First of the Month Update - March 2011

Hello, ladies and gents. It’s first-of-the-month update time again.

This last weekend, I went to the DFW Writers Conference here in the metroplex, and it was awesome. I mean really awesome. It was without a doubt one of the best investments I’ve ever made for my writing. Just between the Gong Show and Jessica Sinsheimer’s panel, I got so much insight on the publishing industry and the agent side of things. And everyone was so friendly; it was a lot of fun.

Plus, it was a huge confidence boost. My query letter for A House Divided was read at the Gong Show the second day, and it was the only one that they essentially got all the way through. (Two agents gonged in during it, saying it was too long; but the third only chimed in because reading the credentials paragraph would’ve been a waste of everyone’s time.)

I’m not gonna lie, that felt good. And the several requests I got for partial submissions on various projects – especially the request from the agent I pitched to, who is the coolest nerd ever and shares a brain frequency with me – felt good too. Not to mention the requests and suggestions that my friends got for *their* projects, which left me excited by association.

Time will have to tell how much impact this weekend had in the long run, but right now, I feel like my career’s been bumped up a good year ahead of where it was before. Thank you, DFW Con. It was a amazing.

In more general news: I am still without a day job. 6 months until my lease runs out. Contemplating applying to a bakery or candy shop. And by ‘applying’ I mean ‘walk in with a tray of samples and hope they like them enough to give me a shot.’