Friday Free For All

Every once in awhile I want to stop talking on this blog, and just listen. Today’s one of those days. You get to say what YOU want.

You could tell us all a joke.

You could ask a question (I don’t know much about anything but publishing, so good luck there.)

You could make an observation or rant about something writing or publishing related.

If all else fails, tell us about your vacation this summer.

Have a great weekend!

Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Rachelle Gardner

Literary agent at Gardner Literary. Coffee & wine enthusiast (not at the same time) and dark chocolate connoisseur. I've worked in publishing since 1995 and I love talking about books!

105 Comments

  1. oglądaj najnowsze filmy on November 6, 2012 at 7:16 PM

    Great content material and great layout. Your blog post deserves all of the positive feedback it has been getting.



  2. FIGUEROAPetra35 on April 2, 2012 at 5:53 AM

    One remembers that modern life is very expensive, nevertheless some people require cash for various things and not every person gets enough money. Therefore to get good business loans or just auto loan will be good way out.



  3. Toplinks on December 11, 2011 at 2:08 AM

    Gabster…

    Great blog post, saw on…



  4. scriberess on August 3, 2010 at 7:40 AM

    >Actually, I have six blogs focusing on a variety of subjects. Why six, the reader is probably wondering. Simple. As a writer, I'm a people-watcher and human nature observer (not a voyeur I might underline) and enjoy sharing my human observations with people who might accidently drop by and discover my blogs. Since they cover a diverse collection of subjects, it seemed logical at least in my mind, to categorize them. In semi-writer-retirement, I've branched out into painting and am getting quite proficient but writing is like a mistress that demands attention, always nagging away at my psyche. Could be worse.



  5. Brother Cysa Dime on July 26, 2010 at 5:18 PM

    >In the performing area, Fawlty Towers almost did not get on BBC because it was thought to be a flop. The Monty Python's Flying Circus cast unanimously thought that there was no U.S. market for the program.



  6. Jenn Kelly on July 26, 2010 at 2:52 PM

    >Do you ever tell your husband not to tell you about the fire he had last night because you don't want to imagine the ceiling caving in and him feeling around on the floor for bodies?

    I tell mine to just say, "I had a fire, it was tiny, everyone is fine." And then I stop imagining.



  7. Ida M. Olson on July 26, 2010 at 10:50 AM

    >Do you have any idea how hard it is to write while KISS is performing an open-air concert with pyrotechnics less than a mile away?

    I do now. The dog was not happy either…



  8. Colleen on July 25, 2010 at 11:56 PM

    >I just wrote a blog about flippin' query letters. If you would like to take a look/listen, I'd love to have you! Here's how my Writing steps are descending..

    http://ranunculusadventure.blogspot.com/2010/07/book-progress.html



  9. Jessica Kirkland on July 25, 2010 at 11:16 PM

    >I am working on my first book proposal. My brother got married yesterday. I am flying to my first writer's conference on Thursday. My four year old triplets are already begging me to "not go." I want an agent to come alongside and assist me. Too bad I can't just pick one at the conference and bring them back to Texas with me. If only it worked that way. 🙂



  10. Katy Kauffman on July 25, 2010 at 5:08 PM

    >Learned Cinderella's story backwards. It's now Rindercella…she meets a prandsome hince and they lall in fove…got it from an author I met…Go BRMCWC! have a good week everyone.



  11. Susan Panzica - EternityCafe on July 24, 2010 at 10:55 PM

    >Tonight, I am hosting a youth mission trip who just arrived back in the US from Haiti. They said it's hotter in NJ than in Haiti in July!

    It is such a blessing to hear the amazing things that God is doing through these youth and others like them.



  12. curbaniu on July 24, 2010 at 1:15 PM

    >In our pursuit of "life", let's not forget to really live it. Money, promotion, prestige are fleeting…family, friends, and God are not. When we live our life pursuing the wrong thing we eventually find ourselves feeling like we've wasted it. Today let's look for the real things in life, and then take moments to live it…hApPy SaTurDaY!!! ♥



  13. Kat Harris on July 24, 2010 at 8:55 AM

    >@Timothy Fish

    ROFL! Thanks for the laugh. 🙂



  14. Beth Overmyer on July 24, 2010 at 7:44 AM

    >@Lynn If I was more awake, I would be laughing my butt off at that title.

    Butt still intact…

    I heard of one author–their name escapes me at the moment–who has around thirty WiPs in various stages.

    I have… *calculates* around eight going right now.

    *yawn* I really need some shut-eye.



  15. Lynn on July 24, 2010 at 1:16 AM

    >I love this open-ended suggestion. When you get a minute, visit Writer Advice, http://www.writeradvice.com. How can we help you with your writing?

    Lynn
    http://www.writeradvice.com
    Author of You Want Me to Do WHAT? Journaling for Caregivers



  16. Beth K. Vogt on July 23, 2010 at 11:32 PM

    >Friday: Went nothing like I planned.
    Some days are just like that.
    I'm going to go looking for Angus' comment, since Carole said it was the funniest comment ever.



  17. Amanda G on July 23, 2010 at 11:05 PM

    >So entertaining, all this randomness! Let's see, what can I contribute to the fun?

    Go see Toy Story 3. Everybody. It is a perfectly structured story. Every time you think the stakes can't get any higher for the characters, that the choices are as difficult as they can possibly be–nope, stakes rise and new consequences are added to the choices. Pixar. Is. Brilliant.

