After over a hundred rejections, I abandoned my first novel. Maybe I needed the warmup. I realized that I had a good story, but it lacked heart. I wrote it in the third person. I kept the point of view focused on my protagonist. I paid some professional editors to read the first pages and offer comments. The response was neutral. No one said that my writing was bad. They also didn’t say it was good. Beta readers liked it. I think they like anything that they’re paid to read.
I reluctantly decided to start again. This time, I used the first-person POV. It felt good to write. My protagonist is a woman who loses her job and ends up freelancing as an investigator. I know. It’s not exactly original. What can I say?
When I was about 30,000 words in, I signed up for a writers’ boot camp. It’s a program offered by “Writers Digest.” A professional literary agent reviews your first ten pages and offers suggestions on how to improve the project. This wasn’t the first time I did this. The comments on my first book were neutral. The agent offered some general suggestions on how to improve the work.
My expectation was that I would get a similar response to the new story. My not-so-hidden agenda was to try to decide if I should continue trying to write fiction. I knew that the agent wouldn’t tell me that my work was crap and that I should give up. I figured that if I got the sort of suggestions my first book generated, then I would quit.
I was offered a choice of several literary agents from a very reputable agency. I selected the agent whose bio included a past job as an acquisitions editor for a large publisher. I was looking for real feedback. I figured that she would be most likely to set me straight. I submitted my first ten pages. Her response blew me away:
“This was a very fun read. You have a very strong and engaging voice and that is half the battle. Bravo!”
Holy crap!
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Positive feedback! She went on to suggest I change the opening a little. Ironically, I revised the opening after viewing a video she made with tips on strong book openings. I restored my pages to the way they were before I saw her video and resubmitted them. The bootcamp allowed this additional submission. The agent was to provide brief feedback about the changes the writer makes. Here’s what I got back:
“Nicely done! You’re an excellent writer, and you are a good storyteller as well. Keep at it!”
She doesn’t say that to all the guys. This was my first positive review. I know. It was for the first ten pages. Still, it was encouragement. She had no reason to be so positive. I know. My prior experience showed me that.
I’ve been writing every day. I’m about three-quarters done with the book. Maybe this time, I have a chance to get an agent and a publisher. Wish me luck!