Sigh. I had a parking lot fender bender earlier. What else can go wrong this weekend? Well, a lot, because I'm babysitting my difficult nephew any minute at my home and my husband is at Riot Fest.
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Purgatory's Pit of Doom
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Leigh, I'm not sure what to think about that -- it's very new and I'm not sure there are enough people reading for anyone to get the supporters they need. I certainly wouldn't let it make or break my decision. Have you tried WeBook's Page to Fame? I think that has more users at this point.
For reasons that escape me, my publisher solicited every imaginable major TV and radio station in the nation to get me on as a guest speaker to comment about this satallite fall (crash and burn). He wanted to tie my space trash book in with it--just how I'm not quite sure. My characters retrieve space junk in the beginning of the book--or actually only make reference to it, and that's the only thread that ties in with this satallite crash.
I'm pittishly glad this is over. I wouldn't have known what to say, and I'm grossly underqualified to sneeze on a major network station, let alone discuss a topic like this when it can/should/will be handled by a NASA rep or something.
I wanted to ask my publisher just what he was thinking with this venture...but I guess I already knew the answer. PLUG THAT BOOK, BABY. Well, his heart was in the right place, though--always has been to get me out there in the lime light.
Now it's back to the real world...
I'm pittishly glad this is over. I wouldn't have known what to say, and I'm grossly underqualified to sneeze on a major network station, let alone discuss a topic like this when it can/should/will be handled by a NASA rep or something.
I wanted to ask my publisher just what he was thinking with this venture...but I guess I already knew the answer. PLUG THAT BOOK, BABY. Well, his heart was in the right place, though--always has been to get me out there in the lime light.
Now it's back to the real world...
That's funny, Tri. Scary, if you'd ended up on any shows, but funny, too. And that's exactly what he was thinking--get that book noticed.
Kell, I'm babysitting tonight, too. Not a difficult kid, but I'm hardly the babysitting type. Hope yours is going okay.
Kell, I'm babysitting tonight, too. Not a difficult kid, but I'm hardly the babysitting type. Hope yours is going okay.
*sneaks away from conference* (((Pit))) and expecially {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Ink}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
*waves at Soul*
A satellite dodged, Tri!
Red, my babysitting was fine. My nephew is two and a half, and my little one is a year older but very gentle. He had a six-month period where he was always hitting her unprovoked, coming up behind her and whacking her over the head with a shovel or hammer. But none of that tonight.
A satellite dodged, Tri!
Red, my babysitting was fine. My nephew is two and a half, and my little one is a year older but very gentle. He had a six-month period where he was always hitting her unprovoked, coming up behind her and whacking her over the head with a shovel or hammer. But none of that tonight.
Whew! Glad to hear things went more smoothly. My sat-upon-baby is six, autistic, and finally asleep. He's a sweet kid, but I have learned the hard way not to let him anywhere near my cell phone. He can disassemble anything, but has not yet figured out how to reassemble anything.
Also: I hate this suck-ass query.
Also: I hate this suck-ass query.
Weird. I just spent 6 hrs. babysitting too. A 3 yr old, 2 9s (one being my son), an 11 yr old and a 16 yr old boy who sat playing video games the entire time. I couldn't help but think if that 16 yr old had been a GIRL, she would have been watching the kids. Talk about a double standard. Geez, I was babysitting when I was 12. Nowadays, I can't seem to find one teenager who wants to babysit, and I can't figure out why. Are their parents giving them money? Does no one want to work anymore? I've been telling my son since birth that he's going to buy his first car himself no matter what.
Dunno, Tri - that sounds like a good kind of problem. But i can see the stress level, so good luck with that weird situation.
Speaking of stress, condolences to those babysitting or generally in the presence of kids. Oops, did i say that out loud? Sorry, im too stress overloaded and generally pissed at the world to hold back anything. At all.
Speaking of stress, condolences to those babysitting or generally in the presence of kids. Oops, did i say that out loud? Sorry, im too stress overloaded and generally pissed at the world to hold back anything. At all.
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{{{Mario}}} Sorry you're stress overloaded.
{{{Red}}} Queries are a b*tch.
{{{Kellion}}} Ugh. Fender benders. Everyone okay?
