Heard back from agent

As there are no Snoopy dances all across the page, you're right in deducing that she didn't offer to rep me and SWEETNESS. But I didn't strike out either. Extending the baseball metaphor, I guess she acted like a pitcher in the game and deliberately walked me onto first base. It's now up to my other writiing half to either advance me home or leave me stranded. Yeah, yeah, I know. Enough with the baseball analogy. What happened?!

Basically, she loves the voice, loves my MC and loves where I ultimately take the book in the end. But she has some reservations about the plot. She sent me a detailed revision list of things that fell apart for her, and it's really only one thing: The entire second half of the book! She said she really likes the book and hope I'll rework the plot and resubmit to her.

In an attempt to get rid of Midnight, Robyn solicits the help of a friend, who just so happens to come from a family of hoodoo worshippers, her mom being an actual conjurer. They end up putting a curse on the cat to keep him out of the yard. The agent felt the supernatural element came out of nowhere. And she's probably right. I wrote that aspect into the book after being told the original version was too quiet. Perhaps I went overboard with the action.

Her suggestion is to either layer the first half of the book with elements of fantasy so that the later events are more plausible or toss it altogether and make it straight contemporary. I'm leaning toward the latter, as that's the vision I had for the book three years ago. I can still hint at the supernatural as an option but ultimately have Robyn reject that course of action and come up with a solution more rooted in the real world. I just don't know what that is.

In any event, she is still very enthusiastic about the book, saying, "I really believe in this story and character, and really hope that you will consider working on a revision and send it back my way. I miss Robyn and Sweetness already!" She even suggested we talk on the phone to do a bit of brainstorming.

I have some cooking to do over the next couple of days and need to get my mind right for dealing with family members I hardly ever see. Now probably isn't the best time to respond to her letter. I figure I'll re-read it a few times, think about the book, mull things over, and probably send her a coherent e-mail on Monday. But I definitely plan to revise. I just need to figure out how to weave the original subplot back into the book without making it seem like messy patchwork.

Thanks to both of you. Two years ago I would've been daunted and overwhelmed by the thought of tossing a whole chunk of book and coming up with something else, but I now realize that's part of the game. And it really does help that she's so excited about what I'm doing. I almost feel like I have to come up with something great so as not to disappoint her.

Thanks, Sheila. I didn't mean to sound like a sourpuss. I realize what an opportunity this is, and the agent sounds absolutely wonderful to work with. A couple of her clients blog, and they have nothing but great things to say about her. And like you mentioned, it really does feel like I'm almost there. Agents say plot is the easiest thing to fix. I'm hoping they're right.

Judy, it really is a funny thing that I'm going back to where I started. But I don't mind. I always thought the book should have more of a literary slant rather than something big and showy. I already have what I think is a great replacement for the supernatural element but still have enough action to keep kids interested. I'll see how it goes. As always, thanks for the support.

Toothpaste, thanks so much for the encouragement. You're absolutely right. Revision is simply a part of the process. I've even read that some agents suggest revisions prior to signing clients simply to see how amenable they are to making changes and to test their temperament. Trust me, I'm no writer diva. I know my words aren't precious and can always be improved.

Thanks, BC. I'm more excited now than I was a couple of hours ago. I first felt really stressed, as I had no idea what I would do to fix the problem. Yet after taking a walk outside in the cool night air, an idea came to me that inherently grows out of another aspect of the plot. I think it's going to add a nice layer and be a fun addition to the story. I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes me.

Thanks, everyone. Your support means a lot. Last night I started writing down some revision notes and came up with some really great stuff. Saturday I plan to do a chapter outline just to see how all the pieces fit together. Once I have a clear idea of what I'm doing, I'll draw up an e-mail detailing it all for the agent just to make sure we're on the same page. I really do think it's going to be a much better book with her added input.

CG, thanks for the encouragement, and happy holidays to you too.

Kellion, this story has always been really close to me, mainly because of the dire circumstances under which it was written. My house was in foreclosure, my phone was off, electricity was off, water was off. Man, talk about poor. One night, sitting on the floor of my dark house, Robyn started talking to me. She kept me company for several weeks, basically keeping me from going completely insane. I wrote a good bit of her story by candlelight. I suppose I've never given up on it because I've always felt as if I was obligated to tell my MC's story after all she did for me. Hopefully, I'll finally get a chance to share it with a larger audience.

Khanada, I've never been a particularly fast writer, opting instead to walk around with the words for a while and essentially let them develop on their own. I plan to do the same. I'm definitely in no rush. I realize if I muck it up, I'll have to start querying all over again, and we all know how much that stinks.

No ruins here. While I was out and about today, the story continued to talk to me and add new dimensions to the plot. I think 2010 might just be the year. Of course I say that every year, but I really mean it this time. Honest!

Yeah, I realize that capturing a decent story on the page is a lot different than going back and revising its flaws. The former is inspiration, the latter craft. But I'm feeling really good about it and can't wait to step back into this world.