    I don't read much in the CBA world, but over the last couple months, I have stumbled on a few truly worthwhile CBA titles, and this makes me want to go find more of them. One is WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS by Christa Allan, which I discovered right here on this awesome blog written by her agent!

    I am brand new to querying. This week, I discovered the blog of a particular agent who has apparently rejected more than a couple now famous authors. Also, he apparently gives feedback when he rejects a full. Naturally, I queried him. My fervent hope is that he will be persuaded to request the full, and then when he rejects me, I will get helpful feedback on why. Is this skewed logic? 😉



  18. Julie a.k.a. @Writers_Cafe on July 23, 2010 at 10:46 PM

    >To those who are looking for something to do that is writing-related, fun and challenging – and might just win you a prize, check out my blog.
    I'm running an Alphabet Stories contest. It's a 26-line story using successive letters of the alphabet. All the details can be found at: http://www.aplaceforwriters.wordpress.com
    I've gotten several entries already that are quite good.
    ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE???



  19. Carole on July 23, 2010 at 10:11 PM

    >Angus – that was the funniest comment ever. You should get a bonus five points from Rachel. Or a book deal if you are a writer. Either one.



  20. Chambray Blue on July 23, 2010 at 9:42 PM

    >Me: Rissie, where did you get those cute feet?
    Three Year old granddaughter "Rissie": From Jesus.
    Me: And what about those cute feet?
    Rissie: From Jesus too. Grammy, where is Jesus? I want to see Him.
    Me: (pointing to my chest): He lives here in your heart.
    Rissie: (touching her chest): Jesus lives here?
    Me: Yep.
    LATER>
    Me: Rissie, tell Poppop where Jesus lives.
    Rissie: He lives right underneath my chin. LOL



  21. Heather Marsten on July 23, 2010 at 9:39 PM

    >Just wanted to say thanks for your blog, it is inspiring and helpful. I am finding it hard to believe that soon I will be an empty nester – It seems like yesterday I had my nose pinned to the door of the library where 2 year old story hour was going on – now I have three in college. I am hoping that before summer is over I have my rough draft edited. Praying that God abundantly blesses you this summer!!!!



  22. kellyeparish on July 23, 2010 at 9:13 PM

    >I've been pondering form rejections lately. Though I've also been doing a lot of waiting. I'd almost rather get rejected.

    http://kellyeparish.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/what-form-rejection-means-to-me-suck-it-up-buttercup/#comments



  23. MamaBear on July 23, 2010 at 7:29 PM

    >No vacation for us this summer – we live/work in a campground so we have to wait for the off season to get away. By then I'm so busy with work we can't get away. (I design blog books and everyone wants their books to arrive before Christmas)

    My question for you is this:

    I have a gift book idea that would also fit as a scrapbook 'kit' or instant scrapbook. I've not had any success finding agents who represent that type of work. Should I be looking somewhere else other than regular publisher/agent lists and if so where?

    Thanks and have a blessed weekend!

    Carrie



  24. Anonymous on July 23, 2010 at 6:05 PM

    >Q: I wonder if editors are more receptive to unagented submmissions now? I see a lot more editors who work for top publishers attending writer's conferences these days…Do they want to bypass agents to save time and money? Any thoughts?



  25. error7zero on July 23, 2010 at 4:55 PM

    >More than one house = houses.
    Likewise, more than one spouse, blouse, souse.

    But more than one mouse?



  26. Kristin on July 23, 2010 at 4:22 PM

    >Two things.

    1. This is the first time I've ever commented on a blog.

    2. The free lightsaber app for the I-touch is beyond awesome.



  27. Lynnda - Passionate for the Glory of God on July 23, 2010 at 4:08 PM

    >Hi, Rachelle and readers;

    Can an unknown, emerging writer give away 3,000 copies of her devotional book? That's the question I'm asking and a leap of faith I've taken. If you would like to get a free copy of Changing Me, Change the World, Prayers from the Psalms, Book 1, send me an email at lynndaell[at]live[dot]com with "Changing Me" in the subject line and your mailing address in the body.

    Be blessed,

    Lynnda



  28. Ashley on July 23, 2010 at 4:04 PM

    >Two of my friends and I are beginning to query on August 1st. We're first time novelists, and we are complete stoked about the experience. We're nervous too, though. Especially me. I've been prolonging this for a very long time, because I am frightened stiff about the industry. It'll be an adventure, at least that much I know!

    Breathe out, breathe in, and the worst agents can do is say no, right? How hard can that really hurt? (Being novice on purpose is bliss on the Expert Bone-Breaker skii slope.)



  29. Lena S. on July 23, 2010 at 3:57 PM

    >I'm looking forward to a weekend that involves birthday gift shopping, picking up my plants from the plant sitter's (aka mom's house), and waiting for my short story's plot to find me. Yep, a plot would be something nice to have. Anyway, time to make breakfast for dinner. Yum!



  30. Anonymous on July 23, 2010 at 2:59 PM

    >As a general rule, I don't read comments that exceed the length of the original blog post. Well, unless the blog post is a question.

    It's good have exceptions.



  31. Misa on July 23, 2010 at 2:39 PM

    >I want to vent my frustration at the British government and the lack of support for writers in this country.

    I'm following several writers through Blogger and/or Twitter, going to wonderful conventions across the US. And I'm jealous.

    I want to meet fellow writers, I want to listen to published authors talk about writing, to agents about the agenting process, and to publishers about that side.

    But I'm denied the opportunity and right now I'm really quite annoyed about it.



