In the meantime...

I finished rewriting Saving Eden using the "magic paragraph" technique I learned from Ron Benrey at the writer's conference.

The MS is better.

I sent the thing, chapter by chapter to a couple of particularly talented writer friends and they critiqued it. I rewrote using their suggestions. So, now I'm done right? Wrong. But, you already knew that.

I printed out the full MS. All 340 pages and am reading the ding-dong thing...again.

You'd think after a hundred rewrites or so the thing would be error free. Nope. I've read to always do a final check for errors in hard copy form because for whatever reason our eyes tend to miss some typos on the computer screen.

I'm finding all kinds of little stuff. It's going fast though. I'm amazed that the book reads now, well, like a book. It's pretty good stuff. Every once in awhile I read something and think, that's really good and then it hits me that I actually wrote that. That's a good feeling.

The 2 writers that have read my ms in its entirety gave me a full critique of the book. Ouch. Didn't ask for it, but I'm grateful they did that. It's interesting that they didn't understand a few things that in my mind are clear. So, back through the ms "one more time" (yeah, right), to clear a few things up.

For instance, the 2 antagonists are a couple and they didn't come to the conclusion whether he actually loved her or not. I thought that was going to need a major rewrite to answer since it bothered them but on second thought, I'm going to add a couple of lines and have my protaganist simply ask, "don't you love her?" and have him just come right out with the answer. I'm learning to stop being so vague.

I love to think and so when I write, I use lots of symbolism and foreshadowing because I want the reader to say, "aha!" and have them see that the book has truths on more than just a surface level. The problem is, even my most brilliant friends rarely pick up on my symbols. So, sometimes I need to just come out with it. I'll still have the secret meanings under the surface for those who think that way, but most people do not.

And to be honest, unless someone points out the symbolism in a book, I tend to gloss over it too. Once in awhile I'll get something and that to me is a magic moment. I hope that sometimes a reader of mine will have one of those that really makes them stop to ponder.

Anyway, so that's what I'm doing. I e-mailed my agent. It has been close to 2 months since he said he'd try and land me a deal. I just kind of asked if he had gotten any response.

His reply, "Gina, I'm chasing demons to save Eden. Regrettably, these things take time." He told me he'd keep me posted.

I told him I wasn't trying to rush him just touching base.

So, I can rest assured he knows my MS titles (Demon Chaser and Saving Eden) at the very least and as always in this business, patience.

Good thing I'm not impatient. Alright, so I am. But, I'm getting better. I have no choice.