Peering Out From Rejection

Can you see me over the enormous pile of rejections I’ve collected? Maybe if I jump you’ll catch a quick look at the top of my head. It’s rough out there and I’ve got the battle scars to prove it! That being said, this round of queries was actually more successful than all previous rounds. Success is all in how to you choose to define it, right?

I call this round successful because it has the highest rate of actual responses. This means I got personalized emails, rather than the usual deafening, soul crushing silence that makes me think my query package ended up in a black hole somewhere.

In total, I sent out 13 query packages that included a revamped query letter (which I created after taking a great workshop at Phoenix Comicon). Considering this was a test run for the new query letter and freshly drafted synopsis, I decided to keep the total number packages sent out on the low end.

Within 9 weeks, I received 6 personalized responses from agents. The last one came just a couple of weeks ago. All were very positive and encouraging, citing that my project just wasn’t right for them. While its never fun to be rejected, I do take some pride in the fact that I wasn’t chastised for terrible writing or told I should give up (I’ve heard horror stories from writers who have received rejections of this nature).

With 7 total responses, that means 53% took the time to answer me and they did so with something other than a form letter. You know what? I’ll take that with a smile. In previous rounds of queries, I was lucky to see a 30% response rate. This is progress.

On the other hand, there were six black holes. I’m in the process now of learning how to check in with agents who have not responded. I’ve never been brave enough to do it, but at this point, I don’t think I really have anything to lose!

In addition, I’m diving right back into the battlefield. I’ll be participating in #PitMad on Twitter today! Search the hashtag and you just might see my pitches for my novel. If an agent favorites the tweet, that means they are requesting a submission. It’s my first time, so I have no idea what to expect. Nothing may come of it, but I figure it’s worth a try. And it’ll be fun to see what other authors are pitching!

The rejection pile is high and mighty, but I keep telling myself one thing: All it takes is one “yes.”

 

– – –

c.b.w. 2017

2015 Goals: May Status Report

1. Work towards getting The Muse published.

I didn’t get to work on this goal as much as I would have liked. The day job always gets a little crazy during the month of May and makes some pretty intense demands on my time. On top of that, my portfolio submission for National Board Certification was due during May as well. Instead of focusing my energy on fiction writing, I had to direct my attention to professional, analytical non-fiction writing. My muse was not happy, but we got the job done.

With the arrival of summer comes huge amounts of free time that I will be devoting to restructuring Chapter 2 of The Muse,  (see Killing Chapter 1).

p.s. As this post goes live, I’ll be taking a Content Knowledge test for National Board Certification. Ahhhhh! Wish me luck!

2. Start writing Lineage.

I’m getting ready to blow the dust off of my notes as the above mentioned free time will be utilized for this project as well.

3. Submit poetry.

Once again, I participated in the Poetic Asides community via Writer’s Digest. Every Wednesday, prompts are posted with an invitation to submit poetry in the comments. I was late a few times, but I managed to submit a poem every week.

I also completed another month of National Haiku Writing Month’s daily prompts via NaHaiWriMo’s Facebook Page. May’s prompts were particularly challenging as each prompt started with the letter  “Q.” Despite the difficulty, I managed to crank out 46 haikus.

4. Don’t give up or get distracted.

National Board Certification severely encroached on my creative writing time, but I never totally lost focus.

5. Be flexible.

While I’ve made plans for my upcoming free time, I’m also making room for inspiration and exploration through travel. Towards the end of June, I’m heading Portland, Oregon for a change of scenery. We’ll see where it leads ….

– – –

And let’s not forget the word of the year:

Persistence

– – –

How are you doing with your 2015 goals?

2013 Goals: June Status Report

Summer is in full swing and I’m taking advantage of all the extra time that comes with the absence of a day job. While I spend large chunks of my day working on writing related tasks, I’m also taking some time to relax and have a little fun.

1) Complete final draft of Novel #2.

Work continues on clean up edits and the overall completion of a polished third draft. During the month of June, I reached the halfway point (Chapter 15) and I plan on plowing through the rest over the next couple of weeks.

So far, I haven’t had to fix anything beyond grammar, spelling, and awkward phrasing. I take this as a good sign that I’ve got a solid story with strong characters in place. Normally at this phase in the writing process, I find myself doubting everything in the work, but this time around I feel nothing but confidence in what I have created. I’m so excited about this novel and I can’t wait for people to read it!

2) Work on converting Novel #1 into first person.

Still on the shelf (and that’s okay).

3) Submit 5 pieces of writing.

This goal is still technically on the shelf (to allow time for Novel #2), but I’ve been writing a lot of poetry lately. Some of my lines find their way to this blog, but others are still stashed in my journal. I’m going to keep following my inspiration and we’ll see what happens.

4) Submit three query letters for Novel #2

I finished the chapter outline for Novel #2, thereby completing one of my June mini goals. I’m now in the process of  translating that outline into both a short and long form synopsis. So far, I have two paragraphs completed and a basic outline sketched out for the rest.

My mini goal for July is to complete the short synopsis.

5) Continue building author platform

Work on Novel #2 pushes me into my little bubble more than I should allow, but I did play on Facebook quite a bit during June. Twitter, however, has definitely been a weak spot. I’m thinking of setting a goal to send out at least three tweets a day during the month of July, (and they can’t just be auto-tweets attached to my blog or goodreads).

My Facebook Page has grown from  301 to 312

On Twitter, my followers have grown from 534 to 536

Thanks so much to all my followers. Your support and encouragement means so much!

