Yes, These are my Son's Feet.

When I saw these feet I had to turn my Brightside-enator on to full power. I will admit it though, we all had a great time.

This week's post is below, happy Monday everyone :)

Perspective and the Great Agent Goosechase

Welcome to another week in figuring out the market, aka the Great Agent Goosechase, (no acronym intended). 

There is an insightful post by Shelli at Market My Words that takes a look at where the unagented among us are heading. I like it because it's all about perspective. Once we find an agent who wants to represent us, it's not like all our anxiety will disappear. There is no finish line, or at least I can't see it that way. Accomplishing one goal sets other goals in motion, and we have to be both nearsighted and farsighted. We need to focus on details down to each word we type, and we need to focus on the big picture and the direction we're going, both at the same time.

Here's my difficulty. Three books in three different stages. (I don't count my first book because it was my learning book, and shall never again see the light of day. I know, I know, how can I abandon a story etc, but its banishment has allowed other books to live, so it was not written in vain).

For the purposes of keeping track, I shall assign them letters. 

Book A

• As polished as I can make it. A story I really loved and always will... however, is it marketable? Gosh I hope so, but the next few weeks will tell. Agents will be the judges, and me, the lucky writer, will stick to my end of the work and keep writing.
  

Book B

• Er, I thought it was perfect when I got to the end. Now I see its many flaws. Huge, enormous, embarrassing flaws. It's definitely like taking off the beer goggles. Did I really write all that? Actually, I don't regret it. I enjoyed writing it, it was fun, but I don't know... major work needed. Major thoughts on whether I should invest any time in this project.

Book C

• My wip. I wonder if it was a mistake getting involved with this story before doing the rewrites on Book B... like I didn't give Book B a chance. But this one's got a lot more going for it. Seriously, I feel more excited writing about it than I ever did with Book B. My heart literally races thinking about it; it reminds me of my Book A days only better! Oh man, was Book B just a rebound? 

So that's where I'm at. Right now, I'm full-on focused on writing Book C. For better or worse, I barely give that middle book a thought. As for Book A... well, it's out in the world. The Agents have been goosechased and it's all about focusing on writing the one I'm writing. Where are you in all this? I know there are a lot of writers working on their first book... do you think about the story's marketability or worry that it will be the Notorious First Book that doesn't see the light of day? And those of you who've made it past the first book, are you also juggling a wip and querying completed ms? Are you focused only on the book(s) you've finished? Whatcha up to?

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!!!!

The magistrates, having read through comments on today's edition of Nathan Bransford's Blog, see a discrepancy in the law regarding the "Coaster's Very First Contest Ever". There is a quandary of significant significance, being that one "Diana Paz," if that is even her real name, did not specifically specify what constituted an entriable entry in the 3rd S-o-A SUFPC, hereby known as the Nathan Contest. Did she mean, how many official entries would be entered? Or did she mean, how many comments would be entered? Why didn't she take the exemplary example of Nathan Bransford's blog and post very clear, very official-looking Roman numeraled rules? Did she realize that referring to herself in the third person and asking rhetorical questions was highly annoying? The magistrates await her response.

Peeps! The magistrates have me wrung up with all these technicalities! I didn't go to law school, (that's Reason Number 78 of the hundred reasons why I'm looking for an agent), so I flaked on putting up contest rules (that's why I am worthy of yesterday's award). I see that although there were 2,651 COMMENTS posted on Nathan's Contest, according to Nathan's own comments today, there were somewhere between 2,400 and 2,500 ENTRIES! The magistrates say I didn't specify specifically and all that other hoopla, and that means I have no choice but to give up my other, equally regal faux-ermine cloak and just as brilliant jewel-encrusted scepter! But only for the whole of one day, thank goodness. I would feel naked without both the cloaks on, and as for the scepters, a girl has two hands for a reason. 

In summary: we have two winners!!!!! 

I have magicked the second set of my everyday wear over to Wendy Sparrow at Where Ladybugs Roar, who guessed 2,350 entries and is clearly the winner of Official Entries, (Wendy will a thousand per cent feel bad when she finds out the magistrates put me through all this trouble, but justice is justice), and I had already magicked over the first set to Melane at Chasing the Dream this morning, who guessed 2,500 entries and is also the clear winner of How Many People Entered Comments. Congratulations to you both, hear ye, hear ye! And please remember to sign the waivers regarding the rarely permanent side effects of wearing/using the cloak and scepter; speaking in Old English and being a teensy bit pompous, thank ye thank ye! And now, the proclamations!

The Coaster's Very First Contest Winners

(in random, equally important order)

Melane at Chasing the Dream

Wendy at Where Ladybugs Roar

And naturally I will put up the same special bonus for Wendy that I did for dear Melane: three of my favorite posts from her blog.

The Three Very Best Posts at Wendy's Blog, to date, in Diana's Humble Opinion:

How to Write a Rejection Letter

OH Butterflies and Kittens

Oh... and the picture....

