I can’t believe it’s been a year since I last posted. I’ve been busy getting my book finished and edited and am currently querying after close to two years of work.
Querying is not for the faint of heart which I’ve said before. I value the feedback I might get at the same time I dread the rejection letters. With each new letter I send a prayer and a wish for a miracle. While I love my novel, I realize it will take a special person to see me and my novel for what we are. A promise of things to come? An interesting idea for a mystery?
I know I love what I do and want to share it with everyone far and wide.
Sitting here reading advice from a Mystery writer mentor while perusing the site and advice of a different author whose work I admire, about rewriting and revising and showing versus telling. It’s all too much for my brain at almost 8:30 am on a Monday morning.
So, instead I come here and write. Where I’m not being judged. Where no one is determining if my plot or arc are working together. I don’t even know how to break all this down.
I have a wonderful lady editing my work currently and will give out her information if someone should ask for it. I’m waiting to hear back from her before I make all the changes all at once. I want to hear her opinion and her corrections before I do my major overhaul.
Trying to talk myself back from tears at this entire process. If only writing were as easy as simply putting words out on paper and everyone liked it, agents included. 🙂
Ah, if only.
The other reason the tears are near the surface is because my Bailey has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and her kidney’s are a bit quirky. She’s now on special food, medication, and I have to give her fluids 2-3 times a week. She’s due for a recheck in a couple of weeks.
It’s hard to see her, knowing her life is winding down, and there’s not anything I can do about it. Excuse me while I go find the tissues again.
This is hard. The submitting every day. The waiting. The wondering.
I see encouraging Tweets from authors who have been through the process. They reveal how many rejections they received before they finally got their break.
I’m trying so hard to hang in there and trust the process. Because I know what I’ve done is good and worthy of being out there.
My story is as unique as my voice that put it out there.
I don’t take this journey lightly. My heart and soul are invested in this.
She lays next to me as I’m up until midnight revising and editing and writing.
Not the one you’re thinking of, this one means, revising and resubmitting. I’ve been revising the entire MS and putting it in 1st person. It was a lengthy process but all in all I like it much better than it was.
I’m learning so much about the entire writing process and I have only hit the tip of the iceberg. There’s just still so much out there. I’m enjoying the learning and the figuring it out.
I have submitted to several different contests. Fingers crossed!
It’s three days until Christmas and I’m taking a much needed break. I’ve been at this for three months non-stop. I’m at the query stage as I await the edit. Most agents are closing up shop for the remainder of the year.
Instead I’m choosing to give my mind a break. I’m not even looking at the second in the series right now.
I’m choosing to focus on my girls and hubby as we celebrate Christmas and as we close out this crazy year.
We’re looking ahead to the coming year with optimism and enthusiasm.
There’s a lot in store for us this coming year. Hoping for a book deal. Our family will be moving this summer into early fall. Fingers crossed we’ll see the end of Covid.
I may or may not write anymore this year. I’ll have to see if something occurs to me.
We have been out enjoying the holiday lights in our area. It’s an enjoyable time where we’re in the car together and enjoying it.
I decided to work on my research for getting published tonight. To say I was in over my head is the understatement of the year. There’s so much information out there that I can’t even begin to sort it out. I found several sites that were helpful in helping me see through the fog. I’m learning just what it is I’ve gotten myself into. I will persevere though. I’m determined to see this through.
I’m cautiously optimistic that Giving Cheek will be published and hopefully the ones to follow. It’s the dream I never dared to dream. The dream I never knew I even wanted. The dream that was just that, a dream. Now that I’m making strides and going for what I want it’s daunting and scary and exciting and nerve-wracking. If I had any fingernails left to bite off they would be gone, but they came off when I began telling Analee’s story a couple months ago. 😉
I’m so excited about this whole thing. I can’t believe it’s me doing this. I signed up for a Writer’s Digest class on the whole publishing thing and hoping it will give me insight on where to go next. I’m hoping it will guide me in the right direction to begin the querying process. I’m simply waiting for the last Beta reader as well as my editor to come back to me. It’s hard because I know this is a busy time of the year, but I’m so ready to move on and make that leap.
She’s always beside me, her 18 years are showing in that, I’ve become her anchor. She feels safest when she’s next to me. I’m her ears since she’s losing her hearing. She’s my baby.
For two hours I was tempted to pre-empt the remainder of editing and participate in the current madhouse that is #PitMad.
I’m waiting on two more beta readers, my editor, my brothers review, and by husband’s review.
I wanted so badly to be able to submit something tomorrow and see what happens. I even came up with my 140 character pitch as well as an extended one.
I thought about it late into the night and I just decided not to do it right now. My query letter isn’t ready. I have to wait and see what my Beta readers have to say. I want this to be the best it can be for presenting, even if that means I have to wait until January to submit.
In the meantime I’ll read through it again and work on the next in the series.
My husband and I got these ornaments as a representation of us. We’ve had them for close to 15 years. His is the mirror ball and mine is the hot red pepper.
I’m making my third pass through my book. I’ve read it and made notes and now I’m typing it up. It’s probably fitting that this page with a LOT of red ink is also rewriting a scene of violence. There’s no description of what happened, it’s not that kind of book, only the remaining scene and what it looks like.
I’m on my third trip through, for editing, and I still love it. With each new read through I fall a bit more in love with my characters. Yet, I also have to be objective and ask myself if this is how this person would behave.
I think getting everything out of the way reveals those things I wouldn’t normally see.
This entire process has been educational, and addicting, and I am thoroughly enjoying myself.
I’ve also learned something. I’ve done something that many people can’t say they’ve done. I’ve written a book. I have hopes that it will see the light of day beyond, but until that happens I can celebrate this accomplishment.
I found this and it forces me to be proud of myself. Ha!
Well, last night I accidently began my second novel in the series. Whoops! I prefer to think of it as being proactive, so I can mention in the Query Letters that a second novel is on the way.
I love writing. I love the research process and the chance to be creative. There’s so much going on in my head and it gets to spill out on the paper in the form of a story. It’s great!
Pamela Kyel 