I've just read an interesting article in a Blog I follow, about whether to send to one agent or publisher at a time or more?
My personal feelings on the matter are that it's unethical to send to more than one address at a time, however, is it?
At the moment I've been left completely on hold with the MS I've sent off.
It's driving me to distraction, I can't put pen to paper, (or finger to key if you will) without thinking about it. Now the question that begs to be asked is, is that being fair on me?
What is against me sending it off again to a different publisher, or publisherS for that matter?

Well, firstly it's not in my genetic make up to be disloyal. It's a major fault of mine that I'm faithful to the bitter end; so I wouldn't be comfortable with playing one publisher off against another, which is how I would see it.
Secondly… well there is no second because the first one is good enough, to be honest.

So, where does that leave me?
It leaves me pining away for an answer that will probably be negative when it come anyway. Mmmmmmm…
Damn my honourable nature.

Reg ;-)

The piece is down for the Struggling Authors website, I'm just tweaking it now.
I've taken a slightly satirical angle on the whole thing; I just hope it's what the website is looking for.

The band I write the lyrics for have also sent me some more work, that's work as in; I write the lyrics and receive my royalties in beer at their gigs. A most favourable arrangement, I can assure you.
Their first full length CD should be on the shelves by the end of October and they're already starting on songs number six and seven for the next release. It's all very heart warming to see the lyrics I wrote, sometimes at work and sometimes at home, being performed by another person.
If you're looking for an ego boost, I can highly recommend it. However, a further ego boost of Saturn size proportions is having the words you crafted picked out by a record company executive as being good enough for packaging and promotion. Record companies are like publishers, they're constantly inundated with CDs from countless bands and to be picked out is, well special actually, lol.
I'll stop stroking my ego now, shall I?

Still nothing from the publishers. Were it not for the lyrics and translation work for friends I wouldn't be writing anything at all! I can't concentrate on anything at the moment, as my mind drifts off on a tangent as soon as I open up any of the unfinished projects I have on the go at the moment.
Ah well, an answer will be forthcoming, I'm sure.
I'll just have to sit it out.

Have a nice week.
Reg. :-)

Monday morning and the weekend starts here, Yippee !!!
(Fail).
After a whole weekend of night shift, I fell I could sleep for a year, at least.

I've had an idea for the problems I had in finding, (free) Latin translations for longer phrases and names.
A local German band have started to use English lyrics and their singer is a Latin teacher. Result!
I have offered my services, as a native speaker of the Queen's diction to check their material, maybe change a few things, blah blah blah, and in return their singer can translate a couple of phrases and the like for me, into Latin.
Sorted.
Actually, I haven't asked them yet about the Latin translation, but I reckon quid pro quo is a fair proposition and it's not like I'm asking them to translate the Bhagavad-Gita, is it?
No Reg, it isn't.

I think I'll go to bed now.
Good night/morning.
Reg

My favourite writer's website,
http://strugglingauthors.co.uk/default.aspx
has suddenly bloomed into a hive of activity.
It's a cosy, intimate little corner that normally ticks along nicely with a wide range of subjects to help the "struggling author" and a small band of writing enthusiasts who regularly add to the forums.
There are no arrogant creative writing teachers snorting loudly onto the page, no know-it-all 6th form students pretending to be 42 year old Poet Laureates and to put a fine point on it, no egos full stop.
I basically like it because it does what a website of this nature should do, i.e. it offers support and advice.
So imagine how nice it was for me to be asked to scribble down a short passage about the adversity and troubles that have assailed me on the long, lonely journey to, (hopefully) seeing my name in print.
Nice :-)
So that's what I'm going to do. Cool, eh?
I've a bit of translation to do for a friend and then I'll get stuck in.
Right, that's it then.
No more news, sadly.

But one day, oh yes, one day I will have something to tell you.
Be it good or be it bad.

Tara.
Reg

It's Friday and slowly but surely, I'm starting to feel the need to write again. I won't be doing anything this weekend, haven't the tie I'm afraid, but it's on the near horizon.
This waiting for an answer form the publisher is killing me. I'm checking my mails, on average, about five times a day. However, all good things to those who wait… Right?
(I sincerely hope that maxim is right).

You know what, I've whinged enough about this waiting lark. The next time I mention it will be when I hear something.
Dealio?
Dealio.

On a slightly cheerier note, my friend and one time literal partner, Tee, has assured me that she'll be plonking the keyboard on her blog before the end of the month.
Well, actually that was a slight nudge to the J.K.Rowling of Ashford to get something down on her page; I'm fed up of the same, "MAN UNITED A BIG FAT ZERO" entry.
Give me some news Tee, lol.

Anyway, have a great weekend.
Reg

What I don't understand is my inability to write at a constant tempo. It seems that I have mad dashes of creativity that dazzle even me, and then long periods of nothing; and I mean absolutely nothing.
It's like I know I should write but I can't bring myself to tap the keys. I avoid even thinking about it.
Why, I wonder, is that so?
I am passionate about every story I do to the point of being able to sit for hours just staring into space, plotting my characters and all the misery that will befall them. Before I go to sleep I think about what I'm writing, envisaging how a scene will turn out or how a character is going to meet a grizzly end. Someone once suggested I take a notebook with me where ever I go, to jot down ideas as they hit me, but the fact of the matter is that I think about every project I start so much that ideas spring on me all the time. I've no shortage on the imagination front.
However, then it comes to actually putting down my ideas and I'm forced to wait until the mood takes me.
Why is that?

I know why I stopped on book two of Division. I was just fed up with all the waiting for an answer from the many agents I wrote to, I needed to move on.
The story's still there and if I hear anything positive I'll simply pick up from where I left off. But for now, I need a break from Markus von Struck and his crew.
Hence my little flurry with the short stories and now the newest project. This latest project is really interesting. I love making up my own little worlds and histories and the new storyline allows me to do just that. However, I haven't touched it for over a month now and can't seem to bring myself into the zone where I'm comfortable tapping the keys.

Well, there you go. Now you know why I'm so phlegmatic when it comes to writing. I haven't mentioned the shift work, house, kids and social life because anyone who has read my earlier whinges knows all about those, lol.

Whatever, I am feeling the need again slowly, so in a couple of days I think I'll be there again; in the zone…

Have a good one.
Reg :-)