The Week Ahead: CLOUD 9 & A New Office Mate
My writing week will once again focus solely on CLOUD 9, my completed and oft-revised contemporary YA novel. I'm fully immersed into that world once again, as I've seriously considered and taken to heart two comments from publishing professionals.
The most recent comment, based on a critique of my query letter, is that CLOUD 9 is "run-of-the-mill" YA. Earlier in the year, an agent who had requested the full manuscript commented that one aspect seemed to resolve itself too easily. These comments, in addition to a recent tweet about rejection, that it's probably not the query letter that needs revision but the novel, led me to some serious thinking. Is it my query letter that doesn't stand out, or is it the work itself?
So CLOUD 9 has once again become my top priority. Big picture, chapter by chapter, word by word, bird by bird. It's a story that should be told, with a unique setting and other elements that do stand out. As often happens with my writing -- and especially re-writing -- the answers are revealing themselves, and it's a better book, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy the revising process so much. And there's more mini-golf.
My goal is to have the manuscript revised and ready for querying once again by this time next week.
Today my new office mate moved in. Keeping my darling four-year-old out of my office while I'm writing (or working my "real job") is a challenge, so I've invited her in. My hope is that if she can keep busy at her own little desk, the interruptions will be fewer. I cleared a spot for her and gave her a new composition notebook. She has sharpened several pencils, written me notes, and said more than once, "Mom! I'm busy writing!"
The most recent comment, based on a critique of my query letter, is that CLOUD 9 is "run-of-the-mill" YA. Earlier in the year, an agent who had requested the full manuscript commented that one aspect seemed to resolve itself too easily. These comments, in addition to a recent tweet about rejection, that it's probably not the query letter that needs revision but the novel, led me to some serious thinking. Is it my query letter that doesn't stand out, or is it the work itself?
So CLOUD 9 has once again become my top priority. Big picture, chapter by chapter, word by word, bird by bird. It's a story that should be told, with a unique setting and other elements that do stand out. As often happens with my writing -- and especially re-writing -- the answers are revealing themselves, and it's a better book, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy the revising process so much. And there's more mini-golf.
My goal is to have the manuscript revised and ready for querying once again by this time next week.
Today my new office mate moved in. Keeping my darling four-year-old out of my office while I'm writing (or working my "real job") is a challenge, so I've invited her in. My hope is that if she can keep busy at her own little desk, the interruptions will be fewer. I cleared a spot for her and gave her a new composition notebook. She has sharpened several pencils, written me notes, and said more than once, "Mom! I'm busy writing!"
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| Birdy at her desk |
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| Birdy chose this CD for our first afternoon writing together |
I like Birdy's desk! It's a little reminiscent of Uncle Keith's trunk in Betsy-Tacy. Very cute.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the revisions.