Friday, May 16th, 2008...8:25 am
Heard Back From One Agent!
I heard back from one agent! Funny thing is after reading his email I didn’t feel any real emotion! I guess because it was neither a rejection or an acceptance. To paraphrase he said, good start, good hook, good story…then he suggested two things:
1) that I find a fiction editor to help me tighten my writing. (Sounds reasonable if I can afford it!)
2) That my married protag becomes single and finds a love interest. AKA Romantic suspense!
ACK! That number two got me! Not because I’m not open to changing and editing, BUT I don’t want my protag to be single. I don’t want to write a romantic suspense. I don’t want to feel like I’m selling out for an easy sell!
Does that make sense? I don’t really enjoy reading romantic suspenses so why would I want to write one? For me, they’re too predictable. Single protag has issues with single guy, they dance around their attraction…maybe while solving a murder or running for a killer…until they realize their love…before or after the hero saves her! Sorry to all your romantic suspense lovers, but BLECK!
I can see where this agent is coming from. He says it would make my story an easier sell! And he’s right. So there in lies the decision. Do I want to make it an easier sell just for the sake of getting published, OR do I want to stick with my heart and leave this story as is? I have another story that is a mystery with an element of romance, and I’m fine with that one because that’s how I wrote it.
If I changed this current WIP to a single protag, it changes the whole motivation and makes it weaker in my opinion. Plus the issues she faces with attractions toward an other man (yes, why she’s still married! Come on, I know there are people out there married with old loves they just quite haven’t gotten over) wouldn’t be as edgy and complicate to the story.
But I’m not too concerned at this point. I want to mull it over, let it simmer, and see what the other agent has to say. Maybe when I do, I’ll start to feel the agita in the pit of my stomach. Until then…life is sweet!
8 Comments
May 16th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Yeah! It’s great that you heard back. Not exactly what you wanted to hear, I know, but just think how bored you’d be if the publication process was easy:-) I’m learning from your experiences, by the way - thanks for blogging them!
May 16th, 2008 at 8:47 am
The important thing is that you know what you want your story to be, and that can guide you in your decision making process. Congratulations on the good feedback!
May 16th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I don’t know if I could mentally handle being a writer. Sounds like you have to read into a lot of what agents and editors say! Cindi
May 17th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I’d like to see you stick with writing that’s from your heart, Gina. But I suppose the agent is just trying to guide you into what he thinks will be the easiest sell.
I like romance when it’s done well, but am not a big fan of romantic suspense. I just finished an excellent book by Linda Hall in which the protag is married, and I have to say that’s my favorite style. Instead of the “guy-meets-girl-and-falls-in-love”, there’s so much that can be done within the marriage relationship.
I grew up reading lots of Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton books. Nancy was always dating; but Judy, who you probably haven’t heard of, was married to Peter, an FBI agent. And I enjoyed the Judy Bolton series so much more because of that.
So just give it some time, see if you don’t hear from the other agent, and pray about it. I have no doubt that whatever happens will be best for you, Gina.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Tough call, Gina. Really. But this is one you’ll have to settle in your own heart. My knee-jerk advice would be, if you don’t like to read romantic suspense, why would you write it (it will show)? Write what you love, where your heart and passion are, and it will show in the quality of your work. But that’s a call only you can make. And like Carole said, pray about it. Pray and wait for an answer.
May 18th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Gina, I would say stay with the story you have. You have a passion about it.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Hey–LOVE the new look….
Great that you heard back. I suppose the answer depends on whether or not it’s “the agent of your dreams”; of so, then you know what you’d have to do. If not, then wait and pray for the other responses.
June 30th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Hmmmm. Makes me wonder what I would do. I’m thinking stick to keeping the protag married. Perhaps some of the other advice is worth considering, but that would drastically change your story. And it is your story. Actually, it is God’s story. Better ask Him.
Blessings,
Carla
Leave a Reply