A Nibble. And Living Forever.

So I received a reply to my query letter yesterday.  It was all, “Thank you for sending your query…” and I was ready to hit the delete key with practiced finesse when something about it caught my eye.  I read the thing a little more carefully.  A partial?  She wanted to see a partial? Really?!

And I was happy.  I’m not expecting cherry blossoms and fairy dust and a magical offer to come sailing my way, but I’m excited that my novel idea sparked somebody’s interest!  I’m happy to see that the work pays off.  It was pretty sweet.  I was also realizing how we grow throughout this process.  I remember my very first short story acceptance.  There was screaming.  And wild, inappropriate dancing.  I called everybody that would even remotely care, and probably a few people who didn’t.  At that time I couldn’t imagine ever having somebody express interest in a novel of mine.  I had written one, which was easy and fun, but the rest of it, no way.  I had no idea how much work comes after the fact, and how you’re basically a new novel salesmen showing up on people’s doorsteps with a query letter and a rumpled hat.  So I’m excited.  But realistic.  But still excited.  🙂

I also received word that “Morning Glory” is a honoree in the University of Maine’s Binnacle Ultra Shorts contestIt’ll come out in a print and online edition, and I’m pretty pleased about that, as well.  Somebody might possibly record it in audio, too, and that would just rock.  Seriously.  I wrote an essay once about how writing is actually parasitic, and once somebody reads your work, it’s in their mind forever and ever, lurking in their subconscious.  Even more so when it’s read or listened to aloud, I say.  Every time you read something of mine, I’m setting up residence in your brain.  Bwa ha ha.  My professor was a bit disconcerted with the essay but couldn’t argue with my logic.  Then he sent me home with a book of his poetry to read, most likely hoping that this was the way he’d live on forever.

0 Comments on “A Nibble. And Living Forever.”

  1. Hot freaking damn, girl! This is a really big first. One of the biggest, in fact — let yourself be more excited.

    And here’s hoping that someday soon material requests will be so routine that you won’t bat an eye. Cuz that’s when the representation offers seem to come in.

  2. Congrats again.

    OMG! My first short story acceptance was embarrasing – I must have grinned at about a hundred strangers. I don’t think there was any dancing in public.

Leave a Reply to Cate Gardner Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *