It's a Delicate Balance

Right after I quit a job that had me working 70-80 hours a week at all hours of the day and night I vowed to myself that I would never again let a job get in the way of my life. Unfortunately, I am having the exact opposite problem right now. I'm letting life get in the way of a potential job.

I was doing so well before the move. I'd get several hours of writing done almost every day and not spend so much time distracted by other things. But this move, everything that needs to be done with the house, and the bout of depression I went through this past winter seem to have sapped what little willpower I have. I spend too much time flitting between websites, wandering around the house cleaning or just staring in dismay at the mess, and occasionally poking at these rewrites.

In the last few weeks I've managed to add another 5k words and tweak the first dozen chapters (two and a half of them today), but I feel like I should be going faster. I look at the speed of some professional authors in the urban fantasy genre and I know in my heart that I'll never be successful if I can't pick up my writing/editing pace. I'm just not sure how to do that and it is so discouraging. 

Spring Is Here!

I've been tracking an interesting peculiarity about myself for the last several years -- my creativity is tied to the cycle of the seasons. All Winter my brain feels like it's full of cotton. The words are there, but they're muffled, distant, not within my grasp. And my yearning to write is diminished as well. I'm easily distracted, irritated with the entire process, and too easily discouraged.

Now that the warmth is returning, the flowers are starting to grow, and the snow is gone I'm getting back into the swing of things. I *want* to write. I have ideas bubbling up through the mud and demanding my attention. I can concentrate again.

I wonder if my Muse is affected by SAD... It's definitely something I should look into for next Winter.

Strange Coincidences and Writing

When I started writing Where Demons Fear to Tread, I set a specific date for things to happen. I chose 2012 as the year for the Fall (but NOT 12/21/12) and the start of Demons is May 2028. I didn't do much research into future astrological events with the initial writing, but now that I'm doing these intense rewrites for my agent, I've decided to mold this to actual dates and events for that month. As I was doing research, I came across this site. "Accordingly, to its cycle, this will provoke a revolutionary wave in US and around the world in 2028. This often happens when Uranus transits Gemini. Hopefully, this will be a revolution for the best, for the environment and for human nature."

Yeah, um... that's kind of cool.

Happy New Year!

I've been silent on here for far too long, I just haven't had the motivation or brain-power to think of anything to say. My agent asked me to take a few months away from my book before starting rewrites so I could look at it with a fresh eye, which I've done. In the meantime, I've been busy working on the new house and just letting my brain relax and refresh itself.
With the new year has come new motivation and it's now time for me to buckle down and get these rewrites done. I know what needs to be done for most of the rewriting, I've got that all figured out. There are some things (major things) that I'm still struggling to sort through in my head. I'll figure them out and pull through this. I have to. *wibbles a bit*

OH MY GODS!!!!

I have an agent!

I am so very excited to announce that yesterday I accepted representation from Cameron McClure of the Donald Maass Literary Agency! She loves the story and the characters and is very excited about it, which makes me ecstatic. She does want me to do another rewrite, but I can handle that.

Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods!!!

*pinches self*

Quiet

I know I've been quiet lately, but that's because I'm so busy and stressed out right now I can barely think. My husband and I are buying a new house and that is taking up most of my time and energy. On the advice of one of the agents, I have set the book aside and am not thinking about it at all for a month. In the meantime, I am busy working on a few fun projects, several of which will never see the light of day because they are simply for my own personal amusement.

I should have some good news to share shortly, but until then, there's not much to say. 

Doubts

And the doubts have set in with a vengeance...

I finished the revisions and sent them off to the agent who requested them. Now I'm worried that I didn't take them far enough. That I didn't do enough to make it good enough for her. I'm so worried about this my stomach is tied up in knots.

The three people who read it over for me before I sent it out all raved about it, but I just can't help but doubt.

Too many awesome things have been happening for me and I can't help but think that something has to give. I've NEVER had so many good things happen to me all at once and I'm a little wary.

Link Stew

I'm exhausted from a summer solstice party yesterday that turned into a surprise wedding! So, instead of actual content, please enjoy this selection of links:

Hannah Moskowitz on Professionalism ~ http://hannahmosk.blogspot.com/2010/06/professionalism.html

A contest! http://www.theoddshots.com/2010/06/demon-blood-giveaway/

Another contest! http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=26914

Cat Valente on why The Ending is not a satisfying end ~ http://yuki-onna.livejournal.com/588977.html

Sherrilyn Kenyon's story of how she got published ~ http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=406682535809

Success!!!

On Tuesday I had my conversation with the second agent. It was a much quicker call than the one with the first agent. The second agent gave me a few revision suggestions (far fewer than the first one), then told me a little bit about herself and her agency. I explained to her that I was doing revisions for another agent and asked if she wanted me to send her the new version when I was done with it.

She said she would love to take a look at it, but her offer of rep would still stand!!!

I have an official offer of representation from an agent!

I'm going to finish my revisions for agent #1 and see what she says before making my decision. However, no matter how this plays out, I'm going to have an agent!

When No Means Maybe

Persistence really does pay off. I found that out first hand this week.

After emailing back and forth with the agent who rejected my revisions, she asked for a phone conversation to talk about further revisions. We spent an hour and a half talking on Monday afternoon. She offered me a LOT of very detailed crits about what she did and didn't like. After thinking about them for a bit, I agree with most of them.

I'm going to spend some time doing these revisions for her and then she wants to give it a third read-through. A THIRD read-through!!! So many writers don't even get a first read-through and here I am getting THREE! From an agent with one of THE top agencies.

Hear that, subconscious? If an agent of that caliber likes the novel, then you are not allowed to bad-mouth it any longer!

Also, I have another agent who is nearly done reading the full and wants to talk and offer suggestions.

*dies*