So, I’m at that point. Time to put an eye toward the future. Time to think about finding an agent.

I haven’t actually looked at agents. I think I’m an odd bird in this regard. I mean, by now, haven’t most authors made up a list, scoured all over for their favorite authors’ representation, swooned and said, “Yes, this one! This is my dream agent!”

It’s like a sports fan’s dream team, maybe. “If I could play football worth a lick, I’d so totally sign with the Raiders.” Or maybe a music fan. “If I could carry a tune in a bushel basket, I’d so totally sing with The Cruxshadows.” Most people dream about being onstage with that favorite band, or on the field with that team, or maybe at the top of that Fortune 500 company. Writers dream about agents and publishing houses.

Except me. I couldn’t give you the name of Neil Gaiman’s agent. Or Jim Butcher’s. Or Patricia Briggs’. Or Sherrilyn Kenyon. My dream agent is one that says, “Yes, I’d love to represent you!” and saves me a bunch of money in Valium by doing so. Sad, isn’t it?

But I’m starting to pay attention.

This is a piece of the writing world that most people don’t think about. I think every job has particulars that the world at large doesn’t think about. It’s one of those things that makes writing work, which I’ve talked about in the past. Rock stars must do this, too. Practice. Promotion. Booking. Dealing with agents and whatnot.

I came across a blog post from Caitlin Kittredge today about agents. This has some great information. If you’re interested in learning more about the process, you might take a look.

And don’t forget my new release! If you don’t want to read about agents, how about werewolves?

I had this talk with my husband about a week ago, and another writer friend of mine today, so I figured I’d bring it up here, too. Seems like it’s going around.

When most people imagine a writer’s job, they imagine sitting down at a computer and pouring out the book of their heart. And sometimes, it really does happen that way. The plot and details just fall together, the words practically dump themselves onto the page from your fingers, and when you look over what you’ve done, it’s got that magic something. That’s when the work is the most satisfying and rewarding.

But sometimes, work is work.

When you take up writing for publication, there’s a lot to consider. You can’t just sit down and write any old story. Not and expect to sell it, anyway. There’s a lot to consider. That fun hobby that called to you so loudly at first suddenly takes on this new, tedious side.

Writing as a hobby is very, very different. It doesn’t matter what you put out there, even if you’re writing for a fandom or forum or collection of friends. All those fun stories with trite ideas and holey plots go away. Wild, quirky ideas turn into things you know you can’t sell. For the first time, you have to consider genre, market, promotion.

You aren’t just planning your next book. You’re planning your career. You’re making choices, accepting ideas that will make your next story less what you envisioned, and more saleable.

It’s easy to forget that writing is a job. To say, “I don’t feel like doing this today” or “I only got 500 words done, that’s good enough” or “I have this great idea, and nevermind the 40k I have in on what I’m writing now”. It takes dedication, commitment, and a thick skin. You will get frustrated, depressed, angsty, and upset. Your publisher will piss you off. Your agent will piss you off. Your editor will really piss you off. You will piss you off.

You’ll hate everything you write, at some point. Plots will refuse to come together. You’ll get halfway through something and realize it sucks. You will have to stick with and finish something that you never want to see again. You will run out of words when you’ve done 500 for the day, and grit your teeth and push to 2000.

And despite all that? Yeah, you’ll love it, and you won’t want to trade it for the world.

Sometimes work is work. And sometimes work is magic. Writing is work. Even if you do it for fun, if you’re publishing, it’s also a job. But the rewards make it absolutely worthwhile.

And in publishing information, here’s a terrific Alt Text post at Wired.com about how to keep yourself safe from predators while trying to get yourself published. These are things every aspiring writer should know!

I’m a little scattered today. I’m about to embark on a busy, busy weekend, and my brain’s pretty much everywhere.

Taint of Shadow comes out next month. I’ve seen the cover art for it, and it’s just awesome. Now I have to wait for the final pictures to come to me so I can show it around. I’m also holding my breath for the exact date when it will come out. I’ll know soon, and I’m so excited about it. But… I hate waiting. I’m no good at it. I have no patience.

Which is too bad, as I’m waiting for both tomorrow and Friday. Tomorrow is not only my fifteenth wedding anniversary, but also, a friend of mine is coming halfway across the country to see me. I’ve known this person for five years, and we’ve been through a couple layers of Hell together, but we’ve never met in person. Exciting and nerve-wracking, all at once.

