Posting for broke

Man, sending stuff out is expensive. I just posted two full manuscripts to agents in the US, and it set me back $65.
Is there any wonder I prefer to do email submissions?

For the next MS, I'm not going to print anything and ship it. I just can't afford it until the freelancing does a better job at paying the bills (and the food; and maybe even the clothes).

Critiques and where they take you

I seem to be talking to people a lot about critique partners and critique groups lately.
I'm one of those terminally single writers. Top me, critique partners have a lot in common with dating. You meet a potential CP, you suss each other out. You may exchange pages. See if you get along. And invariably, things don't work out. one might fall in love, the other doesn't. one may be confused, disgusted or simply not as into it. One might be abusive, cruel or lazy.
Or they both might decide to just stay friends.

Either way, I'm no good with crit partners. And don't even get me started on crit groups.
It has everything to do with how I work. I produce content quickly. Very quickly. I can easily write a full-length first draft in one month without breaking a sweat. Editing is a completely different matter though.
I find it hard to convey exactly what I'd need out of a crit partner, and I don't want to be the nasty one in the relationship.

What I do love though, are first readers. First readers, in contrast to all CPs I've worked with, give you the big picture. They (kinda have to) read your whole manuscript from start to finish. They don't focus so much on the nitty-gritty as on structural and logical errors. It's just as hard to find good first readers, but to me, they are more useful at this stage.

All that means is I haven't found The One. The CP to make my life (and my MS) complete.
I'm still happy to exchange pages with people. As long as they know what they want and need from a critique, I'll gladly try to deliver.

Writing through the ages

Being a writer is a lot like growing up. You go through life stages, and the problems and self-perceptions you have are very similar to what faces people growing up.

Baby:
The baby writer bumbles around with no fear. He writes purely for the joy of discovery, uninhibited and unfocused. She will abandon projects and completely forget about them. Grammar, word choice, storyline, all these things are irrelevant as the baby writer enjoys words for words' sake.

Toddler:
The toddler writer knows her brilliance. Every word she pens is pure genius, every story idea pulitzer worthy. Like their real-life counterparts, toddler writers can't fathom anyone not loving them and are prone to tantrums when criticised.

Child:
The child writer is used to being told they need to learn. they take classes and do their homework. Craft becomes important, and they often become quite obsessed with rules, regulations and guidelines. They want to win contests and get a lot of delight out of their writing. unless they feel like they're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Teen:
Ah, teenagers. They've left their childhood behind, they've learned it all and usually have some form of success to show. It's time to bend those pesky rules that got them nowhere. it's time to rebel, to be their own person. The world just doesn't understand and appreciate them!
After all, growing up/getting published is a mere formality at this point. they're soooo ready! If only the old folks would move over and make room already.

Adult:
Oh, finally! independence, a publishing contract, a whole new world.
And suddenly, there are bills to pay and drives to take, book signings and promotions and a host of other, mundane responsibilities. It gets harder and harder to actually find time to write, let alone delight in it. Suddenly, it seems to be all about maintaining the perceptions of others. Maybe you're raising babies of your own, teaching writing classes, running workshops and presentations. Younger writers come to you seeking advice. Teen writers hate you. It's not as glamorous as it was supposed to be.

Mid-life crisis:
Then it all gets too much. After several books, or maybe after deciding you're a one-book wonder, life gets too much. maybe it's time for a career change. Something easy like deep-sea pearl fishing or miniature painting. Anything but write.

Elder:
Finally, the golden years. With age comes wisdom. Retired from the rat race, writing once more becomes a pleasurable activity, something to be savoured and enjoyed for its own merit. maybe a change of direction has opened a new perspective.

Life, and writing, has so much to offer. We shouldn't rush through the stages, but try and get the most out of every situation we're in.

Or maybe too many metaphors make for a bloated mind. Who knows?

