Anita Mae Draper
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First Anthology Proposal Submission

1/21/2012

 
My first anthology proposal has been submitted! This is just a proposal, so it doesn't mean it's being published - yet - but the fact that it's in the submission process is a relief and joy.

Half a year ago, Valerie Comer presented me with a project about a generational anthology set in Montana. Since I'm a historical writer, she wondered if I wanted to try the lead-off 1908 novella. I've never written anything set in that era, but it's fascinated me for years, so I said, yes, I was very interested.
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Anita Mae & Val Comer at the 2011 ACFW conference, St Louis, Missouri

Her enthusiasm carried me forward although nothing was done until the week before Christmas when Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss signed on. With all three of them being published authors, I was the only one required to write the first chapter of my novella to prove that I could, indeed, write.

I was already busy with the festive season and trying to finish my proposal elements for a separate anthology proposal set in 1860. Taking one project at a time, I finished my requirements for the 1860 one and sent it off to the team leader just a few days before the New Year.

The deadline for the proposal elements for my 1908 Montana anthology was Jan 9th. Yikes! I'd known about this project for months and yet I hadn't been able to get a clear picture of my characters or  their goals and conflicts until that point. I've always maintained that I do my best plotting on the long drive to and from the city and on a late December day, an idea came to me and by the time we pulled into our farmyard an hour later, my novella outline was in place.

I won't go into details here because it could be changed before it's - hopefully - published. Once my chapter was written, I sent it to my team and then the fun began as their critques came back. Our self-imposed Jan 9th deadline came, but I was one critique short. Tricia realized that with all 3 of them critting at once, no one was looking at the final product and since she has the most books published among us, she became the last hurdle. By the time I received all the crits and made the appropriate changes, the consensus was that the the hero's pov was memorable, but my heroine's scene which starts the novella, was only okay.

With Val chomping at the bit - this project was her baby, after all - I took a few days to dwell on the beginning scene. Dare I say it took another trip to the city?

On Jan 14th, we drove our daughters to the airport. Yes, they'd been visiting and yes, I'd spent the days in my office as usual. It wasn't all bad on my part though, because they needed time with their dad and siblings, too and we had some great times alone and in the evenings. So after the girls flew off to Calgary and Vancouver, we began the hour's drive home and wouldn't you know it... I got an idea of how to fix my first scene. It meant rewriting a good portion of it, but I didn't have anything to lose.

It took a couple days and then I sent it off to Val. She made some observations - mainly  in the continuity between the new scene and the hero's pov, but overall she liked it. I fixed it up and sent it off again. This time Ocieanna took a boo at it and came back with more observations and suggestions. Best of all, she really liked this new version compared to the last. Great - 2 hurdles down. Off it went to Tricia.

To say I was worried about Tricia's crit would be very true.  I hestitated at the sight of it in my inbox with good reason. But her crit was sound. And yes, she liked this version much better than the original. Taking her observations and suggestions into consideration, I worked on my chapter. After several reads, I emailed it to the team.

Yesterday, Tricia submitted the proposal to Janet Grant since Janet represents both Tricia and Ocieanna. Hopefully, the next thing I'll read is that Janet submitted the proposal on our behalf.

The only part of the proposal that looked bare was the empty spot beneath my name where an agent's name would go. But since I put my writing career in God's hands all those years ago, I have faith that's the way it's supposed to be at this point.

And now... back to my other regularly scheduled projects.

Anita Mae.

Royal Sleighs

1/17/2012

 
This is Part 3 of my Inkwell Inspiration series on sleighs:

          • Part 1 is about 19th century adult and Santa sleighs.
          • Part 2 is about 19th centurychildren's sleighs.

Today's post is about 18th and 19th century royal sleighs with a token humorous nod to the 20th century.

Take this Russian royal sledge for example:
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This sleigh is housed in the Kremlin in Moscow, where we find the oldest of the royal Russian conveyances. It is from the 18th century and was one of many to carry the royal court from city to city.

For example, when Catherine the Great (1729-1796) made her trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow for her coronation, she did it in 13 days in a sleigh similar to this.

According to the book, Russian Imperial Style, by Laura Cerwinske, Catherine’s sleigh was a "palace on runners! It contained a salon, library and bedroom all warmed by porcelain stoves. It had six windows and was wide enough for 8 people to pass abreast! Behind her sleigh was a procession of 19,000 horses and 14 large sleighs and 184 smaller ones carrying the royal court."


The questions for discussion over at the Inkwell today are:

- Have you ever visited a foreign museum?
- Which one and why?
- Which one would you like to visit if you had a chance?


I hope you enjoy your visit.

Anita Mae.

2011 in Review

1/3/2012

 
As the new year starts, I’m looking at what I’ve accomplished in the old one. I’ve set aside revisions for my Mountie story to work on 2 anthology projects. Both projects are blessings by how I became a member, as well as because of the people involved:

1.      The PE anthology: This was offered to me by my Inky sister, Gina Welborn when she realized she couldn’t participate. I’m grateful the other team members accepted me as Gina’s replacement. Because I’m unpubbed at this time, I’m required to submit a chapter so the proposed editor can ascertain if I can write and therefore fulfill my obligations. The status of this project: After writing, revising and rewriting, my chapter and synopsis is with the other team members awaiting critiques.

2.      The MT anthology: My friend, Val Comer talked about this when we were at the ACFW conference together last Sept in St Louis, MO. I think she even asked me before that, but the team members weren’t confirmed until a week before Christmas. And with a Jan 8th date for submission, this project is moving fast. Set in Montana, this anthology also requires me to submit a chapter and synopsis. which I’m in the process of completing.

By next week I’ll have a choice: go back to revisions on my Mountie story, or start something new.

My Mountie story, The Key to His Heart, is a success of 2011. I belong to 2 writing groups who recognize writers for completing a book:

1.      FinishTheBook is part of the Faith, Hope & Love (FHL) chapter of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) writing group. They offer a free 1 chapter critique to anyone finishing a book in that year. Last year, I won a free critique by Laurie Alice Eakes for finishing Emma’s Outlaw the year before. I used the free critique by sending the beginning of my Mountie story. The critique I received from Laurie Alice was sound advice which helped me in my contest placements. I’m waiting to see which author I’ve ‘won’ this year.

2.      NovelTrack and NovelTrackEditing are part of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) group. Because I used both NT and NTE while writing my Mountie story, I was able to submit my name with the rest of the finishers, into a draw for a free registration (approx. $500) to the next ACFW conference. (Held in Dallas for 2013).
I’m eagerly awaiting the results.

My Mountie story did very well on the contest circuit this year:

2011 ACFW's Genesis: Semi-Finalist
2011 Fool For Love: 2nd place
2011 Duel on the Delta: 3rd place 
2011 Daphne du Maurier: 5th place 

On the agent front, I’m still waiting for an offer of representation although I’m in the process of wooing an agency. The word is that I’m on their ‘short list’ but that seems to be on hold. The current trend is for agents to ignore your query if they aren’t interested. But since I’ve been on hold for months, I’m beginning to wonder about my status. At the last ACFW conference in St Louis, Steve Laube of The Steve Laube Agency said there are some writers who produce good manuscripts, but he puts them aside – on a pile beside his desk - when a better manuscript comes along. He doesn’t want to reject the writer, but he doesn’t want to offer representation, either. So the file sits there. I’m beginning to think I’ve fallen onto that pile.

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