“There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.” The opening line from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
Books can be scary in
more ways than one.
I’ve heard horror stories
about novelists that received rejections in the mail with the word no
scrawled across the manuscript in large, blood-red
ink. The scariest thing that happened to me came into my inbox—a rejection.
Lots of them. No ink, but it did stink!
Sharon tiptoed into the carnivorous
room, her eyes adjusting to near blackness. In the center of the room, a small
lamp illuminated a cluttered desk like a ghostly halo. Dusty books and loose
paper, pencils, pens, and an assortment of abandoned coffee cups covered the
desk, with a sacred laptop in the middle.
Sharon took another step,
leaning to place a thick manilla envelope on top of the desk as if she were Bilbo
Baggins discarding a gold ring into the fires of Mordor. “It’s done,” she
whispered.
Something scampered in
the dark; heels clicked; fabric chaffed. Sharon stood frozen.
There was a hand in the
darkness, and it held a knife. Air whooshed toward Sharon’s face as the foreign
hand lifted and slashed, sluicing and tearing. A loud thump emanated through
the room like a heavy object heaved into a trash bin. It started snowing. She
felt a flake melt on her cheek. Except, it wasn’t snow; it was a fresh tear. Tiny
bits of animated paper floated, falling to the floor. Sharon stiffened,
realizing the confetti was her prized manuscript stuffed inside the manilla
envelope. Laughter erupted. “Your manuscript stinks,” said the literary agent
before she swiveled on her heels, slamming the door.
Thank God I don’t have to
worry about real-life query nightmares anymore! Real life is always scarier
than fiction.
This October, I’m painstakingly
editing my manuscript before I hand it to my editor for more editing. Sigh.
I’m applying the suggestions from my sensitivity read. Thank you, Veronica. The
cover art is finished, and after countless revisions, I love it. Has there ever
been a book cover in the history of the world that has a depiction—albeit
small—of toilet paper? Being weird is a bonus for a writer. Plus, Ten16 Press added
the title type, and it looks beautiful. I can’t wait to show and tell. My next
newsletter should appear in your inbox on Monday, November 20.
Keep it, Gory!
Happy Halloween!
Sharon
“I’m so glad I live in a
world where there are Octobers.” – L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Don't forget to visit Sharon Wagner Books!
