Sign on the wall

A sign on the wall behind a co-worker's desk read: Plan your work. Work your plan.


For my novel I had written out a plan for finding it a home. Instead of putting it in the bottom drawer, I'll continue to follow the plan. That means it'll be submitted to more agents.

Like looking for a job, the right fit is more important than a rapid placement.

Agent Responded

The agent responded. I am impressed with the agent's response and disappointed in not capturing her interest. She responded that she was not enthusiastic enough about the work to represent it. I think that is a wonderful response. So often rejections make me feel the problem is innate to the work. She avoids that.

Even so I think this work goes into the drawer. Perhaps I am not yet good enough. It is my first novel. Now is the time for me to focus on becoming a better writer.

Query Sent

The search for a home for my novel continues. Following the agent's guidelines, I sent off a query  with synopsis and the first fifty pages in the body of the email.

Revision completed.

I enjoyed re-reading my action packed adventure of the sea, but revised only minor problems. The agent said too much sea and too little conversation. I failed to see those areas and feel like a beginning author without perspective on his own work, unable to see the most glaring errors even when highlighted.

All input is valuable. For each comment, I try to make changes that solve that problem the best way possible. After a rest, I make the choice between the original and the revision.

Sometimes negative comments point out the different, the new, or the unusual. The best parts receive the most comments, both good and bad. In this case, I think the agent looked for the literary and found an adventure which disappointed her.