Turn the Page Blog
Thoughts, Musings & Advice on All Things Writing
I used to dread January, which always seemed like the rainiest, darkest month. The anticipation and excitement of Christmas is over, and January always represented the return to the same old, same old. Over the years, however, my perspective has changed. Now January is all about finding that spark - spark of hope, spark of creativity, spark of beginning. It's not just about resolutions but about goals - dreaming them, defining them, and putting together an actionable plan to achieving them.
How are you doing? Are you hanging in there? This is one crazy (scary/frustrating/sad) time to be alive, huh? There have definitely been some adjustments here - two parents are working from home now, we have a stir-crazy toddler, and another baby is due just next month. Of course I am thinking about you and your book projects. Have you made any progress? Or have you been focused on other things? The editor in me wants to say, "WHY ARE YOU READING THIS EMAIL? USE THIS EXTRA TIME AT HOME TO WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!" Turn off Netflix and get busy churning out those pages!
Writers are generally sensitive, creative souls. If we weren’t, how could we write with such great insight and passion about our chosen topic(s)? Criticism can hurt. Giving your proposal or manuscript to someone to read and to provide feedback on can be nothing short of terrifying. There are few times in a writer’s life where we feel more vulnerable than receiving someone’s blunt assessment on our work – our work that we have spent weeks, months and years working on and dreaming about.
Literary agents often get a reputation for being cruel and heartless. It is true that not one has escaped the task of sending out many, many rejection letters. I am sure that there are a few slightly sadistic agents out there, but for the most part, authors, please know that we take no pleasure in saying no to you and your project!
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