Day 101: Start your next novel.

Yes, it says "Start your next novel."

I'm glad I've come through the whole thing.

Throughout these 100 days, I have a glimpse of the, say, "formula," if you will, of writing novels. There are many "formulas," and all have their strengths and weaknesses. But everyone emphasizes one thing: be persistent. Write everyday.

At this stage of my life, it probably is difficult for me to write 4-5 pages every day. But I can try to write everyday; I can try to spend 30 minutes every day on the writing.

I hope this stage will change soon: hopefully by next May things will change, at least a bit. I hope the future will be brighter. No matter what, I should not stop writing.

Keep dreaming, I guess.

Day 99 & 100

Yesterday was too busy on my dissertation...

Day 99: "Remind yourself that you still have to wait for two months minus a day. Do not call the agent. If two full months pass and you hear nothing, then you can write a brief note of inquiry."

Sure.

Day 100: "Remind yourself that everyone — everyone! — gets rejected. The stories are endless. Margaret Mitchell (Gone With the Wind), Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca), Joseph Heller (Catch-22), Stephen King (his first four novels), and on and on."

Ok... I'll keep that in mind. Don't lose the courage and hope.

Done.

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These 100 days I believe I've learned something. Though my story is not finished yet, I'll definitely go through the process again to finish that.

Day 98: Buy yourself a drink.

"Amuse yourself by thinking about who who should star in the blockbuster movie."

I know one should reward her- or himself, but amusing oneself w/ that kind of wild dreams I'm not so sure. Wouldn't that make the rejections even harder to bear?

Well, but on the other hand, if you can handle it, then why not have some fun?

2 days.

Day 97: Entrust your manuscript to FedEx.

"Keep your receipt. Note the date on your calendar. Don't expect to hear anything for two months."

Yup. I'm used to this kind of waiting. Submitting to journal has to wait even longer, like 4-6 months.

3 days... my.

Day 96: Get a FedEx

"Get a FedEx mailer of the right size and put your jiffy bag in it. Don’t cut corners here. Look professional."

Not cutting corners. That's what I always do.

Man, it costs money to do things you want!

4 days.

Day 95: Write a very brief letter to the agent.

"Include the one-paragraph description of your novel that you wrote earlier. And include one brief paragraph about yourself. Do sound professional. Do not say, “I always wanted to be a writer . . .” or “I can write better than the junk I see . . .”
If you are sending your manuscript to more than one agent at the same time, you MUST tell them that this is “a multiple submission.” Either an agent will read it quicker or not at all; either way, you'll get an answer sooner.
In the jiffy bag, put A) the fifty pages or so of your novel, B) your letter to the agent, and C) a #10 SASE for the agent's reply. (You will not get the fifty pages back.)"

How do I sound more professional? I'll have to work on it and have someone proofread for me.

Sending manuscript to more than one agent probably is not a very good idea. I did it once, and when I was accepted by one, two others contacted me too. It was not a good experience. I had to apologize to the other two and tried to promise another book. That was not fiction writing though.

5 more days.

Day 94: Buy a sturdy, padded jiffy bag

"Look in an office supply store, Kinko's, etc."

It's for some pages of the story. Guess it's important to archive it.

6 days...wow.