I wanted to make sure I posted something today, just so my blog doesn't stop on such a negative post and you wonder, "Where did she go? Did they finally lock her up in a padded room?".
I'm better after yesterday's minor meltdown. I went to work, relaxed at home, got some sleep, and woke up ready to take this monster on again. As much as I would love to find an agent as soon as humanly possible, I am going to take it slow, allow the creative juices to flow and not force them. Most importantly, I am going to live life.
I have been stressing myself way too much over this and letting it consume my mind so much that I haven't taken any time to stop and have fun. Even in those two weeks I took a break from writing it, my mind was still spinning. I had this silly idea that my life would start after I got published when the truth of the matter is, it's passing me by now.
So I shall continue writing, continue query revising, but will also take time to stop and smell the roses.
On another note (I don't think I have talked about this yet), I have only twenty pounds left out of the sixty I am trying to lose! I am quite ecstatic! Hot summer bod, here I come!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Put it on Record...
... I officially hate query letters.
Encouraged and optimistic as everyone liked it before the final tweaks, I resubmitted my fourth revision for critique. My query ended up being forwarded to another website for a fresh pair of eyes to look at. I was fine with that, everyone on the other website liked it, so I wasn't too worried about it. I figured there would be a few minor changes, but nothing big.
THEY HAD SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT EVERY SENTENCE!
Gahhh!! What do these people want from me?!?! The moment I feel as though I am on the right track, I feel better about what I'm doing, I get excited about the future, BAM! Back at step one!
This website says it's too confusing and by the end you are lost with the story, resulting in my brain about to explode. I am so freakin' frustrated! No matter what advice I take, what I write, it's never good enough!
And now, now I need to find time to even look at my query to revise it! I'm seriously about to lose it.
Today, this journey blows. Blah.
Encouraged and optimistic as everyone liked it before the final tweaks, I resubmitted my fourth revision for critique. My query ended up being forwarded to another website for a fresh pair of eyes to look at. I was fine with that, everyone on the other website liked it, so I wasn't too worried about it. I figured there would be a few minor changes, but nothing big.
THEY HAD SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT EVERY SENTENCE!
Gahhh!! What do these people want from me?!?! The moment I feel as though I am on the right track, I feel better about what I'm doing, I get excited about the future, BAM! Back at step one!
This website says it's too confusing and by the end you are lost with the story, resulting in my brain about to explode. I am so freakin' frustrated! No matter what advice I take, what I write, it's never good enough!
And now, now I need to find time to even look at my query to revise it! I'm seriously about to lose it.
Today, this journey blows. Blah.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Better Late Than Never?
So twenty days later..
Sorry, life has been nuts. The job I'm at decided to keep my long term so I leave home at 2pm and don't get back until midnight where I shove some dinner in me, pick up my husband at work at 12:30, go to bed at 2:30, wake up at around 11:00am, workout, run some errands and I'm back to 2pm.
Where did I leave off? Right! I had my query critiqued and it needed a lot of work.
During my rewriting, I was incredibly frustrated at times. A part of me thought, "You want to be a writer but you are having problems with a one page query letter?" One day I sat at my desk for six hours just writing query after query, stopping every half hour to bawl my eyes out (that's not an exaggeration) because I was getting nowhere and felt that my book wouldn't either. I won't lie, I wanted to quit, give up. I felt like I was traveling on a one way ticket to nowhere. I mean, who am I to try to go against the big boys? Me, a mere little amateur who is back to working a food line. Perhaps that is what I am destined to do, and writing is just a passion I will never be able to share.
A part of me still fears this. But, I did take a couple of weeks off from the query just to regroup, refresh and well, just get my sanity back (or whatever is left of it). During that time, I got three more rejections. One from the agent on the top of my list. It sucked, but at least I have work to keep me distracted and I am not alone with my thoughts all day wondering if I'm in over my head, though sometimes I wish I was at home alone, this job is really hard on the body; but I am trying my best not to complain as there are tons of people out there right now who would kill to have any job.
