Sick baby

Well, we managed to keep him healthy for 8 months, but I guess it's inevitable with babies: they're going to get sick. It's so sad. It's clear he doesn't understand what's going on, or why he feels awful. He just looks at me, confused, breathing heavily through his mouth like a huge nerd. Even his little cry is hoarse.

There is nothing sadder than a sick baby! :(

First Rejection

Well, I guess I'm a real author now.

I got my first rejection letter last week.

On to the next agent!

Ode To Girl Scout Cookies

You have to read this. My little sister Hannah wrote this poem---why is it so applicable to my life???

Ode To Girl Scout Cookies

Heaven sings

Your grateful praise

Your graciousness and mercy

Succoms us all

Such sweet amazingness

Titans bow to

A girl in a green vest

Your tasty dictatorship overpowers

Is it your lemonades?

Or you Caramel of Awesome?

That lures me

To a delicious grave

Grant me another

And I will sell my soul

For a box

Of Fudge Patties

Going to Asilomar!

I am so excited! This week, I received an email informing me that there was an open slot at the Asilomar Writer's Conference, so I talked to Reed, and I am going! Asilomar is a beautiful state park near Monterey, California, right on the coast.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a writing conference is, it's a convention where writers of a particular genre get together to discuss the craft. There are tons of authors who come to speak.

Here's a photo of the main lecture hall on the Asilomar campus:

Here's the inside--isn't it beautiful?
The campus is spread out all over the state beach.
This is the social hall, where the meet-and-greets happen.

I am particularly happy to be going, because an agent I am interested in will be there. There are all these rules and etiquette regarding how you approach an agent, but for the most part, a conference is a decent opportunity to pitch a book to them. (Cue nervousness)

I'm getting all my documents in order, I've contacted my peer-editor, made my plane tickets, arranged for my mom to watch Cal (she was only too happy to accept), and ordered materials that I need. This is going to be a busy week, preparing my manuscript, synopses, and such.

I'm excited! Feb 19-21, think of me!

The Rose Parade

Happy New Year :)

Over the vacation, my family went to the Rose Parade -- 20 years in California, and we'd never been! It was really fun, and surprisingly, not that hard/exhausting. Seeing all the floats going past was awesome. Here are a few of our favorites:

This one had real bulldogs, going down on sleds! Oh my gosh I want a dog so bad.

Revising and Querying

About two weeks ago, I finished up the first draft of my book. Now comes the revision process, which I've found I enjoy much more than I thought I would. It's a chance to look at my characters--to strengthen them, to contrast them even further, to make them truly come alive. I'm also trying to improve other things: dialogue believability, plot cohesion, and the hardest of all for some reason: pacing.

And then there's the whole "approaching the agent" thing. I've read Guide to Literary Agents, made my short list, researched what the agencies have recently represented, and finally--contacted my top choice through formal e-query, complete with cover letter, synopsis and first five pages.

Now....I wait. The agent's response will take four weeks at the least, and so in the meantime, I'l be revising even further.

Writing a book has been an awesome experience, but it has also been a little intense sometimes. Lately, I'm plagued with those all-too-common discouraging thoughts like, "Who am I kidding? No one's going to publish me!"

Ignore! I must ignore! :)

I know how common rejection is, and I'm prepared for it. I just wish it didn't sometimes come from my own discouraged brain! Booo...

Baby Song Parodies

I don't really know when it started, but in our house, we are always making up alternate lyrics to songs -- lyrics that correspond to something we're doing, or something about one another. Well, as you can imagine, with a new baby in the house, there are endless possibilities.

I just had to post our latest composition. (It's from the baby's point of view)

To the tune of Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" (the chorus):

I throw my hands up, scratchin' my face,

You know I'm gonna scream all day,

Stompin' my feet like Waaaaa!

Poopin' my pants like Waaaaa!

Then my mom comes--she's changin' my dipe,

I know it's gonna be okay.

Waaaaaa-a-aaaa-a-aaee-aaee-aaaa....

it's a party in my Pack and Play!