I get to work with an EDITOR!!

OK, yeah, so everybody knows I've kind of become a Twitter contest masochist. I really do love them for the sense of writer community - albeit an arms' length, introverted kind of sense of community.

I've been having trouble finding the sweet spot for pitching this manuscript. I've gotten a lot of really nice compliments from agents I queried, but it hasn't reached out and grabbed anyone, for the most part. This leads me to believe that it could use professional eyes.

I entered Pitch to Publication kind of on a whim. I hadn't really planned to; there were a couple other contests at the same time that I was going to try. I saw one of the editors was hoping for mythology-inspired manuscripts, and with some encouragement from a friend (thank you, Samantha!), I decided to go ahead and enter in hope of the chance to work with a professional editor to revise my manuscript.

Most of the contest aftermaths look like this if we aren't chosen:

We all feel like we're not good enough. It's a major ego blow, because non-writers don't realize just how much courage it takes to put our material out there in the face of almost certain rejection. It's almost never brutal rejection- quite the opposite. Twitter has some of the most supportive souls on it in the form of agents, editors and writers that I've had the good fortune to meet. My CP group, the illustrious Beta Babes, are just some of them.

But this time...THIS time...

My name was on the winners list.

I now have the opportunity to work with editor Carly Bornstein on my manuscript for Nectar and Ambrosia for a month! I am still happy dancing around.

I've already told my family that I will have deadlines I have to meet. They know I value my writing time and they interrupt me at their own peril, LOL. At the end of the month, there will be an agent round where literary agents bid on full manuscript requests. After that: a publisher round for indies and small publishers where they can also bid on the manuscripts. (I had just sent off a full manuscript at a small publisher's request, and respectfully retracted it in order to take advantage of this opportunity to work with Carly. It can only make it better.)

I am having even more confidence that Nectar and Ambrosia will see the light of day in the near future.

X-Files Geeksplosion

I'm just sitting here this morning, minding my own business and checking Facebook when I saw it.

Mulder and Scully are back.

I was surprised at the visceral, immediate nerdgasm I experienced on hearing that creepy little synthesizer riff. I actually squee'd.

I missed them so much. I was a faithful viewer every week, even when the show got a little--err, iffy, there toward the end. I even saw the movie.

But they're back, a little longer in the tooth, with flashlights blazing in search of The Truth.

And I can't wait. January, baby.

Goodbye vacation, hello Twitter stalking

It's been a great eleven days off. We did absolutely nothing for ten of them! I power slammed the entire season of Sense8 (watch it!), watched 'Chappie', and basically hung out with my kids and hubby at home except for one day trip on Wednesday. It was awesome.

In between, I got stuff ready for two contests. Hi, my name is Lisa, and I'm becoming a contestaholic. Holy cow. I get glued to the TweetDeck feed watching for hints on whether they're talking about my entry when they're gushing. Depending on my state of mind, it's either: 

Or, if it's something that might be mine and it's negative:

The coolest thing about the writers in the Twitterverse is how we all pull together to cheer each other on. 

I have learned so much from the authors and editors and agents I meet during these contests that I don't feel completely guilty for stalking Twitter like a fiend. 

Tomorrow I go back to work *sigh*. 

Good luck to everybody in the #pg70pit and #PitchtoPublication !