Hello, writers. Mettle fatigue hosted WO! last week and brought up the idea of a starting a group of kossians posting creative writng; check out her diary if interested, and note all of her caveats, about all of which she is (naturally) correct.
My next book has just gone live on the Random House website (it’s not out till June). It’s historical fiction, not fantasy.
(I quite like the cover. This is the first time I’ve had one of my African-American characters’ faces depicted on the cover without my having to ask.)
I had a talk with my agent today about what (children’s) publishers are buying right now. This is what authors and agents often talk to each other about. And authors and authors talk about it. And agents and editors. (And probably also editors and editors talk about it, but I’m never there when they do.)
Ultimately, like all writers, I write a lot of stuff that doesn’t sell. And I like the unsalable stuff. The market may not want it, but it still counts for something. It’s more than just practice.
Nonetheless, if you are writing with the intent to sell (and it’s fine if you’re not) then you have to keep thinking in terms of what the market wants. And that keeps changing. So you have to keep finding out what’s changed.
In other news, this is the penultimate Write On! before NaNoWriMo. Next week is Halloween, aka NaNoWriMo Eve, and I’ll ask you then what your project for the month will be, if you’re participating. Then we’ll put it up in the traditional grey box, and track everyone’s progress for the month.
Tonight’s challenge
In honor of Halloween:
Write a passage in which someone going about their daily business has an encounter with a ghost.
They might be terrified, startled, completely used to it, or not notice at all, but they should say something important to the ghost.
Try to engage at least three senses. Try to limit yourself to 150 words.
Write On! will be a regular Thursday feature (8 pm ET 5 pm PT) until it isn’t. Before signing a contract with any agent or publisher, please be sure to check them out on Preditors and Editors, Absolute Write and/or Writer Beware