Friday is the premier of The Dark Knight. Oh, man, I’m looking forward to this movie. Finally, someone’s getting Batman right. We already have our tickets. Babysitting is secured. We’re ready for liftoff.

I’m working on a short story with the hope of submitting it to Changeling Press. This story is a real departure from my other stuff, to put it mildly. Most folks that don’t live in my house don’t see my more…there’s no polite word for this…odd work. I have a bent for the dark, the different, the punch to the gut, and most of it stays on my hard drive. But I really like this idea, so I’m going to put it out there.

And while I write my little tale, I’m deciding what major thing to write next. Yeah, yeah, you’ve all been down this road with me before. This time, it’s down to two choices. One, I have about 20k words in on already, but I think that, to continue it, I need to cut it all the way back to the beginning and start again. Some of those words will get reused, but the bulk will be gone. The Word Assassin strikes again.

I need a banner for that. Or a button. I’m a heartless word killer.

The other choice is another story that got about 5k chopped on it months ago. Again with the word death. But it’s such a compelling story. I love it.

Both stories need new outlines and plotting. Both will be awesome to write. It’s just a matter of if I have a heart to face cutting 20k words, or if I ought to start with the one that’s still reasonably “fresh”. Admittedly, when I get to the point where I have to cut everything I’ve written on something, I usually just scrap the idea. These are too good to kill entirely.

I still have to clean house. Oh, man. Have I washed the sheets? Is my fishtank clean? Why do I care?

I’m going to be a wreck by the start of next week.

Edit: Ask and receive, thanks to Bree…

Well, so much for needing a couple more days to finish it.

I knuckled down yesterday and cranked out the rest of the last chapter and the epilogue. So Stain of Midnight is now finished! I’m very proud of myself, as well as pleased with the finished product.

This book represents a lot of firsts for me. This the longest thing I have ever written. Back in the day, I wondered how I’d ever manage to write longer stories. I’ve fought with that since I first picked up a pen. Lately, though, I’ve learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. The words come, and sometimes, I have a problem making them stop. I had to throttle them back on this one, or it would have run very long.

This is, consequently, the longest thing I’ve ever finished. The old “longest thing I’ve ever written” wasn’t done yet.

I started this book on June 5. I finished it yesterday, July 8. Since I take weekends off, and had at least one three day weekend in there, it means I finished it in about 20 days. It’s 62k long. That’s not too shabby!

I’ve never done a sequel before, either. It has a lot of very unique challenges, and continuity’s just the first of those. You have to keep an eye to not only the plot of this book, but to the overarching plot that spans the series. This is challenging, rewarding, and absolutely fascinating.

Now the edits start. But the main work is over, and I can breathe. I can also take a few days to catch up on my promo, my web work, and all the other whatnots that crop up. Whew!

I really, really think I need one of these…

My blogging has fallen behind recently because honestly, I’m about done with Stain of Midnight. Just a couple more days of writing will do it, I think, and that means almost every word I type on the computer right now is in that document.

This book has been a hell of a ride for me for various reasons that I’ll discuss at a later moment. And now, I’m excited to see the end of it.

So enjoy my taste in garden decor, and I’ll check in when I’m finished!

(This was written for the blog tour. I figured I’d put it up here, too, just in case you missed it.)

It seems like every author has a process, some little ritual that gets ideas from their head into their word processor. I know I do.

This is a process I like to call “whatever works”.

I do have a usual modus operandi. I start by outlining my story on actual paper. I like Mead’s Five Star notebooks for this, since they’re sturdy and can take the abuse I give them. My notebook gets hauled around in the car, in my bag to the pool, on my lap, on my desk, on the floor, on my bed… College ruled, please! Otherwise, my handwriting’s illegible.

My handwriting’s illegible anyway, but nevermind.

I write out a longhand synopsis of the plot. This is where the real work gets done. If something doesn’t make sense, it’ll come out in this stage. Here’s where I see that gee, the heroine is really too stupid to live, or I have a massive deus ex machina at the ending, or hey, what the heck’s the point of this thing that’s going on? All the threads come off the spool here and get woven together.

I’d rather revise a longhand synopsis than words I’ve gone to the trouble of typing out. For example, my current work in progress, the sequel to my upcoming shifter book “Taint of Shadow”, has had three outline revisions already. I haven’t typed a word, but it’s been revised three times. Better now than later.