Back from the conference with a vengeance (and a cold)

Yay! I'm back!
The RWA conference was fantastic, just as you would expect it to be. The key thing I learned? The more people you know, the more fun it becomes.
It doesn't matter that I wasn't up for anything at the awards dinner. I knew two winners, one second-place getter and one third-place getter personally, and that made me so happy!

Good times are other people.

Unfortunately, I came home with the nastiest cold I've had in years, so a more detailed write-up will have to wait until I'm not phlegming up the keyboard (yeah, because you so needed that image, huh?).
So rest assured, I made it home alive, and so did two 3kg satchels of FREE books. Which have started the fourth pile of my TBR mountain.

So while I recover, I have to read. It's all quite tragic, really.

Conference conclusions

Every time you (think you) are returning to something, you will go with a larger set of preconceptions, making it both easier and harder to adapt.
While I wasn't worried about finding social contact, I was a bit apprehensive about the workshops and what I would get out of them.
Both of these preconceptions proved to be quite accurate. Self-fulfilling prophecies? Maybe. I like to think of it as becoming more certain as to what I want and need out of these sorts of things.

There were no groundbreaking market news, no secret insights or great new ways to make that manuscript shine that extra little bit brighter. That's okay, I wasn't expecting that.
I did jot down quite a few ideas during talks (sometimes they were even related to what the speaker was saying at the time), but overwhelmingly, this conference was validation for me.

Validation that being a writer is a powerful thing. That you need to be strong not to be swept away by the currents around you.
Also, something I've been suspecting all along, something my dad has taught me from the earliest age: Modesty, especially the self-effacing kind, is for chumps.
If you don't think you're great, don't expect anyone else to think so either.

Also, just because a hotel is in a posh area (well, relatively speaking), doesn't make the food or the air conditioning bearable.

Resolutions for the new writing year? Stay in touch with friends I only see at the conference and make more of an effort to get some face-time in with people I *can* see more often. Being together in a group is beautifully empowering. As long as it doesn't become an excuse for not writing...

Conference roundup - Sunday

The final day of the conference is always a little bitter-sweet.
This year, I still kept bumping into people I hadn't said hello to all week-end yet (yay, I know people!).
on the other hand, people settled into a rhythm, and the talk got more relaxed. People were inspired, we shared pitch stories, and last-minute purchases were made.

In the morning, we had author chats, which I'm a little lukewarm about, mainly because I never know what to ask, and the authors always look slightly uncomfortable and put on the spot. I don't know. Maybe I need to go to talks about genres I don't read or write...

After that, I went to the freelance writing workshop, which was very useful, especially the part where they talked money. it's always refreshing to hear people talk figures, even in a ballpark sense. Seriously, what's people's obsession with never talking income? It just means we all get ripped off. But whatever.
Armed with new knowledge, I'm looking forward to working harder on this freelance thing. Even though it's still very intimidating. Meh. it's not like I'm not used to pitching and getting rejected. ^_-

After another uninspired lunch (which looked like a regurgitated version of yesterday's, with the colours being even less appealing), I went to Bronwyn Jameson's workshop on tension, which unfortunately suffered from annoying technical difficulties, making the whole workshop a bit of a write-off for me.
But that's okay. i was feeling pretty tired by that stage anyway.
And then Anne Stuart gave her talk. I love her! She is sooo like me (yeah, I know, conceited much?). She even loves Gackt! Yay, J-rock!
There were a lot of "Me too!" moments throughout her speech. it was great.

And then everything came to an end, we said our good-byes, and then a couple of us met up for a last dinner along the beautiful harbour.
The food was great, the company was splendid, and it was jut an all-round good experience rounded off by very bleh hot chocolate at the hotel.
And then three sweeties walked me home, worried that something bad might happen to me.
While the gesture was very sweet, I felt very much like walking *them* home once we made it to my hotel. Clearly these girls were more worried about the surroundings than I was. Still fun though.

