Wednesday, April 25, 2012

A Giraffe in my Grasp

In my last post I suggested that it might be “easier to juggle giraffes than to sell a rhyming picture book manuscript” (see “Giraffe Juggling”). That’s still true, but at the moment, I feel like I’ve caught a giraffe and am bracing myself for the toss.

The latest critique of my rhyming PB manuscript left me stymied by a new question: “Have you thought about where you might submit this?” Submit? Really?

Immersed in meter, plot and my thesaurus, I had resolved not to consider next steps. I consulted the wonderful resources you readers suggested (thank you!), and revised, revised, revised. And, surprise -- the manuscript earned a thumbs up from my critique partners.  


I am thrilled to see light at the end of the revision tunnel. Admittedly, the manuscript needs tweaks, but they feel manageable. Today, my efforts to hone this craft made a difference and lifted me to a new level of confidence.

I’m not juggling yet, but at least the giraffe is within my grasp. I know this is just the beginning of a confidence-deflating process (ah, rejections) but still, I'm looking forward to launching that giraffe skyward.

So this is my way of encouraging all you frustrated writers out there: Keep at it! You can catch a giraffe too.

7 comments:

  1. May you (and that giraffe) fly high!

    And if it doesn't work out the first time, remember all those famous authors who didn't have instant success, and keep submitting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad to hear that you're feeling more optimistic about the outcome. Will your next book book be about juggling giraffes?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I do seem a little obsessed with giraffes, don't I? Maybe I should consider that for my next project. Thanks Linda!
    And thanks Gale, those '10 year, overnight success' stories keep me going sometimes. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've been known to juggle bottles of wine or martini shakers...

    I hope to toss a bottle of champagne your way soon!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congratulations on the successful revision, Julie! That is awesome!

    (And I love the idea of you writing a juggling giraffe book! What fun! :o) )

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks Judy and Brianna! It's nice to feel progress.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Here's hoping Little Bird will find a nest!

    ReplyDelete