I managed to finish the first draft of the book yesterday. I’m sitting at 384 pages before I begin my edits…tomorrow. I must have been relieved because after I finished and had some dinner I was EXHAUSTED. I felt like I’d been drinking. Sadly, I hadn’t. Anyway, it’s done and waiting for me to start editing.
Along the lines of editing, I’ve been reading the book, Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver at night. I WISH I would’ve bought this book a long time ago. I’m only about halfway through, but he’s explained more things about story than was ever covered in any of my classes. (ie what a story is, what are its components, showing, structure, characterization, etc.) So far everything he’s covered, I’ll be able to apply to my book during edits. I’ve had several ‘Aha’ moments, during his explanations on how to fix common mistakes that writers make. I really WISH I would’ve read this book when it first came out. It would have saved me lots of time and trouble. Not to mention, it would’ve helped me fix the mistakes I repeatedly make in my work. I’m just glad that I have it now.
Now onto the cooking class. We covered Fish and Shellfish on Tuesday night. I must say that I really enjoyed this class. Yes, I like seafood, but it was more than that. We learned how to shop for seafood. Here are some of the things that you need to look for when buying fish/shellfish: Fish should have a clean odor. They should smell like the sea. Their skin should be slick/moist and their scales should be firm. (No flaking.) Fins and tails should be moist and flexible. The flesh should spring back into place if you press a finger into it. Eyes should be clear. If you’re buying live fish, there should be movement, particularly in crabs and lobsters. Clams, mussels and oysters should be closed tight. They open as they age.
If you buy shrimp with their heads on, shake them. If their heads fall off, they’re old. Always ask if shrimp has been pre-frozen if they’re placed in the store counter and made to look fresh. Big lobsters lose flavor as they age. Smaller lobsters are sweeter. The same goes for shrimp. Always buy refrigerated crab, not the stuff that’s in a bag next to the tuna-fish cans.
Now here are a few cooking and cleaning tips: Never use colored fish for stock, only use white fish or shrimp/clams/etc. Add sea salt and water to fresh shrimp and it’ll revive their texture and flavor. When you need to skin a fish, create a slit at the tail end, then hold it with a paper towel. Place your knife flat between the skin and the meat, then move the skin back and forth. DO NOT move the knife. Your fish will come out beautifully skinned. When cooking salmon, the second it ’sweats white’ it’s done. If you over cook squid, you can save it if you continuing cooking for an extra hour. It’ll make them soft again. (I do not believe that this applies to deep frying.;) And here are a couple of random tips: When you buy fruit, always see if you can smell the sweet smell by holding your nose against the skin. If you can’t, the fruit isn’t ripe. Saute fresh bread crumbs and spread them over pasta if you don’t want to use cheese. Always save some of the water from boiling noodles to add to whatever sauce you’re making. It adds a nice flavor. White fish is done when it reached 130 degrees internally. Salmon is done when it reaches 120 degrees. And tuna is done when it reaches 110 to 120 degrees. The latter depends on how rare you like your tuna. Tuna steaks are best served rare for taste. That ends our lesson for today. 
If you have any questions, fire away. Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate it. Now go out and cook. 
Archive for February, 2008
No, I’m still not done with the book yet. I added another 3K yesterday. I’m hopeful that I will finish today. I am on the last chapter and sitting at 368 pages right now. I’ll probably be finished by 375. I anticipate editing in another 50 at least, which will bring the word count to a nice number. And no, that won’t be padding. That’s what needs to go into the book because to say I skip most description is an understatement. I also have bits of info that’s missing. I have a couple of note cards beside me with things that need to be put into the book for it to make sense. I’m so glad that I have two full weeks to edit. I plan to do one sweep on the computer, then print the manuscript out and read it on hardcopy. I miss too much working on the computer alone. Once that’s done, I’m going to start charting out the next book in the series. Why? Because this book just changed EVERYTHING that I had planned for the third book. Sometimes that happens. This is a first for me, but it can’t be helped.
