Sorry for the delay. I have to do my summering sometime. I am 18, after all.

Well, I have an update. I haven't queried for a month because the literary agent considering my work required a period of exclusivity. Very annoying to someone with a time schedule. However, working with her was a pleasant experience. Around 40 days passed since I sent her the partial, so I emailed asking for an update. She responded quickly with a thoughtful and positive review (strong preface, engaging narrative), and even went so far as to ask that I query her with future ideas. This project, however, wasn't perfect for her.

Who is she? Mollie Glick of Foundry Media. The cool thing about my experience with this agent was getting to meet her. She was the agent-in-residence at the Southeastern Writer's Workshop Conference this year, so I got to sit down and talk with her about my writing about the industry. She had not read my chapters yet when I spoke with her, but it was a bonus to get that face time.

Sorry I haven't posted the review yet. I promise they will come. As soon as the summer funk wears off.

More later! <3

Sorry for the delay. I have to do my summering sometime. I am 18, after all.

Well, I have an update. I haven't queried for a month because the literary agent considering my work required a period of exclusivity. Very annoying to someone with a time schedule. However, working with her was a pleasant experience. Around 40 days passed since I sent her the partial, so I emailed asking for an update. She responded quickly with a thoughtful and positive review (strong preface, engaging narrative), and even went so far as to ask that I query her with future ideas. This project, however, wasn't perfect for her.

Who is she? Mollie Glick of Foundry Media. The cool thing about my experience with this agent was getting to meet her. She was the agent-in-residence at the Southeastern Writer's Workshop Conference this year, so I got to sit down and talk with her about my writing about the industry. She had not read my chapters yet when I spoke with her, but it was a bonus to get that face time.

Sorry I haven't posted the review yet. I promise they will come. As soon as the summer funk wears off.

More later! <3

To be honest, I expect to get a bit of rap for trying to write anything memoir-esque at my age. I'm 18. What could I possibly have to say?

One of the best things I got from this last conference was a gentle reminder of the value of those years from Emily Sue Harvey. "It's amazing that you write," she said. "Not only that you have the drive, lots of kids have the drive. You have something to say."

Her words surprised me. I'd never thought of that--having something to say--as my strength before. Then I thought about the number of nights I've spent lying awake just thinking about life, the times I've agonized about getting through situations without hurting others, and my uncle's words about the emotional-literary power woven into my writing.

I thought maybe she was right.

So I've been looking for stories in my life, and I've finally struck gold. I've found a story I want to write so much it hurts. I've resolved to turn it into a masterpiece. It involves the World Scout Jamboree I attended in 2007. I'm dying to share it, even in its atrocious first-draft form, so I'm going to be an indulgent teenager and post the first paragraph.

The Teapot Boy

My first impression of the boy who would change me forever was as wrong as it possibly could have been. I remember sitting on the stage set up in that gymnasium, scanning the crowd and getting seized by a glare. That’s right. I was minding my own business, making drowsy conversation with the people lounging on the sofas where I’d been taking a nap, and a boy I’d never met before was staring me down.

On that creepy note, I must leave you for now. I'll keep you update though. I'm very excited about it.

So excited that I didn't feel like working on the reviews I should have written today. Sigh. Those will happen soon. I promise. The posts on the way are:

A review of In Odd We Trust by Dean Koontz & Queenie Chan
A review of The Uglies by Scott Westerfield
Thoughts on Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
& Thoughts on Song of Renewal by Emily Sue Harvey

Jambo Picture:

[caption id="attachment_128" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sword dancers from Qatar"][/caption]

To be honest, I expect to get a bit of rap for trying to write anything memoir-esque at my age. I'm 18. What could I possibly have to say?

One of the best things I got from this last conference was a gentle reminder of the value of those years from Emily Sue Harvey. "It's amazing that you write," she said. "Not only that you have the drive, lots of kids have the drive. You have something to say."

Her words surprised me. I'd never thought of that--having something to say--as my strength before. Then I thought about the number of nights I've spent lying awake just thinking about life, the times I've agonized about getting through situations without hurting others, and my uncle's words about the emotional-literary power woven into my writing.

I thought maybe she was right.

So I've been looking for stories in my life, and I've finally struck gold. I've found a story I want to write so much it hurts. I've resolved to turn it into a masterpiece. It involves the World Scout Jamboree I attended in 2007. I'm dying to share it, even in its atrocious first-draft form, so I'm going to be an indulgent teenager and post the first paragraph.

The Teapot Boy

My first impression of the boy who would change me forever was as wrong as it possibly could have been. I remember sitting on the stage set up in that gymnasium, scanning the crowd and getting seized by a glare. That’s right. I was minding my own business, making drowsy conversation with the people lounging on the sofas where I’d been taking a nap, and a boy I’d never met before was staring me down.

On that creepy note, I must leave you for now. I'll keep you update though. I'm very excited about it.

