So Close Yet So Far

Marketing Muse
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So Close Yet So Far
As some of you know - I got an agent on May 26th (to be exact :). Now I am in the throws of my second round of edits. Agent 001 gave me great advice and I am taking about 95% of it. Luckily, I didn't have any plotting issues and no rearranging issues. Agent 001 mainly asked for expansion of ideas which is the fun part. Its just she wants it by July 6th.

Now this is a deadline we set together because I am nutzo and she is passionate. And I have some wiggle room but I am a stickler for deadlines (as long as the quality is there of course). I will bust my arse to make a deadline. Its my consulting background. Moving deadlines costs money. I know this isn't the same (cuz lets face it - no money in sight right now :) but I cant get rid of that "meet your deadline no matter what even if it takes 90 hrs a week" mentality.

I know my agent would prefer to go market by Aug (me too!) and this book is almost there.

So I say hell yah - lets add stuff - I can totally do that! Adding, lengthening, expanding, developing, perfecting - that's the easy part to me. It's tough but doable. It's the cutting, moving, killing off, and replotting stuff that bites

Not adding. I can add all day long. I can be a long-winded as you want me to be. (I am sure all of you are nodding your heads now after looking at some of my recent LONGGGGGGG posts.)

So that is where I am - for the first time in my life - I am loving expanding something. (besides my hips, pants, or belly)

Used to be expanding anything was not good.

Now if life would just freeze.....

If my Bank would stop hosing me with what I call an unfair credit card percentage increase under the excuse of "its hard financial times miss." (HELLO!!!! you do not need to tell a writer that - trust me - I KNOW! And how does your rate increase help me in these financial times. Cuz let me just say I'm pretty sure my Bank has much more money than I do.)

If my mortgage company would correct mistakes they made that have now cost me a huge pain and mental anguish. (H0w come when you're older - saying "that's not fair" doesn't work on anyone. FYI - saying "That's SO not fair" or "I'm going to tell my mom on you" doesn't work either.)

If my cable company would stop trying to renegotiate my bundle rate by telling me that I have to pay 40$ a month (BTW I didn't thanks to my persistency and what I like to refer to as my Bitch Mode. Oh yeah, and since when does renegotiating mean raising prices. Doesn't negotiating mean working together to get the best deal?)

If my lease could have just been for a few more months so I did not have to deal with car people right now. (PS Car People also find using the "financial climate" a good excuse for trying to charge me more on my lease payout than the car is worth. Do they think I'm dumb?)

If little pesky germs would take a vacation and stay away from me and my kids. (Wonder Twin Powers activate - form of white blood cells)

If my light bulbs would stop all going out at the same time. (I can't take another small thing on my list)

If Wipeout could have waited just a couple more weeks for their season to start. (I know I keep saying it, but that show is Hi-larious! Ha I am laughing just imagining the last episode)

If the cicadas would stop being nocturnal and chirping out my window so I don't sleep and am gruggy when I'm "creating" chapters. (BTW Did you know that the cicadas here are called Magicicada, because they have an extremely long life cycle of 13 to 17 years? Does that mean they have to hang out my window for that long? Do they move on? Or migrate? ever?)

If my Muse and brain would come off hiatus and snap back into their positions and do their thang...(Muse's break and vacations and personal days are getting old - let me tell you.)

If everything was quiet and perfect, I'll be fine. (Side note: wouldn't it be cool if we could freeze time for like 12 hrs, write and then unfreeze so we don't miss any thing? Expecially with our kids. Because I want to write but I dont want to miss anything.)

if...if....if....

if all the ifs would go away, then adding, expanding, perfecting and finishing by Monday would be a breeze.

One can wish.....

OK so I need to focus (so then what am I doing blogging????)

I can finish this book - even with all the distractions. And why? because I love it. because I want it. because it makes me happy. And I know with this book - I have something special and I want to finish it and finish it right.

And I am ready.

Now I realize that even when you get an agent - there is so much more in front of you. I think I have always been so focused on getting an agent, I could never see past it. (at least except for my book on the shelf and bestselling) I will say am so glad I enjoyed the agent process and that I continue to enjoy the writing process. Because getting an agent is just one step. The first step in a long staircase to publication. Getting an agent just one fat comfy boulder along my journey. A place for me to rest up so I can continue to hike up my tall mountain of dreams.

So now, no matter all the ifs, ands, or buts - I realize that I am so close, yet still so far. I just need to keep taking one step forward at a time and get to that next boulder - which right now is finishing edits!

So back to writing. Back to enjoying the journey.

Because let's face it - if you ever finally really get to "the end" and get published.

If you ever really make it?

Then what?

You start all over again!