"We were always waiting, always waiting/ We were always waiting for something to happen!" - "Great Expectations" by The Gaslight Anthem
This weekend I was busy, once again, making my list of agents to send queries to for my first "Willow Ryan" novel, Secrets. I'm ready. More ready than I have ever been, and I'm almost afraid to say this because it has a hint of optimism to it, but I kind of have a good feeling about this round. I have a solid list of a couple of dozen agents who I think may be a good fit for me and my work, and I will be sending out letters to the top six or seven tomorrow. Then I play the waiting game again. I am not good at waiting.
But instead of agonizing and obsessing over these queries like I normally do, wondering if the agent has read my carefully chosen words about the book that I have poured my blood, sweat, and tears into, whether I will receive a request, a rejection, or any response at all, I will put myself to work instead. In addition to Who We Thought We Were, my latest work in progress, I am also going to fine-tune some articles I wrote a while back on child development and start submitting those. I am going to make my career happen. I am a writer, and if I have anything to say about it, soon I will be a published writer. :) Now to get some good responses from the agents...
Man, I hate waiting.
Showing posts with label query letter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label query letter. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
"Knock me down it's all in vain/ I'll get right back on my feet again/ Hit me with your best shot/ Why don't you hit with your best shot/ Hit me with your best shot/ Fire away!" - Pat Benatar
I'm a little discombobulated this week. Labor Day messed me up, and I went through the entire day yesterday singing "I Don't Like Mondays" in my head (not exactly an appropriate song to be singing to young children, right), and I completely forgot about posting my latest Tuesday's Top Ten. I will wait until next week for that one though, as I have bigger fish to fry today.
After rewriting, tweaking, agonizing over, and finally finishing my latest attempt at the perfect query letter, I emailed it out to a handful of agents this morning. I am now feeling that familiar emotional mix of excitement, dread, and nausea. What prompted me to chose "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" as my song of the day was the two responses I already received back from agents... sigh. One agent who is known for quick replies emailed me in three minutes with a standard, polite form rejection. Three minutes. Seriously?! That was a new record for me. I have been playing this game for a while now and have come to expect rejections, but that was a little hasty. Then I got another one from a different agent, just five minutes after I had hit the send button. Her response was simply, "No, thank you." That left me a little wounded, but I have to take my cues from Pat Benatar and be tough, not back down from this challenge, and rise above the hits that I, like every aspiring author, have to take along the way.
But what I want to know is, when does it stop feeling like you are the clumsy kid that always gets picked last for kickball?
I'm a little discombobulated this week. Labor Day messed me up, and I went through the entire day yesterday singing "I Don't Like Mondays" in my head (not exactly an appropriate song to be singing to young children, right), and I completely forgot about posting my latest Tuesday's Top Ten. I will wait until next week for that one though, as I have bigger fish to fry today.
After rewriting, tweaking, agonizing over, and finally finishing my latest attempt at the perfect query letter, I emailed it out to a handful of agents this morning. I am now feeling that familiar emotional mix of excitement, dread, and nausea. What prompted me to chose "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" as my song of the day was the two responses I already received back from agents... sigh. One agent who is known for quick replies emailed me in three minutes with a standard, polite form rejection. Three minutes. Seriously?! That was a new record for me. I have been playing this game for a while now and have come to expect rejections, but that was a little hasty. Then I got another one from a different agent, just five minutes after I had hit the send button. Her response was simply, "No, thank you." That left me a little wounded, but I have to take my cues from Pat Benatar and be tough, not back down from this challenge, and rise above the hits that I, like every aspiring author, have to take along the way.
But what I want to know is, when does it stop feeling like you are the clumsy kid that always gets picked last for kickball?
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday's Top Ten - Writing Mistakes
"And bad mistakes/ I've made a few." - "We Are the Champions" by Queen
First of all, I am not posting pictures of Hurricane Irene because we didn't actually get a hurricane! I have to say, I'm a little disappointed in Irene. I was expecting this big storm, equal or greater to Hurricane Isabel from 2003, but alas, it didn't happen (sigh). Okay, enough dramatics. We did get a tropical storm, but no damage and no significant power outages, so all is good.
Now, onto the latest Top Ten list. Today, I will be listing my top ten biggest mistakes I have made in my writing career (or what I hope will one day be a career) - so far. Hey, I'm honest enough to admit that I will always be making mistakes, but I also always learn from them. On that note, here's the list. I would love to hear what all of you have to say about this. What errors have you made along the way? Are mine totally stupid or embarrassingly familiar? Inquiring minds want to know...
1. Thinking this was going to be easy - My biggest flaw has been my own self confidence. Not that I'm full of myself or anything, but when I finished my first Willow Ryan novel, I was sure that I would land my dream agent right away (she requested a partial and ended up passing on it, but I got good feedback), get a publishing contract quickly, and become the next Melody Carlson/Meg Cabot/Robin Jones Gunn. I was so naive...
2. Having a typo on a query letter - This one killed me! I saw after I had emailed a carefully crafted letter to an agent that I had spent hours working on (very early on in the querying process), and I had accidentally typed "on" instead of "in". I will never forget that, and it bothered me to no end. I am positive that is why I never heard back from that agent.
