I finished the six day yoga cleanse this morning. Yogina was easy on us because we were all a bit sore and tired. She explained that yoga should be a six day a week habit with sessions of varying intensity (honoring our bodies as they present themselves every day is a HUGE theme), and that women should not practice yoga on the first three days of their periods. It’s called a “ladies’ holiday” , and it’s good to know.

Despite waking up with a sore right leg (I have uber tight hamstrings that play hell up and down my right side), I still managed a good swift walk after lunch and then sat down to write my very first query letter for my novel in progress.

Why?

A good question as the novel is still a work in progress and only the likes of Stephen King and J.K. Rawling are able to pitch unfinished work, but the answer is that I am attending my first ever writers’ conference tomorrow and I boldly signed up for “pitch camp”.

Pitch camps allow writers to run novel ideas past industry people like agents and publishers in a no pressure atmosphere. The writer is simply looking for feedback and suggestions. Nathan Bradsford wrote a really nice piece on pitch sessions at conferences recently that I am taking to heart.  He also supplied a good link about what not to do when pitching.

Truthfully I expect little and am approaching the whole conference as a learning experience and a chance to meet new people.

The woman who called to set up my pitch session and mentor camp times was very helpful. She suggested I have a query written for feedback’s sake and to q and a the agent and the mentor. In my case, one is an editor of a local fantasy magazine – the one that gave a pass on my short story recently after requesting a rewrite – and the other is a publisher. I am pleased on both counts. It’s a nothing but net situation because they are women who know things that I need to learn.

The query I used as an example I got from a writer’s blog, Ask Allison. She is a published novelist and probably one of the better writers who blog because she interacts with those who read. I really liked the format she used. I also read Chapter 16 of Elizabeth Lyon’s Manuscript Makeover, very helpful. And just as a complete OT aside, I love her business card. I need a card like that soon because I am cardless for tomorrow. I don’t even have a Blackberry-ish thing to exchange “geek bits” as Daisyfae would say. I am thinking that as a nobody, however, this won’t be much of an issue.

In other news, our holiday looms and I will be offline (though I have blogged ahead) this next week and mostly offline for the next month. Forgive me then if I am not responding to comments or commenting at your sites. I have set a deadline for June to complete the novel and finish the outline for the second novel (and yes, yes, the memoir is on tap for late summer as I finally twisted Rob’s arm enough that he has agreed to write his half of the story – my husband just rocks, doesn’t he?).

Spring is sprung up here at last and I am internally whistle slick and externally ready to roll.