Some Responses Coming In...

I've heard responses from three of the agents I've queried (and I have a list of several more agents to try in the coming weeks). Three out of three are no... well, one was a 'we're not taking submissions right now, try us again in a few months,' so it's not a complete no.
The other two rejections were so vastly different. The first was very kind, thanking me for considering the agency and telling me that my story sounded interesting, just not what the agency is looking for.
The other was a simple one sentence that told me 'no,' while making a grammatical error in that short sentence to add insult to injury. I sighed deeply and then laughed.
Oh well, I supposed I among the ranks of real authors now. I've never heard a story of anyone being accepted at the first agency they try with the first query they send.
I'm rewriting my query to prepare to send out to some more agents before the end of the week.

Uncomfortable Plateau

I've reached the point in my summer where I am in a slump. My sleeping schedule is obliterated, I've done some things that can marginally be considered achievements, but I'm not sure how I can best use the next month.My plans for travel are distant, fragmented dreams thanks to circumstances beyond my control.
I've realized that being self-employed is a major test of my self-discipline. My vigor toward freelance writing has diminished somewhat due to the lack of response from many editors. Most are not even courteous enough to reject me. This is something I'll have to get used to, especially if I do want to make part of my living from it in the future.
I've pretty much finished with this round of edits on my novel and I've written a basic query letter and book proposal. However, I've yet to send anything out to anyone. Perhaps it's because while it's still in my hands it's still my wonderful masterpiece. Once it enters the world it could be shredded in an instant.
I know it doesn't have to be ready for immediate publication, it will have to go through more editing even after someone has agreed to represent it, but it's a matter of professional pride I suppose-- I want it to be perfect.
This past week I've made no progress on either my freelancing or my search for an agent. I've been making soap and reading novels. I'll be at the farmer's market next weekend selling some.
So, sorry it's been quiet on this front, I have been a curious mix of busy and idle recently.

Writing like it's my job... because it sort of is

Hooray! One of the pieces I submitted to a periodical this month has been officially accepted for publication. I've been trying to send at least one inquiry and one story per week. Some editors have been very slow at getting back to me.
This particular editor rejected the first story I sent (see below), but has accepted a review I wrote. The best part is, I'll be getting paid ten cents per word-- not a bad rate. The worst part is, I won't be getting paid until November when the issue is published.
Oh the life of a writer: work your tail off now, starve, get paid later. I sent off a story last week that I'm really proud of, to another magazine. I hope that I hear about it soon.

I've also decided to start more seriously seeking an agent now that the second round of edits on my murder mystery are nearing completion. I've also been feverishly working on the sequel. There's some really exciting mysteries for my main team, Victoria and Jacquelyn, to solve, not just one single case as in the first novel. There also may be a new romantic interest for one of them. I wasn't planning it, but the characters just seemed to have chemistry when I was writing a scene the other night. It will lead so well into the third story where I have major things planned.
The best part about this project is that I just enjoy spending time with my characters. Hopefully other people will too. If other people ever get the chance to read them.

Editing Doesn't Completely Suck

I spent most of yesterday editing my NaNo Novel and rethinking the story arch I've been plotting. I've been contemplating using the NaNo Novel as a prequel to the series I'm working on, to be published after the first five or so sequential books. Now I'm sort of wondering if that shouldn't be just the first book.
I actually like my first book. Lord knows it needs work, but I went through and took out all the random bits that happen when you have to meet a daily word count, changed a few details about the ways the characters interact, and wrote a new ending. A productive day overall. This is weird for me, a strange place to find myself in: me liking something I've written and enjoying rereading and editing, It makes me nervous in a way, because I'm afraid the more I like it, the more crushing it will be when other people dislike it.
So far, I've let one of my friends from the literary society read it-- and I read her NaNo Novel as well. She really enjoyed it, but I'm still anxious. I've decided that I'm going to apply myself not only to editing this book and continuing to work on the second, but to finding an agent this year. I fully expect to receive some rejection letters, but they'll be tough to read. Where to begin looking? I suppose I'll have to spend a weekend combing through Writer's Market after another round of editing.
Right now I'm heading to the laundromat so that I can have some clean clothes before I get snowed in again.