This Writer's Life

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.  ~William Wordsworth

Do you know what it feels like when you've left your heart on the page? You've looked at whatever it is you've written (maybe just a poem or a thoughtful note to a friend) and pronounced it good. I'm at that point now with my novel. Now, I'm waiting to see what happens next. So how did I get to this point?

1. It's been 3 months since I joyfully became agented for my new YA novel and got to write The Post I've Been Wanting To Write For Years.

2. It's been 2 months since I received the anxiety producing agent-requested revisions document. I've read blogs about these letters. What I came away with from other author blogs is that this experience is heady, yet scary and challenging. We writers WANT to get that kind of letter because it's a step-stone on the road to publication. But it's sort of like trying to prepare yourself mentally for the whole "What will I do if I meet a rabid bear in the woods?" Turned out, it wasn't so fearful. It was like having a coach say "Go stronger here. Keep going here. Give me 10 more push-ups here." And it was only a page and a half of notes. I took a deep breath and went to work. I was thrilled with the finished product.

3. It's been 1 month since I submitted the revisions.

4. I am still receiving rejections from other agents I submitted to in January. This isn't fun, but it's not horrible either. You just look at the email and say to yourself, "Really?" and confidently, yet kindly, hit the delete button.

5. It's now two weeks since my wonder agent said she's ready to submit the book to publishers. It's out there now, on eagle's wings. I like to picture an editor sitting in her overstuffed chair, a cup of Earl Grey at her side, savoring the words I've labored over for a couple of years. In this writer's fantasy, said editor becomes so drawn to the character, she's almost late for dinner with her friends. Over cocktails, she tells one of them she just read a story that made her cry. And smile.

A girl can dream.....

Are you waiting to hear a response about your work? If so, how are you passing the days?