I began writing again. I wrote a lot. But I didn't send much out. I began searching for another literary agent. Again, there were many form letters and letters with critiques and encouragement. There was the reputable agent who called after hours and said she loved the first three chapters of what I'd sent her. We worked on three revisions without me being signed on--only to have her eventually decline the manuscript. There was the small press funded by a fabulous author who asked for rewrites on a manuscript, only to say they couldn't publish the book due to monetary reasons. I kept sending out to agents. I kept getting rejected.
My writing, so far, has resulted in approximately 50 unpublished stories, 8 unpublished manuscripts, 7 abandoned manuscripts, 8 published short stories, and 1 published novel that has undergone quite a few incarnations. I selected, out of all the overwrought fantasies I'd written, Thorn Jack, one with an emotional resonance, a story about a girl named Finn, who has lost her sister to suicide and will follow Jack, her guide and kindred spirit, to the otherworld to get her back. I read every writing book I could get my hands on, took all the advice, and sent Thorn Jack to Harper Voyager's open submissions call.
Next: The characters of Thorn Jack.
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