Tri, at least your publisher is trying to get you out there. That says a lot.
My six-day week is over, including two birthday parties. Tomorrow, I have tons of errands to run and need to go to the gym, but I'm tempted to blow everything off, stay in my jammies all day, and write. We shall see....
{{{Red}}} Queries are a b*tch.
{{{Kellion}}} Ugh. Fender benders. Everyone okay?
Tri, at least your publisher is trying to get you out there. That says a lot.
My six-day week is over, including two birthday parties. Tomorrow, I have tons of errands to run and need to go to the gym, but I'm tempted to blow everything off, stay in my jammies all day, and write. We shall see....
(((Mario)))
Yay for being done, Cricket! It's like you are a Victorian servant with every other Sunday afternoon off. Poor thing.
Weird about the sitting, Cat. It is hard sometimes for teens to watch their own siblings, and maybe that mom knows her son too well to leave small children in his care.
My 16-year-old nephew babysits, but pretty much only for boys since he can't relate to babies or small girls. When I need a sitter (rarely) I use his little sisters, and have since they were 11 and 13. They come together and that way, it's like a 24-year-old. At least it's easy for them to watch two little girls who are generally well behaved and utterly adore them.
Yay for being done, Cricket! It's like you are a Victorian servant with every other Sunday afternoon off. Poor thing.
Weird about the sitting, Cat. It is hard sometimes for teens to watch their own siblings, and maybe that mom knows her son too well to leave small children in his care.
My 16-year-old nephew babysits, but pretty much only for boys since he can't relate to babies or small girls. When I need a sitter (rarely) I use his little sisters, and have since they were 11 and 13. They come together and that way, it's like a 24-year-old. At least it's easy for them to watch two little girls who are generally well behaved and utterly adore them.
(((Kellion))) Hope the fender bender amounts to nothing and no one was hurt.
(((Mario))) Boo on stress overload.
Cricket, yay for sleep! Hope it helps.
I slept way too much last night and as a result am sleepy. Go figure. Or it could be the weird heat wave.
(((Mario))) Boo on stress overload.
Cricket, yay for sleep! Hope it helps.
I slept way too much last night and as a result am sleepy. Go figure. Or it could be the weird heat wave.
No one was hurt during the fender bender and I don't think anything will come of it, but you never know. My car was undamaged, so I don't need to file. I think the other car was dented, but was hard to tell because it was already quite dented up with old rusty dents. And she didn't have insurance "with her" so if she wants to file, she'll be in trouble.
ETA: Grrr, why does QueryTracker taunt me with agent updates? It feels like the agents are reaching out to preemptively reject me.
ETA: Grrr, why does QueryTracker taunt me with agent updates? It feels like the agents are reaching out to preemptively reject me.
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((Red)) at the conference I heard an author speak (well known locally) and I talked to her when she finished. In unison we said 'queries are the bane of my existence' haha. Good to know it's a universal writer hate.
((Tri, Mario, Cricket and Kellion)) You guys were busy while I was away.
I sympathize Cricket (though I don't think I'm as overworked as you) Just got in today so that means I worked Monday to Sunday with a whole lot of schmoozing at the conference. Was good but man schmoozing wipes me out. I fell asleep on the couch and didn't wake up until 3 hours later. The highlight of the trip? A giant fiddle that sporadically played music
Aah double standards. When I got with Mr. Soul he had no idea how to mop the floor or use a toilet brush but you can bet Mr Soul's parents taught his sister those skills. That said no one ever asked me to babysit as a teen...of course it was well known in the family that kids and babies were NOT my thing
Glad to hear everything's okay with your car and your peeps, Kellion. That driver sounds like a real piece of work.
Wow Soul, any other wisdom to impart from the conference? Were agents there? Did you do any workshops? I can only imagine what it's like to walk into an entire banquet hall of strangers and have to schmooze. I'm getting a panic attack just thinking about it.
Yes, tell more, O wise Soul!
I prepped a bunch of revenge queries -- most for a picture book, and one for a kids' magazine submission. It's like resetting the game with a whole fresh list of publishers. It feels entirely futile, but my previous requests show that someone is reading at least some of the houses, and they seem to do it pretty quick. My query responses (positive and negative) so far have come within a day to a month, or not at all.
