Happy Monday!

[cathschaffstump]

It must be Monday. I went back to the gym, Happy Hour of the Damned in tow. The author, Mark Henry, remarked that people usually react strongly to the book. I am amused, much in the same way I was when I watched the American Werewolf films. Sure, the characters are shallow and undead, but it’s laugh out loud funny. You have to truly enjoy dark humor. Or be perverse. Or both. So yes, if that’s you, I’m recommending this one.

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Some internet things (it’s all about me!)

Another dollop of Blood is Thicker than Water

A reflection on Takarazuka, the all woman Japanese theater troupe

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Finally, another soapbox on why it’s useful to send out your novel even if you’re rejected: learning the players.

Many new writers feel that they want an agent. ANY agent. I begin to think of an agent as getting a job when you enter any field. At first, you want a job. Then you want a better job. You might even have a dream job in mind, and you decide to work toward it.

There are plenty of places to learn about disreputable agents, and that’s not what I’m talking about here. If you stick with Agent Query, Query Tracker, and various places that tout reputable agents, if you watch Preditors and Editors, you will probably find a legitimate agent. What I’m chatting about is a good match from that wide field of legitimate agents.

Personally, I’d like a great agent from word go. I’d like an agent that fits me like a glove, that I enjoyed, that matched me in pace and concern for my work. Since that didn’t happen with my first teaching job, I will be delighted and surprised if it happens with an agent.

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Originally published at Writer Tamago. You can comment here or there.