Conclusions, conclusions

Funny how timing works, isn't it? A moment here, a minute there, and our whole lives could be different. Or, for instance, when people come into our lives and tell us something really valuable for where we are at that moment in time. How many snippets of advice have gone in one ear and out the other because the timing wasn't right for us to hear it? How many people have we just missed meeting who might have become friends?

Yes, this is going somewhere.

Last week I had a phone consultation with Jenny Bent from the Bent Agency about my finished novel, On A Midnight Street. I've worked on it, off and on, for about 18 months. It's complete and as polished as it's ever going to be unless an agent/editor/publisher demands changes. (I should be so lucky.) After speaking with Jenny Bent, after she perfected my query letter, I was all charged up and decided I would send it out once more, to say 10 more agents.

Then I read a blog post by Allison Winn Scotch, about when to quit querying. I suddenly came to the conclusion that I was ready to move on because at this point, I couldn't bear to do one more rewrite without the promise of publication. Even though my novel is "perfect", even though my query letter is "perfect", I'm movin' on. I've written an 83,000-word first draft to my next book, Invented Lives, and that's all I want to focus on now.

So, done. There it is. Close one book, open another. I am completely happy with this decision.
For now.