Oh, I just meant cheating wrt the thrill of finding it at a used book store. Like going to the deli instead of hunting.

I like the hunting around at the used bookstores better than just ordering one online. I like to know what condition it is in for sure, and I like looking through stacks of used books to find a great deal hidden away. I will occasionally order a used book online if it is something I want to read immediately.

I keep thinking about half.com, but that's dangerous water to dip into. Plus I hate paying shipping (of course, there may be free shipping deals). If I find something at a used book store I can justify it by saying, "But it won't be there tomorrow!"

I picked up a hardback of Stephen King's "On Writing" not long after it was published for five bucks. I giddily took it to the counter, and the clerk said, "Used? We have this used? Where!"

As a writing book, it's average, but as the story of a writer's life--especially the part about The Accident--it's wonderful. Assuming, of course, that you like King. I much prefer his non-fiction to his fiction these days. Though "Salem's Lot" terrified me.

Plus I hate paying shipping (of course, there may be free shipping deals). If I find something at a used book store I can justify it by saying, "But it won't be there tomorrow!"

I think we were separated at birth.

On Writing is good stuff.

I think we were separated at birth.

I could have sworn Mother would have said something ...

"Mother! Why didn't you tell me I have a Indian twin brother! Who's half my age!"

Still, I've seen stranger things in my genealogy.

(laughing my ass off at erika's story, in a twisty little way)

We had a genuinely good writers group tonight. Everyone had something to read, and they brough me cake for my birthday.

That's exactly the way to read it.(I may be one of the only writers around who borrowed from life for a story like that.Although the prosthesis was a nod to my homegirl Flannery O'Connor and "Good Country People".) Sounds like a good group, Deb.

You know what I like about this particular writers group? Everyone at the moment is not only writing, they mostly know what they need input on.

So when Stephanie prefaces reading an early bit in her new book, Wire Monkey, by saying, "OK, I can't help feeling there's too much exposition by the main character, but all the info needs to be there", she really does want the input, and listens, and processes.

It's all good.

Here's a question for the more experienced writers: So I've got the Lucy manuscript fairly polished, and I'd like to start shopping it around to agents in earnest. But I've also been re-reading the 14,000 words or so I've got written in Anna so far, and you know what? It's much, MUCH better. Oh, it's got all kinds of first draft rough edges--a giant backstory infodump here, a scene that reads a little rambly there--but the plot is stronger, my voice is surer, it reads more smoothly, the whole nine yards.

So, given that I already know I'm capable of writing a better book than Lucy, is it in my best interest to shop it around? I really want to, but I think a big part of that is just my eagerness to feel like I'm taking the next steps.

Hmmmm. Good question. My gut take would be to query some agents with synopses of both books; if they ask for a partial, you can can then tell them that "Anna" is, in your opinion, the stronger book.

Alternately, you can simply query on "Anna", and tell a responding agent that this is the second book in the series.

Am I making sense here? It's a bad morning healthwise and I'm a little groggy.