14: Birthday Wishes

No candles for me, but I’m hitting 49 today. I was journaling about my goals for the last year of my youth (Isn’t 50 the age when I get my full AARP benefits?), and I came up with a couple of age endeavors. First, I’m going to run a marathon in November. That’s a big goal before hitting the big 5-0, especially for my knees. Second, I want to find an agent that shares my belief that “Jamie” will be a marketable manuscript. Third, I want to keep on chugging. I’m not planning on death.

Let’s talk about goal #2.

I am almost done with my most recent revision of “Jamie.” I’ll call this round the binder round. Next up is the inputting of changes into the digital version. Then I need to look into some major plot holes I noticed while reading my work. After that, I’ll probably submit it to my freelance editor, Olivia. I’ll revise. THEN I need beta readers, both kids and adults. I’ll revise. And revise. Eventually I’ll figure out a query and synopsis, which I’ll send to the editor. FINALLY I’ll begin the dubious task of submitting to agents. Thankfully I already have a pretty extensive list of preferred middle-grade agents. I created this spreadsheet when querying “Arie.”

I’m really proud of “Jamie.” It’s an entertaining romp through the roller coaster mind of Aaron. This is the first manuscript I didn’t pants. It’s the first time I wrote in first person.

Come April 7, 2026, I’ll hit fifty. I won’t be a published author, but I’m certain to be a better writer.