Fun math time!

Novel math! It's the only math I like!

Goal length: 80,000
Words per week: 6,000
Weeks till the first draft is done: 13.3 (so 14)
Best of all worlds finish date: Feb. 28
Realistic finish date (assuming Christmas, panic, and scrapped chapters): March 30

That leaves about 3 months for revisions, which should be more than enough to get it whipped into usable shape (especially considering I actually know where I'm going this time).

If I'm going to stay on top of these deadlines, I'm going to have to write 7 days a week. Now, that's ok, because I do that anyway, but I'm going to have to be way more on top of distractions than I've been in the past. Having my writing office back up and running is going to help a lot with that, though.

Ok, Rachel, you can do it. Just stay cool, remember the secret to greatness... just don't suck and you'll be fine.

Here we go!

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TODAY I WON AT LIFE

Well, yesterday really, but the win continues!

So yesterday I got a call from my wonderful agent, Matt Bialer, and his wonderful assistant, Lindsay Ribar, *waves to Lindsay, and mad props* with wonderful news! There had been an offer on my book!

And not just any offer... a REALLY GOOD offer. Orbit, the UK based SciFi and Fantasy house, had come through with a 3 book deal and a larger number than anyone (or at least I) expected.

A 3 BOOK DEAL, GUYS! With enough money behind it where I could quit my day job!

I made it, I did it, I'm now a real writer by anyone's estimation. Life long dream achieved!

It wasn't quite as HOLY SHIT exciting as the day I got my agent, because that was a call out of the blue I was much more obsessed about it. This was also unexpected, but I don't think anything could beat the sheer joy of agent day (I also don't think it's physically possible for me to be that excited ever again).

But best of all, I get to keep writing my favorite books ever. I am the president of planet win!

What makes me doubly happy about all of this was I did it the normal way. I didn't have any ins in publishing, I don't live in New York, I've never been to a conference or pitched my book. I just wrote something, then despaired over it, then wrote it again. Then queried, waited, got rejections, queried again, waited, got rejections, (etc. etc.) until one day I got a response, then I rewrote it AGAIN (with very helpful input), and then waited some more, and then, everything happened.

There was no magic bullet, no secret society. Just me, my novel, and the faith that I could do it if I just tried. I'm sure I'm not done getting rejected, and I'm definitely sure I'm not done angsting about it, but yesterday I made it, and, as the unicorn said, no sorrow will live in me so long as that joy.

Thank you Lindsay, thank you Matt, thank you Travis and Matt and Krystina and Mom and Dad and Cindy and everyone for everything big and small. I'm so happy I could pop!

But I can't pop now, I have to go get started on Eli 2! :D

killing time

Still no bites on my novel from editors. Of course, there are millions of reasons for this - they're busy, only a few have actually said no, the economy isn't the greatest for taking new business ventures, etc. But the pessimist in me wonders... maybe I'm just writing books that can't sell?

I think this year's long line of false starts have taught me that I can only actually write one kind of book - light, adventure fantasy/comedy, which I keep hearing doesn't sell.

Of course, all of this is horribly negative. My new book (which I need to update the side bar for) is going to be AWESOME. It's hilarious in my favorite kind of way, very tongue in cheek, fantasy meta humor. It's actually fun to write, and I'm having a great time...

But I also dread that it won't sell. Ever. Still, you do what you have to do, and for me, that seems to be sticking to my roots.

I just hope someone reads it someday!

stabstabstab

Deep down inside (ok, maybe not so deep), I have a pretentious streak a mile wide. I was an English Major! I can't help it!

I've spent the past year trying to write a serious novel. Eli (novel 1) is light fantasy with comedy elements. There's a serious plot, but it's overshadowed by my funny guy, Eli. But I've always wanted to write Serious Fantasy(tm)... trouble is, I don't seem to be very good at it. If you took all the unfinished novels I've started this year, you'd have almost 200k, not to mention the piles and piles of world building notebooks lying all over my home office. But finally, I think I'm beginning to get what my subconscious (and the evidence) has been telling me all along. I may have great ideas for serious fantasy, but I'm really lousy at writing them. I just can't get into the story.

So I'm going to just stop trying for a bit. Head back to my roots.

I think I'm going to write something funny. Even if it flops, well, at least I'll be writing. At this point, I'll take what I can get.