The outline doesn’t always go smoothly. Sometimes, it gets broken up by pages of notes, ideas, brainstorms, character interviews, vignettes, whatever. If I’ve got a writer’s block, I write through it (or go take a shower, which almost always gives me something to work with). At this stage, my web browser also gets overworked. When researching, I’ll have three tabs worth of websites open in Firefox at times.

My wiki gets a workout here, too. Pages for characters, world notes, plot points, sometimes even the synopsis get put in. I work in a lot of mediums.

Once I have that synopsis hammered out, I usually do an old fashioned outline, still in the notebook. I want to break that thing down into chapters, digestible bites, and points of view. It’s like a car. I’ve built the chassis, but now, I need the frame to put it on.

For more complex stories, the outline and synopsis go into a program called Power Structure. Simpler stories just get the paper outline, or sometimes an outline in the wiki if my writing’s particularly messy.

Now it’s time to write the story. This usually goes fast, since I know what’s going on already. I write at least two thousand words a day (except on short stories, where I obsess over every word, and then I allow myself a thousand a way). I start by reading over what I’ve already written, at least a few thousand words. I do a little polishing here, then write the next part.

My husband reads each chapter as I finish it. This is my first “reality check”. If it’s not working, I know right away.

After it’s done, it goes to my crit group. I polish it up, then send it out.

This process does change up sometimes. Every now and again, I write completely by the seat of my pants. I usually have the plot in my head, and I just go from there. Sometimes, I just use paper. Sometimes, I just use Power Structure. It really is all about what works for that particular story.

Short stories don’t take me that long to plan. A week, tops. For longer, more complex stories, it can take me two or three weeks to put together. I try not to stress about the time not spent writing. Ideas come to me every day, they get woven in and integrated, things get reworked, and everything gets put together in the best way I know how. When the ideas stop flowing, I know the plotting’s done. I have everything I need.

Meghan’s Submission had no outline, just the words in my head. New Life, my upcoming Vampire Oracle story, had a paper outline. Taint of Shadow, my upcoming shifter book, had four paper synopses, two outlines, a Power Structure file, and wiki information.

Whatever works.

Know why they call them the “dog days of summer”? Well, one rumor is that it’s because the star Sirius, the Dog Star, is shining down on us during the day, and that’s what’s making it so hot. Sirius is a pretty bright star, so way back in the day, they figured that was why it was so bloody much like a blast furnace outside.

Summer out in Arizona is a mixed bag. Nice that it’s bright, nice that you can take the kids swimming every day, not nice that the temperatures are heading for 110 degrees and that your electric bill is laughing at you every time the air conditioning comes on. And the kids are home, which is a mixed bag in and of itself.

It’s good to see them and interact with them. But just try working with them around! My concentration and mental peace are gone. For a little while in the morning, they’re content to hang out in their rooms and watch television or read books. Soon enough, though, they’re bored out of their minds and looking for entertainment.

They’ve been pretty good about letting me get work done so far. But I think it’s starting to wear a bit thin. I hope to get an office set up in my bedroom soon so that I can accomplish more while they’re at home. Because as the summer wears on, I bet I’ll get less and less done.

Except my reading. Which, if you think about it, isn’t such a bad deal.

It’s release day at Cobblestone Press again! And this week, I’m really, really excited about one of the titles. Well, I’m excited about all the titles, but this one in particular has me squealing.

It’s really no secret that among my best buds is Moira Rogers, shifter author, copy editor, and cover artist extraordinaire. Today’s the release of Moira’s very first book, a Wicked story called Moonshine. It’s part of the Mystic Valley world. And wow. Just wow.

I’ve already bought my copy. I’ve already devoured my copy. This story is so good. It’s hot, it’s intense, and it’s got an edge. Lars is fully edible. Most importantly, though, for a story this short, it’s got a really good plot. This isn’t just fluff. This is a meaty little story.

And it has Lars. Have I mentioned Lars?

Why are you still here? Go buy it! Right now!

I love music. I listen to music all the time. From the time I get up until I either get conned into turning on the TV or my husband turns on his music, I have iTunes going. (It’s not my favorite music player, but it works with both the iPod and Last.fm, so I put up with it.) If I forget to start it, I wonder why my writing’s going badly, then I realize, whoa, no music.

Every now and again, though, a song eats my soul.

I get it stuck in my head. Worse, I get it stuck deeper, under my skin. Something in it calls to me, be it melody or lyrics, and I become obsessed with it. It reminds me of something, or inspires something, and it won’t go away.

