Writer-In-Progress

I know, I know. That title may have been a bit misleading, and if you’re thinking you’re gonna find something a little dark, steamy and erotic, you’re way wrong.

I’m talking about writing my author bio.

I mean it!

I’m working on finishing up the author info packet for the marketing department of the publishing house who just sent me the contract for the short story, and I have to submit a short bio. I’m thinking three paragraphs at most.

Why is this so hard? I have no idea. I’ve written six novels of 55,000-60,000 words, countless articles, monthly columns and a graduate thesis on kids from another country and their educational issues, and I can’t come up with three stinking paragraphs about my writing career? This is just wrong.

I could go with the bio on my website but that needs updated, too. I like humor in the bio–otherwise it’s just boring drivvel in my opinion. Unfortunately, funny isn’t happening for me at the moment.

Nothing is happening for me at the moment. I think I need a little more chocolate to help me through…

Anyone who knows me & my writing–I’m open for suggestions. Just don’t include anything that would embarass me. You know, the stories of the headlight dance, anything remotely related to OSU tailgates, Camp Hamwi antics or tequila.

On second thought, I’d better do this myself…

Off to bio myself,

Beth

• Comments Off
• Filed in Random Writing Stuff

You know, sometimes I just wonder about this writing gig. In a good way, of course.

Last year on my birthday, I had, for all intents and purposes, decided to go with nonfiction and freelance writing. I’m not setting any landspeed records in getting published (my original 2007 New Year’s “goal” was to have an article pubbed every month…not quite there yet) but the important thing, to me, is that I AM getting published (the kind of published that results in nice paychecks) after being a writer since the second grade. Time to put my money where my mouth was, and I think I have.

But I digress, of course.

Last year on my birthday I made an unwritten creed to myself that if I wasn’t published (or hadn’t had a hit of interest from an editor) in fiction by this year’s birthday, I vowed I was giving up fiction forever. Harsh, yes, but despite my initial claims to writing friends, writing fiction and nonfiction/freelance at the same time requires a hell of a lot more brain power and usage than the normal sane person can do (and I mean writing both in the same day, not “fiction this week, freelance next”—I’m a fiction in the morning, freelancing at night kinda gal) and still have brainpower left over to teach and, well, basically function.

So, as I’ve blogged, I did manage to catch the interest of an editor with one of my sappy short stories earlier this year. Cool, huh? I finished the requested edits, submitted, and she said it might be a bit of time before she’d get to look over my second submission, but promised she would (believe me, I know time flies…).

Well, yesterday in my as-of-late-kinda-empty writing email box, what did I get? Lo and behold, a contract for my story and all the goodies for author info and promo that come along with it. How way cool is that! (a Rachael Ray line I usually hate but feel like using this morning).

And none too soon. Guess who’s birthday is tomorrow? I keep wondering if I knew it all along or if I really was on the verge of giving up and that sparked me into better writing/more submitting/being fictionally active mode. Who knows? All I know is that now I have a reason to get author photos done…!

Tomorrow’s pink frosted cake will be a little extra sweet…

Beth

• Comments Off
• Filed in Uncategorized