Three Things I Learned This Week

Proper Time to Contact Agent/Publisher

My husband’s been driving me nuts ever since I sent off my manuscript to Wiley-Merrick Literary Agency. That was the second week in November after I painstakingly copied and pasted each chapter into one document (Oh, no Toto and Flying monkeys. Lots of them. I thought I’d strangle my computer over it).

“Have you heard yet?” he asked(he’s a chronic nag).

“Nope,” I said.

“When do you expect to hear anything?”

“Nothing for a while.”

“Can’t you call?” he asked.

“Not unless you want my novel to be pushed back further,” I said hoping, he’ll get the message. It’s all about patience.

It’s a good thing I’m the writer in the family and the hairdresser (his hairdresser of 25 years butchered his neckline a couple times before my hubby decided to come to me…it’s a way that hairdressers get rid of a nagging client…don’t let them know I informed you all of such). Yes, do not piss of your hairdresser like do not piss off the agents and publishers. They will teach you a lesson you will never forget.

To be honest, at the times (many times) that he has pestered me, I didn’t know what the proper agent-etiquette deal was. So I called my editor this week. The proper waiting period is three months and two weeks. Those were the exact words. So I’m looking at February before I hear or they hear from me. Patience is good.

Windows Live Writer

This popped up in my box sometime last week. It’s a blog writer (guess that’s the proper name for it). For some reason when it identified itself on my computer screen, I clicked on it thankful it wasn’t a virus (clicked on one of those before without thinking…kapowi…killed my hard drive). The angels heard me all the way from heaven and sent it to me making my life easier. Now I can post pictures, too . But, I still need to read my manual on my digital camera on how to save my photos. Time.

Speaking of time leads me to the next thing I learned(wrote that one on my grocery list this morning).

I’m an Anal-Retentive Time Keeper

Yup. I am. Last night I blocked out time to beta read and edit this morning for a fellow writer. Blocked out time to write but…

“Honey, come snuggle with me,” my hubby said. Well, he more like whined it.

Yup. He tempted me with his warm-harry-chubbykin-body to hop back into bed, and it worked. And if that didn’t work, his dimples did. They come out when he smiles. Another coaxing mechanism. Besides, when it’s in the fifties in Florida it’s like being in the teens to us (Okay, enough of the x-rated stuff…No-No edits my blogs for me so she’s already grossed out).

Afterward, I cooked. Oatmeal. Egg white and turkey scramble. Applesauce pumpkin muffins. Okay. Yeah. I got sidetracked form my original schedule. But really, I schedule two hours on my work days for writing, four hours on my off days, thirty minutes to read other blogs and respond, thirty minutes to beta read, thirty minutes to edit. Everyday I schedule house chores, cooking, laundry….you name I schedule it. And like my hubby gets cranky when things are out of place, I get cranky when I don’t follow my schedule.

And right now, I’m a cranky Shelly-bear.