Danielle Ellison's Blog, page 5

I have an agent!! AHH!!!

You guys!

This is one of those posts that people dream about writing. I know I’ve dreamt about it. (And goodness knows I’ve read enough of them and turned green with envy!) I’m so so so so thrilled (and flattered and completely in love with saying) that I have an agent!!

 

How did this happen? What’s my story?

I guess my story was always built around bad timing (or great timing considering the outcome(s)!) I queried four times before this. (Once for a novel that lives in my trunk, for Follow Me Through Darkness with the old title, for FMTD with the current title, and then for Salt.)  Salt and FMTD were always passed on with the “I love this/your writing/the voice but __” “But I can’t sell it because no one wants dystopian/paranormal.” “But that genre has passed.” “But it’s too much like something else I have.” Or (my personal favorite) “But if you had sent this two months ago…” That was my response to almost every. single. query. (And now those MSs are soon to be books thanks to two wonderful small presses that I love completely! So I think it all worked out. )

I guess the positive of this whole process has been that I have the nicest rejections ever. Seriously.

So, a few months ago I took a risk and wrote this NA/YA crossover. That doesn’t really exist (aside from a few titles) but that was the story eating at my brain and the characters who wanted out so I wrote it.  (I talk about the how and why a little more here!) I knew it was a long shot. I knew it may never sell, but I also didn’t care. Then, when it was finished, I told everyone (you can ask) that if that book got me an agent then I would be the happiest person ever.

I think there comes a point, as a writer, where you need an agent to get you moving in a new direction. I’d already sold five books, so I knew I could make a path and a career all on my own with small presses and be happy. But I also knew that to sustain that path and keep growing, I needed an agent. Even more, I wanted an agent; I wanted someone in my corner to support me and be passionate about what I was doing — and what I will do. (You know, aside from my friends.) So, knowing that, I knew that even if the new MS didn’t sell ever, maybe it would get me an agent. (Spoiler: it did.)

Enter BEA. I’d only sent a handful of queries at that time, but I had a couple meeting set up with agents with my editor hat on and some with my writer hat on. (BEA is crazy town.) Patricia Riley and I had a sit down with one particular agent to talk about Spencer Hill Contemporary, and we just got on so well. Everything she said, my brain was just like ‘yes’ and ‘yes’ and ‘yes’ over and over.  I liked her, but I had this self-imposed rule that I didn’t want to cross agents with my clients because I didn’t want anything to be weird. (It was sort of a silly rule, even if the intention was sweet; I am an author first, and my clients all know and get that.) When we walked away from that meeting, Patricia looked at me unprompted and not knowing all the things I was thinking and said, “I know you have that rule but you could break it for her. She is everything you’ve ever said you wanted in an agent. I can see you working with her. She gets you.”

But I didn’t say anything to the agent.

I tried to, later, but then the timing was weird and BEA was over and my opportunity was gone. (See? More bad timing.)

It was fine; I would move on and send queries and keep on keeping on.

But every day I thought about that conversation, and I felt like I had to talk to her. So later that week, I sent an email, and we had a phone call where the agent said some really enthusiastic, wonderful words and completely encouraged me to toss out my rule. (She’s awesome and reminded me that while it’s great to make other people’s dreams come true, I can’t forsake my own. It was pretty much exactly what I needed to hear. And probably will need to hear again.) Shortly after, I sent her my MS, and sent some more queries to other people because I had goals, and knew all too well about putting all your eggs in one basket and missing an opportunity.

I didn’t hear anything for a while, which is always the worst part of querying. She sent an email once saying she loved my characters and another later about my writing, but that was all. I got some other full requests, and I carried on with my life. Then, I got The Call. (Ours though was a text — and then a call. And it was way less scary than I always imagined it.) We had a great conversation! She got my story, the characters, the emotion and drive behind it. She got me, where I wanted to go and how we could get there. When I told her I had other queries/MSs out so I had to wait to give her answer, I could hear how disappointed she was. She told me if I went with her, she’d be thrilled, and if I went with someone else, she’d be bummed for herself but she’d be still thrilled for me. And I think the thing that blows my mind (still) is how much I believed every word of it. That was probably the reason I knew she was for me.

I did the whole “send the notification” and more MSs and talk with agents thing. Everyone I dealt with, again, was completely positive and said really, really lovely things about me and my work. Some of those congrats and passes that I may print out and collage because they were wonderful and flattering comments from amazing, enthusiastic, quality agents and all around humans. Really wonderful. But in the end, none of them were her. And speaking with them affirmed and solidified that she was the one for me.

As someone who lives trusting in her gut, my gut knew deep down what the answer was.

And now I get to work with the fabulous Nicole Resciniti at the Seymour Agency!!!! I’m completely thrilled–and y’all better get ready because it’s going to be

 

I’m as happy as a…I’m so happy I can’t even think of an analogy!!

 

Stats:

Queries sent: 27  (I had a very specified search and knew exactly what I was looking for – especially after doing this 4 times before and working in this industry.)

Requests: 10

Offers: Two

Agents: One  (a really perfect-for-me one.)

You Can’t Go Home Again

I know they say you can’t go home again, but I don’t know if I agree with that.

