Monday, December 11, 2006

I'm totally getting into the Christmas season, though what little snow we had melted in the rain last night. It's just not right having temps warm enough to melt snow, revealing the GREEN grass underneath. It's absolutely f%#ked-up to be able to walk around jacket-less in the middle of a Canadian December!!
Al Gore - I'm listening, dude!

Got our Christmas tree yesterday and it's perfect. Absolutely the finest most asymetrical tree I've ever seen. Shame it had to be cut down, really. I'll post a pic once it's trimmed, though it's so dang flawless I almost don't want to decorate it!

I'm working on assignment one for my children's lit course. I have to write a story based on a picture (one of a few choices they offered) of bears in a bathtub. I've decided to go with 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears II: Revenge of the Bears". It will be a picture book for 3-5 year olds.
Hmmm.... I may have to change the title.

The pirate story is up to a whopping 479 words! Just 9,500 more to go. Needless to say, I have NO IDEA where I'm going with it. I've changed my mind on the plot so many times that I've actually gone backwards in productivity. Is there a word to describe this? T.L.? You're good with words.

Good News/Bad News -- I sent a query off to an agent (kid lit) and got a request for full manuscript. Then I went on Absolute Write and found out they're a bunch of scammers. OUCH! Just as I was about to run for the hills, I rec'd an email from them saying they want to represent me. DOUBLE OUCH!! Better lace up my sneakers. Meanwhile, I'd sent a query to another agent (this one, legitimate) and rec'd a request for full ms today. Yipee! I'm used to getting rejections in the query phase, so this is a very positive step, even if it goes no further.

Two weeks have dragged by and I still haven't heard from Dream Editor at Dream Publishers re 'Destiny By Design'. She said she was swamped and it would be two weeks minimum before she'd get back to me, but despite her warning, I've begun the obsessive habit of hitting my 'check mail' button. My finger is starting to blister.

Hey - I've just found these label thingies. Cool!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good on ya for checking on AW and finding out about the icky agent, and wowie wow, best of luck with the nifty, cool agent! I'm excited! :)

Still keeping all my appendages crossed for Destiny by Design. I feel strongly that you'll get very good news. :)

And I hear ya about the plot quandary re: the pirate story. The phrase that springs to mind when I go round and round with a plot is "endless loop", ha! Hope you get rolling with it soon -- that's always such a wonderful feeling.

Amy Ruttan said...

So you are taking the Children's Institue Course. I am almost finished the second Children's course, where you concentrate on writing an actual manuscript, so it's not all little assignments. You know what's funny ... I picked the bears in the bath tub as well! My story was about this kid one day realizing that he understood animals and the duck was taking payments from animals to use the facilities at this kids house. I know it sounds weird, you'd have to read it.

Congrats on the legitimate agent. I alas am (and probably will be) waiting forever to hear from Harlequin on the Query I sent off. Robyn from TRW said it took 8 months for her friend to be rejected, but it was a good rejection letter. So we'll see what happens.

Wylie Kinson said...

Amy - that's a hilarious premise for your bear story! I'd love to read it!!! Can I?
Did you like the course? Who was your instructor?
Email me! thewatkinsons at rogers dot com.

Amy Ruttan said...

I'll send you an email, on the basis you understand that it was the first children's story I ever wrote, and it was pre-grammar class days so it's rough (haven't got around to fixing). SO NO LAUGHING! Well, unless you actually find it funny .... ;)

Wylie Kinson said...

I shall read it tonight when Sweetness and Light are quietly asleep and not doing Playdoh in the background interupting every 12 seconds to make another snake.

Promise not to laugh and will reciprocate by sending you my rough draft later.

P