Image Copyright © Jeffrey K. Bedrick. Used with permission.
Writing is a very difficult calling. There tends to be far more downs than ups. I was keeping two journals, but that is getting too time consuming. The link below is to my current journal.
The jounral entries below are the archives.
Don't forget to visit the other areas of Amanda's Writing Page and of Amanda's Homepage.
2/13/02
I finished the chapter about the player characters for the FUDGE adventure Dead Sea Murder. I'm going to let it 'cool' a few days, revise it if need be, and then send it in. Meanwhile, on to the next chapter!
2/12/02
I e-mailed "Switching Chairs" to the Rhine Research Center mystery anthology. They are supposed to let everyone know in March who will be published.
I told the editor at Rogue Publishing that I would have the adventure suppliment The Dead Sea Murder done in mid-March. I'm working on the characters for this adventure first.
2/9/02
I just resent the introduction to Dead Sea Murder to Rogue Publishing. The editor seems really jazzed about the project.
I've printed out what I've already done on Dead Sea and hunted down my notes. I've got to get reaquainted with the story. I last worked on it 8 months ago!
I also got an e-mail from a woman at the MS Society. They are thinking about doing an anthology as a fundraiser based on my suggestion. (I told my father about the Rhine anthology fundraiser, and he is active in the MS Society and passed it alone.) They are supposed to call me in a week or so and discuss the project. I think they are going to ask me to run it.
I've been getting good feedback on my story "Switching Chairs", which I'm planning to send to Rhine's anthology. I plan to send it in this week.
2/6/02
The deadline on the anthology was moved back to March 15th, so I have time to do a few more revisions before sending it in. I think the story is pretty good as is, but I am glad for the time to let it 'cool' and recheck it before sending it.
Grey Ghost gave my proposal to Rogue Publishing and they want to electronically publish my adventure "Dead Sea Murder." I will finish writing it in the next few weeks. It will be my first electronic publication.
1/31/02
Last night and today I wrote most of a new short story. It is for an anthology with a deadline on Monday. Ack! The pressure!
1/20/02
Chapter 24 is now done. The novel is really coming along quickly. I'm nearing the mid-book point.
1/19/02
I wrote Chapter 22 in PSI Emergency today.
1/18/02
My short story "A Case of Sticky Fingers" that I sent to American Girl on 12/6/01 came back today with a form rejection. Bummer.
1/15/02
Chapter 21 is done now. It was a short one, but with it I have now reached the 3/8th mark of this novel! Yeah!
1/13/02
Chapters 20 and 23 are now done. They came out better than I had hoped, too.
1/9/02
Chalk up another chapter completed on Psi Emergency. Chapter 19 is now complete. Just under 3000 words until I reach the 3/8th point of the novel.
1/7/02
Today I wrote Chapter 18. I've not been writing for a little while, but this chapter flowed nicely anyway.
12/28/01
Today I wrote all of Chapter 17. Whew! This brings my total word count to almost 21,000 and my pages to 97. With this chapter completed, that also completes that section.
For a more detailed account of writing this chapter and other stuff that doesn't appear here, please visit my more detailed journal.
12/27/01
Today I got a rejection for a query to Cat Fancy Magazine for article "Inter-Kitty Relations." Bummer.
Chapter 17 got off to a rocky start, then I took a break from it for a few days. I figured out where I was going wrong and I am ready to try it again.
12/22/01
I wizzed through Chapter 16, and it is done now. Chapter 17 should go quickly as well.
12/21/01 later that day
I started Chapter 16 kind of unexpectedly. The story just kept coming. I wrote a few pages before I had to get back to work.
12/21/01
Chapter 15 of PSI Emergency is done now. I've reached the 1/4th mark of the novel. YEAH!
Still no word from Avalon Books, and it is making me crazy!
12/20/01
After a few days off, it was back to work. I've got the first half of Chapter 15 done on PSI Emergency now.
12/17/01
I finished Chapter 14. It didn't run as long as I thought it would and it was a little harder to press through than the earlier chapter. Only 1450 words to go to reach the 1/4th mark! On to Chapter 15!
