Searching for an Agent

 So I've finished Bits & Masterpieces. Well, do writers ever really finish? 

I've got 20 short stories and have edited them about five times...so far. Each time, there's something new or something else that catches my eye. I have ideas in my sleep, in the shower, on the toilet, while cooking, while watching "Schitt's Creek" (which, if you haven't already, you should totally watch).

And if writing the stories wasn't hard enough, now I'm on the hunt for an agent who will think they are the greatest thing ever. Sifting through hundreds of names and agencies is time consuming and a little disheartening. There are soooo many. Will I ever find one that ticks all the boxes? How many rejections will I have to endure? What if no one likes the thing that I've poured my soul into and am so proud of? Sigh.

In the meantime, I'm hoping to grow my social media presence, so when an agent does like my work and askes me if I have a demonstrable platform, I can say, "Well, sure...I'm working on one."

a new start

I've always had a thing for words. I mean, I'm not a linguist or a spelling bee champion; I love them for what they can do - make us laugh, cry, ponder, fume. Yeah, I'm stating the obvious, but hear me out! 

When I was a goofy kid in elementary school, my class was assigned an art project: draw something that the song "America the Beautiful" describes. I drew an airplane covered in fruit. It made my parents laugh. I knew I had something; I knew words had something. When my best friend's kid was about six, we were standing in line at a burger joint perusing the menu. I asked him if he wanted a shake. He nodded yes, so I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. His eyes widened as he realized the double entendre, peals of laughter issued from this snaggle-toothed mouth, and he turned to his mom to make sure she got the joke (she ALWAYS gets my jokes). I think that was his word revelation moment. And now, whenever I'm writing and I conjure the perfect word, my inner cheerleader rah-rahs, and I give myself a little high-five.

Speaking of writing, this new blog is my salvo toward finalizng my new book: Bits & Masterpieces. 

In the last year or so I've been working on a series of short stories and verses that reimagine the backstory of the world's greatest art. B&MP has absolutely nothing to do with the artist's inspiration. It isn't remotely concerned with technique, method, or mental state. Art lovers will totally hate it or completely love it. I'll keep you posted. 

I'm trying hard not to kid myself - I still have a bit of work to do on it, but organizing a social media platform around it puts a little pressure on me to finish...at least I hope it does.