A Boost of Confidence, and New Writing

I received a much-needed confidence booster yesterday as I read the judges' feedback for The Word Award I won in September. They gave me a score of 96.8% on the Iggy's Voyage: The Unlikely Hero pages I submitted. Wow! That was great news arriving at the perfect time because I've been a little low and a lot stormy. Preparing and submitting queries to agents and publishers is draining and soul-sucking. The few responses I've received from agents have been kind, standard-type form letters. It is hard querying when all I want to do is write. I know it's what I need to do because I'm DYING to see my Iggy on the shelves of bookstores and libraries. She's ready to be read.

Other news... This fall, I completed my middle-grade family trope climate change monster thriller, Never Blood Outside! It is a shorter, quick-paced, action-filled thriller for kids who like to live on the edge and read with all the lights on. ;) I've also been writing and submitting flash fiction to magazines and online publications. It's been fairly busy on the writing front. I've needed distractions from querying. It's funny how many new writing ideas pop up when I have a long list of to-dos I'd prefer to avoid.

Oh, yeah. One more new idea. I began brainstorming a new young adult dystopian story. I've jotted the story plan and am sure it's an original dystopian concept. It's inspired by Joan of Arc and the 90's Swing Kids movie (one of my faves from my teens). My story takes place in the far future on one of Saturn's moons. It's my first sci-fi dystopian write, so please wish me luck. I know it'll be fun to write, regardless of the outcome.

Well, that's my November update. I'll be back to querying soon, and getting my other ideas in motion. I updated my submission documents and am feeling a bit more confident. 

I hope you all have a great November. If you are an agent or publisher, please reach out about The Unlikely Hero. I'd love to share Iggy with you.