Good Morning!

I have a couple of updates. First, I got a puppy. That’s important to mention and very relevant because I’m sitting in my office right now trying to work on my synopsis for Marigold and Nox, and having trouble concentrating because of this guy.

Look at that face!

Banjo is mischievous and lovable and 4 months old, adopted from a beagle rescue two week ago. He loves socks (?) is surprisingly polite and his adorable vocals crack me up. I’m a little obsessed with him at the moment.

The second update is that I wrote a new 500 word piece for the Longmont Writers Club (of which I am a virtual member, since moving to MI.) The piece is titled, “Just Another Day,” and is a more serious piece about infertility. Fiction, but poignant to me because of my personal experience with secondary infertility.

I shared this recently with a friend and realized this was something that needed to be shared here as well.

As I mentioned, this was a prompt piece. The prompt options were “Just Another Day” or “Test Results,” with a limit of 500 words. I’m a sucker for an extra challenge, so I combined the two and made my piece exactly 500 words. “Just Another Day” was also submitted to the Longmont Writer’s Club anthology at the recommendation of the group and I have plans to add it to my next collection of 500 word stories, Twenty-Five Hundred Volume II.

(what, you haven’t read Twenty-Five Hundred, Volume 1 yet? Remedy for that here)

And finally…

I’ve finally joined the Michigan SCBWI.  What’s SCBWI? The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is a global non-profit organization that supports children’s writers and illustrators in so many ways. I was fortunate enough to be a member of Rocky Mountain SCBWI when living in Colorado and had so many positive experiences meeting other writers. Through SCBWI I had some amazing opportunities including attending meetings, writing retreats, and conferences. It’s a fantastic organization and if you are a children’s writer I absolutely encourage you to connect with your local chapter.

Immediately after joining the Michigan chapter of SCBWI I saw that there was an event coming up called the Critique Carousel, a Michigan specific event that is later opened up to other regions. I jumped on the virtual meeting for this–I believe it was the very next day after joining– in order to learn more about the event. Turns out, this event was perfect for my current project, Marigold and Nox.

With the Critique Carousel, writers (and illustrators) have the opportunity to submit their work to a SCBWI vetted agent or editor for a critique. I can’t stress how fantastic this opportunity is. I have done my fair share of submitting to agents and editors when I was querying Super Me, and let me tell you–they are so swamped that even getting a response to a query is a feat–even when it’s a pass. They have what is called a “slush pile” of submissions. Just way too many for all of them to be seen.

(What you haven’t read Super Me yet? Don’t panic. I’ve got you. Remedy HERE)

So to have a chance to connect with an agent–to have them take a good look at what I’ve written and even get feedback? That’s incredible. I registered as soon as registration opened up and was able to send my submission to an fabulous agent, who truly feels like a good fit, and seems to be looking for exactly what what Marigold and Nox is.

Marigold and Nox: The Wishing Well is my middle grade novel. It’s about the magical adventures of a 10-year-old girl and her cat. In the Wishing Well, the first book in my planned series, Marigold’s life is upended when her parents decide to suddenly move to the country where she meets Nox, the cat, and tells him her wish: that nothing had to change. The instant friends discover a doorway in her new bedroom that takes them to the wishing well in the rainbow forest where they begin their heartwarming adventure, facing their fears, and meeting all sorts of quirky, lovable, and even kind of scary characters along their way.

I can’t wait for you to read it.

So, Ideally, I wanted to send the entire first chapter. Easier said than done because the requirements for submission are VERY specific and with the font type, margins, and page limit etc, I wasn’t sure I would be able to send the whole first chapter. Maybe not a huge deal, except that you really need to read the whole first chapter of Marigold and Nox in order to get a good feel for what the book truly entails. Meaning, the end very end of the first chapter is when the magic begins!

