Scene Break
July 29, 2023
SCENE BREAK
UPDATE ON NOVEL
I'm almost finished with the official first round of edits after the rewrite of UNDER THE BUBBLE. When I say almost finished, I mean I have about 35 pages to go, according to Microsoft Word. That doesn't take into account anything I add or remove from the document. In other words, I'm pretty close. Once I finish this revision, I'll wait about a week and start again. I am on track to query agents by the end of the year, keeping with my goal.
UPDATE ON POETRY
I sent my submission of 20 poems to the Indiana Poetry Society contest. We have people submitting from all over the country. I guess that's good because they have to pay more to enter than we do, and the extra money goes toward our publications. But in a way, it's unfair because this is for Indiana. Oh well. I hope to win something this year. Paula tells me she thinks I have a chance.
My two chapbooks are well on track to be released next year. I'm getting bookmarks made to send to Lachlan. He will have a pre-sale for people; if you order both my books from his site, it will be a percentage off, and you'll get a bookmark! That will begin in January 2024. The books come out in March (Questions I Didn't Know I'd Asked) and July (Hand-Me-Downs.) Please visit my publisher's website for amazing free downloads and beautiful work. https://lachlanjmcdougall.wordpress.com/
WHAT I'M READING
I am a S L O W reader. I'm still reading The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal. It's a great book. I highly recommend this book, especially for writers to study dialogue. The way the author uses action beats in place of dialogue tags is a stand-alone lesson! If you are writing a book with dialogue, read it aloud. Listen to how many times you say the word, 'said.' Too many? Now go back and replace those with action beats. Have your people do something while talking, even if it's just squirming in their seats. You'll be amazed at the difference!
PUBLICATIONS SINCE LAST SCENE BREAK
An excerpt from my forthcoming chapbook, Hand-Me-Downs: https://anotherchicagomagazine.net/2023/07/07/three-poems-by-mona-mehas/
Four poems about ancestors: https://www.spelljarpress.com/ (Also available on Amazon.)
Jack and Woody: https://moonstone-arts-center.square.site/product/remembering-woody-guthrie/439
More to come soon!
PODCAST
I often listen to the Manuscript Academy Podcast. When I first began writing novels in 2019, I searched online and discovered The Manuscript Academy. They are a group founded by a writer and an agent. I had a full membership for about two years and learned SO MUCH about writing, agents, publishing, etc. I dropped my membership for financial reasons, but I cannot express how valuable it was. The founders, Julie and Jessica, also started the Manuscript Wishlist for agents and authors looking for agents. The Manuscript Academy and Wishlist are truly educational and helpful.
MEANDERINGS
I regret to admit I've made only one addition to Meanderings this month. It's kind of about nothing. I'll try to do better. With my move scheduled for August 18, I'll probably have more to write about.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED SO FAR
About keeping records. I have a spreadsheet for all my submissions to journals, magazines, etc. It is not fancy. I don't use formulas. I enter the date, name of journal, names of poems or stories, how long I will wait to hear, and how I'll be paid, if any. I color-code the rows. When a rejection comes in, it is lavender. An acceptance is bright turquoise. A withdrawal is dull gold. When I choose not to send to a journal again for any reason, I use bright yellow. You choose your own colors and stick with them. When you get an acceptance - THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - search for other places you have sent that piece. (On my laptop, search is control F.) Contact the places you have sent that piece and tell them it's accepted elsewhere. Some want to be contacted through submittable, others email. Some don't say how, but they might have a contact button on their website. One journal had no way for me to contact them except Twitter, so I did that.
It is necessary to keep up because you develop a reputation as a writer. One of my rants in MEANDERINGS is about journals not taking simultaneous submissions. Many don't because they got burned by writers who didn't let them know when a poem or story had been accepted elsewhere. So please, be part of the solution.
STAR TREK
I'm still loving Strange New Worlds but a musical? Really? I have never been a fan of musicals. I know they are stretching their wings, going from comedy to war drama, but then to a musical is a bit much. And the war drama show should have had a content warning. Anyone with actual combat experience could have relived PTSD watching that. I saw a few comments in the Facebook groups about it.
Elle Cordova - Star Trek. She was on Dr. Trek YouTube the other day. I had to follow her on TikTok. She's the only one I follow on there, BTW. That woman is a genius. She's a huge Trek fan, has Trek raps, and just kills it.
OTHER TV
I watched the first three seasons of Manifest on NBC then it was canceled. Netflix picked it up, then COVID happened. The other day I heard Netflix had completed the series. I just started rewatching with season 4. I think it has five seasons. If you don't know what it's about, an airplane takes off from Jamaica and lands in NY but in NY, it has been five years missing, and the passengers are presumed dead. The people on the plane haven't aged. (Manifest = list of passengers.) That was all in the first episode. It gets a little WuWu, but I like WuWu. Check it out.
TODAY'S CARD
The Guardian of the Night Tarot - MJ Cullinane
Page of Swords
What will I write about this card?
A black-footed ferret represents fortitude, conviction, and passion. I need to get out of my comfort zone. There is also playfulness, which I need to work on because I don't feel much of that.
Thank you for reading this month's SCENE BREAK!
See all my work here: https://linktr.ee/monaiv