Roller Coaster Capers

I think as a community of writers we need to come up with a better description than “roller coaster” when describing our journey, as roller coaster just doesn’t seem to cut it! The ups, downs, curves and twists are bigger, faster, slowere and stranger than any roller coaster I’ve been on. And I’ve done Space Mountain at Disneyland!

Last month was one heck of a ride on this ‘journey to publication or insanity’ (insanity seems to be winning at this point). I received a full request from an agent in New York (big deal for a writer from OZ); the original full request from London was finally passed on after a 3 month wait (cue tears); a phone call from said NY agent who had full saying she liked it but there were problems and can I revise and re-submit (exciting and scary at same time); a rejection from another agent who said I was nowhere near ready for publication and suggested I go find myself a writers’ group to join (ouch!); another full request from another NY agent (smiling again); and a partial request from one of the big agencies in NY who I didn’t think I had a chance with (yay!).

And all of that in the space of two weeks. The same two week period which also happens to coincide with my birthday and the worst day of the year on my calendar – my angel baby’s birthday! Although, the upside to that is at least while dealing with the personal sadness that is that time of year, it certainly keeps this book thing in perspective.

I’ve also been trying to get a handle on this social media thing, which I’m pretty sure I’m failing at, but I’m giving it a try at least; been slogging away at my new WIP in order to distract myself from the turmoil of the query process; and have been trying to find ever more creative ways to fend off questions from my book when they continue to ask why I haven’t read the month’s selection (this month - a book agented by ouch-agent above! – not kidding), as most of my book club don’t know I’m writing so I can’t really say to them that I feel if I have time to read, then I should be writing.

Can you believe I don’t drink?

And now the wait. Wait to see what the outstanding full and partial bring; wait for my reader (aka sister) to get back to me on the revised version so I can re-sub to that agent; and wait to see if the other handful of outstanding queries result in rejection, requests or suggestions I shouldn’t give up my day job!

And I still don’t drink!

Perhaps you can all help me while away the time and come up with alternatives to “roller coaster” and leave them in the comments section? Prize - my undying gratitude to anyone who makes me laugh.

S

keep chasing those pavements

current status: 2 fulls out, 1 partial out, and a frightening number of rejections in :)