Yes, that’s what I said when I realized it’s been over a month since my last post. Amazing, really amazing how time zips by when you’re caught up in the many intricacies of daily life.

Not much to update you all on regarding ms progress. Still working on the dictionary copyediting job, which should get finished by the end of this month or shortly thereafter. Technically, I could still make time to work on my ms, but I’ve realized recently that I don’t like to be stretched too thin in regards to the number of projects I’m working on at any one time. So until I finish this frigging dictionary my ms will sit on my desk collecting dust.

That’s not all bad, though. When I do get back to it I’ll be able to look at it with a new, fresh perspective I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to without this time away from the revision process. Even so, the writing bug is itching something awful as I haven’t written anything for close to two months now…*ouch* Yes, I know, criminal of me – especially since I am an aspiring author, but….

But there are no buts, no excuses.

Very well. Back to work.

That’s my motto in life, so I have no excuse for not posting here before now — I just haven’t gotten around to it. I’d like to blame it on the fact that I’ve been working like a madman on this most recent copyediting job that got tossed my way, but truth be told I could’ve made the time to put something up. So, no excuses.

And that is an important mentality for any writer, I think. When it comes to this industry, getting published is essentially only a matter of time as long as you keep at it and constantly strive to improve and learn as time goes on. Making excuses, and I’m sure you’ve heard them before, just doesn’t help at all.

“I just haven’t had the time to keep writing.”

“Well, I gave it my best shot and it just didn’t work.”

“It’s not my fault editors didn’t see how wonderful my manuscript is.”

The problem is, these kind of excuses probably make sense to most people, to the point that they wouldn’t be considered excuses at all. And this is where being brutally honest with yourself will really help. You really haven’t had time to keep writing? I wonder how you had the time to watch a few minutes of TV, or read a newspaper, or any of the other million little things that take up so much time everyday. Did you really give it your best shot? Taken writing classes, joined critique groups, attended conferences, worked on improving your craft on a daily basis for many years? Success is rarely, if ever, overnight – regardless of whether it looks that way or not. So editors didn’t like your manuscript? How many did you send it to? Did any leave constructive comments that you brushed aside as being irrelevant? Have you set your ms aside for a couple of months and then come back to it and realized what you thought was so great actually needed a lot more work?

I could go on and on ad naseum, but I won’t. You get the point.

No excuses.

So here I am, two weeks out from the summer conference, still trying to wrap my head around everything I learned.

Wow.

Chances are it’s going to take me a while to really absorb everything. I made copious notes, almost enough to fill a book, and will be perusing through them at my leisure. But until then, for those of you who simply must have a golden nugget, here’s something to chew on.

The biggest thing I took away from the conference was that you have to write really, really well to get published. Before you huff off somewhere, waving this aside as a cliched platitude, I urge you to really think about it. If you wanted to play professional sports you know you have to be an amazing athlete with tremendous skill to get to that level; yet everyone and their dog think they can write a book and get it published. Is it any surprise then that well over 90% of all manuscripts submitted to agents and publishers are rejected? I don’t think so…

So where does that leave us aspiring writers? We have to write something amazing, something uniquely ours, something that only we could write. And here’s the catch – it’s probably going to take you a long time to figure out how to do that. Longer than you are expecting. Longer, possibly, than you are willing to committ to.

The key, of course, is to never give up. There’s an old axiom that’s often heard in this industry: There’s a word for a writer who never quits…

Published.

As I write this I am in Los Angeles, the day before the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators summer conference begins. This will be my first writer’s conference ever and I am very excited about it! I look forward to learning a great deal and rubbing shoulders with some of the best and brightest in the publishing industry.

Who knows…maybe even an agent there will ask to see my book!

In any case, I will be quite busy over the next four days. I will absorb as much as I can and definitely share what I learn with all of you.

Keep writing~!

Alas, there is but one great joy writers yearn for – but on the road to that elusive goal there is much waiting. And that’s where I’m at now. I wish there was something exciting happening for me to gush on, but such a miracle will have to wait for another time.

I know agents are busy people. I knew, even before getting into this, that much waiting was involved. But that doesn’t keep me from hoping that they’ll get back to me faster than ‘other’ people. After all, my writing is so much better than everyone else’s, why should I have to wait? (Hrm…sound familiar?)

Rest assured I will inform you all when that great moment comes and the literary agents and publisher’s alike are all clamoring for my attention….

Wake up, Jonathan, wake up – it’s only a dream…at least for now.