VioletHilton.com

Third Time's a Charm?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:12:02 -0500

Today I sucked up my courage and, after feeling like I was a complete hack for a month (or was it two?), sent off Rogue Wolf for the third time. If I get another rejection on this piece, I'll be carting it off to my critique group.

Rejection isn't easy to handle. I thought I was prepared to deal with it after getting so many rejections on my flash and short stories, but something in that last one for Rogue Wolf really hit me hard. I'm emotional, I know this, and maybe it's a personality thing. I sat around and licked my wounds and... now I'm ready to face the publishing world again. Hopefully my next rejection will be easier to swallow, since I know it's ridiculous to let something get to me like that instead of doing what I need to do and moving on to the next market.

What else have I been up to? Not a lot of writing related things, that's for sure. I've done loads of leisure writing, but nothing remotely serious since my last update. That is, of course, until November started!

I'm now part way into writing chapter three of The Lost Prince, my NaNoWriMo novel this year. At first everything felt kind of stilted and... lame. I was worried I'd lost my touch. But! Now, on day six, I feel like I'm really getting into a groove with this story. It's a light, fantasy romance, which means it's a far cry from the usually angst laden stories I write. But it's having the desired effect: I'm having fun with it and not stressing out about it, outside of daily word count goals to keep me on track for the competition.

I haven't sent out any submissions in the last couple months either, but I am still waiting to hear back on a short story and a flash piece that have been out for a while. As usual I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!

Work in Progress Wednesday #18

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:43:32 -0400

Unfortunately I don't have any real writing progress to report for the past week. Dragon*Con dominated everything in the best way possible! :) The writers track panel on The Final Taboo (aka GLBT romance) was very entertaining and confirmed a lot of things for me. Things like offering romantic short stories for free! Now I just have to figure out how to write a romantic and hopefully sexy little story or two without compromising quality and quantity of plot. I don't want to end up with a string of Plot-What-Plot stories.

I did receive another rejection for Rogue Wolf, which means I need to get together a new submission packet for the story and send it off to the next publisher. These novella rejections are tougher to handle than the ones for short stories and flash fiction. I'm starting to think Mr. King had it right with the spike in the wall!

Me and my husband at Dragon*Con 2009 dressed as Tek and J6 from MechQuest!

Oh, I did manage to come up with a plot idea and outline for a possible red hot fairy tale for Samhain's newest anthology call. :) Not sure when I'll actually start writing it, but I will start on it before November rolls around. I might work on Miss Preston's Masquerade tonight. If I put all my energy in my latest WIP I can chase away the little doubt gremlins gnawing at my ankles. It's got to work!

For more info about the wonderful WIP Wednesday phenomenon please check out Kate Karyus Quinn's blog. Share your weekly progress!

Work in Progress Wednesday #17

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0400

This week's real WIP? Dragon*Con costumes! And my husband was afraid he'd screw up the painting on the shirts for his costume, which means I'm working on it (woot!). Unfortunately the drama llama came to visit over the weekend and nothing terribly fun was accomplished outside of a little shirt painting and de-stressing via playing Oblivion. I forgot how much I love that game and the Elder Scrolls world.

Are you going to Dragon*Con? If so, say hello if you spot me! I'll look a little something like the chick pictured in this post ;) Her name is Tek and she's a mecha mechanic from the game MechQuest by the awesome folks at Artix Entertainment. My husband and I have had the pleasure of hanging with the AE crew at several conventions and are looking forward to meeting up with them again this year.

I'm ready to get my geek on and am excited to have a costume! Unlike last year... which was costume-less and not as fun because of it. Two years ago I was a Slytherin Quidditch player without a broom. I wore a sweater, padded "armor," and a lined robe around Atlanta in September. And I'd do it all over again just to not be boring old "con goer!"

In writing news, I've done some more writing on Miss Preston's Masquerade. This story is flowing well and I hope it stays that way! I'd really like to have it half finished by November, but September is my official Finish Crocheting Friend's Baby Blanket month, so I'm not sure that's a realistic writing goal.

