It’s been three months since I sent my second novel, Some Kind of Justice (originally A Thousand Secrets), to a dozen or so agents that looked like a good fit. Only three have responded, with polite rejections. My lofty goal was to self-publish if I hadn’t heard anything positive from an agent by the spring, and here we are.
While waiting for responses, I’ve been working steadily on the sequel to A Better Life, making good progress, on my own and with insightful feedback from my writers’ group. I have been hesitant to go back to Some Kind of Justice, afraid I will lose my momentum, and also a little worried Jenny and Margaret will feel I abandoned them.
I have read quite a few authors who encourage setting aside a “finished” manuscript for anywhere from a week to a year, then looking at it with a different perspective, fresh eyes examining the work more objectively than when you’re deep into the creation and development of characters and their world, their story. Because I am a person who always has to feel like I am moving forward, setting writing aside for any length of time always seemed a little frightening to me, but I have, and I survived. Now it’s my plan to return to it and read it more as a reader than its author.
My goal is still to publish Some Kind of Justice this year. This is the moment to shift my focus and go back to this manuscript that has been untouched for three months and commit myself to getting it into the hands of readers. Of course, I’m not completely abandoning Margaret and Jenny. I think they know by now I’m here and open for those fortunate times they want to share with me.
This Writer's Journey 