Note: This is the transcribed introduction to the original post on Quinn Writes a Novel, which has gone from a hidden stand-alone journal to a tagged series on this blog.

Dear Internet,

As I write this, it’s April of 2009, I’m 26 years old and I’m trying to start a career as a novelist. By the time you - whoever you are - read this, I hope to have at least one book in print, or whatever has succeeded print in your crazy space-age future. This blog (online journal, really, but no one cares about that distinction anymore) will be a running account of how I got from here to there. Or how I failed spectacularly. The Internet has been an invaluable resource for me in my quest thus far to be an actual author-type-person, so out of philanthropy or some kind of pressing need for attention I’d like to contribute to that body of information. Whether you’re an aspiring author yourself and you want to know what you’re in for, or you find other people’s struggles and disappointments entertaining (I know I do), it’s my hope that this blog will be a worthwhile read. If nothing else, it’ll keep me writing.

Before we get started, a little more background. I’ve written two novels, both of them for National Novel Writing Month (an event I can’t recommend more to someone who’s always wanted to write a novel but doesn’t think they can do it). They’re the first two parts of a fantasy trilogy called The Northerners, about an isolated medieval valley where a small town of Christians shares an uneasy border with the eponymous tribe of mystics. You can read a little more about the story here. The first book has gone through a few drafts and I think it’s pretty solid at this point; however, I’ve been querying agents for about nine months now, with 37 rejections and counting, and no offers of representation. This is not an unusual circumstance for a first-time author. You’ll hear more details about it soon, but I can tell you now that it’s quite the skin-thickening experience. My plan is to keep querying until I hit at least 50 rejections, after which point I may just put The Northerners to bed for the moment.

In the meantime, though, I have a new novel idea lined up. I’m excited about this story and I think (or at least I hope) that it’s an easier sell than my first one. In my next post I’ll tell you about it, as I get ready to finish outlining and start writing in earnest. This will be my first time writing a novel without Nanowrimo as a crutch; I’ve got to set my own deadlines and keep my own pace. Will I succeed? Keep reading to find out.

Wish me luck,

Quinn