I’m trying to decide what I’ll do while I’m charting out the next book. Right now it’s a toss between putting together a new proposal or reading through two older manuscripts to see if they are salvageable. I really need to do both, but I’m not dumb enough to believe that I can do them all at the same time. Any thoughts?
On a separate note, my dh and I lost track of a friend whose birthday is today. Stephen if you happen to see this message, please contact us. We miss you.
Below you’ll find my Q & A with Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown Ltd. If any of her answers bring up more questions, just send them to me or drop them into a comment and I’ll get them to her. I make no promises, but I’ll try to get you an answer.
John Scalzi just wrote about a friend of his becoming an agent. I don’t know anything about her (other than what I read on her blog), but I have researched her agency in the past. If you’re in search of agent, then your choices are bountiful. But again, I caution you to do your homework. A misstep can not only cost you money, but it can cost you time. LOTS of time. That you can’t get back. Believe me, I know.
This brings me to a subject that I know I’ve covered before, but it bears repeating. When you’re searching for an agent, it pays to do your homework. Sure, you want a reputable agent that works for a good house, but you need to dig deeper. You need to ask a lot of tough questions that will give you an idea of the agent’s working style and personality. Because of my previous experiences, I grilled Ginger with a lot of questions. I also sent questions to several of her clients. Bless her heart and theirs, they answered all my questions candidly. But I didn’t just do homework on Ginger, I looked over the agency and examined me. What do I mean by the latter? I took a good long look at what I needed from an author/agent relationship. I also really dug deep to figure out where I saw myself in a few years down the road. Did I see myself writing in the same genres? Were my tastes changing? Did I plan to write in genres the agent I was querying wouldn’t be interested in representing? All the answers to these questions played into my decision to go with Ginger. She represents very specific genres.
So when you’re considering various agents, take a good hard look at yourself first. It’ll pay off in the end.
I compiled the list of all the questions that everyone asked and sent them to Ginger. She chose which questions to answer, so if you don’t see your question, you know why.
What do you hate/dislike?
The rejections, of course! And when your clients editor leaves her job, and you have to walk them through the orphaning processthat can be frustrating.
How did you break into it (did you complete an internship/work experience placement)? What made you choose agenting, and do you see yourself working as an agent for the rest of your professional life?
Writers House was my second job in publishing, and within six months I knew I did not want to go back to the editorial side of publishing. I enjoy always being on the side of my author. Agents have a bit more freedom than editorsI think many of my editor friends and contacts spend time in meetings that I dont have to, and editors are very overworked and underpaid.
Why is it that so many agents are now referral only? How are new writers supposed to get their work seen, unless they go to conferences and get a pitch appointment (and you often find that everyone’s booked by the time you hear of the conference and you find out how to pay up)? What would constitute a referral, anyway?
I think many agents have full lists and must be very selective about what writers they take on as clients. A referral means you either met the agent and he/she requested your work; another agent referred you to them; or an author they either represent or know referred you to them.
1. How do you decide whether to represent a new author–apart from a promising manuscript? How many clients do you like to have at one time?
Well, its usually based on the strength of the work. I have had a few instances of falling in love with a book and then talking to an author, and realizing early in the conversation that we just didnt have the same vision for their work or career. Or speaking to an author and realizing our personalities just did not jell. Thats rare, though. Right now I am looking to take on new clientsmy list is not full yet!
2. Do you always get the same cut from each author, or does it vary? What would you say is an average cut for most agents?
15% is the standard rate for a book deal, or movie deal. 20% is the rate for foreign sales, either translation or into the British marketusually because you are using a co-agent there, and you each get 10%.
3. Do your clients usually stick with you for their whole careers, or is there a high turnover? Do agents ever get rid of their clients, or is it usually the other way around?
Wow, kind of a touchy subject! When I offer representation, I do so thinking this person will be with me for many, many years. I dont know how other agents are, but the lower the turnover, the better as far as I am concerned. Regarding parting waysclients have left me; I have fired clients; and it has also been a mutual parting of ways.
