Okay, focus Deana.
For those of you who don't know, I am flying out to Utah in May to attend the LDS StoryMakers conference. I'm pretty excited about this because I get to meet TONS of blogger buddies and I can't wait for that. On top of that, I found out yesterday that I'm going to be in Elana Johnson's Publication Primer group. This is a six hour session for people serious about getting published. I can't believe how luck I am to be placed in her group so she can slash our pages and help us to be better writers:)
Oh, but my day gets even better.
I have edited Ripple Effect multiple times on my own and have gone through three rounds of beta reads. I've read it out loud, switched whole chapters moved and deleted. Added and changed. I think it's come time that I dip my toes in the query trenches.
I do still have it out to a couple of beta buddies and I want one more round of reads before all is said and done, but I am going to send it out to ten agents and just see what happens. Get a feel for if I have legs to stand on...or if I don't. We shall see.
What about you? How do you know when you're ready to query?
To end this post on why today is so wonderful...I have been given some awards!
Cassie Mae has given me the...umm I was trying to find out but something loopy is going on with her blog this morning.
Sharon Bayliss, over at the Blue Word has given me the Sunshine Award and tagged me with the Lucky 7 Meme
And finally Tara Tyler, from Tara Tyler Talks gave me the Sunshine Award too!
You all are so sweet! It makes me want to get all sentimental on you...but I won't today. Instead I will pass on the awards and the rules.
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I like this MEME! Here are the rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors.
Here is mine:
"...you to sit here and rest and I’m going to go get us something to drink.”
“What? Where do you think you’re going to do that?” I ask, skeptical.
“Just trust me.”
“Whatever.” I have no energy to care if I get a drink or not at this point, so I curl up into my same old useless ball-like position and try to sleep.
#
After tossing and turning on the hard ground, I grunt and mumble and finally figure...
That's it. Pretty enthralling 7 lines huh? HA!Alrighty, now for the Sunshine Award:
Here are the questions. Here are my answers.
1. Favorite Color: Blue: Go Big Blue!
2. Favorite Animal: All of them:)3. Favorite Number: 6
4. Favorite (non-alcoholic) drink: diet coke
5. Facebook or Twitter: Twitter
6. My passion: writing
7. Getting or Giving presents: can I say both?
8. Favorite Pattern: mismatched stuff. I just love it!
9. Favorite Day of the Week: Since I am a stay at home mom, I don't really dread the week. So I am going to say all the days are pretty cool!10. Favorite Flower: I'm horrible with knowing the names of flowers, but my favorite is that one that blooms into big ball-like flowers. Oh they are BEAUTIFUL!
Passing on the love now....
Kim Van Sickler
Leslie Rose
The Red Angel
Reina Laaman
Chemist Ken
Kristin Creative
Angela Brown
That's it. Later dudes:)
there's the deana we know! glad you're happy again =)
ReplyDeleteand i like your snippet!
Enjoy the conference! Sounds just like what you need...
ReplyDeleteHaha, I love this meme! It's such a random place to lift a quote :)
ReplyDeleteHave fun at the conference!!!
Yay! I'm excited to meet you in Elana's group. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on being in Elana's group!! That sounds like it will be a GREAT experience! And what a fun little meme. Thanks for passing on the love :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a couple revising rounds behind you. Only one beta has read it so far (but she finished in less than 24 hours from when i gave it to her, so at least she liked it!) but I have a lot of reworking to do on a few parts before I pass it out for round two! I have an agent conference in June, so I hope I can be ready by then!!!
Yay for being in Elana's group with me too! I love your blog, and reading over several of your posts, I see your love and dedication to writing, your fun personality, and your humility. I can't wait to meet you in person!
ReplyDeleteAs for querying...I've never done it yet. You'll have to let me know how it goes. But it sounds to me like you're ready. It looks like you've thought through your MS front to back, back to front, inside-out, and upside down. :-) Good luck with querying!!!
I want to be in Elana's group with you! :(
ReplyDeleteHook me up.
Anyway, I wish you all the best at the conference! And congrats on the award! I think I got one too.