Anyways, the query is rewritten, again, for the fourth time. I resubmitted my first draft for a critique and people said it was much better. Some tweaks were still needed, but at least people are telling me they would read it now. It definitely gave me the encouragement I needed. Hopefully I can start submitting again soon, though a part of me scared to, but I will overcome.
Sorry, life has been nuts. The job I'm at decided to keep my long term so I leave home at 2pm and don't get back until midnight where I shove some dinner in me, pick up my husband at work at 12:30, go to bed at 2:30, wake up at around 11:00am, workout, run some errands and I'm back to 2pm.
Where did I leave off? Right! I had my query critiqued and it needed a lot of work.
During my rewriting, I was incredibly frustrated at times. A part of me thought, "You want to be a writer but you are having problems with a one page query letter?" One day I sat at my desk for six hours just writing query after query, stopping every half hour to bawl my eyes out (that's not an exaggeration) because I was getting nowhere and felt that my book wouldn't either. I won't lie, I wanted to quit, give up. I felt like I was traveling on a one way ticket to nowhere. I mean, who am I to try to go against the big boys? Me, a mere little amateur who is back to working a food line. Perhaps that is what I am destined to do, and writing is just a passion I will never be able to share.
A part of me still fears this. But, I did take a couple of weeks off from the query just to regroup, refresh and well, just get my sanity back (or whatever is left of it). During that time, I got three more rejections. One from the agent on the top of my list. It sucked, but at least I have work to keep me distracted and I am not alone with my thoughts all day wondering if I'm in over my head, though sometimes I wish I was at home alone, this job is really hard on the body; but I am trying my best not to complain as there are tons of people out there right now who would kill to have any job.
Anyways, the query is rewritten, again, for the fourth time. I resubmitted my first draft for a critique and people said it was much better. Some tweaks were still needed, but at least people are telling me they would read it now. It definitely gave me the encouragement I needed. Hopefully I can start submitting again soon, though a part of me scared to, but I will overcome.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The "Q" Word.
I have been meaning to post all day but just haven't had the time. Between sledgehammering my laptop, crying in frustration and stopping to eat ramen noodles, I don't know how it came to 10:00!
Perhaps I should explain.
My query got critiqued today and it was pretty much critiqued the way I thought it would go: That's it? Where's the plot? Why is this story different than any other story in it's category?
I won't lie (mostly because it's already in another post), at first I thought my new query was pretty darn good, but it was a lesson learned. Judging by the comments of those critiquing my query, I am not the first one to have stumbled upon a blog and misunderstood (I'm not going to say it was the blogger's fault, I'm the amateur) what was written. I condensed too much, way too much, to the point where it could have just said, "This is Jane. Jane likes a boy. It doesn't work out. She's meant to be with someone else." Live and learn.
So it seems I was actually on the right track with my very first query. I say track because it's nowhere near ready to be flown out into the Land of Agents. In fact, I revised it for about six hours today and still got nothing. I don't know, I can write a book, but when it comes to writing the query in the voice of the novel, or even just trying to explain the plot, I'm at a loss. I wrote at least fifteen different queries today, and all I feel weren't good enough. At this point, I am really worried that my book is going to sit on my virtual shelf, untouched, because I can't write a good query. *sigh*
I wanted this all done before I went back to work. I foresee a lot of caffeine in my future.
Perhaps I should explain.
My query got critiqued today and it was pretty much critiqued the way I thought it would go: That's it? Where's the plot? Why is this story different than any other story in it's category?
I won't lie (mostly because it's already in another post), at first I thought my new query was pretty darn good, but it was a lesson learned. Judging by the comments of those critiquing my query, I am not the first one to have stumbled upon a blog and misunderstood (I'm not going to say it was the blogger's fault, I'm the amateur) what was written. I condensed too much, way too much, to the point where it could have just said, "This is Jane. Jane likes a boy. It doesn't work out. She's meant to be with someone else." Live and learn.
