Ha! I found my query letter for a collection of short stories I had written in 2004 entitled, Ugly/Beautiful!
I kept wondering what I would write about. I have started and deleted two pieces, so far.
I almost wrote A Letter To Desi Foxx, toward a woman in the adult industry (along with her daughter), who is a member of The Pink Cross and also an avid reader of blogs and bulletin boards that post horrible things about her. I wanted to write this entire letter explaining to her that real success is self-created and begins with not paying attention to crazy harassers… but there’s no point. I believe the effort would be for nothing.
Then, I wanted to write about the women in the industry I would like to interview. I sent a polite, but honest interview query to Shelley Lubben. It read something like, “I won’t lie, I don’t adhere to religious doctrines, but I am an advocate of groups that actually want to help people… Maybe you could let me interview you so you can explain what it’s all about…” It got no response. I also sent Belladonn’s rep an e-mail, but the response was an emphatic “No.” I said something like, “Hey, so I guess Belladonna did an interview with Barbara Walters years ago and I’d like to get her side of the story…” Um, I actually looked up the interview and it was Diane Sawyer… dumbass! Oops. Okay, so I’m bad about doing my research, but my intentions were noble! Still not interesting to write about, because I will interview someone soon and they will want to be interviewed and it will be great!
And then I rifled through some old files and found this query letter buried in one of my external hard drives. I think it’s pretty good, for a query letter. And it make this week’s post light, which will more match the mood of my fellow cyber-scribes while they look for Mike around the globe (from home) and he taunts them shamelessly. 😀
This is not a fresh piece of work, but only editors have read it – publishing house people, you know – and I think it really sort of exemplifies, for me, what is so great about writing.
I love words, I love painting a picture, and I really love the punchy, condensed challenge of summing up a story. I think this paints the perfect picture of my life, at that time, from 2002 to 2004. I will quote the one pushy publisher who was actually really interested in my work, but for whom I could not bend because it just bored me to death to think of writing a straight autobiography, “The query letter is a photograph in time,” and I will add to that,“…and this photograph beautifully captures a movement in progressive insanity.” Thank you, Richard, for believing in me…
Dear [Editor],
When it comes to going over life’s edge and climbing back to the top one jagged little rock at a time, no one lives out or writes about the cartoon parody of it all nearly as well, or as realistically, as Julie Meadows.
Julie Meadows creates a comic book caricature of herself in this nonfiction collection of short stories about her indelible life as an actress, call girl and all around American female degenerate in her debut book entitled Ugly/Beautiful. Julie paints herself in kaleidoscopic colors as the ultimate quixotic female. She portrays her life vividly, with raw, wild and intimate emotion, true to the reality of living the life of the alternative kind. From youth and adulthood, marriage, divorce and carousing with men while looking for meaning in the garish, yet translucent world of Los Angeles, no one makes disaster look quite so delicious.
Julie Meadows is a comical chameleon and a real icon for the liberated modern woman. Indulge and bite into a slice of her chaotic life. Ugly/Beautiful is a must read! You won’t be able to put her down.
Ha! Now that is one fun query letter, baby! 😀
13 Responses
You are a talented writer, and I definitely think you should continue your blog entitled Ugly/Beautiful.I would like to give you some ideas for writing as well.
It would be interesting to read what motivated you during those years (2002-2005), and how doing escort work affected you. How you came to the decision to do it etc.
Your angle on writing is usually humorous and intelligent so your pieces are fun to read. Very reader friendly.
Also it would be interesting to readers to talk about how you met your husband,as you seem to have a good rapport with him in your you tube videos,and what advice you could give to others who are hoping to form relationships and develop their lives after leaving the adult business.
Just some ideas.
Angel. 🙂
Well, I guess that’s next week’s post. 😀
If you are interested to know, then I will write about that. I like the “advice…[for] others who are hoping to form relationships…” part, although I have to admit that I run from relationships, and that is exactly how I fin myself in them. This one’s a keeper, though. 🙂
I think query letters are soooo difficult because you have to totally nail it and get the editor’s attention in just a few paragraphs. Great job.
Thanks, Goddess.
I wrote and rewrote a few responses, but ultimately, if you ever want some help with a query letter, call me. I really don’t do that too shabby. In fact, a few of my friends have benefited from my sum-ups. 🙂
You’re not just a good writer, but you’re also a wonderful interviewer (with a great style and way about you) who has a very real, unique and grounded perspective on the industry from what I can observe. I have a feeling that as time goes by your online show will not only grow in popularity but become a bit of a driving force and “who’s who” media outlet for the adult entertainment world.
I would love to see an interview between yourself and Lubben. It actually really needs to be done from my perspective because something tells me that it would shed some light on a few things I’m personally questioning in regards to her organization.
Hi Julie,
Just sent you an email to introduce myself and tell my heartbreak story!
Hope u don’t think it’s too weird! :))
Angel.
Julie, Always a pleasure to read your thoughts. I say “thoughts” because that’s what it comes across as, not “work”. You seem to fade out the line between creative, entertaining composition and free, unbridled expression. When I try something like that it either reads like a technical manual, or a bunch of loose, senseless ramblings.
Wow, guys. Thank you. Monica, I like that ‘”who’s who” media outlet’ thinking. I like doing it, so I would definitely like to see how it evolves. Thank you for the compliment.
Angel, I got your e-mail and am so excited to read it! It’s my honey’s birthday, today, so I’m stopping by quickly, but I will read and respond to your e-mail properly. Very cool!
Thank you, Hunter! I like the way you put that… “fade out the line between creative, entertaining composition and free, unbridled expression.” Can I use that? 😀 Nice lyrical melody there . I’m so glad Mike asked me to write on this blog. I’m so glad BT pointed him my way. Good people. It pisses me off that I’m so busy at work I can’t even log on during my lunch break. Anyone know where Mike is, yet? 😀
“Can I use that? Nice lyrical melody there”
By all means, feel free to use anything I write that seems fitting. Although, don’t expect to get much useful stuff from me… unless you start writing technical manuals.
I love technical manuals! I would actually be decent at writing technical manuals.
How To Open A Bottle of Aspirin
First, locate the bottle of aspirin… oh, you’re reading this on the bottle… right.
Second, look closely at the bottle of aspirin “cap” – literally, like a cap you wear on your head, it will be located at the topmost area of the bottle, covering the content of the bottle and keeping you from them, but we will remedy that in the next few steps…
Okay, maybe not…
Okay, so now I know… It was YOUR decision to put those recorded messages on the 800 number of my internet service provider’s “trouble line”…. “If you’re experiencing trouble with your internet connection, you may reach us online at http://www…. for faster service”
DUH!!!… If I could get online, I wouldn’t be on the freakin phone!!!!
Doh!