And, in keeping with 2009 being the Year of Plot, I've whipped up an outline for yet another story! This one is intended to be a novelette, around 20k words. It was an exercise in creating a simpler plot to help me get back in the groove of doing short stories. Fox's Favor will be about a budding romance between a wayward kitsune and the human who helps him. I think the other regency story I've outlined, Heart's Debt, will be in the 20k range too.

It's a little early yet, but I'm already thinking about writing resolutions for the new year. Early in the summer I knew I wanted to finish the first draft of A Prince's Ransom (the pirate adventure romance I wrote half of for NaNoWriMo 2007) in 2010. I also want to write and polish at least half of the stories I've outlined this year. And I want to get down the outline for another science fiction romance, the story of Trent-from-Rogue-Wolf's ex-lover. This one will be novel length and I want to make sure I get the plot holes nixed in the outline and have a strong action/intrigue oriented plot to run tandem to the romance. Zeke is a down on his luck, no nonsense cyborg trying to make it as a private investigator, and Jodi is an alien caught up in the sex trafficking ring Zeke has to bust. Oooh yeah. Gonna have fun with that one :) It might even be a good NaNo 2010 candidate if I outline it before November.

Have any writing goals to finish in 2009 or thinking about ones for 2010? Please share! :)

Oh and Samhain Publishing just put out a new anthology call for Red Hot Fairy Tales with a deadline of February 1, 2010! I might have to implore the muse to work out a nice little plot for this ;)

For more info about the wonderful WIP Wednesday phenomenon please check out Kate Karyus Quinn's blog. Share your weekly progress!

Work in Progress Wednesday #16

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:08:19 -0400

The novel and novella plots have really been flowing for me lately and this week I added two more ready-to-be-written story outlines to my collection! Both of these stories will be Regency romances (m/m of course) and I already started writing one of them.

There's a big difference between the two stories that goes beyond characters and situations. I'm 99% sure the first story (about a rake who gambles everything away until only his loyal valet remains) is marketable. The second story, the one who's primary lead is gnawing at my brain and making me write his story now, is probably not marketable so far as actual publishing houses go. I'll try anyway, because it is so worth the chance and I already love these characters and this story. You might have noticed a new WIP word count meter has appeared in the sidebar for Miss Preston's Masquerade. That's the one! I'm not really sure how big this story will be, so I've got 40k as a rough estimate. I'm not worried about word count with this story, though, just the tale itself.

I've been wanting to write a Regency (or, a bunch of them, really!) for a while now and I'm so excited to have these two fresh ideas and casts of characters ready to be written about. Whether or not I'll be able to pull off writing for a more genteel time period is another question... but I'm very willing to do my best! :)

I also took some time to work on some revisions for You Are What You Eat, and Rogue Wolf is off on submission again. Not a very busy week writing wise, but I'm happy with the overall "big picture" progress I've been making.

For more info about the wonderful WIP Wednesday phenomenon please check out Kate Karyus Quinn's blog. Share your weekly progress!

Free Fiction: A Damsel's Distress

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:07:00 -0400

This week's #fridayflash story is a character study for a secondary character in the fantasy novel I'll be writing for NaNoWriMo.

A Damsel's Distress
by Violet Hilton

Once upon a time I found myself stuck in a dreadful dungeon. Yes, me, Princess Gwyndolen of Engoth, in a dank, disgusting, dirty dungeon! It wouldn't have been so awful if it hadn't smelled so rotten. I didn't even mind the rats since they left me alone.

What was a princess doing in a dungeon? I had been kidnapped, of course!

Again.

You see, I have a small problem. Fate seems to think I make the most interesting damsel in distress. Naturally, I am inclined to agree, but... where was I?

Oh, yes!

I was sitting in said dungeon, awaiting my gallant rescuer. And, oh, did I have the perfect man in mind! I had nothing else to do, save attempt to teach manners to filthy rats, so I recalled the dashing man I desired to see above all others.

