Monday, Monday

Really, it's Tuesday very early in the morning, but for me, since I haven't been to bed yet, it's Monday still and will be until I retire around 7 AM. We're on Bobbi-time! (Which is nothing like Hammertime, I promise.)

Monday seems to have become my administrative day. I write the blog, print copies of things, email agents, and generally TCB. What's the importance of this disclosure, you ask? None, I answer. Just sayin'.

So, last week's counts are up from the week before -- always a good sign. Bride is up to 182 pages (that's 8 additional) and Meet You on the Other Side is up about 2.5 pages for a grand total of 5.25 pp. (Total writing for the week: 10.5 pages.) Wahoo! Well... it's progress, anyway.

Sent out a few more queries but no responses just yet. Got word that the 2010 Nicholl Fellowship apps have opened should we choose to enter. The organizers of the competition write the nicest emails -- informative, encouraging, well-worded. They put a good thing into the world.

Hmmm, anything else? Superbowl Sunday was great. As you might guess, my interest in football generally registers in the negative numbers, but the Saints are dear to friends of mine, so they're dear to me by extension. And some of my dearest friends came to watch with us, which made the evening better than I could have expected.

It's all good, baby. It's all good.

Pounding the (Electronic) Pavement

Quick update on The Pirate's Bride: wrote about 10 pages last week, ripped up 2 last night & today, so the page count is up to 174. Having a bit of trouble going forward, mostly because we have too much to say. This is not a bad thing; just have to get my mind organized.

Other news: had two "thanks-but-no-thanks" replies from agents since last week. At least they're quick and generally polite about responding, although one form letter/email left a lot to be desired in terms of both warmth (and more disturbingly) grammar. I think we're glad that agency wasn't interested...

Bless the Internet; it makes this process much easier. In one of our early forays in seeking representation for our screenplays, we created a form letter & inserts, including a response card. We got a lot of (no thanks) responses (not to mention one interested response that in the end we had to pass on because of the problem of retaining the book rights), but it took forever.

Now we can get kicked in the teeth daily, whenever we decide to check our email. Wahoo!

Nah, I don't mean it, not really... We wrote a good book that's worth reading. If you build it, they will come, right?

(Just Like) Starting Over

The midnight to morning shift seems to be working, although I do have to take weekends off -- it pleases my husband. Since my husband is a truly wonderful, tolerant, encouraging man who never asks for much and probably deserves much more than I give to him, I am happy to oblige him on this point. Someday I hope to keep him in the style to which he should become accustomed.

So, counting last week Sunday through Thursday, and subtracting last night (long weekend in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King), I wrote 11 pages last week for The Pirate's Bride and 3 pages for our new screenplay, See You on the Other Side. And those page counts don't include editing for both pieces. Considering that I was hoping at one point to manage 8.33 pages a month, I am happy with the bottom line. Could always be better, of course, but for right now, good enough.

On to the agents' queries... I did send one earlier this morning; first one to a book agent since, wait, lemme look it up--holy frijoles!--last April! Wow. Well, that's one good reason we haven't gotten much response; if we don't contact them, I'm pretty sure they won't contact us.

Yikes. I know we got caught up in the Nicholl Fellowship and then moving house, not to mention moving my dad up here, followed by the responses generated by the fellowship, but still... Time for me to fix my lips and get my shit together. (That's what we tell the dog when his flappy lips get rolled up against his gums...)

All right, 3:30AM break is over, time to get to work.

Cue the Theme Music from "Rocky"

I am not giving up.

Got the latest rejection from an agent today. Boy, they're so nice. I wish they would read the book, but at least they're nice.

I am not giving up.

I read so many books that are truly crap. We have not written the great American novel, but it's entertaining, and it's as good as so much of the stuff that's out there.

I am not giving up.

We will find someone to read this book. They will find someone to publish it. The public will enjoy it. Hollywood will snap it up. The movie will earn everyone money and maybe a few Oscar nominations. We'll keep writing more and let success breed success. We'll help other people be successful.

I am not giving up.

Tomorrow, I will send out the next query letter.

I am not giving up.

I Am I Don Quixote

Received yet another very nice rejection letter, this time from Agent #3. The courtesy that the agents we've contacted have shown is exemplery, and we do appreciate that. I just wish we could get one of them to read the book. I think they would be pleasantly surprised, enough so that they would actually represent us. What the hell are we doing wrong?

I'd hate to think that it's all about who you know, because if it is, we're screwed.

Well... time to keep tilting at windmills.

Could It Be? Yes, It Could...

Updates, updates, updates.

Sent out the latest agent query for The Long Black Veil.

Completed the initial edit of Slide. Need to re-read it tomorrow and check accuracy, consistency, spelling, format, etc. Closing in on done, though.

Started the application for the Nicholl Fellowship (which I have been misspelling up to now). Doesn't appear to be terribly hard to get the basic information submitted properly. All online, due no later than 11:59 PM on May 1st. (I thought it was May 3rd; glad I double-checked.)

It's good to have things in motion.