M-O-T-I-V-A-T-E, Find Out What it Means to Me

Lately, the motivation to write has been lacking, which is frustrating, to say the least.  I have a plot in mind.  I have characters who are coming alive in my mind.  But lately, we're all in a waiting pattern, and life is a busy airport.  Between my day job as a teacher with all its necessary planning, grading, meeting, and lessons, my counseling internship with its daily meetings and paperwork, my home responsibilties (clean clothes and dishes are so overrated), my motherly duties (food prep, homework guru, storyteller, calendar checker, and so many other crazy tasks I never saw on the job description), and my husband would like to sit down with his wife at least once a day.  So what goes by the wayside?  Yep, you guessed it, the writing time.

Scott Eagan tried to enforce the idea that the writers who make it are the ones that make writing a priority.  They're the ones that make it clear to their friends and family how important writing is to them.  He even suggested setting aside at least three hours each day for writing.  Three hours?  I don't have three hours to rub together (or something like that).  I'm time poor currently.

So how do we stay motivated?  How do we keep moving forward on the WIP without feeling like we're stealing time from so many other important things?  What are your best time management tips?  What works for you?  I'm interested to know.

Happy Writing!

How To Lose an Agent/Editor in Five Easy Steps

Obviously, the title is not literal, but thanks to the KYRW workshop this past weekend, I got some excellent information about how to know whether or not you're ready to submit your work to an agent or editor.  So, today I will share five ways to really screw the pooch (no dogs were harmed in the writing of this blog) when it comes to agents and editors.

1. Don't target specific agents/editors, just send a mass e-mail to all of them.
2. Really show you hate to research by not having read any of the books that said agent or editor has been involved with publishing.
3. Don't narrow your book down to one genre or possible publishing house.  After all, they all publish the same books and have the same readers.
4. Don't waste time with critique partners or groups.  Get your work out there as soon as possible.  That's what agents and editors do--clean up the writer's mistakes.
5. Do chase what's hot right now (which just happens to be long-winded diaries written by shape-shifting zombies that take place in exotic locales like Egypt).

So, there you have it.  All the reasons an agent or editor will run screaming in the exact OPPOSITE direction of you.  Truth is, I have been guilty of at least three of these (okay, I feel your snarky stare--all of them).  What about you?  What are things you wish you'd known when you first started out?  Or what are you still unsure about?

More on these this week.  I plan to blog about each way to lose an agent/editor, going into more detail for each.

Happy Writing!

Coming to You Live

Currently I am sitting in KYRW Spring Into Writing conference with literary agent Scott Eagan.I am learning so much about what NOT to do when it comes to submitting to agents and editors.  First and foremost, I learned that I am soooo NOT ready!

But I am learning how to get ready, and that is exciting.  I have oodles to blog about this week, including some pictures of the places we went (not at all related to Dr. Suess).  Here's a little tidbit that I've heard but it finally clicked:  I need to know who I want as my publisher and where my work fits RIGHT NOW.  Why?  I'll go into more detail later, but agents need to know if your writing would even work there because it really doesn't every where.

Duh!

I will also give more detail on how you go about doing that because, let's face it, we don't know what's going on in agent's and editor's heads, most of the time.  I mean, come on, my book is THE best thing EVER (thick sarcasm intended).

But I've taken good notes and even did a pitch, so I will spill my thoughts on all of it this week.  If you comment within the next two hours, I can ask him right now.

Happy writing!