1. Since the round of posts a week or so ago on boys and reading one theme I've noticed repeatedly is the belief that those of decrying lack of books for teenage boys think will boys not read books with female protagonists. I stressed in my GLW post on this issue that I think boys will read books with female protags just fine. There should be an equal number of male protags, but it's not about "boys won't read books about girls". To my mind, more than anything, it's about the idiotic ways books are marketed as much as the books themselves. Case in point - the cover for THE SECOND BASE CLUB. This is a title about a boy trying to reach the perennial "second base" with a girl. It's all funny and hormonal I'm sure - classic junior high boy reading in some respects and yet they put a bra on the cover.

What fourteen year old boy is going to reach for this in the local B&N? I'll be interested to hear from librarians as it shows up - if the boys reach for it or if it ends up becoming a "girl book" by default. I think this was a bad idea though - another book designer who lost touch with their inner teen boy.

2. An update on the lit journal front: I sold "The Truth About Flying" to ZYZZYVA. I've signed the contract and seen the galleys (this all happened very fast) but no word on when it will be printed. This was a huge relief - even though it's much shorter in the final version then I wrote it (and it appears in my manuscript) they are running it and it still gives readers a taste of the book and who and what it's about. I managed to rewrite the first few paragraphs which was a sticking point for the editor and had been an issue for me forever as well. I sent the changed long form to my agent so my manuscript is now adjusted to reflect that stronger beginning as well. So while a bit nerve wracking this has still been very good in the big picture. Plus a little cash is never a bad thing.

3. I did get another essay sent back my way from another lit journal and looking at again in light of the changes I made for ZYZZYVA I can see where this one needs to be punched up also. That's what I was hoping to work on this past week but got sidetracked again and again by a zillion other things that always seem to be more important. (Neighborhood garage sale this weekend has really pushed everything else aside.) I printed it out and it's sitting here right now mocking me. So back to writing shortly.

4. I've also sketched out a short story about a train. A lot of people get killed by trains where I'm from. I'm sure that can't be a coincidence.

5. The one thing I've learned in this effort at getting into the lit journals is that you never have to stop trying - no matter what it is that you are hoping to achieve. It's been so hard, during this political season in particular, to imagine changing the world. And yet I changed my own with just a wee bit extra hard work. Imagine what would happen if we all tried to make our lives better - if we all didn't give up.

And now, on that note, back to the writing.