I have never been great about blogging regularly, but I have been good at actually finishing a novel.
Well, the first draft of one, anyway. It’s young adult fantasy.
I read through it, printed it off, and happily distributed two copies: one to my fiancee and one to my Grandma.
My grandma read it probably twice in two days, but she’s also 95 and obviously retired. The fiancee gave it a lot of care but he also has a full time job and a life so it took him a bit longer. While waiting for their edits, I started the second one.
I’m about 30k words into my second novel (of a four novel series) and am enjoying writing that and procrastinating on my first novel’s edits. I was happy as a clam, taking fiction classes and keeping myself entertained with my ever-growing word count. My friends and family would ask to read it or ask when it would be published, and I’d cheerfully say, “oh when it’s ready. It’s not done yet.”
I mean it’s done. But it’s not DONE.
Anyway long story (and a lot of emotional turmoil) short, I wound up pitching my done manuscript at the Hampton Roads Writers Conference this past weekend, and lucky for me, both recipients of my very rough and bumbling pitches seemed interested.
There were questions, of course, and a lot of feedback, but both invited me to take a look a their submission guidelines and submit. So now I’m going to do that. Actually, I set aside tonight to start that task. That means I set aside tonight to start a synopsis and a query letter, which are both likely to be two of the most difficult things I’ve ever written. Good thing I’m getting a burrito first.
Where are you with your writing? Any tips for the synopsis and query letter?
Or this blog, for heaven’s sake?
Hair-pullingly yours,
Sarah
The Merry Manuscript 