Kate Martin.com

June 29

I lost time again, but I did so much!
Okay, so I lost track of the month again it seems, but that's what happens at the end of the "school year."

Update: 
My fantasy novel is still undergoing major cutting.  But the outcome is looking pretty promising.  While at Seton Hill University's "In Your Write Mind" retreat this past weekend, one agent was nice enough to go through the first page and give me some line editing tips.  We cut half the words off the page.  lol.  A little extreme, and I probably won't actually cut all of them (but most of them), but it made her point.  I have some good tools to go forward with now.  If I can do that to every page 140,000 won't be hard to hit at all. 

And speaking of "In Your Write Mind," I had so much fun this weekend.  It's great to get together with all my writer friends and talk and play and hash out story ideas.  We even got to spend a little extra time with some of the guest speakers, going to dinner and the like.  It was nice to get to interact with them outside of "business" and get to know them a little as people.  Haha. 
While there, I also brought Rage of the Behemoth with me to our book-signing--sold 12 of my 15!  Not a bad haul.  And I've already found potential homes for the remaining three.  So all's well on that front.  I've gotten some good reviews already from those who bought it.  I'm so proud of Poisonous Redemption!  It's all grown up!  ^_^

On other fronts:  The new novel is FINALLY starting to come along.  Of course, as soon as I got into a good work groove I had to go away for the weekend (and oddly enough not much writing goes when we writers get together, ha!) but the novel is at 22,000 words and it's moving fairly quickly.  I fully expect this book to be around 90,000 words.  . . . Yeah, let's see that happen.  lol.  (Kidding, I can totally do it.)  Hm . . . I suppose that means I should change my work in progress page.  My poor YA novel has been benched for the time being.  I need some time away from it to figure out what's wrong. 

Not much else to report, but I will share the thing I learned this weekend that has had the biggest impact on me:
What is your book about?  The correct answer is the name of your main character.
What is the problem?  --the answer isn't always as simple, or easy, as you think.  A lot of times it's not what you think at all!

So think think think.  What is the problem?  I will keep that in my head now as I go off to write.  ^_^


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May 10

Wow, Time Goes Fast . . .
I didn't realize how long it had been since I had updated here.  So here I go. 

I started the great cutting escape for my epic fantasy novel at the suggestion of the agent.  At first, it wasn't so bad.  Despite being rewritten two full times, there are still remnants of my first writing habits hidden within--so those went.  I had to cut a character.  A character I really like.  He's a nice guy.  I moaned and groaned about it for a few days, deciding whether or not to go through with it.  When I finally did, I was shocked at how easy it was to erase him from the story--like he was never really meant to be there.  It makes me sad, and it means some more editing down the line with the second book when he reappears, but its all doable, and it helps the flow of the story.  And I'll probably just resurrect him later in a much later novel.  After that, a few more scenes bit the dust completely (not easy to do--but gets easier when you're frustrated and just want it over with.  Like a band aid.)  Then I moved on to simply cutting out unneeded sentences and the like.

Current Cutting Status:  212,000 words has become  . . .  Drum-roll, please.    . . . . 188,000 words. 

Not bad, if I do say so myself.  Too bad the goal count is more like 140,000.  Really not sure if that's possible with keeping the story intact, but we'll see.  At the moment, some trusted friends are reading it, looking for "slow parts", repetitious thoughts, etc.  I'm hoping I can get it down to at least 160,000. 

In other news, I wrote the historical non-fiction companion piece for my new short story Winter's Game.  The funny thing about writing that was that when I was finished, I knew it was something I would send to a professor for a class, and expect an A.  However, with the added pressure of this eventually being in PRINT....yeah, I'm not quite satisfied.  Thankfully, we got an extension on the deadline.  And while I was ready for the original, I'm taking some of the extra time to fix it up once or twice more.  Fiction is really so much more fun. 

Pages are up for Winter's Game--actually they have been for some time, but I forgot to mention it.  Roar of the Crowd has a place on the Shop Books page as well.  More to come as it all continues to come together.  :)

And finally, with the month of May, my writing time has returned--I hope.  My choreography job for a local private high school is over, and this week is the last for classes at the University.  I have my new project I'm trying to get back into, but it seems I can't find the right place to sit . . . So, off I go now, to finish up a few more portfolios for grading, to watch the episode of The Tudors I missed last night, and then to find the perfect writing spot for my new project which I'm not even sure how to classify.  ^_^

Happy May!



