Magic To Do

My goodness - can the holiday season be almost over?  It feels like we were just putting up the tree yesterday.  So much work to get ready and it's all over in a flash.  Almost all the presents have been delivered.  My mailed a package to my friend who lives in the UK on December 14 and she still hasn't received it.  Since USPS doesn't track to UK there's nothing they can do about it being missing.  Other than that all other packages were delivered without a hitch.

Once the new year comes I'll be doing some organizing and after that it'll be full speed ahead on the querying front.  I had made the decision to step back for the holidays for a few reasons.  First, because many agents on my list were closing to queries until after the new year.  And, I decided I wanted to concentrate on enjoying the season instead of being stressed about waiting for replies.  Also, I wanted to try and poke at my manuscript a bit.  I'm hyper aware of my overuse of the word "that" so I did make an honest effort to find ways around using it.  And, I was under the impression I had already done a search for it and "just".  When you've gone over a manuscript time and time again it's easy for things to blend together to an extent.  So, I must have dreamed doing that search because I was up until six am Sunday deleting over a thousand of those two extra words.  Yes, a thousand.  Since my character is telling a story I can get away with some use of the word "that" but not that much.

I've also been paying some attention to Query Tracker to work on my list.  Who changed their genres, who's closed, who's branching out on their own, etc.  This is something I always try to keep up on whether I'm in querying mode or not.

This week I'm going to be working on finding my desk.  I seem to have misplaced it during the holiday season thanks to all the packages, Christmas cards, and catelogs.  Just like Spock it will be found.  This I swear.

This is the Moment

I wrote the very last word of my first draft in early May.  It was very late - definitely after midnight.  When I was done I had to run out for a bit - for gas I think.  I don't usually take my iPod in the car with me on quick trips but this time I grabbed it.  And This is the Moment from James Barbour's album Bring Me Giants was the very first song to come over the speakers.

And it was that moment realization came over me.  This was the moment - the first of many more to come.  Finishing that first draft was so amazing and if I hadn't done that the rest of the journey could not have started. 

Since music is such a large part of my manuscript and because this song played an important part in the story I wanted to highlight the whole album.  In fact, the very last song, I Can't Recall, is mentioned in the book.  The CD's not available on Amazon or iTunes anymore but maybe it'll show up again.  Every song is from a musical based on a literary classic.  Some you may recognized but others may surprise you.

Who Will Love this Child - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Longer I Live - Dracula
I Will Be There - The Count of Monte Cristo
Loving You Keeps Me Alive - Dracula
If Ever I Would Leave You - Camelot
Music of the Night - The Phantom of the Opera
Bring Him Home - Les Miserables
This is the Moment - Jekyll & Hyde (see below)
Impossible Dream - Man of La Mancha
Bring Me Giants - Cyrano de Bergerac 
I Can't Recall - Tale of Two Cities

Bright Brand New Day

I'm going to keep this brief this time around and only concentrate on the good.  The bad is always trying to pull me down but that's being laid aside for now.

Christmas season is upon us and the new year is approaching.  With it I have bright hopes for more good things waiting in the wings.  I hope they hear their cues soon so entrances can be made.

This past Thursday was #pitmad and it's always a fun time (even though I have to work through most of it).  Lots of retweets and new followers - I haven't had the chance to follow back yet but I certainly will very soon.  The event was good for me with a few favorites.  Now it's time to wait and see if they turn into anything.. 

I missed the last few hours of #pitmad because I had tickets to a Christmas concert at a local high school.  I live in a smallish town in NJ that doesn't get much in the way of "big" acts.  For that I'd have to travel to New York City, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, or even New Brunswick.  We don't have any big concert halls and couldn't support them due to our proximity to the larger cities.

So,  hearing Phil Coulter would be playing at a high school down the street from my office was pretty exciting.  And, the concert was the perfect end to a great day.  I've been on Phils's Tranquility Cruise twice so I'd heard all of the songs Phil played before except for one - Bright, Brand New Day.

Even though the song is about the Irish city of Derry coming alive after The Troubles  I sat up straighter in my seat as I listened to it.  I was so close to my own bright, brand new day.  I felt like I was ready to head down a new road.  To stand up and say "I'm ready".

