I wrote this whole post and found this cool phone to use as my picture. Then I waited an hour, came back onto Blogger and deleted the post. But I couldn't delete the phone.
It makes me think about most writers think about. You know. The Call.
I'm just as guilty. When that phone rings, I think, "Is this the one?" Foolishly, I hope and hope. Even though I know my chances are slim right now because I haven't done everything I can possibly do to make it happen.
But I'm working on it. And I'll share about what I'm doing in my next post.
What are you doing to get that call?
48 comments:
Editing until I'm blue in the face and a whole bunch of other stuff, including paying an arm and a leg for a conference I can't wait to attend.
Oh, and apparently I'm talking in cliches. That's for you, Terri. :D
~ Wendy
Hey, it could absolutely, positively be the call. I love the adrenaline rush and can't wait to hear of yours!!! :O)
i've written two fantastic manuscripts...edited them...had beta readers, alpha readers and crit partners...(and twice was even lucky enough for agent feedback)...wrote great query letters....had beta readers and crits on those....did my synopsis as well as researched agents...and although i get tons of requests it always ends the same way, "I loved it, i just didn't love it ENOUGH." sigh.
if there's something more i could be doing, i'd LOVE to know what it is....(i'll be back tomorrow to find out :)
I remember us having one of those phones long time back. It used to make me feel royal for no specific reason....I was 5 at that time :) I hope to share one of those pics of me on that phone sometime soon on my blog!
I'm glad you didn't delete the phone, it was worth sharing, I love it! I am not ready for the call yet, my story isn't up to par but I am working on revisions to get that much closer!!!
That being said, I still dream about the day that call will come :)
Same thing Wendy said. :)
You know, I don't think it is foolish. One of those rings will be The Call, and like you said, you just never know when it will come.
What am I doing to be ready? Learning more, writing more, and brainstorming and thinking always.
Blessings,
Karen
The call, what a wonderful thing that would be:) I'm still working on projects, none close to completion so the phone call is something for the distant future.
Oh, I get the calls - but they are either from a call centre in India, or from people requiring garden services from a firm whose telephone number is one digit different from mine!LOL :)
I hope it IS the call!
At my house, I try to ignore the phone because it's for my children 99% of the time! Terrible, huh? :)
I don't think it's foolish of you to think, "This may be it." You have to keep your faith up, Terri.
What am I doing? Praying for all the editors who have my proposal on their desk, that they'd love it and want to see the full ms, and that they'd have a WAR over who gets to publish my book!!!!
Praying for an idea for a third book. Writing articles. Printing business cards with my photo on them to take to the next conference. Reading The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. Taking an Editing Fiction class. Eating chocolate. That keeps my brain in gear.
I've gotten the agent call. Now I'm working on THE CALL from my agent - the one where she calls to tell me I've got a contract. what am I doing to make it happen? Writing, writing, writing. learning, learning, learning. Hopefully someday...
well, I got an email yesterday saying my latest publication Nature Notes for Kids has won a prize for the League of Utah Writers contest and they wanted an excerpt to put in the program. So that was good news and will perhaps help sell it.
Way to work with what you've got!! Can't get rid of the phone picture, blog about THE phone call. I'm impressed! =D Hope you're having a good day!
I, too, am editing--and preparing my pitch. I have a neat opportunity coming up in October to meet face-to-face with an agent. It may not be THE call but it will be great practice!
Have had "The Calls" but can ASSURE y'all that if you don't stay grounded, you just itch for the next call, the next.
It's never enough.
So...I am writing His stories the very best that I can.
And leaving ALL THE REST up to Him.
Love you.
Patt
I need to be doing more.
Not nearly enough! If I ever want a call I need to really get focused. Writing is a verb after all:)
Writing, writing, writing...reading, reading, reading. Don't have anything completed yet, but I will and when I do, I want that call. Your call is coming...I think I hear it in the distance. It'll get louder as you relax and trust Him to make it happen. Thanks for your comments on my blog. We are a happy family. We're so blessed!
Hi Terri -
When I was growing up, we had a phone like the one in the picture. :)
I'm writing, editing, and editing some more. My newest venture is entering contests. The feedback from the Genesis helped me improve my manuscript.
Blessings,
Susan
Like Patti said, it is hard to be satisfied when you receive the call because you begin thinking about the next call. Now, I'm hoping for "the call" about the synopses I submitted. I have to focus on being thankful for where I am.