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March 25

Winter's Game
With winter coming to a close, and spring peeking its head in every so often, I am pleased to announce that I have sold my short story, Winter's Game!  It will be appearing later this year in the anthology Roar of the Crowd.  Formula of that title sound a little familiar?  Well, that's because it is yet another brilliant title from Rogue Blades Entertainment--the publisher of Rage of the Behemoth, and my story Poisonous Redemption.  I am so thrilled to have a second story published, and as icing on the cake I get to work with Jason M. Waltz again as editor.  He was so great the first time (and someone who's easy to work with is awesome when its your first time having your writing edited for real), I know this second time around will be just as wonderful.  And the cherry on the sundae--Roar of the Crowd will look so perfect next to Rage of the Behemoth on my shelf since they will match!  (little things like that make me happy.)  ^_^

Oh!  And the sprinkles (I'm running out of room on this yummy sundae), if you glance down the table of contents you will find a story called Up the Gladiators! by my mentor from Seton Hill, David Bischoff!  Very exciting to be sharing a binding with him.  Dave was my first mentor and really helped me focus on the plot and flow of my story.

Ill be putting together a page for Winter's Game here on my site sometime in the near future. 

So that's my big news.  Having this second sale came in really handy when I had to update my CV/resume for West Conn this month.  I hadn't realized it, but when they first hired me I hadn't had anything published!  So this time I got to write up not one, but TWO published stories (or soon to be).  7th place in the Preditors and Editor's Reader's Poll looked good on there too.  I felt so accomplished.  lol

In smaller, perhaps not as significant, news--my thesis novel, the hugely long Astirian Winds (epic fantasy) was read completely by an agent a few weeks back, and he said he really enjoyed spending his weekend going through it.  (Glad I didn't ruin his weekend, lol)  However, he has told me what I really already knew--it's too long (at least for a first timer like me trying to sell).  So, I have been given the task of trying to cut a 211,000 word novel into something more along the lines of 140,000.  Can I do it?  We shall see.  I printed the entire thing out, made little booklets for easy reading and holding, and have been marking it up for the past few days.  So far I'm through 21 of the 50 chapters and I have found scenes that can either be cut or combined.  Not to mention the sentences that can be cut, and the wordings that can be condensed.  It's amazing the things that I still find even after so many years.  The first draft was written my Junior year of college (::counts fingers:: 7 years ago . . . jeeze) and then I rewrote it twice while in grad school.  Typos still linger.  It's funny, too, how much my writing has changed.  There are a few scenes I read and think to myself, "I would never write it that way now."  I'm not going to rewrite the whole thing again though.  I have to know when enough is enough.  In any case, if I can cut this beast down into something a bit more respectable, I have been invited to send it his way once again.  Woot. 

So, that's the basic update.  A little progress here, a little progress there.  What more could I ask for?  (Okay, okay, I could ask for a LOT of progress, but baby steps are better than crawling.  Before you know it I'll be running all over the room--so to speak ^_^)


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February 12

Oops. Forgot. ^_^
It seems I forgot one important piece of information in my last post!

The Preditors and Editor's Readers Poll has declared final placing~
Poisonous Redemption came in 7th in the Science Fiction/Fantasy Short Story Category!! 

Rage of the Behemoth had a number of stories place.  3 in the top ten!  Rogue Blades Entertainment has a post with all the details. 
Congrats to all my RotB siblings!

http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/perpoll.htm



^_^ <3


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February 04

Sometimes it Happens . . .
      February.  Wow.  I can't believe January disappeared, and did so without me finishing the YA novel that I wanted done by the end of '09! 
      But the lack of finishing just isn't avoidable at this point.  The book is a mess.  I ran it into the ground by trying new writing strategies, which clearly do not work for me.  I will never storyboard again, nor will I write scenes out of order just because they are what's currently in my head.  I am going back to my old habits; if the scene comes into my head early, I will just hold onto it, make notes, and play it over and over for myself in my mind until the time to write it comes.  And as for my poor mess of a YA novel . . . it's been sent off to trusted friends who I know will help me make sense of it.  And when that happens, I will finish it. 
      In the meantime, I have a new idea--which I may or may not pursue, but I probably will.  ^_^  It involves a character who I created back in highschool and therefore know very well.  She's been waiting for her chance to have a book, and I think I may have finally found it.  I'm excited about this idea too, because it means researching the mythology of many different cultures.  So far, I'm having fun and learning a lot, but I don't have anything solid enough to start writing yet. 
      And the best news: I had another request for a full manuscript.  This time for my thesis novel from Seton Hill (the first novel I ever wrote).  This is my Epic High Fantasy, and its my first baby, my first little love (ha!  little.  The thing is massive.  lol )  I'm excited to get it back out there.  I have a good query letter, and the idea of maybe even returning to that series stirs the writer-fire inside me.  ^_^

