Brainstorming

Now normally I've been a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of writer.

When a story comes to me, I just sit down, and start writing. After all, you never know when your muse will decide to pack up and take a vacation - leaving your fingers to sit idle at the keyboard.

Which is strange, because I'm also a huge list person. We're talking, every single day, I make lists with tiny boxes next to each action item, that gets filled in once I've completed the task at hand. And yes, I will write down a task that I've already completed, if I forgot to add it to begin with, draw the tiny box, and fill it in. Don't judge. :)

So it's weird I never took this same idea to my writing.

But lately I've kinda changed my tune.

I'm sure it's because of this uber revision process I'm undergoing with Mr. Agent Man. He's challenged me to sit down and map out my entire story. See where all of my characters are going, find out if they even belong, determine if there are other paths I could be taking, and relook it all from an outside perspective vs. trying to just make it work.

To think about all of the possibilities.

And that's exactly what I've done. With the help of an enourmous white board and various colored dry erase markers and post-its (cause that's how I roll), I'm constantly mapping out my story and brainstorming where it all can go - then I take a picture with my iPad and download it onto one of my writing apps, erase the white board, and start again.

I thought sitting down and just writing, was amazing - and believe me, when I'm on, I'm on...and I can tap out 20,000 words in one day, easily. But the ideas that have now been unleashed because I've taken it all one step further? Unimaginable. And it just goes to show that sure, sit down and write it all out when you're Muse wants to play - take advantage of that! But when she's off visiting some foreign land without you - take the time to brainstorm all the potential avenues your new story could be taking.

Because you never know what might happen when you unleash your creativity.

In order to kick-start my blog, well, back into the blog-o-sphere, I've decided to try out the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. And what is that exactly?

A challenge to all bloggers for the month of April to post a blog every day, except Sundays, during the entire month. And to up the bar, each post needs to be thematically written, from A to Z. And since I'm a writer, well, I'm hoping to blog each day on a writing-related topic, all linked to my journey towards publication and the NYT's Best Seller List.

Day one is here (the only Sunday we'll actually post) - so today's letter is A...and my topic:

Agents: Of the Literary Kind.

So what exactly is a Literary Agent?

A literary agent is the in-between buffer between you and the big house publishers. They will try to sell your manuscript to a publishing house, will handle contract negotiations and all the mind numbing legalities that come with it, and will often times also help edit your manuscript to help make it shine.

Why do you need a literary Agent?

Amongst many things, an agent will shop your manuscript around publishing houses, using their inside knowledge and connections, to place it with the right editor. And believe me, the world between agents and publishers is tight-knit - so why not leverage your agent's connections, vs. trying to tackle that yourself?

And did I mention agents also handle all the minute details of the publishing contract? Unless you have a fine understanding around contracts and negoitiations, I'd recommend leaving that up to your fabulous agent - allowing you to focus on what got you here to begin with: your writing.

Cause like you, your agent's goal is to sell your work - because they don't get paid, if your book isn't sold.

Does everyone need an Agent?

Of course the answer to that is no, not everyone does. But my dream is to get published using the old fashioned, traditional methods - and I believe having a literary agent will help me to focus on my writing, vs. all of the other stuff that comes with the publication process. Afterall, that's their job - and having someone to back you on your journey to the NYT's best-seller list? Well, I'm all about that.

Do I have an Agent?

Not "officially" yet. But I'm in the process of a massive revision on my current manuscript, THE LUCKY FEW, with an amazing agent - who I've been working with for almost a year now.

Because we haven't officially signed yet, I won't be saying who he is - but I will say, he has been one of my all-time top three agents, for the 5+ years I've been writing and querying agents. It has been a dream to work with him - afterall, how often do you get pages of editorial comments on your work, from a real-live agent? Not to mention, the numerous emails and phone calls we have traded so far = invaluable.

While the revision process has taken a little longer than I expected, it has been incredibly interesting - and I wouldn't give it up for anything. I look forward to the day I can officially post, I have an agent (fingers crossed, it's sometime this year)!

Where'd I find him?

There are many great resources out there - but here are two of my favorites:

QueryTracker.net

AgentQuery.com