(This is one of those posts in which I attempt to make myself feel more normal by commiserating with all of you. Thanks in advance for humoring me. ♥♥♥)
By “the same thing over and over again,” I’m referring to revising and/or rewriting repeatedly with the goal of one day launching a publishing career.
So. I understand that with each completed draft I become a stronger writer. And that makes me SO happy. And I understand that publishing can be slow and frustrating and that there are no guarantees. I understand that not every writer becomes a published author, and I get that all writers experience moments of doubt and defeat. I have a well-researched, realistic view on the industry, and I realize that no matter how glamorous an author’s life may seem, no one has had an easy go of it. Writing is hard. Rejection is hard. Publishing is hard.
That being said, I have a determined (stubborn?) streak that will not let me give up. I will continue to march toward my goal for as long as I am mentally capable of imagining and physically capable of typing. But…
Lately, when family and friends (who are very sweet and well-meaning) ask me the dreaded, “Hey, when’s your book going to be published?” question, I have to suppress cringe. Because… I don’t know. I don’t know when my book’s going to be published. I don’t even know if this particular book will see the light of day, ever. It’s kind of out of my hands at this point.
So, when asked that dreaded question, I end up answering with mumbles about an umpteenth revision, and then the family member or friend ends up giving me The Look. You probably know the one: It’s kind of confused and kind of piteous. Like, Oh, you cute girl (or bored housewife or crazy person). You must have such fun with your imaginary friends. Another revision, huh? How many revisions have you done on that book, anyway? When will the madness end?
Yes. Yes, I am revising again. Yes, I know that probably sounds insane. Yes, sometimes I feel insane, and that sucks. But my story is better for it. And when my first book sells, trust that I will shout about it from the rooftops. In fact, you’ll probably be sick to death of hearing about it by the time the book ever sits on a bookstore shelf.
Until then, I’m going to embrace the insanity and continue to plug away, honing my craft, reading everything I can get my hands on, and just… writing.
Want to get in on my brand of crazy?
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At the end of the month, my girlie and I welcomed my husband home from Afghanistan (yay!).
I raved about another favorite of 2012, 
I turned thirty-one. No comment.
I read and reviewed another 2012 favorite: 
I worked on 
I 
After we settled in to our new house, I shared a little bit about 
I read and recommended 
Oh, look! Another outstanding 2012 book: 
I read and gushed about 
My husband and I saw Brad Paisley and The Band Perry… Incredible!
… 
I tackled a frustrating revision of Cross My Heart, one that came with some bad-but-unrelated writing news. 
I posted about yet another phenomenal 2012 release: 
Took a 
I visited an apple orchard with my girlie, and 
I wrote 
I indulged my girlie and “dressed up” for Halloween. Little Miss Merida just LOVES this holiday!
…and raved about another amazing book, 
I got to go to Disneyland! Seriously. The happiest place on Earth.
I read and recommended yet another amazing 2012 book: 
I celebrated my husband’s birthday WITH him for once. It was a fantastic day full of The Hobbit, Buffalo Wild Wings, and homemade birthday cake.
And last but not least, I celebrated the holidays with my husband and this sweet girl, and took some time to reflect on the passing year.
I’ve spent a year and a half interning with 3 superstar agencies including Andrea Brown Literary. I’ve also spent sixteen months as a freelance editor, and during that time, I’ve worked with over 60 authors. Nine of my clients have signed with agents and five have signed book deals, four with major houses. I’ve been writing since I was young, but I really got serious about publishing my freshman year of college. My sophomore year, I signed with an agent, so I have plenty of experience in both the querying trenches and the submission process.
