5/12/10 + Vlad Update

The kids are still gaming. Henry has been doggedly conquering Wario Shake It, a game he’s given up on many times before. If anyone ever claims videogames don’t teach anything – perseverance and imaginative problem solving are definitely things you can throw back in their faces. I’ve always taught him not to get mad. And beyond that, not to get frustrated. And beyond that, not to give up. But if you do give up to avoid getting mad or frustrated, come back one day and finish the job. The boy is doing me proud. Maggie is back on Club Penguin due to friends but she’s asking about Gardening Mama, so I might need to get a copy of that.

I just started mucking with Lost Planet 2, the second big monster game to come out and I’m expecting Super Street Fight IV to arrive even though I’m not hardcore enough to need 10 new characters. The iPad is still dominating my time, I’m app’ing all the old favorites and really looking forward to the potential of this device. Mainly it’s my Kindle and I’m using it right now to update this page. Surprise!

A friend wrote a kind thing to me about my book being rejected – excuse me – passed on. (The difference is that rejected means they didn’t want or like it, “turned down” or “passed” means they didn’t want it enough to fit into one of their precious slots on their lists. Publishers are getting more and more risk adverse these days and I am still, sigh, an untested author. Anyway, the kind thing the friend wrote was:

“A book rejected from the top echelon of the publishing business is a bummer, surely, but really, these guys see thousands of books a month and can only publish a handful – it’s an honor just to be nominated.” I like that thought. It also explains why I’ve been feeling disappointed and melancholy and not depressed and discouraged.

I’ve added about 15k words to the book – bringing it up to the proper age range for tween or upper middle grade (4th-6th grade – which is where most of your old favorites probably lay) and I’m cutting back about 5k to make sure things aren’t muddled. Hopefully Vlad will be traveling New York again in about a week.

No Responses to “5/12/10 + Vlad Update”

  1. I swear, if gaming has taught me anything it’s perseverance. The Dishwasher, Ninja Gaiden, games of that nature especially – the ones that beat you down without sympathy.

    I wasn’t a big fan of LP1, so I’m probably gonna pass on #2. The controls, in particular, were infuriating at times. SSFIV might be cool, I don’t play fighters much but I’ve been thinking about checking it out.

    As far as Vlad, I think your friend is dead on and I continue to wish you the best of luck.

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