And I am.  I'm ready for my bright, brand new day.

Heart

Well, Nightmare on Query Street is over – for me at least.  It was a fun few days but ultimately the judges didn’t find what they were looking for in my manuscript.  I won’t lie and say there weren’t tears or there wasn’t a brief moment of “why do I bother”.  I’ve been asked to not stray too far away from the twitter feed even though I am no longer in the running (and maybe never really was).  Apparently, my contributions to the feed have been worthwhile but I’m still undecided on that.  I don’t want to come off as sour grapes but the stab of rejection is a little too fresh for me to wade back in to watch the celebrating.

Now it’s back to the query trenches with the hope that someone, somewhere will see something in my little manuscript that could.  I still believe in the piece even if I’m having trouble finding people who feel the same way.  And, it’s not just because I’m the author and I think everything I write is amazing.  Is it a perfect manuscript?  Probably not but wasn’t it Picasso who said art is never finished but rather abandoned?  I’m sure some tweaks need to be made but as a whole I think I have something good and people who have actually read it agree.

I want to thank the good folks who were chatting with me last night and talked me off my proverbial ledge.  Those first few moments after the announcement was made weren’t pretty ones for me.  It’s always my endeavor to never come off as whiny or anything and if I ever came close to it last night I apologize.

I didn't write this because I wanted anyone to feel sorry for me or that I feel sorry for myself.  My goal with this blog is to chronicle the ups and downs of this process.  It's easy to say "don't take it personal" or "don't let it get you down".  But, we're all humans with emotions and not having feelings just isn't in the cards.  Having those moments of reflection, sadness, and even doubt are okay.  They're even healthy.  But, the goal is not to dwell on those moments.  To take stock and move forward carrying something better than what you had before.

I would also like to thank the hard working folks behind #NoQS.  All of you have jobs, families, and your own books but you still made the time to try to help people reach their ultimate goals and find an agent/publisher.  This road doesn’t end here for you guys and it stretches on for you and the writers you saw potential in.  May you all find success in your future endeavors.

Finally, congratulations to the winners – may you all come out of this adventure with agents, books deals, and gads of fans.

Shades of Gray

And the rejections came pouring in from every side.  While I do try to stay positive and not let the naysayers pull me down I'm also not going to put a fake whitewash on things.  Getting rejections just plain old sucks - even really nice, non-form rejections have some level of suckage.  We all question ourselves from time to time.  Are we wasting our time?  Are we wasting everyone else's time?  What if we're not good enough? 

Those questions are perfectly acceptable but the important thing is to not get trapped in those moments.  If someone comes along and says you're not supposed to feel down about the query process you have my permission to kick them in the shin.  You have every right to feel down about things but it's important to move on.  Reflection is okay but don't peruse them. 

There are a lot of cooks in my kitchen and I have trouble sorting out what advice to take and what is best left to the side.  Everyone means well but with so many opposing views coming at me I end up feeling as if I'm on an out of control merry-go-round.  The up and down and round and round can give anybody a headache.  I'm sure anyone else out in Agent Land can understand those feelings - many of you have probably had them.

I've been prepping for Nightmare on Query Street lately and I feel like I'm just about where I want to be.  I just need to tighten up my query just a bit more before the deadline.  A lot of these contests have the same judges/mentors/agents as other contests and sometimes I have to wonder if they're tired of seeing my name and title go scrolling by.  "Her again?"  But, perseverance pays off and this is more of a "keeping at it" game than anything else.  If we all gave up after thirty-two rejections there wouldn't be a publishing business to speak of.  No new books would ever get published.

So, we'll all keep plugging away until that shining moment when someone wants to read more that becomes an offer of rep.  Remember, many authors got hundreds of rejections and only one yes.

Maybe This Time

I started querying again earlier this week.  I hadn't given up after receiving so many rejections and no requests but I had stepped back for a moment.  I took stock of what I had and got some great feedback on my query letter and my manuscript as a whole.  I thought shining a light on it again would help me make it stronger for another round of queries.