Good luck querying, Deana! You've got what it takes, but timing is a lot of life. Go with your gut!
ReplyDeleteKudos for taking the plunge into submissions. We can end up going round and round in circles with editing sometimes. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm finding all these lucky 7's intrigung, yours is no exception. Got tagged too and putting mine up tonight.
*Intriguing* I mean... sorry I'm a perfectionist editor myself!
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt! And querying? Hmm, well, my advice is, if you truly think you're ready to start, go ahead, but do it very slow. Don't query your favorite agents at first. Wait to see what your feedback is: rejections & requests. Then tweak your query accordingly. Same goes for your ms. After your requests come back, revise if you're not getting the response you want. Even while I was querying, I still had betas and CPs reading my ms. So it just kept on getting better, until I hit the jackpot. It's a process, and often a slow one, maybe up to a year or even longer. Just don't burn through your agents-to-query list too quickly. Go slow. Take it from someone who made all those rookie mistakes in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to storymakers! Wahoo! I can't wait to see you there!
ReplyDeleteAnd that lucky seven meme is fun becasue you never know if you're going to get something fun or be right in the middle of a rest period. lol! Still awesome though :)
Oh My Goodness! Elana's group. I can see why you're so stoked. I stalk - erm - check out her blog all the time so I'm sure you're going to have a blast getting down to serious publication business.
ReplyDeleteLoved your Lucky 7 lines and I wonderful if you're talking about chrysanthemums for the flowers?
Also, I wish I had the perfect formula for knowing when it's time to query, but I'm not sure if there's a perfect way. I know it sucks but you gotta just go for it when you feel but still be open to further revisions if needed.
I might just have to go to that conference. I have to decide soon though or it will fill up!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the awards! What an awesome way to have different bloggers get to know each other better.
ReplyDeleteYou make me want to read your current MS now. ;)
I'll put my awards post up now!
Can't wait to hear how the querying goes! My first round was pretty harsh but it pointed out some big holes I needed to fill. You never know if you're ready until you try :) Best of luck!!!
ReplyDeleteHave lots of fun at the conference.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to querying, I would say if you get a request amongst that 10, then send out another ten. Don't be put off by rejection.
Wow, sounds like you are on a roll. How exciting to be going to the conf AND being in Elana Johnson's group. She's awesome. Sorry, you've been tagged! (Just seen how many awards/tagging you already have).
ReplyDeleteJust waking up in the morning gotta thank God
ReplyDeleteI don't know but today seems kinda odd
No barking from the dogs, no smog
And momma cooked a breakfast with no hog
LOVED that Ice Cube song in my rap phase in the 90s-not so much now, lol. But glad today was a good day for ya! ~Hugs
Yay for querying!!! I'm in there with ya. Send me emails when you go crazy and I'll do the same, lol.
ReplyDeleteAnd ya, my blog was doing something funky but I had no idea how to fix it! Blogger hates me. :(
But I'm pretty sure it was one of these awards I gave ya. ;)
I am so jealous. I want to go to Storymakers SO BAD. But it's not in the cards again this year. Maybe next year.
ReplyDeleteYour snippet makes me sleepy. :) Have so much fun at the conference!
ReplyDeleteThe 7 lines make me wonder what else was happening in that scene. Good luck querying.
ReplyDeleteYou may be happy, but your character sounds as though they're having a really bad day.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the awards.
Good luck querying! I'm about to do the same myself.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I tagged you for the Lucky 7 too! Oh well, someone beat me to it :)
You've been tagged to join the Great Star Wars Blogathon! Details here: http://www.troublewithroy.com/2012/03/so-you-say-youve-got-this-idea-on-how.html
ReplyDeleteWanted to let you know there is an aware for you on my blog! It's actually the sunshine award again, so that's double the sunshine :D
ReplyDeletehttp://meghankirkland.blogspot.com/2012/03/sunshine-award.html
Garsch, Deana. Thanks for the award. It's pouring rain here today, so sunshine is welcome. Love the mismatched pattern.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I know my comment is pretty late. :) Good luck with your querying! I'll be excited to find out what happens.
ReplyDelete