So it seems I was actually on the right track with my very first query. I say track because it's nowhere near ready to be flown out into the Land of Agents. In fact, I revised it for about six hours today and still got nothing. I don't know, I can write a book, but when it comes to writing the query in the voice of the novel, or even just trying to explain the plot, I'm at a loss. I wrote at least fifteen different queries today, and all I feel weren't good enough. At this point, I am really worried that my book is going to sit on my virtual shelf, untouched, because I can't write a good query. *sigh*
I wanted this all done before I went back to work. I foresee a lot of caffeine in my future.
Monday, April 5, 2010
I Think April Hates Me
No, I am not talking about a person, I am talking about the month. It seems every year April comes around, the Sucks to be You Gods come upon me.
April 2nd- My husband and I get into a car accident with a deer on the way home from the in-laws on Friday. We're fine, I just had a little whiplash, but the whole driver's side is dented and has a nice fur coat (apparently we skinned the deer). The deer came out of nowhere, my hubby started to brake so it would run past in front of us, but at the last second, Bambi freaked out, turned and BAM! right into the side of our car. We were out in the middle of nowhere, with no cell phones, so we had to (carefully) drive back to his parent's house, the car scraping on the pavement, where thankfully his father-in-law fixed where it was scraping and the car is drive able until Monday when we get the good ol' insurance involved. Thankfully, as my father in law said, we wouldn't have to pay a deductible because it would fall under "An Act of God" or what have you.
April 3rd- Turns out we do have to pay a deductible, which I mean, yes it better than having to fork out the entire amount, but that means money that I was going to be saving to go back home to Canada to see my family this July is going to be going to the car. Unless the temp agency finds me a job like, now, I can say goodbye to going home this summer, which would be a major disappointment.
April 4th- I go to Easter dinner where the food doesn't agree with me. I can't sleep because of an upset stomach.
April 5th- The agency finds me a five day project at the one place I had hoped I wouldn't have to go back to (beggars can't be choosers, I suppose). They were crazy busy at this time last year, but things are much slower this year due to the recession. I start Friday and after those five days are done, they'll call me when they need me, but don't know when that will be, which gives me two months to make up for money I need to go home.
Still to come this week:
My query gets critiqued.
I await more responses from agents.
I start the job.
Is it May yet?
April 2nd- My husband and I get into a car accident with a deer on the way home from the in-laws on Friday. We're fine, I just had a little whiplash, but the whole driver's side is dented and has a nice fur coat (apparently we skinned the deer). The deer came out of nowhere, my hubby started to brake so it would run past in front of us, but at the last second, Bambi freaked out, turned and BAM! right into the side of our car. We were out in the middle of nowhere, with no cell phones, so we had to (carefully) drive back to his parent's house, the car scraping on the pavement, where thankfully his father-in-law fixed where it was scraping and the car is drive able until Monday when we get the good ol' insurance involved. Thankfully, as my father in law said, we wouldn't have to pay a deductible because it would fall under "An Act of God" or what have you.
April 3rd- Turns out we do have to pay a deductible, which I mean, yes it better than having to fork out the entire amount, but that means money that I was going to be saving to go back home to Canada to see my family this July is going to be going to the car. Unless the temp agency finds me a job like, now, I can say goodbye to going home this summer, which would be a major disappointment.
April 4th- I go to Easter dinner where the food doesn't agree with me. I can't sleep because of an upset stomach.
April 5th- The agency finds me a five day project at the one place I had hoped I wouldn't have to go back to (beggars can't be choosers, I suppose). They were crazy busy at this time last year, but things are much slower this year due to the recession. I start Friday and after those five days are done, they'll call me when they need me, but don't know when that will be, which gives me two months to make up for money I need to go home.
Still to come this week:
My query gets critiqued.
I await more responses from agents.
I start the job.
Is it May yet?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Blah.
Ever had one of those days where everything went wrong before you even got out of bed? I tried to overcome it by lying on my back porch, basking in the sun, listening to audio books on my iPod and though it helped for a while, I'm back to blah again.