I'm stuck! So stuck in my writing right now. I know how it begins and how it ends but there is a part of the middle the climax that I can't complete. I'm not sure if anything I have ever wrote is just mediocre. How do you know?! I hope every writer goes through this period of uncertainty. All I know is I love to write, so I will keep doing it!
My favorite phone call is the one where someone is inviting me to lunch. Take a break, enjoy the day and all will be as it should be. Blessings.
There are a few calls I wouldn't mind getting. When I get one, I'll listen and ask questions. Maybe I'll take a number and call back. Maybe I'll make an appointment. Maybe I jump at a chance. I wouldn't mind hearing that phone ring.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Love that phone. And yes, we're kind of like Pavlov's dogs:-)
Got the call--now waiting for the next call. LOL The anticipation and hope is the same. :)
Right now, I'm doing a bit of plotting for the next wip.
I think you just gave me a WAKE UP CALL! Sometimes it seems other people around me are getting calls in areas of their life, while I work and work, and work, and..nothing but the same ol stuff. But do I really work at change? Thanks for placing the question in my head!
The call. Something I dream about, too. Maybe someday. Sure hope you get THE CALL soon, Terri!
Praying. Hoping. Dreaming. Waiting. Writing. Writing. Ever writing for that next deadline.
I'm hoping if I ever get "the call" it will be picked up by my voice mail, so I will have time to scream, call my critique group, grandparents and husband, listen to the message again, then calmly reply to "the call." (smile) Thanks for letting me imagine the momment. (smiles, again)
I'm trying to write some great fiction proposals, but other than that, nothing. I'm not sure where I want to submit, yet, and I'm not in any great hurry.
Terri, I am doing everything to get that CALL. Polishing my stories until I hope they get as close to shining as its possible. And trying to write a book to the best of my ability.
Hope you get the CALL soon ( that your manuscript has been accepted).
If my phone rang and it was something good about my writing, I'd be stunned. But, anything can happen. Right? I'm hoping your phone will ring with good news for you soon.
It's a great phone. I'm absolutely certain it will ring for you at exactly the perfect time.
I'm still sending out those queries!
You're TOTALLY going to get that call!!! I've been meaning to write you (but time just slips away) that I'd LOVE to have a look at your work sometime... no guarantees I'll have anything good to say since I'm not a fictionista... but if you want another set of eyes on it, I'm happy to help. (AND, when I get my next proposal ready, I'm sure I'll be asking everyone in the WORLD to look at mine...)
Hey, I'd be happy with "The Email." Your time will come, Terri. I know it!
Ah, the call. Won't that be great WHEN it happens? My fingers are crossed for you, knowing it's only a matter of time.
I'm plowing through with my second novel instead of pinning all my hopes on the first. That's my way of heading toward the call.
Love the phone...I'll call my kids in to see it since they've often asked what "old" phones look like.
HI Terri,
Great comments here... I can relate to them all.
Just stopping by to say, and, I love the picture of you and what it says on your blog.. up top there.
God Bless~
Just stopping by to say "hi"...that is what i was trying to say above.
i would like to add...having confidence is one thing more writers need.
I'm waiting too! I want to tweet 'hey world, my cell phone is on!' just about everyday! I hope our calls come in on the same day so we can happy dance together! =)
That IS a pretty cool phone, Terri. I think you sound like you're too hard on yourself, but I know what you mean. Truthfully, I see articles of mine (published) and want to change things. It's never-ending.
Like you, I'm waiting for a call...hoping my agent calls with *good news* from a publisher. It's what us writers do best. Or worst. WAIT...
Lots of querying! :-) And hoping and of course, checking my inbox constantly.
Well, I got the call and near-three books on the shelf later, I'm still waiting on other kinds of calls *LAUGHING* - we never are satisfied are we? BUT I have been feeling very lucky lately - and I've let that feeling enter my marrow -- yes. *smiling*
the call is coming if it has not already...I think of you often and wonder how you are...
I'm not even close to "that call" yet. I'm working hard though so one day I'll get the call... I believe you will too :)
When I finally sold my first book, my call was an email. Who would have thought? All those years I'd been waiting for "the" call and my big moment was an email that I was soooo afraid to open since it was from my publisher, because I just knew happy news would be a phone call and then to my delightful surprise it was an acceptance email (rambling sentence, but it's a rambling tale). I'll take it!!!
We'll both get that ringy dingy one day. ;)
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