Tuesday, October 13, 2009

To my would-be agent

It's been two months, and you still haven't told me if you like my book. Please like it? Please?

I'll beg. I'm not proud. Please ask for a full? I'll accept pity. You can ask for a pity-full.

I'll be the best client you've ever had. Really. I'll always make my submission dates with time to spare. I won't bother you with lots of emails; I haven't even emailed about the partial you've got right now, the one you apparently still haven't read. See? That's proof, right there.

Look, I'm desperate here. I live for affirmation. Tell me I'm smart. Tell me I'm a good writer. Tell me I'm talented and my book could sell really well.

I'm not greedy. I don't need to be the next Jo Rowling or Stephenie Meyer. I just need to make about as much money writing as I do teaching. Then I can stop teaching and write, like I've dreamed of doing for years. Don't you want me to be able to live my dream? All you need to do is take me on, agent-lady.

Look what I've become. I make myself sick. I'm groveling and whining and getting more-than-a-little passive-aggressive. Make it stop. You have the power to make it stop.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Health Insurance

Mine sucks.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Teaching

Hi,

Today's subdued bitterness goes out to my "real" job: teaching.

Teaching: the thing I have to do until people start buying my books.

At least I'm teaching online, so, when I am just about ready to stick a fork in a power socket, I can watch things like this instead:
http://www.cracked.com/video_17779_8-local-news-segments-gone-horribly-wrong.html

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

End of Summer Let-Down

I had a wonderful writing season this summer; I completed two novels and a big chunk of a third. However, I feel like I am putting the plywood up over the windows of the ice cream shack in my soul. I'm shutting down creatively, focusing my energies back into my family, my teaching and professional training, and my real-life in general. I'm becoming a consumer, rather than a producer, of fiction. Don't get me wrong, I'm still reading a book a day, so I'm a super-consumer, but I'm no longer feeling the manic pressure to tell the stories building within me. I hope that intensity comes back in the spring; I miss my mental ice cream already.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Is there a writer's anonymous?

I can't stop writing! I'm on writing my third novel this year. I can't sleep; I can't eat; I don't pay much attention to my kids; all I want to do is spend time in the Ganzfield world!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Health Care Reform and Lies

Top Five Health Care Reform Lies—and How to Fight Back

Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!

The truth: These accusations—of "death panels" and forced euthanasia—are, of course, flatly untrue. As an article from the Associated Press puts it: "No 'death panel' in health care bill."4 What's the real deal? Reform legislation includes a provision, supported by the AARP, to offer senior citizens access to a professional medical counselor who will provide them with information on preparing a living will and other issues facing older Americans.5

Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan!!!

The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality insurance options.6 Included in the exchange is the public health insurance option—a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers—that will operate alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality up and costs down.7

If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can keep them.8 But the new public plan will expand choices to millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it, including many who simply can't afford health care now.

Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style rationing!!!

The truth: Health care reform will expand access to high-quality health insurance, and give individuals, families, and businesses more choices for coverage. Right now, big corporations decide whether to give you coverage, what doctors you get to see, and whether a particular procedure or medicine is covered—that is rationed care. And a big part of reform is to stop that.

Health care reform will do away with some of the most nefarious aspects of this rationing: discrimination for pre-existing conditions, insurers that cancel coverage when you get sick, gender discrimination, and lifetime and yearly limits on coverage.9 And outside of that, as noted above, reform will increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed situation.

Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens' Medicare benefits!!!

The truth: Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare benefits.10 Reform includes savings from Medicare that are unrelated to patient care—in fact, the savings comes from cutting billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance companies and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.11

Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America!!!

The truth: We need health care reform now in order to prevent bankruptcy—to control spiraling costs that affect individuals, families, small businesses, and the American economy.

