Writing Update: On Submission

So, like, being on submission kind of sucks.

But it's also exciting.

It's a strange dichotomy.

Recent insta post: check it out!

Here's what they don't tell you: "Once you've found a literary agent, you must then submit your manuscript to a publishing house. You may be an overnight success, or you may never succeed at all."

It's a bit bonkers.

I've been on submission for two years now (it could be more or less, but it's been so long, I clearly can't remember the exact time frame).

In this time, I've drafted, developed, and completed an entirely new manuscript (more on this to come!). My agent is still very confident in the book I have on submission, and I feel he will work tirelessly to get it into the hands of the world. But as the clock only continues to turn, I truly believe that the current book I have on submission is hard to sell because it's not a high-concept commercial YA (side note: is anyone else struggling with this, too?).

Long story short: the world can't handle it, y'all.

This is such a strange journey, too, because at any given moment, my dream could be made into reality, and in that same moment, it could be turned into dust (hard stuff to swallow--literally).

Anyway, that's the official, official, update on where I am in this lovely writing process.

Hopefully (all fingers and toes crossed), I'll have another book on submission soon!

Again, more to come on this new manuscript. But also, is anyone else struggling with being on submission to publishing houses, or being on submission with literary agents?
Share below!

Still have more questions? Leave a comment below.
Like these posts? Share them in your writing community; it helps me know that I should make more.

Till next time, blog world.

Aesthetic Book Series: Meet Noah

Welcome back to another Aesthetic Book Series blog post.

Today, we get to meet the main character of Rubatosis, Noah. 

Noah Dean Turner is seventeen when he leaves home to find the true meaning of life.

Noah. The MC. The boy that walks around with his heart outside of his chest--in more of a literal way than figurative way. The story chaser and adventure seeker. The one on the hunt to discover the meaning of the world and the truth behind it. The book requisitioner and superhero of his own story, though he hasn't come to terms with it yet. The one we're rooting for

"Noah considered taking off in that instant. He could easily leave through the back door and run as far as he could till he hit the woods. No one would find him—he would be perfectly lonely. 

But he paused at the back door, letting his hand rest on the knob. Noah could see all the land from where he stood. He could see the rows of vegetables that would never be picked and weeds that would never be pulled. He could see his life out there, his future, and his granddad’s words ran through his head."

That's all for this one!

Stay tuned for next week to meet the next character! 

Truth

So here's the thing: I haven't been able to write in months.

I mean, yeah, I'll choke out a paragraph or two, but I've legitimately missed the tail on this one.
It's not even that I don't like my book or my characters--I like all those things. I'm obsessed with my words, and I find myself reading them over and over again.

And I'm stuck.

Stuck because I can't get past those words. I want the story to end, I know how it ends, heck I've even written a rough draft of the ending, but I can't get to that point.

Does any of this happen to any of you?

Do you feel your words trapped within your thoughts, so far hidden that even if you tried to rescue them you couldn't get them out?

That's how I'm feeling, guys.

I need my words. I need some inspiration.
Give me something.

Sincerely,
lost with no words.

Querying Jenny Bent

AKA, the mystery woman behind my personalized rejection letter....

                                       (Photo from: http://www.thebentagency.com/agent_jenny_bent.php)

So here's the need-to-know about Jenny Bent!

She is a literary agent and the founder of the Bent Agency. She represents commercial adult fiction, YA, middle grade, memoirs, and selective narrative non fiction. Jenny specifically wants a novel that will speak to the heart--we're talking raw emotion, ya'll. Ideally, she wants a book that will make her laugh and cry, or do both at the same time.


Have you queried Jenny Bent? How did it work out?

I have queried The Bent Agency. I actually sent Jenny a query on September 14th of this year! Unfortunately, it did not work out for me, but that is okay. I still believe in this agency, and the agent profiles seem to be quite legit! I suggest everyone checking them out! (Here's the link!)




What was the response time?

The response time was incredibly fast! I sent my query on September 14th, and she responded five days later, on September 19th. I was actually in the middle of my Marketing class when I got the notification on my phone. Honestly, I thought the response was a good one until I got to the end of it, but I was so in shock I didn't have any room left to be upset. Haha, thank you, Jenny!



Would you ever query her again?

If I write a novel that is to her liking, I would be more than willing to query her again. She's on the top of my list, and I'm kind of curious to know if this was a personalized rejection or not.

