Author: addiejking

Dayton Wine Trail Tour

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One of my friends and I like to go out to taste wines. We’ve gone on several weekend trips to different places where we always look for different wineries around to see what’s out there. Neither one of us has expensive tastes in wine, and we like similar wines, for the most part.

There are a lot of places where you can go and purchase a flight of wine for anywhere between $5 and $25 and try as many as six to ten wines. They’re not giving you full glasses; you’ll get an ounce or so of each to try them. In total with six to ten wines, you’re drinking the equivalent of 2 or 3 glasses of wine, likely over a couple of hours.

My friend and I are responsible about this. We like going to a winery for lunch, say for appetizers or a cheese and meat and cracker plate, ordering a flight to split (we’ve been friends long enough not to care about sharing a glass, and that way we get to taste more and spend less). We’re responsible, we’re over 21, and we take our time. It’s a nice, relaxing afternoon with a friend, to dish about whatever’s going on in our lives.

Well, lately she’s been pretty stressed, and I have too, so when I saw this in the paper, we jumped on it.

www.daytonwinetrail.com

I’m hearing that they’re going to do it again, and I’ve heard May 15.

We had an absolute blast. We took pictures of crazy beer and wine labels. We tasted wine and cheese and crackers and bruschetta and coconut cake. I spent way too much on wine to take home (hey, I found some hard-to-find stuff I love and wanted to have on hand). Totally worth the time and money to go.

I’m Not That Picky

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I’m allergic.

 What am I talking about? I’m talking about feathers. I’m allergic as can be. If I sleep on a feather pillow, I will cough and choke and wake up because I’ve stopped breathing in my sleep. I’m not exaggerating. It’s scary to wake up like that, fighting to breathe. Same thing if there’s a down comforter on the bed.

 I like breathing. As Martha Stewart might say, it’s a Good Thing.

 Yet it seems like every mid range or higher priced hotel I’ve stayed at has thought it the epitome of elegance and luxury to include feather pillows and down comforters. When I’m traveling and I don’t get there until late evening, I then have to say something to whatever staff is on duty, and then wait up until someone can retrieve and change the sheets and bedding for me.

 You might ask why I don’t say something when I make the reservation. I’ve done that. They end up transferring me to the Americans with Disabilities office for the corporation, I explain it a second time to them, they duly note it down, and then I will check in to the hotel where I’ve made the reservations and made the specific request to find that no one has done anything about the sheets on the bed. Since I end up having to wait for someone to come fix it anyway, I end up not specifying in the reservation…it doesn’t really do much good.

 Just last year, I made reservations at a nice hotel that was hosting a writer’s conference that I was attending. I made the reservation by phone so that I would be able to fully explain the situation. I was, as usual, transferred to the ADA office, where I explained again in detail. I was assured that it would be taken care of. I drove seven hours or so to the conference, checked in, and inquired again about the feathers, to be told it had been taken care of, and went off to dinner and a meeting before going back to the room to collapse.

 I should have checked. I didn’t. I was about to fall asleep standing up, and it was one o’clock in the morning. I didn’t do much more than change my clothes and fall into bed. I had trouble sleeping all night. When I woke up in the morning, my eyes were puffy and red, I was having trouble catching my breath, and kept coughing, on a day I was pitching my work to agents and editors! I walked down to the front desk, and begged them to do something about it. Their reaction…we’ll change it today. Here’s a free coffee for your trouble. I don’t know what made me madder; the fact that I had to go to such lengths to have it backfire anyway, or the thought that free coffee makes up for breathing difficulties that shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place!

 Why is it that everyone thinks feather pillows and bedding is so cool? If you own, manage, or work in a hotel that thinks this, please, for the love of all that is holy, tell your managers, owners, or corporate sponsors to be prepared to deal with this issue. Feather and down comforters might be luxurious to some, but it is nightmarish torture for others. So why does it have to be that I’d sleep better at, say, Bob’s Super Duper Local Dump Motel with their Goodwill clearance rack sheets, than at a Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt-level hotel (using just for example, not name pointing) with the feathers, when I’m a customer willing to pay the higher rate and stay in a nicer hotel?

