Next Step

So today I received the second agents response and it was "No thanks, great premise, would be great in the market but just not for me." Huh?

Yes, I know it's probably a form response, sure looked like it anyway. What does all this mean? For starters, back to the beginning. I've contacted a gal who was recommended to me by the editor from Tor to see if she'll give my book a read through without getting too deep into editing as I've already paid a bundle for that. But a second opinion on the marketability of the ms would be great.

And then I'm off hunting agents, wascally things that they are. This one is harder than it sounds as I think I will re-work my query and synopsis first, then start lining them up. Much as I'd love to meet them all face to face and pitch them in person, that's just not viable with the costs of conferences and such.

After the last post you must be wondering about my mental state. No doubt here, just as my writing friend Charity put it, Perseverance.

Doubt

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. So says a romantic.

But like a fat girl in the bleachers, crushing on the jock in the football uniform, I'm sitting on the sidelines, wondering if it will ever happen for me. Publishing that is, not love.

I've had a few days where the doubt crept in, sideswiped my momentum and left me shivering in a ditch, my imagination going wild with all the possibilities of what might not ever be rather than of the stories I should be writing.

But then a small light began to shine and a voice sounded in my ear and said "What, you didn't really expect this to be easy did you? You'll make it, stop being such a whiner."

Aaahh, the comforting words of a big brother who knows well enough not to sugar coat, and yet still drag me out of the ditch full of muddy water. Thanks. I needed that.

Patiently waiting. . .sort of.

I had a discussion with one of my clients about my book and where I was at in the process of it and she made a comment about how waiting wasn't really that hard. The conversation went something like this.

Client, "Well at least your book is out there, the waiting isn't really all that bad."

Shannon, "You should try it then, see how you like it."

Client, "Well it's not like your pregnant and you have nine months to wait before you have a baby."

Shannon, "At least you have an end date with a pregnancy, you know when that kid is coming out within a few days. I have no end in sight, nothing to strive for except patience. Can you imagine being pregnant and not knowing how big you were going to get before the kid popped out? You could end up with a freaking toddler!"

And that was my conclusion, that this process is supposed to be teaching me something about patience and life as well as writing. Only thing is, I find myself with less patience. I think it is being sucked out of me by the waiting.

EEEEEEEE!!!!!

Okay, so I'm a little excited. . . just a wee bit! The very first agent who requested my work last summer (it wasn't "quite right" for her at the time) has now requested to see the revised ms!!

No, it's not a guarantee, but it means a couple of things -

1. My book/query/ is memorable enough for her to say "Hey, I remember this, liked it, want to give it another chance."

2. Revisions and editing by a professional can help immensely and I will never send in an un-edited piece of work again. Ever.

3. Takes some of the pressure off waiting for the editor at Tor.

Ah. I can feel the relaxation start already.

This week. . .

What a busy week! My riding club is hosting a ride out of our farm tomorrow and it has been non-stop busyness here trying to get everything ready. What that means for my writing is, in a coconut shell, nothing good.

In fact, I predicted that while being so busy, unable to do anything but preparations (I even had to take a couple of days of work) that THIS would be the time I heard back from the editor at Tor, just to complicate my life a little more. Alas, I was wrong, I am creeping up on 7 weeks and still no news.

Next week, once life has settled back to its normal hectic pace, I'll be re-submitting my ms to 3 of the agents who requested it last summer, to see if they will take a second look at it. That is after I do some more last minute checks on the ms. I found a great list of four things to search for in your ms before you send it off, which means one more quick (I hope) revision. Of course, I will be saying that a few more times I'm sure.

Writing Partner

There is a picture of my cat, Faline aka Feemie aka Squeakie that would have been posted along with this if my computer wasn't being a pill but as it is you will have to do without for now.

As I speak she, Falene, is circling my office, preparing to leap onto my desk, covertly dodge around my printer, then finally plop herself into my lap. This is where she sits when I am at my desk, most times with her front legs and head draped across one of my arms. Makes it interesting to write.

Better yet though, is when she crams herself between me and my laptop. Oh yes, she does.

Ah well, she keeps my lap warm and my spelling questionable, but she also provides warmth for my cold typing hands and entertainment when she decides the words being typed should be chased across the screen.

What I can't wait for is when I can put her name on my business card as my "Office Manager" because I'm working from home as a full time writer. Has a nice ring to it wouldn't you say? Squeakie, Office Manager. Mabye I can put one of the dogs down as a consultant. ;)

Cut and Remove

The novel I am working on is coming along very well, in fact I'm ahead of schedule. This is very good as the next couple of weeks are nutty busy with the other side of my life. You know, work, riding club and family. All of which I love. . . but . . .

One of the things that I have happened upon recently was the whole idea of cutting out a massive amount of writing and redoing it. How realistic is that? I asked myself. Would I ever need to do it? At the time I didn't think so until I saw that the second book in my Chronicles series needed to be from a different characters point of view. Which meant that the 30,000 + words I had already written were just. . . practice.

Oh well, it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. In fact, I found that the new story is a better plot, better idea than the first one I had. So my piece of advice is this.

Don't be afraid to chop up, remove or otherwise make massive changes to your MS. You may find like me, that the new work with a fresh start is miles ahead of what you first thought was your best idea.