Andrea Murray's Blog: Author of the Vivid Trilogy and Omni, page 18
February 1, 2012
sick day
So, my daughter is home sick from school, and since I feel terrible today, I stayed with her. I have written so much today! I have had some epiphany moments and have writen a couple of chapters in my second novel. I love it! I think it will better than the first!
January 26, 2012
time to write
Finding time to write is a real issue when you have a day job. I need a snow day from school so that I can just lock myself in the bedroom, let my hubby watch the kids, and just write. I have an outline for the next few chapters, but I just don't have time to write.
January 19, 2012
the dreaded query letter
Querying is difficult. I have sent so many query letters that it makes me feel like a complete loser. I know, I know. That's all part of it, right? You have to get used to rejection, but GEEZ! It's hard to spend hours looking up agents and submitting letter/emails, hoping "let this be the one."
Then I'll read some terribly-written book, and think HOW?! HOW DID THIS PERSON GET AN AGENT BUT I CAN'T?! I'm not saying I'm like a phenom or something, but let's face it, there are some awful YA books out there, but someone loved it enough to publish it!
Then the rejections roll in. I dread opening my email after I send a round of letters. It makes me nervous. I have heart palpitations, and on those days, I sometimes think my heart's going to run away with me.
Well, that's all. Griping done. Sorry, needed to purge.
Then I'll read some terribly-written book, and think HOW?! HOW DID THIS PERSON GET AN AGENT BUT I CAN'T?! I'm not saying I'm like a phenom or something, but let's face it, there are some awful YA books out there, but someone loved it enough to publish it!
Then the rejections roll in. I dread opening my email after I send a round of letters. It makes me nervous. I have heart palpitations, and on those days, I sometimes think my heart's going to run away with me.
Well, that's all. Griping done. Sorry, needed to purge.
January 18, 2012
discouragement
Some days are so discouraging. Just all- around discouraging.
January 17, 2012
the day job
I love teaching--that's not entirely true. Let me amend that statement. I love teaching most of the time. But today, I really just wanted to write.
I am about 10 chapters into book number 2 of my Vivid series, and I soooo wanted to stay home and write.
I'm trying something different with this one, a little Post-Modernist experimentation with POV and alternating a past story with the current story. If may turn out to be a huge mess, but I am really enjoying the past chapters. I hope it works out.
So, back to the day job. Writing and the day job don't mix. Maybe someday the writing WILL be the day job! Wouldn't that be great??? IDK, that would mean being home with my refridgerator all day, probably a bad plan.
Oh well, I am starting a suspense short story activity with my students tomorrow, so that will be sort of like combining the day job and the writing job. Could be fun! We will see!
I am about 10 chapters into book number 2 of my Vivid series, and I soooo wanted to stay home and write.
I'm trying something different with this one, a little Post-Modernist experimentation with POV and alternating a past story with the current story. If may turn out to be a huge mess, but I am really enjoying the past chapters. I hope it works out.
So, back to the day job. Writing and the day job don't mix. Maybe someday the writing WILL be the day job! Wouldn't that be great??? IDK, that would mean being home with my refridgerator all day, probably a bad plan.
Oh well, I am starting a suspense short story activity with my students tomorrow, so that will be sort of like combining the day job and the writing job. Could be fun! We will see!
January 16, 2012
what have I done
Okay, my first blog ever.
Let me start by saying I have no idea what I am doing and often wonder what have I done. Writing a book seemed like a good idea when I began. I've always loved writing (no great shocker there), but I never thought to actually write a book until about four years ago. See, my amazingly funny, often annoying, but completely adorable brother-in-law was killed in a freak hunting accident. He left behind a wife, a baby son, and a devestated family.
His death made me realize that we don't have a lot of time on this planet, and I was wasting some of mine by not doing something I really wanted to do. I mean, why not try, right?
So, I did. Then I discovered how incredibly hard it is to get published. I did the agent thing, writing query letters, getting rejected--and I haven't entirely given up hope in that area. I still send letters sometimes, but I no longer let their opinions guide me. Epublishing is work but is totally worth it. Getting out the word about my book has been difficult, but I'm still at it.
So, I wrote Vivid. As I neared the end, I realized Vivian needed a louder voice and decided to serialize. Good plan? We'll see.
Let me start by saying I have no idea what I am doing and often wonder what have I done. Writing a book seemed like a good idea when I began. I've always loved writing (no great shocker there), but I never thought to actually write a book until about four years ago. See, my amazingly funny, often annoying, but completely adorable brother-in-law was killed in a freak hunting accident. He left behind a wife, a baby son, and a devestated family.
His death made me realize that we don't have a lot of time on this planet, and I was wasting some of mine by not doing something I really wanted to do. I mean, why not try, right?
So, I did. Then I discovered how incredibly hard it is to get published. I did the agent thing, writing query letters, getting rejected--and I haven't entirely given up hope in that area. I still send letters sometimes, but I no longer let their opinions guide me. Epublishing is work but is totally worth it. Getting out the word about my book has been difficult, but I'm still at it.
So, I wrote Vivid. As I neared the end, I realized Vivian needed a louder voice and decided to serialize. Good plan? We'll see.
