Becoming

I realized that I never mentioned what happened with the full manuscript that I sent Elana. Well, she passed on it. She was very nice, saying that she enjoyed reading it, but ultimately, didn't feel it was a right fit for her representation list. Sigh. At least she didn't simply say it stunk. Oh...wait...maybe that's what she really meant. But I don't think so. Most of the people I've 'met' either online or in person in the writing world are very, very, cool. With one glaring exception, everyone has been professional and supportive, yet honest. And with each new experience I'm learning how to look at my own work more objectively. Now I spot things that I don't think I could've seen before. So despite (or maybe because of) all the discouragement and frustration, I am becoming a better writer. Ah the process of becoming - so painful at times. So humbling. I just wish my learning curve from wherever I'm at to wherever I need to be was a bit shorter. But two days after getting that rejection, a different agent requested the first hundred pages, so that helped a bit. I just wish those pages were stronger. So that's what I'm working on now. Well, not right now, but in the near future.

I had to stop everything to read Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn yesterday. Yep, I was a total bookworm. Jeff was very patient while I devoured all 700+ pages in twelve hours (I wish I could write as fast as I read). Needless to say, I loved it. She did a really good job twisting the story line around in unexpected ways and then ironing it all out for a very satisfying, if a little too neat, ending. I'd discuss my favorite parts, but I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone else. So go find a copy!

Writing with Kids

After a two month absence from this blog, it would appear that I've abandoned it. Not so. What happened you might ask? Well, I'll tell you. School ended and I moved, so life has been slightly chaotic. Having the four older children home during the summer didn't just create four times more noise and work, more like 256 times. That's in addition to the two toddlers. So, to harness the synergy from so many bodies constantly in motion, we've done a lot of activities. However, I've come to realize that I can't write when I never get quiet time. I've tried a few times and I'll get a paragraph written and then MOMMMM! He hit me. Or, he took my toy. Or, I'm hungry. Or, I need toilet paper. You get the idea. This happens nonstop. I cannot wait for school to start. Then perhaps I'll get my writing momentum back.

In the midst of my frustration, I tried to find tips on how to write with kids. There were hardly any. This leads me to believe that I'm one of the few crazy enough to try to write with kids underfoot and that other writers either don't have any, their kids are grown, or they cart their kids to the babysitters. Ah well, I only have three more years to cuddle with my baby before he starts kindergarten. In the mean time, my lofty goal is to write for one hour each day. Pathetic, I know, but anything more would be out of reach right now. Just to illustrate, eleven interruptions and one toddler spat accompanied this post.

Manuscript Request

An agent requested my manuscript! YAY! I'm so excited, and nervous. I hope she likes my story. And despite the lack of success so far, I cling to the hope that eventually, I'll find an agent who likes my story as much as I do. I just hope it's her. I think I'd really enjoy working with her. But the reality is that most manuscript requests do not result in offers for representation. It's all part of this arduous process of getting published in today's market. Someone told me that landing an agent was like winning the lottery, but I disagree. I think it's like organic chemistry. Dynamic chemistry is necessary in both the writing and the agent/client relationship, but getting there is grueling because it's the weeder process.
I dropped organic chemistry in college when I freaked out after earning a D on the first exam. Two days later, I learned the high grade was a C, but I was still in freak mode and dropped it anyhow. My friend, who earned the C, later told me that half the class dropped after that first test and the professor curved everything at the end, so she earned an A for the semester. Needless to say, I kicked myself really hard after that and promised not to quit something I started or believed in just because it was difficult at first. Since then, the type of hope that lodges in my heart has proved to be a stubborn thing. So I hope Elana loves The Devil's Key (and the Green Bean War, and Night Flier, Day Dreamer, and Windwatchers), but if not, I'll find someone who does. Eventually.

'Finnished'

Finished, done, complete, kaput - are words that used to sound so concrete to me. Then I started writing, and revising, and writing, revising, writing, revising, writing, revising...you get the picture. Now I know how relative the term 'finished' is. So I am relatively finished with The Devil's Key after my latest major re-write and a million minor revisions. But I am really happy with my manuscript now. It's 99,700 words and 394 pages long, and a tight, compelling read (in my very biased opinion). Smile. Still smiling. I'm going to enjoy this happy moment before I throw myself into the task of finding a literary agent. Once I do, he or she will probably want some revisions and when/if it gets picked up by a publisher, there will be more. Maybe when the book is being printed I can claim finished status? Nope, because then I'll be working on another manuscript. Hmmm...I supposed Finnished is what I'll be when I'm visiting with my friend in Helsinki.

The Host

I just finished reading The Host, by Stephenie Meyer. Wow. Few writers can keep a readers attention for 600+ pages. Yes, it's that long. But if you're looking for a great psychological sci-fi/romance with a unique twist, this is the book for you. It's light on the sci-fi for those of you who aren't fans. Without giving away the story, I would describe it as Star Trek meeting The Stepford Wives in a dystopian future. That might sound weird, but amazingly, it works. Really well.

And what about that amazing cover art? Whoever came up with the idea deserves a raise.

Lost in a crowd

Here's a sobering statistic. Over 400,000 books were published last year. Yikes, no wonder it's so hard to grab the attention of an agent or publisher. New writers have to try and get a foot in the door around a lot of productive established writers and a veritable flood of fellow unpublished newbies who, according to agent Jonathan Lyons, often lack the fundamentals of written English. I'm sure he's seen enough bad queries to justify that statement. Janet Reid blogs about the belligerence of some writers who send nasty e-mails after she rejects their query. Rachel Vater posts some queries that are so pathetic, you have to wonder how the person clicking the send button could presume to call themselves a writer. Barely literate is more accurate. Perhaps that's why some agents aren't replying at all anymore. But HEY! There are a lot of us who aren't like that! And for the record, I love agents who are considerate enough to send a rejection, even if it is just a form letter.

Query Black Hole

A digital 'black hole' ripping the network of cyberspace was recently discovered. This phenomenon appears to particularly affect query letters and literary agent responses, but unfortunately, spam remains completely impervious. Evidence suggests that indeed, many query letters are sucked into this fathomless vortex nanoseconds after aspiring authors click 'send.' Statistically, a few queries do arrive at their intended destination where presumably, agents respond. But without reliable feedback from agents verifying query receipt or rejection, some writers suspect that the information void is due to the digital abyss. Some writers attempt to overcome this problem by mass mailings and cyber-stalking. Some assume that no response is simply an invitation to re-submit. Others slowly pine in silent misery, but check their e-mail twenty times a day. It can only be hoped that this black hole will collapse soon and normal communication can be re-established.