Tuesday, February 11, 2014

When Your Writing Journey Becomes the Plot of a Novel, Part 2

Read the full post of Part 1 HERE: 



When Your Writing Journey Becomes the Plot of a Novel, Part 2
By Victoria J. Coe

Last week’s cliffhanger: For the second time, agent Marietta Zacker considered my manuscript and regretfully said it still wasn’t working. She and I had shared a vision for what the story could be. She inspired me to explore my characters and plot more deeply. I’d done my best and made good progress, but my revision fell short. I had two choices: 1) Give up, or 2) Get professional help.
I decided to reach out to Ben H. Winters, my Grub Street teacher from the previous year. To my amazement, he said he’d love to help. It wasn’t easy to spend the money, but with so much at stake I had to go for it.
It turned out Ben was worth every penny. Actually, he was worth a trillion pennies! I shared Marietta’s comments and suggestions with Ben and he kept those in mind as he read my manuscript. Three weeks later, he sent a detailed critique and we scheduled a call.
Coincidentally, at that point I was taking an 8-week on-line master class on plot with editor Cheryl Klein. When Ben and I talked, he helped me see a new way to implement the suggestions Marietta had made. I was able to apply what I’d learned in Cheryl’s class and we spent the entire call brainstorming. I hung up with a plan. It was my “Aha!” moment.
I was on fire. It only took me two months to revise the manuscript and send it back to Ben. (Unbelievably, he’d agreed to reread it even though he’d just won the Edgar Award and was on a national tour for his newest book.)
And more good news - Ben said that finally, the story felt like “what it was trying to be all along.” In other words, it was ready for Marietta.
I sent the manuscript back to the same agent for the third – yes, the third – time. She said she looked forward to reading it and she hoped to respond within three weeks. I braced myself for the wait and started thinking of the next step I’d take if/when the rejection came.
A day later, my husband and I went to New York for a big night on the town. The next afternoon we were getting ready to head back to Boston, when I checked messages.
I was shocked to see an email from Marietta asking if we could talk. She said she had some questions. I was so distracted, my husband had to pull me out of the way of a speeding taxi!
I couldn’t imagine what Marietta’s questions were. She couldn’t possibly have read the manuscript so soon, so why would she have questions? I wrote her back and we scheduled a call for the following morning.
I could hardly sleep that night. I had visions of the Monty Python bridgekeeper asking riddles before I could cross the Bridge of Death. Did I know the capital of Assyria? Or the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
The next morning my stomach was in knots. When Marietta asked how I was doing, I actually replied, “I’m totally nervous!”
But thankfully, she calmed me down immediately. She said she read the manuscript in one night and she loved it!
She talked about my characters like she knew them personally. Like she cared about them. We talked about things like age range and where the story might fit in the market. The conversation was so organic, I’m not exactly sure at which point she offered representation. All I know is I was so overjoyed, I couldn’t contain myself.
It had been 11 months after I’d first queried Marietta. It was a long quest, with lots of ups and downs, a stellar supporting cast, and a heroine who never gave up. But my story has a happy ending and I couldn’t be more thrilled.



The good news from Vicki gets even better. See the Publishers Weekly Rights Report from February 3, 2014 HERE! 



Writers, what’s the best feedback 
you’ve ever received from an agent?

I’ll share mine in the comments below.

62 comments:

  1. This is one of my favorite rejections after a partial request:

    You write well, with many clever details—and I enjoyed reading this—but I’m afraid that I just didn't connect with this in the way that I'd hoped.

    That said, I'd be happy to hear about any future projects you may have.

    Whatever happens, I hope you will continue writing and sending out your work. If you haven't done so already, you may wish to look at The Jeff Herman Guide to Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents - there, you should be able to find someone who's a better fit for your work.

    Again, Theresa, thank you for sharing this with me.

    Very best of luck to you.

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    1. That IS an awesome rejection, Theresa! I hope it's partly what has inspired you to keep working on that promising manuscript!

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    2. It IS what inspired me to keep working on my manuscript. Now if I go to Highlights, I need to decide if this is the project I should bring with me. I'll have to pick your brain tomorrow.

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  2. Wow, what a great story. Huge congrats to Vicki!