  32. Kay Day on July 23, 2010 at 2:34 PM

    >I think I've finally found my niche, even though it's a niche I wasn't particularly interested in. I'm writing a Middle Reader.
    And guess what? I'm having fun writing for the first time ever!



  33. Sheila Cull on July 23, 2010 at 2:21 PM

    >Hey anonymous, I have a type of double vision (seriously, long story) called intermitent diplopia and I used to get vertigo all the time, horrible, I know. Try mezcaline (prescription)and breathing/meditation techniques to control it. I hope this helps you too.

    My summer vacation was attending the Chicago's Printer Row Book Fair. It rained as I limped around in blistered feet but I'm still glad I went to meet other writers. Yeah!



  34. Anonymous on July 23, 2010 at 2:12 PM

    >One word … vertigo.
    It has been three miserable weeks of the world spinning.
    Hoping it stops soon.



  35. Keli Gwyn on July 23, 2010 at 1:44 PM

    >I'm excited about the Romance Writers of America® conference in Orlando next week. I'll have the opportunity to meet many of my cyber pals in person and get my first taste of Florida.



  36. Anonymous on July 23, 2010 at 1:33 PM

    >Just on the subject of chocolate:

    I read in a newsarticle a couple of weeks ago that researchers have found pregnant women who ate chocolate three times a week have significantly lower incidence of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. The study will be published in a medical journal soon. I'm pretty pumped this came out while i'm pregnant. So for medicinal purposes only, of course, i've been consuming dark chocolate several times a week!

    Of course there are other well-known health benefits to eating chocolate but I love this newest one!

    Gotta go pull that chocolate cake out of the oven…

    (i'm sure all the butter, sugar, and other goodness has some undiscovered medicinal value too…)



  37. Anonymous on July 23, 2010 at 1:32 PM

    >Just on the subject of chocolate:

    I read in a newsarticle a couple of weeks ago that researchers have found pregnant women who ate chocolate three times a week have significantly lower incidence of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. The study will be published in a medical journal soon. I'm pretty pumped this came out while i'm pregnant. So for medicinal purposes only, of course, i've been consuming dark chocolate several times a week!

    Of course there are other well-known health benefits to eating chocolate but I love this newest one!

    Gotta go pull that chocolate cake out of the oven…

    (i'm sure all the butter, sugar, and other goodness has some undiscovered medicinal value too…)



  38. Shmologna on July 23, 2010 at 1:31 PM

    >My bathrooms are junky.

    ~Britt Mitchell



  39. Timothy Fish on July 23, 2010 at 12:58 PM

    >I finished reading Doc Mabry's latest novel this morning.



  40. patti on July 23, 2010 at 12:23 PM

    >i just called husband and invited him to happy hour to toast selling a three-part article on running. happily, he accepted 😉

    two validations in one day!

    now, bring on the umbrelly drinks!



  41. T. Anne on July 23, 2010 at 12:08 PM

    >What a blast reading all the comments! So next week your going to share your hair care secrets right??? I'm wearing a hat and a ponytail because my hair refuses to cooperate today.

    Also, that picture might have easily been taken at my house. It sums up life with four kids plus friends quit well!

    Random things: I named my female MC in my current WIP 'Lee' after Lee Dewyze. (sp?) I'm doing 3 POV's for the very first time and two of them are male. I have about two weeks until I wrap up my first draft.

    I have one novel being critiqued by my favorite editor right now. (Hi Tiff!) I'm nervous to get feedback.

    I finished a proposal for another of my novels a few weeks ago and am considering turning it into paper planes because it has no where to go.

    I may or may not go to Target today.

    Foe SURE I'm going to 'In and Out' for lunch. I take my burger protein style.

    I run at night because the air is sweeter.

    I'm praying for Krista Phillips Baby today because she is having surgery. (She comments on your blog all the time.)

    Wow Rachelle thanks! That was cathartic in so many ways. Have a great weekend!



  42. David A. Todd on July 23, 2010 at 12:04 PM

    >Vacation. Just got back from a 3,535.8 mile road trip where I attended my 40 year high school reunion, the first one I've been able to attend. Next week we head in the other direction for my wife's h.s. reunion, only about 2,000 miles for that trip.



  43. Jolene Perry on July 23, 2010 at 12:02 PM

    >There is no worse fear than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
    -Demetri Martin



  44. Florence on July 23, 2010 at 11:56 AM

    >While my blog is mostly the place I love to rant, to display my rapier wit, and dazzle readers with my satirical humor, it is also the place I come to remember my family.

    I love that so many of your writers are dedicated to preserving the tradition of love, caring, unity and family.

    Thanks for the opportunity to share mine.

    This post is entitled … Memory Day … and is a tribute to my mother. I edited a bit to make this shorter.

    Read the complete post or other posts at:
    http://ramblingsfromtheleft.wordpress.com/

    Memorial Day ….. is also my mother’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom … Ninety-nine today!

    Never knowing what to get a gal who’s been pushing up daisies for almost two decades, I give her the gift of her own immortality …

    Long after I have forgotten, her stories will continue to be told.

    The word “memorial” brought me to the word “memoir.”

    A memoir might be the reliving of a long and distinguished life, the etchings of our elders, the gatekeepers holding the key or those who set the standards and leave the map for us to follow.

    It is also the telling of a single truth, standing alone, unguarded.
    I have moments when I wish we had kept the habit of long ago. To save letters, wrap them in thin ribbons or string, placed in desk drawers or hatboxes, for little girls to find.