3. Misspelling the agent's name - A huge, colossal, boneheaded mistake, and I made it! It was an unfamiliar name and for the first time in my life, I didn't triple check the salutation, and it came back to bite me. I was so mad at myself because of a stupid mistake that I should have caught, but didn't. I guess OCD was on vacation that day.
4. Taking rejections personally - I know you're not supposed to do this because it's strictly business, but to the writer who has invested so much in his/her work, it's very, very personal. I am trying to let it go, but those rejections still sting a little. Okay, sometimes a lot.
5. Opening with the weather - My first version of Secrets opened with Willow laying in the middle of a field as a thunderstorm approached. I spent so long making sure this scene was perfect, only to find out that this is a huge no-no. In fact, opening with the weather is on the top of tons of agents' pet peeve lists. Upon finding this out, I promptly began editing.
6. Thinking I was done with Secrets two years ago - Since then I have rewritten that novel at least eight times, the first chapter in particular. It is SO much better now than it was back then, and I have learned to never say that I am completely finished. Not until I see my book(s) in Barnes & Noble, that is.
7. Wanting to give up - There have been times over the past two years when I have felt that this will never happen, a publishing career is out of the question for me, and I should just forget about it. That is not a winning attitude, and I absolutely hate to lose, so I got over it. I still have my negative moments (days, weeks), but I will never quit.
8. Similarly named characters - I don't know how I missed this, but it wasn't until my third rewrite of Secrets that I noticed I had a character named Michael (Willow's dad) and another character named Mike (her friend). These characters never intertwined, so maybe that's why I didn't notice, but come on. How stupid is that? I changed Mr. Ryan's name to Patrick. At least that was an easy fix.
9. Song lyrics - This one took me a long time to discover. My first three novels were written with tons of song lyrics included, because Willow always has a song stuck in her head and tends to start singing without warning (autobiographical...). There are a lot of pop culture references in my books (they take place in the 1980s), and I had to do a ton of editing when I discovered that I could not use song lyrics, no matter how much I loved them, without permission. Very expensive permission. So, I worked around it, mentioning artists and song titles, but never exact lyrics, and I didn't lose any of the pop culture charm I originally had. Lesson learned and I'm a better writer for having made the mistake.
10. Checking my mailbox and email constantly - I nearly drove myself crazy looking for responses with my first couple rounds of submissions. Let me tell you, responses, when they do come, usually take forever! Often weeks, if not months, and I am not a patient person. I even got a response over a year after querying an agent. Once they are sent, I have learned to try to forget about them, and if I get a response, I am always surprised.
First of all, I am not posting pictures of Hurricane Irene because we didn't actually get a hurricane! I have to say, I'm a little disappointed in Irene. I was expecting this big storm, equal or greater to Hurricane Isabel from 2003, but alas, it didn't happen (sigh). Okay, enough dramatics. We did get a tropical storm, but no damage and no significant power outages, so all is good.
Now, onto the latest Top Ten list. Today, I will be listing my top ten biggest mistakes I have made in my writing career (or what I hope will one day be a career) - so far. Hey, I'm honest enough to admit that I will always be making mistakes, but I also always learn from them. On that note, here's the list. I would love to hear what all of you have to say about this. What errors have you made along the way? Are mine totally stupid or embarrassingly familiar? Inquiring minds want to know...
1. Thinking this was going to be easy - My biggest flaw has been my own self confidence. Not that I'm full of myself or anything, but when I finished my first Willow Ryan novel, I was sure that I would land my dream agent right away (she requested a partial and ended up passing on it, but I got good feedback), get a publishing contract quickly, and become the next Melody Carlson/Meg Cabot/Robin Jones Gunn. I was so naive...
2. Having a typo on a query letter - This one killed me! I saw after I had emailed a carefully crafted letter to an agent that I had spent hours working on (very early on in the querying process), and I had accidentally typed "on" instead of "in". I will never forget that, and it bothered me to no end. I am positive that is why I never heard back from that agent.
3. Misspelling the agent's name - A huge, colossal, boneheaded mistake, and I made it! It was an unfamiliar name and for the first time in my life, I didn't triple check the salutation, and it came back to bite me. I was so mad at myself because of a stupid mistake that I should have caught, but didn't. I guess OCD was on vacation that day.
4. Taking rejections personally - I know you're not supposed to do this because it's strictly business, but to the writer who has invested so much in his/her work, it's very, very personal. I am trying to let it go, but those rejections still sting a little. Okay, sometimes a lot.
5. Opening with the weather - My first version of Secrets opened with Willow laying in the middle of a field as a thunderstorm approached. I spent so long making sure this scene was perfect, only to find out that this is a huge no-no. In fact, opening with the weather is on the top of tons of agents' pet peeve lists. Upon finding this out, I promptly began editing.
6. Thinking I was done with Secrets two years ago - Since then I have rewritten that novel at least eight times, the first chapter in particular. It is SO much better now than it was back then, and I have learned to never say that I am completely finished. Not until I see my book(s) in Barnes & Noble, that is.
7. Wanting to give up - There have been times over the past two years when I have felt that this will never happen, a publishing career is out of the question for me, and I should just forget about it. That is not a winning attitude, and I absolutely hate to lose, so I got over it. I still have my negative moments (days, weeks), but I will never quit.
