So...

I ended up catching swine flu too... but I knew the symptoms, so I got myself to the doctor in time to get Tamiflu. =)

I've been resting all week, but I'm well on the road to recovery right now. Mostly just fatigued, which is good.

I cannot emphasize enough how glad I am that I got Tamiflu; I had one of the cases with almost no fever. If I had gone by the traditional definition of flu being with a high fever, I wouldn't have realized that I was truly sick, soon enough. My doctor trusted my instincts and the fact that my husband had just had swine flu--I am very grateful.

I'm back to work next week, as there's lots to catch up on!

And how have all of you been? =)

(As a sidenote, we are surviving here at Casa Rappaport Agency. My husband still has swine flu, I may or may not have it, and we are taking preventive measures because we don't want the cat to get it. Yes, cats can catch swine flu. Odd, I know. She is confused and sad about not being able to sleep on the bed, since my husband is occupying it. I get the couch. Also, I can type, but I must take breaks... onwards to the topic!)

Anyway, one of the most common questions I'm asked as an agent is this one, roughly paraphrased:

"I have written a wonderful book. It is the first in a series of X books (where X>=3), and I am now shopping it around to agents. Should I write Book 2 in the series?"

Now that's all well and good. As a reader, I love big, fat series. As an agent, not as much. And here's why: if I can't sell the first book in your series, then I'm not going to be able to sell books 2 through X for you. So you're going to have spent however many months of your life writing the next three books in your series, and I'm going to have to tell you to write them off as practice.

But surely that doesn't happen, you say. You point to authors who have done just that, and then their agents have sold the first six books of their series all at once, and see, they should have been writing the next books.

No.

You have to think of this practically. Do you want to spend the next ten years of your life writing something that will never be published? Do you really want to invest that much time into something so risky? Or would you rather write the first book of your series, outline the others, and then start a new, different project? Because once that first book of yours doesn't sell, I'm going to ask for what you have next... and wouldn't you like to have something to show me?

Of course, there is the common caveat I give to all writers. If the book is burning inside you to the point where you will literally go mad if you don't write it, then write the sequel. But if you don't have that intensity and desire, then write something else.

Stretch your wings as a writer. Try writing something in an opposite POV than the one you just used in your prior novel. Try making your protagonist a different gender. Switch between genres. Think of new and interesting things. And experiment with them because that's the only way you're going to learn as a writer.

It may take you five novels to get published, but if each of those novels is a different one from the one before, then you know what happens when Novel #5 sells? You'll have the experience and the writerly toolbox to whip out the sequels to it. =)

I can type. I can type. My wonderful certified hand therapist is letting me type. That is all. =)

I have a love/hate relationship with NaNoWriMo. It can be a great jumpstart and kick in the pants--I have several clients doing it for that reason. It can also be a huge amount of pressure, causing people to abandon families, work, and anything rational for a month. And then, when those writers finish writing their novels... they send them out right away, without editing or critique feedback or any sort of polishing.... which is pretty much an agent's worst nightmare.

But despite that, I think it's a great impetus for writers. If you know that you're going into this with the understanding that you are producing a FIRST DRAFT ONLY, then you can have a lot of fun in November. You'll have to edit it; you'll have to polish it; you'll have to let it sit for at least a month or more before sending it out to agents. But you may find out that it's something you never would have thought to write or you might discover that you have the ability to set a goal and work towards it, which is a very good thing for a writer.

So I invite you all to join me this NaNoWriMo. I'm modifying the guidelines for myself--I get credit in my head, I've decided, if I can dictate 10,000 new words on the novel I've been working on for forever. It's not a lot, but it's encouragement, and that's what I'm in it for.

How about all of you?

Day 2 was yesterday, and the con was considerably more hopping. I continued my tradition of sleeping in, grabbing the illustrious Spencer Ellsworth for a late dinner of ramen (REAL ramen), and then we swung back to the con.

I went to the mass autographing where I got my book signed by Rudy Rucker; I was sad though, that it was so loud that I was reduced to pantomiming at him, and didn't get a chance to tell him how much I loved discovering his books in high school But I suppose I'll get to do so at some point. After the autographing, I took a quick break in the bar, and then we were off to the parties. Night Shade, Locus, and Tor in that chronological floor order. And then back to Night Shade at the end before the husband and I ran out early because my right hand had swollen up from the tendonitis. Yay. (Note to self: wrap entry up and stop typing)

And then today, I was all excited about the con and life and woke up to find that my left shoulder had decided that it was simply not going to function today. Yay RA. It would have to strike at a con. =) So i rested, and I sleep early today and tomorrow I go to the awards banquet!

I'm not supposed to be typing this, but I blogged Worldcon, so I feel weird not doing the same.

Briefly: it's sort of dead. The parties ended REALLY early tonight. We were home by two. Weird. Had dinner with Jay Lake and his tremendous entourage, caught up with a lot of people, had cake (twice!), saw Teddy--who I still adore, and am now back home. Maybe a trip into San Francisco tomorrow, instead of hanging around the con.

The hotel doesn't allow signage, which is odd. Otherwise, it's really pretty and nice. Got to meet one half of Zeno Agency today; lunch with the Johns on Saturday. And now, no more typing. =)

A bit of short notice, but I thought you'd like to know that my client, David J. Williams, will be speaking at the Library of Congress tomorrow. Seriously cool. =)

Details here

I saw sea lions. I saw redwoods. I ran around Northern California. Love it here. =)

And now, because F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of my favorite writers (bet you didn't know that!), I really want you all to hop over here and read what Mr. Scalzi has to say about F. Scott Fitzgerald's income. It's definitely interesting!