Cracking the Code

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You know, it’s really frustrating when you, the neophyte writer, gets the personalized rejection, or the invitation to resubmit, or the full request and while you’re having your squee moment, your friends and family don’t get it. Oh, they mean well, but they really don’t understand what’s going on. Consider this post a public service announcement, and a place where you can direct them to understand why you’re so excited, even when it’s technically a rejection.

When submitting fiction (I don’t have a lot of experience with non-fiction, so I’m not really covering that here), here are the responses you can get…

1) Form rejection.

This one’s rough. It’s the equivalent of the fourth grade participation ribbon in the science fair. It’s basically a letter saying that you showed up, and didn’t win the blue ribbon. It generally gives you little to no idea what you’ve done wrong, what you’ve done right, or how you might improve. A form rejection does not necessarily mean you suck, however. It may mean that you’re so close that you almost sold, but there’s something the agent or editor doesn’t like. They may not be able to put words as to their reason, and may not understand how to help you through it, so you get a form rejection. There’s a lot of websites out there about deciphering the form rejections. Let me save you the time.

A form rejection merely means; not for us. Most submissions get form rejections. And when I say most, I’m talking somewhere probably between 90 and 99%. There’s really no reason to take them personally, and no reason to believe that you’re just misunderstood. One, or even ten, or twenty form rejections really don’t mean anything about your story. When you get many, and nothing else, it’s time to realize that there’s something wrong with the story and seek out constructive critique (which you should already be seeking before submission). Your story just isn’t ready, or maybe you’re submitting the wrong story, or it’s the wrong story for that agent or that market. It’s time to do more research, and work more on your project and/or your submission package.

Also, it’s worth saying here that agents and editors are not required by ANYTHING or ANYONE to give more than a no, thanks. They get deluged with more submissions than you could imagine. They simply don’t have the time for personalized rejections on everything that they get. Which is another reason why an agent or an editor taking the time to say more than “no, thanks,” is such a huge deal, even if it’s not a yes.

2) The encouraging positive (and personalized) rejection letter.

This is a “not for us”, but generally saying nice things about your writing. They may be encouraging about your specific work, even though they’re saying no. It’s nice to get these letters, but they also don’t always have much content that help you improve the story. Even so, it’s a shot in the arm in an otherwise discouraging business. These letters are really rare.

3) The constructive personalized rejection letter.

This one is gold. It tells you either generally or specifically where you’ve gone wrong, and offers constructive feedback despite the fact that they are not buying your work. They’ve seen good in your work and are seeking to help you. For the most part, this is genuine, and something to pay attention to. You don’t have to agree. You don’t have to make the changes they suggest. This also does not mean that you get to resubmit to them; merely that they are reaching out to a writer with potential. This is even more rare.

4) The negative, rude, insulting rejection letter.

Thankfully this is the rarest of them all. Over four years of writing and submitting, I’ve only ever gotten one of them. I was very upset. In truth, I don’t believe that the person was trying to be insulting; I think they made some very poor choices in how to communicate what they were saying. Once I got over it, I came to the realization that this person had been very excited about my project and felt very let down by it, and let that disappointment color what they probably thought was a constructive personalization letter. We’re all human. It does happen. I had a few very bad days, and I moved on.

5) The personalized constructive rejection letter with an invitation to resubmit.

If you get this letter, take my advice; don’t ignore what they’ve told you. You may decide that the changes would fundamentally change your story and that it would no longer be the story you were trying to tell. Even if that’s the case, you have to also consider that it may become a stronger story. This is the best kind of rejection letter you could get, and it’s not a final rejection letter. Instead, it’s a wait and see if you can make the changes letter. Only you can decide if the changes are appropriate, but take them seriously before you discard the advice. This is the foot in the door we all hope for, and it’s the rarest of the rejection letters, except for the one discussed in #4, above.

6) The request for more letter.