A handsome man, with a perfect chin, wide smile and brilliant green eyes that squint when he laughs. My ladies think me silly for coveting his red hair, but I find it more beautiful than my own boring brown locks. How I long to run my fingers through those striking curls! My true love is tall and broad shouldered and have I yet mentioned his perfect, kissable lips?

I had all but conjured the man with my own mind when I heard a noise outside my dimly lit cell. The clinking sound of a man in armor! I grinned and clapped my hands together. This would be the time my true love would rescue me, and wearing his best armor of black and gold!

"Your Highness," the man greeted me with a bow once in front of my cell. His armor was silver and spattered in blood.

Due to immense shock and disappointment my manners abandoned me.

"Oh, it's you," I said.

"Yes, it's me! Who else would rescue you, but your fiancé?" Prince Donovan looked flustered in the poor light from the torches in the corridor. I hate that dimple of agitation between his eyes. "I just killed an extremely large werewolf, who nearly bit my head off, and all you can say is 'oh, it's you?'"

"I wondered where your helmet had gone," I said and crossed my arms over my chest while he opened the cell door. Every ounce of me hoped he did not expect me to fling myself into his arms and shower him with illicit kisses.

I've known Prince Donovan my entire life and he is boring. He fences, he jousts, he hunts, he dances, he rescues me, but can the man do much else? I'd rather a husband who is passionate about life and his endeavors and me. I'm in love with a man who acts upon the world instead of waiting for the world to force him to act or attend parties.

I have also never been fond of cleft chins such as the prince's, if you must know.

"Thank you for rescuing me, Donnie," I said after a moment. It takes time to force oneself to act with relative propriety after being so distressed.

"Come on, Gwynnie, I'll take you home." The prince extended his hand and I took it.

Another of Prince Donovan's daring rescues of Princess Gwyndolen. It's all terribly romantic, according to my ladies. All they see is a charming prince. They haven't yet figured out why he isn't the man of my dreams.

Meanwhile?

I'm still waiting for my true love, my true prince, to rescue me and bring me my happily ever after.

Work in Progress Wednesday #15

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:05:00 -0400

I took things kind of easy this week after a month and half of working my butt off! I scoped out a handful of publishers that I'd like to submit Rogue Wolf to and have considered going back over my synopsis and revising it if I think I can improve it. I'm a little nervous about submitting this story right now, because I'm unsure of what about it or the submission packet made it not right for Samhain. I fully appreciate that the editor is on a time limit and couldn't provide individualized feedback, but I'm now nervous there's some glaring flaw the next publisher/editor will be able to tell me about... and then I'll have two strikes in a fairly small field.

Oh, self doubt, go away. :)

My biggest accomplishment of the week was outlining my novel for NaNoWriMo. I'm going with the fairy tale idea because I need something more fun and quasi-silly than my usual angsty fare. I also might be watching a bit too much of The Tudors. ;) The working title for NaNo novel 2009 is The Lost Prince.

I'm trying out yWriter this year (after reading about it in Kait Nolan's Pantser to Plotter blog article series) and so far it seems to go with the flow of my creation style. It's nice to have everything in one place, instead of strewn over several files or places, where I have to look at everything individually. I haven't fully used most of the features yet, but I'm enjoying the program so far. Although if Liquid Story Binder has another November sale I'll be tempted to snag it. It looks rather awesome and I keep hearing rave reviews from friends!

The critique meeting last Saturday went really well and I'm pleased my friend felt that we'd all helped her. I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about how helpful I'm actually being with critique, even if I know better!

For now I think I'd like to focus on outlining the story ideas I've had waiting in the wings. ValorQuest, Rescuing Romeo and All I Want for Christmas all need real, solid outlines like the one I've done for The Lost Prince. ValorQuest in particular needs a reworking to better account for how tech savvy my hero and heroine are and how smart I know my hero is. Plus the more practice I have outlining, the better I'll get at it! And with better outlines, I should be able to write better stories. :)

For more info about the wonderful WIP Wednesday phenomenon please check out Kate Karyus Quinn's blog. Share your weekly progress!

