Archive for October, 2009

Agent #1 Pro’s: Over 25 years experience

Clients on NYTBS

Very well respected.

Writer and agent.

Has spoken at conferences. Quite knowledgable.

Con’s:    Doesn’t cover romance.

Agent #2: Pro’s:  Young and eager.

She “is” the market.

Represents a wide variety of romance, one of my favorite authors included.

Will advise clients against a deal if it suits them better.

Con’s: Says my genre is running out of fresh stories (did I read that right?)

Agent #3: Pro’s:  Has a sense of humor, wry cutting wit.

strong editor and copyrighter

Con’s: New to the agenting world

Agent #4:  Pro’s: AAR member

Con’s: doesn’t take unsolicited queries. (Per P&E)

So, the search continues….

Sometimes I wonder if I should even bother with an agent yet….

There’s a song in my head right now. “I wanna be like Harry Houdini…” I can’t remember the whole song or even the point. But it’s there. Thank you Squirrel Nut Zippers.

But it got me thinking. There have been a variety of marketing done with that phrase in mind. Remember “If I could be like Mike?”

Or, “Don’t be like…” Avoid the noid, stuff like that.

But who do I want to be like? At work, my coworkers like to tease and say I’m like our Director. (all in all not a bad thing, but they don’t mean it well.) Which bothers me, because I want them to see me for me.

I want to emulate goodness. I want to be like the kind of someone whom one would want to be like. How do you do that? Mom would say, “Just be yourself.”

Well, that’s silly. Who else could I be?

Is that my answer?

Can it just be, I want to be like…me?

I am tickled with that title. I’d like to think of myself as witty and clever. Truth is, my humor is less wry than corny. But I digress.

This weekend I had the privilege to drive a four hour trip to a beautiful destination. The beauty of which I enjoyed far less than I wanted. Time permitting, duty and all that. I only wish I had a decent camera to capture two particular images. One, the most amazing reflection of a sunset through stratus cloud cover over a marsh, and two, the cute Scotsman in a kilt at the resort where my conference was. (I kid you not, I asked for directions just to hear him talk!) Oh. Again. I digress.

The point: (teeehee, I’m blushing.) I didn’t know this area. Still don’t. So, my beloved husband, (with a lovely spanish accent of his own…see a theme here?) let me use his GPS. I am so grateful I had that. I certainly would have been lost.

First  of all, in Hilton Head Island, SC there is this notion of ‘nature preserve’ that while I find it’s an admirable and noble cause, it surely makes for more difficult habitation of humans. The buildings are uniform in color. Nature tones. Greys, browns. Meh. Ok. It’s alright. Then too, there are far less street lights than I would have imagined. I could not see 300 feet in front of me. I was turning into parking lots I thought were roads and not getting the turns I needed because I thought they were driveways. In the day time, much easier. With Ms. Garmin, fairly easier. But, she didn’t tell me to turn in until I was right on the spot. I’m sure there were annoyed motorists behind me. Unless, Like I, they were directionally challenged.

It is lovely to have these navigation tools. If I did, and boy, I did more than a handful of times, make a wrong turn, it would sing to me in that lovely stilted voice, “Re-cal-cul-at-ing.” What a relief to know that I could go any wrong way, and she would guide me back from that circle I inadvertently entered. Although, once or twice she gave me the longer version. (such as in Charleston. I could see that I only needed to go straight. She wanted me to make a right, a left then a right?)

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were such a tool to use when we write? As soon as I head hop something says, “Re-cal-cul-at-ing.” Or if I veer far from the plot that chime sounds to redirect me?

Well, there’s not. You just have to keep practicing and honing your craft. And it is a craft. (yes, I started a sentence with And. Shoot me.) So, read ‘maps’ for writing. They do exist. When you think you’ve made a wrong turn, refer to that map.

Good luck, and safe journey.