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a day off
Yesterday I sat at the computer all day and only wrote what? 300? 400? 200? words. So today I didn't try. The only writing-related task I did was to work on the new improved query for the Chuy book. And I do believe it is improved. I've been having a hard time with isolating the thing that makes the book wonderful. For one thing, because I'm bad at self-promotion. But for another, it's just hard to have a single mind about it. What originally got me into this story was a conversation, which went something like this:
"So why didn't you come to the house? You've been back what? A week?"
"I didn't think the house would have me back."
"So you've been crashing like a loner."
"Isn't that what I am?"
etc.
I knew this was two men who had been lovers and wanted to be again. I knew that "the house" was a communal house. So as I thought about it, I discovered the other stuff. I got excited about it when I found out about Cuervecitos, the maquilatown, and the fact that Chuy had been forcibly relocated. When I began to understand all about the complexities of life in the Rancho, I was hooked. When I got into the terraformed world, and the politics of Unification, and rest of it, I started thinking I had a book.
But. The book has been turned down by one agent who didn't give a reason and one publisher who said "well, actually, we only print military science fiction with action heroes. You could consider making Chuy into one of those."
I could, if I were a different person and the book were a different book. But it did get me thinking -- well, why is Chuy interesting even though he's a drunken. neurotic, passive, whiny little boy? And why is his story interesting even though he spends most of it being some kind of prisoner or probationer?
Well, it's in there. Everybody loves Chuy, even the guy who tries to kill him. And Chuy saves the day, more than once. And Chuy is, in the minds of his community, the very embodiment of what is precious and fragile about the community. And they're under siege, and they need to be able to say they are a functional, successful community.
So this time around I'm emphasizing that. I had Keith --- the friend of my son who also writes science fiction -- look at the draft, where I had placed all the things I wanted to say about the book, though I knew it was not the query I wanted to send -- and listened to his take on it. He's a plot-oriented guy, and he basically wanted to turn the query on its head, and I listened to that, though it's not now quite how he said it should be -- I got more better ideas as I went along.
I think the last two sentences are weak yet.
So, tomorrow: I'll finish the final draft of the query letter, and send it to as many agents as are listed in the book as taking the kind of material this is.
And maybe, if there's time, I work on the chapter I was working on yesterday. Otherwise I'll do that on Wednesday.
Have to work at bingo again tomorrow -- my alternating-partner can't.
Also, since I'm done with the tile jobbie, I have to get serious about painting the kitchen. ANd looking for work!
"So why didn't you come to the house? You've been back what? A week?"
"I didn't think the house would have me back."
"So you've been crashing like a loner."
"Isn't that what I am?"
etc.
I knew this was two men who had been lovers and wanted to be again. I knew that "the house" was a communal house. So as I thought about it, I discovered the other stuff. I got excited about it when I found out about Cuervecitos, the maquilatown, and the fact that Chuy had been forcibly relocated. When I began to understand all about the complexities of life in the Rancho, I was hooked. When I got into the terraformed world, and the politics of Unification, and rest of it, I started thinking I had a book.
But. The book has been turned down by one agent who didn't give a reason and one publisher who said "well, actually, we only print military science fiction with action heroes. You could consider making Chuy into one of those."
I could, if I were a different person and the book were a different book. But it did get me thinking -- well, why is Chuy interesting even though he's a drunken. neurotic, passive, whiny little boy? And why is his story interesting even though he spends most of it being some kind of prisoner or probationer?
Well, it's in there. Everybody loves Chuy, even the guy who tries to kill him. And Chuy saves the day, more than once. And Chuy is, in the minds of his community, the very embodiment of what is precious and fragile about the community. And they're under siege, and they need to be able to say they are a functional, successful community.
So this time around I'm emphasizing that. I had Keith --- the friend of my son who also writes science fiction -- look at the draft, where I had placed all the things I wanted to say about the book, though I knew it was not the query I wanted to send -- and listened to his take on it. He's a plot-oriented guy, and he basically wanted to turn the query on its head, and I listened to that, though it's not now quite how he said it should be -- I got more better ideas as I went along.
I think the last two sentences are weak yet.
So, tomorrow: I'll finish the final draft of the query letter, and send it to as many agents as are listed in the book as taking the kind of material this is.
And maybe, if there's time, I work on the chapter I was working on yesterday. Otherwise I'll do that on Wednesday.
Have to work at bingo again tomorrow -- my alternating-partner can't.
Also, since I'm done with the tile jobbie, I have to get serious about painting the kitchen. ANd looking for work!