And in case you don't scroll down to people's older posts, here are...

The Three Very Best Posts at Melane's Blog, to date, in Diana's Humble Opinion:

Number 1!!!

Forward March

The Spark

Alright, alright, life goes on. Another reminder that I'm skipping Book Talk tomorrow to go camping, this time due to the peer pressure of campy friends and the cuteness of our hopeful, squishable kids (the boy feels it's fair that he gets to see what camping is like. Regrettably, I see his point). But then that's it. No more camping for a full 12 months!

2,651 Entrants, and the Winner is...

The finalists of the Nathan Bransford 3rd Sort-of-Annual Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge (now closed) will be announced tomorrow! I read some fantastic, thought-provoking, hilarious (in only one paragraph, hysterical!) entries, and I'm looking forward to seeing if any of my faves are the finalists.

While you wait, congratulations to the winner of the Coaster's little side-contest... guessing the total number of entries! The most accurate guess-- without going over-- was made by Melane at Chasing the Dream. Thanks for playing, Melane! The award, as you may remember, is that you get to wear my ermine cloak and jewel-encrusted scepter for the whole of one day. I sent them via magic, and I hope you enjoy the luxurious feel of faux silken fur (I Googled ermine, and they are too cute to REALLY turn into a cloak. Besides, my pet ermine would have hurt feelings). And I'm sure you'll relish the power, and the biceps, that comes from waving a jewel-encrusted scepter around. Side effects may include speaking in Old English and being a teensy bit pompous, but that's only very rarely permanent. AND there's a bonus! Because this was the Coaster's very first contest and I wanted to do something special, I will also link three of my very favorite posts from the winner's blog! I encourage everyone to check out these posts, and Melane's lovely writing blog!

The Coaster's Very First Contest Winner

Melane at Chasing the Dream

The Three Very Best Posts at Melane's Blog, to date, in Diana's Humble Opinion:

Number 1!!!

Forward March

The Spark

Thank you to all participants!

Tomorrow we shall have no Book Talk, and here's why: remember the infamous Scout camping trip? Well, our friends who camp and do outdoorsy things together caught wind of this, and they invited us to go camping this weekend. You may recall that we don't camp, but the kids, those giant-eyed, squishable-cheeked kids, they want to go so bad. As much as I hoped the rain might keep falling so we could possibly postpone this inevitable family event, we are going camping on our first ever family camping weekend! Yay!! Yay for camping! Or at least, yay for making the kids happy :)

Next week I will Book Talk about The Maze Runner. This is the book I won at The Literary Girls blog giveaway and I am so excited to start it. Have a great weekend everyone!

Reasons to Celebrate!

Award-time! The Not a Flake, I'm a Writer Award is from Mary at Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me and goes to those who flake in the real world because of their writing. 

Nominees show characteristics like getting wrapped in their stories, daydreaming about their characters, or writer-brain in general. There is also a Not a Flake, I'm a Reader Award for those who get lost in a story and walk around with book-brain, desperate to read the rest, or frantic for the next book in a series or from a particular author.

Do either of these apply to you? Then blog a flaky story, or post your flakiness in the comments, and the award is yours! I will, of course, add you to the Writer or Reader Hall of Flakes.

The Writer Hall of Flakes

Angie from Notes from the Writing Chair

My Flaky Story:

This is a Lifetime Achievement Award for me; no single accomplishment can encapsulate the years of flaking that both writing and reading have induced. 

First, I'd like to thank my teachers, who caught me reading books like the dunce-cap kid in Chutes in Ladders and forced me to become more creative and write my own stories while pretending to take notes. 

I'd also like to add a thanks to the school system in general, for teaching me that success can be achieved by sitting still with my hands folded neatly on my desk, eyes tracking teachers or professors anywhere they went as they talked, while the whole of my brain was busy in some other place involving castles or Viking ships or whatever else I was into at the moment. Who says we don't use what we learn at school in real life? That skill comes in handy even as an adult (faculty meetings, anyone?).

I can't forget to thank Mom, who didn't know what to make of m reading marathons. Dragging me off my bed, pale and squinting into the light of the real world, right in the middle of the best part of a story, really taught me how to function at half-capacity. All those poorly carried out chores and forgotten tasks weren't because I didn't care, Mom! It was because my brain was elsewhere!! 

And speaking of brain, I can't have a Flaky Lifetime Achievement speech without thanking the gray matter knocking around up there. Just yesterday I loaded the kids in the car and almost drove off without the stroller. And if I hear a song that reminds me of a character, I'll almost always make a wrong turn or miss an exit. And who will ever forget throwing the checkbook into the library book drop? Sadly, no one. Brain, all my flakiness I owe to you. Thank you. 

Lastly, I dedicate this award to my kids, who have increased my capacity for drifting off into my own world on less sleep than I thought possible, and to my husband, who has to put up with me and my rotten housekeeping, my unnerving habit of staring into space (or staring strangely unfocused at random things like the coffee maker), and all my hermit-like ways. You guys rock!