Writing Rachel's Writing Emporium

Now with %100 more content! (Easy when you post about once in three months.)

2008-04-19T18:02:55Z

Originally published at Rachel's Writing Machinations. You can comment here or there.

It’s not that I’m trying to be interesting so much as I’m trying to develop a habit. Okay, truthfully, I already have a blogging habit but for some reason posting here is very strange for me.

The thing about this blog is that it’s all about writing, at least, that’s how it was conceptualized. Essentially this is my ‘writing’ website. Mostly because what I know of actually coding html and CSS you could fill a thimble with and wordpress is mostly form filling and arrange preset chunks while still looking nice and being pretty flexible in form and function and giving me a level of control.

What’s the point though? It feels very ‘toot your own horn’ if I leave this just for “hey this thing I’ve done! go read it!” which to be honest, I will totally use this blog for, if only because one day I hope that people will want to know when I’ve got new stuff going. There’s nothing wrong with that format honestly, but as I go through this writing gig I’ve reserved learning about each step as I get to it. So for example, I’m not worrying about perfecting my query letter until I need to write one. It’s a very simple way of putting off stress. This business is complicated enough without freaking yourself out prematurely.

However, my feelings are if I’m going to use blogging software as my ‘website’ I should actually use the blogging software. Anyone who knows me knows I have no shortage of words coming out of my mouth. Anyone who’s accidentally overheard me or stopped next to my car at a red light knows I really don’t have a problem talking into a vacuum. *G*

So, in the grand tradition of almost meaningless gestures (because frankly I have like 12 readers), I shall point everyone to the soon to be published book of a friend of mine. Because sometimes our best press is each other.

Lyrical Press presents:

The Arrangement by Cat Grant

When she was talking about this before anyone had bought the contract it sounded interesting to me so I’m really glad I’ll be able to snag this myself in a few weeks. It’s labeled erotica so that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but don’t let that scare you away either.

I am smarter than my blog!

2008-04-13T22:16:54Z

Originally published at Rachel's Writing Machinations. You can comment here or there.

I managed to upgrade to Wordpress 2.5, it seems like a good idea since the last batch of updates (I haven’t updates since around 2.1 I think) really added some nice functionality, however now I have to figure out which plugins to update and which to scrap all together because WordPress 2.5 has integrated them. I’m going to have to hunker down and read some documentation. Joy.

What I’d really like to ask of the four of you left reading this blog (wow I should attempt to post more and be interesting, or at least strange enough to pass for interesting) is to just have a conversation in the comments, use the features, subscribe and threaded comments.

Let me know what you think, suggestions for tweaking always welcome!

Star Trek is awesome!

2007-12-19T22:33:03Z

Originally published at Rachel's Writing Machinations. You can comment here or there.

So I’ve been busy. *flops*

First thing’s first, I’ve got a new weekly column at FADPOV, the first one came out today. I’m the Star Trek writer. *beams* DREAM COME TRUE. What this means is more often than not I can just sit down and type type type and do a smidgen of fact checking later. Which I’m getting better at remembering to do. This is great for me however because my abject laziness has a hard time working against something that doesn’t require heavy research. There’s no actual title for the column yet, but suggestions are more than welcome.

Next order of business, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m working on remembering to post more. Things that will help me remember: Who knows how to make semagic post to wordpress? People commenting. No, I am not demanding comments or you will never see this blog again, but I do want to make this place comfortable for commenting. Way back when I turned off the commenting on LJ because I strongly and severely disagree with their policies and practices, I still do, but until I can work this place up, I’m willing to open it back up there on a limited basis. Thoughts?

Finally, what do you guys want to see or hear about? Writing links? Writing updates? Writing process? My favorite chicken recipe? I know I’m a pro only in the sense that I can write technical articles, but I’m sure there’s something interesting out there we can all talk about. (Ack, just acidentlly added the wrong spelling of process to my firefox dictionary, *sigh*) It doesn’t even have to be writing related. *G* Do you want more more entries about life in general?

On a similar note, what do you want to see on my sidebar? I’ve got some ideas for links I just need time to sit down and make it so, ditto with the about me page.

Maintenance and the like.

2007-08-07T05:44:36Z

As a writer, Livejournal has made it clear they don't appreciate my point of view about fiction, that is, I should have one without needing it stamped and approved.

I'll be keeping this journal open, it's a great resource for now if anything else and if I can figure out how to post to my blog and to this thing (which I know is possible) I'll continue to do so happily.

For people who want to move over to the blog structure, you can find me at Rachel Gostl.com I'm still putting things together and making sure everything cross links to each other, but suggestions and hints and favorite widgets and plugins are always welcome.

I've created an rss feed for LJ as well if you would prefer to follow me like in that manner. gostl_rss

*insert panic about using my last name here*

In which I make no sense and probably don't even have a point.

2007-07-29T20:01:56Z

I have a confession.

I don't love words.

You critical readers might now be thinking "Then Rachel, why are you a writer?"

Because I can't stop. Well. Okay. currently that's not quite true. I have stopped, frozen in a fear I don't understand, but the ideas, the ideas are still there, bubbling up towards the surface fast and furious. This is what gives me hope, that however, is another post. (Thank you Alton Brown!)

I have friends who write casually and when I say casually that isn't meant to limit or lower their writing in any way. It simply means they write without any thougth to submission, they write for the joy of writing without intent to sell or make a living from it. Which isn't to say that's not what writers do, write for the joy of it and have tiny little explosions of joy every time they realize people will pay them for it. This however is not the path of some of my friends who love writing. They are the fanfic writers or the ones hitting then end and simply putting the story away to share when needed or not. I know of professional writers who also fit this criteria, whose prose is lyrical and rich and just full of the joy of simply describing a room.

