Thanks to all who played along & had fun with the questions yesterday! If I ever have a cocktail party I'm inviting all of you to help keep things interesting. For those who mentioned, I'm totally cool with anyone wanting to use the idea for your blogs. I like answering questions!
** Sidenote: Quil, if you're reading this, you really DO need to get one of these fandangled blog things. All the cool kids are doing it these days!**
Okay so back on track here, Tracy. See, I even wind up procrastinating in my post about procrastination.
I've always known that procrastination (or dawdling as my grandmother would have put it) is one of my biggest obstacles in life. I consider myself a Type A personality with slacker tendencies. If I can't do something perfectly, I'd almost rather not do it at all. When I'm excited about something I get all Rain Man. I can spend hours writing or watching baseball (or a Deadliest Catch marathon -- seriously, that show is addictive), and I'm golden. Ask me to spend ten minutes looking over benefits insurance and I start to hyperventilate.
Here's where I'm stuck: I know I need to start querying again -- let's face it, agents aren't going to come knocking on my front door asking if I have a story they could take a look at. I need to jump back in with both feet. Problem is, I'm still hesitating for some reason.
Now I'm thinking -- "Maybe I need to do one more quick revision of the first chapter", "Perhaps I should revamp the ending completely", "Maybe the phrasing in my synopsis is a little clunky and I should take another look at it."
These are all viable questions, except yesterday I wasn't worried about any of those things!! Today - my self imposed deadline to start querying again - the questions are flying at me from every angle.
Can I tell you a little secret? I know it sounds crazy, because at this point it's totally putting the cart in front of the horse. But I just realized, I've spent so much time focused on learning how to snag an agent, that I don't know anywhere near as much about what comes after. So at this point, I'm almost as intimidated at the idea of being accepted, as I am about being rejected.
I think I need to see a shrink! ;o)
Anyway, Happy Friday All!!! (Except for those of you where it isn't Friday anymore...in which case I bid you a happy Saturday)
8 witty remarks:
Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?
Today's guest blogger is Rachel Alpine!
LOL tracy you make me laugh :) I was like that, but then eventually I just did it, and now I'm constantly on the edge of my seat waiting for answers. If you want someone to have another look at your submission package (i.e. query, synopsis and first chapter) I'd love to. I don't know if mine is perfect, but I've had one full request and one partial from it so far ... Perhaps you might like my opinion? Let me know.
OCD and perfectionism--such a deadly combination! I definitely suffer for it too. I completely shirk off the things I know I won't do perfectly--or else panic about them to no use.
And don't worry about what comes after you land an agent! Let your agent worry about that. ;) You will almost certainly be asked for endless revisions, of course, but at least the suggestions will be coming from wonderful and brilliant people who are financially invested in making your book the best it can be.
Good luck!
Hahahaha....so now you're scared that someone might say yes? You crack me up!
There's always the fear in the unknown - but you seem like pretty strong person, I think you can handle it.
Send those queries out!
~JD
I'm the same way -- a perfectionist. And an egomaniac with an inferiority complex, I might add. Consequently, I'm my own worst enemy, but I'm rather proud of it! ;)
And I hate querying. Just HATE it. Perhaps that's why I'm just sitting here with my thumb up my butt, doing nothing?
Go for it, Tracy. I need to see SOMEONE succeed, you know?
Haha... I can so relate to this (and it looks like other bloggers can too. Is it a writer thing?) I've been working hard on my writing for years, but then when it finally comes down to the query process -- which I've done before and will be doing again in a few months -- suddenly I feel like saying, "Just kidding, I never meant to do this." Putting yourself out there is so scary. But I've been doing more research and becoming more familiarized with the industry, and that's been helping ease my anxiety. Good luck!
Procrastination...it's my biggest enemy too! And I know what you mean about not knowing what comes after the query. That is a hard thing, because it's so different for every person. But it's thrilling and you can learn as you go, so send those queries out!!
It depends on what it is with me and procrastination. I have horrible ADD attacks where I can't focus on anything. If it really interests me, I can spend all day doing it. If I hate it, don't even ask. It's bad.
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