Wordy Wednesday: GUTLESS WONDER



(okay, not a super-
relevant image but
pretty hilarious)

 So, my wonderful agent and I have been emailing about my new manuscript.  I've been working hard on revisions and had been planning to send her the 2.5-ish draft this past Monday.  Then, I clutched.  I've never actually send a work-in-progress to anyone besides my critique group buddies and a few trusted friends and beta readers.  I'm beginning to discover that I'm a bit of a perfectionist and the thought of my agent seeing something I don't feel is as close to perfect as I can get it is giving me a severe stomach ache (not to mention the insomnia).

I've decided my new superhero name should be "Gutless Wonder."  My previous superhero name around the house was "Vomit Girl" because I can clean up vomit or any other foul child- or pet-related substance without getting queasy.  Turns out my stomach is weaker when my writing is involved.  Ironic, huh?

Wordy Wednesday: WRITE ON CON IS COMING

The virtual world has helped many once-lonely writers find camaraderie and support while still sitting at their keyboards. We've become well-versed in blog following, Facebook friending, tweeting and retweeting. Sometimes we lament the amount of time it takes to travel and participate in the bloggerverse (time we could be writing our fiction). Should we turn off the internet connection? Add a word to the classic writing adage: butt-in-seat-OFFLINE?

While moderation is good in all things, the fact remains that I queried my agent because of good information I read about her online. I read many books because they are well-reviewed by bloggers I admire. Perhaps most important of all, when I feel myself sinking into despair, groaning with frustration or otherwise wanting to give up, there are a few bloggers who always lift my spirits or help me realize my troubles are shared with fellow writers -- I mean you, Tahereh and Elana! -- and enable me to get back to writing my fiction feeling a little less blue.

So, when I discovered that some of my bloggy favorites, including the dynamic duo of Lisa & Laura, were putting together an AMAZING, FREE, ONLINE writing conference so that ANY childrens/YA writer could look forward three great days in August learning about the craft and meeting kindred spirits, I just had to join them in helping to pay it forward by sharing the news with you.

Visit WRITE ON CON right now, read about the amazing conference faculty, and register for the fun!

THESE ROSES WERE NOT FOR MOTHER'S DAY or A BOOK DEAL--HOORAY!

As you've probably guessed from the title, my husband brought home these roses on Friday in celebration of my BOOK DEAL. (Happy to report there were also chocolates and dinner out with the kids for Mother's Day.)


So, here's the short form (and it really is short). After signing with my agent, the amazing Catherine Drayton about ten days ago, she turned around and sold my YA verse novel, AUDITION, not just to a fantastic imprint, Viking, but to an editor with whom I am incredibly excited to work. It was pretty hilarious really, since she called to discuss the good news while I was chaperoning a third grade field trip and I could barely make out every other word through the school-bus-chatter din. I must also mention here that she lives in Australia so I can't even imagine what time of day or night she was working on my behalf but I will say to those of you on the fence about signing with a great agent just because they aren't in NYC that this does not appear to be a problem :) 

I've got to admit, I feel a bit like Cinderella. I'm not sure I've really processed it all yet (totally get how Cinderella could have lost that slipper--in the past week I've lost my car keys at least once a day). But, at this point, I am just thrilled to have met some of Catherine's other clients: The dynamic duo of Lisa and Laura Roecker and the delightful Becca Fitzpatrick who were instantly supportive and encouraging. I have become even more grateful for the generosity and support of my SCBWI Western Washington friends and colleagues (some of them AUDITION beta readers) as I struggled to find the courage to submit my manuscript and then to choose my agent--honestly, SCBWI rocks!

The very best thing about selling my manuscript, though, is it feels like I have a new license to write. All of those stolen writer-on-the-side hours creating this manuscript can be remembered with a little less guilt. And I just want to write more and more and more.

BACK TO THE EDITING BOARD

I have cleared my calendar. March freelance jobs: Finished in February. Bills: Mailed! Tax receipts for 2007: Compiled. (Before April 14th--you heard it.) Besides choreographing a kids’ musical, the only creative activity on my plate for March is…THE BUS. In late April I’ll be attending a writing conference at which I have already been scheduled for a manuscript critique with a terrific agent. The plan is to have the second draft of my NaNoWriMo opus saved and printed before this appointment. So, when the aforementioned esteemed agent (in my dreams) asks when I’ll have a completed manuscript to share, I can say: “Now! Right now! Here it is, perfectly formatted in Times New Roman 12-point!” Obviously this is a dream as no self-respecting writer would let fly three sequential exclamation marks. And even newbie novelists know that dumping 200-plus pages of hard copy into the hands of an agent at a conference is unacceptable behavior. Still, who doesn’t make up Newbery Award acceptance speeches while they sit in the elementary school carpool line? (Oh, admit it. You do it, too.)

So, there’s the clear calendar, the critique appointment, the plan and the dream. What’s the problem? Revision is hard. (Note that I edited out a lovely adjective to make that high-impact, three-word sentence.) There are so many little plot and sentence structure errors to fix; moments when emotional description bulges and necessary dialogue feels weak; opportunities for subtle images and plot nuances that take time and effort to add; and the weight of all those pages… Perhaps the biggest challenge is my need to reread big chunks of preceding text before working on a chapter. I feel like each day I edit two chapters after reading the six that come before it. The phrase “time consuming” does not begin to describe the process. And when you are a writer-on-the-side, working only when your toddler naps or after your kids go to sleep, not every day offers a chunk of time sufficient for re-reading and seriously re-working enough text to make the whole endeavor worth attempting.

There is some good news. I still love the characters, the plot and its taught, stylized structure. I still feel excited by the prospect of sharing my story with readers. So, having indulged my love of exclamation points and parentheticals here on the blog, I am forcing my overwhelmed mind and keyboard-weary fingers back to THE BUS.