Nose to the Grindstone

Okay, as has been pointed out, I missed the list last week.

Here is who I'm sending stuff to:
Victoria Sanders
Wendy Schmalz
Wendy Sherman
Eleanor Wood
Robin Strauss

also...
Albert Zuckerman
Robert Brown
Susan Zeckendorf
Helen Zimmerman
Pennie West

I've picked up a few more rejections and one note asking I re-send my work via e-mail. While this isn't the same thing as someone saying they're going to read what I've written, it is different than the usual fortune cookie cutter letter telling me it's not for them, but they wish me the best of luck. I am ever hopeful even if Lawrence Block (written about a hundred books) says most first novels are largely unpublishable. I believe in my little book, but it wouldn't be the first time an author's first work was published later as a second or third book.

I am at 28,000 words on my current writing project. You learn, I think, as you go what works. I have a 20,000 word ceiling I have to break. If I can hold the story past 20K, I think I can get it to the end. For those of you interested, yes, I am sticking it out with Fry Cook Bob, Mr. Pulaski and the snakes of Lee County, Cartersville, USA. This may consume me through the early part of the year with edits, rewrites and many sleepless nights turning it into something that makes sense. Currently, it is very, very confusing.

I've enjoyed other blogs more since I've been off the blogging. I chimed in over at Film Geek when someone brought up "It's A Wonderful Life," possibly the most tragic holiday film ever made. I love the thing, but in it's way, it's worse than "Requiem for a Dream." Frank Capra was completely insane. I've also been throwing in comments over at 5th Column, but not to any real use.

And the holidays are coming up. The mad scramble has not begun just yet, but will be happening soon. I've scrimped and saved again with the hopes of putting something under the tree for the kids that isn't completely pathetic. It's not a lot and I am mindful of the last time I saved up with the hopes of making a bright Christmas --we ended up getting kicked out of our place and had to spend most of the money I'd put away on a new place to live. I'm not going to have nearly as much cash as I had two years ago, but it's better than where I was last year.

The close of the year reminds me of my resolutions. Most of them failed. I look over at that bar to the right and cringe. I can make no other resolution for next year than to try again. So, the upside is that's already taken care of for me. I don't need to make another list and besides, fortune favors the persistent.