    How delightful it would be to open a letter from my father. Yes, a letter written to his daughter, telling me his thoughts the day I was born. Did he ever wonder how my life might turn out or have hopes and dreams for my future?
    More of those family and friends who shaped my early life are gone, than remain.

    This memoir, if you will, is the ethereal net, I cast into the universe to capture those I loved and bring them back home.

    Mom was not the first of our family to leave. No, she was the last one, nineteen years ago, two days before my birthday.

    There are two old salts left, the eldest and the baby, my brother and me.

    No matter where I am or how many years come between us, when Memorial Day arrives, unlike others, I do not think of fallen soldiers, but rather the fallen “general” of our family, my feisty, Italian mother.

    If we had left letters to each other, I think I would have loved for her to read this one:

    Dear Mom:
    I am writing to you from the other room. The one down the hall with no radiator and not much furniture to speak of. I have made the decision we need to clear the air about all of this.

    Between our two rooms, yours the last room in the back, and mine the first in the front, there are two other rooms and three people.

    Then again, I did not. There were no letters from or to either of them, none to my brother and one rather abstract letter from him, two years before he died, and changed the mobile coordinates of my life.

    Hello Mom and a Happy Birthday to you.

    Hold good thoughts for me over there. Heavens knows I need them.

    The circle goes
    Unbroken through,
    fOIS



  45. Jana Dean on July 23, 2010 at 11:36 AM

    >I am re-connecting with a beloved book, The Chosen, by Chaim Potok. Twenty years of perspective makes it new.



  46. lynnrush on July 23, 2010 at 11:26 AM

    >Happy Friday, everyone. Hope you all have a great weekend.



  47. mary bailey on July 23, 2010 at 11:12 AM

    >Oh, this is fun reading everybody's random stuff. Here's mine:

    ~As much as I adore the lazy days of summer and almost dread the return of the school schedule, I will be GLAD for the return of the school schedule! I cannnot get a thing done with my son home all day. I haven't written or exercised regularly for two months now!

    ~Vacation Bible School starts next week and I am less than enthused about teaching.

    ~Rachel, I agree with Katie Johnson—Your hair is beautiful!



  48. Anonymous on July 23, 2010 at 11:05 AM

    >I'm glad for this opportunity because I've reached the point where I'm ready to admit I suck at being a good writer. And I can do it anonymously. Because tomorrow I may not feel this way.

    But today I do. It's pretty bad when I can't even win or place in silly (?) Internet writing contests. Okay, so out of 1,200 entries, I didn't stand a chance. But, out of 15 I don't even get an honorable mention? How silly (whiny?) is it for me to feel so overlooked?

    I'm going back to bed.

    Thanks for reading.



  49. angus on July 23, 2010 at 11:03 AM

    >So my vasectomy is healing nicely…



  50. David on July 23, 2010 at 11:03 AM

    >Thank you for all the interesting and informative posts. God bless.



  51. Gina on July 23, 2010 at 10:57 AM

    >I got a freelance article published!!

    http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/julyweb-only/59-11.0.html

    Forgive me for tooting my own horn — I'm just really excited. 🙂 I wrote this way back in the spring and it was a longish journey to publication.

    (And if you can't toot your horn with your fellow writers, where can you toot it?)



  52. Heather on July 23, 2010 at 10:53 AM

    >Here's my bit of "anything"…
    One, I'm super excited about my WIP because I wrote 2 chapters in 3 days (a new record for me) and because I'm waaay ahead of schedule on it.
    Two, I wish this week would hurry up and end, because next week my hubby & I take a business trip/vacation to Minneapolis for 3 days!



  53. Anonymous on July 23, 2010 at 10:43 AM

    >What annoys me is when agents request a ms., then sit on it for MONTHS without a word, especially after they give you a response time. Also when agents request your ms., then turn it down with some lame excuse like: "My list is full" or "I don't rep that genre." Seriously? Then why request it in the first place?? I'd rather have a nice or helpful comment than a made-up excuse.



  54. Julie Hedlund on July 23, 2010 at 10:35 AM

    >We just got back from a wonderful vacation in Michigan, which is odd because I grew up in MI, so I don't usually think of going there as a vacation. I think of it as "visiting family." But this year there's no doubt it was a vacation.

    I wrote about our time in Mackinac Island on my blog yesterday if anyone's interested. I highly recommend a trip there if you've never been.

    http://wp.me/pIkHt-FV



  55. Preston on July 23, 2010 at 10:24 AM

    >The Xbox 360 is the greatest writing-avoidance device ever created. How many book ideas have died at the feet of "just one more game" of Guitar Hero, Mass Effect, or Bioshock?

    Also, I love love love my ebook reader, but lately Adobe's "Adept" DRM has left me with rage. Publishers need to realize how badly they are burning their paying readers.



  56. katdish on July 23, 2010 at 10:21 AM

    >Ooo! ANYTHING? Okay…

    I wrote an incessant rant on my blog yesterday, which I will now shamelessly promote:

    Why I hate writing – and writers

    The post got tons of traffic, which supports my theory that most writers are gluttons for punishment. (I don't really hate writers, btw.)



  57. Amy Sorrells on July 23, 2010 at 10:21 AM

    >I'd rather be writing.



  58. Timothy Fish on July 23, 2010 at 10:18 AM

    >Kat Harris, it is in Arkansas, about 40 miles due east of Texarkana.