8. Similarly named characters - I don't know how I missed this, but it wasn't until my third rewrite of Secrets that I noticed I had a character named Michael (Willow's dad) and another character named Mike (her friend). These characters never intertwined, so maybe that's why I didn't notice, but come on. How stupid is that? I changed Mr. Ryan's name to Patrick. At least that was an easy fix.
9. Song lyrics - This one took me a long time to discover. My first three novels were written with tons of song lyrics included, because Willow always has a song stuck in her head and tends to start singing without warning (autobiographical...). There are a lot of pop culture references in my books (they take place in the 1980s), and I had to do a ton of editing when I discovered that I could not use song lyrics, no matter how much I loved them, without permission. Very expensive permission. So, I worked around it, mentioning artists and song titles, but never exact lyrics, and I didn't lose any of the pop culture charm I originally had. Lesson learned and I'm a better writer for having made the mistake.
10. Checking my mailbox and email constantly - I nearly drove myself crazy looking for responses with my first couple rounds of submissions. Let me tell you, responses, when they do come, usually take forever! Often weeks, if not months, and I am not a patient person. I even got a response over a year after querying an agent. Once they are sent, I have learned to try to forget about them, and if I get a response, I am always surprised.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Revised Query Letter
"Here I am, on the road again/ There I am, up on the stage." - "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
The road is the submissions process and the stage is my query letter. I am once again getting back into the game, hopefully with better results this time thanks to my newly revised query letter. I have been at this for a while, but I am still growing, still learning, and still working to make the dream come true, so I am posting my query in the hopes of getting some feedback from all of you out there, whether you are writers, working in the literary/publishing field, an avid reader, or just someone who has an opinion to share. I'd love to hear any comments you want to leave me. Thanks for reading, and I hope this letter is a winner. Fingers crossed!
Dear Ms. _______,
I read in Guide to Literary Agents that you specialize in representing new authors, and after looking at your website I feel my 99,000 word novel, Secrets, would be a good match for you. It is women’s fiction geared toward the twenty to thirty-something crowd.
Seventeen, pregnant, and on her own. This is the position that recent high school graduate Willow Ryan finds herself in during the summer of 1986. Not wanting to disappoint her family or ruin the father’s life, Willow leaves Indiana for charming Santa Elena, California, determined to raise her child on her own without telling a soul back home. She lands a job working for Peggy Maguire, a former Southern Belle with a knack for finding trouble - and humor - in the most unlikely places. Willow’s new neighbor, a friendly surfer dude named Denny, quickly becomes someone she can count on for anything, but could there be more to their relationship than Willow sees? Get ready to laugh out loud and a shed a tear or two as Secrets takes you on a journey that begins with an independent young woman trying her best to hide the truth, and ends with a pivotal event that turns her world upside down, forcing all of Willow’s secrets to come to light.
Although I definitely have my own unique style and voice, Secrets could be described as a combination of Kristin Hannah’s sincere emotion, Meg Cabot’s humor, and the welcoming tone of a Robin Jones Gunn novel, where the characters seem like old friends stopping by with an invitation to a beach party or to offer a much needed hug. I chose to write this book because Willow’s character has a story to tell, and many women will relate to her as she gives all she has to create the best possible life for her child.
This is a simultaneous submission, and my completed manuscript is ready to be sent at your request. While Secrets can definitely stand on its own, it is also the first novel in a series. I have completed the next three books and have plans for a fifth Willow Ryan novel as well. I have enclosed the first ten pages of Secrets for you to read as stated on your website. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Shannon Higgins
The road is the submissions process and the stage is my query letter. I am once again getting back into the game, hopefully with better results this time thanks to my newly revised query letter. I have been at this for a while, but I am still growing, still learning, and still working to make the dream come true, so I am posting my query in the hopes of getting some feedback from all of you out there, whether you are writers, working in the literary/publishing field, an avid reader, or just someone who has an opinion to share. I'd love to hear any comments you want to leave me. Thanks for reading, and I hope this letter is a winner. Fingers crossed!
Dear Ms. _______,
I read in Guide to Literary Agents that you specialize in representing new authors, and after looking at your website I feel my 99,000 word novel, Secrets, would be a good match for you. It is women’s fiction geared toward the twenty to thirty-something crowd.
Seventeen, pregnant, and on her own. This is the position that recent high school graduate Willow Ryan finds herself in during the summer of 1986. Not wanting to disappoint her family or ruin the father’s life, Willow leaves Indiana for charming Santa Elena, California, determined to raise her child on her own without telling a soul back home. She lands a job working for Peggy Maguire, a former Southern Belle with a knack for finding trouble - and humor - in the most unlikely places. Willow’s new neighbor, a friendly surfer dude named Denny, quickly becomes someone she can count on for anything, but could there be more to their relationship than Willow sees? Get ready to laugh out loud and a shed a tear or two as Secrets takes you on a journey that begins with an independent young woman trying her best to hide the truth, and ends with a pivotal event that turns her world upside down, forcing all of Willow’s secrets to come to light.