At least PB snail mail queries are cheap -- regular envelope, one stamp.
I prepped a bunch of revenge queries -- most for a picture book, and one for a kids' magazine submission. It's like resetting the game with a whole fresh list of publishers. It feels entirely futile, but my previous requests show that someone is reading at least some of the houses, and they seem to do it pretty quick. My query responses (positive and negative) so far have come within a day to a month, or not at all.
At least PB snail mail queries are cheap -- regular envelope, one stamp.
My mom and I talked about that recently, that she raised me and my brother differently. With him, She was really big on the coddling thing. For me, well, I was going to be a modern woman (read more or less neglected until I ran away from home, but I was 21... it's long-ass story, believe me). She tried to instill in me a sense of fairness and equality which I now realize is where a lot of the problems come from. Girls are being taught that the burden should be shared and that no one is coming to save you, so do it yourself etc, while our boys are still taught that their mommies and then girlfriends/fiancees/wives will take care of them. Boys are also taught that if they stand firm on what they want, the females in their lives just have to deal. My boyfriend won't even acknowledge I've spoken to him if he doesn't want to answer (believe that will change). And my mom still buys my brother food and clothes when he asks for it, but I still have to find a way to be self-sufficient. The only time she's really helped is when we got screwed over and she at least gave us some money so we wouldn't be homeless.
/rant
Sorry, that inequality between the general way boys and girls are raised really drives me nuts (I know I hid it so well up there....)
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Oh no! It was a work conference, not a writing conference. But since I'm a librarian we get to meet writers, too (what with them writing books n all ) So nothing to impart. Was great to talk to another writer face to face. I told her I've been trying to get published but no dice and we chatted about how it's so much harder to get out there no a days than it was even 5 years ago. On a good note, she asked me to email her and send her a chapter of one of my books, she said she'd pass it along to her publisher if she thought it was something they'd be after Nothing will come of it - her pub isn't looking for what I write, but what a kind offer!!!!!
) So nothing to impart. Was great to talk to another writer face to face. I told her I've been trying to get published but no dice and we chatted about how it's so much harder to get out there no a days than it was even 5 years ago. On a good note, she asked me to email her and send her a chapter of one of my books, she said she'd pass it along to her publisher if she thought it was something they'd be after Nothing will come of it - her pub isn't looking for what I write, but what a kind offer!!!!!
Kellion, glad no one was hurt. And good luck with the newest round of subs.
Soul, eek! Schoomzing is the stuff of nightmares for me. My little introverted heart weeps at the thought. But what a nice offer even if nothing does come of it!
Leigh, that's so true in my experience. My younger brother was much more coddled when we were growing up, and because of that he has a much harder time of it now. I'm the responsible one, the one my mom doesn't have to worry about taking care of herself. Really do think that's partly because of how we were raised.
Soul, eek! Schoomzing is the stuff of nightmares for me. My little introverted heart weeps at the thought. But what a nice offer even if nothing does come of it!
Leigh, that's so true in my experience. My younger brother was much more coddled when we were growing up, and because of that he has a much harder time of it now. I'm the responsible one, the one my mom doesn't have to worry about taking care of herself. Really do think that's partly because of how we were raised.
Hi, pit. Babysitting can be dangerous. I'm glad you guys survived.
Tri, that does sound like a nightmare (for me anyway) but that's great that your publisher was thinking of your book and how to pimp it.
I was just trying to type "I'm still alive," and wrote "It's alive." I need coffee to get that classic horror movie voice out of my head.
Tri, that does sound like a nightmare (for me anyway) but that's great that your publisher was thinking of your book and how to pimp it.
I was just trying to type "I'm still alive," and wrote "It's alive." I need coffee to get that classic horror movie voice out of my head.
I'm in a family of all girls, and my younger sister was coddled too, and she's very lazy and messy.
I applied for a couple jobs today, because I need MORE people to not call me.
I applied for a couple jobs today, because I need MORE people to not call me.
I'm so jealous of these younger siblings who seem to have led lives of comfort and privilege. I was the youngest and was basically everyone's whipping girl. Plus, all the love and generosity seemed to have run out by the time I arrived.
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