Weekend Update

So, yeah, it's not officially Saturday. But this Saturday looks officially busy, so consider this the update for week one.

I thought perhaps I should talk a little bit more about myself; after all, if I don't, who will?

I mentioned last time that my books neither proselytize nor preach; and that don't. My short stories, however, do. A lot, sometimes. Some of them don't, and the theme is nice and difficult -- perfect for college courses. Others are, let's say, better suited to youth group Bible studies. I really let the muse flow in my short stories; or, if not my muse, my frustration with certain aspects of the world. My books, being fiction, are much more... constrained.

Along with writing, I go to college (which should be evident from my banner) and I work at a bike shop. Like, a pedal bike, "ching ching" on the sidewalk bike shop; not the local Harley-Davidson. I like biking, whether road or mountain; if the pedals are turning wheels to propel the earth beneath me, I'm happy. I have been working nearly full time during the summer, but now that school is starting back up on Monday, less time at the shop. My boss is thrilled.

So, then, my weeks can be pretty full; but then, whose isn't. And I'm not saying all of this to provide an excuse for why my book is only a couple hundred words longer than it was a few days ago, even though it is. I'm just saying.

But something I didn't consider when I began writing about seventeen years ago, is how hard it is to break into, not just the published world in general, but into Christian Fantasy Fiction. I mean, you'd think with Lewis leading the way (at least to most people's memory, forgetting Tolkien and Macdonald, because who really remembers them these days anyway) it would be a little easier; but have you ever seen the Christian section at a book store? Not promising for the likes of me, I must say. Finding an agent to query is being as hard as it probably normally is to find an agent to represent you.

Not saying I don't have leads; I'm just falling slightly short of time to pursue the leads. I have some great leads, even. Super-excited for them. But one doesn't just fire off a randomly-worded query the moment one finds a prospective agent. Oh no; careful research must be done to see how to approach the agent, like a hunter stalking a particularly bashful deer. One must tread softly, and appear to blend in; use some good scent, like skunk pee; then, when you're in range, BAM! -- that's how you land an agent.

At least that's how I'm doing it. I'll let you know how it goes. Gotta go!


P.S. Agents queried and word count are virtually the same; which is why this relatively uninformative post script is where the promised ultra-informative post script should be. Thanks for reading.