Kelly McCullough's Blog, page 128

Revising Stories

I am stalling around before going on line and dealing with Unemployment.

So I have a question. I have a lot of trouble with perfectionism when I revise. There is sometimes, maybe even often, when things are going well, a high when I do the original draft.

But when I go back, all I can see is problems.

Do other people have this reaction? What do they do?[image error]

48,000 words or bust

That's today's editing goal. We'll see. If I manage it I can email my manuscript to my editor exactly a month and a day early.[image error]

Monday Morning WIP Open Thread

Hey all,

Whatcha doin'? Huh? Huh? Huh?

I'm getting started on turning beta comments into a draft to send to my editor, because, hey it's about that time. I've got 6 of 11 sets of comments in with another expected tonight. Then...I really don't know, but I ought to update my website and get ready for the book that comes out next month. On the house front. The basement is clean and the dampish wall has been sealed. Hopefully that works. Then it's spread the wood chips from the dump and start thinki

Novel Length

Kelly found a good post on novel lengths, which he linked to below. A bit discouraging to me. As I age, I want to write shorter and shorter novels. Less is more.

I clearly need to switch over to YA and middle school. I have the beginning of a YA fantasy, which I dropped because my job was eating my life. Maybe I should take another look at it.

There is much to be said for writing a science fiction YA, since these are as rare as hen's teeth, while YA fantasies are as common as teeth in therapod d

Smart Things--Book Length

Via David Levine, Colleen Lindsay saying smart things about novel length[image error]

Friday Cat Blogging

What do you mean, your chair?



You, down there, prepare to die!



Sun worshiper...duh



Look, the screen porch is six inches away, don't hassle me about getting out and about.



Up to something? Me? While everyone else is on the porch? Never.

[image error]

Anchors: Not Just for Ships

I've been arduously reviewing, revising, rereading and generally tweaking my manuscript for HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD, which is due on my editor's desk on May 1. This is the book that I wrote rather quickly (some of you probably remember the contest between Kelly and me,) and I think it shows.

One thing I've discovered today is that there are entire passages with no anchors. "Anchor" is a term I made up (I think!) to describe those little physical details that keep a reader grounded, present or other

Prophetic Dream?

I dreamed last night I joined Twitter. Do you think that means anything?[image error]

Covers and Credits (like D&D only it stings more when your characters die)

I just wrote this in regards to a question about queries and not having any professional writing credits:

It's _always_ incredibly difficult to land an agent. But the writing credits issue has very little to do with it. It's something that's very hard to believe when you're first starting out (I certainly had enough trouble getting it into my head) but credits have almost zero impact on acceptances. 99.9999 percent of the time the story gets accepted or doesn't based on its own merits and the cur

Guest Blog: A Spy in the House of Love

Yes, Dollhouse fans, this is a review. Well, sort of.

I don't usually do movie or TV reviews. This is only my second one, so forgive me if it's a bit unorthodox. But something about this episode of Dollhouse really spoke to me.

But I'm getting ahead of myself....

I don't know if you have been watching Dollhouse. I have, and while I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan, I have to admit that up until this episode I haven't been impressed. Sure, it has all the basic elements. It has eye candy (Amy Acker – who’s