      Also, my friends and I have started/are starting a critique group!  Yay!  I shall once again have feedback on a monthly basis!  ::sigh of relief::  I miss the input on my writing.  I thrive on it.  <3


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January 07

Update, Plain and Simple
2010.
Weird.

       So, the new year is here, and my work in progress is still just that--in progress.  However, I have reached that pivitel moment where everything in the plot snowballs from this point out.  So as soon as I get over the hump, I should enter into that wonderful phase of being able to do nothing but write until its finished.  ::crosses fingers::  Here's hoping.

       Preditors and Editors is in the midst of their Annual Readers' Poll, and Rage of the Behemoth and Poisonous Redemption are both on the ballot!  It's very cool to have my story involved in something like this, especially when it is doing suprisingly well!  Poisonous Redemption is really shaping up to be a wonderful little child.  I hope it has many little brothers and sisters who are just as successful (if not more so) some day.  ^_^
       You can vote here, or go to Rogue Blades Entertainment and catch the link from there.  So vote, vote, vote!  Please. The voting seems a little confusing at first, but its really not all that bad.  To make things easier for you Poisonous Redemption can be found easily here, and Rage of the Behemoth is here. 
Another fellow SHU grad has her YA novel up as well.  You can find her under the link for Young Adult Novels: Ellen Spain, Secrets in the Fog. 
You can vote through January 14th.  All votes are greatly appreciated.  :)

       In other news, my YA novel was passed on.  ::sad::  But, at least I found out before the new year, so I get to start fresh.  This month I will be sending out multiple queries for both the YA and my Epic Fantasy.  I think it's time that other series ventured out into the world again.  We'll see what happens. 

       To all my SHU peeps, have fun at residency this week!  Lucky ducks . . . I wish I could be there.  But I shall see you in June!  <3
       Avatar is a really, really, really good movie.  If you haven't seen it, do so. 

       And now, I am off to see if I can squeeze out a few more words before I have to be off to the dance studio.  My goal was to try to finish the book this week, but I think that's not looking too likely . . . However, my neighbor is coming to read for me this week, so she is going to read, I am going to write, and together we are going to talk out all the problems.  If all goes as planned, it should be very productive.  ^_^





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December 18

Tis the Season to be Busy
        I love the Christmas season, I really do.  Especially once everything else gets out of the way so I can enjoy the holiday without the stress of the nonsense that always wants to claim importance around this time of year. 
       So, classes are over, which is nice.  What's not so nice is the pile of 10 page papers I have to grade . . . I'm really starting to rethink the assigning of these things . . . lol.  The Christmas Show is over, too.  Dancing is fun, but rehearsing since October (when my general rule is no Christmas music until after Thanksgiving) is kind of taxing.  But with all that finished and behind me, I have turned to baking cookies and cookies, and more cookies.  ^_^  I finally got back to writing yesterday, after playing with NaNo during November.  I'm still not finished, but the end is closing in.  Word Count is at 120,000 now.  I think I have another 10,000 to go . . . then I will be pruning this book down to something a little more respectable. 
       That said, I need to get writing this morning before heading out to finish the christmas shopping.  So, I will quickly sum up with a list of good books I have read recently. 
       Read these:
       Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins
       Storm Glass, by Maria V. Snyder
       Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury
       Bound to Shadows, by Keri Arthur (newest in the series)
       Divine Misdemeanors, by Laurell K. Hamilton (also the newest in the series)

       Watch This:
       The Vampire Diaries, on the CW.  Really, really a great show.  The characters are rich and multi-demensional.  The plot is interesting and moves along at a steady pace, and the subplots are just as intriguing as the main storyline.  Something everyone can enjoy.  And I mean that.  The whole family will sit down and watch it with me, even my 23 year old brother.  Take the time and entertain yourself with this winner of a show. 

