When You're Ready To Give Up

I'm a writer. And even have the MFA girl scout badge to prove it. ( Go American U.!)

I wrote one novel that's collecting metaphorical dust in my cyber-drawer and have another on deck that I've been casually "rethinking" over the last nine months.

Sure, I've gotten a couple of short stories published, but really, the number of unfinished shorts far outweighs the completed ones and I have to admit the general lack of response to my work coupled with the drive to earn money (go iphones!) and the distractions of life have all led me to shelf the writing addiction for the past year or so.

I've even stopped really thinking of myself as a writer. (I used to write, is how I described my former passion to someone several months ago.)

So imagine my surprise when I get an email this morning from a literary agent saying she'd read my short story in StorySouth and was wondering if I had representation and, if not, if I had any full length work either completed or in progress.

Now, I've been through the lit rounds before. (At least five agents were interested in taking a look at my first novel, The Jar-Born Sage, only to pass once they'd seen the whole manuscript.) So I have no illusions that this could very well turn out the same way. I mean, the newer manuscript--which most resembles the story the agent read--is still an embryo, not even a fetus.

But still. Someone read my work and liked it.

And that, folks, feels just peachy keen right now.

And is making me think that maybe I gave up too soon. I mean, writing may not have much of a pay-off but its a more productive hobby than TV-watching. And certainly less expensive and less dangerous than skiing.

And if agents really do read those lit mags and really do troll for new writers then maybe there's hope after all.

So: hi writer-self! Sorry I've been MIA for so long. We've got quite a bit to discuss in the next few years. I've seen some crazy shit...