Queryland has been silent and not because they're rejections (each agent I sent to responds with R's), it just takes time. I'm now fourth in waiting for my query to be critiqued, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll have my behind handed to me on a platter (OK, that's an exaggeration, I hope). Nothing from the temp agency yet so I've just been at home, stewing in my thoughts and wondering if I bit off more than I can chew with this whole book thing. Then I remember how much I love it and I'm optimistic again, and then I stew in my thoughts and wonder if I bit off more than I can chew with this whole book thing, then I remember how much I love and I'm optimistic again, and then I stew in my thoughts...
Maybe I should go read my motivational quotes.
Queryland has been silent and not because they're rejections (each agent I sent to responds with R's), it just takes time. I'm now fourth in waiting for my query to be critiqued, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll have my behind handed to me on a platter (OK, that's an exaggeration, I hope). Nothing from the temp agency yet so I've just been at home, stewing in my thoughts and wondering if I bit off more than I can chew with this whole book thing. Then I remember how much I love it and I'm optimistic again, and then I stew in my thoughts and wonder if I bit off more than I can chew with this whole book thing, then I remember how much I love and I'm optimistic again, and then I stew in my thoughts...
Maybe I should go read my motivational quotes.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Fifth in Line!
Well, I had a nice relaxing weekend. Went to Rockford where I found out Logli sells sushi (you can guess what I had for dinner that night), and don't think I'll be wanting it for a while after that binge. Then, after some window shopping, I headed over to Starbucks where I had a Strawberries and Cream Frappaccino. Today, I stood on the scale and realized I need to get my butt back in gear.
My query is at a stand still for now. After a suggestion from a fellow writer, I have submitted my query for a critique. Looking at the website, it is fifth in line to be plastered on the website and fed to the lions. Am I nervous? Just a little (if a little means my throat has dropped to my stomach and feel like I'm going to puke). I know it will be good for me, and I know it will help me form it into an even better query, but it's still nerve wrecking to see what other people will say. But let's face it, as a writer, you need to get used to judgment. Even after it's published, not everyone is going to like your book. In fact, while some will rave about it and read it over and over, some will call it a waste of time and a ridiculous storyline. If anything, this will be good practice on the bad review side, unless the guy loves it, then good for me. But let's face it, I'm still a noob, there is bound to be something I can change.
I think the thing to worries me most is that a lot of the queries I see are sometimes six paragraphs with a heck of a lot more info on their book than mine. My query is three paragraphs, the one with the brief synopsis only being three sentences... THREE! Why? Because that's what I thought they liked! I read not to go off on the whole plot in the query, to just use one little paragraph to describe the book, and that's what I did. I think it sums it up nicely, but then I read the critiques other people give these queries, and I think, "Good God, that is a heck of a lot more than what I have in mine!" So now I am a little worried I have just wasted more agents in this last batch I sent.
What can you do, I guess. Worrying isn't going to get me anywhere. I'll just take it for what it is, and keep moving forward.
My query is at a stand still for now. After a suggestion from a fellow writer, I have submitted my query for a critique. Looking at the website, it is fifth in line to be plastered on the website and fed to the lions. Am I nervous? Just a little (if a little means my throat has dropped to my stomach and feel like I'm going to puke). I know it will be good for me, and I know it will help me form it into an even better query, but it's still nerve wrecking to see what other people will say. But let's face it, as a writer, you need to get used to judgment. Even after it's published, not everyone is going to like your book. In fact, while some will rave about it and read it over and over, some will call it a waste of time and a ridiculous storyline. If anything, this will be good practice on the bad review side, unless the guy loves it, then good for me. But let's face it, I'm still a noob, there is bound to be something I can change.
I think the thing to worries me most is that a lot of the queries I see are sometimes six paragraphs with a heck of a lot more info on their book than mine. My query is three paragraphs, the one with the brief synopsis only being three sentences... THREE! Why? Because that's what I thought they liked! I read not to go off on the whole plot in the query, to just use one little paragraph to describe the book, and that's what I did. I think it sums it up nicely, but then I read the critiques other people give these queries, and I think, "Good God, that is a heck of a lot more than what I have in mine!" So now I am a little worried I have just wasted more agents in this last batch I sent.
What can you do, I guess. Worrying isn't going to get me anywhere. I'll just take it for what it is, and keep moving forward.
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