4. What’s the average number of revisions you normally request? What’s the most and least number of revisions you’ve ever asked for?
Good questionusually the second or third, or maybe fourth draft is what Im sending out. I do have a new client whose work I read three times before I offered representation, and she just sent me the fourth draft which I will send out shortly. I loved the book each time I read itit just was too long until that third draft, and then I realized I had to offer representation or I would kick myself when another agent took her on.
I’d like to know if she’s still looking to expand her list of urban fantasy authors, and if she’s interested in concepts and characters that are atypical of what I believe has become standard fare in the genre. As a rabid UF reader, I know I want to read something other than vampires, werewolves and faeries. What are her thoughts on this?
Yes, I am definitely looking for urban fantasyand I, too, would love to see something that does not involve vampires! Id love a book about a genie, a succubus, a witch, a psychic, a fairy, etc. etc. I once told a writers conference, with as much seriousness as I could muster, the succubus market is vastly underservedand I meant it!
And there you have it. I’d like to thank Ginger for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer the questions.:)
As the new year gets in full swing, I’m back to contemplating writing groups. Lately, I’ve been asking myself why I belong to certain groups. And for the first time, I don’t have much of an answer. When I first joined RWA, I got a LOT out of my membership. I still think it’s the best place for a new romance writer to be. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, when you pass that ‘new’ stage. The benefits of belonging narrow significantly. Sadly, mine are down to meeting my editors and seeing my friends. I have a wonderful local chapter, but I rarely go to the meetings. Again, other than seeing my friends, which is great, I really don’t get much out of them.
This has me questioning why I continue to pay dues for something that doesn’t really help me. And in many ways, continues to create massive divisions between writers. I plan to attend RWA National this year because it’s finally on the west coast, but this may be the last one for a long while. I’m just not seeing the point, especially when you don’t have to be a member to attend all the conferences around the country.
I’m still debating whether I’m going to join SFWA. Right now, I’m waiting to see how their election turns out. They are just as tumultuous as RWA, maybe more so. I know I’m wishing for the impossible, but I truly wish that there were writers groups out there that focused on the writing and not drawing lines in the sand. (ie you write urban fantasy, so that makes you a hack compared to true science fiction writers, you write erotic romance, so that makes your writing less than straight romance writers, etc.) I know, I’m living in a fairy land. It’s not going to happen. My dh keeps telling me repeatedly that no matter how hard I try, I’m never going to belong…anywhere.
It’s been HOURS and I’m still numb. I came home and passed out…ALL DAY! I just woke up an hour ago. That’s not good for many reasons. I’m going to try to get my page count in right now. Wish me luck.
I’ve been watching Ghost Hunters International and I have to say that I’m somewhat disappointed. I had high hopes for this series because they’re exploring so many cool places all over Europe. But the team (with the exception of Andy and the leader) have turned into Scooby Doo and the Gang. They’re running at the drop of a hat. The Irish guy sees evil everywhere. The girls scare each other constantly. Basically, they’ve turned into every other semi-professional ghost hunting group I’ve seen on television. It’s sad because the one thing that I loved about the ghost hunters was their approach to the job. They didn’t automatically think a place was haunted, nor did they think there was evil in a place. And they rarely ran. I can’t wait for the regular season of Ghost Hunters to start back up so that the nonsense stops.
I only have a few tips when it comes to roasting and grilling. We didn’t get a whole lot of notes. Here they go: Never marinade fish, chicken or any meat with lemon/lime because it cooks the meat. Add lemon last (ie right before you cook your food or right before you serve it). Always leave meat sit for 10 min. before cutting or the juice will run out and your meat will be dry. Skip adding salt, if you marinade meat in the fridge because it’ll dry it out. When using dry rubs, spread your meat with olive oil first, then apply the rub. It’ll stick on the meat better. Many items make a good marinade such as vodka, beer, wine, tequila, etc. They work as a tenderizer too. Many fruits such as pineapple, papaya, mango, etc. also work to tenderize meat. Foods such as pork, salmon, tuna, lamb and beef can be eaten medium rare. Chicken and white fish cannot. Chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees near the thigh. Always check the temperature in the thigh area, never the breast. Beef and pork is done when it reaches 140 to 145 degrees. Once you put meat on a grill don’t touch it other than to rotate it or turn it over. End of lesson. 
