A new series...yet to be disclosed

The decision is made. I will begin writing a new, more serious, series of books. I can't share the idea just yet because it is still forming in my head as to how I might pull it off. All I can tell you is that it will be very different from The Kody Burkoff Mystery Series. I love Kody and her adventures, and her struggle to find the right man to fulfill her every need, but it's time to move on. It's time to dig a little deeper. It's time to get more serious. (If you are a Kody fan, the fourth book is already mapped out. Nothing says I can't take a day here and there to have a little fun!)

Starting all over terrifies me, about as much as writing in the third person, which is what will be best for my new idea. I have always written in first person. It's just what I do. Admitting this is a sure sign it's time to change. When you get comfortable with doing something, the only way to grow is to switch it up a bit.

Random thoughts

Many baseball games later and I still haven't sat down to write a single word. I did open a file one day, but was immediately shot down when my screen went white and nothing I clicked solved the problem. Computer issues. Creativity killers! Fortunately, I am not discouraged yet. Like I said before, "I will write again."

Even though I haven't written any new text, I have updated various websites with all the new book details and such. Then, I have to check the stats on Amazon every few hours to see if I sold any books. That takes time and fills ten minutes of anxiety on either side of the click. UGH!

I ordered a box of books last week that I am hoping will arrive today. It is always fun to see a stack of books with my name on it, especially when it is printed across a beautiful cover. Whether or not the cover says mystery, the photos are appealing and if I were to see it on a bookshelf, I would take a second look. I just need a reader to take that extra moment to absorb the beauty and then flip it over to read a few lines of text. I really don't ask for much.

The success of the third book is kind of my deciding factor as to which book idea to start on next. I could continue to write Kody's next adventure, which leads her to Las Vegas with Nancy, her ex-Las Vegas showgirl friend, or I could start a new two-book idea that revolves around the concept of teaching (or not teaching) children about racism and its history. I'll go into that more another time. It is still a mystery novel, but it will definitely get you thinking.

#3 is ready to download

Wow! I am so excited to finally share the third book in the Kody Burkoff Mystery Series. It has been sitting unattended for a very long time. The writing pause is over, and I hope this new excitement launches me into a tirade of words that spill from my fingertips. It won't be today since I am off to another baseball game. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next day. I'm ready though. Ready to write again!!!

A writing career on pause...

Getting through the holidays, picking up a part-time job, and enduring life's exceptions to the norm have put my writing career on pause. It seems that I always have something else I should do with my time. The little twinkle behind that is knowing that one agent is still considering my third book. Past that lies a sketchy outline of sorts for a fourth book that I haven't touched in a month. I think about that outline daily, yet I never open the file, never jot down a plot twist on my handy little notepad in my purse, and I don't wake up in the morning thinking about Kody and the next man in her life. Writer's block? Lack of inspiration? Feeling beaten down by countless rejections? Yes. All of it.

I will write again. I will write again. I will write again.

My first full ms request

After about a month of querying, sending out 10 letters each week, I received my first request from a literary agent for the full manuscript of book #3 in the Kody Burkoff Series. My first reaction after opening the email was to step away from the computer and start doing other non-writing things. Weird, huh? I have this horrible fear of being disappointed, and this one email could either end with me popping open a bottle of champagne, or, well, with me being completely and utterly disappointed. I've promised myself not to get excited about the prospect of landing an agent. I am, however, excited that my query letter gained some attention. From what I've read on the millions of websites explaining how to write a successful query letter, there is no right or wrong way to do it. It really all depends on what the agent is looking for on that particular day, and then maybe in which direction they want to grow their careers. Being an agent can't be an easy job. I can't imagine reading hundreds of queries every week from authors like me who are waiting for their one big break, waiting for just one person to validate their work and see that it has commercial value.

I've learned a lot in the last month about my writing and about what agents are looking for. I've also learned a lot about the various genres. Some are new to me. I had no idea there was a genre called "New Adult" for those struggling 20-somethings who have everything, yet still aren't satisfied. Um...I'll keep my comments to myself for fear of sounding like a grouchy old woman.

Who knows where this one request will take me, so I'll keep trudging forward with a positive attitude. I hope you do the same with whatever your dream may be.

Day 11 and waaaayyyy behind

After signing up for NaNoWriMo several weeks ago, I anxiously awaited the start date. Now though, after 11 days, I'm struggling to hit 5000 words. My head has been all over the place, and I've had a serious case of avoidance - avoiding what I promised myself I would do. The baseball story geared toward 8-12 year old boys has been on my mind for months. I have the characters mapped out, the plot sort of mapped out, and it's now cold and crappy outside so I have no excuses but to sit my butt on the couch in front of the fireplace and write. Just sit down and write, Jen!!!! That's what I've been telling myself.

I have to be honest and admit that the rejections that are slowly popping up in my Inbox are not helping my motivation. At least once a day I ask myself what my purpose is and why I'm wasting my time with the whole writing business. Then, a little later on, I tell myself that if I quit now, all the time I spent over the last year was for nothing. A debilitating battle develops in my head EVERY SINGLE DAY. Oh, don't feel sorry for me. I clearly know the agony I put myself through. You know what the real kicker is? There is still a teeny, tiny part of me that thinks my writing career has a chance. UGH!!!!

NaNoWriMo

I just signed up for NaNoWriMo (nanowrimo.org), which stands for National Novel Writing Month. The website's goal is to have authors complete a 50,000-word rough draft during the month of November. Challenging, right? Definitely. This event comes at the perfect time for me because I'm not quite ready to start on another Kody Burkoff mystery. (By the way, in case you're curious, the next Kody book will most likely include her ex-Las Vegas showgirl friend, Nancy, as the main character.) During November, I plan to try something a little different. It's been in my thoughts since last spring when I taught a creative writing class to a small group of middle schoolers. This new book will be about an eleven-year-old boy and the game of baseball. My target audience is boys between the ages of 8 and 11. With two boys of my own and a baseball fanatic for a husband, I feel I am quite qualified for this topic. Not to leave my daughter out, the boy will have a sister who loathes the game.

I jotted down some notes yesterday about the plot and feel pretty good about it. What I'm having a dilemma over now is whether to write the story in first or third person. I feel more comfortable writing in first, but it would give me an extra challenge to write it in third. I'll have to let you know what I decide.