This is also known as either a partial request or a full request. Both generally involve submissions of novel projects. When you send a novel, you don’t start out sending the whole thing. Instead, you start out with a query letter, the first few (generally five, although some may want more or less) and a page or two plot synopsis. The agent or editor then decides if they want more, and can request more pages (can be the first 50, the first 100, or whatever they require) or the full manuscript. They’re not gonna buy until they see more. If you get the request for more, you still could end up with any of the form rejections listed above, but you will likely not get to the acceptance stage of a novel without getting this letter.

and last, but certainly not least,

7) Acceptance.

Go celebrate. They want to buy your story, or the agent wants to sign you as a client. This is the goal. The odds of getting here are astronomically bad. That doesn’t mean that your job is over. You’ll have contracts to deal with. You’ll have author copies to negotiate (if possible). If you’re unagented, it might be time to learn about rights and royalties and other compensation matters. It’s now time to bone up on the next step, but for now, you’ve reached the Holy Grail of selling your work. Congratulations.

(And if you were trying to get rich, it isn’t this way. The odds of winning the lottery are better than the odds of becoming a gazillionaire by your writing. If that’s the goal, go buy a lottery ticket instead. But that’s another topic for another day.)

Another Fun Release!

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So I completely spaced.

My friend, Stephen Saus, has a new story in an anthology that came out March 2. He let me know about it, and in the midst of work insanity and grand jury craziness, I just haven’t been on much to let people know about it.

Sorry, Stephen! I didn’t mean to forget…

I have not read this story, but I’ve seen some of his other stuff, and it’s really good. I’m looking forward to seeing it myself! Check it out!

You can catch up with Stephen and all his doings here.

And you can go order a copy of the book here. Just like I’m going to go do right now.

Facebook Shenanigans

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Okay, folks, it’s been all over the news in the last week that criminals are starting to watch the social networking sites to find out when you’re gone so that they can rob your house. I even saw a story online that a British website was warning people that their homeowners insurance could go up if they were careless about updating their status and wereabouts. The thought behind that would be that the social networking updates are putting them at bigger risk for home invasion and crime. There’s even been some press about specific sites that are tracking this, to bring attention to the problem. So are criminals really smart enough to target specific houses and watch them to find out the prime moment to strike?

To which I say….DUH!! Of course they are!  It doesn’t really take a lot of brains to follow a Twitter feed. And if they haven’t thought of it already…they certainly have, now that it’s been all over the news media!

When you put yourself out there on the web, you’re taking a risk. I know, I’m taking one too. But, here’s the thing…I am trying to be careful as to what I post online. I’ve alway been careful about what I post online, because of my job. I’ve had a few moments with my job that weirded me out a bit. And no, I’m not going into detail about what they were…other than to say that it was another reminder that I do have to be careful about what I say and what I do in public, for safety reasons.

But just because I have a job that gives me a reason to be cautious, doesn’t mean that other people with different jobs shouldn’t worry about it. Everyone’s got loved ones and/or kids, or pets that are precious to us (some are even worth serious money). We’ve got family heirlooms and possessions which might not be worth a lot on the resale market, but they’re OURS and we don’t want people to take them, destroy them, or damage them.

So here’s a bit of advice for everyone. If you’re going out of town, don’t post it, especially if your house will be empty while you’re gone. Don’t tell everyone you just went out for a hamburger…let us know how good it was when you get home. Be careful identifying ways for criminals to target you online. It’s about common sense. If there’s something you want to communicate with someone that involves that kind of information, it’s why God invented the private message. And email. And the phone. Or, and this is just a stretch, a simple letter in the mail. I don’t really need to know when you’re visiting Aunt Mabel back home while you’re there…let me know how she’s doing after you get back. Same goes for the sushi run, or the trip to the gym. Unless we have plans to meet…which we’ve likely already worked out ahead of time…I don’t need to know where you’re at rightthissecond.

I’m going to do the same. I’m still making travel plans for conferences and vacations. I’m still lining up house sitters and cat sitters and mail picker uppers for those trips for the 2010 calendar year. I am not planning to post much about where I’m at while I’m there. And if I do inadvertently post about something that lets you know that I’m out of town, let me put the following information out there.