Although I definitely have my own unique style and voice, Secrets could be described as a combination of Kristin Hannah’s sincere emotion, Meg Cabot’s humor, and the welcoming tone of a Robin Jones Gunn novel, where the characters seem like old friends stopping by with an invitation to a beach party or to offer a much needed hug. I chose to write this book because Willow’s character has a story to tell, and many women will relate to her as she gives all she has to create the best possible life for her child.
This is a simultaneous submission, and my completed manuscript is ready to be sent at your request. While Secrets can definitely stand on its own, it is also the first novel in a series. I have completed the next three books and have plans for a fifth Willow Ryan novel as well. I have enclosed the first ten pages of Secrets for you to read as stated on your website. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Shannon Higgins
Monday, August 8, 2011
Some Will Lose
"Some will win, some will lose/ Some were born to sing the blues." - "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey
Sigh... I was not one of the lucky winners of the pitch contest I blogged about a week or so ago. I never really expect to win anything, but for some reason the outcome of this contest was more depressing than most rejections. Just the thought that winning would mean an agent would read and comment on my entire manuscript was so amazing that I let myself get excited about it, but maybe the next contest that comes along will have better results for me.
Or the next query letter. Rejection seems to be the topic of the day, with the contest and another "thanks but no thanks" from an agent. Things have to improve, right? I certainly hope so! What's a writer to do? Keep writing of course! And submitting, and revising, and praying! With next week off of work, I am making plans to revise my query letter (again), come up with a new list of agents to write to (again), and most importantly, work on my writing. I still have some editing to do for book four in the Willow Ryan series and am looking forward to starting a brand new mainstream novel next month. The important thing is that I'm not giving up, but instead I'm going to work even harder to make my dreams of becoming a published novelist a reality. I won't stop believing!
Sigh... I was not one of the lucky winners of the pitch contest I blogged about a week or so ago. I never really expect to win anything, but for some reason the outcome of this contest was more depressing than most rejections. Just the thought that winning would mean an agent would read and comment on my entire manuscript was so amazing that I let myself get excited about it, but maybe the next contest that comes along will have better results for me.
Or the next query letter. Rejection seems to be the topic of the day, with the contest and another "thanks but no thanks" from an agent. Things have to improve, right? I certainly hope so! What's a writer to do? Keep writing of course! And submitting, and revising, and praying! With next week off of work, I am making plans to revise my query letter (again), come up with a new list of agents to write to (again), and most importantly, work on my writing. I still have some editing to do for book four in the Willow Ryan series and am looking forward to starting a brand new mainstream novel next month. The important thing is that I'm not giving up, but instead I'm going to work even harder to make my dreams of becoming a published novelist a reality. I won't stop believing!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
An Unexpected Email
"I've got to admit it's getting better/ A little better all the time." - "Getting Better" by The Beatles
When I was checking my email Thursday night, I saw a response to a query I had sent an agent that immediately jumped out at me. What was strange was that my old title for Secrets was in the subject line. My first thought was that I had made a mistake was lucky enough to receive a form rejection instead of being ignored. I was wrong. My responses from agents are indeed getting better!
The weirdest part however, was that this query had been sent out in May of 2010 and I was just now getting a response! This is not unheard of, but I was still shocked. So, I opened it up to find a message saying that the agent thought I had "a nice writing style and sense of story". Wow, a compliment! Then she went on to say what I have come to expect, that it is very difficult to sell a first time author to a publisher unless the book is perfect. I get that, honestly I do. Then she said that she could put me in touch with an editor and she feels that I will ultimately see my work in print. That sounds like a pretty positive comment to me!
There is no way I can afford a professional editor on my salary, but I immediately realized something. I have done massive editing in the past year after gaining knowledge on my own and taking the advice of another agent who gave me some amazing editing tips. So, I decided to take a chance and email her back, mentioning the editing I had done and asking if she would be willing to look at the first three chapters again. I am not expecting anything to come of this, but it was a wonderfully unexpected surprise if it did. I just hope I hear back from her sooner than last time!
When I was checking my email Thursday night, I saw a response to a query I had sent an agent that immediately jumped out at me. What was strange was that my old title for Secrets was in the subject line. My first thought was that I had made a mistake was lucky enough to receive a form rejection instead of being ignored. I was wrong. My responses from agents are indeed getting better!
The weirdest part however, was that this query had been sent out in May of 2010 and I was just now getting a response! This is not unheard of, but I was still shocked. So, I opened it up to find a message saying that the agent thought I had "a nice writing style and sense of story". Wow, a compliment! Then she went on to say what I have come to expect, that it is very difficult to sell a first time author to a publisher unless the book is perfect. I get that, honestly I do. Then she said that she could put me in touch with an editor and she feels that I will ultimately see my work in print. That sounds like a pretty positive comment to me!
There is no way I can afford a professional editor on my salary, but I immediately realized something. I have done massive editing in the past year after gaining knowledge on my own and taking the advice of another agent who gave me some amazing editing tips. So, I decided to take a chance and email her back, mentioning the editing I had done and asking if she would be willing to look at the first three chapters again. I am not expecting anything to come of this, but it was a wonderfully unexpected surprise if it did. I just hope I hear back from her sooner than last time!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Silver Lining
"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings/ I live for my dream and a pocketful of gold." - "Over the Hills and Far Away" by Led Zeppelin
Okay. This song of the day is pretty self-explanitory. There are many, many writers out there whose dreams of publication have become a reality, and I want my dream to be realized too. The rejections I have received as well as the feedback do come with a silver lining, because they have all taught me so much about this business that I didn't know when I began two years ago. As for the pocketful of gold, that would be cool, but I'd settle for a check to pay my credit card bills. Whoa, dream big!