12/16/01
Chapter 14 is about halfway done now. I'm really on a roll now, and I hope it doesn't end!
12/15/01
I finished Chapter 13, and with it this section. Total word count is just over 15,000. Just 2,500 more to go to reach the 1/4 mark.
12/13/01
All the typing is caught up now. My word count is over 13,000 now. Yeah! Now back to Chapter 13 and a little romance. ;-)
12/12/01
I typed up Chapter 10 this evening.
12/11/01
Today I typed Chapter 11. I still need to type Chapters 10, 12 and the partial Chapter 13.
12/10/01
This morning I finished Chapter 12 in PSI Emergency. And this afternoon I started Chapter 13. I'm making real progress! Yeah!
12/9/01
This morning I got a good start on Chapter 12 in PSI Emergency. I'd say it is about half done.
12/8/01
Finished writing Chapter 11 in PSI Emergency novel. I went back and wrote Chapter 10 as well which I had skipped. This has been a very productive day. :-)
12/6/01
I edited, formated and printed "A Case of Sticky Fingers" which I wrote a few days ago. I'm submitting it to American Girl first. If you'd like to see what else I have in submission, click here.
12/5/01
I managed to scribble out a little more on my PSI Emergency novel. Chapter 11 is about halfway done now.
12/4/01
I wrote a 500 word mystery story for middle readers. I think it is cute.
I'm going through the market guide to pick which magazine I will send it to first.
12/3/01
I prepared some questions to ask the editor from Avalon Books if she calls saying they want to buy the book and for the agent I want to call right afterwards.
I am thinking about writing some short stories for children. The market guide I found seems to indicate the market and the money is better with kids fiction than with adult.
12/2/01
I'm trying to write at work today during my brief breaks. Added a few paragraphs to PSI Emergency Chapter 11.
11/29/01
Today I made a nice start on Chapter 11 of PSI Emergency.
(Still no word from Avalon Books)
11/28/01
After having checked on a couple of Kimberly Cameron's clients I think I will definately ask her to be my agent if I get an offer from Avalon Books.
I've finished the detailed outline for Spectral Murder, the next book in my mystery series. I'm sooooo ready for Avalon Books to call!
11/27/01
I think I have found the agent I'll call if Avalon makes an offer for Complimentary Murder. She is Kimberly Cameron of Reece Halsey North.
I also mailed "Nipped Red-Handed" to Cricket.
11/26/01
I did a last minute editing of "Nipped Red-Handed" and prepared the submission packet to mail off to Cricket Magazine on Tuesday. It has already been rejected by most mystery and cat magazines. Now I am trying young adult fiction magazines.
11/24/01
I finally finished writing and typing chapter 9 in PSI Emergency. I've now passed the 10,000 word milestone for this novel. I've jumped ahead and started chapter 11 which picks up where chapter 9 leaves off. I'll back track and do chapter 10 afterwards.
I must say I am having more fun with this story than with any of my earlier novels. I would love to see this become a series.
11/23/01
After a few e-mails with the editor at Grey Ghost Games, it looks like she will be using my Dead Sea Scrolls adventure in a Middle East Sourcebook. I've e-mailed her the proposal and sample chapter as she asked. (I'd snail-mailed it before.) I hope to get the go-ahead to complete this project soon.
I've also finished the main outline for my second Joyce Henderson Mystery. I'm not sure if I am going to wait until I hear back from Avalon before I start the actual writing. I guess it depends on how long it takes for them to respond. If this series actually gets published, I will most likely use the pseudonym Amanda Marie.
11/20/01
The editor of Grey Ghost Games sent me an e-mail expressing interest in using my adventure "Dead Sea Scrolls" as part of a Middle East Sourcebook for her Terra Incognita game. Because of cashflow and other concerns she is not sure when she'll be ready to offer a contract though.
Other writing related updates:
I've roughed out the outline for the next Joyce Henderson novel. It'll be titled Spectral Murder
11/18/01
EXCITING UPDATE!
After reviewing the first 3 chapters and a synopsis, Avalon Books has requested to see the entire manuscript of my mystery novel Complimentary Murder! I mailed it off to them yesterday.