Merry Christmas!!


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November 14

Much to do, and less time to do it in.
I don't really have much to update about, so this will be short. 
Some new links are up, check them out.  ^_^
I am participating in National Novel Writing Month (or NaNo for short).  I'm doing pretty well so far.  A little behind, but I full expect to catch up.  At least it got me working on the novel again.  It's nice to get back to those characters and that story.  Sometimes I fear for the amount of editing I'm going to have to do when its all finished, but then I try not to think about it.  :)
Current NaNo count is at 17,472.  Thanksgiving break shall be filled with writing. 
To all other writers NaNoing out there:  Keep it up!


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October 25

Winter's Game
       The story is done!  Hurrah!  Once I started the new version it only took about 3 days to write the entire thing, but as a whole (research, first draft, second draft, editing) I spent almost two months on this one story.  Surprising, really.  Poisonous Redemption only took up about a week of my writing time, and the companion story I wrote for Poisonous Redemption didn't take all that long either.  But, this story--currently titled, Winter's Game--required a lot of research and "getting things right", so I suppose the time isn't all that unexpected, or unnecessary.  It was an interesting journey, writing something where I couldn't just make up whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  All that said, I really like this story.  I hope it gets accepted.  From those who have read it for me during the editing stages, Winter's Game is one of the best things I've written, really good, and even "freakin' awesome."  ^_^
       So with Winter's Game off the desk, it is time to return to my YA novel.  I have about two months left in the year, and I think if I really buckle down I can finish it before the new year.  That would be good.  I may even play along in November with NaNoWriMo.  I can't write a 50,000 word novel (too short) and I don't need to start anything new, but I have about 30,000 (maybe more) words left in my work in progress, so I might challenge myself to finish it in November.  ^_^  We'll see. 
       In other news, I have a new class to teach next semester!  Yay!  It is Intro to the Creative Process, a writing intensive.  I will be guiding students to find the way they prefer to work.  It really sounds like a lot of fun and I can't wait to plan and teach it.  I even have a few current students signing up for it.  We're going to have a good time. 

       Well, I'm going to see if I can get some real writing done.  I started reading Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games, and I bought Dante's Inferno yesterday.  Keri Arthur's new book comes out on Tuesday.  I am all set.  ^_^


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October 06

And so the adventure continues . . .
       I heard back from one of the agents.
       She wants to see the entire novel.  ^______^
       So, I actually got the email two weeks ago, but I spent the time since then freaking out, double and triple checking the mss, worrying, and otherwise pacing my room, so I just sent it out right now.  Five minutes ago.  ::crosses all fingers, toes, strands of hairs, etc.::  I'm pretty sure its in good shape.  I had read the entire thing this summer and had some notes, so I took care of those things, and now it's on its own.  I can do nothing more now than pray.
      {insert prayers here}
      Now I just have to print the whole thing out and get a hard copy in the snail mail.  That's today's project.  Along with sewing new pointe shoes and freaking out over having sent an entire mss out for the first time.  Oh the joy. 
      Other news, (not that anything is nearly as cool as being asked for a full) I scrapped everything I had written in the short story.  All 7,000 words.  They were crap.  I hated them.  So much that I threw the pages on the ground like a child.  My mother was kind enough to read the crap and hash everything out with me until I had a new solid direction of where to take the story.  I wrote a solid 1,500 the very next day.  ^_^  I love when that happens.  Unfortunately, I have these jobs things that pay my bills, and they don't leave me a lot of time for writing at the moment.  Coupled with the novel needing my attention again, the poor short story had to take a backseat for a few days.  But everything is clear now, I can give it my full attention once again.  The plan is to work on it this morning, but I have a feeling my brain is too caught up in the sending of the novel to concentrate.  We'll see.  I have a few hours tomorrow, and Thursday morning that I can work, and I took ALL of next Monday off!!  Yay!!!  It will be just me and the lappy aaaalllll day.  No interruptions allowed.  Maybe I can get the story done then. 
      And so, I shall end this blog on the following note:

I HAVE A FULL MANUSCRIPT OUT!!!!  AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!  ::combination happy dance and nervous freakout:: 
^_^

Enjoy your day.  The leaves are turning here in New England and everything is beautiful.  Breathe it in.  ^_^


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