So excited that I didn't feel like working on the reviews I should have written today. Sigh. Those will happen soon. I promise. The posts on the way are:

A review of In Odd We Trust by Dean Koontz & Queenie Chan
A review of The Uglies by Scott Westerfield
Thoughts on Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
& Thoughts on Song of Renewal by Emily Sue Harvey

Jambo Picture:

[caption id="attachment_128" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sword dancers from Qatar"][/caption]

As my blog readers know, I attended the Southeastern Writer's Conference last month and got a bit of a shock. Miss Stephanie and--godforbid--Edward flipping Cullen did far more for me than I ever could have dreamed.

The industry is in a sad condition right now. That is undeniable. Agent in Residence Mollie Glick gave a speech about her job as a literary agent and revealed that a large part of it is keeping up with editors. Not only are editors moving and shuffling around between publishers and houses these days, they're dropping like flies. Entire branches and houses are getting cut off.

It's dark.

Apparently, Borders booksellers has nearly gone bankrupt several times within the past year and have survived by a miracle. (I'm very interested in this situation and there may be a post about it soon.) Without a doubt, the disappearance of a major booksellers would be disastrous to the industry. E-books would probably take off, boosting the printed word toward an obsolete state.

How do you break in when things are this bad? Where is the hope?

1. Okay. Competition is high. It's always been high. Relatively, it's not that much of a difference.


2. One market is still booming. One genre is easier than ever to break into. Respect for it is growing, and its popularity is wonderful. This is the Young Adult market, especially Fantasy. My market.

Four people--Emily Sue Harvey, Cheryl Norman, Mollie Glick, and Holly McClure--all remarked on how well the YA market is doing at the conference last month. About a week after it ended, I was in a bookstore, and I asked an employee if she was familiar with the YA section and if she could tell me what was selling best. She pointed to a few titles, naming one I'd never heard of (which made it all the more beneficial to me). "Anything to do with vampires, witches, or fairies. Actually," she said, pausing, "that's most of what we get coming through here right now."

I almost cried.

If you're a young adult fantasy writer, now is the time to step up and shoot for it. Despite the economic downturn, we are the ones who have been empowered. And it's probably all thanks to Miss Stephanie Meyer and Mr. Edward Cullen!

As my blog readers know, I attended the Southeastern Writer's Conference last month and got a bit of a shock. Miss Stephanie and--godforbid--Edward flipping Cullen did far more for me than I ever could have dreamed.

The industry is in a sad condition right now. That is undeniable. Agent in Residence Mollie Glick gave a speech about her job as a literary agent and revealed that a large part of it is keeping up with editors. Not only are editors moving and shuffling around between publishers and houses these days, they're dropping like flies. Entire branches and houses are getting cut off.

It's dark.

Apparently, Borders booksellers has nearly gone bankrupt several times within the past year and have survived by a miracle. (I'm very interested in this situation and there may be a post about it soon.) Without a doubt, the disappearance of a major booksellers would be disastrous to the industry. E-books would probably take off, boosting the printed word toward an obsolete state.

How do you break in when things are this bad? Where is the hope?

1. Okay. Competition is high. It's always been high. Relatively, it's not that much of a difference.


2. One market is still booming. One genre is easier than ever to break into. Respect for it is growing, and its popularity is wonderful. This is the Young Adult market, especially Fantasy. My market.

Four people--Emily Sue Harvey, Cheryl Norman, Mollie Glick, and Holly McClure--all remarked on how well the YA market is doing at the conference last month. About a week after it ended, I was in a bookstore, and I asked an employee if she was familiar with the YA section and if she could tell me what was selling best. She pointed to a few titles, naming one I'd never heard of (which made it all the more beneficial to me). "Anything to do with vampires, witches, or fairies. Actually," she said, pausing, "that's most of what we get coming through here right now."

I almost cried.

If you're a young adult fantasy writer, now is the time to step up and shoot for it. Despite the economic downturn, we are the ones who have been empowered. And it's probably all thanks to Miss Stephanie Meyer and Mr. Edward Cullen!

I thought I'd blog a little about what's going on in my own life today and update everybody on how my dreams are going. =) I attended the SWA Conference a few weeks ago, which I blogged about. I repeat:  This conference is an IDEAL beginner experience.

Thanks to this experience, my manuscript is in the hands of a literary agent I like very very much. Keeping my fingers crossed. We'll see.

The last few days, I've been outlining Sunlight, the sequel to Sunrise. No, I'm not completely satisfied with that title. Bubbles would be more appropriate, but it sounds too much. like the name of a poodle. Le sigh. I think I'm going to start updating my second book's word count on my blog just to add some accountability.

At the SWA Conference this year, I also got a definition for that mysterious thing I've been hearing about called Dragoncon--it's an anime convention, a writer's conference, and a sci-fi/fantasy convention combined.

Can you say My Paradise? How cool is that

It must be humongous. Apparently there are even something like 1500 registered Storm Troopers in Atlanta. My little brother wants to register and keep his helmet in his car so he can put it on whenever he sees a state trooper

I'm going. =D At least, I've got some of my anime friends interested, not to mention my Star Wars-fanatic parents. (Which might be an Oops....)

That's the general past, present, and future of the moment though. I'll keep everyone updated.