And with that ends another conference. my third.
Next year, the experience will be very, very different as I'll get to peek behind the scenes.

And now it's time to get back to some serious writing.

Conference roundup - Saturday

First day of the conference proper, Saturday saw an even bigger crowd of people milling around the breakfast pastries (which were very tasty).
For some reason, this year they posted everybody's workshop choices up on the wall with everyone's food requirements, too. Talk about being on display! Not sure what the point of that was.
Okay, I admit it. I'm one of the bad people that never follow their own schedule, and I very naughtily changed one of my workshop choices. Again.
But hey, even though I missed out on Anne Stuart (which apparently was in this tiny, over-crammed room), I got a lot of useful info out of the sessions I went to.
Allison Rushby had the unenviable job of following Jenny Crusie's four-act-structure workshop with her own three-act one. But hey, she had a movie!
Unfortunately, I had to leave half-way through as I was due to pitch to Sheila Hodgson of Mills and Boon London.
She's a really lovely lady, very warm and friendly. I have yet to meet a Harlequin/M&B employee who wasn't sweet, lovely and funny in person. They do some good hiring, it seems.
The pitch went reasonably well, but then again, I wasn't pitching for a line Sheila actually acquires, so I felt slightly bad for wasting her time. But hey, it's always good to chat to editors, even if I felt a bit rushed.
hey, every pitch is good practice. And I'm getting the project ready to go out by the end of the month. With "requested" on the envelope. ^_^

Lunch today was a major let-down. I guess it could never live up to Friday, but this was bad even by neutral standards. Come on. Two limp salads and stale sandwiches with indeterminable spreads? Yeah, not so much. Good thing their morning break and afternoon break pastries are so filling (and sugary, mmmh).

In the afternoon, I got to listen to the very lovely Anna Jacobs, who is such a sweet lady on the outside and has such steely, no-nonsense determination underneath. there is nothing more admirable to me than a genuinely nice person with a steely core. She talked about finding good ideas and turning them into great stories, and it was definitely inspirational.

We also had the awards dinner tonight. Can I just say that awards are infinitely more fun when you know the people who are up there getting those awards?
I think I knew at least one person for each of the contests, and I'm proud to say that I knew quite a few of the place-getters and winners well!
We cheered and celebrated so much, it was awesome.
I also got to chat to a fellow chick-lit writer (yay!), although she writes at the older end of the spectrum. I love talking to people about what they write, especially if I know the subgenre at all.
All in all, a successful (if expensive) night with lots of fun, varying degrees of quality in the food, and just a good finish to a rich, full day.

Conference roundup - Friday

Oh my God, I want to have Jenny Crusie's literary babies.
She's an incredible workshop presenter. not only is she as hilarious as her writing, she's also one smart lady.
She talked to us about the four-act structure of the novel, and the conflict grid. both of those were real eye-openers for me, and even though I didn't take any notes (no time for writing, listening in awe!), I felt like I got a lot out of the workshop.

Then there was lunch. it was the most incredibly over-indulgent all-you-can-eat buffet you could imagine. And while some people beat a hasty retreat at the sight of all the seafood piled on the first table, as far as I could tell, there was something for everybody.
But yes, it was heavy on the seafood side. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It was incredible.

Which was just as well, since the food at the cocktail party that night was variations of deep-fried pastry with meat filling. yes, I know it never claimed to be dinner. But hey, it's included in the price, I'm eating it. And as far as deep-fried pastry-meat things go, it wasn't too shabby.
Ah, the cocktail party itself. There were a *lot* of people in masks, which was great to see. There were also a lot of people who were carrying their masks or taking them off half-way through the night. Masks make for an easy costume, but not for easy communication.
And just like at the Melbourne cocktail party, I ended up sitting outside with just one or two people at a time. Which is how I prefer my crowds anyway.

All in all, an incredible day and a fun (and not too long) night. It certainly set a positive tone for the whole conference. Also, the book stall was amazing! Too bad I couldn't buy anything, there was a lot of good stuff there.

