Tossing My Coins

If I had a wishing well, I'd wish for three things:

1. Moody Publishing to publish Full of Days

2. A month of Saturdays to write The Mercy Hour

3. A Mr. Knightley to be "my Mr. Knightley"

I know, I know. Couldn't I be a tad less selfish in my wishes? Don't I want world peace and a cure for cancer and the unity of the Church? Yeah, of course I do. But I'm figuring that with a purely hypothetical wishing well, it's only hypothetical selfishness. So please, bear with me.

Wish #1... Can I rant for a moment as a completely inexperienced author? Okay. Why hasn't a decision been made by Moody Publishing? Does it seriously take more than 9 months for the editor to reach my manuscript in that pile on his desk? More than 9 months to give me a smiling nod of the head or a frowning shake of the head? I am tired of opening my mailbox each day with baited breath only to find another shopping flyer, electric bill or magazine issue. I am tired of checking my email 57 times a day because I keep believing that one of those times I will see a new message from the editor at Moody. Because I don't have an agent, I really haven't sent Full of Days to all that many publishers. The lack of an agent equals a lack of options. The confidence I have in that book means I am willing to seek an agent if all else fails. However, the lack of response from Moody means I am not yet to the point of all else failing. Occasionally I'll slip into the start of a daydream of the reading that letter or clicking on that email, then I stop myself, afraid to imagine it all as it seems to me that imagining a much hoped for event decreases the chances of it becoming reality. Please, Mr. Editor, please read that manuscript that you apparently have neglected for the better part of a year.

Wish #2... A month of Saturdays for writing the second novel: doesn't it sound heavenly? No? Maybe it's just me. Quite randomly last weekend, I grabbed my copy of the chapters I have written and brought them to the gym with me. Yes, to the gym. Time on the treadmill or elliptical is normally time to peruse a good magazine and rest my brain. This particular morning though, it was time to reread the chapters. I have set aside this novel in the last several months for the sake of RCIA, a rather time-, heart- and mind-consuming ministry. Sadly, I was beginning to forget the story. Not the general gist of the story but the details I had plotted out in my mind and the twists and turns and developments I anticipated in my imagination. So I read my chapters. And I fell in love. I am in love with this story. Perhaps the time away from it has proven the old adage because I am undoubtedly fonder of the story now than when I last worked on it. This, quite naturally, causes me to wish for the time to write it well. I keep telling myself that time will come but I'm not always the most convincing person.

Wish #3... Maybe I shouldn't even get started on this one. Considering that Persuasion is my favorite novel (tied with I Capture the Castle - seriously ladies, read that book!) and Pride & Prejudice is a close second, it is funny that the hero of Emma is to blame for so much disappointed yet unshakable expectation.

Yes, if I only had a wishing well, who knows how different life would be. Of course now I just have Sinatra's "Three Coins in the Fountain" in my head.