YOU GUYS ROCK!

As many of you know I have been having a very difficult time with my writing and I have been feeling like quitting. But after reading all the comments this morning, telling me to keep going and telling me not to get disheartened, I feel so much better.

The blogging world is really a fantastic place and each and everyone of you is completely awesome. You guys are so supportive and provide so much encouragement that I was literally in tears this morning. I felt so lucky and special to be part of such a fantastic community that refuse to let me quit, no matter how sad I was. At times you guys believe more in me than I do myself and for that I am very grateful. Thank you!

So thank you everyone! You know who you are. You guys rock!! Yes, you heard me, YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!!

“You don’t know what you are talking about!” That’s a comment that came up in a discussion today, when having to answer why I haven’t gotten a request for more material. This heated discussion came up after receiving a rejection letter that simply said “Pass.”

The person, who shall remain nameless, could not have chosen a worse time to start spreading seeds of doubt in my head. I already feel as if I have no writing talent and then he even says that my work is terrible. That my grammar is totally wrong and from a writers point of view I don’t know what I am talking about.

Wouldn’t you feel bad if most agents don’t even bother to send you a rejection letter, they just ignore you? Or if they do they just give you one word, “Pass?” I mean you would feel crappy too right?

I can take constructive criticism, but someone constantly telling you everything you are doing is wrong or that you’re not talented enough to be a writer is heartbreaking. I think there is a difference between tougher skin and being emotionally numb. I am leaning more towards the numb feeling today.

Am I naïve to believe that finding a literary agent is possible? Is it really all just about luck? I hope not because I have the worst luck ever. I feel like a complete hypocrite because I always believe in other writers potential and I always encourage others to keep going. After a month of mostly silence and only 2 rejections out of 15, I am starting to think maybe I don’t have what it takes. Maybe the person above is right and I don’t have a drop of talent and is just too blind to see it.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN WAITING FOR A QUERY RESPONSE

Many of us have been at this fragile point in our writing careers while in pursuit of publication. Where is that exactly? At the point where you send out query letter after query letter to potential Literary Agents and Publishing houses, politely asking (actually almost begging) them to represent you.

I am actually busy with my second round of querying (the first one was brutal) and I thought why not share a few of my personal don’ts while waiting for a query response.

Do not check your email every 5 minutes.
This one is very hard I know. I am still guilty of doing it but truthfully, every time that inbox is empty you get depressed.

Do not go into a junk food binge.
Ooohhh! This one is really tough too, but just think of what all that junk food is going to do to your waistline. I gained a few kilos and it was not pretty…trust me.

Do not pout and walk around in your pajamas for days on end.
Yep, this is me too. It actually contributes to that low and sad feeling. Resulting in the do not point mentioned above.

Do not quit your writing.
Ding, Ding, Ding, bells of familiarity are ringing. I always consider quitting after I get a rejection or whenever I do not even get an email back at all. Everyone knows that the one’s who persevere are the one’s getting want they want in the end…or so I am told.

Do not harass or stalk the queried parties.
I know this is very tempting, but unless you want to be blacklisted or thought of as a psycho, please avoid this step entirely.

Do not get disheartened.
Ridiculous I know, but if it helps, know that all the great writers before us have gone through the same crap. When a rejection letter arrives, look at it purely as a professional letter and not like a personal “You suck” attack. I still find it hard to process at times, but I am trying really hard not to take everything to heart.

Good luck with all the queries everyone and remember not to give up.

MY FIRST TAG! (REPOSTED!)

I was tagged by the wonderful Sarah McCabe over at http://subcreator.blogspot.com, The Aspiring Sub- Creator. If you want an original approach to writing, then please check out Sarah's blog.

Do you think you're hot?

Not really…no, but I would like to be.

Upload a picture or wallpaper you are using.

This is a picture I took myself and it is just so relaxing to me. I use it as my desktop.








When was the last time you ate chicken?

A month ago, because I currently have this weird meat intolerance thing going.

What were you thinking while doing this?

What would be a cool answer for these questions?

What song/songs have you listened to recently?

Oohhh. This is a toughie. I have listened to a ton of music today. Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park, Eyes On Fire by Blue Foundation, My Love by Sia…and many more. My music taste is very diverse so I listen to a lot of different things. Like today alone I listened to at least 10 different artists…that’s why this one is hard to explain. I might list at least 2 pages if I write everything out.

Do you have any nicknames? What are they?

Drama Queen, little baby…chicken…the list goes on.

Tag 5 Blogger friends.

I am not sure who has not done this yet…so I am going to break the rules here…Yes me, don’t look so shocked and I am going to ask, whoever feels up to it, to please complete this little questionnaire. I hate picking favorites because there is just so many of you that I just adore!

CRAPPY ATTITUDE

I have been sitting in front of my computer for days trying to get myself to write but I am stuck...yet again. I am suffering from Crappy Attitude Syndrome unfortunately and as you can see...I diagnosed myself.

I guess everyone has good days and bad days but lately I have had a lot more bad ones. Especially when it comes to my writing. Is anyone else feeling the writing blues?

It is so bad that I am asking myself repeatedly whether or not I should pursue my writing further. I know I want to keep writing but this little demon of doubt on my shoulder is playing havoc with my brain.

Anyone got the cure for Crappy Attitude Syndrome?

IT TAKES AS LONG AS IT TAKES

I am one of those crazy people who like to plan ahead so that I am never surprised by anything unexpected. But do you know what? One can never plan or foresee everything.

That is one lesson I have learned recently and yes, sometimes planning ahead helps but other times it is just impossible. Take the writing of my latest novel as an example. I can't think so far ahead with this leading character. Things just happen to her as we go along. All my other novels were planned ahead, the skeleton if you will and then I would add the meat or flesh later. But this one I got to add a toe or a limb at a time. Ok, now I sound creepy.

I can't tell you if she will get hit by a bus or when it will happen. So now I can't stop writing because I constantly want to know what will happen to her next.

I lack that kind of trust and passion in my own life. I am too afraid most times to find out what is going to happen to me. So I always want to know what will happen to me in advance or in the future. That's why I read my horoscopes regularly and read the tarot cards.

But I need more patience and trust I suppose. Which brings me to my point. Everything happens in its own time, so things will happen when it happens and I have to stop trying to figure everything out all the time. Sometimes I just have to go with the flow.

NO MEAT...BUT THERE'S CAKE

The latest news with me is that I can't eat meat. I have been getting really sick whenever I do and my doctor can't find a medical answer as to why that is. So I have not been eating meat the past few weeks. Though, I am currently keeping to a vegetarian diet, I do not wish to refer to myself as a vegetarian because what if this meat intolerance thing passes and I eat meat again? I will not be able to handle all the hate mail I will be receiving.

Don't get me wrong, I have a huge amount of respect for vegetarians, but I grew up eating meat. It is a very important part of a meal in my country. But so far I am not missing meat. I do get to have an extra helping of dessert though.

Is anyone else perhaps getting this message when they access blogger?

Message: 'window.google.csi' is null or not an object

I can't access the blog Giggles and Guns, it simply refuses to load and I can't find a solution on the google forum. Just thought I might ask.

The writing is going slow. The querying is not going so well, but that is the way it goes. I just have to keep at it. Hopefully someone will request more material.