I, on the other hand, do not love words. *sigh*

I don't want to spend countless hours recalling every unique or special detail about the room my character inhabits. I don't want to go into glorious detail about their skin or their eyes, I have trouble coming up with interesting ways to describe things at all. That's not to say I don't have my moments of Word Love. I do. I think about how awesomely powerful words are, I walk away from certain books in awe of the conclusion words brought me to, or I think about how the perfectly put together sentence can be a sucker punch in the right place.

I have a hard core crush on words, yes, I freely admit to that, I sort of peak out at words other people have written in shy admiration, hoping they'll notice me and that maybe one day words and I can have a similar relationship. For now though, I look from afar, sighing pathetic little sighs and hoping that one day they notice me, and make me understand the great sprawling paragraphs and sentences of the people who love them, hope they tell me the little secrets that they've so obviously already whispered to their other romances.

Or *rereads lasts paragraph* I could find a nice group therapy session.

In conclusion, I do not love words, but I do sort of obsess about them and secretly scrawl our names together inside little pink hearts and pick out wedding dresses and caterers.

Today I do work! (While avoiding other work. Go me!)

2007-07-18T19:52:40Z

In my 'drawer file' I have a single completed story, it even comes with editorial notes from a kind person who has spent years taming the comma, years I spent sleeping through classes apparently. The editorial notes include some interesting suggestions about content as well. I sort of dread getting down to those, I worry it will be me, my story and a box of used tissues while I cling to a mug of hot cocoa and wail about the unfairness of the universe and how the entire ending needs to be reworked! Or worse, I need to work in tiny elements to finish supporting the ending through the entire story.

God I hate that. I never know where to start. *CLINGS TO LIVEJOURNAL* Thank god I have plenty of distractions! *Ponders* Hmm. This carpet is looking dirty, I could totally vacuum it today!

So. I've got the file open and I've even made CHANGES! OMG *FEELS FAINT*.

So this is what I'm worrying about now:

1. The publication I chose to submit it to. It's one of the majors, well known, pays well. This is what I am thinking: HAHAHAH YOU'RE SO FUNNY. NICE TRY. DO NOT PASS GO. On the other hand, why not try it?

2. I have yet to remember or find postcards. So would I look terribly unprofessional if I just used one of my own thank you cards, self address and stamp it and then put a little post-it note on it that said 'please mail me when you receive this submission, thank you! Signed, VERY NEW WRITER, PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE."

3. The big flat envelopes. What is their mailing rate? Should I add an extra stamp just in case? *FRETS UNREASONABLY*

4. Am deathly afraid I'm going to forget the SASE for the return of the submission. (I know a reputable place will not do anything evil with it, like making paper airplanes, or spit balls.) Unless someone can give me a good argument for not asking for my submission back in case ~~I SUCK~~ they choose not to publish me.

5. My last name. It seems-- silly I guess-- from the outside perspective. But I have a very unique last name. Very. I can count the number of people who share it using two hands. One if I'm being Hungarian enough to pretend a certain portion of my family Does Not Exist.

The thing is, you sort of HAVE to look towards the future, it's the only way to really make it, so I keep thinking "what if I manage to get over everything, including myself?" and then I'm out there, and reasonably well known and REALLY easy to track down. Me and my family. And then of course I think, dear god, get over yourself, one step at a time, but it seems like if I don't have the name thing down now, it could get messy, in terms of portfolios and all sorts of things. To top that off, if I decide to have a pen name, HOW ON EARTH do I submit for that?

Anyone out there have ideas? (Yes I do have it narrowed down to about 3 choices.)

6. That I'm forgetting something very important.

7. SUBMISSION PRESENTATION! MUST FORMAT WITH PAGE NUMBERS AND DO I ADD A COVER PAGE? AND AND SHOULD I STAPLE OR IS ONE OF THOSE PAPERCLIPS, THE HEAVY DUTY KIND THAT SNAPS SHUT GOOD ENOUGH?

8. Do I print up basic business cards and start including them? And again we run into the name thing. *facedesks*

9. I think I'm literally afraid of my novel idea. Like. Literally. *cowers*

10. I want a pony. Or maybe cookies.

This is me, saying hi.

2007-07-16T02:39:29Z

I've been hemming and hawing a lot at this whole writing and submitting process and I think I need to start actively journaling about it or at least, move into this space. It's a bit like taking your office. By opening this up, I'm saying "See, this is me, I'm a writer and I plan on being a part of the world and this is my spot and I plan on making it comfy if you want to join me." There's something about opening up this virtual office that makes me feel official.

I am a writer.

See. That was easy. *wipes sweaty palms*

This space may or may not be temporary, this nickname may or may not stay as my formal blogging name, it all depends on how I come to feel about releasing my last name into the world. More on that later for anyone interested. I'm playing around with various blogging software and website designs, but they all have one thing in common, I'm really bad at making them neat and simple and readable and pretty. So for now I thought I'd stick with one of LJ's most basic layouts and hope that it looks somewhat professional while I sort out the rest.

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to use this for yet, but I will use it. I promise. *frowns* I heard that snicker!

So, in summation: Welcome!

Test post!

2007-04-19T10:59:14Z

TEST TEST TEST TEST

TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEST

TEST TEST TEST TEST