Really, It's Not You, It's Me...

Hello Kiddies! Remember when I told you guys about the agent I was referred to by one of her professional clients? And that she had it on an exclusive basis? Well, I received my rejection via snailmail last week! :*( I was kind of bummed at first but then I realized that this was one agent's opinion.

I realized that she does not normally represent urban fantasy, so my series may not appeal to her senses. My series leans more towards horror fantasy. Most of my work leans towards horror in general, if it must be categorized. I am just a writer, I'll allow everyone else to place my work in little heart-shaped boxes! :*)

Once, one of my favorite horror authors, Tananarive Due, sent me an e-mail asking me had I received my wallpaper of rejections. Of course my answer was 'no.' She mentioned that several rejections are par for the course and to expect many in this business. I only have a small handful of rejections thus far for my dark urban fantasy series, so I have already compiled my list of agents who represent what I write, and they are a grand group of agents. I have been looking over my query and synopsis to ensure once again that everything is correct. When my tinkering is done, I will then e-mail and snailmail said queries.

All writers experience rejection during the querying process, but do not allow it to dissuade you from your ultimate goal of publication. If you are good at what you do, someone will take notice; that is all! :*)

HOLD MY MUSE!!!

Okay Kiddies, if you don't get the joke from my title, then you don't go to church. YOU SINNER!! :*)

Anyway, I have not been writing as much as I promised myself I would. I don't have writer's block or anything of the sort. As a matter-of-fact, I have ideas almost daily. I know where I want my stories to go, but when I'm stressed (mostly from my job), I just cannot focus the way I should.

Usually I don't allow stress to thwart my writing, but as of late, I have let stress get the better of me. It only lasted a few days though; my muse would not allow me to rest. She grabs a hold of my imagination and won't let go. It does not matter if I'm at work, in the grocery store, asleep, etc. She is always there to ensure that I write no matter what. And I thank her for her tenaciousness!

I just finished the outline for the second book in my dark urban fantasy series. I am going to write a short story first, while I continue to research historical data for my novel.
How do you deal with stress? Does it ever affect your writing?

Chiller...

Has anyone seen the new Chiller channel? I love it! I have been waiting for a horror network for the longest time. They show Alfred Hitchcock and Night Gallery (Twilight Zone's dark twin). I have always loved those shows; especially Hitchcock, he's my hero! :*) I am completely cheating on the Sci-fi Channel. Shh, don't tell Sci-fi!

I think what draws me most to horror is the feeling it gives me in the pit of my stomach, or on the back of my neck. I have always loved to scare people, or on rare occasions to be frightened myself, but mostly the former.

As a writer, I plan to have the masses running away in sheer terror. I want them to cringe at my name; uh wait, Bush has that effect, so let me rephrase that. I want to make people look under their beds at night, and sleep with the lights on. I think as writers, we live our genres, we know them inside and out. We live and breathe what we love. Do you know why you write in the genre you do?