HE WROTE: On Writing

So I sent Meg my Chasing The Ghost proposal yesterday. And she sent me an email late in the day saying she would dive into it. And it's now 10:30 the next day and I have yet to hear anything. So that means she hates it. Right?

I used to think that way. I remember about ten years ago calling one of my agents-- yes, I've had several-- weekly, checking on the status of a submission. That's just plain stupid and irritating.

That's not to say I'm not slightly anxious about it, but the operative word is slightly. I was thinking about it yesterday while I was out kayaking. It's kind of an interesting paradox. I make my living writing fiction. My entire living. So everything rides on selling fiction. So I should be more anxious than say a novice writer who has another job and is trying to sell her first novel and break in. But I would say I'm probably much less anxious on average than that novice writer.

Why?

Because I understand something fundamental having been in this business for 16 years. I only control what I control: the writing. I don't control Meg. I don't control the publisher. My being anxious doesn't change things. Calling my agent asking "how's it going?" doesn't change anything except, perhaps negatively. If she has news, she'll let me know. When's she read the proposal she'll let me know how she feels about it one way or the other. How I feel can't change how she feels.

An example of the bizarre nature of how things work. The film option on one of my out of print books comes up on 6 April. So I had to remind one of my earlier agents, the one who did the original option about it. So, of course, the guy who has the option in Hollywood comes back with all this mumbo-jumbo about reworking the deal, throwing a bunch of different numbers and years. Lots of phone calls and emails, yada, yada, and this morning I get the final email with the 'new' deal. I look at it. And it's what would have been the deal if he had simply renewed the option as it was. Yet he 'feels' like he got a good deal. Typical entertainment business BS.

Everything's relative.

I just watched ALL THE KING'S MEN last night which won the Oscar for best movie in 1949. Excellent movie. It's a great example of everything's relative and how people change when their enviroment changes. The older movies really tackled some very difficult subjects in a very smart way.

Anyway it's now 2:20 and Meg hasn't emailed so I'm going to throw myself off the dock. Nah. I'm emailing Jenny and calling myself Master Po. Anyone who knows who that is without googling gets ten Moot points. Which are worth absolutely nothing.

I shined my shoes just now. I haven't done that since getting out of the army. That's apropo of nothing. Just thought I'd mention it.

You know. This book tour is gonna be cool cause of all the Cherries and all of you who are reading the blog. We're gonna have fun.