Conference roundup - Thursday

Thursday is quite possibly my favourite conference day. All the possibilities with none of the disappointment.
I got into Sydney after a decidedly pleasant flight (something that most of my fellow Melburnians were unable to duplicate, so lucky me!) to find my hotel with a minimum amount of struggle.
Ah, the hotel.
The hotel is absolutely lovely, in the heart of what appears to be the non-touristy end of Chinatown, wedged between a church and a sex shop. It's a gorgeous old building that reminds me of Berlin, and the corridors couldn't have more character (in the good way).
My room, however, is a cupboard.

For starters, it's tiny. And I mean, seriously tiny. my bathroom is bigger than the room itself, and the prison bunk that counts as my bed is right under a small window with a view of the backside of the church and some other apartments. Lovely.
But hey, it's clean, and reasonably quiet despite being pretty much right next to the staircase. And the bathroom is quite gorgeous in its black mosaic tiles and pretty huge shower.
And seriously, how much time am I spending here?
I even have a little bar fridge in my bedside table, which is just as well, since another thing there was no room for was a wardrobe. I have two hooks on the wall instead. Good thing I don't need to hang many of my clothes. I have not a single coat hanger. Fun.

I caught up with fellow Melburnian Sue when she got here (she's staying at the actual conference hotel), and we went out for coffee. Her flight was a lot more interesting as she was surrounded by varying types of creeps. Yikes!
We then followed some very interesting instructions in search of a supermarket, which we found right behind the building we'd just been sent through. Oookay.
I bought some Milka chocolate (yay, nostalgia!) and a Nudie smoothie, then we hung around for a bit before getting some rest before heading back out to the e-list dinner.

Then I had my first Jenny Crusie sighting! She looks so different than her pictures.
The foyer was chock-full of published authors about to be carted off by bus, making us unpublished e-listers feel mighty inadequate. but nuts to them, we had a fantastic time, even if the food ordering turned out to be a slight challenge.
My friend Rachel ordered the same food as me, which caused the waiter to point out that he'd already delivered a pumpkin pizza, so we couldn't possibly want another one.
Well, we did.

It was good catching up with a lot of different people, and I was actually quite pleasantly surprised how many people I knew (and even more that knew me. Hi!). Also, apparently people read this blog and noticed the lack of updates. Oops.

After dinner, a smaller but no less determined group set off in search of quieter venues as it was pretty impossible to talk to anyone but your direct neighbour at the long tables.
We found the Lindt/Sprungli cafe which does the best hot chocolate I've had in Sydney ever (and I tried quite a few of them). They also make lovely truffles. Mmmmh, truffles.

So lots of lovely people, and I already spent almost half of my week-end budget. but oh, it was worth it.

Tomorrow, the real fun begins.

Conference countdown

Only a few more days until the annual RWA conference, and I'm incredibly excited.
While the actual workshop program doesn't have me thrilled in my seat, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to catch up with friends and people I only see once a year (and don't even talk to all that more often either).
There are already plans for coffees, lunches, even dinner seating arrangements. We'll see how much of that actually happens.

I also have every intention to actually podcast from this conference. Then again, I said that last year, too, didn't I? We'll see, I suppose.
I still haven't made my mask or finished my awards dinner dress. I did buy feathers though. Lots and lots of feathers which are currently being chased by The Cat. Fun!

Spider pig, spider pig...

It was my friend Meg's birthday, so we went out for a night of fun and revelrie. Which included the Simpsons movie!
Although not everybody liked it, I thought it was fun. You know, the kind of fun where you don't have to use your brain.
They actually succeeded in turning a half-hour show into a full-length movie without being too draggy or boring. And ooh, was it ever pretty! Sooo much shiny movie-goodness.

If you haven't seen it, go see it. If you've seen it, how long did it take you to stop singing the Spider Pig song?