Thursday, August 05, 2010

Back on the Blog Chain: Status Report

For this round, Cole wants to know what we've been working on lately:

Are you querying? Gearing up to go on submission? Writing? Revising? I'd love to hear what's new with you. And if you'd like to share a snippet of your WIP, even better!

Amanda posted before me, and Eric comes next.

Well, since I talk about my science fiction novel Across Two Universes so much, I figure I should discuss it first. I've done as much as I can with it on my own, so it's out to three reviewers. While I wait to hear from them, I've been getting feedback on my query letter and synopsis from the Absolute Writer Water Cooler and OWW. I've also started researching agents on QueryTracker. All this means that after umpteen zillion years, I'm finally gearing up to submit this project. Exactly when this will happen depends on the feedback I get from my reviewers, though I'm hoping I'm past the "tear it up and start over" phase by now.

Even though I haven't sold Across Two Universes yet, my characters have compelled me to start the sequel, currently called Catalyst in the Crucible. I was planning to make it a NaNoWriMo project, but I guess that's out the window now. That's OK; I just want to resolve Paul's story so he leaves me alone. ;)

I haven't forgotten about my shapeshifting sisters either. Although I'm not actually writing their story yet, I'm trying to plot it out. To be more precise, I have one plotline from the first project I wrote with them and a second plot from a short story I wrote while I was taking a break from Across Two Universes. I'm trying to figure out how to merge them. While I'd like to outline this story, I tend to write by the seat of my pants, so I have to make sure the outline doesn't spoil my urge to write the actual story. I think it would be good for me to work on something different from Paul once in a while.

Finally, here's the opening of Across Two Universes:


After standing so long under the hot lights, Paul felt like he’d passed through the wormhole as he entered the shadowed backstage. He headed to the green room for water, but a costume programmer yanked him off to the side, away from a couple of cursing stage hands.

“You’re Paul Harrison, right?” she asked. “Your sister’s at the back door. She says there’s a family emergency.”

Paul removed his sweaty face mesh. “What’s wrong?”

"She was too upset to tell me.”

I hope it’s nothing major. He sprinted down the corridor of narrow dressing rooms to the back. Cass peered through the security window. Mascara was streaked across her face, and her auburn hair tumbled wildly around her head. After he let her in, she clung to him so tightly her jacket became entangled in his holoprojectors.

“What’s up, Sis?” He strained his hearing to follow the onstage dialogue. “I have to go back before my next scene.”

She looked up at him, her blue eyes glistening. “Mom’s in the hospital.”

I hope you enjoyed it!

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Good luck with your querying! Interesting opening to your MS, and I love that you named your hero after two Beatles. :-)

Eric said...

Interesting opening. I like it, and yet you left us without a clue what happens next, dangit! Hope your querying yields good results.

Amanda Bonilla said...

I like your opening! Just enough to make us crazy wondering what's going to happen next! Good luck with querying!

Michelle McLean said...

awesome opening and good luck with the querying!!

Cole Gibsen said...

Great opening hook! How exciting that your gearing up to query!!!

Shannon Morgan said...

Good luck querying -- it's exciting and scary, but uplifting when you get a positive response.

Kathryn Hupp-Harris said...

I'm glad to hear you're moving forward with Across Two Universes.

You've worked so hard on it, and it shows.

B.J. Anderson said...

Sounds great! I'm intrigued to find out what happens next! Good luck with the queries.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with querying!

I like your snippet--great description!!

Anonymous said...

Good luck querying! Wonderful that you started another project too! Your opening left me curious to find out what happens next.

Shaun Hutchinson said...

I've wanted to read this since I first heard about it, so good luck with the querying! Your snippet is great :)

Kate Karyus Quinn said...

I always enjoying reading the bits you post of Across the Universe. Good luck with querying it!

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