How surreal that I have reached the of my novel-writing journey where I am querying agents! And when someone responds to my query asking to see the full manuscript, there is actually a manuscript to give! Absolutely mind-blowing stuff. Some, such as my partner and my parents, think that this is a victory in itself. They are wrong. Victory will only be achieved when my debut novel has entered its paperback run and is prominently displayed in a “Staff Recommendations” section of a bookstore, complete with a little handwritten blurb about how the bookseller is “obsessed.” Only then shall I know joy.

Until then, the querying shall continue. The thing about that is, querying involves far less creative efforts than, say, writing a book. What does someone do with all of this newfound free time that was, until recently, occupied by weekly writing and editing sessions?

After some investigation, it seems there is actually a straightforward answer to this question: write the next one.

Open up a crispy new Word Document and put down all of the ideas you’ve been tucking away into the corners of your mind. Their time is finally here! Let the intimidation of the fresh page humble you for the first time in a long time.

Oh! Well in that case, here I go.