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  3. What an awesome ending! I'm so glad you stuck it out and invested in your story.

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  4. Perseverance pays off! A great payoff at the end~

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  5. Now that's the kind of agent story I love: one with a happy ending. :)

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  6. Congratulations, Vicki! I saw the rights report last week, so I already had a spoiler for the end of this story. So happy you persevered!

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    1. Dianne, so cool you remembered Vicki's name!

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    2. Wow, Dianne, I am honored that you remembered me. : ) THANKS!

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  7. Hooray for happy endings! Congrats on both contracts - with the agent and the publisher. Thanks for bringing Vicki's story to us, Theresa. It's definitely an inspiration to keep at it -- and to seek help when needed.

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  8. Congratulations, Theresa! That is soo wonderful! Yeah for you!!! I am soo happy for you!

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    1. Anne, it's Vicki's good news--not mine. I'm happy for her!

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  9. What an inspiring story, Vicki. So excited for you! Thanks for sharing it all.

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  10. What an awesome tale of perseverance and determination!! Congrats to Vicki!!! :)

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  11. Congrats, Vicki! I'm glad to be able to read the other side of that awesome cliffhanger. At least I only had to wait a week. That's nothing compared to your 11-month saga. I look forward to seeing Fenway & Hattie in the wild!

    -(another) Vicki

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  12. Great, uplifting story! And Marietta is wonderful. She helped me with a manuscript, and later I met her at a conference and she was lovely.

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    1. I have to agree with you, Kelly. Marietta IS fabulous. Without her wisdom and guidance, my manuscript would only have been HALF of what it is today. (No exaggeration - when she first read it, it was HALF the story.) Good luck to you!

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  13. That's a brilliant story - it's always great to hear such positive stories.

    I had an agent tell me they loved my writing but the story didn't go in the direction they thought it would. I didn't follow it up - I was far too close to see that different direction.

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    1. You raise a great point, Annalisa. Constructive feedback can be hard to hear/be open to. Sometimes it takes distance to reflect before we can see the story in another direction.
      Not sure how much time has passed in your case, but maybe you might try following up now? Mention that you took advantage of the time to reconsider your direction and politely ask if the agent would be willing to consider seeing a revision when it's ready?
      Good luck!

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  14. WOW-EE! Gigantic thanks to everyone and most especially to Theresa! I am a true social media rookie and Theresa deserves a GOLD MEDAL for putting up with me!I've learned a ton and I've had so much fun sharing my story on her blog. And meeting her awesome followers. Thanks, everybody!

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  15. She read it in one night. How exciting for you!!!

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  16. As an early champion, I am thrilled beyond thrilled with your success. My hat is off to one of the hardest-working writers I know; an inspiration for us all.

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    1. Judy, just let me know if you'd prefer your payment in tens or twenties. :-)

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  17. That is awesome! Smart to reach out to Ben and very nice of him to help you above and beyond the cost. Good stuff, Theresa.

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  18. This is so exciting that I almost think it's me. I CANNOT wait for the chance. Theresa, we're going to have good news in 2014. I just feel it. Thank you, Victoria!!!!

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    1. I hope you're right. I'm trying to use Vicki's story as inspiration to do things a little differently. I've already made some changes.
      Keep at it Robyn, you'll get there.

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  19. I love happy endings! Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Victoria! Thanks as well to you, Theresa, for hosting. :) I'm totally inspired.

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  20. Huge congratulations, Victoria! A very inspiring story after a huge amount of plain, hard work.

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  21. What do they say about happy endings? If it isn't happy, it isn't yet the end. Something like that.

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  22. Congrats, Victoria!! Loved reading through this journey. Loved even more the happy ending :)

    So far my best ever feedback from an agent, "There's a lot I loved about this story." It didn't get me a deal, but wow, it was nice reading that.

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  23. That is an awesome story! Congrats, Victoria! I've used outside editors as well and they have made a huge difference for me during my looooong many years learning curve.

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  24. More and more thanks to everyone! Feeling overwhelmed and shocked and lucky.
    Theresa's question about feedback from agents is a great one. Agents don't often have the time to offer specific suggestions or give evaluations on every manuscript they read. But when they do, it can be a great opportunity for a writer to use those suggestions to make the manuscript stronger.

