Thanks to all who’ve been weighing in on my mercurial posts– the poems and the rants and things in between.
This is an informal update. This morning when I tried to pick up the threads of my novel, the last section of The Rose of Scylla, a spin off of my memoir, I drew blanks like crazy. But I forged on, aimlessly writing chit chat dialogue until my character got bored and stirred up a little more trouble– the whole book is about her penchant for trouble.
I revised the pitch/hook for the novel and posted it on Meg Waite Clayton’s group on She Writes, where a grand total of forty people have posted their plot lines. Amazing books in the wings.
I checked on the group I moderate, Poets on She Writes and caught up on a few comments on my work. I read a few blog posts– one from a blogger turned published writer in less than a year who created an online frenzy over her book as if it were a best seller–including a “launch party” on Twitter, and attracted the attention of a number of agents who vied for it! Some sneaky strategy.
She had shopped the book to a horde of agents, given up and published it herself and then marketed it as per the aforementioned. Amazing. Her advice: don’t give up, no matter what.
I’m someone who has often capitulated to the “what’s the use” voice and even though we each write alone, we are not alone in our anxieties and small victories….I do believe in the memoir I completed and in this novel.
The manuscript of poetry is a different can of worms. I’m just going to gather myself and the mss I’ve stewed over for months and when some of the small presses begin reading again, use the electronic submission form and hit send.
Then, I worked on the query for the memoir and once more scared myself into not sending it out just yet. A wonderful friend is going to read it and I’m waiting to hear from one of the principals and how she feels about all of the words I necessarily put in her mouth in writing about the summer of 1973….
Finally, I was tired, spent, dragged out and hungry. Morning’s elated creativity has given way to an attack of hypoglycemia and the need to rest my eyes. While I rest I listen to the political machinations on MSNBC…..
Finally, a favorite part of the day– to go out to the country and accomplish small tasks and take care of the cats and dogs in and around singing, doodling, daydreaming and writing or revising my poetry, saving to the thumb drive, a late night chat, and home.
It’s a life. Thank God for the Net and all of you…xxj
Loquaciously Yours 
I so enjoyed today’s blog. You voiced, in writing, all the same hesitations that the members of my little writer’s group voice. We prod each other and sometimes that works.
I am trusting your memoir and novel will be published but I’m most eager to see your poetry published! I’m an amateur poet and submit to a couple of small quarterly journals but you write poetry like a true artist and I want your book in my hands!
Hugs,
Gerry
Here’s rooting for your memoir, novella, and poetry book to be published!
Btw, there’s an electronic submissions management tool that writers can use, and many presses are beginning to use it. It’s in one of my posts. I’ll try to find it again for you.
I’ve been rather amazed by the successes on SheWrites. Always interesting.