Stress? Me? Never! UGH!

First reason for the stress reduction kit...
The holidays are fast approaching!
And I'm NOT ready!

Second reason for the stress reduction kit...
I have been writing query letters and I have come to the conclusion...
I write Sucky Query letters!
The hook is okay. It's short, but says what I want to get their interest..
 I've got my contact information down to a "T"
But, It's that first part where you tell the publisher or agent why you are submitting to them. Do I really have to say why? I mean, I wouldn't submit to them if I didn't want to get their attention. I mean, I'm not sending out a million query letters, just a few hand picked chosen ones, that I have found in google search and that I have heard about through other writers and authors.

Okay well, most people request your query letter to be no longer than 1 page, so with mine they really don't have to worry, I think mine is a half a page long!
I know...But mine is short and to the point! It basically says, "Here's what I've got and here's where you can contact me." End of query. Hopefully, I will get better at it. I guess my main problem is, I'm not really good at sucking up, but will make you fudge and cookies to sweeten you up!

Well that's the reasons for my Stress Reduction kit. Feel free to print one up for yourself and use as needed!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

What Genre?

I have to blog this morning. I wasn't going to, but I have to or I won't be able to move forward on my NaNoWriMo this morning. It's a brain thing....

I was reading the guidelines for a contest and am stuck as to what genre my NaNoWriMo falls in.
Here are the different genres! So many to choose from and yet my novel falls into 3 or 4
How do you choose!
http://www.harlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=538&chapter=0

It is a tragic love story, with friends and family for support. There's some sex (Originally I wasn't going to have any, but it needs to be there) There isn't a happily ever after, but there is a closure. A feeling of content. It is actually the first book in a series, but can be a stand alone novel. The last book in the series is also the same way. It can be a stand alone novel and it does have a happily ever after ending. There's no traveling to foreign countries, or history involved so I don't have to worry about those genres.
Here's a link to someone else's blog and his problems publishing concerning genre.
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/your-job-is-to-write-not-worry?et_mid=526100&rid=232953210

And here is the contest link.
http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/contest/

Oh and the Q4U is, Do you query it as the series to agents and publishers, or do you take a chance on the contest?

Am I Backwards?

Good morning! As usual I have questions and tend to do every thing backwards.
 Is that unusual or do you happen to do this too?

I have had a fantasy roaming around in my head for about a year now and just about four months ago I decided to write a book about it. So sitting down with pen and paper I started writing. When I was into my third chapter, I told myself, "Wait a minute, maybe I should do some research on how to write a book" So I did find a blog that I thoroughly enjoyed and had thought I had bookmarked and can't seem to find it now. (But I will and will share it with you at a later date.)

Anyway, I was reading his blog and he had a checklist and helpful advice on what you need. So I was going through his list and saying, "Okay I've done this, and I've done that. Great it looks like I was doing everything pretty much right and was on track." When I came to his comment, "Now you need to have an ending. Your Happily ever after." OMG, I have no idea how this story is supposed to end! And I stressed on it. Mind you I was still only on my third chapter. I walked around for two days trying to figure out how to get my Happily Ever After. Lucky for me I woke up on the third day and there it was in my head. So my ending chapter has been written. Phew, now I don't have to stress on that.

   Currently I am on the 12th chapter! And once again jumping forward. I have been researching publishers, literary agents, synopsis, and how to write query letters!

I have decided I'm not backwards, I just tend to jump forward and get ahead of myself and then have to go backwards to get me back to where I should be! :-)

I did get a notice yesterday for a group on Facebook where the writer wrote his novel from "Ending to Beginning" I have to hand it to him. I don't think I would be able to accomplish that!

We all have our own writing styles to get us from point "A" to point "B" or visa versa and I will talk about those in my next blog.

Happy Writing everyone!