Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'

Starting up another series of posts, these ones aimed for certain Saturdays. Need some good instrumental music to create the mood or get you in the zone while writing? This month I recommend Doom 'Jade Spawn' from OCRemix's vast archives of remixed gaming music. The music is downloadable and free, which is the best part. There are some very talented remixers sharing their work. This particular piece has a suspenseful tremor the whole way through it. Good for channeling tension or creating build-up to a climax. Be sure to check out ocremix.org for more great music and stay tuned for future recommendations from me. Enjoy!

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":

Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling

Mid-Year Resolutions

Everyone makes up resolutions in January. Here we are halfway through the year and it's time for me to refocus. Feel like joining me? Great! Share a link with your mid-year resolution post.

1 - For every query rejection I get, I'm going to go out and do something good for someone else, turning a negative into a positive. It's easy to look at a rejection and fall into self-doubt and depression. The cure for that self-centered way of thinking is to help someone else instead.

2 - I'm going to get the 2nd draft done on my next book before the end of December. That sounds like a long time, but I have limited time to write each day and a lot of research to do.

3 - Save up enough money to go to a conference. My artist pal, Nicolle Raty, wants me to go with her to the SCBWI conference in New York City (yikes!) next February. Along with trying to scoop together the funds, I'll need to amass some serious courage. I don't like cities and interacting with people in large crowds intimidates me.

4 - Read around 30 more books before the end of the year. On Goodreads I challenged myself to read 40 books. I'm behind. I admit, I haven't felt excited to read in awhile. Nothing's catching my interest and holding it. I think my YA trend has withered up and I don't like romance other than the sweet variety. So ... maybe I'll go back to classics for awhile. Unless any of you have some stellar recommendations that don't include what I mentioned above.

I'd better not push it with more resolutions. It's never a good idea to overdo. Make each day worthwhile by pushing yourself to learn something new, go beyond what others' expect in a good way, and accept that your best each day may not be perfect or as much as you wanted.

Have a great and productive week, everyone!

Blog Spotlights #27: Anne R. Allen's Blog ...with Ruth Harris

Today I'd like to steer you towards another great blog (for those of you who aren't devoted followers already.) Head over to Anne R. Allen's Blog ...with Ruth Harris today and comb through the archives. I can't even begin to say how much helpful information and great insight I've found through reading this blog. Ms. Allen is a writer of comic mysteries and Ms. Harris is used to be an editor for one of the major publishing houses. Their blog has won numerous online awards. Ms. Allen is great to follow on Twitter, as well.

Some recent posts:
Is Your Author Website Working Against You? Top 10 Things to Avoid on your Author Site or Blog
7 Ways Authors Waste Time "Building Platform" on Social Media
10 Things Your Opening Chapter Should Do: A Check-List for Self-Editing
Writer Power: The Rebirth of the American Author
How NOT to Self-Publish: 12 Things for New Indies to Avoid
Top 10 Questions from New Writers: Answers to Your Most Burning Questions

And there's more. A lot more. Go check it out.

MASH - The Publishing Version Pt. 2

Welcome back! Ready for the second half of the fortune-telling game? If not, go back one post and prepare your fortune sheet.

For those who have a prepared sheet, here's what happens next:

That number you first selected and wrote in the top right hand corner? That is your fortune number. Say I picked number 4. Starting with the first box, I would count four slots and cross out the fourth one. Count down four, cross out the next fourth. Keep going over and over through the document. When all but one slot in the boxes have been crossed out, circle the surviving slot and skip that section as you count through the rest of the boxes. When all of your boxes have one slot circled, stop.

Example:
S  I  M  A  E

Now for the fun part: interpretation!

Box #1, the letters stand for:
Self-Publish
Indie/Small Press
Major Publisher
Anthology
Ezines/Magazines

Box #2 determines who your agent/agency will be. If the blank slot was circled, it means no agent.

Box #3 tells you how many query letters you'll end up sending.

Box #4 tells you how many months you'll spend querying.

Box #5, the letters stand for:
Single offer
Multiple offers
No offers

Box #6 tells you which publisher you'll end up with. If the blank slot was circled, it means no publisher.

Box #7 indicates what your advance will be. Just add a dollar sign.

Box #8 tells you which social media site will have your strongest word-of-mouth campaign regarding your book.

Box #9 indicates which city you'll start with on your first book tour.

Box #10 tells you where you'll sell foreign rights to first.

Box #11 tells you which object from your story will be the focal point of your cover.

Box #12 tells you what the main color of your book cover will be.

Box #13 is your book's average rating from readers.

Box #14 is the infamous ill-fortune rub. If you circled ...
#1 - You end up losing your editor for one who isn't as enthusiastic about your project.
#2 - You lose your agent and have to start the query search all over.
#3 - The movie made from your book tanks.
#4 - No one takes on your manuscript. Back to square one with a new manuscript. All other numbers and predictions are voided.
#5 - One of your fans starts stalking you.
#6 - Your publicity campaign is scrubbed.
#7 - You get a lot of bad reviews.
#8 - Your second book dive-bombs the success of your first one.
#9 - A bad cover.
#10 - You signed a bad contract that gives you few rights or say in the publishing process.

So - what did you come up with? Share your results in the comments section.

MASH - The Publishing Version Pt. 1

Hey queriers! I'll be starting up the Agency Prospects series again in September. Summer is a notorious slow down time for querying because agents are taking vacations and doing rounds at conferences.

So instead, for fun and to keep up the querying ambiance, I give you MASH - the Publishing Version. I don't know if girls today still play this game. Probably not, since it requires two archaic tools: paper and a pencil or pen. MASH (mansion, apartment, shack, house) is a fortune-telling game where you create lists to determine where you'll live, who you'll marry, your career, how many children you'll have, etc. I came up with a new version. Want to play?

1) Get a piece of paper or open up a new word processing document. Pick a number between 2 and 20. Write this number in the upper right hand corner of your paper.

2) Now you'll begin to make the fortune-telling 'boxes'. Your first section should have these letters:
S  I  M  A  E

3) Your next box should be numbered from 1-6. Write 5 agent or agency names down, leaving one slot blank. (The blank slot can be anywhere in the list.)

4) For the third box, list five numbers between 0-300

5) The fourth box should have five numbers between 1-36

6) The fifth box should have the letters:
S  M  N

7) The sixth box should be numbered from 1-6. Write the names of 5 publishers leaving one slot blank. (The blank slot can be anywhere in the list.)

8) The seventh box should have these numbers:
0
5,000
10,000
50,000
100,000

9) In the eighth box, list four social media sites.

10) In the ninth box, list five major cities.

11) In the tenth box, list five countries (other than your own.)

12) In the eleventh box, list 5 objects having to do with your story.

13) In the twelfth box, list 4 colors.

14) The thirteenth box should list the numbers 1-5.

15) The fourteenth box should be numbered from 1-10.

Come back this afternoon for Pt. 2 where we'll finish the game.