Complimentary Murder is a cozy mystery staring Joyce Henderson, a paranormal investigator.
Other writing related updates:
I mailed my short mystery story "Things That Need Pounding" to Short Stuff for Grown-ups magazine.
I'm nearing the end of Chapter 9 in my PSI Emergency novel.
I mailed a query to Cat Fancy magazine regarding a nonfiction article called "Inter-Kitty Relations".
I've begun brainstorming for a second Joyce Henderson mystery.
10/19/01
I'm mailing the synopsis and first 3 chapters of my mystery novel Complimentary Murder to Avalon Books. I've got a good vibe about it, but only time will tell.
9/24/01
The payment for "Bioterrorists" finally arrived from JTAS. :-) Yeah! My faith in them is renewed, if not restored. The bud of ideas for new acticles are beginning to sprout in my mind. Maybe I won't give up on them just yet.
9/21/01
At long last, my article "Tighening the Belt" has appeared in the JTAS. :-)
9/12/01
It's been a while since I updated this journal. Here's the latest:
My short story "Poker Buddies" was rejected by Vestal Review
Both my articles to Pyramid magazine were rejected, one for being too obvious and one for 'not sparking my interest'.
Even though I have not heard from the Fudge suppliment book editor, I've heard that it is closed to submissions, so I take it my proposal is a 'no go'.
I'm currently midway through Chapter 8 of my novel PSI EMERGENCY.
8/22/01
I've finished writing and typing Chapter 7 of PSI EMERGENCY.
8/15/01
I've made a nice start on Chapter 7 of PSI EMERGENCY.
8/14/01
I finally finished writing Chapter 6 of PSI EMERGENCY.
I've noted on the website for Steve Jackson Games that they have reduced their royalties to 1.5%, which is far too low in my judgement. Most book publishers pay a minimum of 6%. I may still write articles for their webzine (if I ever get paid for the last 5 articles!), but I'm not going to focus any more energy on proposals for them.
8/9/01
My internet connection has been down. Since the last update I've finally finished the last revisions on my mystery novel COMPLIMENTARY MURDER.
I'm just about ready to query Steve Jackson Games about the Traveller Small Wars suppliment.
I've worked out a plot kink in my romantic suspense novel BURNING DESIRE.
7/30/01
After a few days to bounce back from the last rejection, I've begun working on a new proposal for Steve Jackson Games. This one is for Traveller: Small Wars, which chronicles a brushfire war with campaign options for almost any player. So far, I've just figured out the main political angles of the major combatants. Now, on to the juicy details!
7/27/01
I've begun outlining a new romance novel. That's my problem. I can outline 10,000 novels and then lose interest in writing the book before getting it a quarter of the way finished. I have a romantic suspense novel and a science fiction novel started already.
7/24/01
Got a rejection for my proposal to write game suppliment book DEADLANDS: DIME NOVEL "A Whole Lotta Screamin' Goin' On" for SJ Games' GURPS. Bummer.
Got a rejection from Blue Murder Magazine for short story "My Dearest Stalker". Bummer x2.
7/21/01
E-mailed short story "Poker Buddies" to Vestal Review
E-mailed short story "My Dearest Stalker" to Blue Murder Magazine
I'm still working on that 'choose your own adventure' story. It just keeps going and going... I guess it will make the readers happy though. I used to love reading this kind of story as a kid. I would go through every possibly choice. I hope the readers will find themselves equally engrossed in this adventure. :-)
7/17/01
Typed up "Tightening the Belt" and e-mailed it to JTAS. I think the mercs'll like this one. :-)
7/16/01
Today I wrote a new Amber Zone adventure for JTAS titled, "Tightening the Belt". I'll type it up tomorrow and send it in.
7/12/01
Got a 'closed to submissions' form letter from SOMETHING WICKED regarding my short story "My Dearest Stalker". Bummer.
I'm also still working on the 'choose your own adventure story'. It should be complete soon.
