LTUE is over for another year...

And it was fantastic as always. The new venue was amazing, with a really good restaurant and a bar. And WALL PLUGS EVERYWHERE. Honestly, I hope we keep that venue instead of going back to UVU next year.

The panels were awesome. I learned a lot, and got some ideas for where I was going wrong in parts of the things that are driving me crazy right now. The panels I was actually on were great too. The readings were not publicized at all, so I ran around telling everyone I knew when mine was. Most of the people who attended it were leftovers from the previous person, and I think I hooked them with the title ("Beverly Hellbunnies"). And of course, I left it on a cliffhanger and had people going "AHHHHHHH where can we read the rest of it" and I responded "MINE IS AN EVIL LAUGH YOU CAN'T." Although I did pass the manuscript off to a couple of friends. And then on Saturday at midnight, I'm sitting there talking with some people and someone else I knew came up to me and said "I understand I should talk to you about bunnies." So that was hilarious.

I got to network with some people. Dave Wolverton/Farland was there, and I had dinner with him and got to bend his ear a little about WotF. And one of the guys at TM Publishing was lamenting the size of his slush pile and saying how behind he was, and I mentioned that one of mine was in there, and LARRY FREAKING CORREIA said "Put hers at the top!" He has read my stuff (I have no idea where) and likes it, and a rec from him to an editor is like gold.

I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with the novel. Someplace like TM that publishes both novels and shorts and thus has natural tie-in capabilities would be a good fit for it, but at the same time they have a "keep the graphic violence to a minimum" policy. And, well, what can I say, it is what it is and graphic violence is something I'm actually pretty good at writing in service to a story. So, IDEK. Brett said he was open to the whole "novel with short tie-ins" concept, but I'm just not sure the subject matter fits what he wants to publish. James Wymore at CuriosityQuills wants me to send him something too.

Part of my problem with a lot of these places is the fact that I'm still just a little stuck in Traditional Publishing Mode and I want an advance, dammit. I realize that startups frequently can't afford that, but at the same time I think the book is good enough that I should get one, you know? At the same same time, this may be the only novel I ever actually write (having become reconciled to the fact that I am not a natural novelist) and, as previously stated, no agent or publisher wants a one-hit wonder.

Now, my body of work is almost to the point where I could put out themed anthos (werewolves, angels, and my spaceship crew could all get an antho apiece, almost), so there's that. Meh, I dunno, the whole industry is in flux right now and it's both an exciting and scary time to be a writer. Five years ago, everyone was saying "self-pubbing is the kiss of death, don't do it," and now everyone is saying "eh, why not, what do you have to lose."

The fight scene in the New Janni story sucks less; I managed to fix most of the problems with it in the bar and now just need to polish it more. I've got a few more ideas for Angry Bitter Angel to flesh out my serial killer. Zombunnies is nearly ready for subbing and I have an actual Plan for that. I still haven't even looked at Unquiet Neighbors and have only briefly glanced at Eldtritch Plumbing.

All in all, chugging along.

I think I'ma do this.

Apex has funded a Glitter and Mayhem anthology through Kickstarter, and they're doing an open call for subs. The deadline is March 15, and the wordcount limit is 6000.

I can totally write something for that. I figure I can take a couple of days to outline it, then basically do NaNo-style wordcount goals until it's done. It'll take a week. Then I can run it past the Hubby and the Usual Suspects, toss it my Writing Buddy's way, he'll have it back to me before the deadline, and I can edit it and send it in.

I even have a basic premise. Someone hires Ben to go undercover in a glam nightclub for supernatural critters because Reasons (someone's messing with the clientele via drugs? IDK, I said it was a basic premise). Somewhere in there, Janni is going to put makeup on him and do his hair, and he will be grouchy about it. So, yes. This will be fun.

In other news, I just re-read Unquiet Neighbors and don't hate it. I want to take another spin through Angry Bitter Angel and Janni's Story. I'm just having a hard time getting going today.