Monday, September 16, 2013

Back in the Saddle

Yesterday, I sent out a query letter for the first time in almost a year. Between the baby, and the revision for the agent and awaiting the feedback-that-would-never-come, I just didn’t have the motivation to re-enter the query trenches before now.

A part of me still doesn’t.

But, I’ve been wading in my pity pool long enough. Truth is, I worked damn hard on that manuscript and it deserves another go-around, no matter how draining and life-sucking querying can be. So yesterday I re-twerked (can we still use the word this way or does it officially mean ‘to shake one’s buttocks in the air?’) my old query and began the process of re-composing an agent list. And even though I’m not looking forward to the ups and downs, I have to admit, sending out that first query was like re-lighting an old fire.

On a personal note- the baby weight is finally off. Thanks, in part, to the fact that Phoebe is nearing the 20 lb mark at six months old. #worriedmybabyisagiant. 

And it took a while but I’m finally over the disappointment of what-could-have-been if we’d gone through with the move to Brittany. Life is settling back down into its usual routine and this weekend I found myself scanning old manuscripts and partials, looking for inspiration even though I didn’t think I’d find it.

But one of the stories I’d begun before giving birth snagged my attention. I read through the first three chapters, twerking things here and there (yes, I’m determined to use this word the way God intended). And before I knew it, I was adding to it, just a little bit. No more than 250 words or so. But that’s more than I’ve written in a very long time, so it felt good.

Now, this isn’t a story I think I can get published. It’s too been-there-done-that- the kind of urban fantasy the market is completely saturated with at the moment.
But it’s just where I want to be, right now. (does that make sense?) And it has me writing. So I figure, why not?


Have you ever had a project just for you? Something you’ve never shown someone and isn’t intended for publication of any kind?

26 comments:

Old Kitty said...

CONGRATULATIONS with your querying!!! Well done you!!! Of course I have all my bendy bits crossed for you!! Good luck!

And what's this hashtag!!? LOL!! Phoebe sounds utterly adorable!!!

It's so lovely to read you are in a good place right now! Long may you stay there! Take care
x

Laura Pauling said...

Sometimes we just have to write for us! Querying is hard (shudders) Congrats and good luck. I do think querying can inspire you to write! Have fun with it!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Sometimes it's good to just write and not worry who it's for. I know what you mean about sometimes not feeling like you can handle querying on top of everything else. That's where I am right now.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Since I don't know if my three books about a certain lying firestarter are ever going to find a home with a publisher, I guess you could say that every time I get them out and polish them off, that's something I'm doing just for me.

Good luck with your querying. You did work damn hard on your rewrites and you should get that manuscript back out there!

Louise said...

Congratulations! You should be proud of yourself for getting back to the querying even though you don't want to. Awesome!

I wrote Magic Most Deadly just for me, for fun, without hope of ever seeing it published. And it's turned out to be the best thing I've ever written, and it started me down the independent publisher path, so it turned out to be a pretty good move. Sometimes those "books just for us" are exactly what we need.

Stina said...

Querying sucks. No one can tell me otherwise. They're lying if they try to.

I have a number of friends getting back in the query trench again. Unlike in the past when they were eager to jump in, they're now dragging with sending out the queries.

I haven't written a project like that, but most of what I write is for me. There have a been a few projects I've abandoned because I knew it wouldn't make it in the crowed marketplace. But at least I was writing. That's more important than anything.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Funny. This was the title of my first blog post last week!

Thrilled that you're querying again. That self-pitying pool can be rather luring for some stupid reason; I know from experience. Glad to hear you're coming up for air.

Yay!! to getting in shape after the baby. It is so hard, especially once you have more than one child. Take care of yourself, sweets!

Matthew MacNish said...

Any reason that gets you writing again is a good reason!

B.E. Sanderson said...

Hey, whatever gets you writing again. I'm committed to jumping on the query wagon again, too. We'll both keep our fingers crossed and hope something happens this time around. Good luck!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Katie, glad you are back at it again! After all your hard work, that manuscript deserves a shot.

Meredith said...

I definitely agree that you should write what makes you happy, even if you don't know if the market will want it. Every word makes you a better writer. And congratulations on the baby!!! Totally missed that news. I ADORE the name Phoebe!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

The door will never open if you don't knock on it, so query away. Try to think of what you would want to see in a query letter if you were an agent then write it.

Have you thought of short stories? They can fire your imagination and there are Ezines out there.

If you have fun writing a novel, it will show and spread to the reader. Go for it! :-)

~Sia McKye~ said...

Yes, I have several stories I've written just for me. An adventure just for me. That's not to say it can't sell later, but at the moment of writing it was my escape and adventure. I think we learn something every time we write so I never look at it as wasted time and sometimes it jumpstarts another story. Because you're writing. Your mind in creative mode. That's a good thing.

querying is tough. I'm glad you believe enough in your story to be determined to polish and shine and send again!

Sia McKye Over Coffee

D.G. Hudson said...

Yes, but I re-twerked my early attempt, I like the sound of that. It will become an alterate history story set in Paris.

I'm sending something out again before the end of the month. It's been re-polished. Good luck with your MS.

And I consider writing something just because you want to an excellent way to get back into the writing. Stick with it, do small bits.

Jolene Perry said...

I have this idea that whenever I'm frustrated I work on WHATEVER I WANT even if I know it might not go anywhere...
Best of luck to ya ;-)

Kristin Lenz said...

Congratulations! This is a big step and by sharing with others, you'll have some extra support to keep you going. Cheers!

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Yes! Writing for yourself is a great thing--especially if it gets you motivated on other projects. Good luck with the querying!

Ash-Matic said...

Yay - Good for you with the query and the writing!

I often start stuff just for me, but rarely finish it. If it's just for me, the joy is the process of writing it, of telling myself the tale. Rewriting and editing that? Just for me? That sounds like masochism.

Tammy Theriault said...

just go for it! good things will happen with that ambition!

msmariah said...

I'm super impressed that you have a 4 children (especially a 6 mo old) and are still able to get this done.

I have a 4 mo old and I honestly don't know where my time goes.

D.G. Hudson said...

Just a warning, Katie, my daughter advised me that we should not encourage the use of 'that word'.
You know the one.

Our Prime Minister used the term inappropriately thinking it a combo of two other words and caused a lot of confusion in the legislature!

Hart Johnson said...

I applaud your attempts to save twerking from its unsavory connotations. And I have several works I haven't shared, though all the examples I can think of is because they are 'pre-ready' rather than private.

Anonymous said...

Congrats for your attempts...

elizabethfais said...

Hang in there and keep writing! Shannon Messenger had a project that was "just for her" that ended up landing her a 6 figure book deal. You just never know. :-)

Angela Ackerman said...

Congrats on sending out queries again. And I am glad you believe so strongly in your work. To me, this tells me there's something strong there and you should keep championing it!

Anonymous said...

Hi Katie! I just wanted to thank you for visiting my blog the other day with the Blitz Team. It made my day and I've been thrilled since. I'm grateful for your kind words. Good luck with your querying and congrats on your baby!! :) Lily

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