Where was I?

I'm not gonna lie - I was away from this blog for a long time and sort of hopped back into it in a fit of fear. You see, I answered a trivia question on Agent Kristin's blog and before realizing it I'd linked my blogname in her comment section. Up till now I've been VERY diligent in not linking my blog with any comments on blogs. I can't really explain why but it's become habit... until that slip with Agent Kristin (visit her awesome and uber useful blog - Pub Rants). And of all things, her Pubrants blog entry that day was about being carefuly what you say about others because you always have to be aware of how public your online persona can be.

And while I'm just another anonymous blogger now I do hope that some time down the road I'll be a little better known, at least amongst my blogger family :)

While a ton has happened in the past two months I feel like focusing on my writing life right now so other things will have to wait...

This morning (or rather afternoon) I started writing again. I know this might sound strange but I've found myself in a bit of a writer's slump recently. Not writer's block - I've had a ton of ideas and have spent plenty of time daydreaming scenes and characters and GMC... but I've had trouble actually sitting down and writing.

Every time I get a new fantastic idea I take it to The Boy (I suck at keeping secrets) and while he might love it, hate it, or like it, he always rolls his eyes and says, "Yes, but you need to WRITE it - no more ideas until you start writing!"

And he's right.

But I still wasn't writing. It was a matter of deciding which story to write - I don't want to spend 6-8 months writing a book that won't sell if I have a book that will sell in my mind. But the problem with that is I don't know what will and won't sell!!! I know what is selling (Publisher's Marketplace) and I know what sold a while ago and is on the best-selling lists... but what will sell in 8 months when I'm ready to shop around?

Now, I know you're supposed to be writing what you know, what you love, book of your heart, etc etc etc, but if you want to sell a book you need to at least be marginally aware of the market. And that has been what is paralyzing me recently.

Until I won that contest on Agent Kristin's blog. I have a chance to send in a partial NOW (or up to a year from now) which means I have to have a partial to send. What's funny is that not 2 hours before winning that little contest I'd gone to The Boy with another new hot idea - I was in love with this idea but, he reminded me, I'm always in love with my new ideas.

But then I told my sister about my idea and then my mom and they were so excited (and boy are they readers!) If I do say so myself, it IS a good idea and I couldn't be more excited.

And so I sat down and wrote this morning (afternoon) and am now 3,000 words in. I want to get to around 30,000 before starting to edit a partial and then I want to be able to send the partial out at 50,000 words when I know all the plot points will be working out (my goal is 80,000 for the first draft knowing that I'll add about 10-20,000 words of fleshing out).

I have a good feeling about this one...

And while we're on the subject of Agent Kristin - go out and read Bachelorette #1 by one of Kristin's authors, Jennifer O'Connell. It really is a great book - I was surprised by the depth of the main character and some of the metaphors and descriptions have really stuck with me (remembering any detail about a book is about the best compliment I can give because I have the memory span of a .... uh.... what was I talking about again?)