  59. Rick Boyne on July 23, 2010 at 10:15 AM

    >As a pastor, I love pastor-related humor. Here is one I read yesterday:

    A retired pastor was cleaning out a drawer when he found 5 eggs and $1000. He asked his wife about it.

    "I put an egg in the drawer for every bad sermon you preach," she said.

    He thought, "after 30 years, not too bad. Only 5 eggs." He asked about the money.

    "Everytime I get a dozen eggs, I sell them."

    Ouch….

    Have a great weekend!



  60. Susan Bourgeois on July 23, 2010 at 10:12 AM

    >italianmamachef – I know you have mixed feelings and it is understable why you feel this way.

    As I tell my grown adult children, life is an ongoing adventure. We all have our own personal journey.

    We are continually evolving. You will adjust to whatever changes you must make at this time in your life.

    Of course, you will miss your grandchildren and that is perfectly understandable but remember, we live in the world where you're a phone call or e-mail away at any moment of the day.
    Aren't we fortunate in this day and age!

    You chose to take this journey in life with your husband first before any of your children arrived. That's the way we all have to look at it at this stage of our lives.

    It sounds like you and your husband have done your job well in the area of raising your children. It is now your children's job and responsibility to do the same for their children.

    Just because you may be temporarily moving away from you children and grandchildren due to a job change does not mean it will be that way forever.

    Remember to keep that in mind and be thankful that you have a new adventure and opportunity coming your way in life.

    This can be a great time of discovery for you and your husband. I'm sure this type change is not easy for him also. I think it's important for children to realize that their parent's lives are continually evolving also. It's simply a part of life.

    It will all work out in time, no need to worry, simply try to remain positive for everyone involved and great things will come your way!

    If you've read my earlier post, you'll note that I don't even have a grandchild yet, I'm babysitting my second granddog this weekend!

    Best Wishes!



  61. Helen on July 23, 2010 at 10:06 AM

    >You said on twitter to stop by and say "ANYTHING YOU WANT"

    ANYTHING YOU WANT!

    There. I did it.



  62. Dave on July 23, 2010 at 10:06 AM

    >Open Friday? Great idea. I've written a script and novella and contacted an author who works the same turf, WWII in the Pacific. He said he doesn't do fiction, so I pitched him a non-fiction idea for fun.

    The big move is wearing an Iowa hat and pitching Ashton Kutcher on the script.

    Even better, I wrote about the great Dan Gable being the biggest winner in collegiate sports because of his loss in his last college wrestling match. A big time wrestling writer linked my post to his work and says he might do a review on my ebook on amazon.

    And…and…and…thanks for the open box Rachelle

    David Gillaspie
    deegeesbb.wordpress.com



  63. Kelsey Sutton on July 23, 2010 at 10:06 AM

    >Hi. I'd just like to know why and how you began your career as an agent. Would you change any of your choices? Best and worst aspects of your job? Thanks for the post. (Link to your blog on my own nearly every day 🙂 )

    Kelsey
    http://kelseysutton.blogspot.com/



  64. Katherine Hyde on July 23, 2010 at 10:03 AM

    >Instead of ranting, I'll post a link to a rant by Eric Wilson that expresses my frustration with "Christian fiction":
    http://wilsonwriter.com/html/the_latest.html



  65. Paula on July 23, 2010 at 10:02 AM

    >I just want to say that I am glad I found my camera and that I am going to take pictures of my new Coral T's that are for sale and that makes me happy!! Yes!
    Paula
    wwww.beagirltoday.com
    Where girls are athletes — not tomboys!
    Thankyou



  66. italianmamachef on July 23, 2010 at 9:58 AM

    >My husband will be interviewing for a job in NC next week. That's a 9 hour drive from our part of Ohio. I am excited and sad at the same time. I want a new adventure but I'll miss my family, especially my grandchildren. How can I do this? Ugh….thanks for the forum to write anything.



  67. Kansas Bard on July 23, 2010 at 9:56 AM

    >The difference between being a copywriter (my day job) and being a writer (what I aspire to be) is the difference between being a lumberjack and a gardener. One job is about clearing the forest through sheer force of will, the other is cultivating seeds and watching things grow.



  68. Daryl Sedore on July 23, 2010 at 9:56 AM

    >Rant: What's happening in the publishing industry? Why are writers, the seed of the industry, getting beat up all the time? Whether they're bad writers or good writers, it is their dream.

    How come there are websites like slushpilehell? What ever happened to privacy? (For the record-nothing I ever queried made it to that site)

    Why do agents use cartoon avatars on Twitter? Are they ashamed? Hiding? Is this a joke? Is the industry laughing at itself?

    I have owned my own company for 23 years. No one acts the way certain agents do (I'm sure it's only 10% of them, but it's the 10% that are the most vocal).

    Look what Wylie did with Amazon. What a huge response from Random House. What about the authors who are represented by Wylie? How are they going to hurt as Random House ceases business worldwide with Wylie?

    What's really going on?

    Has it gone beyond good writing to the bottom line? If that's the case, where will we be in ten years? Will I be able to go to a book store and buy a good book? Or will it be a book someone thought would make them money?

    Was Chicken Little right?



  69. Lynette Benton on July 23, 2010 at 9:54 AM

    >I meant to write, "a mss you mentioned in passing."



  70. Kass on July 23, 2010 at 9:54 AM

    >Have you heard of Holly Lisle's courses, and if so, what do you think of them? Do you know of any writer who might have benefited from them?