I've been sending a few queries every day for the past few days and today I got some responses.  One one was a form rejection letter after two days and the second was a form rejection after one.  These new rejections shook me more than even the first one had.  I couldn't explain why these latest ones hurt more than the ones in the past.  My confidence wasn't in overload but I was feeling very sure of myself - much more so than before.  Thanks to betas and CPs I knew for sure that I had something worthwhile - worth reading.  And yet more people don't want to read it.

One of the agents said it wasn't a good fit for their client list.  That almost sounds like my manuscript can't be trusted in polite company. It's going to run around the room and annoying all the other older, established manuscripts and no one will invite it to any more parties.

We're cool though - we can fit in with all of the other polite manuscripts without causing trouble - well, much trouble anyway.  Life without a little trouble is very boring.

So, I'm down a bit today but I'm not out.  Tomorrow is another day, after all.  There are still a lot more queries out there and others still waiting to be sent.  Today was just a tough one - two rejections within an hour of each other on top of a rough day at work.  My poor brain just wasn't having any of it by 5pm.

But, that day will come when someone, somewhere will see something special in me and my little manuscript that could.  And upon that day there will be some freaking out.

The Book Report

I was up until almost 3am writing the bibliography for my manuscript.  No one has asked for it or said I require it.  But, I thought I should put it together and have it available on the off chance someone did want to see a list.  And now I've decided to share it.  There's nothing spoilery about this.  Everything listed here is mentioned, sung, watched, or heard by my main character in the book.

Batman.  Dir. Tim Burton.  Perf.  Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger. Warner Bros. 1989.

Benetar, Pat.  “Shadows of the Night”.  Get Nervous.  Chrysalis\EMI Records.  1984.

Blackmore’s Night.  “Where are We Going From Here?”  Ghost of a Rose.  Ais.  2010.

Boublil, Alain et al.  “I’ll Be There”.  The Pirate Queen.  Masterworks Broadway.  2007.

Bowie, David.  “As the World Falls Down”.  Labyrinth.  Parlophone.  2007.

Brian Setzler Orchestra, The.  “Hollywood Nocturne”.  Dirty Boogie, The.  Interscope.      1998.

Carpenters, The.  “There’s a Kind of Hush”. Love Songs.  A&M.  1998.

Carpenters, The.  “Top of the World.”  Love Songs.  A&M 1998. 

Cash, Johnny.  “Folsom Prison Blues”.  With His Hot and Blue Guitar.  Sun Records.  1955.

Dusk, Matt.  “This Could Be the Start of Something Good”.  Live from Las Vegas.  Royal Crown.  2011. 

Eder, Linda.  “Both Sides, Now”.  Other Side of Me.  Verve.  2008.

Electric Light Orchestra.  “Evil Woman”.  Face the Music.  Epic.  1976.

Everyone’s Hero.  Dir. Christopher Reeve, et al.  Perf. Jake T. Austin, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg,    Rob Reiner.  Arc Productions.  2006.

Exit to Eden.  Dir. Garry Marshall.  Perf. Dan Akroyd, Rose O’Donnell, Dana Delany.  Savoy Pictures.  1994.

Fain, Sammy, et al.  “Secret Love”.  Calamity Jane.  Vintage Music, 1953.

Fillmore,  Henry.  “The Circus Bee”.  1908.

Fučík, Julius.  “Entrance of the Gladiators”.  1897.

Goodman, Benny, et al.  “Flying Home”.  A League of Their Own.  Sbme Special Mkts.  2008.

Gore, Michael.  “Miles From Here”.  Fame.  Rhino.  2003. 

Greatest Show on Earth, The.  Dir. Cecil B. DeMille.  Perf. Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Gloria Grahame, James Stewart.  Paramount Pictures.  1952.

Hamlisch, Marvin.  “Music & The Mirror, The”.  A Chorus Line.  Sony Classical.  1975.

Keeling, Derek.  “Broken Bridge”.  Long Road Home.   CD Baby.  2013.

Kelly, Ryan.  “Live for Life”.  In Time.  CD Baby.  2013.

