So You Think You Can Dance? and Towel Dried Hair

The letter stands opened in the inbox, to be checked every four minutes. The link is getting tired, the unopened mail piling higher and higher.

Another rejection, this one hitting harder than the others. On the 24th, I queried the Barry Goldblatt agency and on the 26th.... well, you know.

I was talking to Jaden (http://www.youtube.com/user/jadennation) and he gave me some advice. First, I confided in him that I didn't think my first chapter was grabbing enough; I was more descriptive than I should have been, ect. He told me -- very bluntly and almost instantly -- to rewrite. He said, "Make it attention-grabby. These days, agents and houses don't want art. They want brain porn."

This could possibly be the best advice I've ever received.

I'm slowly learning that this world isn't as nurturing and loving as I thought. It's hard, slightly cruel, and rigid. They know what they want and if you're not, then you can suck it. I have to be what they want. I may act like a skank dancer, but I ain't gonna suck nuttin'.

I think I'm going to try and pull some strings, to see if I can get a legit editor, maybe see if someone can refer me. But, first, some rewriting. Which you should all know I hate, but have to do anyway.

And then there's NaNoWriMo. That should also be interesting.

A Little Discouraged,

Moriah

Wonder Woman Costumes and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'?

Hiyahi.

SO. Four days ago, on the 24th, I sent my next query to Sara Megibow of Nelson Agency. The very next day, in my inbox, was the reply.

I sat and gave the unopened file the eyeball for a time, all suspicious-like. This was the fastest response I'd gotten thus far, and that held some weight. If it was a 'we'd like to see your manuscript', it would mean my newly written query was a success and I could do a happy dance. But, if it was that dreaded and despised rejection, that could mean:
a) My query letter was a lot worse than expected.
b) SSS really could be a doomed project.
c) This agency is merely more efficient than the others and I'm overracting.

SO. I opened the file.

BOOM. Rejected.

My first reaction was WHY?! ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! CURSEWORDSCURSEWORDSCURSEWORDS!!!!!!!! But, then I put on some sweatpants, danced around, and watched last weeks episode of Glee. And I felt WORLDS better.

SO. I went all siffy-hound-like and compared my three different query letters. I found a ton of differences, but one really stuck out to me.

In this latest letter, I mentioned that SSS, "rests at a comfortable word count of 34,516..."

Could this be the problem? Could SSS simply be too short to be considered a novel? Have I created the awkward, in-between NOVELLA!? Why am I typing in capital letters so much!?
I'll send a few more and develop my theory further.

In other news, my NaNoWriMo plot is all figured out, and now I am (im)patiently waiting for November first to start. Also, I entered a contest that might enable me to have a one-on-one with an agent and get an editor.

Also, with Halloween being my second favorite holiday, I bought my costume. Not to betray my obvious borderline-obsessive-love for Marvel comics, I will be Wonder Woman. Yes, the time of year for slootiness has arrived.

Sexy in all My Nerdy Glory,

Moriah

Oops, I'm Sorry and AWESOME NEWS

Why, hello. We meet again. Months later, but still.

First of all, I'd like to apologize for my absence. I know I only have one follower here, but I'd still like to apologize. It may be outplayed now-a-days, but I'd still like to say I have failed. You see, my excuse is that my life just went wacko on me and I completely forgot I made this blog. I know, terrible, right?!

Since we last saw each other, I finished SARA SIX STRINGS. On October third, I sent my first query letter to Daniel Lazar, of Writers House Publishing Company. On the fifth, I received his rejection.

That same day, I sent another query to Catt LeBaigue of Heacock Publishing agency. Two days later on the seventh, I got her rejection as well.

I've since stopped querying to redraft my letter, as I've found it to be complete crap. I found a website that had examples of real-life author's queries and found mine to be really pale in comparison. My problem is where ti distinguish the line between professional personality and disrespectful informality. I bought a book on how to write queries, so we'll see if that helps.

I always thought I'd be crushed each time I got a rejection letter and would go sulk in a corner all emo-like. But, I've found that to be opposite. You see, one has to realize that a person can go through years of rejection before being picked up. It's all a matter of getting up off the floor, dusting off your clothes and keep on keeping on. Remember, there are always plenty more fish in the sea and all that inspirational crap.

In other news, I'm planning on participating in NaNoWriMo this upcoming month. If you didn't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's a website competition of sorts that encourages you to write 50,000 words in one month. I did the math, and that's roughly 5-6 pages a day for 30 days. Intense, right?

www.nanowrimo.org

I promise to keep you posted about my adventures, like I had originally planned. Happy writing!

I Make Fail Look Cool,

Moriah