  71. Walt M on July 23, 2010 at 9:53 AM

    >I want to understand why that, even though I've set up a writing space within my house, I still get more done if I leave the house and go to my favorite coffee shop.



  72. Lynette Benton on July 23, 2010 at 9:53 AM

    >When an agent surprises you by asking to see a manuscript in passing, is it okay to say you're (truly) revising it, and would it be okay to send it in a month?



  73. Carole on July 23, 2010 at 9:34 AM

    >I have nothing interesting to say so I will leave you with a George Carlin quote: If honesty is the best policy then by the process of elimination dishonesty is the second best policy.



  74. IsaiahC on July 23, 2010 at 9:32 AM

    >Wow, a lot of people have really awesome stuff happening this summer. Here's my thing: I have to take a week long business trip to Detroit in two weeks, which wasn't a happy thing because I was leaving behind my wife and two beautiful little girls. My in-laws felt bad for them, so they're going to Disney World. Without me. For three weeks.

    So, I'm going to work while my kids go see that mouse. Sigh.



  75. Susan Bourgeois on July 23, 2010 at 9:29 AM

    >Congratulations Katy! How wonderful, you will soon become a first time Grandmother.

    I'm still waiting…

    There's little doubt that I wanted all of my children to wait later in life to have children but this is ridiculous.

    Once again, we're watching our granddog, Ellie, while my eldest daughter is on yet another trip. As a grandmother, I have to admit, she is adorable. She's a year old Papillion. I've been told that grandmothers have the right to brag.

    For now, she's all we have in that department.

    We have a storm coming through South Florida today. It's all over the local news. My daughter called early this morning to remind us that Ellie, as of late, has displayed a great fear of storms. I didn't have the heart to remind her that there was no need to remind me, she had already informed me of every last detail the previous week!

    She gave us strict instructions on how to prepare an area in the bathroom for Ellie. I feel like I am preparing a fallout shelter. We were told that it is extremely important that we not coddle her as this will confirm her fears (the dog's fears not my daughter's).

    We are to set up a large towel flat on the floor and up against the bathtub along with her little bed.

    I was a great mother but I didn't have the heart to tell her I don't think I did any of this for my children.

    I hope I live long enough to watch her raise her children.

    It's going to be great! In fact, I have little doubt there may be a book in it for me.

    It looks like it's going to be a long day. I just tried to take her out for her morning walk before the big storm comes through and she went into an immediate frozen like state. It's obvious she knows that a storm is brewing. She looked up at me with huge brown eyes like, "Grandma, what's up and why in the world would you dare take me out here!" Evidently dogs have a keen sense in this area.

    There's a thick heaviness in the humid gray atmosphere. I have to admit it is quite ominous, even for humans. She won't walk or consider doing her business. She took one look around and darted back for the front door. I strongly feel my daughter may owe me on this one.

    It appears the least of our problems will be the setting up of her little safe haven in the bathroom.

    On the topic of my writing. I'm excited about the start of the submission process for my first book of non-fiction.

    I have multiple queries out presently so I've been told this is a great time to start my next project.

    I am presently working on my next project which is fiction. It's a book that will have a strong appeal for movies or TV and it has never been written before to my knowledge.

    It's beginning to rain, so that's the start of the storm.

    Hopefully, for my daughter's sake, the dog's and mine, there will be little thunder involved.

    I am now off to prepare the safe haven.

    Have a great day everyone!



  76. Susan Bourgeois on July 23, 2010 at 9:29 AM

    >Congratulations Katy! How wonderful, you will soon become a first time Grandmother.

    I'm still waiting…

    There's little doubt that I wanted all of my children to wait later in life to have children but this is ridiculous.

    Once again, we're watching our granddog, Ellie, while my eldest daughter is on yet another trip. As a grandmother, I have to admit, she is adorable. She's a year old Papillion. I've been told that grandmothers have the right to brag.

    For now, she's all we have in that department.

    We have a storm coming through South Florida today. It's all over the local news. My daughter called early this morning to remind us that Ellie, as of late, has displayed a great fear of storms. I didn't have the heart to remind her that there was no need to remind me, she had already informed me of every last detail the previous week!

    She gave us strict instructions on how to prepare an area in the bathroom for Ellie. I feel like I am preparing a fallout shelter. We were told that it is extremely important that we not coddle her as this will confirm her fears (the dog's fears not my daughter's).

    We are to set up a large towel flat on the floor and up against the bathtub along with her little bed.

    I was a great mother but I didn't have the heart to tell her I don't think I did any of this for my children.

    I hope I live long enough to watch her raise her children.

    It's going to be great! In fact, I have little doubt there may be a book in it for me.

    It looks like it's going to be a long day. I just tried to take her out for her morning walk before the big storm comes through and she went into an immediate frozen like state. It's obvious she knows that a storm is brewing. She looked up at me with huge brown eyes like, "Grandma, what's up and why in the world would you dare take me out here!" Evidently dogs have a keen sense in this area.

    There's a thick heaviness in the humid gray atmosphere. I have to admit it is quite ominous, even for humans. She won't walk or consider doing her business. She took one look around and darted back for the front door. I strongly feel my daughter may owe me on this one.

    It appears the least of our problems will be the setting up of her little safe haven in the bathroom.

    On the topic of my writing. I'm excited about the start of the submission process for my first book of non-fiction.

    I have multiple queries out presently so I've been told this is a great time to start my next project.

    I am presently working on my next project which is fiction. It's a book that will have a strong appeal for movies or TV and it has never been written before to my knowledge.