June also saw a big jump in the number of subscribers to my blog. Thank you so much to everyone who follows my muse and I as we travel a path of creativity.

6)  Read three books on the writing/publishing process.

If could just stop reading Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series, this goal would be so much easier! However, I have books 4, 5, and 6 stacked up on my nightstand.

7) Inspire others to keep writing.

As always, I can only hope I am a positive presence!

– – –

How are you doing on your 2013 goals?

– – –

c.b.w. 2013

Novel #2 Progress: Conflict!

It was another great week for Novel #2. Once again, I was immersed in scenes that rank among my favorites in the story, so my already super-charged motivation received additional jolts when my writing time rolled around each day.

Word Count Progress:

Draft #1 Word Count:

• Start Word Count: 52,576
• End Word Count: 55,440
• Total: 2,864

Draft #2 Revised Word Count:

• Start Word Count: 54,012
• End Word Count: 57,074
• Total: 3,062

Writing Process Notes:

• This week I began reading Sever by Lauren DeStefano for two reasons: 1) I love the Chemical Garden Trilogy. It’s one of the most original and well-written YA series out there. 2) It’s written in first person, present tense. While I’m enjoying the story, I’m taking notes on the overall structure of the novel. I’m looking at this as an amazing learning tool to help me with my own work on Novel #2. I see places where I’m implementing point of view and tense correctly, but I’m also starting to see where I need to make some adjustments.

Novel Tidbit:

Conflict:

• They say the core of every good story is conflict and that is particularly true for YA. However, for my novel I wanted to make sure the conflict I created would showcase the importance of self-reliance and selfless sacrifice for those we love.
• Through trial and error, I discovered how important it is to make sure conflict comes from a place of truth or it will not seem authentic to readers. Even though, my novel is rooted in urban fantasy, human beings are at the core, so that’s where I had to dig to find the origins of internal and external conflict.
• There are several layers of conflict built into Novel #2, but here are a few examples of friction in terms of characters and plot:
  • Amanda and Ian: They are a couple, but like all couples they don’t agree on everything. Ian often underestimates Amanda, (not because he thinks she is weak, but due to what he is in comparison to her mortal status), and that infuriates her! On the other hand, Amanda constantly tests Ian’s boundaries, which causes him to question the promises he’s made in the past. In addition, these two argue frequently over the concepts of free will and fate.
  • Amanda on the inside: Amanda is constantly at war with herself as she oscillates between her duty to her mother and what she wants for herself. Her fierce loyalty to family keeps her trapped in an impossible situation, while her longing for something better keeps her optimism alive.
  • Ian on the inside: Everything about Ian is a contradiction. He is locked into a particular path thanks to his true identity, but he secretly dreams of a different existence. His love for Amanda coupled with his secret could lead to his demise – a reality that haunts every decision he makes.
  • Amanda and Ian vs. The World: Ian’s friends and those from his world all disapprove of his relationship with Amanda. Ultimately, they have to fight for their right to be together, despite ancient laws and traditions bent on destroying their bond.

– – –

c.b.w. 2013

2013 Goals: February Status Report

Even though I have seven goals on my list for this year, it seems my muse only has eyes for one. Novel #2 continues to be at the forefront of my efforts and I’m thrilled to report I am heading rapidly towards the finish line of a second draft. While it bothers me that some of my goals have seen little or no movement, I’m trying to remind myself that I gave myself permission to make Novel #2 a priority. So far, my muse agrees with that move and I’m not about to argue with her.

1) Complete final draft of Novel #2.

Sticking to a writing schedule helped me finish another month with a five digit word count total. The more I work on Novel #2, the more excited I get about it. Every day I literally cannot wait to get home and jump into Amanda’s world. That obsession paid off with great stats for the month of February:

Start Word Count: 40,103
End Word Count: 55,440
Total: 15,337

73% Completion

Every Monday, I post updates on the status of Novel #2. Follow along for tidbits on my writing process and a sneak peek into different elements of the story.

2) Work on converting Novel #1 into first person.

Novel #2 continues to occupy my attention, so this remains shelved until revisions are complete.

3) Submit 5 pieces of writing.

I have my eye on two competitions and I’m currently brainstorming ideas for a short story or two.

4) Submit three query letters for Novel #2

By sheer luck, I came across two agents who are currently looking for submissions that fit the specific genre in which Novel #2 fits. I’m taking this as a good sign that I’m on the right track. I saved their information so I can query them when Novel #2 is a polished manuscript.

5) Continue building author platform

The A to Z Blog Challenge looked like so much fun last year, but I was too busy with other things to join. This year, however, is different. I signed up and I’m already starting to come up with ideas to cover every letter of the alphabet. Stop by the A to Z Challenge website to check out the details and join in the fun!

As for social media, Facebook and Goodreads have been my main hangouts, but I managed to gain followers across the board:

My Facebook Page has grown from 262 Likes to 276

On Twitter, my followers have grown from 504 to 523

Thanks so much to all my new followers. Your support means so much!

To be part of the fun, see my sidebar.

6)  Read three books on the writing/publishing process.

Recently, I went to a used book sale where I loaded up on some great fiction. It’s also not helping that I have my nose stuck in some great YA novels (the Beautiful Creatures series and Sever from the Chemical Garden series). Seeing as it’s only February, I’m not worried, yet.

7) Inspire others to keep writing.

As always, I can only hope I am a positive presence!

– – –

c.b.w. 2013