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  25. Wonderful story! This was the conclusion I was hoping and waiting for! It gives all of us aspiring authors some hope :)

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  26. I love a good success story. I applaud your steadfast determination. That's not always easy to come by. Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

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  27. Fantastic! What a great story about what it takes to reach your goals.

    The Warrior Muse

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  28. Such a great agent story. Congrats to Judy.

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  29. I wish there were more of these stories--the struggles were certainly worth it. Congrats.

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  30. Wow! Another huge round of thanks to everyone! I hope my story inspires others to keep at it. If an agent passes on a manuscript, but expresses interest/offers revision suggestions, take it as an opportunity! Stop at nothing to make your manuscript the best it can be! And most important of all, never give up.

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  31. Wow! Well done Ms Coe!!!! So so so so happy you carried onwards and upwards - such encouragement too!! What a great great story - I was on tenterhooks!!! with a brilliant ending! Take care
    x

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  32. This is such a positive story. Sometimes you just have to spend the money! After all those hours invested in your story, perhaps some last-minute tweaking will be just what you need to assure acceptance/sales.

    Thanks for sharing Victoria. Thanks for hosting, Theresa!

    denise

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  33. Hi Vicki and Theresa - what a great couple of blog posts to read .. it's perseverance and keeping the positive out in front .. so pleased for you ..

    Cheers and good luck to all writers this year .. Hilary

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  34. What an awesome ending! And you're swaying me towards something I've been considering for my own stories... professional editing.
    Love the Python reference :-)
    Congratulations!

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    1. Deniz, Vicki has inspired me to stick with a manuscript longer and get professional help. I'm going to a writing retreat this summer for a more intensive look at a particular manuscript.

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  35. Thank you, Theresa and Victoria, for sharing this wonderful tale of success. Many congratulations, Victoria. May it be the first of many acceptances. I agree with Deniz. Once I get my memoir manuscript to a certain point, I may be considering professional editing as well.

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    1. Victoria, Vicki has inspired me to stick with a manuscript longer and get professional help. I'm going to a writing retreat this summer for a more intensive look at a particular manuscript.

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    2. Good for you, Theresa. Help me here. Is a writing "retreat" different from a writing "conference"? Are you going off with fellow writers to look more closely at your own ms or is it a class taught by another professional writer or editor? I wish you all the luck. You are a wonderful writer and I enjoy your blog.

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    3. Victoria, the retreat is different from the conference. It won't be that many people and it's in a more remote setting. I send 100 pages in advance, and I'll receive feedback on them at the conference. There will be a revision techniques workshop. All meals are included. Two editors are running this one: http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/workshops/revision-retreat-2014/
      Thanks so much for your nice words. I enjoy your blog too and I wish you luck with your memoir.

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  36. Seeking professional help is always a great idea. There's so much we can learn from those who have succeeded in the business. Great post again.

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  37. Wow it sounds like Vicki really went through a roller coaster ride. I'm glad to see her efforts paid off. :-)

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  38. Congratulations to Vicki! I love hearing the stories behind publication. :) Her story sounds like a nail biter, but it is wonderful that she didn't give up and did whatever it took to make her story better. So excited for her! :)
    ~Jess

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  39. Wahoo! What a crazy, but fun journey. I'm all for people getting professional outside help on occasion. I know it made a world of difference for me, and that was with the most amazing critique partners in the world at my beck and call.

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  40. Thank goodness the taxi didn't get you! Congrats - what a journey!

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  41. I agree with everyone--it was quite a journey! I knew Vicki through all of it though I didn't critique her manuscript. I was so impressed with how she kept trying to improve it and kept staying in touch with Marietta.

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  42. What a great story! Congrats, Victoria! Yay for perseverance!

    Very inspiring post, Theresa! Congrats on your nice rejection, too!

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  43. Congratulations! Such an inspirational journey. And you held your dream, too!

    Nas

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  44. I appreciate everyone comments and good wishes for Vicki!

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  45. What??!! I'm off of blogosphere for a few weeks (as far as comments go) and come back to learn your awesome news happened a while ago. Congratulations, Theresa! Way to go, girl! :-)

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    1. Victoria, this news isn't for me. It's for Victoria Coe. She's guest posting on my blog.

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