I Once Wrote a Query

When I was up to my armpits in rough drafting, slinging words and desperate for the right phrase I had no idea that I was in the middle of the best time of my life.  I thought when I finished there would be high fives, cheering crowds and instant recognition.  Instead I clicked the close button on the screen and went to bed.   For weeks I wondered around listless, unsure what to do with my free time, scared about what came next. 

My obsessive nature wouldn't let it go.  Instead of letting the words flow on the weekends, I sat unshowered, searching, researching trying to figure out my next step.  Do I try to look for an agent and face the chance of multiple rejections?  Or do I epublish and hope for the best?  Looking to those I admire the most I asked, talked and asked some more.  Then I found the coolest site, haven't been able to find it again but man I am so happy I saw it that week.  On there it said that only 3% of those that start a novel finish it. Feeling brave as a member of the elite gave me a bit more confidence.  I took the next step...made a writer's plan.

Plans are essentially check list, another passion of mine.  With goals in hand I felt more like myself, ready to move forward and send away my baby to the unknown world.  This required a very painful first step, capture the essences of my love/book in a short summary that will blow the socks off of any agent.  Locked down for an entire weekend my hair sat thrown in the ugly, unwashed bun, I hacked at the query in my tight, faded sweats grumpy, with the world- writing my query letter to my future, (please oh please God) agent. That Monday I put it in the mail.  Looking at the mailman I felt like a bad Mom just handing her child to stranger that I bumped into after leaving the delivery room.  He could sense some hesitating and commented, "Out of site, out of mind." Boy he was so wrong.  As soon as he turned the corner with it I felt like throwing up.  That was on the 25th of October, and still nothing.  I know deep down that it has only been gone six business days but it does not help. I know that all of my favorite writers had to do this multiple...like double digits worth of times.  That doesn't help.  Maybe the pain and stress will fade as I do this more. 

Think I'm going to go back to my happy place, go back to rough drafting.