I'm not sure why today of all days I've decided to start blogging again. Perhaps it was the reference Mary Burger made recently to our dead blog, which actually is my dead blog, since Ange has been happily blogging away somewhere else, I assume for months. See, I've stopped reading other blogs as soon as I stopped writing mine. Or maybe I'm starting again because I googled myself this afternoon (the afternoon is my favorite time to google myself) and the blog was the second thing to come up and somehow it made me feel like a slacker to have my dead blog come up in my list of digital achievements. Now that I'm 33 I am trying hard not to be or act like a slacker. I still like to look like a slacker, but that is more of a fashion issue.
Since the last blog posting, I have undertaken the task of getting my novel published. So far I am still only a few feet in front of the starting gate. The query has been written and rewritten, sent to almost 20 agents. Around 7 have requested to see the manuscript. All so far have responded similarly. My favorite first line of a rejection letter will give you an idea of what's happening to me: "The novel is rich, complicated, and just above my reader." Now I wish I had written a complicated novel. I haven't. There aren't any hard words in it. I have a small vocabulary; even though my parents are Polish immigrants, I am no Joseph Conrad, but even if I were, it seems as though many Americans get through Heart of Darkness. My gut tells me to just take it to a small press where it will be appreciated, but Prageeta keeps telling me to look for agents to take it to a small press where it will be appreciated. So we cut a deal. After I send out a hundred letters, I'll take it to a small press myself. If you are interested in seeing a chapter from the novel for yourself, pick-up the latest copy of The Hat
In addition to this agent search, I've been prepping for my GRE Subject Test, as I've decided to get a Ph.D. For years I've been wanting to do it, but I didn't want to be more of an academic than a writer, so I've waited until I've finished my first book. I hope to be a slightly more feminine Joshua Corey next year. I've gotten to read and re-read some cool things. So far my favorite has been James' Washington Square.
OK. Hopefully, I'll be back.
-- Maggie
1 comment:
Ouch! It hurts to start your blog up again and get a spammer for your first comment. Welcome back, though. I used to read this blog when it was active.
p.s. You can prevent spam by turning on the word verification for blogger under settings/comments.
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