Looking for a Needle in the Haystack

The past few days I've been doing research on topics I know absolutely zilch about, like SAR (search and rescue) by airplane and what it's like to take off and land at the Burning Man Festival. My character has the hots (how quaint!) for the pilot who flies her about and I'm trying to develop that tension as well. So with all this stuff going on it's hard to write more than a couple hundred words a day. Probably I should wing it, but the comfort level is greater is one's writing is informed. Nice thing about a blog. You don't have to know nuthin'.

The other thing that has been formulating in my head is the beginning of the Wisconsin book. Another idea has appeared, but now my constant worry is, what if it's as half-baked as he last one? I recall with more than a little rue, The Shadow Warriors and the bitch it was to get a good beginning. It finally came, more or less out of the blue. At least the current book, The Tipping Point, has a bang up (I think) beginning. I haven't written it yet, but it seems o.k. in theory and I have a hell of an opening sentence.

Friday, I found a foreign publisher that is willing to look at my query, my synopsis and the opening chapter of The World of Mirrors. Now I'm afraid it's a little too mainstream "lite" for them. Always some damn thing. Not one word of feedback from the new query. Maybe someone is at least thinking about it. There are nameless agents (with my 37 cent SASE) thinking about it since August. Suck it up. Suck it up.

This week is the Mystery Writer's of America Edgar festivities in NYC. Have new haircut, trendy (somewhat) clothes, motivation. Will travel. NYC is always energizing. Something GOOD may even happen.

Aloha.

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