Just in case someone didn’t hear me shouting it from the rooftops of Facebook on Monday, I have an agent. Yes, a literary agent has agreed to represent my novel, Ida’s Children. That’s a big step forward for Ida and me, as she’s experienced and respected and someone who knows the publishing business, and I feel confident handing Ida over to her.
It’s also a relief because it means all that rewriting was worth it. Last year, this agent gave me reams of feedback, for which I was very grateful. I took it on board because I could see changes were needed—I knew my book wasn’t as good as it could be.
I returned to the drawing board and gave it another shot. The type of stories I like to read tell the emotional journey of the characters, and the plot is there only to serve that. Going back to the drawing board and rewriting Ida made me search for that emotional story and tell it more truly.
It was hard, teeth-gnashingly so, but it’s done now, and I can relax—for a while, at least.
Getting to this point has taken four-and-a-half years. It’s also taken a village:
There was my first writing group of Emily Paull, Kristen Levitzke, and Glen Hunting, who read early and very shitty excerpts from Ida. I don’t know how they were never discouraging in their feedback, but they weren’t.
When I was applying for Varuna, there were Iris Lavell, who helped me sharpen the first fifty pages, and Rosemary Stevens, who told me what to include in my cover letter. Without them I wouldn’t have been awarded the Varuna residency.
There was Carol Major at Varuna, who read the full manuscript and told me all the things wrong with it in such a gentle way that I didn’t feel criticised or disheartened.
There was Jennifer Kremmer at Book Anvil who generously gave up her time to read Ida and give me hundreds of pointers.
There were Fremantle Press and the Judges of the 2014 TAG-Hungerford Award who shortlisted Ida for the award. Even though she didn’t win, the shortlisting gave me hope that my story might have potential, and motivated me to keep going.
There was Natasha Lester who was at the end of a telephone or email, and who shared her knowledge and experience freely and generously.
There were Michelle Johnson and Jacquie Garton-Smith, my fellow medico-writers, who over the past year have read and re-read countless iterations of Ida, and countless new, and sometimes absurd, plot developments, and who have never rolled their eyes or complained. I couldn’t have rewritten Ida without them.
There were Marlish Glorie, Lily Malone, Monique Mulligan, and Emily Paull, who read the most recent draft and gave me considered feedback before I sent it back to my agent. Dear Emily deserves a medal for reading Ida three times.
There are my children, who’ve somehow managed to survive while their mother has spent time with Ida and her family instead of them. The fact they’re fed and clothed is due to ready-made meals and my husband who, in addition to working, has cooked, cleaned, washed, ironed, made school lunches, and generally sustained the family over the past few years.
Ida’s Children might never be published, but the fact she’s got this far is due to all of these people. I want to thank them from the bottom of my very swollen heart.
I also want to thank everyone who’s encouraged me along the way. That includes every reader and commenter on this blog or Facebook or in person, and anyone who’s given me advice or shared their writing story or done or said or written anything that’s kept me motivated. Your support has been invaluable.
Right now, I’m so hopeful. I don’t want to count my chickens before the hens are in a stable relationship, but I can’t help it. I can’t help but dream.
Because that’s how it all started: with a dream.
Congratulations, and good luck – you deserve it.
Thank you so much for your good wishes, Charles. 🙂 Fingers crossed now!
Congratulations Louise. I knew you would get there all those years ago when we took those first writing classes together. I am so glad you pursued your dream and I am so honored to be one of the lucky ones to have read your first pages of Ida as she transformed. Good luck! I am hoping to pick up my pen again one day soon.
Lori
Thanks, Lori! It’s lovely to hear from you. 🙂 That Gotham class is where it all started. You people read it in embryonic form! After all the drafts, there are still a few things that you’d recognise, including the characters’ names—they haven’t changed!
It’s given me a lift to hear you’re going to pick up your pen again soon—you’re a talented writer and it would be a shame if you didn’t write. xx
Good on you, Louise. So much hard work. Though prospects of publication can never be certain, you are in strong hands and I have a good feeling about it. Well done.
Thank you for your good wishes and encouraging comments, Robyn. You’re right, nothing is certain in publishing these days, and Ida may never be published—I keep reminding myself of this, and cautioning my hope centre not to elevate itself too high! If Ida isn’t published, I’ll get over it. It won’t be a failure, not in my opinion—I’ve had a wonderful time here in the attic with Ida and her family, dreaming up a story, and I’ve learnt how to write a novel. All of which I’ll take with me when I write Novel #2. x
My heart has been jumping up and down with excitement ever since I read your comment on my blog. What an exciting time, Louise, I’m over the moon for you. So well deserved! And it definitely takes a village.
Oh Gulara, I can’t thank you enough for your support of my writing. I’ll never forget that you featured Ida’s story on your blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Fingers and toes crossed a publisher might want to buy her story. x
Ida’s story is so important. We need to hear it. I’m keeping everything crossed and have all the confidence that it’ll do well.x
I hope you get to read it, Gulara! Now, it’s just a waiting game …
Wonderful news, Louise. I haven’t met you, but I’m inspired by your journey. I’m on a similar one with my childhood memoir (for the past 17 years) and behind that, a memoir of my early adult life. It’s been through so many incarnations, none of them fully birthed. I had a last shot with The Author People, who gave me some terrific feedback, and put me onto Black Inc, who also gave terrific feedback, both positive and constructive, though they didn’t take it on. Now I”m rewriting again; I’ll do a blog on it soon, at memoryandyou.wordpress.com. Then I’ve arranged with a literary editor, Alexandra Nahlous, to do a developmental/structural edit; then back to the publishers! I would love to read Ida’s Story. Don’t give up.