More soon <3

Word count:  4000

I thought I'd blog a little about what's going on in my own life today and update everybody on how my dreams are going. =) I attended the SWA Conference a few weeks ago, which I blogged about. I repeat:  This conference is an IDEAL beginner experience.

Thanks to this experience, my manuscript is in the hands of a literary agent I like very very much. Keeping my fingers crossed. We'll see.

The last few days, I've been outlining Sunlight, the sequel to Sunrise. No, I'm not completely satisfied with that title. Bubbles would be more appropriate, but it sounds too much. like the name of a poodle. Le sigh. I think I'm going to start updating my second book's word count on my blog just to add some accountability.

At the SWA Conference this year, I also got a definition for that mysterious thing I've been hearing about called Dragoncon--it's an anime convention, a writer's conference, and a sci-fi/fantasy convention combined.

Can you say My Paradise? How cool is that

It must be humongous. Apparently there are even something like 1500 registered Storm Troopers in Atlanta. My little brother wants to register and keep his helmet in his car so he can put it on whenever he sees a state trooper

I'm going. =D At least, I've got some of my anime friends interested, not to mention my Star Wars-fanatic parents. (Which might be an Oops....)

That's the general past, present, and future of the moment though. I'll keep everyone updated.

More soon <3

Word count:  4000

Another wonderful experience from the Southeastern Writers Association Conference last week.

Let me start by making a little fun of myself. Last year at the SWA Conference I'm pretty sure I was ~scared out of my wits.~ The entire time I felt completely out of my depth and overwhelmed but at the same time inspired and determined any kicking, spitting mule you'd like to imagine.

I was also awkward as hell.

This year my awkwardness had dropped dramatically from their previous As Hell levels. Thanks to a great shift in attitude and the experience Model UN gave me, I've actually finally learned how to talk.

I realized I'd changed a bit when I found myself sitting next to Chuck Sambuchino, one of the biggest names there, the first night of the conference--and he was teaching me to play Poker.

I still can't say I'd be able to win if I sat down at a Poker table now. No, I'm afraid I definitely would not have the confidence to engage in any alternate forms of the game. Cough. But I did pick the gist of it up and when I started making decisions we started winning. Of course, the stakes weren't high. It was also fun watch Mr. Sambuchino dramatically slap down an immense bet of 50 cents.

My mad Poker skillz aren't the only thing I picked up from him last week, however. Even though he had to leave the conference Wednesday morning, he taught four classes:  Screenwriting, Nonfiction, Business of the Business - Agent Focus, and Business of the Business - Editor Focus.

I have notes on all the classes, but I have a TON of screenwriting stuff. They'll definitely fill a post or two in the future. I enjoyed the classes and liked Mr. Sambuchino's teaching style. He's laid back and very open to questions. He makes jokes and laughs at the business and himself. He also played the piano before class--medleys including Coldplay's Speed of Sound and Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit.

I'm sorry. That's awesome. As an eighteen-year-old, I find it simply epic. =)

I'd highly recommend Mr. Sambuchino as a class instructor--and the good news is he's going to be teaching at the South Carolina Writer's Workshop at Myrtle Beach in October! Hopefully his classroom will have a piano.

Another wonderful experience from the Southeastern Writers Association Conference last week.

Let me start by making a little fun of myself. Last year at the SWA Conference I'm pretty sure I was ~scared out of my wits.~ The entire time I felt completely out of my depth and overwhelmed but at the same time inspired and determined any kicking, spitting mule you'd like to imagine.

I was also awkward as hell.

This year my awkwardness had dropped dramatically from their previous As Hell levels. Thanks to a great shift in attitude and the experience Model UN gave me, I've actually finally learned how to talk.

I realized I'd changed a bit when I found myself sitting next to Chuck Sambuchino, one of the biggest names there, the first night of the conference--and he was teaching me to play Poker.

I still can't say I'd be able to win if I sat down at a Poker table now. No, I'm afraid I definitely would not have the confidence to engage in any alternate forms of the game. Cough. But I did pick the gist of it up and when I started making decisions we started winning. Of course, the stakes weren't high. It was also fun watch Mr. Sambuchino dramatically slap down an immense bet of 50 cents.

My mad Poker skillz aren't the only thing I picked up from him last week, however. Even though he had to leave the conference Wednesday morning, he taught four classes:  Screenwriting, Nonfiction, Business of the Business - Agent Focus, and Business of the Business - Editor Focus.

I have notes on all the classes, but I have a TON of screenwriting stuff. They'll definitely fill a post or two in the future. I enjoyed the classes and liked Mr. Sambuchino's teaching style. He's laid back and very open to questions. He makes jokes and laughs at the business and himself. He also played the piano before class--medleys including Coldplay's Speed of Sound and Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit.

I'm sorry. That's awesome. As an eighteen-year-old, I find it simply epic. =)

I'd highly recommend Mr. Sambuchino as a class instructor--and the good news is he's going to be teaching at the South Carolina Writer's Workshop at Myrtle Beach in October! Hopefully his classroom will have a piano.