Try, Try Again

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:59:26 -0400

The only thing I dislike about using gmail is that it displays snippets of your emails. It's always just enough to get to the "unfortunately" part of submission replies, which totally kills the fun of actually opening individual letters and finding out if they're acceptances or rejections.

Rogue Wolf didn't pass muster for Samhain's Space Opera anthology. But I'm not done with this story yet! Oh no. I've got my eye on the next few publishers I'd like to submit to. Now it's just a matter of formatting the submission packet to suit different submission guidelines :)

Free Fiction: Gear Heart

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:23:00 -0400

This week's Friday Flash is my first attempt at writing steampunk. I blame the August 8th prompt at Everyday Fiction, Repo! The Genetic Opera, and Girl Genius's clockwork heart pins for this story. And by "blame" I mean "lovingly appreciate!" ;)

Gear Heart
by Violet Hilton

Beads of sweat dripped from Charles's forehead onto the umber metal casing, a punctuation of his effort more fitting than the clang of his hammer. His was a labor defined by determination. Ridicule and persecution be damned, Charles was proud of his work and he would finish it today.

He wiped the contoured surface of the metal with a fresh rag and turned the casing in the lamp light. The matte surface reflected the light as a warm glow, like bronzed skin. As it should. Charles trailed his calloused fingers down the defined curves and smooth planes of the metal casing. The thing was an ideal crafted from a memory embellished by time, but Charles had worked too long to care.

He carried the final piece of casing into the small room adjoining his shop. The familiar warmth of the rich tapestries and brocade curtains of the room calmed his nerves. He stood in front of the metal body strapped to the tilted table at the room's center and smiled. This was it. The final testament to his endeavor of love.

The interior had been the most difficult part of the job. Replicating facial muscles with man's supplies, not God's, had nearly forced Charles to abandon his work. For months it had seemed too delicate, too complex. Yet Charles never could accept his task was impossible.

Charles took one final look at the exposed cross section of cogs, gears and elements meticulously crafted and painstakingly assembled from his own blueprints, and felt ready to complete years of work. He reached between the metal ribs and gripped the end of the small key protruding from the heart with trembling fingers. One swift turn set the gears in place, and Charles pulled the key free.

He frowned as silence reigned. No whirring. No gentle hum of rotating gears. No piston beats.

Charles gripped the metal in his hands until his knuckles turned white. He'd tested the design piece by piece! The lungs worked! The heart could beat! He'd seen it with his own eyes!

A chill took hold of his spine. Had he missed some essential connection or piece? Was his overall design poor? Charles could not bear the thought of ripping apart his creation. He feared what he would find. Flaws. Failure. Desiccation of the living tissue contained within.

He placed the chest casing carefully over the exposed works of the metal body and brushed his fingertips against the vessel's cheek. The tanner, after receiving exorbitant monetary compensation, had done a perfect job of saving James's face, which Charles had positioned over the metal skull with utmost care. The rest of James's skin had been lost in the fire that took his life.

What the flames had taken away, Charles would return with his machine. He shoved his fears aside and, after setting the key and chest casing on a nearby chair, examined every tube, gear and connection within his view.

Minutes ticked by on the mantle clock. Then hours. Everything looked the way it should. Charles triple checked his blueprints and found, as he'd known all along, the machine was to his specifications. He growled in frustration.

As a last resort, Charles unscrewed the tiny bolts holding the front panel of James's new heart in place and pulled the metal panel away. The problem stared back at him. So simple! Charles laughed at his own frustration and tightened a loose screw, forcing a small wheel to become realigned.

The heart whirred to life. Charles scrambled to refasten the heart's panel, having no idea how long it would take for James to awaken in his new body.

Metal finger joints rustled. The machine's head shifted downward, and when Charles looked up from his work it was into the green glass eyes, perfect mimics of lost tissue, of the lover he'd thought lost forever.