Right now, we spend more than $2 trillion dollars a year on health care.12 The average family premium is projected to rise to over $22,000 in the next decade13—and each year, nearly a million people face bankruptcy because of medical expenses.14 Reform, with an affordable, high-quality public option that can spur competition, is necessary to bring down skyrocketing costs. Also, President Obama's reform plans would be fully paid for over 10 years and not add a penny to the deficit.15

We're closer to real health care reform than we've ever been—and the next few weeks will decide whether it happens. We need to make sure the truth about health care reform is spread far and wide to combat right wing lies.

This post came from a MoveOn.org email; the sources they used are:

1. "More 'Town Halls Gone Wild': Angry Far Right Protesters Disrupt Events With 'Incomprehensible' Yelling," Think Progress, August 4, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51733&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=2

2. "Fight the smears," Health Care for America NOW, accessed August 10, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51729&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=3

3. "Palin Paints Picture of 'Obama Death Panel' Giving Thumbs Down to Trig," ABC News, August 7, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51728&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=4

4. "No 'death panel' in health care bill," The Associated Press, August 10, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51747&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=5

5. "Stop Distorting the Truth about End of Life Care," The Huffington Post, July 24, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51730&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=6

6. "Reality Check FAQs," WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August 11, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#i1

7. "Why We Need a Public Health-Care Plan," The Wall Street Journal, June 24, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51737&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=7

8. "Obama: 'If You Like Your Doctor, You Can Keep Your Doctor,'" The Wall Street Journal, 15, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51736&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=8

9. "Reality Check FAQs," WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August 10, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#r1

10. "Obama: No reduced Medicare benefits in health care reform," CNN, July 28, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51748&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=9

11. "Reality Check FAQs," WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August 10, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#s1

12. "Reality Check FAQs," WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August 10, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#c1

13. "Premiums Run Amok," Center for American Progress, July 24, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51667&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=10

14. "Medical bills prompt more than 60 percent of U.S. bankruptcies," CNN, June 5, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51735&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=11

15. "Reality Check FAQs," WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August 10, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#c1

Sources for the Five Lies:

#1: "A euthanasia mandate," The Washington Times, July 29, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51732&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=12

#2: "It's Not An Option," Investor's Business Daily, July 15, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51743&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=13

#3: "Rationing Health Care," The Washington Times, April 21, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51742&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=14

#4: "60 Plus Ad Is Chock Full Of Misinformation," Media Matters for America, August 8, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51734&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=15

#5: "Obama's 'Public' Health Plan Will Bankrupt the Nation," The National Review, May 13, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51744&id=16778-4726049-clBsUwx&t=16

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Watch and Be Happy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

Monday, July 20, 2009

Bad Blog

What's the frikkin' point? I think I'll forget about writing this thing and just drink more.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Being Bad is Interesting

I have recently come to realize that my new main character, Maddie Dunn, is not a very good person. I think that's why she's so interesting to write; she can do things that I find morally questionable, and she's cool with it. She can rationalize wonderfully; I really like her for that. Her boyfriend, Trevor, was in danger of becoming boring, since he had such a strong moral center, but I've been working on a way to corrupt him without destroying what I love about him, so I think that's coming along, too.

Why am I writing this in my frikkin' blog? No clue. I've been really bad about posting regularly; my energies have been going into the new manuscript (and before that, the old manuscript). So, I bet no one is reading this as it's posted. Oh well; consider this blog public therapy, then.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

My Day Has Been Made

I got a partial request for Maddie Dunn from the first agent I queried!

Woo hoo!

My master plan for taking over the world is finally moving forward.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Laugh-Out-Loud Funny

Check this out, especially if you are a writer:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-kickass-lessons-books-could-learn-from-the-movies/

Speaking of writing, I finished my second novel last week. This could be the one. It's called "Maddie Dunn;" watch for it!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Still Not Published

What's the deal? I think my book is really good, but I'm not getting any nibbles from agents. I think I will self-publish. If you actually read this, put a comment in the comment section with either an email or a mailing address, and I'll send a free copy to the first ten people (I may be foolishly optimistic in thinking that ten people read this) who reply. All I ask in return is that you send me a few lines of feedback once you have read it.