If you couldn't already tell, I'm getting impatient... again. In the past month I have sent out several queries and gotten a few rejections (nothing new, unfortunately), so I took a gamble. Earlier this year, an agent requested three chapters from me and ultimately passed, but I thought that maybe since I had totally reworked the beginning of my first novel, she would be willing to give it a second chance. Low and behold, her intern responded to my query and said that they would be happy to take a second look! Another silver lining perhaps? Maybe my work was rejected the first time around to give me a chance to do some rewriting, leading to a much stronger manuscript. I know I'm grasping at straws, but looking for silver linings is not what I typically do. Normally I would just see something as tarnished, messed up, or a total waste.
Anyway, this agent would be fantastic to work with and I can't wait to hear back. I'm not getting my hopes up at all because I've been burned too many times to be that optimistic now, but the waiting is killing me! It's only been nine days which is a nanosecond in the literary world, but what can I say? Patience has never been a strong point for me. I'm just hoping that her response will be my figurative "pocketful of gold" when it does arrive.
Okay. This song of the day is pretty self-explanitory. There are many, many writers out there whose dreams of publication have become a reality, and I want my dream to be realized too. The rejections I have received as well as the feedback do come with a silver lining, because they have all taught me so much about this business that I didn't know when I began two years ago. As for the pocketful of gold, that would be cool, but I'd settle for a check to pay my credit card bills. Whoa, dream big!
If you couldn't already tell, I'm getting impatient... again. In the past month I have sent out several queries and gotten a few rejections (nothing new, unfortunately), so I took a gamble. Earlier this year, an agent requested three chapters from me and ultimately passed, but I thought that maybe since I had totally reworked the beginning of my first novel, she would be willing to give it a second chance. Low and behold, her intern responded to my query and said that they would be happy to take a second look! Another silver lining perhaps? Maybe my work was rejected the first time around to give me a chance to do some rewriting, leading to a much stronger manuscript. I know I'm grasping at straws, but looking for silver linings is not what I typically do. Normally I would just see something as tarnished, messed up, or a total waste.
Anyway, this agent would be fantastic to work with and I can't wait to hear back. I'm not getting my hopes up at all because I've been burned too many times to be that optimistic now, but the waiting is killing me! It's only been nine days which is a nanosecond in the literary world, but what can I say? Patience has never been a strong point for me. I'm just hoping that her response will be my figurative "pocketful of gold" when it does arrive.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Summer's Creeping In
"I feel summer creepin' in/ And I'm tired of this town again." - "Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I'm starting to get that panicky feeling that I get every spring when I realize that it's only a matter of time - days, weeks if I'm lucky - that the horrible, stifling heat and humidity of summer will overtake the area and stepping outside will feel like suffocating in a sauna. Nice, huh.
With the realization that summer is almost here, I am hard at work trying to get some writing business done before the girls' school year ends and my work week goes from 30-35 hours to 50-55 hours. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to my extra time with them and have been busy getting my lesson plans together, but the extra nanny/homeschool hours will severly cut into my writing time. I am about 225 pages into my fourth Willow book and am hoping to finish it by June. If not, no big deal, but wouldn't it be nice? I have queried several potential agents and am keeping my fingers crossed that I will get a positive response from at least one of them.
So, with shopping around my first manuscript, trying to complete my fourth novel, writing lesson plans for an entire summer that will challenge two extremely brilliant young children, and still working hard at my regular school-year nanny duties, I've been a little busy. I know it will only get more hectic as summer continues to creep in, but hopefully the hot weather and long days will bring some good news of future success in the literary world...
I'm starting to get that panicky feeling that I get every spring when I realize that it's only a matter of time - days, weeks if I'm lucky - that the horrible, stifling heat and humidity of summer will overtake the area and stepping outside will feel like suffocating in a sauna. Nice, huh.
With the realization that summer is almost here, I am hard at work trying to get some writing business done before the girls' school year ends and my work week goes from 30-35 hours to 50-55 hours. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to my extra time with them and have been busy getting my lesson plans together, but the extra nanny/homeschool hours will severly cut into my writing time. I am about 225 pages into my fourth Willow book and am hoping to finish it by June. If not, no big deal, but wouldn't it be nice? I have queried several potential agents and am keeping my fingers crossed that I will get a positive response from at least one of them.
So, with shopping around my first manuscript, trying to complete my fourth novel, writing lesson plans for an entire summer that will challenge two extremely brilliant young children, and still working hard at my regular school-year nanny duties, I've been a little busy. I know it will only get more hectic as summer continues to creep in, but hopefully the hot weather and long days will bring some good news of future success in the literary world...
