In this post I:
1) Become the first person not named Ezekiel or Jeremaphiacus to seek hope in redeeming my life by going to central Pennsylvania.
2) Finally almost finish what I already had almost finished in the first month of this resolution.
3) Close on a note about astrology, masturbation and platitudes; namely, how the first is worthy of the second, while the third isn't worth dick--not even a waggle on a literal one.
Enjoy ...
I'm going to Amish country tomorrow for a Read and Critique with a group of agents and editors. The panel will be reading and critiquing the first two pages of my manuscript and my query. Seeing as how these are the things that get you past the first gate (the querying stage) and it will be read and critiqued by the gatekeeprs themselves, this could be an immensely useful two hours for me.
I also have my first two chapters out to an editor who gave me a free promotion, and I thiiiiink I'm getting that back soon, so even though I've changed a lot around since then, it can still be a massive boon.
Finally, remember on 1-23-14 when I wrote this: "Oh, and I've also been collecting enough things I want to do with the manuscript itself that I might go in and start tinkering." Um, well I am only just now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on these edits. Full disclosure, I love editing. You poker players know what it's like to plug a massive leak in your game ("omg, if I make this adjustment to my flatting OOP range, then I can expect a fatter bottom line!"); well that's what editing is like for me. Besides, once I pry the sucker open, I always come up with a ton of new material and suddenly I'm a writer again instead of some unloved administrative assistant.
So yeah, it's been a much wilder few months than I reasonably could have expected back in January, but I can't help but break my arm patting myself on the back when I see how much better the manuscript is.
Finally finally, I also met with my mentor while I was in NYC last week. He brought some really good perspective to where I am right now and how I should be looking at it and where I should be trying to get in the near future.
So I guess a lot of change for the better has been going on. So I guess things are going about as well as they can be going short of there being anything tangible like manuscript requests or anything, HAHA. FML, gotta love this line of work I got myself into.
Let this be a life lesson, kids. If you shoot for the moon, then if you miss, you don't end up in the stars. Even the most basic understanding of astronomy is clear on this point. If you miss the moon, then you end up spinning aimlessly in abyssal space, deciding between conserving the last of your ATP to live just a few more unhappy minutes, or effectively taking your own life by having a good wank at Cassiopeia as she twirls on the other side of your space helmet--seducing you with her brilliant, gaseous nipples from a million miles away.
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