I Got My Wish

It’s been a long silence from my corner of the world, and I’m sorry for that. Some of you know that I’m dealing with a health issue. Tomorrow I see a specialist and I’m hoping to get my surgery scheduled. I won’t go into details, it’s a girly sort of thing, but it does make me pretty uncomfortable and tired, and I'm ready to get it taken care of.  Thanks for staying with me.

Tonight I was saying to my writer’s group that I’m almost hoping the agency will send a rejection so that I can rewrite my book.

I thought I was finished, ready to submit. But lately I’ve been given good advice about how to open my story. I’ve reworked it and the response at group tonight was positive. I like it better myself. I have other ideas for integrating some of the memories from the first chapter into later chapters. I’d thought about it before – pushing the memories into the storyline instead of starting with them. I thought I was explaining how it felt to grow up adopted, but now I see that they need to be memories that come up now and then.

I’ve also found a new voice. Not so pedantic – more personal.

So, with all that said; I got my wish tonight. I checked my email and there was the response. They sent a generic note: thank you so much for submitting…. After a careful reading…sorry to say that we don’t believe this project is right for our agency… The business of publishing is subjective…opinions vary widely…  They recommend that I submit to other agents. “After all, it just takes one “yes” to find the right match.” And they wish me good luck.

But what I really appreciate is the added note: “There is some lovely writing here and the search for one's natural parents is an important story. Ultimately memoirs are tough and we'd have to love something 100% to take one on. We aren't the right champions for this story. We are so sorry not to have better news for you. Good luck with this project.”

I am encouraged.

And I realized something else. Am I being too picky about the “natural” parents reference? We don’t call them “natural,” for that would make our adoptive parents “unnatural.” Just a bit of adoption humor. I guess I actually do care if my representatives are sensitive to adoption life… 

I’ll think on that awhile.

I feel a little happy dance coming on. I did it. I submitted. I was rejected. And now I take my place among the legions of writers who did it too, and were ultimately successful.

Lots to do. Be back soon.