Back To The Real World

I want to apologize in advance if there are any major formatting issues with this post. This website has decided to set itself on random insanity mode so that every time I tried to insert or move a picture, it just arbitrarily rearranged the text. So I deleted all the pictures and tried--TRIED--to get everything back where it belonged. 

I set my alarm yesterday morning. I made it a whole week without using it. I guess I'm back from my stay-cation. Today is still relaxing, as will be tomorrow, but real life starts in earnest on Monday. Aside from all the work I need to do around the house, Monday morning I start writing again. I'm setting a goal of at least 7,000 words by next Saturday. 

I used to set daily goals, but I think I'll try weekly goals for a while. That way, if I struggle on a particular day, whether it be from working my way through a hard scene or from having a busy day doing other things (such as a training event on Wednesday), I won't feel like I failed to meet my goals because I can catch up on another day.  

The reality is that I tend to work in spurts. I'll write for a while and not write for a while and then, as I've said in this blog before, I'll reach critical mass, after which I have to write almost constantly until the draft is finished. My goal is to even that out a little bit. I imagine there will still come a point when I just can't stop because I can see the end looming and I want to be there. But if I set a goal to write at least 7k words every single week, I should be able to finish a rough draft in under three months. Add a couple of months for revision and editing and some time off between manuscripts, and I should still be able to produce a couple of books a year. Assuming I can sell them, that should produce a relatively steady income.

That I can sell them is a pretty big assumption. I got another rejection this week. Still haven't heard from the gentleman who asked for the partial manuscript. I know it's not out of the question that he'll still respond, but my hope is dimming. I'm running out of people to query. I really just don't want to go this alone and self-publish. I've said several times that I am about to do it, but I know down deep that it's somewhat of an empty threat. I want so badly to have an agent and a publisher in my corner, doing some of the things that I neither want nor have the temperament to do. I'm a writer. I'm not a publisher. I'm not a publicist. I'm not an organizer or a salesman. Yes, I'm aware that there are some things I'll have to do other than writing in order to succeed, but I want someone to guide me through that and take the lead so that I can concentrate on the important stuff--telling my stories.

So, you publishers and agents out there, how about it? I'm a good writer. I think my work will sell. You want to help me sell it?