Dear Agent,
In my novel, TOASTING FEAR, Abby Jenkins, champagne supplier
to North Carolina's Outer Banks, suspects a demon from her past is causing
today's murders and must call upon an angel to convince the police detective
that she's not behind the killings.
One such situation is querying agents, inciting my feelings
of fear, anxiety and dread. The last manuscript I completed took a little over
a year of my life to write. My manuscript, a warm, funny, romantic mystery, enticed
only four of the thirty agents I queried to ask for partials. This experience
taught me that in horror, the heroine’s expectations and a quick reversal of
those expectations must be felt by the reader.
Waiting
for responses from agents made my bones feel hollow with trepidation similar to
what I wanted my readers to feel as they watched Abby walk into trouble. When I
previously queried, I set my PC to announce incoming email via sound. That
sound was like hearing “for whom the bell tolled.” Every time I heard the
bonging, like Pavlov’s dog, I raced to my computer, my heart pounding in
suspense only to find myself disappointed by agents’ responses. In writing
Abby’s horror scenes, I recalled my own feelings of powerlessness while reading
those rejections.
When Abby is caught in an ocean whirlpool, like me, her mind
races to determine how she can change the outcome. I evaluated my script trying
to determine what to change to lure agents. For me self-publishing is a
compromise that at this time I’m not willing to make. When Abby becomes trapped
in a hole on the beach, sinking into a possible quicksand death, I called upon
my own feelings of being trapped in a process that allows me to show only what
is surface material rather than the depth on my novel. Do the first five pages
catch their attention? If not, I’m doomed.
Like revising my novel, Abby uses a clam shell dug into the
hole’s sides to heave herself out. But in the end, she must rely on an angel’s
intervention to save her. I’ve tried praying that some agent will like my query.
In the past, prayer hasn’t worked. So, I’m sucked into a hole of despair, much
like my heroine, but unlike Abby, I won’t get a hand up from an angel.
Sincerely,
E. B. Davis
It sounds like you make wonderful use of your life experiences in your writing. Good luck in your ongoing quest.
ReplyDeleteI'm in revision, Warren. But I'm anticipating the query process, like in the pit of my stomach!
ReplyDeleteFun post, EB! Your book sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThat's right, blame the agents! :) This is using what you know, E.B., and best of luck with it. Congrats on moving to a new project. It's hard, I know.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda--I can only hope. As I write this, I'm working on perfecting, revising and deepening character. I'm looking forward to reading your novel, which I think will be released before too long, right?
ReplyDeleteI haven't actually started the next book yet, Kaye. I'm revising this one and hope to query by the end of summer. But that brings up the subject of what to do. Do you write the second book, wait to see if the first sells then write the second, or do you different book? What did you do?
ReplyDeleteFollow your heart. If you love the book--I know, we love what we write or why would we write it--write the second one. If you have an idea for another book that's burning in your brain, write that while it's hot.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the direction, Polly. I'm also thinking that two in a series may sell better than one. So, I think I'll at least write the second. If I can't sell them at that point, then onto a new concept.
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