IWSG-November: Holding Steady

The Insecure Writers Support Group meets online every first Wednesday of the month. Founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh, IWSG was created to support and encourage all writers in every phase of their work, from writing to marketing. Click here to join, and for information, writing tips, and more.

Co-hosts for November are Stephen Tremp, Karen Walker, Denise Covey, and Tyrean Martinson!

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I'm holding steady, awaiting replies on my novel, and darn it, I am getting the standard form letter reject from agents, but not all have been negative. For instance, one was interested in "future projects." Now that's motivation to finish all those projects I've started. I'm currently working on two--one fiction, one nonfiction.

I must say that all replies have been polite, which I appreciate a lot. One benefit of email correspondence is that agents (and publishers) can spend time writing the nicest reject ever. Seriously, I have been impressed. Years back I remember when the standard postcard reply was one of several boxes checked. It was impersonal and discouraging.

So . . . here's another perspective:

A huge distraction to all this has been Fall gardening. With over half an acre, we have a lot of bare land yet to fill. Off the top of my head, I've planted somewhere around 25 shrubs starting in October. I'm going to take credit for doing most of the work too! My husband has had a full plate this past month, but I don't mind. Gardening has always been a creative outlet for me. A garden grows one plant at a time, in much the same way the plot (the soil) and characters (the plants) of a story grow. Some fail and some perform in extraordinary ways. All it takes is water, TLC, fertilizer and time.

IWSG: In for a Penny, in for a Pound

 The Insecure Writers Support Group meets online every first Wednesday of the month. Founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh, IWSG was created to support and encourage all writers in every phase of their work, from writing to marketing. Click here to join, and for information, writing tips and more.

Co-hosts for the the October 7 posting of IWSG are TB Markinson, Tamara Narayan, Shannon Lawrence, Stephanie Faris, and Eva E. Solar!
 

Well, it's that time of the month again. I was determined to report by this date that I had finished my novel and was finally submitting the blessed thing. I didn't think I could handle another post where I groveled and attempted to explain yet another delay. 

Happy to report, I DID IT! My main insecurity this month was hitting the 'send' button on my first query (to an agent) two days. My heart started to pound and I think I even broke out in a sweat. Now for the waiting stage, the toughening up period, as the results trickle in. I hope all are kind; I hope some are good, with requests for my manuscript and helpful advice if rejected. 

I've been using Query Tracker for the process and love it. You can organize your queries, set up reminders, research an agent's track record--their response time, number of manuscripts in genres queried, clients, current needs, and more. It's all about simplifying the "business" of writing. From there you can go to the actual website and conduct more research. It's time consuming, yes, something I expected, but necessary. "In for a penny, in for a pound," my husband likes to remind me. 

Other....

--Removed the dust on a manuscript I started awhile back.  

--Attending a two day writers conference, Rivers of Ink, this weekend in Richland, WA. I'm excited to meet some area writers!

--Visited the LA County Fair last week with my son's family. (My cute grandsons at the end :) The displays in the children's building were extraordinary. Here are some of the life size books and titles displayed in the reading section. Take a look. Aren't they great? 

Wishing you all well in your writing journey

and a fabulous month!