Sprinting to Representation?

A lot has happened over the last few months. At the end of October I accepted an offer from Emily Rodmell at Love Inspired Historical for my Biblical set romance Yours for Eternity (working title). Then I spent a month hacking up my lungs. I know, what a beautiful image that portrays, huh?

In the first of November I discovered through an email from another editor that that same Biblical romance had won a writing contest I had entered. The editor had hoped to see it, but since I had accepted an offer on it a few days before there was no point. Instead she took a western romance, which had also been entered, and took third out of fourth, in that same contest. I sent it off and then began the sprint of finding an agent.

Well, that's much easier said than done, especially in the height of the holiday seasons. But so many people told me, 'Once you sell you'll have no problemo'. Mmmm hmmm. And in all actuality I haven't been sprinting too hard. A query here, a query there, just to see if I could get any bites. It's one thing to send a query out there, another to get a request. So now, it's just a waiting game to see how it goes.

And I'll tell you this right here and now, I'm not freaked or any of that kind of stuff, I've been praying a lot about all of this and trying to be led by the Spirit and not my own emotions. There is a lot of advice about how writers should go about seeking an agent, but not every avenue works for every writer. Sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes it's about who you know. And sometimes it's what some people will call 'pure dumb luck'. I, however, call it Godincidences.

I don't know a whole lot about running. Yet. My goal for 2013 is to run a 5k. I know it'll take training to build up my stamina. And I know once I'm ready I'll need to pace myself so I don't succumb to exhaustion and give up all together. Sprinting isn't something I'll want to do for the entire 5k else I will exhaust all of my body's resources.

And so it is with finding an agent, I don't want to exhaust all of my resources. Why work months, even years on a manuscript just to send off one query to hundreds of agents without even knowing if my query has that WOW factor? That's not a real smart business decision. At least not for me. And I'd hope not for you either. Maybe I'm a little cautious, just dipping my toe in the water here and there, but I don't want to risk being burnt by a hundred nos, do you?

*Photo is a free image provided by Shutterstock

Not so scared

After a long Friday and an even longer Saturday, I had a pretty good writing day on Sunday. Even through all the Olympic distractions I was able to type over twenty-two hundred words on my prairie story. That after only coming up with a little over one hundred a few days before.

Something I've discovered over the last few days is that my current story isn't as plot driven as I'd thought but rather character driven. This is quite the change for me as I tend to write with my plot in focus.

I have to say I'm kind of excited about this change.

Plot-driven- characters are driven by the plot

Character driven- plot is driven by the characters

An excellent example of character driven stories are Vannetta Chapman's Shipshewana Amish Mysteries.

Here is a great article on the two-Character-Driven or Action-Driven?

So, since I've realized, okay accepted, that this story doesn't want to follow all my little plotting cards I'm not so scared of writing it.

Are you a character driven or plot driven writer?

The Next Chapter

I'm scared. Oh, I know I'm not supposed to be, but I am. You see, I finished a semester of classes at the end of May. Took a few days off and then began requested changes on a manuscript, sent it off on June 4 and then began making requested changes on another manuscript, which I sent off this past Wednesday.

I've been in constant revision mode for almost two years. Although I've been rewriting and adding scenes to my manuscripts, I haven't actually written anything new. And now it's time! Yes, it's time. I have several stories that are in different stages. Some in the plotting stage, some halfway through and others that are complete but need major revisions. I thought about working on one of the completes, but I know in my heart that I need to be writing something new.

Well, sort of. I have a story sitting under 35k. It's a story God put on my heart, much like my other stories, but I also know that out of all my stories, this one, even though it's fun to write, will be the toughest to write because the subject matter doesn't fit within the Christian Book Association (CBA) guidelines, which means somehow I've got to find a way to make it work.

Because I know me, I have to finish the story the way I originally visioned. And pour a lot of prayer over it, but that doesn't mean I'm not a little scare, and yes somewhat excited, at the prospect of finishing this story. What if it's not fixable once it's finished? What if there are plot holes I can't fix? I what if my writing well has run dry?

I think those are pretty typical questions many writers ask themselves.  And although we have moments of doubt, when we hand our words to God, He's always faithful to smooth away the doubt and offer encouragement.

Here's an excerpt from my Kansas prairie rough draft:

Hezekiah straightened to her full height, surprised that the Reverend hadn't taken notice of Aunt Gussie's dramatic display. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Hezekiah heard the creaking sound of the Parry Bros. Mercantile doors, but she stood staring at the stiff posture and grim lines etched in the reverend's face. Something wasn't right. And it wasn’t just Reverend Carver’s demeanor. Something was definitely amiss. Yet, for the breath of her she couldn't quite figure it out.

“Do you suppose he knows it's Sunday?” Uncle Earl repeated Gussie's question as he moved between them. Hezekiah glanced at her uncle. Haloed smoke rings floated into the air as he puffed on his cigar.

“Really, Earl,” Gussie chastised as she waved at the swirls of smoke. “It is Sunday.”

He drew on the end, brightening the tip into a slow kindle with a mischievous glint in his eye. A gust of wind drew the sweet tobacco toward Hezekiah, tugged at her bonnet, and freed a few wayward curls. She tucked them back into place before Gussie pecked at her disheveled appearance.

“But does he know it’s Sunday?”

     “I really wish you'd halt that offensive habit.” Gussie waved her hand in front of her nose. “Especially on the Lord’s Day, Earl.”

 True to form, Earl complied with his wife's wishes, although Hezekiah knew the disagreement would return in seven day’s time.

“Someone really ought to tell the poor lad that the post won't come until Tuesday.”

     Hezekiah swung her gaze to Uncle Earl and then back to the platform. How had she not realized the reverend was anxiously awaiting for a post that would not arrive for two more days?

Who Am I?

I've been caught up in such a whirlwind lately. Do this, go here. There hasn't been much time for sleep, and as if my waking hours aren't hectic enough, the last several weeks I've been plagued with migraines and Celiac issues.

In all the chaos, my time with the Lord has been very little. A quick prayer before bed, a devotional here, a short verse there, words of wisdom from friends on Facebook as I'm passing by trying to catch up on friends and family. Definitely not my set aside daily time that I wish, or long for. But during all of this, God has given me the bits and pieces needed to carry through the day.

Take for instance yesterday. I'd spent two days before studying and taking exams from 8 a.m. to 1 a. m. No joke. Well, there were a few moments of fixing lunch, helping dd with her school and then fixing dinner, other than that it was mostly school. By the time I woke up yesterday it was time for a bit more studying, and then another exam, lunch, studying, school with the kids, then running dd to dance.

By the time I time I was ready to take dd to dance I was trying to catch my breath. Determination to rest once I got home settled on my shoulders, but I didn't know if I could do it. I mean there's always another class to study for, and then there are the taxes to get done. Twenty million things running through my head and not a one of them where they should be, until I slipped into the driver's seat.

Yep, it's a tad bit dusty but the message was clear. Who am I? You have to understand that a few months ago I was on a mission to scour the Bible to see exactly who it says I am. This was a gentle, yet firm reminder of that mission. It was also a reminder that even in all the chaos, I'm still who the Bible says I am--a child of the living God.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12 (NIV)

Hiya

It's not unusual for me to become confused as I try to keep up with the Jones. Only this time I'm not really trying to keep up with them, but rather trying to keep up with all this social media and branding. Thankfully, I think I've got it figured out. Over the next few weeks I'll be in the process of building this little site.

In the mean while I ask you be patient with me and if by chance you stop by and there is nothing new here, you're more than welcome to visit my other site christinarich.wordpress.com