Paths to Getting Published

Did you find me here umungst the dusty things that have for so long been hidden away in the attic?   You let such pressious few rays of light in to illumitate my world and light my path.   Throw back the shutters and pull up the blinds so that I may be seen once more in the light of day.   Give me the chance to exsist outside of the confinds of you mind.    JL Cooper

On the occasion when I am trying to get into my character’s head and I just can’t quite find their voice, their age, their mindset or their surroundings.   I turn to music in order to bring out their essence.   A song that sets the mood or just says it all about that moment in the book.   The character’s voice becomes strong, and I can put myself in their shoes. Sometimes it is one radio station, a certain band, artist or song that inspires the scene or showcases the character’s depth.   Other times it is a song I hear that breathes life into a new character or scene.   Music conveys so many layers of information.   The speed, tempo, energy, mood, time period, emotion and gender.   It is another wonderful way to submerge myself into my writing. I do enjoy writing in complete silence too.   It is my favorite way to write.   The complete lack of sound helps me to find those illusive words that hide in the recesses of my mind.   It see...

Writer’s Interesting Information - Summer 2012                                            Hi writers! Here are some tasty tidbits of information I want to share with you.   I hope you find these sites interesting and possibly useful.   Best of luck to us all! Midwest Writers Conference http://www.midwestwriters.org/schedule/   http://www.midwestwriters.org/workshop-details/   Where: Ball State Cost: $250-$350 3-4 day course Dates: Thursday Events – July 26, 2012 I really want to go to this, but I’m pretty sure it is out of my budget for this year.   I love that it is so close to where I live and has interesting and useful lectures. Predators & Editors http://pred-ed.com/   This site I am hoping to get some useful infor...

Where is my novel you have heard so much about?   The reason I began this blog in the first place.   Which was t o follow its path to one day, with any luck, get published. Why thank you for asking.   Right now it is in the final editing process with my completely wonderful, talented and constructively honest beta readers.   A big round applause for my readers!!!   On the other side of my novel’s life I am diligently working on submitting queries to potential literary agents.   Sounds simple does it not?   Believe me when I say, it is a lot of research, hopefulness and critiquing my query email each time I submit it.   Also I cannot begin to tell you how many literary agents there are in the world.    Out of the endless numbers of literary agents there is only a small percentage of agents who work with the genre my novel falls under; Up-Market - Middle School / Young Adult Fantasy Fiction .   Most do not accept unsolici...

In a house with a new baby there is precious little time when I can completely devote myself to concentrating on writing.   I work full time in corporate America.   I have a good, stable position doing work that I enjoy.   It is somewhat creative and free flowing, but for the most part, all of my activities each day are for the benefit of someone else.   My children, coworkers or employer.   Then during my lunch hour and in the evening after the kids have gone to bed, this is my writing time.   I savor it, sitting in the quiet, pulling out a hard copy to edit or typing away on the keyboard.   Creating, writing and editing my story, my heroine’s story.   It is often two of my more favorite and productive hours of the day. Complete freedom is what writing gives me.   The ability to go, think and be anyone or anything I choose.   To let the winds of creation fill my sails and race across a vast ocean of daydreams.   I love it ...

My oldest child is now officially a junior in high school.   Her young life is full of firsts.   This month she is taking her driver’s license test.   She has been studying hard and practicing several times a week.   I hope she passes it the first time, but how many of us can say that we did.   Also she is working more this summer.   With her earnings she is hoping to save up enough for a car and a good camera so that she can continue to follow her artistic dreams in photography and film.   Being sixteen is full of changes.   I am excited and nervous for her all at once.   Rather than wanting to hold her back I am cheering her on with a mixture of motherly advice and trust in her own blossoming wisdom.   I do take comfort in the fact that both she and her best friend are inherently very good young ladies.   It is nice not to have to worry about a long list of things neither of them would do.   Equally as nice is the knowledg...