It’s even more evil when it comes with a story attached. Suddenly, I know everything that happens. I know the hero. I know the heroine. I know the plot. I have scenes spring fully-formed into my head, and I can see them, almost taste them, and I want to drop whatever I’m doing and write them. But I can’t, of course. I either have something to do, or I just plain know better. If I write the scenes, I vent them, and the rest of it goes away. I have to hold it, no matter how it torments me.

It’s been a long time since one hit me this hard. But I woke up with The Cruxshadows‘ “Winterborn” in my head this morning. I’d heard the song all of about twice, and I’d never really listened to the lyrics. I tossed it in my playlist yesterday, just to see if it stuck, and I had the melody in my head when I woke up.

So I looked at the lyrics. And then I was done for.

I see him. The hero. And I see her. The heroine. And I see…

Oh, don’t get me started. I have to sleep sometime tonight.

And in the fury of this darkest hour, we will be the light. You’ve asked me for my sacrifice, and I am Winterborn…

(This was written for the blog tour. I figured I’d throw it up here, too, in case anyone missed it.)

On the surface, my life seems to run like a chicken with its head cut off. If you delve deeper, however, you’ll find something completely different.

About ten thousand chickens with their heads cut off.

There are patterns to all that fowl play. They tend to depend on what time of year it is, meaning whether or not my kids are in school, but even then there are things that don’t change.

I wake up. It’s seldom before 9 AM, and is more often about 9:30. Sometimes, I go as late as 10, and on the weekends, it might be closer to 11 or 11:30, but most weekdays it’s around 9:30. I’m a late sleeper, mostly because my sleep’s very fragile, so I spend some time in there awake, too.

Most mornings, it’s a shower next. I plot best in the shower, so this isn’t only about washing my hair. It’s about kick starting my brain, getting the plot in order, and thinking about what I’m writing that day. Strange, isn’t it? But it works.

Once I either have all the plotting done or I’ve run out of hot water, I throw on my clothes, open the bedroom door, and trip over the cats that are waiting for me. I stagger out and turn the AC to a less arctic temperature (I prefer to sleep in a blizzard), then check my e-mail.

The music goes on at this point. Generally, it’s my big, random playlist. 193 songs, 14.3 hours of music.

Breakfast time. Bowl of cereal (usually Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds) with soy milk, glass of water, and my usual round of websites. I keep a tab on my Google homepage with all the writing oriented sites I look at, then I make the rounds of my friends’ blogs, my favored news sites, the couple of forums I read, just the usual stuff. One of the cats begs for my cereal bowl, then realizes I have soy milk and gets disgusted with me.

If the kids aren’t home for the summer, I feed the guinea pigs here, too. If the kids are home, they’ve already done it.

For the most part, I open up the document for the story I’m working on (if I even bothered to close it up the night before…most of the time, I don’t reboot my computer, just turn off the monitor) and read over what I did the day before. I make a couple word adjustments, and get back into the feel of the story. I also look over the outline, and whatever wiki information I have on it (I have my own wiki to work with), and then I write.

There’s a break for lunch in the afternoon. If the kids are in school, I go get them, and I grab food. I read a few websites, or do critique work if someone’s sent me something. If it’s the summer, I take the kids swimming and the break’s a little longer. I read while they swim, and listen to my iPod.

Usually, it’s back to the grindstone after that. If the kids are playing the XBox (and until I get my office set up in my bedroom), sometimes I’ll get some chores done here, like picking up, laundry, phone calls, whatever. When I can, it’s right back to writing until suppertime.

Kids usually eat first. My husband gets home later than they like to eat, so I get them fed. Sometimes, we go get Mr. Moore, sometimes he makes his way home on his own. Then I get the two of us fed.

Evenings are almost always the same, just variants on a theme. Occasionally, I’ll keep writing, but it’s often not very good for my carpal tunnel. A break at night is important for my health, and sometimes my sanity. You have to let the words come back. If I haven’t hit my two thousand words that day, though, I do “overtime”.

Other nights, if there’s something on the television, we’ll watch it. Sometimes we put on a movie, and I knit while we watch it. Some nights, we play video games together, either on the XBox 360 or on our computers. Feed the guinea pigs again, clean out their cage, make their food for the next day.

Then it’s bedtime. We try to hit bed around 10:00 PM, but it never works that way. It’s generally closer to 11:00, and on weekends, midnight or even later. We’re usually up chatting til at least midnight either way, sometimes longer. (It tends to depend on how hard and fast the meds hit. No really, I’m an insomniac.)

And then…we do it all over again.

Isn’t my life exciting?