I know I’ve focused a lot on the “intangibles” of publishing lately. On the disappointments, the mood swings and the sometimes inconceivable personal reasons behind manuscripts becoming books (or not). And I know that I promised to cover all the Querying Process; the good, the bad, the ugly.

Unfortunately, so far, there hasn’t really been a lot of newsworthy information. There has been a form rejection or two, a promising second step in the right direction, and lots and lots of research and tentative revision. But for the most part, there’s been a lot of waiting. A lot of second guessing, sleepless nights, gnashing of teeth and verbal spousal abuse followed by heartfelt apology. And oodles of wishful thinking.

For example, today I find myself fantasizing about a scenario where I fall down in the shower and bang my head–not hard enough to cause any real damage, of course. When I wake up, I’ve forgotten every writing-related moment of the last few months. Someone hands me my manuscript, and I’m able to read through it as if for the very first time. Fresh eyed and unspoiled, I can revise with the same clarity and gusto that I’ve applied to countless other works that were not written by me. And the story grows, as only a story that’s been properly hacked away at can.

Methinks these are the kinds of thoughts that signal warning bells in a trained psychiatrist’s mind.