so i gotta thank some people... (sap alert!)
i meant to do this yesterday.... give some public props for them what helped me with my novel. (dude. i published a novel. this is never getting old. :> )
first, byrne, because simon gave her dove and dove gave me something to work with. i have, shall we say, issues with cowriting. it's hard, and a lot of times the difficulty for me isn't worth the end result. which is not to rag on anything i've ever cowritten with anyone, because i did honestly want to do it at the time and i look at the various end results with fondness, but some people can do it and some people can't, and some people love it and some people don't, and i can't and i don't. i think the only reason i could write with byrne as much as i did was because i looked at dove as a kind of distaff simon, someone simon used to be and narrowly avoided turning into. there but for the grace of god, etc etc. i could understand enough of him to cowrite scenes with him, and i admit i got a little squiggle of glee at the way simon worked his way into dove's story (without me having to be involved) the same way dove managed to work his way into simon's. sometimes the cowriting works, even for me.
and if you should happen to like dove or at least find yourself interested in him outside my story, there's more at santa_clara.
second, my parents and my sister. my sister who has never read anything i've written (i don't think), and who i wouldn't think would be interested in reading anything i've written. well, aside from the fact that i wrote it.... they know what i write. my mom even read the first couple chapters of my 2002 nanonovel, which had gay vampsex in the first few pages. and yes, i did tell her what she was getting into - she wanted to read it. i publish under my own name partly because i can, because i don't have to hide what i write from my immediate family, because even if they're not interested in reading it, they're clearly proud of me. *beam*
third, cicirossi, because in a very real way the book wouldn't exist without her. ok, partly because she edited it.... but she kept saying "write something for the press, write something for the press, submit a novel, submit a novel," until i finally did. and she made my first big editing job a vaguely pleasant one, because she was easy to work with and told me what i needed to change and why and said if i wanted to tell her to take a flying leap, i could. :D (i think i rejected exactly one suggested change. i knew the book needed work, believe me, and i was glad to get help.) the acknowledgements thank her for poking, prodding, troutslapping, and keeping the faith - when i angsted she listened and then metaphorically smacked me and told me to get a grip, and even when i didn't think i could do it, she did. so, you know, big sloppy thankyou kisses. :>
fourth, ryan lamey who i've never met and never will has (or had) a band called queencab, and their song keep you gave me the title, the inscription, and a soundtrack. but most importantly, he let me use it. i don't know how you'd go about finding their album looking for it - they're from british columbia, i think they're very much a local band - but if you can get your hands on it, do so. it's very good.
and last, you guys. i always said i'd write to a blank wall and i didn't need an audience, and before lj that's exactly what i did, and i think even without people to read and encourage and point out the good stuff and the weird stuff and the random typos, i'd still have written simon and jay's story. i just wouldn't have written as much as fast, and i wouldn't have cared so much about making it good, because no one but me was going to see it. the book's dedicated to you - the ladies who love the boys like i do, and who never hesitate to tell me so.
thank you.
first, byrne, because simon gave her dove and dove gave me something to work with. i have, shall we say, issues with cowriting. it's hard, and a lot of times the difficulty for me isn't worth the end result. which is not to rag on anything i've ever cowritten with anyone, because i did honestly want to do it at the time and i look at the various end results with fondness, but some people can do it and some people can't, and some people love it and some people don't, and i can't and i don't. i think the only reason i could write with byrne as much as i did was because i looked at dove as a kind of distaff simon, someone simon used to be and narrowly avoided turning into. there but for the grace of god, etc etc. i could understand enough of him to cowrite scenes with him, and i admit i got a little squiggle of glee at the way simon worked his way into dove's story (without me having to be involved) the same way dove managed to work his way into simon's. sometimes the cowriting works, even for me.
and if you should happen to like dove or at least find yourself interested in him outside my story, there's more at santa_clara.
second, my parents and my sister. my sister who has never read anything i've written (i don't think), and who i wouldn't think would be interested in reading anything i've written. well, aside from the fact that i wrote it.... they know what i write. my mom even read the first couple chapters of my 2002 nanonovel, which had gay vampsex in the first few pages. and yes, i did tell her what she was getting into - she wanted to read it. i publish under my own name partly because i can, because i don't have to hide what i write from my immediate family, because even if they're not interested in reading it, they're clearly proud of me. *beam*
third, cicirossi, because in a very real way the book wouldn't exist without her. ok, partly because she edited it.... but she kept saying "write something for the press, write something for the press, submit a novel, submit a novel," until i finally did. and she made my first big editing job a vaguely pleasant one, because she was easy to work with and told me what i needed to change and why and said if i wanted to tell her to take a flying leap, i could. :D (i think i rejected exactly one suggested change. i knew the book needed work, believe me, and i was glad to get help.) the acknowledgements thank her for poking, prodding, troutslapping, and keeping the faith - when i angsted she listened and then metaphorically smacked me and told me to get a grip, and even when i didn't think i could do it, she did. so, you know, big sloppy thankyou kisses. :>
fourth, ryan lamey who i've never met and never will has (or had) a band called queencab, and their song keep you gave me the title, the inscription, and a soundtrack. but most importantly, he let me use it. i don't know how you'd go about finding their album looking for it - they're from british columbia, i think they're very much a local band - but if you can get your hands on it, do so. it's very good.
and last, you guys. i always said i'd write to a blank wall and i didn't need an audience, and before lj that's exactly what i did, and i think even without people to read and encourage and point out the good stuff and the weird stuff and the random typos, i'd still have written simon and jay's story. i just wouldn't have written as much as fast, and i wouldn't have cared so much about making it good, because no one but me was going to see it. the book's dedicated to you - the ladies who love the boys like i do, and who never hesitate to tell me so.
thank you.