Post-story funk

I need to be patient about my new novel . The first chapter is entered in three contests. Since most editors and agents ask to see the beginning of a book, I don't want to start querying until I receive judge feedback. It'll be important for me to put my best foot forward when submitting, and I want to correct any shortcomings the judges identify.

Then there's the matter of my test readers. Two in particular are important. My daughter plans to make some suggestions regarding the teen dialogue in the book. She thinks I may have sprinkled a bit too much urban slang into it. And my brother, a former English professor, is looking at my "Shakespeare-Lite" dialogue in the passages when my hero travels back to 1692 Salem. Two other readers (one a teenager!) liked the book.

So, I'm going to take my time with this project. When contest and reader input comes in, I'll go from there. A quick rewrite might be necessary to correct grammar and dialogue. I might decide to enter a few more contests. Meanwhile, I have a new project idea, tentatively titled Invulnerable. First two scenes are drafted, and I have a general theme in mind. I'm not excited about the story yet, but that will come soon.