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Schrodinger's Cat Paradox...For Writing
"Well now our old fears and failures/ Baby, they do linger." - "All the Way Home" by Bruce Springsteen
After spending a few days thinking about how I wanted to improve chapter one of my first Willow Ryan book and taking the entire weekend to rewrite, I am really happy with the finished product. I used all of the advice I got from the agent who sponsored the pitch contest, and I have to say, it made a huge difference! I emailed him my query and the first three chapters this morning, so now I'm just waiting to hear back.
Now the reason for the title of this post. Schrodinger was a physicist who did an experiment where he locked a cat in a box with a vial of poison that would open at some time in the future. Since no one knew exactly when the cat would come into contact with the poison, the cat could be thought of as both dead and alive. Disturbing right? A classic paradox. That's how I feel about sending out this latest query. Since my revised work is now in the hands of an agent, I can look at it as the next rejection or the first step to publication. Since this agent gave me advice on how to fix the beginning of my novel, I feel like a lot more is riding on this query than any other one I sent out. Will he like the changes I made? Did I do too much telling instead of showing? Did I totally screw something up? Does the rest of the chapter match the quality of the first three lines which he actually described as skillfully written (so beyond exciting!)?
Like Schrodinger's Cat, I too am in a paradox, although it's not one that could kill me. It may drive me insane, but that's another story! I just hope that when I do hear back from this agent, it's good news and not another "Thanks for allowing me to read your pages, however..."
After spending a few days thinking about how I wanted to improve chapter one of my first Willow Ryan book and taking the entire weekend to rewrite, I am really happy with the finished product. I used all of the advice I got from the agent who sponsored the pitch contest, and I have to say, it made a huge difference! I emailed him my query and the first three chapters this morning, so now I'm just waiting to hear back.
Now the reason for the title of this post. Schrodinger was a physicist who did an experiment where he locked a cat in a box with a vial of poison that would open at some time in the future. Since no one knew exactly when the cat would come into contact with the poison, the cat could be thought of as both dead and alive. Disturbing right? A classic paradox. That's how I feel about sending out this latest query. Since my revised work is now in the hands of an agent, I can look at it as the next rejection or the first step to publication. Since this agent gave me advice on how to fix the beginning of my novel, I feel like a lot more is riding on this query than any other one I sent out. Will he like the changes I made? Did I do too much telling instead of showing? Did I totally screw something up? Does the rest of the chapter match the quality of the first three lines which he actually described as skillfully written (so beyond exciting!)?
Like Schrodinger's Cat, I too am in a paradox, although it's not one that could kill me. It may drive me insane, but that's another story! I just hope that when I do hear back from this agent, it's good news and not another "Thanks for allowing me to read your pages, however..."
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Celebration
"Come on now, celebration/ Let's all celebrate and have a good time/ Celebration!" - "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang
Today I have a reason to celebrate! Last night I received a response from an agent that I sent a query letter to, and she wants to see three chapters and a detailed synopsis of Secrets! She actually seemed excited about my book, which gives me a lot of hope. As any writer who is just beginning his/her career knows, you have to celebrate the little victories because they can be few and far between. This is a very fickle business, and when a professional says that your book has potential and they want to read it, it's a jump up and down, shout as loud as you can, laugh like nothing can go wrong moment.
I'm excited. Can you tell? But still, I'm keeping my head out of the clouds. Yes, it's fun to dream of literary success, but I know I still have a long way to go. But who knows? Maybe now I'm on my way...
Today I have a reason to celebrate! Last night I received a response from an agent that I sent a query letter to, and she wants to see three chapters and a detailed synopsis of Secrets! She actually seemed excited about my book, which gives me a lot of hope. As any writer who is just beginning his/her career knows, you have to celebrate the little victories because they can be few and far between. This is a very fickle business, and when a professional says that your book has potential and they want to read it, it's a jump up and down, shout as loud as you can, laugh like nothing can go wrong moment.
I'm excited. Can you tell? But still, I'm keeping my head out of the clouds. Yes, it's fun to dream of literary success, but I know I still have a long way to go. But who knows? Maybe now I'm on my way...
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Come and Get It
"If you want it, here it is/ Come and get it/ Make your mind up fast/ If you want it anytime I can give it/ But you better hurry 'cause it may not last." - "Come and Get It" by The Beatles
Yesterday I finished my third "Willow Ryan" novel three weeks ahead of schedule! Yea for me! The lyrics above are directed at all of the literary agents out there. Come and get it! I sent in a query letter with two sample chapters today and was rejected ten minutes later. I'm sure she didn't even read any of my pages. It's hard to stay positive with results like that, but I'm not giving up. I guess I'm just too stubborn, or maybe just stubborn enough. I don't know. Someday I will see my name in print!
Anyway, I am still celebrating a victory. Finishing three novels in 18 months, along with working at my "normal" job and dealing with everything else in my life is pretty great. Congratulations to me!
Yesterday I finished my third "Willow Ryan" novel three weeks ahead of schedule! Yea for me! The lyrics above are directed at all of the literary agents out there. Come and get it! I sent in a query letter with two sample chapters today and was rejected ten minutes later. I'm sure she didn't even read any of my pages. It's hard to stay positive with results like that, but I'm not giving up. I guess I'm just too stubborn, or maybe just stubborn enough. I don't know. Someday I will see my name in print!