    It's beginning to rain, so that's the start of the storm.

    Hopefully, for my daughter's sake, the dog's and mine, there will be little thunder involved.

    I am now off to prepare the safe haven.

    Have a great day everyone!



  77. BW on July 23, 2010 at 9:28 AM

    >I have a complaint, rant, whatever. As someone who is actually a professional writer, I am annoyed by people who call themselves professional writers when they actually are not. Professional writer to me means that one is actually able to pay their mortgage, car payments, utilities and other bills by their writings. I am happy and definitely lucky that I have been able to do so. I went for years where writing was part of my job but not my actual job. I would never call myself a professional writer during those years.

    It annoys me when I look at LinkedIn and see so many people who call themselves a professional writer. I have former friend who calls herself a professional writer on LinkedIn when she actually has not made any real money off her writings in a very long time (at least 15 years if not more).

    Thank you for allowing me to rant.



  78. Julie Gillies on July 23, 2010 at 9:14 AM

    >We've had lots of company this summer, Rachelle…over 8 weeks of people in our home, including friends and family visiting from Morocco, Germany, Tennessee and California. It almost feels like we're running a Bed & Breakfast, except no cash or Belgian waffles are involved. *grin*

    AND (as if that weren't enough) I'm gearing up for the She Speaks conference in Charlotte next week. Thrilled!

    Have a good weekend!



  79. Jill Domschot aka Arabella on July 23, 2010 at 9:08 AM

    >@Terri Tiffany–I don't know about anybody else, but I always round to the nearest 1000 (but then I don't ever reach 100,000 in my WIPs). I'm sure this is on the verge of OCD of writers to worry about these things, unless they are writing category romance with a defined word-count maximum. I admit I'm OCD, too.

    Oh, and, if anybody cares, I need a vacation! Don't know if I'll get one anytime soon.



  80. Katie Johnson on July 23, 2010 at 9:02 AM

    >I wish I had your hair-so much body! That's my comment for the day.



  81. Cheryl Barker on July 23, 2010 at 8:51 AM

    >My daughter got married last Saturday so my summer has been full of wedding prep (pics on my blog right now of our beautiful bride!)

    Sleep has been in short supply, and after an extended time with family after the wedding, it's time for some major regrouping — if I can find the energy and stay awake long enough to do it! 🙂

    Happy rest of the summer to all!



  82. Julie Evans on July 23, 2010 at 8:50 AM

    >I'm not very funny before I've had my coffee, so I don't have a joke. And I'm obviously not an overachiever or I'd google one just so I could fill in all the blanks.

    A question: iPad, Kindle, Nook, other?
    Another: What's on yours for summer reading and what's the one you would never tell to get off your cloud?

    An observation about writing: when I write, I feel God's pleasure.

    This summer is my vacation and I am having the BEST one of my life, having recently passed one beautiful mile-marker and one freaking big obstacle to it. The mile-marker: I graduated the last of my kiddos and am basking in my retirement (hello bon-bons!) after 16 years of homeschooling. The obstacle: a damn spot I found in my breast 2 years ago on Aug. 11. Yes and Yay God, said spots are OUT! And woo hoo… the grass IS way cool green this side of cancer/chemo! Life is good! Or, as my shirt says in the mirror: boog si efil.

    bonus… i mean p.s. have a ridiculous fab day, Rachelle. And by the way, Hi!



  83. piscesmuse on July 23, 2010 at 8:48 AM

    >Cowboy (my hubby) is in town (to be fair he works out of town as a contract minner on a 28 our and 14 back home schedule). Wich means all the luxurious me time I get to experience and use for writing while he is gone, had dissapeared. I am torn between excitment that he is home, and bemoaning my now miniscule amounts of time to write. Miniscule is better than none existant though. Also getting strangely excited for this years NANO. I must finish the current WIP before then so I am free to flirt with a new idea.



  84. CFD Trade on July 23, 2010 at 8:42 AM

    >What do you think of authonomy.com? Do they really fish the great ones or is this another form of slush, only done where everybody can see?



  85. Richard Albert on July 23, 2010 at 8:41 AM

    >I recently decided to write out one of my favorite characters from my WIP. Sad to say, he just wasn’t holding up his end of the bargain, so I had to fire him. On the up side, there’s just enough of him left to prompt a sequel. RIP

    As for vacation: Sometime in the next 6 months I, myself, will be loosing my employment status. With luck, my severance package will afford a couple good months of writing. 🙂



  86. Teenage Bride on July 23, 2010 at 8:25 AM

    >I just want to say that I am so happy it is Friday. It has been a long hard week and I need the break. I hope you all have a great day!!!!



  87. Sharon A. Lavy on July 23, 2010 at 8:13 AM

    >Oh, my vacation!!!! Thank you for asking.

    Husband and I are going to Alaska. Never been, always wanted to go.



  88. Kat Harris on July 23, 2010 at 8:11 AM

    >Where is Waldo?



  89. ADSimons on July 23, 2010 at 8:10 AM

    >I'm really excited! Last night I was able to polish the first 10,000 words of my WIP. At this rate I'll be ready to start submitting it in the next week. Too bad I had to get some sleep or I might have gotten more done.



