Huge Little Things

This isn’t some kind of jumbo shrimp post—I won’t be writing about oxymorons here. Instead, it’s been one of those days where I feel there’s so much hope, that there’s a reason I’m not giving up on my dream. It’s all these things that should be little but feel HUGE, like when you’re having a bad day and someone says that one right thing that makes you laugh.

For starters, today’s #MSWL on Twitter. Agents post their manuscript wish lists, telling us writers exactly what they’re looking for. Some of their wishes are so specific that I wonder how anyone would ever think to write them…and then there are the wishes that make me catch my breath, bite my lip, and force myself to breathe calmly. My time for Twittering (as my husband calls it) was limited today—the whole paying job thing getting in the way of my fledgling writing career—but around lunchtime I came across one request that made me think, “OMG. THAT’S MY BOOK.” Part of me wanted to run home and reread my query one last time and email it out. Another part of me whispered, “Wait.” It’s not time, not yet. Plus, I can always tuck in a note about #MSWL when I’m ready and actually send my query.

I may not have had time to stalk the #MSWL feed, but one of my critique partners did. He sent me a short message to check out an agent’s tweets. I did…and caught my breath, bit my lip, and forced myself to breathe calmly. Yes, she asked for my MS. Okay, she didn’t ask specifically for my MS, but all the things in her one tweet match my MS. I stowed her name away for later, when I’m ready. This is why I love my CPs, when they do little things like this that remind me we’re in this together and we’ll do what it takes for each other to reach our goal.

And then another CP sent me an email. She finished my latest MS and said, “I can’t believe you ended it that way!!!” Then she assured me that her reaction is a good thing. AND THAT’S A GOOD THING. There’s nothing better than a CP who loves your ending…except maybe and agent and a publisher that love it.

One more huge little thing? A YA writer whose books I love followed me today on Twitter. She’s only the second author to do this. I don’t know how they find me or why they decide to follow me, but I love it. I have to resist the urge to tweet them and tell them which of their books I love best and why. I have to ACT NATURAL, which is tough for me—I’m the girl who runs around in circles shouting my news to anyone who’ll listen when something good happens. Of course, there aren’t many flavorists who read YA, so it was easy not to shout this news. Still, I shared with my friends and family on Facebook.

It’s all these little pieces of hope that keep me going even on other, rougher days, like the ones where I want to chuck my computer in the fire and watch it burn, taking all my manuscripts with it. I don’t chuck my computer, can’t, and not just because my fireplace runs on gas. I know that even though on most days this dream seems impossible, it’s still possible. There are all these huge little things that prove it.