website where you can review the synopsis for his novella “The Mist”.

She talks about foreshadowing, now in literary terms that means the reader is tipped off as to what comes later.

What Ms. Sokoloff does is breakdown the ingredients of masterful story telling in several sequences.

Another good article I came across today on Rachelle Gardner’s Blog Rants & Ramblings, where she talks about Query Letters in “A Funny Thing Happened...On the Way to my Query Box” a must read for those wanting to get published.

Ms. Gardner Monday June 15, 2009 post about the dreaded need for an author platform.
The Dreaded Author Platform

Last week at the Write-To-Publish conference, the one topic that kept coming up in conversations, panels, and workshops was AUTHOR PLATFORM. Yes, the hated p-word!

Another good article I came upon this fine Monday morning is by Michael Hyatt titled “The Sovereignty of Readers” you can read.

This is a quote that Michael Hyatt shared of P.J. O’Rourke’s

"Usually, writers will do anything to avoid writing. For instance, the previous sentence was written at one o'clock this afternnon. It is now a quarter to
four. I have spent the past two hours and forty-five minutes sorting my neckties by width, looking up the word /paisly/ in three dictionaries,attempting to find the town of that name on /The New York Times Atlas of the World/ map of Scotland,sorting my reference books by width, trying to get the bookcase to stop wobbling by stuffing a matchbook cover under its corner,dialing the telephone number on the matchbook cover to see if I should take computer courses at night, looking at the computer ads in the newspaper and deciding to buy a computer because writing seems to be so difficult on my old Remington, reading an interesting article on sorghum farming in Uruguay that was in the newspaper next to the computer ads, cutting that and other interesting articles out of the newspaper, sorting -- by width -- all the interesting articles I've cut out of newspapers recently, fastening them neatly together with paper clips and making a very attractive paper clip necklace and bracelet set, which I will present to my girlfriend as soon as she comes home from the three-hour low-impact aerobic workout that I made her go to so I could have some time alone to write."[P.J. O'Rourke]

Janet Reid’s Blog article on Ineffective tactics a must read.

from Janet Reid, Literary Agent by Janet Reid

Publishing houses that accept manuscripts directly from authors have guidelines for how to send work to them. You'll find those guidelines on their websites.

If you choose to submit to them, read the guidelines. Then follow them.
Don't call an editor to say you represent yourself.
Much like a lawyer who represents himself, you'll have a fool for a client.

You don't need tricks to get attention.
You need good writing.

And after good writing, you need to present clear and compelling evidence you are not a yahoo.

Happy Writing!