It's great to have Christine here and to hear that contests helped her improve her writing and feel part of the writing community. Persistence is key. Always keep writing!
I was completely over the moon to find out SC had picked me for his team, the
Spooks. I met so many wonderful writers through NOQS, learned a ton about what
makes a good query and opening, and told myself that even if I got zero requests
from the participating agents, I'd come out on top. Well, I didn't get zero.
Over the course of the request period, and even a bit later on, I ended up with
8 requests. I was completely shocked and flattered and thought that maybe I
wasn't fooling myself that I had a shot at this writing thing. Those requests
ended in mostly passes, a couple of no responses (booo), and one R&R with an
amazing agent who ultimately didn't offer but went to the top of my list for the
next project.
So I wrote another book, and another one, and the 4th book, VALEDICTIONS, found
its way into the hands of the agent who made my dream of representation come
true - Kevan Lyon. Kevan is fantastic and I can't wait to start this journey
with her!
I am more grateful than I can express to SC, Michelle and Mike for holding NOQS,
and all their other contests, and spending time on fledgling writers. This
experience was so very positive and gave me the confidence to keep going. I
never expected to form so many connections with this generous and supportive
writing community when I started, but I know I would not have gotten this far
without them. Writing, for me, is not a solitary endeavor, and is made richer
by the people who have influenced my words. So, thanks. :)
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Christina writes YA contemporary fiction when she's not writing college
recommendation letters. She loves to read, travel, and hopes to one day be
bi-coastal - the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She is
represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary and tweets at @czketchem. Website
Congrats on signing w/an agent! =) Wishing you a great career!
ReplyDeleteThat is great news. Congratulation. I wish you every success.
ReplyDelete