What do you do when you realize that everything that you've written is a mish-mash of everything that you've read? I went to bed the other night, after several plot-altering editions to the first book, and blushed, turned red all over, and realized that the changes were way too similar to my favorite vampire series! Seriously, I'm shell-shocked and completely feeling helplessness right now...

I have no idea why I keep avoiding this blog. I haven't written in months, but yesterday, or the day before that, I opened book two up and jumped right into a new chapter. After an incredibly painful Orioles loss last night, it's easy to avoiding watching them the next day, and I find myself needing to write only when this happens. I'll be back later to summarize the new chapter, which I'm finding very fun to write. Birdland, baby. It's a bitch...

My girlfriend spent most of Tuesday reading UNIQUE . She helped me to find about five holes in the plot, so I'm glad for her time. This has coerced me into hiring a book doctor, if anything. Plus, she kinda got off on it...

Perhaps my anticipation got the better of me, but after submitting my email to Angry Robot Books this morning, I reread the synopsis I provided, and blushed. It was just not a very good indicator of my writing, I fear. It told the story in a very abridged and rigid way. I'm not proud. Excitement turned to defeat. I'd better get started on another two-page synopsis and hit the agents again...

Angry Robot Books are having an open submission month all this March, and I'm elbow deep in polish at the moment. I've been writing the two-page synopsis the past night or two, and I'm happy with it so far. I've even contacted David Frankland with a cover art query, as I've become a big fan of his colorful work. Fingers crossed. Angry Robot looks very promising and feels like the perfect publisher for UNIQUE. I have hope, dear online diary, that this story will take it to 11 all night long...!

Revelations are fun. And usually they come out of nowhere. I was in the shower this morning, and I realized how I could bring a character from book 1 full-circle in the ending. He's the protagonist's dad, duh! Needless to say I didn't want to leave for work. So tonight I'll open the story and fix three big holes that have left a void in my gut.

I have no idea where my work ethic went. I haven't opened the story in weeks. I don't have anything to write. Perhaps one day in the near future I'll look at this online journal and my bi-polar personality will jump off of these cyber-pages. Whatever it is, it's pretty sad. I don't like the roller coaster ride. I'd rather it be more like a train ride, a steady, progressing pace than the up and down I'm used to.