Anyway, I am still celebrating a victory. Finishing three novels in 18 months, along with working at my "normal" job and dealing with everything else in my life is pretty great. Congratulations to me!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Do It Again
"You go back, Jack, do it again/ Wheel turning round and round/ You go back, Jack, do it again." - Steely Dan
Wow, two posts in one day. I'm on a roll! In case you haven't guessed, these lyrics are referring to me sending out another query letter. This one was sent to an agency that I think would be a really good fit for me and by "Willow" novels, and I was happy that they allowed me to submit a synopsis and the first three chapters of my book instead of just a letter. I mean, come on. How can you get a good idea of what a book is about or how a person writes solely from a one page query?
So now I have my fingers crossed once again, just wishing and hoping that I receive a positive response from the Prospect Agency. I know the right agency is out there to represent me, and maybe this time I've found it!
Wow, two posts in one day. I'm on a roll! In case you haven't guessed, these lyrics are referring to me sending out another query letter. This one was sent to an agency that I think would be a really good fit for me and by "Willow" novels, and I was happy that they allowed me to submit a synopsis and the first three chapters of my book instead of just a letter. I mean, come on. How can you get a good idea of what a book is about or how a person writes solely from a one page query?
So now I have my fingers crossed once again, just wishing and hoping that I receive a positive response from the Prospect Agency. I know the right agency is out there to represent me, and maybe this time I've found it!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Here I Go Again
"Here I go again on my own/ Going down the only road I've ever known/ Like a drifter I was born to walk alone/ And I've made up my mind/ I ain't wasting no more time/ But here I go again." - "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake
Yep, here I go again. My last round of query letters went nowhere, so I have my new list and will start sending out emails today. I have reworked my letter for the millionth time, and hopefully it now has the spark or hook that it was apparently missing before.
I have edited my first manuscript more times than I can count, and I truly believe that I have the best possible version of "Willow Ryan" that I can write. I just need someone with clout in the publishing world to agree with me. In the meantime, I keep praying, I keep my fingers crossed, and I just keep trying!
Yep, here I go again. My last round of query letters went nowhere, so I have my new list and will start sending out emails today. I have reworked my letter for the millionth time, and hopefully it now has the spark or hook that it was apparently missing before.
I have edited my first manuscript more times than I can count, and I truly believe that I have the best possible version of "Willow Ryan" that I can write. I just need someone with clout in the publishing world to agree with me. In the meantime, I keep praying, I keep my fingers crossed, and I just keep trying!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Mistakes
"And bad mistakes/ I've made a few." - "We Are the Champions" by Queen
This weekend I got my 2011 "Guide to Literary Agents", which I flipped through and already found a few potential agents to submit to. With this next round of submissions being my third or fourth, I have figured a thing or two out; namely, what doesn't work. Here are a few hints, hopefully helpful, of what not to do when querying agents. I have, unfortunately, made each of these mistakes myself.
1. Catch all the typos! I have to reread my letter three times, because if I don't, I will inevitably miss some stupid typo that will surely make the agent toss my letter into the recycling bin or delete my email in an instant.
2. Double check the agent's name. On one unfortunate night when I was working on sending out my first query letters, I accidentally transposed the name of the agent I was writing to with the next name on my list, from a completely different agency. Oops! Needless to say, I never heard back from that agent. Ugh.
3. Don't get your hopes up. I know this sounds jaded, but trust me, it's good advice. It's so exciting when an agent asks for sample chapters and shows an interest in your work, but don't read into this too much because you are just setting yourself up for heartbreak if and when the rejection letter comes. Celebrate yes, but do it quietly and don't get caught up in what might happen. Stay focused and level-headed, and you will be better off for it in the end.
4. Don't approach agents too soon! I can't stress this one enough. I have to admit, I started querying as soon as I completed my first novel, before I had even done any editing! Huge mistake! Looking back, I can't believe that I thought my work was ready to be taken seriously, or myself for that matter. After carefully fine-tuning my manuscript and taking the time (a lot of time!) to learn about the publishing business, I can honestly say that both "Willow Ryan" and I are ready for the big time!
5. Whatever you do, don't give up! I have been told this by family, friends, and literary agents who, for whatever reason, chose to pass on my novel. I know I can write, and I know my story is worthy of being on the bookstore shelves, so I just have to keep at it. It's hard when the rejections just keep coming, but after a year of trying to find representation, I finally understand that this is a very fickle business, but the right agent is out there to take on me and my work.
I may not be a champion yet, but someday...
This weekend I got my 2011 "Guide to Literary Agents", which I flipped through and already found a few potential agents to submit to. With this next round of submissions being my third or fourth, I have figured a thing or two out; namely, what doesn't work. Here are a few hints, hopefully helpful, of what not to do when querying agents. I have, unfortunately, made each of these mistakes myself.
1. Catch all the typos! I have to reread my letter three times, because if I don't, I will inevitably miss some stupid typo that will surely make the agent toss my letter into the recycling bin or delete my email in an instant.
2. Double check the agent's name. On one unfortunate night when I was working on sending out my first query letters, I accidentally transposed the name of the agent I was writing to with the next name on my list, from a completely different agency. Oops! Needless to say, I never heard back from that agent. Ugh.
