Writing and Reading

Due to the remarkable response to my first grammar riddle, I got the distinct feeling that I wasn’t tough enough on it. Too many people seemed to get it way too easy, I think. So I’m gonna step it up a notch. You asked for it. You got it. I’m pullin’ out the big guns. I’ve got my metaphor flamethrower, and it’s gonna wail on you! Hasta la vista, baby….

Here’s the riddle:

My nickname is ‘Alex’,

and my favorite numbers are ‘6′ and ‘12′.

I love being in lines,

and I can handle a rhyme just fine:

what am I?

Bring it, people. Show me your skills. Remember, it’s a grammar riddle. The answer has to be some sort of grammar device or concept within writing. Take your best shot. I dare you. E-mail or comment with your answers. I’ll be waiting.

I don’t update you guys on my endeavors of publication for good reason: I try not to dwell on it too much. It’s only about the writing. I love to write.

However, every once in awhile, I’ll be letting you know how things are going with my novel THE CAIN LETTERS. Specifically right now–

I received just yesterday probably the NICEST most ENCOURAGING rejection letter from an agent I had queried back in April (yes, that long ago). It most certainly was not a form letter. The reason being? It was handwritten. On stationary paper. It was one of those happy, designed borders with people’s smiling faces sort of thing. Holly McClure, thank you for being so kind! She even self-addressed my return envelope for me so I could know who was sending it (not that I needed to know, mind you).

The letter was simply stating this:

“Thank you so much for the query of your manuscript THE CAIN LETTERS yadda yadda yadda and I found it to be really intriguing, but unfortunately I’m not taking on new fiction at this moment yadda yadda and I wish you luck on publication of your novel.

Signed, Holly McClure.”

And the first thing I thought was–she really must’ve liked my query enough to respond personally! That’s kind of encouraging.

I just thought I’d share that with you.

As it stands, the stats on my road to publication are 1 full request, 2 partials (one 30 pages, the other 100 pages). I had one other full request, passed on unfortunately, one other partial, also passed on. So total of *5* agents have asked for material, still awaiting reply on *3* of them.

And we’re back with another installment of “The Lounge”, my own private poetry readings for all of you. Hey, L.B., you reading this? This one’s for you. I think you’ll like this one. And for the rest of all of you, hopefully, you all will like this one, too:

“The Damned”

The paradigm of they who walk the earth—
Eternal hunger walking with them all—
Is immortality, a sacred call,
Upon their heads, a freedom singing mirth.

But truly realize and know their worth,
And you will see, by solitude, they fall—
They waste away, their minds an endless hall
Of never-ending doors of death’s rebirth.

They kill, not care—they feed, not fear—they hate
The world, the Hell, and Heaven’s wisdom fire.
Imagine what it must be like to wait
For night to come so you can hunt the game!—
Believing that the silence is your sire,
And all the days you live would be the same.

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I especially liked writing this, because first of all, it’s done in the form of a sonnet. And as you know, sonnets are pretty much known for their passion and love and ardor and sex, things like that. They’re endearing pieces. Thank you, Shakespeare. And I’m not being facetious either. Honestly, the Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnet variations really stand out as classics to me. And I love the form itself, too. To be even more honest, I’m pretty serious about “love” poems.

That’s not the reason why I like ”The Damned” so much–

It’s a sonnet about vampirism. I love the fact that I took such an evil idea as a vampire and made it melodious and wondrous. I took something evil and gave it a shining light. Makes me shudder just thinking about it!