And, magically, I was able to get the whole first chapter into those allowed-for pages. I got to dig in and play with the wording and edit until it all fit together like a beautiful puzzle. I wanted to get the whole chapter on those six pages, but I didn’t want to compromise the writing style, because the writing is pretty much the whole point.  Again, I love this kind of challenge! I love the editing and rephrasing and moving things around until it’s just right.  And it worked! Ta-da!

On Sunday I sent my first chapter to the agent via Critique Carousel.

And now we wait.

Nerve wracking? You betcha. I haven’t really shared this story at all yet. It hasn’t been OUT IN THE WORLD.

But it’s time. Marigold and Nox is so special to me. I love these characters. I love this story.  I think this opportunity is really what I needed to move this project forward. A little nudge. I’m ready to let Marigold and Nox be free. Take flight. You know, you birth a story idea, you nurture it and help it grow, then there comes a time when you have to let it go. Much like when your child has to leave the nest. Something I will actually have to face in a few years here as my oldest is getting older…. But let’s not talk about that today because I will freak right out.

For now, I need a synopsis. I want to have it ready to go for whenever it is needed.

A synopsis is kind of fun to write and kind of not. You have to be able to sum your story up quickly but not in a monotonous or boring way. You need to let your writing and your characters shine, while not overemphasizing the wrong things or glossing over slash excluding anything important. It needs to be interesting. It needs to be consistent in the tone of your story. You know, grasp it’s feel. And be compelling. And also it needs to be about one page.

Did I say I like a challenge? Yes, Yes, I surely did just say that. So bring on the challenge.

I’m going to go get back to work on that, now that Banjo is taking a puppy nap. Look how CUTE!

Oh, and here’s my new prompt piece, as promised. Just Another Day. Enjoy!

Jessica

Just Another Day

The light’s red and I step on the brakes at the last minute. I’m halfway home and can barely remember how I got there.

The doctor said not to lose hope. That I was young. Healthy. No reason I couldn’t get pregnant.

But he had no idea what it was like to have hope each month come crashing down. The harsh blow of failure. Again, again. No baby. To think, maybe this month. And pray. Analyze every symptom. To think it’s finally happened. Only to be wrong. Again. Again. A slap in the face as the blood comes back. And there’s nothing. Only pain. Emptiness. A torturous roller coaster.

Mark had been at the other appointments but he didn’t even show this time. Said he couldn’t be there. But maybe he just didn’t want to be. He’s giving up. I know it. It’s not that he doesn’t want kids. He does. He said he does. But he says it will either happen or it won’t.

How can he be so indifferent?

The light turns green. I start driving again. Auto pilot. My head spinning.

What was wrong with me? They were missing something, Or, they were refusing to tell me.

That was madness. But I was feeling a bit mad.

Nothing physically preventing me from getting pregnant. Sure. Then why hadn’t it happened yet? IUI hadn’t worked. Three times unsuccessful. The next step was IVF. Expensive. Invasive. Not even guaranteed to work.

Somehow, I was pulling into my driveway, the last three miles a complete blur.

I let myself into the house. Went immediately to the bathroom. No blood. I just tested last night. I wasn’t pregnant. Still, I can’t help from reaching under the sink for another test.

I set it on the counter. Leave. I won’t get my hopes up. It’s another day. Just another day. I’m climbing back onto that roller coaster again and I hate it. Hate myself for riding again. I can’t do this anymore. I want to not care. How can I force my heart not to care? I don’t want to ride this ride anymore. I want off.

But there isn’t any other option. Maybe Mark was willing to let this go, but I wasn’t. A baby. A family.

I wait as long as I can then I head back to the bathroom to look. I know it is negative. It’s just another day. I’ve been here a million times. I know this ride. I want off but there is no getting off. I’ll save up. Do whatever it takes. Adopt. We’ll—I’ll—figure it out. I’d ride as many times as I need to. I was not giving up.

The front door opens as I come out of the bathroom, test in my hand.

Mark is standing there and I hold it up. Frozen.

“You’re pregnant?” He drops his bags.

“Yes,” I manage.

He runs to me. “Thank God,” he said, wrapping me in his arms. “We get to have a family.”