First of all - Sleep. Jees! It’s still dark outside and I’m exhausted, yet here I sit at the computer because I can’t sleep. Being under deadline sucks. I don’t know how Alison works under so many at once!! In a way, I wish think it would have been easier to sell one story at a time and come out in an anthology with other writers to share the burden, but I’m not complaining about that. Good grief, I’d have to be insane to complain about getting my own book. I’d be crazy to lament Kate Duffy’s unbelievable leap of faith in galvanizing Kensington’s publishing machine for a book that is only 2/3 of the way finished by an unknown author.
Kate swears she doesn’t make leaps of faith, not in her business. It’s too expensive. She says there’s no way I can write something as good as Stolen and then turn in crap. I hope she’s right.
I pitched the third story yesterday. She was wary at first, but after I explained it better she liked the idea. So that’s a relief. In a way. It’s different from the other two novellas and a departure for me. So yeah, maybe I’m a little insane to try something new, under deadline, in my first book. But there you have it.
I’m also working on the Black Lace story that will come out in May 2005 in the same volume that Cece’s story will be in. That’s very cool!! 
I have two more submissions out there with two other publishers, both futuristics. But I’m not going to think about that now. I’m going to work.
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Oh, some things I forgot to mention in my post about the 2nd call was Cover Blurbs and Career Plan. Cover blurbs you know about. Kate will be approaching some Brava authors to read my story (and hopefully rave!), but she told me to consider some other authors whom I admire. Whew. 
And then she said that after I turn in my stories I’ll need to come up with a Career Plan. What am I going to write next? A single title? Another anthology? And then from there, where I am going with the rest of my writer’s life? What do I want? How many books will I be releasing a year? And think of my family. Add time for my kids and hubby. Wow. Just so much to think about.
Yeah, Larissa, I’m nauseous too. This is really a lot harder than I thought it would be and the fact that she liked Stolen so much just makes it worse, if that makes any sense at all. Now I want to live up to that expectation and I don’t know if I have the time to do it. I polished Stolen to death!
on December 16th, 2004 at 4:09 pm
Er…Sylvia, you’re making me nauseous just thinking about all this. Career Plans. Deadlines. And editor who has faith in you. OMG..the pressure!
on December 16th, 2004 at 3:58 pm
I’m another one that writes better under pressure.
If don’t have a deadline, and I don’t feel like writing. I won’t force myself to.
on December 16th, 2004 at 11:52 am
I agree with Alison. I write much better under pressure. It’s the reason I’m always sending my editor partials and getting contracted before the book is finished– I just can’t sit down and write; I’m too lazy. I have to be motivated (ie panicked), and for me that means writing under deadline. It’s kept me writing quite efficiently over the past year, as opposed to my earlier extremely spotty production. Deadlines are our friends. Trust me.
Seriously, don’t let the deadline freak you out… you can do this. We’re all waiting anxiously to read your first book, so crank that puppy out!
on December 16th, 2004 at 10:14 am
Thank you for all these juicy details!
Very much intrigued.
on December 16th, 2004 at 9:55 am
Sylvia, You’ll pull it together. With Kate willing to work with you and guide you, you’re already a step ahead of the crowd.:grin:
on December 16th, 2004 at 8:57 am
My problem is that I DON’T work if I don’t have a deadline. It’s been a horrible bugaboo that’s gotten me into all sorts of trouble with long lags between books, etc. At least back before I just bit the bullet and signed my life away.
on December 16th, 2004 at 6:52 am