No Photos Today - Just the Facts!

A quick update. The holidays were great - a tad intense now and then, but mostly fabulous. I got a few more words revised in the manuscript - but the major accomplishment was getting through the long synopsis and editing it down for the contest submission. I also found some new pages with info on agents. I'm almost done with the 'query' - so we're on target.

What's next?

New Year's resolutions will be all about the writer me. First quarter is agents and completed manuscripts and my new class on feature article writing. Why? It's a two-fer. It gives me a leg up on the job paying the bills and insight into a style of writing that I can use to help further 'brand' Denny S. Bryce and those best sellers I'm revising (lol!).

The Long Synopsis - 75% Done! Snow or no Snow.

Photo this morning off the balcony. Pretty skies and snow.

Well, I've been a good girl today. I've almost finished my synopsis for the manuscript and have re-organized the first 30 chapters, and made a major decision about where and when my hero and heroine connect, and how long they stay connected. I believe all are good choices.

Not much more to say yet, but I certainly wanted to drop a line about the steps being taken to get this puppy submitted to agents and to a contest with a mid-January deadline.

Whoops. I meant to Post Photos... of Snow

I just had to share a little bit of the snow in Washington, DC from my balcony with you.

But to really get it - I've also included a snow free shot from the balcony.

Writing tidbits will resume after the apocalypse:)...

The Search Begins: Denny and the Literary Agent

This is the Darioush Winery in Napa. Yes. I was there. I drank. It was good.

The search is on. As we move into 2010, I'm on the look out for my first literary agent (and if I'm lucky, my first, last and always). With this quest, there are a lot of things that are confusing right off the bat. And I'm not a novice to the world of pitching or business or query letters. But let me say, the Internet, blogs and authors, published and unpublished, equate the dreaded query letter to bouts of shingles, killer bee attacks and a really bad blind date. So what can I do to make this process less painful for me?

Stop reading those blogs and author 'fear' columns. Okay, I know that's not being fair. The fact is there are tips, insights, and good counsel to be found in a lot of places. But what I need to do - like I need to do so often - is narrow the playing field.

So here goes. First, I'm using the masterful website (IMHO) of The Knight Agency as a resource. They have some great links, easy-to-follow tips, and just lots of information on the website about submitting manuscripts, queries, synopsis, you name it. So check it out, and visit, spend an hour or so the "Writing a Solid Query Letter".

I was going to also write about the two agents I've found so far that I want to submit to, but I should leave something for my next post. Also, I've got to decide which of my two manuscripts I'll pitch...vampire tale one, or vampire tale two...

In the meantime, found a great blog post by this agent - and don't go sending her a bunch of queries - she may end up on my list:)!

Yeah - that's right. I'm just claiming agents as I go. Mine, mine, mine...

I Could Be Less Single-Minded

Yep, I Can Look Pretty Bad After a Rough Week on the Job...

Getting through another week of work was quite the feat, but now it's late on a Friday night and I'm listening to music and forcing my brain to relax. It's necessary if  I'm going to spend most of my day tomorrow working on adding my NaNoWriMo work to the manuscript.

I'm finding there are two or three topics that I'm beating to death lately - the manuscript, work, and food. I've become obsessed with it. Not so much eating, but cooking and watching TV shows about cooking. I find it so oddly soothing - especially watching the TV shows.

I'm also worried about the holidays. I know that sounds odd to admit. I'm worried about the holidays? Well, after the Thanksgiving I had, being worried about the holidays isn't a bad idea.

Some tips on two great movies - Brothers (I really loved it) and Sandra Bullock's new movie The Blind Side were fabulous.