  90. Perle on July 23, 2010 at 7:49 AM

    >Went shopping w/Mom (76)yesterday. With 100 degree heat here in Bham, we hit air-conditioned malls with covered decks, which thankfully, have restaurants w/ full bars. After 3 hrs at Brookwood, we sipped icy Peroni's at Brios and munched bread dipped in olive oil; off to Macy's and Belk's at Riverchase w/a stop at Ruby Tuesday's for salad bar and Samuel Adams draft, finally on the way home, we stopped in at Outback (had to park under a tree there) for a dessert of Fries and a couple of Frosty Fosters, and lastly picked up a 6 of Dos Equis for the house. Shopping Mom style – gotta love it.



  91. Jessica Nelson on July 23, 2010 at 7:35 AM

    >I was told by certain wonderful publishing professionals the cont. romance isn't doing too well.
    But when I was looking at the ACFW conference editors, I noticed quite a few are looking for cont. romance. Is this anything to pay attention to? Or just part of the blurbs?
    Thanks!

    (can you tell I write cont. romance? Ha!)

    No vacation this summer, but since I live in FL by a river, it's all good. 🙂



  92. Terri Tiffany on July 23, 2010 at 7:27 AM

    >Ok –here's a dumb question but I know others have asked this. If you write 77,000 words, do you list it as 75,000 when querying or anything else with it? Do you round up or down?
    yeah, I'm a pain for details.



  93. Katie Ganshert on July 23, 2010 at 7:16 AM

    >Why can't I write, and POOF, it's amazing the first time around?

    That's what I'd like to know.



  94. Anonymous on July 23, 2010 at 7:13 AM

    >Sometimes I wish the whole world would stop encouraging me to follow my dreams and start helping me to become a contributing member of society (in a boring job that has an actual income – unlike being an unpublished writer, which is getting a little old after 12 years). I wish I'd known when I was ten that only 1 writer in around 5,000 EVER gets published – that the world doesn't really need more books (no matter how much some books mean to some people). I wish there was some other job I could do. (And, by the way, I really admire people like you, Rachelle, for spending so much time being compassionate to people like me.)



  95. kathy taylor on July 23, 2010 at 7:09 AM

    >We're not taking a vacation this summer, but I have a day scheduled to study with Connie May Fowler. Years ago I picked up a book she had written and wondered how she knew me? What writer seems to know you, Rachelle? Who would you study with if you had a chance?



  96. Katy McKenna on July 23, 2010 at 6:13 AM

    >In 4 weeks or so, I'll be a first-time GRANDMA. YaHOO!



  97. Tessa Quin on July 23, 2010 at 6:02 AM

    >We just bought a hamster this weekend. We've never had one before and she's simply adorable. She has black fur and we named her Beena. The twins are like jumping monkeys around the poor thing.



  98. Em-Musing on July 23, 2010 at 5:43 AM

    >With RWA Nationals less than a week away, I pitch forth



  99. Dan on July 23, 2010 at 5:10 AM

    >Well, there's some interesting social-networking news:

    Facebook's crack statisticians and demographers have discovered that social networking is increasingly popular among dead people.. This poses a problem; Facebook has a strong corporate anti-necromancy policy, and does not want its software to encourage you to reconnect with the deceased.

    In 2007, Facebook added a feature that allows you to turn a dead person's profile into a "tribute page," but this change has to be initiated by a user, and most people don't know how to do it. So Facebook developed software to look for certain phrases in profile messages that indicate a dead user.

    If you use these phrases, Facebook may dispatch a death assessment technician to your house. This person will poke you with a stick to see if you twitch. Please keep this in mind if you are prone to posting status updates like:

    "Lol! My body is room-temperature."
    or
    "I feel fat today because the decomposition process is bloating my corpse with noxious gases."
    or
    "I am hungry. For BRAAAAINS."



  100. Jay on July 23, 2010 at 4:45 AM

    >On the bike ride home from work, my chain starting acting up so I had to stop and jigger with it. As I was fixing it I noticed that the black chain grease overlayed atop a liney patina of grease stains from the previous time I messed with the chain, a few days prior. It made me feel like a working man.



  101. Anita on July 23, 2010 at 4:05 AM

    >A week from today, I'll be flying to Poland to teach ESL for 2 years. I'm ecstatic and terrified, but the excitement wins over the fear. The experience will do something to my writing, though I don't know what.

    Meanwhile, I hammer away at studying the brutal Polish language, and my favourite current joke is borrowed from a comedian regarding French. This is my version: "These Polish! They have a different word for EVERYTHING!"



  102. Pauline on July 23, 2010 at 3:18 AM

    >Here's something obvious… Writing a book isn't an easy task! I have the luxury of a year off & I thought I'd write the book I've had in mind for as long as I can remember. I'm struggling with it and today I'm choosing not to give up! Kudos to all you writers & to agents who facilitate their success!



  103. Ted Cross on July 23, 2010 at 2:23 AM

    >I wish agents would realize that not everything is YA…



  104. BK on July 23, 2010 at 2:11 AM

    >Off-the-wall writing rant: I hate it when a terrific book title bursts into my brain (Yes I realize my choice of title doesn't matter much in the end) but then the seeds for the plot just won't come. I know that smashing plot is out there somewhere in the big blue sky–but it just won't come. This has happened to me twice. Poor little orphaned story titles.

    ARGH!!!!!!!!



  105. Megan on July 23, 2010 at 1:56 AM

    >At the moment, I am rushing through my comments as we're having a house party at my house.

    I have to:
    put clothes away
    make a play list
    make my costume (OCEAN GIRL) (google it people! I have hessian!)
    make punch
    hang fairy lights
    set up a strobe
    call friends to confirm their apparences

    so I'm very busy!