How can I query Jenny Bent?

You can contact Jenny by emailing her at queries@thebentagency.com
However, I highly suggest that you check out the submission guidelines first.

Bonus:

Follow Jenny on twitter and check out her blog. There's some neat stuff on there.

Also, if you're curious to know what that rejection letter looked like, follow this link to an old blog post! Click Here!

Well, that's all for this blog post. As always, let me know what your experiences are with these agents! Good luck with the queries!

Till next time blog world!

Cough Medicine, Writer's Block, and A Silver Lining

So, it's one am my time, I'm doped up on cough medicine, and I can't sleep.

My Current State of Confusion...

I can't stop thinking about writing.

I guess I've never questioned myself this much before.

The theme for my new manuscript keeps changing, and I can't figure out who my characters are anymore, or who they're supposed to be. It's like questioning my own identity.

Where do I go from here? Do I just pick up the pieces and move on, am I experiencing writer's block or side effects from this cough medicine?

And should I be querying my other manuscript while I'm writing? What do I do at a time like this besides wait?

I feel like I'm always waiting--waiting on words, waiting on feedback, waiting on agents, waiting for this commercial to end....

And I can't stop thinking about that movie I just watched (for like the millionth time,) A Silver Lining's Playbook. If you like crazy people, love stories, football, and writing, this movie is for you, hands down.

Well anyway, one of the main characters, Tiffany, goes off on one of her crazy moments...inserts gif...

And sometimes I feel that way after I write, like somehow my own words are betraying me by not giving me anything else to say . . . like they're judging me. It seems irreversible.

It's like, how the heck am I supposed to finish this chapter if my brain doesn't work the way I want it to?

Why are my main characters so complicated, and why is the word excelsior still stuck in my head?

And now, I'm going wayy too deep. I think that night time medicine is setting in.

On a more serious note, does anyone have any advice about writer's block? Is this normal, the way I feel?
And seriously, check out this movie, or even the book, it's my favorite.

Till next time, ya'll!

Happy Writing Days!

Writing Styles

This GIF, in a nutshell, is how I'd describe my writing style. 

Obviously, the older I get and the more experience I gain, my writing style differs. That's just life.

It's no secret, I want to be as original as I can. There's this "stuff" that has been created in me, and then it is somehow used to create the sentences I pour into my pages. I think that "stuff" is apart of everyone, and that's what makes them different, unique. Because I am such an emotional person, my writing tends to lean toward the emotional side. My goal is to paint a visual picture of "feelings" with words. I want the reader to feel every moment that the character feels. To me, they need to connect on that level--whether that be depression, falling in love, anxiety, or fear.  I believe that if there is no initial connection, I'd lose the reader.

When it comes to influences, I'm very inspired by other author's writing styles. With my new manuscript, I've been feeling really influenced by Ernest Hemingway (which you've probably noticed if you follow me on twitter.) If you've read anything from him, you'd see that his writing is somewhat direct and to the point. (Almost polar opposite from me.) At the same time, though, he can be very detailed with particular moments and scenes. It is truly the simpleness that gets me.

I'm also inspired by music and song lyrics. There are so many songs when I'm just like, "I want my book to portray this exact song. Ah!!!"
I want to somehow write the tempo and the chords in without actually writing it in.
I don't know, songs just touch me in this indescribable way, and I want my reader to experience the same feeling, too.

If I'm referring back to the GIF I used above, that's how I want to feel after I write a sentence in my book...
Not kidding.
If I'm not feeling the sentence, I'll cut it and rewrite it. I want each sentence to make me feel like that GIF--even if I am asking a lot from myself, it's completely worth it. Every sentence is meaningful, and it comes together to create this outstanding story, and I want it all to be beautiful...

Like I've said in my bio: "My words will tug away the strings of your heart." 

Till next time blog world, 

Hasta la vista! 

A Heartfelt Rejection

It twas bittersweet . . .

Rejections, they suck, but I'm at the point in my life where a rejection is just a rejection. Each one will get me one step closer to my dream. 

Anyway, as you all know, I've been querying. Last Sunday (six days ago,) I queried this agency. (I'll most likely do a review on this agent sometime soon. It was a fast reply!)

The agent that I queried was the founder of that agency, and she is such an amazing woman. 