I ended up writing 5150 words today and reached page three hundred. No, I’m not done yet. I need to add a bit more to the current chapter and I think I have two chapters left after that. I may be wrong on the latter. It may turn into one long chapter. Either way, it’s looking like I’ll be finished with my book by Friday…if all goes well. I am beyond thrilled. It’ll be just in time for my in-law’s arrival. I’ll still have to edit a LOT! But it looks like I’ll make my deadline with a little breathing room to spare. Woo Hoo!!!
My cover for RED still isn’t ready, but we’re getting closer. I’m hearing two to three weeks. Please keep your fingers crossed for me that the cover gods smile upon my book. *ggg* Received some good news. Looks like there will be ARC’s of RED available at RWA Nationals. Woo Hoo! Can’t wait.
Managed to get my word count in early today, which was a good thing since I had to go to the dentist. Apparently, I need a root canal. Yeah, I’m excited about it, too. I’m scheduled for Thursday morning. At least I’ll be back in time to get my word count in. And no, I’m not kidding.
For those of you looking for an agent, Lauren Dane has Q & A with her agent, Laura Bradford up on her site.
Now I’m off to my cooking class.
I met up with a friend for brunch today. Had a great time visiting. She’s my old neighbor from the apt. complex I used to live in. We always have a good time, although we do get a lot of odd looks. I’m guessing it’s because of our forty year age difference, but that’s okay. I’ve always gotten along with older folks. No idea why. Maybe I have an old soul.
Ran some errands to try to get ready for the upcoming visit with my inlaws. They arrive on Saturday and I have so much to do in the interim…like clean. LOL! I’m so bad when it comes to cleaning on a normal day, add a deadline in there and even that remote possibility disappears in a puff of smoke. I can’t think/do anything else because it’s too easy to get distracted. Yes, cleaning can distract me. I start thinking that I should just clean one thing, then the next thing I know, I’m cleaning the whole house and I haven’t written a word. Not good.
As you can see from the title of this post, I am officially 43 pages away from 300. I only have four chapters left to write. Four chapters to try to wrap up the colossal storyline I’ve started. GULP! Edits are my friend. Edits are my friend. Edits are my friend.
Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment and my cooking class. I’m hoping that I get back here in time to get my word count in. Just in case I’m running late, I’ve written an extra 1100K tonight. So all I have to write tomorrow is 900 words worst case scenario. I plan to try for more, since I’m feeling the end of the book tugging me along. I love it when I get to this stage because I get anxious to finish. Of course, I do tend to leave things out when I hit this point because I’m in a hurry to finish, hence the edits comment above. *g*
I’m organizing the questions for Ginger. I plan to send them to her on Thursay. I also have to write a Harlequin short. Not sure yet what I’m going to say, but I’m sure something will come to me in the panic. *ggg*
Before anyone asks, I didn’t watch the football game. I don’t watch sports other than some of the Olympic events. I heard it was good. I’m glad most people are happy with the outcome. Now back to our regular scheduled program.
What is everyone reading? I am holding out to read Patricia Brigg’s Iron Kissed. It’s my treat for finishing my book. And yes, I plan to indulge like a kid after he hits a trick or treating bonanza. Cannot wait. If you’ve read it, no spoilers please.
I’ve written five thousand and change in the last two days. Tomorrow I plan to get another two. My inlaws are coming into town next Saturday, so I’m trying to get as many pages written as possible. If I keep this up, I’ll come close to hitting three hundred pages by the 9th. Fingers and toes crossed. MUST TYPE FASTER!!!
