Ramblings of the Sleep Deprived

I told you I would do it. I dug down deep, found three more agents that I liked and sent them each a query letter. So that’s a total of four (just in case you’re two years old or tragically behind in your math skills). I suddenly have the urge to laugh like the Count from Sesame Street.

Sorry. I’m very sleepy.

I’m going to give it a few days, maybe a week, then try to find four more agents that I like. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one of my top choices requests a partial. But it couldn’t hurt to have some more options lined up in the event that I’m pelted with four fast rejections.

Wow. My stress level just tripled.

Anyway, all joking aside, I’m actually feeling good about this point in my writing career. It’s a lot like when I first sent my short stories out to editors. I got a lot of rejections before I landed my first publication, and that very well might happen with my search for an agent. But I’m not languishing in fear. I’m not hiding from the world. It feels great taking the next step. I’m glad to be moving on. But before I do:

One . . . two . . . three . . . four. Four . . . four agents. Ah, ah, ah!

Again, sorry. I couldn’t help it.

And It Begins

It's done. No more procrastinating. No more obsessive rewrites. It's in the mail and I can't get it back.

I have just returned from the post office, where I have finally sent my novel (technically just a query letter, short synopsis, and the first five pages) GUARDING THE HEALER to my top choice agent.

Yeah, I know. I should send my novel to more than one agent, and I will. Sending to the one was stressful enough. I'll get to the others in a few days.

But now it begins. A whole new level of stress and agony. Days and nights where I check my inbox with OCD fervor. And I thought the stress of submitting my short stories was bad.

So, after all this time, I'm taking the plunge. I'll let you all know when I touch down.

Someone Loves My Blog

You like me! You really like me!

I would like to thank Jamie Eyberg for nominating me. So now I must share the love.

Here are the rules:

1) Add the logo of your award to your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3) Nominate at least seven other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on your blogs.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

Let's see. I nominate . . .

Chris F. Holm is a scientist by day, writer by night. He's got the goods. Plus, he cracks me up.
Jennifer Jackson is an agent at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. If you want to get into the mind of an agent, this is the blog for you.
Janet Reid is the Query Shark. Submit at your own risk. If you're struggling with the query letter and you want to know what NOT to do, take a look. It's also good if you need a quick laugh at someone else's expense.
Jennifer Brozek is the editor of The Edge of Propinquity ezine. He blog is visually sharp and clean. She is a lady with a lot going on. I get stressed just READING about her daily chores.
Kameron Hurley is someone I just recently stumbled across, and I'm glad I did. She has a great voice, a warped take on life (in a good way) and is too young to have to watch her pizza intake.
Jamie Eyberg is getting another one (and not just because he sent me mine). He's a writer of all trades, a man that likes to work with his hands, and his blog is great to read. Makes me want to visit Iowa.
Last and certainly not least is Catherine Gardner. I know, I know. She's been given like a hundred of these, but that should make you sit up and wonder what all the fuss is about. Go on. Check out her blog. I promise I won't get jealous (well, maybe just a little).

On a side note. I was going to nominate my wife's blog. Let me tell you a bit about this lady. She's strong, but lets me baby her. She's smart, but she tries to tell me I'm smarter. She's independent, and dependable. Beautiful, but not vain. And when she laughs her nostril flare in a way that makes me want to kiss her. She does do some writing but keeps it to herself. Her blog is about her journey through life. Sometimes it's funny. Sometimes it's heartbreaking. I would have nominated her and put a link up, but she asked me not to. But she didn't say I couldn't tell you all a little about her.

The Most Wonderful Distraction Ever

On Tuesday, September the 9th, 2008 at 7:31 a.m. (EST), I received the most wonderful distraction to my writing that I could ever want. My beautiful daughter made her grand entrance into the world, weighing in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces.

Trying to adjust my writing schedule to fit the needs of my son (who just turned 18 months) has been a nice learning experience. Now that I have two in diapers, life will be nothing if not interesting.

I'm very happy to be a father (there was a time I wasn't sure that I could be a father, but that's a different story). My family is the greatest treasure I have. I know that life is a bullet train with no stops. That's why I try to look out the window as often as possible.

I'll just keep on writing the ten to midnight shift. You'll not hear me complain.

TEoP

Last night I receive an email from Jennifer Brozek, editor of The Edge of Propinquity. A few weeks ago I had received an email from Jennifer stating that my story "The Mask of Deslow Mansion" had made it through the first round of readings. Of course I was happy for that good news, and have been waiting with faux-patience for the follow up letter.

I’m in danger of getting off topic here, so I’ll try to keep it simple. Back to the email from last night.

When I saw it come up in my inbox I was just happy that it wasn’t spam. That’s all I seem to get these days. It took me a few minutes to open it, as it always does when I’m opening letters from editors. It started out like this:

"Unlike every other one of my story submissions, you do not get a form letter response."

Ah oh, I thought. It’s a rejection. But at least it was going to be a nice rejection. The kind that come with advice or admonishment. The kind that are like nice girls, who after you hit on them, explain to you why they aren’t going to give you their number, and somehow make you feel all right about it.

I’m not saying that’s ever happened to me (not the being rejected part, the feeling all right about it part) but I’ve heard stories.

Anyway, I forged on through the email. It takes me a second to absorb what I’m reading. I’ve told you before, I’m preternaturally thickheaded. The words are all in English. I just have to wait for my brain to put them in order. When the ol’ gray matter finally kicks in and I see the sentence that follows, this is what I read:

"Rather than keep you in suspense, the short version is: I want this story."

I just love acceptance letters. Love ‘em! Like a fat kid loves cake.

Sorry. I’ll be all right.

"The Mask of Deslow Mansion" is slated to be in either the January or February volume of The Edge of Propinquity.

I can’t wait.