Spark

I just thought I'd let everyone know what's going on with my first manuscript, Spark. (It used to be called Till We Meet, but that just seemed too drab.) Some of you may know that last May I received a bitter rejection from Covenant (an LDS publisher) after several communications with them that led me to think it was in the bag (I got three positive reviews from their readers, one of them even saying it was the best book she had read for Covenant since she'd worked with them, and she'd been reading for them for several years.) In the end, they declined it based solely on the fact that it was written about a twenty-one year old, and they have difficulty publishing to the young adult (18-25 yr olds) market. Despite my immense dissappointment, I picked myself back up and sent it out to Cedar Fort, another publisher that generally does a good job with the manuscripts they handle. I got a letter from them this week, and though I won't post exactly what they said, I will tell you that it was a rejection--of sorts. They said that they were unable to publish Spark as it is, and that they believe a few small changes would do the trick. Basically, they found it too harsh for the LDS market at large and asked me to A. take the word "abortion" completely out of it, and B. tone down the harsh rock-star lifestyle my character Jake had before the story even starts. They also said I should bring out the act-consequence cycle a little better. I never really thought I was writing something edgy, but I'm not too proud to sugar coat it if that's what it takes to get published. So, though I got another rejection, I have hope that with my resubmission it will be palatable enough to be accepted by the LDS world at large (I'm subbing abortion with adoption) and yet still be thought-provoking.

Still, I sometimes ask myself if I want to "sell out." But when it comes down to it, writing is only a hobby until someone takes you seriously enough to publish what you wrote. This may be the only book I write for this market (I'm already working on another story, a retelling of a fairy tale) and though it won't be my greatest work, I did put a lot of energy and effort and feeling into its writing. I told Keaton in car terms: It's like building a hot rod from the ground up, sparing no expense or detail in your work, and then leaving it unpainted in your garage.

So, I'm going to take a couple of weeks to revise it just right, and then I'll hold my breath until Cedar Fort gives me the final word. Hope this works!

Logan's Return

This is Amy's best impression of the other people waiting at the airport (non-missionary waiters, that is). She's pretty good.

Proof that some things never change:

Logan returned home from the Madrid Spain mission late on Wednesday night! I'm so amazed...he is a different guy. It's hard to put into words how inspiring it is to see those missionaries come down that escalator towards you...for once, I'm speechless. I know. I'm as shocked as you are. We are just so happy to have him back, I can finally admit that I missed him!

College or Kindergarten?

Allow me to sound off for a moment. Yesterday was my first day back to class for spring semester, and for the first time in at least three years I'm returning back to the traditional, monday-wednesday-friday morning classes. For the last little while I had devoted myself almost entirely to online and night classes because they fit better with my schedule. This semester, however, I managed to wrangle a suitable schedule at work that would allow me to take some of the classes that aren't offered in my preferred late night pajama-friendly format. But after one day, I'm already remembering...vividly...why I liked the other classes in the first place. There is just something so totally grade-school-esque about having to wait in line in the cold for a bus (I'm too poor for a regular parking permit, so I have to take the shuttle) and having to sit placidly as all the little freshman around you are participating in the ceremonial mating rituals of high-pitched giggling (for the female half of the species) and deliberately stupid class-clown comments (for the male half of the species). But despite the claustrophobic bus rides and the aggravating flirt-fests, my least favorite aspect of regular college classes has to be the get to know you games.

I mean, really. How old are we? I thought we left that kind of stuff behind when we took our first all-important step into junior high.

I've decided that the "get to know you" games are what teachers devise so that they don't have to plan a whole first-day lesson and have time to kill after the routine syllabus discussion (and they are too vindictive and cruel to relinquish thier students a hair early). The thing about it is, nobody really knows anybody by the end of the torture, and by the next class period every name and "unique trait" we were so excitedly cataloging will have vanished from our collective memories in a puff of smoke. The only purpose the ordeal really serves is to make each person individually self conscious for several minutes while their fellow students appraise them. And the "unique trait"? There are four categories for "unique traits."

A. The boring one. These are the people who shrug and say "I don't know anything interesting about me. I enjoy watching TV."
B. The peculiar one. These are the people who, with an over-excited gleam in their eye, divulge they sleep in scuba gear.
C. The pretentious one. "Interesting about me? Well, I've travelled all over the world, my cousin is a pop star and my great-grandfather invented ice cream." or
D. The "get me out of here, this whole thing is ridiculous, I thought we were here to learn, people" one. This is the category I fell in. So my interesting trait I shared was, "I'm an English major, but I have two sisters who also studied English." Yawn. What could I say when the girl before me said with a hair-toss, "I'm twenty one and already divorced once. Oh, and I'm voting for Obama because he is soooo goodlooking." ? (For real, I'm not making that one up.)

So now that we all know each other and are best friends, maybe we can get on to the whole "knowledge absorbing" thing. Finally!

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Today is a momentous occasion. After two and a half years of marriage, I officially became Mrs. Crystal Smith. How can this be? you ask. Simple. When I said I was the world's biggest procrastinator, I wasn't lying. I have not changed my name since we got married in 2005, and today I sat in the Social Security office for two hours and finally got it done. Out with the old (sorry, Campbell) and in with the new. Well, sort of.

Hey, it took me three years to pick up my high school diploma. So this is totally in keeping with the image I've taken years to create. I have a reputation to protect, you know.

Keaton was pleased to hear that my other foot is now in the door. :)

Resolutions and Peter Pan

My new years resolution is to never grow up.
Okay, maybe I stole that from a leaf-clad cloud hopper, but no infringment was intended! Peter Pan was the first book I read for the book club, and it was so enjoyable, I have to comment, even though my tired essay-writing muscles are being given a rest until school starts again next week.

What I loved the best about this book is that it was so joyously written about children but meant for adults. What do I mean by that? The whole thing is overwrought with silly imaginings...completely nonsensical characters coming to compeletly nonsensical conclusions about completely nonsensical things...that make perfect sense. But such is the life of a child. Adulthood can bring with it a foggy mist that dims childhood thought. We just all assume we were always this smart, mature, etc. When we see kids doing seemingly crazy things, we tell ourselves that we never did that when we were a kid. Peter Pan lends to adults the opportunity to, first, remember what it was like to be a kid, and second, understand that in some peculiar way those seemingly left-field thought processes are, in fact, quite sensible.

Besides that, I loved the narration. It reminds me of those old Pluto cartoons. (Spring music plays) "Let us now kill a pirate." (Pretend camera zooms in on pirate ship.) "Skylights will do." (Skylights the pirate walks past camera.) "See the method which Hook uses?" (Hook kills Skylights.) "Such is the terrible man agaisnt whom Peter Pan is pitted. Who will win?" The whole story is just like playing one long make-believe game. I thoroughly loved it all, and it has officially been added to my "Books I must read my children" list.

As for new years resolutions, I decided not to make any this year. Instead, I set goals. Resolutions beg to be broken, so I decided not to use that word. I won't go into each one of the goals I set, but I will tell you that my husband has eaten a hot home-cooked meal almost every night this week. He doesn't know what to do with himself. I think I saw him cry into his potatoes this evening. Can't be sure. Let's just say, 2008 will be a great year for us.

Side note: I got to pick the January book club book. I chose "Enter Three Witches" by Caroline B. Cooney. It is a great retelling of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" so for any of you who haven't read Shakespeare, let this whet your appetite!