7/10/01
My latest article in JTAS (A Political Game) was rated higher than the last two, around 3.2. That's nice
Steve Jackson Games announced on their website that they are going through a bit of a financial bind due to a crappy accountant. I hope their new accountant straightens everything up soon so they can get back to the business of publishing RPG material. I was considering sending them another proposal, but should probably wait a while.
7/7/01
I've been working on that old 'choose your own adventure' story I started to put up on the internet long ago. I'll post the web address on this site whenever I get it completed. It's a science fiction adventure featuring a telepath!
7/6/01
I've taken the past week off from writing. Partly because I was really drained from that last project and partly because of a family crisis, which is still not resolved. I hope to get back to writing again soon.
6/30/01
I finally finished the proposal for Terra Incognita, which is a game world published by Grey Ghost Press and uses the FUDGE gaming system. The title is "Dead Sea Murder". It'll be in the mail as soon as the post office opens. :)
6/26/01
"A Political Game" appeared in JTAS! :)
I'm finishing up the proposal for Terra Incognita and hope to get it in the mail in a day or two.
6/22/01
I'm working on the proposal for the Terra Incognita adventure. I may not post updates here for a few days while I'm focusing on it.
6/21/01-later the same day
Got a 'go ahead' on the Terra Incognita query. :-)
Got a 'Thanks, but we are already publishing something similiar' from I LOVE CATS magazine regarding my short story "Nipped Red-Handed". :-(
6/21/01
I reviewed my 'RPG companies' list and their websites to pick my next project. I sent a query Grey Ghost Press about doing an adventure suppliment for their Terra Incognita game which uses the FUDGE gaming system.
6/20/01
Started Chapter 6 for PSI EMERGENCY novel.
6/19/01
I'm reviewing an incomplete 'choose your own adventure' story I started to put up on the internet a long time ago, but never finished.
6/18/01
The Fudge Sourcebook I queried is closed to submissions. Bummer.
The rating on my NPC article for JTAS was less than 3 points out of 5 possible. Most range from 3-4. Double Bummer.
6/17/01
I wrote and submitted a proposal to write a section for the FUDGE sourcebook by Grey Ghost Press. To prepare for this I outlined the section, but I won't write it until I get the go-ahead.
I've begun working on two related articles for JTAS.
6/16/01
Finished typing chapter 5 for PSI Emergency novel.
I got a bounce back e-mail notice for the query I sent to the editor of FUDGE:"Freind or Foe", and I resent it to an alternate e-mail address. Hopefully it will get through.
6/15/01
I've been debating over my next RPG project. Since I am still waiting for responses from SJ Games for two proposals, I'm checking into other RPG publishers and projects. After several days of reviewing writer's guides from several companies, I've finally picked one to check into. I e-mailed a query to the editors of FUDGE: "Friend or Foe" sourcebook regarding the sections to which I'd like to contribute in order to find out if they are still available.
I also began typing Chapter 5 from PSI Emergency, which I wrote long-hand several days ago.
6/14/01
Mailed "My Dearest Stalker" to SOMETHING WICKED magazine. E-mailed "A Political Game" to JTAS, a magazine for SJ Games.
6/13/01
I entered the changed to my short story "My Dearest Stalker" and printed it out along with a cover letter. I also edited "A political Game", which is a short role-playing adventure for JTAS. I always feel out of sorts if I don't do something writing related every day, so with this stuff done I feel better after missing yesterday.
6/11/01
I revised my short story "My Dearest Stalker". It has been sitting in my TO DO folder for several weeks, and it is nice to get it out of the way.
6/10/01
Wrote chapter 5 for my current novel. I wrote it long hand so it'll need typing in the near future. The working title for this novel is PSI EMERGENCY.
6/9/01
Finished typing new Amber Zone article for JTAS magazine called "Political Game". I plan to check it over and revise it on Monday before e-mailing.
6/8/01
I spent a lot of time researching and organizing a list of RPG companies that have guideline on the internet. I'll need to start planning which ones I'd like to try first.
Mailed my short story "Sacrifice the Sun and Rain" to ROMANCE AND BEYOND. It had been accepted before by SHADOW SWORD, SILICON SORCERY and GERNEZONE--and each of those magazines closed before it was published. Hopefully, it will have better luck this time!
