Finally, a glimmer of hope.
After a summer of one rejection after another (we're talking about my fledgling writing career here, not my love life), I at last have something positive to write about.
Today, I received an e-mail from Diana Finch, head of the Diana Finch Literary Agency in New York. I sent her agency and a number of others, a one-page query trying to interest them in representing my novel, "Small Town News."
I believe I sent out about 15 e-mail queries. So far, I have received seven rejections. It is hard to convince agents that they should represent your novel when they have not even read the manuscript. Unfortunately, that's the way the game is played. You have to get the agent to read the manuscript, then hope the agent is interested, will take you on as a client, then sell your work to a publisher. Most publishers these days do not deal with anyone who does not have an agent.
Ms. Finch wrote, "Thank you for your query. I like the themes of your novel, though it is so hard to tell from a query letter alone as so much depends on the actual writing. Would you send me the first five to 10 pages of the manuscript then, as a Word.doc attachment, as an e-mail text message or by snailmail? Please note "Requested material" in the e-mail subject heading or cover letter. I look forward to receiving the sample pages. Sincerely, Diana Fitch"
The first thing I have to do is not get my hopes up. Naturally, there was a brief rousing cheer when I read the message. Then I brought myself down to earth.
I just have my foot in the door. That depended on an agent liking a one-page proposal that had already been rejected by seven other agents. So far, so good.
Now my success (with Diana Finch, at least) depends on how well she likes the 10 pages I will e-mail to her as an attachment later today. If she likes that, then I will send her the entire manuscript. If she likes that, she still has to sell it to a publishing company. A large number of hurdles remain in front of me.
But at least I have a shot.
***
Tonight's movie was from 2001 (all right, all right, don't collapse from shock. I do watch newer movies every once in a while.)
"The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" was one of actor/director Woody Allen's returns to the form of his early movies from 1969 to about 1975, before he decided he wanted to become Ingmar Bergman and make all kinds of message movies. I still enjoy most of Woody Allen's movies, but this one was him at the top of his game.
It's my kind of movie when the lead actress, Helen Hunt, playing an efficiency expert at the insurance agency where Allen's character, C. W. Briggs, works, says, "You're too old for me, you're too short, and you're too ugly." Of course, C. W. responds, "You left out the best part. I'm losing my hair." Of course, he ends up with the girl. (Hmm, could there be some deep psychological reason why I like this film?)
The basic plot is silly, of course. The movie takes place in 1940. C. W. Briggs is a top-notch insurance investigator who may be phased out of his job if the new efficiency expert, who is having an affair with his boss, played by Dan Aykroyd, has his way.
One evening they go to a nightclub where a birthday party is being held for one of their colleagues. The floor show is a hypnotist, who puts both C. W. and Miss Fizgerald (Miss Hunt's character) under a trance and has them fall madly in love with each other in front of an audience. He brings them out of the trance after they have thorougly embarrassed themselves, but he does not remove the trigger words, "Constantinople" for Briggs and "Madagascar" for Miss Fitzgerald.
The hypnotist later phones Briggs, says "Constantinople" and has him commit two daring jewel thefts...both of places where he had set up the security for the insurance agency.
The one-liners are fast and furious and the characters are likable and have you rooting for them. Allen has been playing the same character, with different names, for almost 40 years, and it hasn't grown old a bit.