My agent, Jennifer Udden of the Donald Maass Literary Agency, just did a marathon tweet-fest on Twitter yesterday as she plowed her way through the slush-pile of unanswered queries. She did this Live. The girl has guts, considering the last time an agent did this two years ago (#queryfail), there were serious repercussions. Jen, however, handled her quest with dignity and humour, and what could have become a querying writer's nightmare, actually became something educational and fascinating. She wrapped her sentiments up in her blog, Steady as She Goes, which I'll link here for you. It's a strange and wonderful world we live in, my friends, full of opportunity and challenge. And after going along with Jen on this rollercoaster yesterday, I think I learned a few things myself. 

I learned what Twitter is about. Basic stuff, you may say, but hey, when you're fifty and private, this is a big deal! I still may need several years before I'm a competent Tweeter (is there another word I'm missing?), I think I can finally wrap my head around the basic premise.

I learned that an agent's world is filled with hope and hopelessness. Probably just like everyone else, but it was and is supremely evident yesterday. So much hope on behalf of us writers, too little functional knowledge. I've said it before. Writing is an art. Publishing is a business. I really need to learn it.

I also learned (or had confirmed) that it would be ever so easy for anyone in the publishing field to become cynical or jaded. I believe that's true for writers as well as agents, for editors along with illustrators. It will always be a battle to remain optimistic and fresh for every project. World weariness is an easy garment to wear but I fear it would not keep one terribly warm...

So there, my discoveries of the day. I'm still learning and will until the day I die, which hopefully won't be for a long while. I have far too many books to write!

Steady As She Goes, a blog by Jennifer Udden

I was a geek in high school, but an atypical one. Smart, shy, imaginative. Loved science and math. Hated gym. I read Jules Verne, HG Wells, A. Conan Doyle, Lord of the Rings and comic books. I watched Dr. Who, Star Trek and Japanese anime before it was called anime. I wrote little stories and dreamed big dreams and generally lived in my room. The reason I was atypical was the fact that I was a girl.

Forward ten years. I was a zoologist and drew comic books. Star Trek was once again on TV. Dr. Who and Japanese anime were mocked on this side of both oceans and comic books were the stuff of bad television. Still a geek, still writing stories and yep, still a girl.

Now, the worlds of Doyle, Verne, Tolkien and Wells are cleaning up in all media, from big screen to little. Star Trek has had a face lift and Dr. Who is the number one telly program in the world. Comic books are block busters, Japanese anime rules for young men between the ages of twelve and twenty-two and the Lord of the Rings is arguably the best big screen trilogy ever. I still love science, still write stories and yep, I'm still a girl.

Today, I signed a contract with Jennifer Udden of the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York.She's a geek and yep she's a girl. But it's a different world for girls like her and I'm glad for it. I'm glad I was who I was and I'm glad that I am who I am and that the world has changed enough for girls like us to be embraced and valued for our brains, our imagination, our creativity and our dreams. If you're reading this and you're a geek, good on ya, mate. And if you're a girl geek, better on ya. There's a Big Bang kinda world out there waiting...