Writing Report, Swine Flu and Random Musings

WRITING UPDATE

Although I stopped sending out query emails about six weeks ago, rejections emails continue to filter in. Strangely enough, I welcome the rejections; they make me feel like I’m still involved in the process. This one came in a couple of days ago:

Thank you for querying us regarding your manuscript.Unfortunately, after careful consideration, we have decided to pass on thisproject.

Thank you for considering 3 Seas Literary Agency for representation.

Michelle Grajkowski

Cori DeyoeLiterary Agents

3 Seas Literary Agency

Thanks a million, Michelle and Cori!

This morning I found the time to do a little reading on Prescott history. My novel, The Really Weird Science Guys takes place in Prescott. It turns out the Earp brothers ran a saw mill in Prescott before relocating to Tombstone. Virgil Earp was town constable. Furthermore, he shot some poor schmuck in front of The Palace Saloon. I’m not sure whether the Earp brothers will figure into my story, but I feel like I’m still in the game.

My seventeen year-old daughter and I are heading up to Prescott tomorrow. She wants to take some pictures while I’m hoping to do a little research and maybe pick up some inspiration.

SWINE FLU

There are four confirmed cases of the Swine Flu in Arizona. One of them attends school two blocks from my house. Thursday afternoon School officials announced Tarwater Elementary would be shutting down for one week. I know what you’re thinking; Tarwater is a ridiculous name for an elementary school, but try to say with me, the subject is the swine flu. My girls are thrilled to have a week off from school. The news scared me half to death. My wife, on the other hand, was irritated. “What do you mean the kids are going to be at home seven days in a row?”

RANDOM MUSINGS

This morning my five year-old was jumping on the bed. I hollered at her, “DON’T JUMP ON THE BED!” Five seconds later she was jumping on the bed. Is it a brain development thing? Come to think of it, I ask my high school students to wait to start packing up their things until the passing bell rings, reminding them it’s disruptive and rude. I ask them every day because someone starts loading up early every day. They say it takes upwards of twenty years for a brain to fully develop. It could be a brain development thing. But then again, I have a student from Vietnam; he told me Vietnamese students never disobey their teachers. He explained that Vietnamese discipline methods different from modern American methods, that Vietnamese teachers hit disobedient students with sticks. I attended Catholic school for eight years and I can tell you the nuns weren’t afraid to whack me on the knuckles with the metal end of a ruler every now and again. And other than the limited use of my left index finger, it didn’t hurt me a bit…