Fantasy

All’s Quiet on the Writer Front

| Casey Wyatt

Happy Friday everyone. Please remember to visit the 7 Scribes today – I am the Author Goddess.

Here’s how I’ve been keeping busy while I wait for feedback on The Undead Space Intiative.

  • A few days ago I received some awesome news – I finished first place in another contest. While it’s excellent news to receive, winning contests hasn’t really brought any offers from the editor judges. But that’s okay. As I reported last week, I have actually submitted to more publishers and plan to continue to do so.
  • I have spent most of this week working on the synopsis for The Undead Space Initiative. And I use the term “working” loosely! For some reason, writing an entire novel is easier than a two page synopsis. I’m down to the basic information and now all I need to do is polish it up.
  • Completing the synopsis (and, drat, I need to do a query letter -groan!) frees my mind to work on Devil’s Advocate. I have the main characters but not a fully formed plot. The plot is stewing in the back of my mind this week.
  • And I am taking two classes with a third one starting next week.

None of the aforementioned activities includes my full time job, family (also a full time job) or time spent doing other things like reading, Scribes stuff, Twitter. etc.

And speaking of  the Scribes – we have been very busy booking guest bloggers including: Frankie Roberston, Sandra Orchard, Julia Rachel Barrett, Kinley Baker, Jennifer Fusco, and Kristan Higgins.

I hope to see you all next week. Until then – happy writing!

Celtic Hearts – First Place!

| Casey Wyatt

Hi everyone!

Ascension won first place in the FF&P category in Celtic Hearts Romance Writer’s Golden Claddagh Contest!

It’s nice to hear a “yes”once in a while! Yay!

I Did It My Way

| Casey Wyatt

Happy Friday everyone. Please remember to check out my Friday post over at the 7 Scribes. Today’s topic – Casting Call – If my book was turned into a movie.

Last week I was in a bit of a tizzy about the beginning of my WIP – The Undead Space Initiative. I’m happy to report that I have moved past it. I’m more that halfway through the editing process right now. And I’m so excited to share this book with my trusted first readers for their reaction.

I have set an aggressive goal: complete revisions by the end of this weekend!! Can I do it? Time will tell.

Tune in next week to find out!

The Undead Space Initiative

| Casey Wyatt

Happy Friday! Don’t forget to visit me at the Scribes’ Site today for a discussion about good reads.

As promised last week, I finished the first draft of my book – The Undead Space Initiative. I’m in the process of reading it and will be cleaning it up over the next few weeks.

So what does the planet Mars and a stripper pole have to do with each other?

Read on to find out more:

Cherry Cordial, vampire stripper extraordinaire, spectacularly messes up her life with a single act of kindness. How could she have known when she rescued gorgeous rogue, Ian McDevitt, that she would be implicated in the Vampire Queen’s murder? Soon, she faces the wrath of the entire vampire community. To escape retribution, she joins a settlement program to colonize Mars. Her choices are grim: possibly die on the red planet or stay on Earth and face certain annihilation.

Finaled Again!

| Casey Wyatt

Ascension has finaled in the paranormal category in  Celtic Hearts Romance Writer’s Golden Claddagh Contest!

2,000 Words a Day!

| Casey Wyatt

My goal all week has been to write at least 2,000 words a day. I’m unofficially joining my fellow Scribes in the Double Dog Dare to complete our novels by August 12.

I’m pleased to say, that so far, I have exceeded the goal. Despite all kinds of distractions – like winning first place in Passionate Ink’s Stroke of Midnight Contest last night, I’ve still managed to stick to my goal.

In the spirit of completing my next book, all I have to say is:

Word count to date – 28,850

Not bad for starting last week. I’m not sure what the ultimate book length will be quite yet. I’d like to reach 100,000 words, but I’m not sure if the story will play out that long.

I think a little friendly “competition” is a fun way to reach a goal. If you have trouble staying motivated or completing a task, enlist some friends to keep you honest!

I’ll be posting about reading over at the Scribes’ Blog. Please stop by and visit. We love your comments!

Exciting News!

| Casey Wyatt

Ascension took first place in the paranormal category in Passionate Ink’s Stroke of Midnight Contest! It was announced at RWA Nationals tonight!

Contest News!

| Casey Wyatt

Mystic Ink has finaled in the 2011 Golden Acorn Excellence in Writing Awards!

Pitching. . . and I don’t mean Baseball

| Casey Wyatt

Tomorrow is the big day . . . CT Fiction Fest. Tomorrow, I will be pitching my book Mystic Ink  and maybe Ascension to four editors. Editors from brand name publishing houses.

Am I biting my nails? No.

Am I starting to panic? Not really.

I have my pitches all written and mostly memorized.

Don’t get me wrong. I will do my best to entice and impress, but not at the cost of my sanity.

I will not lay in bed tonight obsessing about what might happen. Like I’ll open my mouth, but no words will come out because all rationale thought has abandoned me.

I will not imagine myself babbling like an idiot at the poor editor seated across from me. Or that I’ll rattle off my pitch at warp speed like an auctioneer.

I will not entertain the panicky thought that I’ll lose track of time and forget an appointment.

Nope. Not doing it. Not going there.

After saying good-bye to my precious Ollie, I had a bit of an epiphany. On the scale of cosmic importance, pitching my book and how well I do, will not affect the fate of the known universe. If I fail to impress, I will still submit my books to editors safely hidden behind my query’s printed words (no babbling going on there).

I will still work on my next two books.

I will still write.