Now What?

Those of you who have been following me since the beginning know that, on December 31, I sent a query letter to a literary agent, asking if she would like to look at my novel. No groveling. No begging. Just a simple letter asking the woman who is the agent of some of my favorite writers if she would like to take a look at my novel.

The thing I think most people don't realize is this: once you hit "send," the simple task of acquiring an agent becomes a waiting game. According to the submissions section of this agency's website, potential clients should hear something within four to twelve weeks. They also suggest that, if you haven't heard anything within eight weeks, it may be advisable to resubmit your query letter using a different email address.

Tomorrow, it will be nine weeks since I sent the query. I've allowed one extra week, due to the fact that I submitted during the holiday season. After all, agents are people, too, with families and festivities. But I've decided that, if I haven't heard anything by tomorrow evening, I need to resubmit. I don't want to appear to be anxious or pushy, but I'm beginning to wonder if my query letter was lost in the Electronic Mail Room.

Ah, the glamorous life of a wannabe writer. :-)

In the meantime, because I was very bad last week and didn't blog like I was supposed to, here's a poem. I hope you like it!

           

Does writing come from the head or the heart?

 

As infants, as toddlers,

We don’t know how to communicate in any way

Except from the heart—

We live by our emotions.

We cry when we’re hungry.

We laugh when we’re happy.

We scream when we’re angry.

And someone answers our needs.

Life is simple.

As children, as teens,

We are taught how to communicate, how to write,

And we are taught that communication is governed by the head—

We live by our intellect.

We are taught the rules of grammar.

We are taught the rules of composition.

We are taught the rules of research.

And the simplicity of communication is crushed out of us.

Life is complex.

As adults, as writers, as authors,

A new understanding dawns on us:

Words must be governed by the head, but felt in the heart.

For the words to communicate, the syntax must be logical;

For the meaning to be clear, the words must be carefully chosen;

The words must work together and follow the rules in order

To communicate.

But we also know that, without emotion,

The words make no connections.

Without feelings, the words fall on deaf ears.

Without passion, our words will not be read—

And for a story, for a poem, not being read is

Death.

Writing is ruled by the head and the heart.

It cannot exist with only one and not the other.

Choose your words carefully,

Structure them well,

For it is the duty of your words to reveal a bit of your soul to the world.

And in the complexity of our writing,

We will find that people will answer our needs.

And our lives will be multifaceted: simple and complex and logical and emotional

And meaningful,

All at the same time.

Write well,

And you will be fulfilled.