Start with the Devil, End with the Star

As you all might or might not know, I started drawing a daily Tarot card. Originally it was to research a character in a romantic suspense, but then I used it to make certain I documented my writing progress as it forces me to pull up my computer calender and write my card down.

I also use this calender to document my monthly goals. Sometimes their big, other times small. During the summer, my goals are usually small: edit, write query letters, judge contests. In other words, stuff I can walk away from without it blowing my brain pan to smithereens.

So on Monday, I drew the Devil. Probably the worse card in the freakin' deck other than The Tower. The Devil represents negativity and hopelessness. And yes, I was feeling the green monster this week. One, it ticked me off that I felt that way about a friend's excitement and success. Two, I read through my MG novel and couldn't believe I thought such dreck could actually be my first published novel. I always have the same hope for each of my novels and I always have my hopes smashed to smithereens. So needless to say I still have low hopes right now, and all the cheerleading friends in the world won't help me get out of this funk.

I'll have to work it out on my own.

Today I drew The Star, hope and inspiration, and the complete opposite of the Devil. The Star doesn't offer practical help, but it does make you realize that life isn't so dark.

I must have been feeling a little more sure of myself yesterday, because I worked on my query for MOGG, my middle grade novel. Of course in true Margaret fashion, I put the cart before the horse and submitted my query to Query Shark. I don't know if it will make it onto the blog and if it does I fully expect it to be cut to shreds, because it is totally different from the normal query. I have a tough skin. I'm used to it.

If I'm opening up myself for public ridicule, I might as well give my friends first heckle. Here is my query:

My garden gnome went missing. It’s your basic pudgy gnome with a white beard and red pointy cap about twelve inches tall made out of some sort of hard stuff. Walking away was out of the question. Statues don’t walk. I can’t imagine someone stealing it, ‘cause who in their right mind would drive to Nowheresville, Oklahoma to steal a gnome?
So I decided to look for it.
What I didn’t expect to find was a real live gnome named Rory Leafhopper.
Go figure.
My name is Rhiannon Webber, just call me Rhee. It seems that the gnome wanted my help to figure out what happened to all the local mythical creatures. It was summer. School was out. We lived in the country. No cable and stinky TV reception. Add those four sentences together and you get one excruciatingly bored eleven year old girl. Plus the adventure would get me out of Mom’s hair for awhile. I’m game.
It wasn’t until I overheard my mom talking that I discovered I’m adopted and a half-blood, too. Half-blood what I didn’t have a clue. Maybe that was why I could see the gnome. Talk about a shock. I hoped Rory could tell me about being an adopted half-blood when old Mrs. Finch’s cat, Mr. Bickles snatched him.
Now, I have to rescue the gnome. What else could possibly go wrong?
MISSING: One Garden Gnome is a middle grade novel complete at 45,000 words. I would be happy to submit the manuscript and synopsis per your request. Thank you for taking the time to consider my story.
Sincerely,
Wannabe Author

Oh, for all the possible boo-boos in this query, it does one thing and it does it well.

It shows voice.

Write on!