I was just afraid I was showing myself to be a bit of a diva by being all concerned about my career direction when I haven't even sold yet. I get the impression most of the other unpubbed writers in my chapter, if they sold a particular type of book, would be happy to write five more books for the exact same line even if they'd been planning to do something completely different. Hence, I wonder if I'm too cocky, when I haven't even sold my first book, to have such definite plans for who I'm going to be exactly when I'm finally Somebody.

Hence, I wonder if I'm too cocky, when I haven't even sold my first book, to have such definite plans for who I'm going to be exactly when I'm finally Somebody.

That's, uh, crazy talk. Fond hairpat. There's a big difference between wanting to write anything, anytime to be published, and knowing what interests you to write about, and therefore what really might reflect your passion (and influence your voice). I think most writers who try to write to market to get sold are going to sell themselves short in one way or another -- if the book of an author's heart is a sweeping historical, attempting a sarcastic, up-to-the-minute chick lit might work out, and, you know, really truly might not.

I think you're very wise to consider what you want to be writing, and to try as hard as you can to make that happen. I've written stuff simply for pay before, when it had no resonance (and often very little interest) for me, and it can suck with a capital S.

The other thing is (as Elaine-the-agent pointed out during our session) is there's nothing to prevent the same writer having books with two different publishers. I'd hate to do that with Lucy and Anna, since they're linked stories, and I fondly think that anyone who reads Lucy is going to be curious about what happens to Anna, especially since she's becoming a more prominent character in my rewrite. But, it could be done--I'd just have to change Anna's name and demographic details. I don't wanna, but if that's what it took to sell both stories....but it's early days to worry about crossing that bridge.

Oh, and I decided I need to make a 5-year plan, and I may have found a good match for a critique partner.

ETA--Amy, did you get the email I sent to your gmail address about Laurie Brown?

Amy, did you get the email I sent to your gmail address about Laurie Brown?

Um, stupid me opened the account and since forgotten to check it. I'll look now. And then it's off to bed...

I was just afraid I was showing myself to be a bit of a diva by being all concerned about my career direction when I haven't even sold yet.

Well ... and let me be the unpopular opinion here, but only because I love you ... there's a lot of strength in knowing what you want to write, and writing something because you love it and its what you want to do. Honestly.

The "but" you hear brewing here is that a lot of writers get themselves very caught up in succeeding the way they want to succeed, sometimes to the detriment of other directions and possibilities.

Not saying you're doing that--I honestly haven't seen you in action enough to make that judgement--but it's a question worth asking yourself. Be open to the possibility that you have even greater opportunities down a road you didn't even know was there.

ETA: Or, the Reader's Digest version, "If you get the shot, take the shot."

I think that's a very good point, victor. And that's why I'm sending the requested partial--I'm going to roll the dice and see what comes up. If everything were to go right and they end up requesting the full and then offering to buy the manuscript, that's when I'll need to think about what it means for my career. The odds are it won't get that far. And if it does--who knows? Maybe they'll be just SO crazy about my writing that they'll consider Anna too. Never hurts to dream.

Never hurts to dream.

Never. And you can't live a writer's life without rolling some dice once in awhile.

Never hurts to dream.

My dream hurts. I am doing this wrong.

My dream hurts. I am doing this wrong.

Hmmm. Well, I suppose if you're into that sort of thing...

Susan, sounds like you did well, and that it went well. Like Amy, nothing you said sounded remotely trouble-makingish, although I find myself wondering who the editor at Tor is (I know a few of them, at the senior level). (EDIT: whoops - missed the ID upstream. I don't know her, but I know of her; she's supposed to be a sweetie. I'd wondered if it was Natalia Aponte, for a minute.)

Oh, and re paranormal? Apparently, the market is glutted. Don't make Jack into a werewolf just yet.

And I'm a rather big supporter of writing what wants out. If you're channelling a particular voice, and that voice is sitting in the middle of the Pyrenees during the Peninsular campaign, for heavens sake, don't try to be Rita Mae Brown or something; write the voice that wants out. You can always play with other things later.