Thursday 8 October 2009

No News Good News?


Last week I finally got round to sending a polite email to the agent who has had the full ms of my novel for the last five months.

It took me so long 'cos, hey guess what, I couldn't find the right words. I didn't want to sound too pushy or desperate but I also wanted to make it clear that I really would like to know how my novel was doing. I got a prompt reply from her assistant saying that the agent was 'still reading it'. Hope that's not a euphemism for "Manuscript? What bloomin' manuscript? Oh you mean the one we've been using to prop up the wobbly desk."

As a student years ago I had the privilege of entering the den of the editor-in-chief of a major publishing house. He showed me his enormous slush pile (no, that's not a euphemism). It was a-teetering and a-tottering in the corner of his book-lined room. He told me that he was unlikely to find anything publishable in it and didn't look too happy at the prospect of having to wade through it. I hoped for his sake and for at least one wannabe writer that there might be a gem hidden in there.

I would love to know if my offering is in a corner of an office near the pinnacle of a wobbly tower still waiting to be read or whether it is already well-thumbed and lying on the agent's bedside table. Or whether at this very moment her assistant is putting it into a return envelope.

I must be patient.

Meanwhile have done lots of planning for novel 3 which I'm thoroughly enjoying. I said yes to a major work project yesterday which probably scuppers my chances of doing NaNoWriMo, but at least thinking about that has made me make a start. So current writing plan - Be Patient and Write novels 2 & 3 simultaneously (or at least on alternate days).

On the non-writing front - I have started going to a weekly sewing class and in typical fashion have decided that I don't want to spend weeks and weeks making bags and cushion covers (as generally recommended for beginners ) but have embarked on this:



Have so far reached the point where I have all my pieces cut out (from lovely shimmery but unslippery wine red satiny fabric) and tomorrow will begin the 'pinning it together' and maybe even some actual sewing! Hope to have it finished by Christmas (tho' there's a possibility that I may end up going 'oh bugger it' and turning it into a bag and a couple of cushions after all)

4 comments:

Karen said...

I LOVE that pattern - makes me want to drag the sewing machine out of the attic!!

I do hope you hear something soon about the ms. Surely it's a good sign that she's still reading it? Fingers and everything else crossed - it must be so hard waiting!

Sherri said...

Hope you get some news soon - and of the good kind!

I also love the pattern. I tried to make an apron at school and my mum had to take it to a local dressmaker to finish as we were both so useless. Everyone else in the class was already on to their full trousseau!

Jumbly Girl said...

Karen - do it! Sewing machines are the future (especially the ones you have to hand turn - so you can make curtains when the oil runs out!)

I'm soo impatient that I just can't bear thinking about the status of my ms and have to employ distratcion techniques such as sewing, winemaking and ummm work.

Bernadette - hee hee - horrible feeling that will be me - must find myself a local dressmaker in case/when i need rescuing. Love the idea of school girls making their trousseau in Home Economics (must be a story in that!).

CL Taylor said...

Oooh I feel your waiting pain! The three months I waited for the revised version of my MS to be looked at were the longest of my life! If it makes you feel better I'd say that no news is good news. I've got everything crossed for you x