Kerrigan, Kait, et al.  “How to Return Home”.  Kerrigan-Lowdermilk LIVE.  Yellow Label Music.  2013.

King, Karl.  “Barnum & Bailey’s Favorite”.  1913.

King, Karl.  “Melody Shop, The”.  1910.

Lauper, Cyndi. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”.  She’s So Unusual.  Portrait Studios.  1983. 

McGinty, Damian.  “A Bird Without Wings”.  Act Two.  Celtic Thunder.  2008. 

Men Without Hats.  “Safety Dance, The”.  Rhythm of Youth.  Aquarius.  1983.

Menken, Alan.  “One Step Closer”.  The Little Mermaid.  Walt Disney.  2008.

Moonlighting.  Perf. Cybil Shepard, Bruce Willis.  ABC.  ABC Circle Films, 1985-1989.

Nelson, Willie.  “On the Road Again”.  Honeysuckle Rose.  Columbia.  1980.

Parton, Dolly.  “Shine Like the Sun”.  9 to 5: The Musical.  Dolly Records.  2009. 

Proclaimers, The.  “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).  Sunshine on Leith.  1989.

Prom Night.  Dir. Paul Lynch.  Perf. Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie, Nielsen, Casey Stevens. Simcom Limited.  1980

Queen.  “Another One Bites the Dust”.  Game, The.  Hollywood Records.  1980.

Queen.  “Don’t Stop Me Now”.  Jazz.  Elektra.  1979. 

Rodgers, Richard.  “I Could Write A Book”. Pal Joey.  Capitol Records.  1952.

Rodgers, Richard, et al.  “Most Beautiful Girl in the World, The”.  Jumbo.  1935. 

Rodgers, Richard, et al.  “Suzy is a Good Thing”.  Rodgers & Hammerstein's Pipe Dream (New York City Center Encores! Presents).  Ghostlight.  2012.   

Rodgers, Richard, et al.  “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”  Carousel.  1945.

Rubin, Bruce Joel, et al.  “Life Turns on a Dime”.  Ghost:  The Musical.  Ais.  2011. 

Santoriello, Jill.  “I Can’t Recall”.  Tale Of Two Cities: Original Broadway Concept Album.  Libra Verde.  2011. 

Schwartz, Stephen.  “Corner of the Sky”.  Pippen.  Ghostlight.  2013.

So Proudly We Hail!  Dir. Mark Sandrich. Perf. Claudette Colbert, Veronica Lake,     Paulette Goddard, George Reeves.  Paramount Pictures.  1944.

Sondheim, Stephen.  “Everybody Says Don’t”.  Anyone Can Whistle.  Sony Classical.  1964.

Sondheim, Stephen.  “I’m Still Here” Follies.  Capitol Records.  1971.

Simon, Paul et al.  “America”.  Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits.  Columbia.  1972.

Springstein, Bruce.  “Born to Run”.  Born to Run.  Sony.  1976.

Star Wars.  Dir. George Lucas.  Perf. Mark Hamil, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford.  Twentieth Century Fox.  1977

Stitt, Georgia.  “Big Wings”.  This Ordinary Thursday.  P.S. Classics.  2007.

Stitt, Georgia.  “If I Could”.  My Lifelong Love.  Sh-K-Boom Records.  2011.

Super Friends.  Perf.  Danny Dark, Adam West. ABC.  Hanna-Barbara Productions, 1973-2011

Superman: The Movie. Dir. Richard Donner.  Perf. Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman.  Dovemead Films.  1978.

Webber, Andrew Llyod, et al.  “As if We Never Said Goodbye”.  Sunset Blvd.   Verve/BMG.  1993.

Williams, John et al.  “Can You Read My Mind?” Maureen McGovern: Greatest Hits.  Curb Records.  2011   

Williams, Paul et al.  “I’m Going To Go Back There Someday”.  Muppet Movie, The.  Walt Disney.  2003.

Wildhorn, Frank et al.  “This is the Moment”.  Jekyll & Hyde.  Atlantic.  1997. 

Wonder Woman.  Perf.  Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner. ABC/CBS.  Bruce Lansbury Productions, 1975-1979