...But here's my query, so call me maybe.
:smirk: I couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon with this one. Hey, if the Olympic swim team can borrow the song for their video, I can at least snatch the line for my blog post title. ;o)
Okay, so I was talking with a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless unless she decides to out herself in the comments). She's been reading a book I sent out for query a couple years ago, that I got discouraged about. I didn't send it to her to critique. We were just chatting and I said 'Hey, you should probably read my suspense one of these days'. She found a free spot in her busy life and asked to see it.
Last night she wrote me to tell me she's almost done and asked the eternal question. "WHY did you stop querying this?"
So I told her the long, sad* stupid story. Actually, the short version is Jessica Faust rejected my full and then I got all defeatist.
And Ms. Faust's comments weren't bad. They were actually really nice. I just got all tangled up in my head with my own self-doubt and decided 'You have no business writing suspense'. After which, I stopped production on the half-edited book I was tweaking and the half-written WIP I was working on.
They sit on my hard drive giving me the stink-eye every time I scroll past their folders. And I don't blame them. I deserve a little stink-eye from those books. They're good ideas. They ought to be finished and sent out into the world.
As for Dying Embers (aka Manhunter - if you've been around the blog that long), I never should've walked away and left it lying in the dust. After all, as my friend pointed out, Ms. Faust requested the full for a reason. So, as soon as I screw my courage to the sticking post, I will send it out into the world again.
What about you? Have you ever let a little discouragement stop you from going after something?
PS. If you haven't seen that video of the swimmers lip-syncing to 'Call Me Maybe', it's hilarious.
*sad as in pathetic, not depressing... well, unless you count that being pathetic is often depressing.
Okay. That made me laugh. Out loud. We should all get together and do our own video, but with revised words! ;-)
ReplyDeleteRejection sucks. Been there. Stopped writing for anyone but myself for over ten years. Finally got a swift kick in the pants and started trying to be productive again. Five novels in, and too many rejections to count, I finally sold. I wish now I hadn't waited so long to get back in the game. No telling where I'd be now.
There's an object lesson here. Are you listening? *prepares to deliver swift kick* ;-)
Ha, that song is so funny.
ReplyDeleteOh boy. Rejections. I actually got 3 today, which may be a record. So, definitely feeling a bit discouraged lately. But, about to start edits on my middle grade, which has a really cool premise. So, even if no one wants my vampire novel since everyone seems over them now, hopefully my MG will catch someone's eye... otherwise I'm totally back to square one.
But yes, will continue on... and go you on polishing up that suspense novel!