Happily, she agreed!

A bit of background: when I first received the request for a full from this agent, I’d already begun the process of outlining a merged Book One and Two. I was actually hoping a request, if it came, would be AFTER I’d finished the new draft – because that’s the version of the manuscript I wanted the agent to see. Alas, there wasn’t time for that – so I spent a month polishing the existing Book One and sent it off, not wanting to unnecessarily prolong matters.

Happily, I think my recipient saw enough of interest in the existing manuscript to hazard a gander at my proposed rewrite. There was no formal request for revisions, and the feedback wasn’t phrased in the form of creative direction or constructive criticism. But this agent’s concerns happened to track with mine.

In short, I’ve never been more motivated to deliver a new draft. The open invite of a willing audience at the finish line is the kindest incentive I could ask for. I’m pumped to give it my all and spill the beans for this whole story – all the characters, all the narrative threads, all the mysteries and their solutions packed into one tight, but rich, execution of the Inlanders idea.

I’m looking forward to the result.

- Stephen Reese

I did honor the occasion by sending out another batch of queries for Book One, this time evenly balanced between snail mail and email.

Two form rejections so far.

Seeing to work on Chap 1 now, for which I’ve slotted the entire month of September. My first draft deadline for the whole shebang is May 2010, and I’ll be yapping in here from time to time. See you then! And then, and then…

- Stephen Reese

I’ve been rewriting the opening of book one. And in outlining book the second, I’ve decided to try combining the two novels by writing the new material in and around the events of book one.

Could be interesting.

Still haven’t heard back on the one remaining submission. Now I’m not so bothered it’ll likely be a rejection. I’d like to take another chunk of time, get book two on the page, and go back out with new queries (and submissions) after I’ve finished Inlanders entire.

Back in several months,

- Stephen Reese

Total rejections so far: 9 (7 on queries, 2 on submissions)

There’s 1 more submission pending in this first round; not feeling optimistic about it.

Already rewriting; also writing book 2.

10-4.

-Stephen Reese

For anyone keeping track, that’s 3 manuscript requests, 3 rejection letters. 50/50′s good with me!

- Stephen Reese

Thanks for staying with me.

- Stephen Reese

Thank you for tuning in.

- Stephen Reese

Reading it now, my last sucky-baby post makes me chuckle. I’ve logged so much more work on the manuscript since claiming I was “almost done”. Each time I reach a new plateau in the writing, convinced I’ve delivered my best, I realize I’m still not satisfied and I can do better.

I may be a perfectionist – and I know ‘art’ is never finished, only abandoned – but I really do want this thing good enough to put in front of the agents I’ve selected. I respect their experience, taste and the time I’ll ask of them – even just to read my query letter (which I’ve rewritten again, and again, still polishing it to the most condensed sheen I can manage). I need to be comfortable standing behind what I’m pitching. I have very high standards, and I know these agents do, too.

So I’ll keep rewriting.

But I’ll go on the record here with a deadline. 12 March. One year from my first post on this blog, which signaled the beginning of my editing process for Inlanders, is when I’ll call it ready.

Let’s see if I end up laughing at this post, too.

- Stephen Reese

I am officially sick of working on this book – a state I’ve found, on most projects, to be a decent sign I’m almost done.

Word count hovers around 80,000 as I move into the back half of the manuscript, still cutting the living guts outta this thing and finding more to cut (or fix) every sentence.

Some last-minute feedback has trickled in from my readers – actionable suggestions, in some cases – but I do believe at least 5 won’t have much to say about the draft they’re reading or providing shelf space for; that is, before I sign off on it all and send my queries.

That happens this week.

I’m on my own now.

At the last.

- Stephen Reese

Lots of work on the manuscript, not only by me but also my cadre of kind and caring readers, some of whom raced to the ending and agreed to provide an illustration (Lynn); put me up on a couch while spending a few vacation days grinding through, sentence-by-sentence (Doug); installed MSN for a spur-of-the-moment, late-night workshop discussion (Bill); or enjoyed the book enough to read the third draft I’m now finishing (Lisa). Others didn’t make it through (Teresa, Berenice, Lisa II, and, I’m assuming, Melanie). Others are in it, but not out of it (Chad, Dave, Drew, Tanya, and, I’m assuming, Doug II). And at least one reader I haven’t heard from at all (Neil), but he’s fast with his eyes and brain, so there’s still time for him to chime in.

Still time, that is, because – as with the first draft – I’m about a month past schedule. But I’m grateful for these extra weeks to revise, revise and revise. Scores more words are excised; carefully chosen others arrive. Give or take, I suspect this draft, completed, will clock in around 85,000 words – and that’s the number I’ll send it out at, if anyone’s curious to read.

Those anyones are the literary agents I’ve chosen to query. My original shortlist of 110 is now honed to 32, and I’ve rewritten the query letter yet again. I think I’m finally happy with it. It captures the book in a couple short, clear paragraphs. Good.

I’ve noted and internalized the reader comments already logged. My own criticisms I’m intimately familiar with. Both are on my mind as I write through the manuscript again, stamping out remnants of earlier, search-ier drafts, polishing those sentences ready for transfer from tote bag to closed display cabinet, and adding the final touches now asserting themselves.

Three years are winding to their end.

But Inlanders has a sequel, by the way – a concluding book.

And as I finish this first one, the second is revving its engines and demanding my attention.

Very soon I’ll climb outta the driver seat of the parked, serviced, clean and buffed car, and settle into that jumpy jalopy over there, all ready and jonesing for its first exploratory road trip.

- Stephen Reese