7
Aug
To say that the days leading up to the Midwest Writers Workshop were filled with drama would be an understatement. I ended up missing the events that first evening as a result of a family emergency. But after making sure my family was safe and sound, I was once more on the road again by Friday morning and heading to what I hoped would be a fantastic experience.
Fortunately, I was not disappointed. The workshop was wonderful! I had the chance to listen to some incredible presentations by several successful authors, including Marcus Sakey and John Gilstrap–two incredibly talented writers who were not only knowledgeable and helpful but also freaking hilarious! The session they did together had me in stitches.
In addition, several agents were there and gave attendees insight into the DO’s and DONT’s of dealing with those in their industry. Definitely a plus! Meeting a few agents in person also helped to demystify them a bit. I think we all tend to see these folks as titans who hold our entire writing future in their hands, but they’re really not as unapproachable as you might think. I certainly feel a lot more comfortable about the querying process now.
Which is a good thing because it’s time to hit the querying hard on behalf of Red. I’ve put together my list of agents I want to approach in this first round and will be sending out query letters to five or six individuals next week. I’ll keep you posted!
In the meantime, I have some very exciting new to report already! If you’ve read my previous few posts, you’ll recall that I was scheduled to make my first face-to-face pitch to an agent at the Workshop. I was nervous as hell about it, but the pitch went great! The agent loved my pitch and requested a partial of the manuscript. I sent that to her a couple of days later and was then asked to submit the full manuscript for consideration! “Elated” doesn’t even cover it.
This was my first ever request for a full, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I remember driving up to the Workshop that Friday morning, my chest aching from bronchitis, my head pounding from a sinus infection, my nerves on edge with worry for my family, and wondering if I should just pack it in and head back home. But, as the great Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” And, man, am I ever glad I took this shot.
It could be a couple of months before I hear back from the agent — hey, these things take time (and really, do you want an agent rushing through your manuscript? I certainly don’t!) — and she could still pass on it, but at least she asked to see the full in the first place. And, regardless of the outcome, my friends, that’s wicked cool.
9
Dec
I am happy to report that the revision process for my current project is going great! Of course, I have to admit that this time around I had an additional leg up on the editing process — professional feedback.
A few months ago, I took a chance and entered excerpts from my manuscript in two separate contests just to kind of test the waters and get a little constructive criticism. I say this nonchalantly, but make no mistake — writing contests are nerve-wracking, ego-crushing affairs, that are not for the faint of heart. No matter how professional and constructive the criticism (and it was!), having your work torn apart is never easy. So, if humble pie has never really been your favorite dessert, get over your aversion and grab a fork ’cause the humble pie is going to get served up piping hot.
That being said, feedback is essential if you want to make your writing stronger and your story tighter. If you can’t make it to a conference or workshop and haven’t yet joined your local writers group, contests are a great way to get a little honest criticism from professionals. Plus, there’s the added benefit of not having to look the judge in the eye when she tells you that the character you thought leapt off the page is actually one-dimensional and lacking in motivation. (*Sigh*)
Granted, like criticism of any kind, there is some subjectivity involved, so you have to take the comments for what they are — educated and professional opinions. In my case, there were a few comments that made me say, “Wha-huh?” But, for the most part, the judges’ comments confirmed what I thought to be my weaknesses and knew to be my strengths and helped direct my revision process.
And, honestly, it wasn’t all bad! On a bright note, the judges described my excerpts as action-packed, fast-paced, and exciting, and even the judge who gave me the lowest score thought my manuscript showed a lot of promise and would be publishable with another round of editing. Considering the work I submitted was still technically in first draft form, I find this extremely encouraging!
Yay, me!
(Now, let’s just hope an agent or editor feels the same way!)
Moral of the story? As hard as it is to put yourself out there and invite someone to point out your every flaw, get the feedback — it’s invaluable! And you never know, you just might make it to the next round…
