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Writing a novel, then editing, polishing, editing some more: 3-6 months. Writing a query letter good enough to catch an agent’s eye: 2-4 weeks. Researching agents that are legitimate, accepting queries and have made sales this century: 1-4 weeks for round 1. Waiting to hear back from partials and requested pages: 6 – 18 months.…

I’m going out tonight. My sister’s office is having their holiday party at the Yacht Club, and they get to bring significant others – and insignificant others, as in my case 😀  So at the end of my work day today, I’m bringing in the change of clothes sitting in my car, changing, and headin’…

Writing Science Fiction requires a knowledge of bolognium, a word author Larry Niven invented to explain inventions SF authors come up with that don’t or can’t exist. Warp Drives and Worm Holes and Time Shifts Oh My! Your average reader is going to overlook your bolognium if, and only if, it makes perfect sense within…

In order to keep you guessing, and so this won’t take until April 24th since that’s really kind of ridiculous, I’m posting Chapter 3 of: When the Stars Walk Backwards. And since I like to include a little disclaimer with each posting – to save face, as it were – again keep in mind this…

Dialog tags (or dialogue tags if you prefer, I don’t) are considered invisible – that is, if they’re not overused or abused or made to appear ridiculous. And by that I mean, we’re told the reader’s eye seemlessly flys over the term: he said. as if it weren’t even there. Dialog tags keep track of who’s speaking,…

I’ve decided not to trunicate the chapter this time – it’s when you click to Read More that you get the squished margins, thanks to this template, and I love this template too much to switch. Black is so very slimming, yanno. So here’s Chapter 2 – what I call the Emo Character (I feel…

O Catscratch Tree O Catscratch Tree How shredded are thy branches! O Catscratch Tree O Catscratch Tree How shredded are thy branches! You’re dragged around my house all day Pine pitch in fur won’t go away O Catscratch Tree O Catscratch Tree How shredded are thy branches! I moved out of my mother’s house after…

DISGUSTING!   It’s not raining cats and dogs. It’s raining ELEPHANTS AND BLUE WHALES!!! Today we’re trying hard to break the records for inches, feet, maybe even yards. As I sit here at work, performing emergency storm duties, I’m hearing the only route home is flooded and closed. Joy to the World. I picked a fine…

My Friday Thing. Chapter 1, disclaimer: Okay, just so we’re clear, this story is being posted a chapter at a time every Friday – this novel is being put here because it CANNOT be offered up for publication, dig? It has no First Rights left. That’s because when I wrote this 10 years ago, I…

By the prickling of my thumbs, Castle Debacle hast this way come! Err, well – it’s here. And my Friday Thing is coming. It’s coming! Get off my back!!  *ahem* It’s coming.