I guess this doesn't count as my break day for this week.
In other news, Alyssa Kirk (Teens Read and Write), a fabulous blogger, recently landed an agent, Michelle Wolfson, who also represents Kiersten White, author of Paranormalcy. Hearing this news got me excited, and made me realize what I am doing this all for.
But then I did something stupid. I went to Michelle Wolfson's website, which led me to go to other literary agents' sites. I was skimming through their submission guidelines, seeing which books were represented by which agents, and soon I was lost in it all.
And I shouldn't be doing any of that. I should finish a first draft, make that first draft into something awesome after TONS of editing and rewriting and crying and diet coke and coffee and candy, and THEN I will be to the point where I should even be THINKING of agents and all that garb.
So my advice for today is:
- Just write. Worry about everything else later. You're job is a writer, not a published author. Enjoy the freedom of having no deadlines or contracts. Some aren't that lucky.
Alyxandru
I NO EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN! OMG!!!
ReplyDeleteFor the longest times (even 10 minutes ago) I was looking at publisher guidelines and what not.
Whatever your going through, Im going through. I want to be published and I want to be published now! But life doesnt work that way. Grrrrr
Like you said, I first need to finish it and have my editor edit it. Good luck, im rooting for you Alex!
Btw, I like the new header.
I will comment because I don't want you to cry ;)
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you are plugged into any of this at a point in your life that you still have homework is amazing to me. I didn't write anything until I was (shh - this is just between you and me) 38 years old and I'm trying crazily to make up for lost time.
Enjoy, learn, experience and create - it'll all come and I'm sure a lot earlier than it did for me.
Oh I'm right there with you. It's way too easy to get caught up in the whole "what will my life be like when I get an agent/contract/published book" that we often forget to write said book first!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great reminder to just sit down and write the dang thing!
Good for you. Its easy to get caught up in the whole business side of things--agents and queries and publishing houses (oh my)--that we forget the most important thing of all: the writing.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up! The dream will happen if you don't give up.
Great advice, Alex! I think you are amazing! You are always SO active in the book blogging AND writing world, not to mention going to school as well. I don't' know how you do it! Keep writing. :)
ReplyDeleteAlex, you're a legend. I can't believe how much you've written in such a short time. And well done for getting those extra 200 words. It all counts!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't beat yourself up about checking out submission guidelines before you've finished that first draft. We've all done it!
Just write. Worry about everything else later. You're job is a writer, not a published author. Enjoy the freedom of having no deadlines or contracts. Some aren't that lucky
ReplyDeleteThis is precisely what I keep telling myself. That and this first draft sucks, and I'm okay with that--I'm already looking forward to it being done so I can write my second draft.