Information

[amelia_petkova]

I've been meaning to post this entry for a while. I'm slowly learning how to get my writing published, and it's terrifying. Ignorance really is bliss. There are days when I think I should have gone into something practical, like accounting, but then the stories begin. (And if this first novel would get around to finishing before another year has gone by, I could get into business!)

On the down side, it's harder to get a book published because so many people are writing so many, publishing companies are becoming tougher and more impersonal, etc. On the up side, there's more information than ever to help new writers.

I have a lot of book titles, but the only one I can remember is Writer's Market. It has all sorts of information and new editions come out every year.

I love how many authors are keeping blogs and LiveJournals these days. Some of the following I like just for fun, but others I go to specifically for info.

blackholly writes Young Adult Fantasy novels, and often talks about conferences in her LJ. Farther down the page is an entry with a long comment discussion on agents and being a first-time novelist.

Jane Yolen's journal. She's called the Hans Christian Andresen of America. Her journal is very much about the writing process and the business of getting published, as well as personal events.

Miss Snark's blog was pointed out by somebody else on the Net, but I can't remember who. Miss Snark is a literary agent in NYC. The blog isn't updated any longer, but is kept on the Internet. I'm slowly making my way through the archives. It's one of the best sources of info I've found so far, and she mentions many other sources as well (websites and books). Will help very much to get me published.

Neil Gaiman's Journal. Who doesn't love Neil Gaiman? (I'm ignoring the Beowulf movie, though.)

There are some more, but this'll do for now.

In real life distress: We have old radiators in the rooms of the building I live in. I've been in this room for almost a year and a half, and this is the first time I've been having trouble with it. Last night it made this nonstop tapping sound that I could not turn into white noise. Horrible. My roommate didn't sleep at all well, either. After two hours I gave up and went to sleep in the common room, even though the school doesn't like us to do that. But it was either that, or turn into a raving lunatic from lack of sleep. I've been told that our university police give out earplugs (no idea why) and hopefully I can get some that will work.

Comments

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Aw, you left out cleolinda! And dduane! They're my favorites on the net, aside from the ones you listed already.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I left out petermorwood, which just won't do.

[amelia-petkova.livejournal.com]

I know about cleolinda's LJ. I knew that Diane Duane had one, but I hadn't gotten around to reading it. Never heard of Peter Morwood.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Peter Morwood is dduane's husband, among other things.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Oh, and the radiator thing drives me nuts too. What's happening is that as the liquid moves through the tubes, if the pressure gets low enough at some spot or other, a bubble forms and pops very violently. The process is called cavitation. The turbine blades of jet engines have the same issue, and it causes no end of trouble because the bubble pops are so violent that they blast divots out of the metal of the turbine blade, which weakens it and messes up the aerodynamics. (Will stop science blathering...NOW.)

[amelia-petkova.livejournal.com]

For some reason, opening the window next to the radiator a little seems to have fixed it. I'm sure there's a science reason I can't think of, but at the moment I'm just glad the stupid thing shut up.