Within five days, I received a response, and it was unlike any rejection I'd ever received. I'd honestly, for a second, thought it was good news! When I realized that she was passing on my manuscript, I wasn't even upset. She had personalized my rejection letter, and that was enough to keep me on cloud nine for the rest of the evening. 

Here's what she said:

Dear Britney, 

Thanks so much for being in touch. I'm flattered that you thought of me for this, but it just didn't strike a chord. I do admire the quality of the writing and the execution and I'm sorry it wasn't a fit for me.

Here's what I read:


 I admire the quality of the writing and the execution.


How could I be upset by that? The fast reply, the words. My heart is completely filled right now. An agent--an amazing agent that I highly respect--liked my writing. She liked it, and that was enough for me.

*heartfelt sigh, and happy tears. Refer to the gif as needed.


That's all, folks.

Till next time blog world.

Three things you don't know about me

So last night, at about ten pm, I decided to send a query out. Go ahead, call me crazy, but I was ready to do it. This time around, I felt different. I wasn't overly-anxious. I don't have second day regrets. And I'm quite confident with this version of my manuscript.

It felt right to me, so I did it without blinking.

And the woman I queried is in my top three. Whether she passes or accepts, I will do a review of my query experience with her on here.

Until then, it's back to the waiting game!  Furthermore, here are three things you don't know about me!


--One:

I have crazy, curly hair.  Sometimes I like it . . . sometimes I don't.

--Two:

 I'm growing a mint plant, so I can put it in my tea. :)

--Three:

After camp ended, I cried the entire way home--not kidding. And it was an hour drive. 

This was the last sunset.

And this was the moon on the night that I left.

And there it is, people. That's three things you don't know about me. (But now ya do! Wink, wink)

Bonus fact: I was listening to Hunter Hayes first album the night that I left. 

That's it for today's blog post. Wish me query luck!

Synopsis

I am avoiding the writing of my synopsis.

How do you even start something so terrible that gives away every plot and twist of your novel?

It's so......heartbreaking

I hate it.

I am avoiding a piece of my novel that is very valuble to some agents.

I just, I can't handle it.

And I'm pretty sure that this is ten times harder than writing a query.

WHY????

Sincerely, exhausted at looking at my stupid synopsis.

An Ordinary Tuesday

Do you ever find yourself with a really good book idea, and then, once you hit the third page, you have sudden writer's block?

Well, that's how I feel at the moment. 

While I'm querying my book, Unbroken, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to take my mind off ease and start on a new project. See, I've had this new book idea in my head for a long time, even before Unbroken was complete, but now that I have time to write as much as I please, I can't think of a single scene that will get me past the first chapter. 

I truly believe this is from not connecting with my new characters. 

I really need to sit down with them, one by one, and figure out who they are. And by that, I mean I need to get out a pen and paper and scribble down every single aspect about them until I can hear their voices clearer than I can hear my own. 

I think the big issue for me is the connection I have with my past characters. For the last year, I've been working hard to complete their story in Unbroken, and now that it's over, I don't know how to let them go. I think writing a new book entitles moving on . . . which means that I'll have to break up with old characters, and I don't know if I'm ready to do that.  Does that ever happen to any of you?

Eh, I guess that's enough ranting about my attachment issues.

Back to the drawing board I go. 

Happy Writing days!  

The First Rejection

So, I received my first rejection today..........


My initial reaction was to freak out, but since I was on my way to a class, I had to suffer in silence.


Don't get me wrong, I'm familiar with rejection: boys, books, friends, families, random strangers on the street. But, regardless of how many times it happens to me, it still hurts.
There's a sharp pain that I can't ignore.

As some of you may already know, this is the second book I've queried. The first book I queried (Manuscript 1) was a mess--and by mess I mean, that entire book was falling apart. So with this book, naturally, I was hoping for a better reaction.
First off, I don't want to bash the agent I queried because she is a very sweet woman, and the agency she works for is splendid. Heck, she responded in two days--that's a record.
I just get so annoyed with the standard, "Thanks for the opportunity to review your project. Unfortunately this isn't the right fit for us...." 
I was hoping for something else.


However, I will not give up yet.
There are still soo many agents out there.
And I know that Unbroken will be published.
I just have to have hope, and be patient.

I mean, seriously, I'm just thankful I could make it this far.

Does anyone have any crazy rejection letters they want to share? Feel free to comment below!

Happy Query Days!