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07/18/2011: "Breakthrough"

Music: Silver Summit

A few minutes ago, I submitted my manuscript to another literary agent for the first time in, well, quite a long time. For a long time, I had the excuse that I was in graduate school and didn't have the time to spare to do any writing, let alone take any steps to advance my literary career. Through the last months of grad school, when I was really feeling like I was deep in the slog, I dreamed of the time when I graduated and was able to finally start writing and submitting again.

Then I graduated. In the throes of had all sorts of graduation-related events, a somewhat unexpected end to my previous employment coupled with a frenzy to finish up my work projects, I dreamed of the time when I would be finished with all the fun and stress and be able to finally start writing and submitting again.

Unemployment arrived and I went on vacation. After a couple of weeks of putting out applications but not writing, I had enough. Late last week I decided that I was going to finally submit my query letter, synopsis, and first 30 pages of my manuscript to the literary agent that I had picked out. In the past five days, I have completely rewritten my synopsis several times and honed what I think is a pretty swell query letter. I spent the past 7 hours feverishly focusing on tightening everything up and double/triple-checking everything and finally hit submit on the online submission form and now the waiting begins.

This time, the wait will be a lot more productive. It feels like a dam has finally burst and I got the fire to write again. I have a ton of writing to do to make up for the past two years, in addition to research about my next literary career moves, business plans to hone, professional development to do, contacts to contact, and jobs to apply to.

Don't forget to look at this space in the future. Posts will become a daily occurrence. Wait and see!