First time's a charm

Okay so everything I'm reading nowadays says authors need to put themselves out there. Have blogs. Have websites. Have Myspace pages. Whatever happened to just good old fashioned writing? I long for the days when writers were reclusive narcissus' who only crawled out of their holes long enough to buy more whiskey. And publishers were okay with that. But alas, times have changed.

Although I've been a writer since I could, well, write I've never really been one to jot down my thoughts in a diary or keep a journal handy. The only "journal" of sorts that I keep is to write down story ideas when they come to me in the middle of the night or at odd times, like driving on the freeway.

But since the completion of my first real novel The Agency (there have been others but nothing good enough to mention) I've decided that starting some sort of chronicle of my trudge through the murky waters of finding an agent and then *crossing fingers, throwing salt over shoulder* a publisher might make an interesting piece of real life drama. It will hopefully at least numb the pain of rejection. Like everyone I ever talk to tells me, "Did you know John Grisham got rejected (insert ridiculous number here) times?" I do realize it was a lot, 30 something I think, but is that really supposed to make me feel uplifted?

Anyway, I haven't quite gotten to the point where I'm tacking up rejection letters on my bulletin board to help drive me to make it big. I love how rejection fuels ones desire to persevere. But I have finally finished my query letter after numerous edits, splices, and internet research. I think I've widdled it down to be just short and sweet enough to wet the right agents appetite. Now to find the right agent. I guess that my friend's is what they call the rub.