Home is where your heart is, and when your heart is with people and you re-connect with them, then aren’t you home?

The Switch

Has happened.

My blog (which for years has been Frenzy of Noise) has now been contained in this beautiful space!! And I did it all by myself (minus one small piece tweaked by a friend) so I’m pretty happy.

What am I not happy about?

This adventure has taken me all day. Literally. And I didn’t do any edits AT ALL.

 

Not like I’m on deadline…..

*is* *runs*

“Getting to Know You” Blog Hop

Today marks the opening of Like a Virgin pitch contest for NA/YA. And since I have a NA/YA and no agent, I’m participating as a contestant! Kinda scary.

1. How do you remember your first kiss? Like a dream…..

2. What was your first favorite love song? “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” by the Backstreet Boys.

I mean, really it was probably “The Deeper the Love” by Whitesnake–but I was like three and I only know the stories of my obsession with Whitesnake. (Blame my uncle.)

3. What’s the first thing you do when you begin writing for the day? I just write. I don’t get to write every single day and I’m not really a ritual writer. I’ve probably had coffee, because I can’t survive without it. I guess I re-read a little so I can get into the voice. Sometimes I have to read a sentence or a paragraph, and other times a whole chapter or two. It depends on my headspace and where I am in the story/how connected to the character I am at the moment.

4. Who’s the first writer who truly inspired you to become a writer? Jennifer Donnelly. I read A NORTHERN LIGHT in college and it completely changed my life, pushed me to write and I have been fawning over ever since. Some day I will get the courage to email her. (I don’t have it yet.)

5. Did the final revision of your first book have the same first chapter it started with? The first book EVER? The one that lives in my closet? Yes. I don’t think it changed. But I didn’t revise that much….it was a learning book.

FOLLOW ME THROUGH DARKNESS had approximately 15 opening chapters. That was the hardest beginning to nail down. SALT has the same chapter, with very few tweaks actually.

The one I’m entering in this contest is the same, but it’s been expanded.

6. For your first book, which came first: major characters, plot or setting? I always get a voice first, and usually a line. Some character will say something in my head and then bam – story. The plot and setting usually develop later.

7. What’s the first word you want to roll off the tip of someone’s tongue when they think of your writing?   Haunting.

Stepping Away and Starting Over

I am writing three books right now. And revising – or soon to be revising – three other books right now.  Plus playing editor for all my fantastic authors! And working.

I’m a little crazy right now.

I didn’t plan to be writing three books, but here we are. I guess in my defense, I am only actually writing one, book two of the trilogy. The other two books (SALT 2 and my love affair nicknamed SUPERB) I am crazy-detail outlining. I’m doing this while I wait for edits on DAYS (my newly finished MS), FMTD and SALT. And while it seems crazy to be writing so many things at once, I have never done it before and it’s oddly satisfying.

And wow, second books are scary. (And exciting!) (But also scary.)

WAY back in October, I wrote this post that my WIP for Boundless 2 didn’t feel right. Then, in December, my editor politely helped me see that the almost-finished version of B2 was best suited for the trash. She said to me, “I don’t think this is the right story,” and I knew she was right. I have to admit that while throwing out 60k words was a hard loss, but this weekend I started writing it anew (after some intense plotting) and I know after only being three chapters into this new draft that starting over was a great decision.

Before I could dive in, I knew I needed to step away. I was so frustrated at that draft that I was burnt out. I didn’t want to write because it was so hard (mostly due to the fact that I was telling the wrong story.) I didn’t want to start over, right or not. Plus, I started Follow Me Through Darkness in 2010. I’d lived in that world for years, with reprieve only during SALT, and I for the sake of sanity and quality I needed a break.

I had this other project sitting in my head and deadlines that run through early 2014, so it was the only chance I had to write something else. From December to April, I wrote DAYS (not real title.) DAYS is totally, totally different. A contemp from dual POV and out of my comfort zone but it did a really great thing: it reminded me why I love writing. It gave me joy again, brought me comfort, excitement and sparked something awake while the world of B2 took a rest.

DAYS is with my CPs and now I have started outlining SALT2 and SUPERB. I don’t really have time to write SUPERB, but it is this great love of my heart that keeps me going when I need to switch gears from B2 or need help getting out of that Neely’s head. (She is intense.)

The great thing about taking a break before I started writing B2 has been that I now see things more clearly. Aspects of the world that I forgot or didn’t see before are vibrant. Two months stands between FMTD & B2 so sometimes I have to look back on the first book and see what happened, which is what a reader has to do and why authors add those recaps of previous books. Neely has changed a lot in those two months. I feel, that since I have changed too, it’s easier to connect with her. Plus, I actually just started but I have 16k because there are things from previous drafts that I get to keep!

Sometimes things seem overwhelming — like throwing out a whole book — but don’t underestimate the directions they will take you. Or the people who suggest them. Especially if it’s your editor! Editors know what they are doing! Trust him/her/them. You are a team.

And as far as writing: it always has to be for you. This is what I am learning. Yes, I have deadlines and I’m not going to miss them, but I can write other things too. When writing stops being enjoyable, then it translates into the story you are writing. So find joy, be happy, have fun, write!

Oh, and enjoy these gifs…because everything is better and happier with Dean Winchester.