Thank you, Christina! I know we haven’t met, but I do know Nicola, so we kind of know each other! I follow your blog, so I’d love to read about your memoir. It’s just such a long road to publication, and the longer I’m in this game, the more I’m sure it’s about being prepared to redraft and rewrite over and over and over until it’s good enough. Every draft is an improvement on the last, and you just have to stick with it until you get there. Believe me, I’m not a good writer—my biggest asset is that I don’t give up. I’m sure you won’t either. 🙂
Fantastic news, Louise. Congratulations. I actually did hear a woman screaming off in the distance.
Thank you, Margaret, and I suspect I was the woman you heard! Did you feel the minor earth rumble as I danced about the attic, too? x
It’s a massive step to secure an agent, but what strikes me the most is your humility throughout the whole experience. Taking feedback from others about something so close to your heart is never easy. I’m pleased I’ve been able to read through a recent draft and be part of your community. What I loved is the heart and earnest-ness of your tale and I can’t wait to read the finished version. I just know it’s going to be wonderful and worth all the work.
Thank you, Monique! I was so grateful you could read Ida and give feedback—by the way, I corrected the German!
Thank you for noticing that I’ve tried to learn. Before I started writing in 2010, I’d barely written a thing since school. I was a novice and learner, and I knew that. I knew, too, that if I wanted to be any good, I’d have to take lessons and advice. Ida would never have got to this point if I hadn’t taken feedback. It’s hard to go back and be a learner when you’re middle-aged, but gosh I’m glad I did!
Ditto everything up above. Huge congratulations. It’s so very hard to get an agent, that is an enormous step. I loved my read of Ida and felt privileged to do so. Thank you for trusting me with her 🙂
Thanks, Lily, for your enduring support and encouragement. It was so nice to share Ida with you! 🙂
I am so very proud of your accomplishments, your patience, your doggedness, and willingness to listen, to change, to keep Ida going. Glad to know you, Louise. Congratulations.
I’m glad to know you, too, Betty. 🙂 I met you in the very early days, in those Beginner classes! Thank you for being there ever since, and your ongoing support and encouragement. x
It was my absolute pleasure Louise! I’m so thrilled that you’ve signed with Lyn. Best of luck for the next steps in the process and I can’t wait to hear that you’re signing a publishing contract.
My fingers and toes are crossed so tightly, Natasha! I just hope someone likes my story enough to buy it. x
A dream come true, Louise. Of course it will be published and I’m so looking forward to ordering my copy. Congratulations. You completely deserve it after all that hard work and I bet your family is as proud as punch 🙂
A dream inching closer to coming true, Pinky! Thanks for your support and encouragement. As for my family—they’re getting more interested! They don’t quite get it, though. Only my husband has read the story, but they’ve all promised me they’ll read it if it’s published! 🙂
Fantastic!!! Congratulations, Louise!
Thank you for visiting—your wishes mean so much to me! I still love your blog! 🙂 x
Wonderful news & fantastic collaboration from trusted friends & family. xx
Thank you, Maureen! Writing a book is a collaboration, that’s for sure! x
Keeping my fingers crossed for you!
Thanks, Lisa. Cross toes, eyes, everything, please! 🙂
Dear Louise, it was both an honor and privilege to read Ida’s Children. It’s a great story beautifully told, and you ought to feel nothing but great pride in yourself. You did it!!!
Thanks, Marlish! You really helped, not just with feedback, but with encouragement, too. Thank you. xx
This is the best post! Put a huge smile on my face to see your happy news. Congratulations and here’s hoping there’s more good news on your way in the near future! x
Thank you, Nicole! Here’s hoping, and keeping fingers and toes crossed. 🙂
You already know how wonderful I think this is, but I’ll say it again – huge congratulations! So very well deserved, Louise – I can’t wait to see your work in print xx
Thank you so much, Helen. 🙂 Fingers and toes, as they say! x
And everything else! 🙂
Thank you, Helen. Cross everything you can! xx 🙂
Will do xx
Oh congratulations Louise. This is wonderful news. Sorry I didn’t comment earlier, but we had visitors in town so I wasn’t keeping an eye on my blog inbox. How exciting for you, and I think it’s very appropriate to do thanks now. You can always do it again, after all. I love your comment that it took a village! Jane Austen called one of her novels “my darling child”, so the metaphor is apt!
Thank you, Sue! No need to apologise about not commenting earlier—visitors are much more important than blog posts!
So many people have helped whip Ida into shape and I didn’t want to wait to thank them, especially as my book might never be published and I may not get the chance to write acknowledgements in print! Novel writing is a collaborative effort, and I’m grateful for everyone’s support and encouragement—including your comments on my blogs. It does help.
The metaphor of a child is apt—I’ve called Ida my fifth (and most unruly) child before today! 😉
this is absolutely fabulous, Louise. Congratulations, and best wishes for your novel. I didn’t see this post until I read your newsletter. Well done with that, too! What an amazing time you must be having. I am so happy for you. Waiting, waiting for the new title… and for the book, of course. A year from now. What a long time to have to wait.
I didn’t realise you didn’t know! Twelve months seems a long time, but it will fly. Luckily, I always have something going on to distract me—like kids! xx