Writing for the Love

As this is a review about a running book, I thought it fitting to include on both my writing blog and my running blog . I’m actively submitting my novel, Sprinter , to agents and publishers. In the meantime, besides working on other writing, I’m searching for books similar to mine because that is a question often asked in the submission guidelines: which books are similar to yours? When I found The Lola Papers , I thought it might be somewhat similar to my book. In some ways it is, as both main characters are female, runners, and pursuing running goals while taking note of how much running parallels life. In other ways, not so much. My book is fiction, Lola is non-fiction. But I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. Lola is a runner’s journey from sporadic and half-hearted running to serious racing. Her coach, Mr. Speedy Pants, provides the wisdom and insight of a seasoned and studly runner who isn’t ashamed of his own awesomeness. Following our main character throu...

If I do nothing, the most predictable thing will happen. Nothing. I can write in my journals, at my computer, create stories and novels all day long. But only when I send them out into the world will anything happen with them. Otherwise, they are just for me. It makes me happy to write, and maybe that is enough. I don't have to have validation through other people to be satisfied about my writing. However, my goal has always been to write books that other people can read. I've got a start. I have two short stories published in FWA collections. I have my first paid short story publication coming out in March 2013. I have two completed novels, and lots of completed short stories. I realize that I have been letting the rejections come in without sending the stories back out as quickly. It's hitting me how behind I am in the submitting process. I believe it takes hard work to be a published writer. Technically, I am a published wr...

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return..." Luke 12: 35-36 So much about the publication process (rather, attempting to get into the publication process) is about waiting. Even while waiting, I want to be persistent. If I simply wait for answers from the agent on my novel (or a literary magazine on a short story) before moving forward with either the same story (sequel, for example) or other stories, I could make myself go crazy. Why haven't they replied to my email? Did they even get the manuscript? How long should I wait before querying to make sure they haven't forgotten me or misplaced my email? Instead of focusing on those thoughts, and they can plague me at times, I am working on other stories. Yes, I work full time and have animals at home to take care of and books to read and plenty of other things to keep me distracted. But writing other pieces and submitting ...

So far, I have five emails with form letter rejections on Sprinter , and one personalized email explaining why it was rejected. At this point, I anticipate the eight I’m waiting on will be rejections, and I’m okay with that. The obvious lesson is the process. I’m a far cry from Edison’s thousands of attempts to create the incandescent light bulb (he succeeded on his 1,000th or 10,000th attempt depending on the source), or the best-selling authors with hundreds of rejections before their first publication. I’m learning from my mistakes. Though I’m receiving no specifics (except one which did help), I’m receiving excellent and specific feedback from my critique group. Any writer who sends their query and opening manuscript chapters may feel like me. I’m making an electronic paper airplane that lands in the hands of someone I can’t see and don’t know personally, unless I met them at a conference. They may not like what they see for an infinite number of reasons. They might not be inte...