1) Only three people have keys to my house. I’m not telling you who they are. Chances are good that if I’m out of town one of them is staying at my house while I’m gone. The cat does better at my house than being boarded by a kennel, so it’s easier to get someone to just stay at my house. Therefore, just because I’m not home doesn’t mean my house is empty.

2) I have great neighbors. They know exactly who has keys to my house. I generally tell them what’s going on so that they know who to expect to be coming and going into the house. They do not have a key. They do know my family, and know where I work, and how to contact my folks, my office, or me if something happens. And they really do watch like hawks. I’m blessed to have them. God bless great neighbors.

3) If you get into the house despite the fact that it probably isn’t empty, and past the neighbors despite how closely they watch, please keep in mind that I am the proud owner of GuardCat. While that’s not the same as a guard dog, she’s sly. She’ll trip you when you’re not looking. Wouldn’t that suck while you’re carrying an armload of stuff out of my house? Just saying.

To that end, I’m sad about the idea that I won’t be posting which conferences I will be attending. I will post my impressions of them when I return. The same goes for my vacations and personal trips.

It’s time for everyone to think about what they post before they post it. It’s just not safe to assume that no one’s going to take advantage of what we make public about our lives.

Yup. I’m There.

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Jay Lake has written an amazing, if tongue-in-cheek statement of the evolution of a burgeoning spec fic writer.

Gulp. He’s right.

No matter how diplomatic or how calmly the new writer deals with the rejection or the continuing head-butting-against-a-brick-wall feeling, this is truly how they feel deep down.

And yes, I have friends from workshops who are selling short stories and novels, even as I collect lovely piles of rejection letters. I’m truly happy for my friends. Those who are selling, who are under contract, are talented writers. I have other friends who are talented writers who are not yet under contract, and in fact, some who are very talented but not yet querying. I am not jealous of them (okay maybe a little bit, but not enough to wish them ill will, or to give up).

We all must remember that it’s not a race. It’s not a competition. We’re not vying with each other and there is no finish line. It’s not just about talent. It’s sometimes about luck. It’s sometimes about being in the right place at the right time with the right project, and there’s just no predicting that calculus formula. But yes, I do recognize parts of my own inner monologue in Jay Lake’s piece.

And if you’re an aspiring writer…of any stripe…you’ll probably see yourself as well.

More Awesomesauce Please!

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Okay, so I really came out of the geek closet yesterday. I’m going to dial back to just book geekery today.

I will state here (for all you out there trolling for FCC violations) that I receive no monetary compensation for anything I write on my blog about other books, authors, etc. If I do get so much as a free book (hint hint) I’ll tell you.

I’m going to continue posting about book releases that come to my attention. For the most part, those posts will talk about authors I know personally, authors I’ve met at conferences,  and authors whose work I like.

Here’s one whose work I like, am obsessed with, recommend.

Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series is just plain laugh out loud adventurous fun. How can you go wrong with female versions of the Scarlet Pimpernel, espionage, romance, adventure, and just plain swashbuckling goodness? Her latest book in the Pink series, THE BETRAYAL OF THE BLOOD LILY hit shelves yesterday, and I’m already wondering how I can justify a stop at a book store this weekend to pick up a copy for myself.

Why oh why am I worried about justifying a stop at a bookstore?

Well, the To Be Read pile is growing alarming high. I’ve gotten a bit behind on it…mainly because I’ve actually been trying to write, to blog more often, spend time with family and work has been exploding at an alarming rate. I’ve been taking major advantage of some big sales at a few local bookstores that are going out of business, so the pile has grown exponentially, and isn’t diminishing. There are piles of books around my bed and my couch, and there’s even one on the front seat of my car. I’ve had to renew my library items ’cause I’m not getting them read.

Anyone else have this “problem”? How do you explain to friends, significant others, and family members the need for another book when they know you’ve got plenty in the house to read?

My Cup of Awesomesauce Runneth Over

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I am ready to publicly announce here that I’m a geek.

Not a little bit. Not just a smidgen. A real live, true and honest through and through geek.

Yes, I was the field commander in my high school marching band. And I have played three different instruments in my life.

Yes, I have purposely crashed and rebuilt my own hard drive. Not just once. More than once.

I own my own Xbox and Nintendo DS, and asked for games for Christmas. I’ve got my eye on a PS3. And maybe a Wii. And a new laptop. My electronic wishlist is always longer than my budget will allow!

For those of you who read those qualifications who might think that I still don’t qualify as a true geek, I will add here that I have my own dicebox; I tabletop game, have run tabletop games. I have a World of Warcraft account, and although it’s currently deactivated, I used to play my undead deep fire mage in raids. I’m absolutely gaga over my Blackberry, and I cried when I accidentally dropped my iPod in a bucket of water while working on my house.

The book collection is ridiculous. I can keep my house clean…but the pile of books is always a trip hazard.

And let’s not forget the fact that I write urban fantasy and humor. And I’ve got a science fiction short story I’ve been fighting with lately.

The geek cred’s there. I promise.

And my inner book geek is doing a happy little internal geeky dance at the following news…

I’ve mentioned the coolness factor of Patrick Rothfuss and his Heifer International fundraiser. Pat’s never made a big secret out of the fact that he’s a huge Joss Whedon fan. If you liked Buffy, or Angel, or Firefly/Serenity, then you’re a Joss Whedon fan as well. I liked Buffy, Angel was okay, but Firefly is true awesomesauce.

And now Pat’s added some pretty serious incentive to donate through his fundraiser…he’s giving away entire sets of Buffy, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, Dollhouse, Whedon’s Xmen books, AND the Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog. Which, of course, is so catchy, that you just do catch yourself wanting to sing along.I dare you to watch it without wanting to sing along. Even if you don’t know the words, you just can’t look away.

That’s some pretty awesome geeky incentive to donate. And it’s a great cause. What better way to satisfy both the inner geek and the great tax deductions of charitable giving?

But wait…there’s more.

My friend Julie Kagawa has a brand spanking new YA book coming out at the beginning of February. No, I haven’t read it, but I remember talking to Julie about some of her ideas a while ago, and it totally sounds AWESOME. She’s got contests where you might even win a free SIGNED author’s copy of her new book! And you can get a Grimalkin rock as well!

But I’m not done yet…there’s even MORE!!

My friend Jennie Bentley‘s also got a new book coming out in March…and it’s getting great reviews! Jennie’s a great person, a real cheerleader for me, and deserves all the great accolades on her books. Go check out her newest PLASTER AND POISON, DIY #3. Also…she’s got a new series under her alter ego’s name, Bente Gallagher, coming out June of this year…A CUTTHROAT BUSINESS.

The inner book nerd in me is doing the whole happy-happy-joy-joy thing. Check out all three awesome authors!

(*Just because I’m coming out of the geek closet here, does not mean that my friends are or are not geeks. I’ll let them make their own disclaimers or admissions on their own!)

3/14/2010 EDIT to note that I did receive an advance copy of A CUTTHROAT BUSINESS from my good friend Jennie Bentley (AKA Bente Gallagher), and I’m in the middle of it as we speak. Loving it! More later.

My Goals

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I hate saying that I’m going to make New Year’s Resolutions.

So, instead, I’ll tell you what my goals are.

1) I want to have at least one, if not two, finished novels at the end of this year. I’m at least 1/3 of the way through THE GRIMM LEGACY’s rough draft. I’ve written most of the first draft of FULL CIRCLE. The hope is to have one, if not both, ready for submission or workshop by the end of the year.

2) I’d like to finish at least two more short stories. Preferably the two I’ve already started.

3) I’ve said for years that I need to get a post office box to use for my mail/submissions/other stuff. I hate using my street address for stuff, but it’s also a pain to go to the post office every single day. I need to make a decision on this and actually do it.

4) I need to update my blog more.

5) Figure out what contests/conferences/whatever else I’ll be doing in the coming year. And then book it.

What are your writing goals? If you’re not writing, what goals are you setting to reach your dreams?