Jenn Neal

Hello! I thought I would do a little March update for everyone, since I have been radio silent for the last few months aside from a little character art. First, I’ll do a little life update here, but it you’re only here for writing updates please scroll down and you’ll find them waiting for you (they are very patient little things).

The last few months have been a bit of a wild ride. First, the rain has really been getting to me, until all I can think about is summer and gardening, and being outside. I know it’s counterproductive, but I can’t be stopped apparently. On top of that, seasonal depression always gets me this time of year, and that always looks like me getting down on myself and creating issues in my mind that aren’t actually there, while taking my introverted nature to another level. Coupled with my anxiety it is a big ol’ bucket of fun! I am just so thankful to have a partner who is literally the best, and makes me feel seen, and loved, and supported.

The other big event was that a month or so ago, our dog Mojo started taking a turn for the worse on his mobility. He has hip dysplasia, and has been doing amazing for the last few years. So much so, that we thought we’d never need to do surgery on him. Well, well, well. WRONG. He went downhill fast, and by the time we did x-rays a month ago, he had no hip left. So, we thanked the chaos gods that we have insurance for Mojo (quick soap box for pet insurance: get it if you can). And started prepping for his surgery. We had to buy a giant kennel, get lots of puzzle toys to keep him distracted, Josh built an incredible ramp (he really is the best dog dad) from the deck into the yard, and dog-proof the house.

Well, he had surgery on Thursday. The first night was rough. Things are still pretty high maintenance since he isn’t allowed to walk on his own, and standing up and sitting down must be assisted, but we are getting there. I say this just after Mojo accidentally made a painting of his own feces all over his bed. Needless to say, I am very sleep deprived and several fingernails short of a hand. But things are getting better every day.

I thought I would be able to write while I was home with Mojo for the next week. But we will have to see what happens. Currently, I am just taking it one hour at a time. I am quite definitely whittled to the bone. Now, onward to more interesting and fun things!

Vicious Miscreations Updates:

Woof. I am torn between feeling like this has been the most incredible few months for Vicious Miscreations and wanting to throw my laptop across the room. First, I decided to take several months off of querying. For those who have never done it, let me tell you that querying is hard. Not just challenging, but publishing itself is just rife with rejection. You can have the best manuscript in the world and it will still get rejected many times. That’s why they tell you to get thick skin.

From September through October I sent out 17 queries. All of them were either rejected or I never even got a response. Both are very normal, and I know agents get insane numbers of queries every day, but it still hurts anyway. There is nothing that can prepare you for it. It just sucks. But the difference between published writers and unpublished writers is whether you give up. I have over a hundred other agents to query, but I needed a break and I wanted to try to improve my query and first chapters.

So I utilized Manuscript Academy to find an agent to look at my query, and an editor to take a look at the first 50 pages of my manuscript. Both were so incredibly helpful, and they pointed out some things that weren’t landing the way they needed to. It also helped me really tighten up my pages. In the last few months, I probably reworked my query letter twenty times, and I cut almost 3000 words from my manuscript (which I promptly filled back in with necessary changes). I feel SO much better about both of them now.

The challenge with all this, is that it’s all a matter of opinion. You don’t just wake up one morning and know you have it right. You have to try, see what happens, and tweak if necessary (like if you get no requests from the queries you sent). Honestly, if you know a writer who is querying, just give them a hug. They need it.

So, now that I’ve made some significant changes, I sent out my book to three readers to get their feedback, and have started querying again. I sent out a batch and am waiting to hear back before I send more. That could be a few months, so I have started to work on my other work-in-progress again.

But really, whoever said publishing was a lot of ‘hurry up and wait,’ they were spot on.

Bone Thieves WIP Updates:

You guys, this book is basically proof that I am a writer and I sometimes make decisions that make me hate myself. I took a few months off from writing this book and when I came back to it I decided that I needed to change the ENTIRE thing. The first 30,000 words of this book were written in First-Person, and my self-destructive, creative-brain decided that now it needs to be Third-Person. Honestly, I don’t even know why I wrote it in First-Person to start, since I despise writing in that point-of-view, but here we are. So yes, I am rewriting it all in a different perspective, and I honestly believe it’s making everything better.

That being said, I have been talking with my friend Sadie about this book a lot. She has been the person I bounce these ideas off since forever (and is also undoubtedly my #1 Hype Woman), and I have some big ideas for this book. I am really into the magic system, the themes, and the structure I’m planning for the novel. Now I just have to make it through the first draft, so I can tear it apart and make it good instead of really medium. So, that is what my next month or so will look like.

I am hoping to have more updates for you soon. In the meantime, I hope you are all well, and living your best lives. Huzzah. Pip pip! Have a lovely rest of your month.