I seriously question my mental stability. I’m either slipping into early stages of dementia or I’m just totally lame. I just realized that, aside from vanishing from blogdom for more than 2 months without explanation (my apologies), I somehow failed to announce that I SIGNED WITH A LITERARY AGENT ! ! !
FOUR STINKIN MONTHS ago!
Talk about anti-climaxification.
Let me bring you up to speed: my novel, Love Worth Fire, was one of 3 finaling novels in the Mt Hermon/Zondervan First Novel Competition. I did post about the outcome of that, I’m almost absolutely positive. Though my story did not win the contract for publication, it got the notice of editors and that was an incredible honor.
So that was last April, and at that time, my Prospective Agent had the manuscript but had not finished reading it. I suspect spring fever or that pure thin Rocky Mountain air got her feeling a little extra gutsy because she offered me and my sweet, feel-good love story representation anyway.
Although the novel had shown some promise at Zondervan, she wanted to help get it in the best possible shape before we submit it to publishers. So while she finished her read through and carved out—er compiled notes for revision, I kept busy with stuff like planning novel #2, waiting, getting my motorcycle endorsement and going hog-shopping. (Hey, there are a few exceptions to the no shopping rule.)
At the end of June, I received my first 10 page Editorial Revision Letter which listed (ahem) a bunch of revisions. Not the kind you can knock off with a quick snip, a stitch, slap on a Band-Aid and you’re back in the game, kiddo, but the knock you out with an obscene amount of drugs, blood transfusions, post-op therapy kind.
DON’T get me wrong: this is phenomenal! It’s a tremendous opportunity, a rare gift. It’s just kind of crazy hard. Mainly because my name is Camille and I’m a nose-bleeding perfectionist. We’re not talking about changing Emily’s hair color. We’re talking dig down, get into her skin and feel what she feels, infuse her with my emotions and help you, O wise reader, to feel what she and I feel. All throughout the story. That’s some work.
I won’t bore you with the details of how this never-satisfied perfectionist writer is managing the task. I’ll blog about it more soon and share what the process is teaching me. Not just about writing, but about me and how my demented brain processes this process.
I will say that this task is starting to feel like one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. And to those of you who have also given birth 3 times, I hope that tells you something.
11 comments:
Hi, Camille! It's nice to meet you!
Sounds like you had a great summer! Congrats on your success. It must feel wonderful to see your dream coming true, even if the editing was difficult. I hope this season is wonderful for you. You've earned it!
I've got my surgical gloves on and a long spinal needle in my fat little fingers, so whenever you're ready, say when.
Such another good post again! (Edit that, I dare you.) Your sense of humor delights. I'd love to see you write a lighter-hearted story one day. Maybe it would feel easier. Your style when you are yourself is so uniquely wonderfully funny. And, dang. You caught me again. I clicked on the Donald Miller Confesses blog post, forgetting I'd already fallen for that one before.
I love it! You had me laughing with you -- and cringing at your pain. I agree, you have a great style and a wonderful sense of humor -- and you're cool bike riding woman too! :-)
Hi, Kristen - thanks!
Carla - Ack! But if it will help...
Ginny - I may be losing it, but I'm not stupid. No one would dare edit an English teacher! Thanks for the nice words. :-)
Thanks Myla - I have to confess I haven't done much riding since getting that Revision Letter (a few days after getting my endorsement!). This will take all my spare time till I get it done.
Amazing! Congratulations. Inspirational fiction is tops! (and yea, I just used that phrase)
I'm sure you can't wait until it is published and on the shelves. More power to you for the strength and patience for those revisions.
Can't wait to meet Emily (assuming that is your MC and I didn't read incorrectly).
Hi Regina - I'd say 'tops' sounds British, and I'm all for that. GO for it. Thanks, and I hope you'll get to meet Ian and Emily one day soon.
OK, forty lashes with a wet noodle.
And why, dear lady, are you keeping the identity of your agent such a deep, dark secret?
Janet - I honestly don't know. I noticed everyone else does this, and figured they must know of some unwritten code that I haven't discovered yet, so I am playing it safe and following suit. I will give you a clue though: her blog is listed with my cool web links because it is full of daily advice for those on the path to publication.
Actually, lots of people do say who it is. The only reason I can think of for not announcing it, is that it saves awkward questions if things don't work out. I parted ways with my agent a while back, and I did not blog on that incident. Didn't want to look like I'm slamming agents in public and scare off a future agent.
But if RG is your agent, I doubt that will be an issue. ;o)
Yo Sis, roll up you sleeves and JUST DO IT!
LOL
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