3. Don't get your hopes up. I know this sounds jaded, but trust me, it's good advice. It's so exciting when an agent asks for sample chapters and shows an interest in your work, but don't read into this too much because you are just setting yourself up for heartbreak if and when the rejection letter comes. Celebrate yes, but do it quietly and don't get caught up in what might happen. Stay focused and level-headed, and you will be better off for it in the end.
4. Don't approach agents too soon! I can't stress this one enough. I have to admit, I started querying as soon as I completed my first novel, before I had even done any editing! Huge mistake! Looking back, I can't believe that I thought my work was ready to be taken seriously, or myself for that matter. After carefully fine-tuning my manuscript and taking the time (a lot of time!) to learn about the publishing business, I can honestly say that both "Willow Ryan" and I are ready for the big time!
5. Whatever you do, don't give up! I have been told this by family, friends, and literary agents who, for whatever reason, chose to pass on my novel. I know I can write, and I know my story is worthy of being on the bookstore shelves, so I just have to keep at it. It's hard when the rejections just keep coming, but after a year of trying to find representation, I finally understand that this is a very fickle business, but the right agent is out there to take on me and my work.
I may not be a champion yet, but someday...
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Query Letter
"Deliver the letter/ The sooner the better."
As promised, here is a sample of my query letter where I describe the basic plot of my novel, "Willow Ryan". A query letter is sent out by an author to potential literary agents, in the hope that they will see the brilliance of your work and offer you a contract on the spot. Sounds too good to be true, right? Right... Anyway, here it is:
What would you do if you were seventeen, pregnant, and could not tell a soul? That is the position that Willow Ryan finds herself in during the summer of 1986. Unable to disclose her secret, and unwilling to give up her baby, this small town girl moves away from her Indiana home and creates a new life for herself in Santa Elena, CA. After arriving in the quaint coastal town, Willow gets a job at a boutique owned by a quirky former Southern belle named Peggy, who has a knack for finding trouble in the most unlikely places. Willow’s new neighbor, a friendly surfer dude named Denny, quickly becomes a trusted confidant, but could there be something more to their relationship than Willow sees?
Okay, what do you think? I feel that this paragraph does a pretty good job in explaining the storyline, and hopefully leaves the reader wanting more. There are more technical details of the query that I didn't include here, but that's the gist of it. What do you think? Any comments? Bring 'em on!
As promised, here is a sample of my query letter where I describe the basic plot of my novel, "Willow Ryan". A query letter is sent out by an author to potential literary agents, in the hope that they will see the brilliance of your work and offer you a contract on the spot. Sounds too good to be true, right? Right... Anyway, here it is:
What would you do if you were seventeen, pregnant, and could not tell a soul? That is the position that Willow Ryan finds herself in during the summer of 1986. Unable to disclose her secret, and unwilling to give up her baby, this small town girl moves away from her Indiana home and creates a new life for herself in Santa Elena, CA. After arriving in the quaint coastal town, Willow gets a job at a boutique owned by a quirky former Southern belle named Peggy, who has a knack for finding trouble in the most unlikely places. Willow’s new neighbor, a friendly surfer dude named Denny, quickly becomes a trusted confidant, but could there be something more to their relationship than Willow sees?
Okay, what do you think? I feel that this paragraph does a pretty good job in explaining the storyline, and hopefully leaves the reader wanting more. There are more technical details of the query that I didn't include here, but that's the gist of it. What do you think? Any comments? Bring 'em on!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
"The girls in their summer clothes/ In the cool of the evening light/ The girls in their summer clothes, pass me by."
Bruce Springsteen probably didn't have wild little kids on his mind when he wrote those lyrics, but that song always makes me think of the girls I teach. These are the girls who dance instead of walk, sing instead of talk, twirl instead of run, and always have fancy dresses on. As they stampeded toward me in their frilly sundresses this morning when I arrived at their house, I couldn't help but smile. These children are the epitome of "girls in their summer clothes", at least for me.
Yesterday I wrote about an agent who requested the first chapter of my book. Well, I heard back from her already, and it's not good news. Her rejection came so quickly, I have to wonder if she even read my work. Not to sound cocky, but I know my books are good, and I know in my heart and soul that I am meant to be a writer. I will keep at it, and hopefully it will lead to somewhere fantastic...sooner rather than later.
Tomorrow...my query letter for you to comment on. Maybe you could offer me some advice!
Bruce Springsteen probably didn't have wild little kids on his mind when he wrote those lyrics, but that song always makes me think of the girls I teach. These are the girls who dance instead of walk, sing instead of talk, twirl instead of run, and always have fancy dresses on. As they stampeded toward me in their frilly sundresses this morning when I arrived at their house, I couldn't help but smile. These children are the epitome of "girls in their summer clothes", at least for me.
Yesterday I wrote about an agent who requested the first chapter of my book. Well, I heard back from her already, and it's not good news. Her rejection came so quickly, I have to wonder if she even read my work. Not to sound cocky, but I know my books are good, and I know in my heart and soul that I am meant to be a writer. I will keep at it, and hopefully it will lead to somewhere fantastic...sooner rather than later.
Tomorrow...my query letter for you to comment on. Maybe you could offer me some advice!
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