Friday, February 26, 2010

*SLAM* *Creak*

Hear that? One door shutting my out solidly leaving a loud echo in a room that until held thousands, shutting out 8000 people (me and my new BFFs), but a different door to a much cozier room opened nicely?

Let Me E'spain

Not on the Amazon List. This cut was based on the pitch and I've had some AGENT nibbles on this pitch, but never mind. The reality of it is, while I'm deeply offended (erm, sort of) I know this is probably for the best. I don't have four more months to be as distracted as I have been (or so I will tell myself so I don't feel so badly about it).

I want to offer huge congratulations to my few new friends who MADE the list (Megan, I saw you there). I haven't sat with the list going back and forth looking for all the names, because it's a little raw, still. But I wish them the best, and plan to read and comment on excerpts and eventually whole books for those people who I've talked to... So I suppose there is still some peeking through the keyhole, but I am solidly locked out.

What it means for CONFLUENCE: a kick in the butt to bug the agents who never responded on that last round of queries, and possibly when the next two writing projects are out of the way, a careful look at my pitch that apparently didn't cut in here and another query round.


TWO? Did you say TWO?

Yes.  Two.  [see, there's even a little door for my Pinata Fairy Godmother!]
Back to my Secret and the opening door: (sorry to be so mysterious yesterday, but I wasn't sure it would work out—today I've got a pretty good idea). I've got an opportunity to 'audition' for a cozy mystery gig. It's not a guarantee, but I've been doing some reading, and some plotting and even a little WRITING, and I know I am up for it. I am going to spend the weekend doing research on location, trying to hold back from getting too far into the plot until I have the place down pat... but then I should be able to crank out three chapters (the audition length) in about two weeks, get feedback, and... WAIT. That's right, back to waiting.

This writing business isn't for the impatient, is it? But while I wait, THEN I can finally get to finishing CONSPIRACY (which I am on chapter 17 for—so over halfway, finally)

And that is all I have for today. I am too emotionally spent this week for my normal three page ramble... big ups, big downs (also had a manuscript that had undergone several revisions rejected for something to do with STUDY DESIGN—which meant they could have told us the first round that it would never fly and saved me WEEKS of work on revisions—grrrrrrrr).
 

15 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Hope you enjoy your much cozier room!

I'm sorry about Amazon--but honestly, that's a really long time to be distracted over a contest. Even a GREAT contest. I think it could be a major time-suck, depending on how much time someone spends on the boards there, etc.

Waiting is definitely the hardest part!

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder

Cruella Collett said...

And here I thought I'd be able to run with my Stephen King story a little longer... Ah...

Best of luck, Tami :) You know I know you can do it!

Liz said...

sigh. that sucks (the Beer Wench will be frank).
I was watching the clock last night and thinking about you.
anyways--ONWARD! or, as the new Bumper sticker mantra I put over my computer says: Blah Blah Blah Good point but f@#k you (Amazon judges) anyway.
Keep up your good work.

Hart Johnson said...

Elizabeth, it's true, a LONG time to be distracted, and I've actually fallen in love with this cozy process! I love the puzzle stuff, and that is what this is, at least at this time.

Mari-you are welcome to run with the Stephen King angle, my friend. The more rumors going around about me, the better!

ET--yes... SUX ROX. or something that rhymes with ROX anyway. But my new project has more to do with hard work and merit I think, where much of Amazon (at least half, I'd bet) was luck of the draw on who was judging you. So we have to make our own luck, eh?

Sugar said...

well..as they say..
pull up your big girl panties and move on..
there will be more opportunities, more things to come, blah blah blah..

Sorry it didn't work out this time.

Megan Bostic said...

Thanks for the congrats. It's bittersweet. I know you'll succeed, and good luck with your mystery gig. And KEEP IN TOUCH. please.

Hart Johnson said...

Sugar-NOOOOOOOO! Don't make me wear pants!!!!!! But I can 'chin up' pretty well... over it already even... mostly...

Megan-I will definitely keep in touch--and you let us know when it's time that we can come read and comment! It is a great group of people, and there were a few names I ALSO noted absent, so I know I am in good company. I hope though, that the people I've met who've been so fabulous keep going to the end!

Not Hannah said...

Booo. But also, yay.

It's one of those days, my friend.

Helena Soister said...

Ack! After reading your blog, I checked and found I'm not on the list either. But ya know what? I'm so relieved only my pitch was rejected, not my novel, especially since I HATE writing pitches and kinda blew this one off (dumb!). And the same goes for you, Hart -- your pitch is not your book. An agent told me that the publishing business is very subjective: what one person hates another loves, and never take anything personally.
Anyway, onward and upward for us both. After my rant on your blog about being pro self-publishing, I can now practice what I preach and put out my stuff on my own dime, within a few months instead of waiting years, with my full control (good) but also full responsibility (scary).
And for you? Literary greatness lies in your path!

TreeX said...

Cozy mystery...? What picture should I form about that...? Pastel colours and furry animals?

Hart Johnson said...

teehee... Boo and Yay about sums it up, eh?

Helena-Sorry about that! I've been talking with a few others and think there may have been some 'popular themes' this year. When it's not so raw I plan to look at the threads and see if I can spot a theme. I'm a data geek, so if it's there, I'll spot it... may even blog on it--that would give me incentive to go through them, and would detatch me a little... to do it as a statistician... And yes, only the pitch!

Joris-I think we established that it's a mystery written while wearing a snuggie.

Andy Leigh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Andy Leigh said...

Hi Watery Tart. I deleted my last post because I wanted to edit it before anyone saw my terrible grammatical error.

I just want to say hi, I'm new to your blog, and I'm excited to follow. :)

Tina-Sue said...

A door might have closed but so very cool about the audition for the mystery-snuggie writing gig!

And...do you actually own a snuggie? :P

Hart Johnson said...

Andy--WELCOME! I love followers! (and no worries about grammar on the quick types... most days I notice some in the blog (usually typos, as my fingers have minds of their own *shifty*) and THERE I can edit!

Tina-Sue, thank you so much! I DON'T own a snuggie. I own something better--a CAT! Actually I confess when i am typing in my basement, a snuggie might be just what I need, but I settle for a blankie--around both cat and me...