Business Hydra 1, Jazz Cat Manuscript 0

I've listened to a lot of grousing from artists and writers alike about craft versus commerce, but for me as a newbie, it's a no-brainer. My family cannot exist on Top Ramen alone, I have no skill in the area of "suffering" for my art, and I would like to have something published before I have to depend on Depends. Writing in a vacuum and ignoring the market would kill my budding career.

I have been debating which of my projects get my time and which will sit. A NaNoWriMo novel whose first page garnered an "I'd read more" from both an agent and an editor at the SCBWI Spring Conference gets top billing, but I need something else to work on in between marathon bouts with the novel.

I ran most of my more interesting works past both of my critique groups to gauge reactions, and all met with positive interest, so it comes down to the reality of marketability.

My inner business geek reared her misshapen many-headed hydra self from the dark recesses of my mind, and snapped teeth at my jazz cat story. The heads hissed, "It's taking up precious time that could be spent on a more marketable work!" "Maybe later when you are actually published!" and "Feed me Seymour- Hey! Is that Brendan Fraser?"

After wiping the drool off of the floor from head number three, I have put the jazz cat to bed for now.

RIP

Critique groups and kiwi vines- separated at birth?

My ASWAAGS writing group met last night and critiqued work for the first time. I am impressed with the knowledge and skill level of the writers that turned out for our meeting, and despite "dreading" one person's comments, (you know who you are, Grumpy Old Man ;) ) all turned-out fine and dandy.

They say you get out what you put in to a group and I put in a decent amount of effort co-chairing one critique group and trying to be a responsive involved member of two others.

This morning, I realized that growing critique groups is a lot like growing kiwi vines:

They require a decent amount of structure and support.

The vines need some initial guidance on where to grow and how to climb.

You need at least two vines, and at least one of each gender if you actually want fruit.

It may take a while to bear fruit, and it might be tiny at first, but it will be sweet.

We put in baby kiwi vines three years ago and were told that we may not get fruit because the plant people were not sure if we had one of each gender, and also that if they bore fruit at all, it probably would not happen for five years or more because the vines needed to mature.

Of our three vines, we do indeed have at least one girl and a boy because we got a teensy little nubbin of a fruit sort of thing the year after planting. We weren't sure if it was actual fruit, until last year, when we were surprised by a tiny, wholly formed, sweet kiwi.

It takes time and effort...and a little fertilizer, but sometimes your vines might surprise you with the reward of fruit quicker than you think.

Anyone for kiwis?

Pause That Refreshes and Class of ??

My bad- I do not have my post done tonight on Nathan Bransford, due to having a grand ol' time bonding with a new group of writers, scarfing free cookies and debating the merits of literary versus commercial fiction.

Okay, I'm lying, it was more like giant octopus versus giant snakes. Titanoboa, anyone?

So, tomorrow I will try to wrangle all those interviews and other resources into a handy-dandy ice-cream analogy, but in the meantime, I have a question:

Why are so many of the children's writers I've met lately high school graduates of the class of 19??

As of the last two weeks, I've counted five, yes FIVE. What are the odds? Are there more in our local SCBWI that I just have not met yet? OH MY GOD! Is this our version of a midlife crisis? And if so, which is worse? Buying a totally expensive midlife crisis car that goes way too fast, guzzles gas and does not have enough of a backseat for a child, or becoming a children's writer who makes no money, guzzles caffeine, writes too fast (NaNoWriMo) and has too much of a back seat because of having children (baby got back!) ?

Discuss amongst yourselves.