"I'm almost done," Charles said, grinning like a schoolboy. With the heart sealed again, he grabbed the chest casing from its perch and screwed it in place.

James made a curious noise, much like a sound a small child would make. His brows furrowed slightly.

"Take your time in speaking, dear heart. We have all the time in the world left to us now." Charles carefully unbuckled the leather restraints holding James to the table and helped the clockwork man to his feet. He marveled at the rapidly changing expressions on James's face, though they did seem more subdued than they once were. A minor drawback in the scheme of things. The love of Charles's life was returned to him. By his own hands!

James slowly surveyed the room. His eyes fell on Charles again and he opened and closed his mouth several times, as if testing the aperture. All of the gears and joints had been well oiled, and Charles knew the vocal system worked.

"Sir," James said. His voice was deep, breathy. Not at all like the melodic tenor he once had.

"Sir?" Charles echoed.

"Who am I?"

Work in Progress Wednesday #14

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:46:54 -0400

Last week saw the final push to tidy up Rogue Wolf and put together its submission packet. It also saw two rejections, both on my zombie short stories. Now that I've got a real taste for solid editing thanks to Rogue Wolf, I'm going to give my short stories the same treatment. My Inner Editor cackles with glee!

I also submitted a different kind of zombie story (I'm counting it as flash) to Library of the Living Dead Press's submission call for their Letters from the Dead anthology. Each piece is meant to be told from the POV of a survivor of the zombie apocalypse who doesn't have much longer to live. Last will and testaments, letters to loved ones, mentally anguished scribbles, etc. Needless to say I love the concept! I whipped up a letter and sent it off. Keeping my fingers crossed they like it :)

Right now my focus is going to be writing some more flash pieces to get into the submissions rounds and to post here on my site. And, the big thing, is getting prepared for NaNoWriMo 2009. This will be my fifth year acting as ML (Municipal Liaison, aka Cat Herder!) for my local group of WriMos. On top of helping to plan gatherings and cheering everyone on, I too have to write a novel in 30 days. August is when I usually start planning my NaNo novel and, um, August is half over!

My two candidate stories for NaNo are:

All I Want for Christmas (working title...)
Contemporary m/m romance. A story of reconciliations, redemption, trickery and love set around, you guessed it, the winter holidays. I wrote a version of this story as a pathetic short years ago, but the concept is one I love and the characters are all very richly drawn in my mind. There will be a lot of humor and a lot of angst in this one.

Fairy Tale Romance Story (needs a working title!)
This story idea sprang up last night while joking around with some friends online. It's a fantasy m/m romance in a very off-set contemporary framework. ...Which sounds confusing so let me explain! The general concept is a guy who works at a popular fairytale themed amusement park (tentatively called Fairytale Kingdom *cough*) is magically transported to a fantasy realm made of all the fairy tales the theme park is known for. Insert case of mistaken identity, magic, monsters, and of course love. This story would be a lot more lighthearted, for the most part, than the Christmas one.

I'm not entirely sure about the marketability of the fairy tale idea, but the story is so freaking cute and cool that I want to write it anyway and take my chances! Then again I've already done a lot of ground work for the Christmas story in the past month. I'm not sure how I'll make my decision, but I'm going to give myself a little more time to figure it out. :)

This week my biggest goal is to finish critiquing a play for one of the members of my critique group. My Inner Editor is overjoyed!

For more info about the wonderful WIP Wednesday phenomenon please check out Kate Karyus Quinn's blog. Share your weekly progress!

New Site Design

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:39:09 -0400

I'm proud to present the newest design of violethilton.com! I'm always striving to make sure my blog and website are easy on the eyes and easy to navigate. I think version four, Night Sky, accomplishes both goals. I hope you'll agree! :)

And I offer my sincere apologies to anyone who tried to visit the site today and found it mid-transformation or down. I tried to keep the growing pains to a minimum, but it wasn't the smoothest of transitions.