Back to the Drawing Board

I'm still working on Fish Tales, but took a return trip back to the drawing board. Feeling directionless, I did some suggested reading to get some inspiration. I read Drinking the Rain, a memoir by Alix Kates Shulman, which I loved. Her descriptions are amazing. It gave me tons of ideas on how to describe some of my own stories, what to expand on, etc.

I'm currently reading Bird by Bird: Some Instruction on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. It is also giving me some insight into the craft of writing. I think its important to gather gusto before starting. I mean, I had gusto at the beginning but it started to peter out. Now, I've re-gustoed. And I think just invented a new word. Ya see, you never know what the day will bring. So, with that, I'm off writing again! Here I go. I'm going to write now. This is me leaving to write. Signing off. Over. I'm out.

Stay Golden Pony Boy

Wow. Seems like I am finding one hundred and one ways to not write! I'm reading, doing research, taking notes, reading, doing yoga, picking berries, etc. But, can't seem to sit down and actually write!

I think the reading and research is all well and good, but at sometime I need to buckle down and actually write. Perhaps that sometime is now..........

Stop to Smell the Roses (or Humpies)

I found an editor to work with. She is great and good at giving me feedback and ideas on how to make my writing flow a bit more. So that is where I am at now just working on re-writing. Though just because I say that doesn't mean its really happening. Truth is, I haven't written in over a week! hehe. I just need a break and wanted to get some other stuff done, like work on my kitchen and having fun. But, I'm ready now to get back on the horse. The reality is settling in that this is going to take longer than I expect it to. So why hurry? Why not stop and smell the roses along the way? So that is exactly what I am doing. Or, laying on a pile of humpies, what ever the case may be.

My 1st Rejection Letter!

Last week I sent a handful of query letters to agents. I did what I read to do, research different agencies to find out what they specialize in. Some only deal in poetry, fiction, and whatnot. So, I did my legwork. I even found an article in Writer's Digest of agents looking for new writers. I composed my letter, double checked I got the agents name spelled correctly (and more importantly, made sure it wasn't addressed to the wrong agent), then hit send.

I know the opening of the letter was risky. Hey, I'm a fisherman, I take risks. The letter started with No Shit! There I was staring at the bow of a 1000 foot cruise ship heading right for me. If I don't get out of here, like now, this thing will crush me like a bug on a windshield.

I thought I would start with an excerpt of my book. This is the story of when I almost got ran over by a huge cruise ship. Technically, commercial fishing vessels have the right away. However, in reality, I have a 28 foot fiberglass boat. If I had exercised my right, I don't think I would be here right now. Obviously, I did make it through that day, but you'll have to read the book to find out the rest of the story.

Anyway, this week I got my first rejection letter. I'm actually quite excited about it. For one, I heard back! From what I understand, in most cases, that's not the case. And secondly, it was positive. The gal said that while it sounds like I have an interesting story, its just not what she is currently looking for. So, that's good news, right? I mean, it could have said countless other things like: it is poorly written, or the story is junk, or whatever. So, I'm happy about it.

I just met with a different women who may be doing some editing for me and giving me feedback. She has a sample of my work and I'll be hearing back from her next week. I'm also working on my proposal. So, the ball is still rolling in the right direction. Everything is taking a little longer than I would like it to. That's the hard part as I am not a patient person. I got my father's patience, but I only got half. This is a good lesson in patience.

And there you have it, the haps for the week.

Attached is a picture of me and Josh from 1997 aboard the Triton. The Triton is a 70' boat that was built in about 1945 for the USCG. It now tenders on the Copper River Flats and Prince William Sound. We are celebrating sunshine with an adult beverage and you can see gill netters waiting to deliver in the background.