I recently received news of the “not good variety.” Now, for many at first glance, or “hear” it will sound like nothing but bitter beans being planted…au contraire my friend. What first looks like bitter beans is actually quite a bit more. Such as making a budding and up and coming writer (okay yeah it ‘s me) question whether or not she really has the talent to get herself to the “BIG TIME, or in this case NYC BABY! For those of you not familiar with writing…this is a big deal for a writer, the ultimate in “making it, “ which is being offered the coveted NYC publishing house contract. To the uninitiated, the industry is best described as a very frantic and random game of musical chairs. The players, in this case authors, are all circling the contract. Only one will be the winner…who will that be??? OH NO! The pressure!!!! So you can imagine how hard the industry is, how competitive and how high the stakes. So do you really think you need to have to worry about a knife being firmly pressed into your back, blindsided by news that your idea has made it to the big time without you???
Picture it, a conference call between three friends with shared interests collaborating on an anthology. Author 1 has little interest in the first idea brought to the table, insisting that she is incapable of penning a paranormal erotic tale of interest. Author 2, and 3 are left floundering thinking that the first idea author 2 had come up with, would be good enough to pique the interest of author 1, and more importantly, and editor. Oh I should mention that Author 2 has finally netted herself the ultimate in NYC contracts and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I love author 2 we share a brain, and a love of rum and so much more…so I can truly be happy when someone “gets the call” but I digress. Author 3 (let’s call her Kristi…yeah that’s me) frantically googles an idea for a vehicle for hottie French men—did I mention this was the concept that we all three loved? No, okay, keep this in mind for it plays a key role in the upcoming problem. Oh and I should mention, anything set in France…mega hard sell to begin with…no seriously ask around…really, really hard. Anyhow where was I??? Oh that’s right….Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning from the blue, inspiration strikes, what could be hotter or sexier then stories built around French Fairy Tales??? Well, the obvious answer is nothing…nothing could be hotter…so the birth of Cinderfella, Chloe and the Beast and Sleeping Beau is born.
Well, due to awesome author 2 getting a chance at the big time in a big way author 1 and 3 decide to leave author 2 to create and work her magic…which pays off handsomely btw…with the understanding that we would all work on our novella’s write three rocking shorties that could be combined into the mother of all anthologies to be printed by NYC. Well, at least that’s what author 2 and 3 thought was happening. Turns out author 1 was just a tad more diabolical then the first two authors imagined. Way more diabolical.
Anyhow back to the problem. The three of us thought that this collaboration would be our breakout effort…three friends with a common interest reaching our goals at the same time what could be sweeter? Yes, author 3 lives in the world of perpetual hope and good cheer, never thinking anything bad would happen between friends, can you say error in judgment? Unbeknownst to author 2 and 3…okay author 3 had been given a slight heads up on author 1’s intention…never thinking in a million years, she was really going to run with the idea. Everything turns to warmer climes in a hand-basket. While author 2 works on her brilliant idea, something very dark and scary this way comes as it were…
Flash forward a few months and the “not good news” comes. Author 1 has taken the idea to an agent, owning it as her own and ***gasp***sells to the publisher author 3 had been hoping against hope to intrigue with the idea. Yeah, author 1 has stolen an idea sold it to NYC and is taking all the credit. Now tell me that just doesn’t stink???
Yeah, you can’t can you.
So what’s a writer to do. I mean it’s great to know that I had an idea hot enough that it could actually get into NYC. I won’t lie…very nice right? You’d think so but really…it’s not that great. One of my ideas is now in NYC without me. How do you get around something like that? How do you put that kind of thing behind you? My answer is to blog, vent it out and move on, hope that karma makes things right and that when I finally sell, which I will, I can’t believe otherwise, I will outsell this wannabe, idea stealing hack. Yeah, I know…not a very nice thought, but I really haven’t moved to the acceptance stage of this process. I’m hoping that this blog does that for me. Afterall I’m a writer and I express myself through my words and they’ve never let me down before. And if that doesn’t work…there is always Captain Morgan. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! I’ve always wanted to be a pirate wench!
