The Story I can't Sell

MY friend Jennifer does the most fun thing on her blog on Tuesdays-- Tuesday Teasers. http://jenniferloweryauthor.wordpress.com I love to go by, and this morning I pulled a teaser from an old manuscript, Mississippi Blues, the story of my heart.

Summer recognized Trey at once. No one else sounded like him. Genetics gave him a voice that sounded like it had to crawl across gravel to get out of his throat. She blinked the rain out of her eyes. Maybe she was seeing things. What was he doing on her doorstep in the middle of a rainy night? Of all the places she’d expected him to reappear, this wasn’t it. All the days and months she’d waited for him to show up and explain why he’d turned his back on Jace–and her–and he’d never bothered. Then she heard through the grapevine he joined the marines and took off for parts unknown.

For this manuscript to be the story of my heart is kind of funny. There's not a cowboy in sight. It's not set in the west, it's in the south (the title kind of gives that away), and I can't give it away.

Nope. Every editor I've ever subbed to hates it, two agents didn't want to represent it.

But I love it. I love Trey with his husky voice. I love that Summer is older. I love that Jace and Sammi find each other, when they are both broken.

It's the story I hope someday sells more than any other...

What is yours?

My favorite manuscript...and about D'Ann...

That's our topic this week. Coming off a long and busy weekend, I've been thinking about it...and thinking...give me a minute. I'll be there.

But first, a shout-out to my friend and CP D'Ann, who just signed a new contract. I am sooooo pumped for her, but I'm not giving you the deets. She gets to do that, so stay tuned!

Okay. Manuscripts. Favorite manuscripts. Lessee...eeny, meeny, miny...no, not that one. Geeze, it's like having a favorite child. Not happening. Except...

One More Summer, my book that's out now, is probably the one that's closest to my heart. It took hardly any time to write but a long time to sell and I'm proud of it. I can't even give you a reason I feel that way, but I did from the moment I first typed Chapter One.

Conversely--or is it perversely? I'm not good with those--the one I feel the least emotional about is one that sold comparatively easily (if the comparison has to do with a bridge in the desert). It did well and got mostly good reviews, but I'm more removed from it than the others.

My friend Judith Palmer has a lyrical voice and I love her stories and her Hoosier people who are ones I've known all my life. I've read most of her manuscripts and favor them over many published books I've read, but even among those, none of them stands clearly above the rest.

I think some of my favorites are my Starts. Those are the first chapters I've written with the certainty that I was absolutely onto the Great American Novel. I go back and read them sometimes, thinking I'd like to finish them, but the misfortune of being a pantser is that sometimes instead of springing helpfully into place in a new story, sometimes the plot stays hidden. Forever.

My apologies for such a disjointed entry. I don't think I've made all that much sense, but now I'm curious about what you think. Do you have a favorite of your own or of someone else's?

It's Three in the Morning

It's 3:00 a.m. and I'm wide awake. Hubby is snoring and channel surfing has gotten on my nerves. I've looked in the refrigerator a few times, just to make sure there's nothing I want to eat. Roaming around downstairs isn't really appealing. I find the quiet creepy. Worked on the wip, but my characters keep reminding me how late it is. Yes, everyone, I'm an insomniac.

It doesn't really bother me tonight...this morning. I'm off work, so when I finally doze off, I'll be able to sleep in. I've gone to the doctor about my condition. She spent half an hour trying to convince me I'm depressed. Wow. That's news to me, I thought I was a pretty happy person. Shows how much I know about myself, huh?

Anyhoo. I've got a character from another story whispering in my ear. I think she's an insomniac too. Maybe I'll talk to her for a while. Never know where she'll lead me. I guess insomnia has its perks.

A Little R and R

Rest and Relaxation?

Better.

Revise and Resubmit.

Yep. I got one of those from an agent. Yay, me.

It all started with a 100 page partial request in January's Cupid Contest--which if you aren't following this blog and you're a writer--get over there now. http://cupidslitconnection.blogspot.com/

That was followed by, "I'm really enjoying the pages you sent me. Could you please send me the full ms?"

Yeehaw!

And even the semi-rejection was filled with wonderful news. "Bix could be one of my favorite male narrators of all time."

SO, how's my revision going? Not so well.

The day I received the good news I came down with Iritis. Imagine you have an eyelash or speck of dirt in your eye. Now times that by 50. It is that painful and debilitating. For three or four days I couldn't even go on a computer because the bright light--you don't even realize how bright a computer can be until this moment--was shooting lightening bolts of pain through my eye and forehead.

But, finally, over a week later, it is on the mend. The whites of my eyes are still blood shot but my eyeball doesn't appear to be sinking into them anymore and the pain is mostly gone.

So, now off to write the last quarter of my book. Yeah. The last quarter. And when I'm done and sent it back to the agent, maybe I'll have time for a little rest and relaxation. Maybe I'll even go to Cannon Beach (pictured above) and just take a walk on the shore. Maybe....

...Of Many Hats

I'm a woman of many hats. The metaphorical sort, not the actual head-wear sort because I've found - in my case at least - hats are mostly a mistake. I was tempted to join in the craze during Will & Kate's royal wedding last year...but I kept myself under control because, fascinating fascinators or not, they were still hats...and my head is just not made for them.

But I digress.

I wear a lot of hats. I'm a freelance writer. A mom. And aspiring romance novelist. A wife. A radio station DJ. A friend. A fitness instructor. A daughter. The list goes on, and mostly I can keep it under control. I don't have to be a friend and a daughter and a wife and a writer and a DJ all at the same time. Sometimes I want to. . .but I know I can't be all those things at the same time. So I compartmentalize. I focus on the task at hand when its at hand.

One of my guilty pleasures is the reality show 'Dance Moms'. Don't get me started, I could go on for hours. But it amazes me the ability the kids have of taking the task at hand - a solo dance, a group dance, whatever - and run with it. They focus. They execute. They cry because it's what kids do. But they get it done.

I'm in awe of those kids because, even during my best compartmentalizing moments, I'm not always fully committed. I get distracted by a story idea or a demanding three year old or a call from back home or. . .well, fill in the blank. I'm getting better at the focus - its kind of mandatory! - but I still struggle with focusing 100% because there is always something else I'd rather be doing - I'd rather be writing fiction all the time, I'd like to be in a glossy women's or parenting magazine, I'd like to be volunteering at my kid's school. . .and those wants can sometimes keep me from doing my absolute best.

Do you wear many hats? And how do you keep your different selves all happy and healthy and . . . well, under control?