THE JOY OF COMPLETING A NOVEL

Books and Quill

I’ve been working on Gram & Me for over two years. I thought, once I retired, that I’d pump out a new manuscript at least every year, if not every six months. I certainly have enough ideas to keep them coming. But a funny thing happened when I retired: I started doing everything slower! Every task gets stretched out from minutes to hours to days. My retired friends say it has to do with feeling like you can always put things off to the next day. I swore I wouldn’t do that, that I would take full advantage of every minute of every day that retirement offered. And then I retired. And the switch in my brain nudged from high-speed to crawl and locked there.

But the important thing is the manuscript draft is done. I sent it off to the editor I use today. I have a couple of people who are willing to read and provide feedback on my writing, so I’m going to share the manuscript with them. While I’m awaiting the professional edits and early reader comments, I will work on the synopsis and query letter. AND begin updating my files on agents who accept Women’s Fiction.

Work definitely doesn’t stop when you type THE END!

As I traverse through the minefield of agent rejections, I will post from time to time on progress (or lack of it). Hopefully, this time I won’t paper the walls of my office with letters that contain the dreaded “Sorry, not right for us.”

Maybe this time, I’ll be lucky….

About Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

I, like so many others, am a novelist struggling for recognition. My last three novels, THE EYES HAVE IT, IN HER MOTHER'S SHOES and STAR CATCHING, are available in e-book format through Amazon and other formats by request here or on my website. AUTUMN COLORS was my first novel and is still available through Amazon and B&N in multiple formats. My early writings are women's fiction, one also suitable for YA. My work-in-progress is a historical fiction about the Armenians who settled in Troy, NY in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Come visit me at my website: www.dawnlajeunesse.com.

View all posts by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse →

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

This entry was posted in Agents, Book Reviews, Books, Editing, Women's Fiction and tagged agents, authors, Books, Editing, Manuscripts, novels, Publishing, writers, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

8 Responses to THE JOY OF COMPLETING A NOVEL

LionAroundWriting says:

March 30, 2016 at 2:27 pm

Congrats, it’s no mean feat!
Best of luck on finding a publisher.

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- Dawn Lajeunesse says:
  
  March 30, 2016 at 2:30 pm
  
  Thanks – I’ve been on this road before, so I (unfortunately) know what I’m up against:-).
  
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Shannon Noel Brady says:

March 30, 2016 at 7:17 pm

Congrats on finishing! What a great feeling that is. 🙂

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amymorrisjones says:

March 30, 2016 at 9:07 pm

Congrats! I always have to give myself a little while to enjoy the big finish… before reality sets in and I remember how much I dislike revising! 🙂

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- Dawn Lajeunesse says:
  
  March 31, 2016 at 4:23 am
  
  Funny that you say that-I’m working on a post about rewrites now!
  
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  - amymorrisjones says:
    
    March 31, 2016 at 11:19 am
    
    I always get bogged down when I revise. I miss the freedom that comes with writing early drafts. I know many people love to revise–not me! I’ll take a first draft over a revision any day!
    
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Pete Denton says:

April 2, 2016 at 9:40 am

Congratulations on finishing the draft. I hope to join you in that soon!

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- Dawn Lajeunesse says:
  
  April 2, 2016 at 10:43 am
  
  Good luck, Pete! The satisfaction is worth the effort!
  
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