Guatemala and book requests

About a week and a half ago, I returned from Guatemala. (And yes, I realize I barely mentioned I was going and I am very sorry.) It's just that this Africa trip has taken precedence with both funds and thoughts. The opportunity to go to Guatemala came up from nowhere, so I accepted without even fully comprehending it. A full five days after I came back from college, I got on a plane to Guatemala City, still slightly dazed.

When I got there, I was frustrated and feeling a bit useless. We were staying at a house there, so I hadn't been able to use my Spanish and I didn't even have a job yet (it was a medical mission trip). It seems like I always have this drive to be useful, but I was on a mission trip and I wasn't really feeling it. But God slowly began to teach me that his plan for me is much more than simply being useful. He wants to use me, but more than that he wants my heart. I finally did find a job--the eye clinic--and was able to use my Spanish, but I also rediscovered a calling for Guatemala. I have decided to intern there next summer for about a month and a half, and I can hardly wait until then.

I also have other exciting news: an agent requested the first 50 pages of my book (you might remember this anxious post about sending it in)! It was actually the only agent I sent it into, which is quite awesome but unlikely. Anyway, I spent July 4th (and part of the 3rd) ferociously copy-editing. I think I've probably read those 50 pages a total of 50 times. I'm not even going to look at them until I get any feedback, though, because I know if I do I'll see a gazillion typos. However, I am going to copy-edit the rest a ton...just in case something ridiculously unbelievable and exciting happens. I'll be sure to let you know.

Novel editing and the origins of "adios"

I'm not sure why this is, but it's extremely hard to rationalize doing homework when I have some fantastic scenes in my head just waiting to come out on paper. I mean, grades are just made of letters (and sleepless nights, of course), while this book could potentially be made of awesome. Of course, I haven't yet neglected my studies, but it's tempting. Very tempting.
At first when I finished my draft I wanted to throw up when I thought about editing it, but now it's actually kind of nice. The dialogue is much less awful now, and the scenes are flowing together better.
On an unrelated note: I just google image searched myself to see what a prospective agent might find, and I seem to have miraculously avoided the Internet. Except for a picture of my be-Chacoed (Chacofied?) feet that is the album cover for my piano music. Which I find extremely entertaining.
Since this entire post seems rather random and out-of-place, I should probably mention that one of my friends (who is actually going to be my roommate next year. Yay!) was wondering where the word "Adios" came from. "A" means to, and "Dios" means God, so I shot a finger-gun at her and said, "Adios." To God. I'll leave you to ponder the philosophical implications of this why I either study Spanish phonetics or write a scene.

Adios.

Of query letters, glasses, and trusting God

I sent in a query letter and a sample of my book to an agent last Monday. Which means that it's probably ON HER DESK RIGHT NOW AND SHE'S GOING TO READ IT AND AHHHHH. Sorry. I've been known to occasionally be disproportionately enthusiastic. I just can't help imagining what it would be like for an agent to actually say yes.

Because I'm neurotic and can't stop myself, I've been editing my book like an insane person ever since sending in the query letter. I know that, in theory, you're supposed to have polished a draft to perfection before sending it in, but I don't think that a book is really ever ready until printing. So I've been adding in scenes, cutting out others, and improving the dialogue throughout. Guys. I am so excited about this one. I think it actually stands a chance to get published. Maybe. We'll see, I guess.
This week, I found out that not only am I going to Burundi this summer, but I am also going to go to Guatemala! (Insert happy dance.) God is so awesome. I still don't know how it's going to work out, but that's part of the wonder of it all. It's sort of the same with living on campus. A girl from my Core and I are about 98% sure we're going to live in one of the dorms together next year for the specific purpose of reaching out to the community. At first, I was really hesitant because, as much as I wanted to do it, I had no idea where the money would come from. But I still could really sense God calling me there. I don't really know where the money will come from yet, but if God wants us there then he will provide for us somehow.
Yesterday I got my new glasses in the mail. I was sort of worried because I picked them out in a bad mood due to my yellow fever injection and blurry vision from my eye exam. But they're amazingly nerdy and cute. They're a little crooked, though, and I have to somehow find a way to get to Costco so that they don't drive me crazy.
Oh, and I found out that I'm going to be a conversation partner with an exchange student on campus. Which is awesome and everything, except that it falls on One Day without Shoes (you may remember my post about it last year). So basically I have two choices: 1) give my convo buddy an interesting first impression of Americans and college life in general, or 2) just wear shoes like a Normal Person. Guess which option I'm leaning toward?
Yup. That one.

The Learning Curve

This weekend, I attended a conference called Write on the River, which is a conference for writers. On a...river! (Bet you didn't see that one coming.) I went to several workshops, and at the end I got to meet with an agent.
Holy. Waffles.
Now, don't get me wrong. I've queried agents and publishers loads of times, but pitching a book in person is completely different. By the time my appointment came around, my palms were sweating and my voice threatened mutiny.
I introduced myself and started rambling a mile a minute about my most recent completed novel, tentatively entitled The Hostage.
This is how it went down:
"It's about this girl...whose mom dies and she and her dad move to a new city and--she really likes crime shows, so she's trying to figure out what actually happened--anyway, her dad goes missing too and...she finds weird files on his computer and goes to D.C. with her friends--and she finds out her dad was not actually her dad, but that he's really an undercover FBI agent. And the guy who really is her dad is her best friend's dad and is trying to poison the city because he's mad at the State for taking away his daughter. That's it!" *Deep breath.*
Excuse me while I go laugh and/or cry at myself.
Granted, my book isn't the easiest to explain, but I don't think that was my problem. I've just explained it so many times and I was so nervous for the appointment that I lost the pathos of my work. Instead of focusing on the character development, I just rapidly described the plot in a way that made it sound cliche and mundane. And yes, I hate myself for it. The agent was very nice, though, and recommended some books on plot development (zing!).
After thinking about my appointment today though, I realized that I--and quite a few Christians--have the same issue with Christianity. A lot of Christians have been hearing about Christ for years and are so nervous about sharing the fantastic message of the gospel, that they completely lose it. I know I do! Just like handing over your "baby" (writers-speak for manuscript) over to some lady in a black dress and heels is terrifying, so is sharing your very reason for existence. While it makes sense to you, anyone who doesn't agree with you is going to think you're absolutely insane.
Only...just because an agent (very nicely) rejected my book, does that mean I should stop writing? I couldn't if I tried! So whether you've shared your faith once, twice, or five hundred times, you should never stop because you make a fool out of yourself.
Because Christianity, just like writing, is a learning curve.