Welcome to A Writer’s POV. If someone had told me that writing a novel would cause me to loose sleep, gain weight, snap at my husband, pull my hair out, (literally and figuratively) and kick the dog, if I had one, I never would have put pen to paper. But as they say, ignorance is bliss, and I plunged in and began writing my book with the naïve expectation that I’d be finished in a year. Needless to say, five years and seven drafts later, I’m still on my quest for the Holy Grail, a published novel. Although frustrating, I spent that time growing as a writer. Every rewrite, revision and critique taught me something. Every book I read or workshop I attended offered new insights and ways to improve my craft. My goal with this blog is to share with you what I've learned so far. To talk about issues that plague all writers, to talk about the nuts and bolts of writing. Despite the fact that it's all been said before, each of us has our own way of telling a story and hopefully you'll visit often for help, support or just for the fun of it to read the posts written from this writer's point of view.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

It's been far too long since I've posted on my blog. I'm not lazy--honest--just busy. You see I took my own advice from a previous post and polished my manuscript as best I could. And when I attended the FWA (Florida Writers Association) conference this past October in Orlando, I was ready.

It was my first conference experience and I found the classes, workshops and networking opportunities invaluable. Best of all were the sessions I reserved with two literary agents to pitch my paranormal romance novel. Well worth the extra expense, these ten minute sessions gave me the chance to pitch my story face-to-face to a living and breathing agent. Granted, for most a well crafted query letter is the only option, but one-dimensional words on a page can't show the enthusiasm or passion one feels for their book.

With the timer counting down the minutes, I opened with the "hook" then introduced the characters, the conflict and expanded on the plot. After five minutes I stopped talking and the agent asked a few questions. Then to my utter surprise she requested the full manuscript! A repeat performance during my next session the following day garnered the same favorable result.

Now I realize this does not guarantee representation. But it's a big step in the right direction and I remain cautiously optimistic as I wait for "the call."