Getting to 100%, Part Two

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago (was it really only a couple of weeks ago? Feels like a lot longer than that), I blogged about getting to 100%.

It sparked some interesting comments and a few of you tackled the issue on your own blogs. I'm going to elaborate a bit further.

Some of you said you didn't think you could get to 100%. I disagree (don't get all riled up -- read on). Because it's not about the writing. Take it from someone who did multiple rounds of revisions before going out on submission. Or from someone (who shall remain nameless) who has to do multiple rounds of edits for their editor.

Sure, the writing has to be good. The story original. The characters well-developed.

But that's not what I mean by getting to 100%.

That's an emotional state. You must absolutely get yourself to the 100% belief that your query and manuscript are as good as they need to be to land an agent or a book deal.

That's the 100% I'm talking about. That belief will give you the confidence you need when the rejections come. You'll be able to say, "Well, s/he wasn't the agent for me." and you'll keep querying and submitting until you find the one that IS for you.

It's emotional.

You'll be able to do the rounds of edits, because when you get to 100%, you'll be able to do anything your agent/editor asks of you. Because you're THAT GOOD.

It's emotional.

Please don't misunderstand me. Those close to me know the emotional mess I am 23/7. But for that one last hour, I'm at 100%. And that's when I query, rewrite, edit or read difficult emails.

So what do you think now? Are you an emotional tangle 23/7? Can you get yourself to 100% emotionally for at least a little bit? Lemme know.

Getting To 100%

Okay, so I'm a big believer in going my own way. (Yeah, I like the Fleetwood Mac song, so I hope it gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day. And yes, I am evil.)

I write my books how I want. Past tense, present tense, it's all good. Sometimes in the same sentence. Whatevs.

I give my characters whatever I want. Tech gadgets. Wicked-cool paranormal powers. All at the same time. Nothing's too grandiose for me.

I write my query letters however I want. Sure, I follow some standards, but I can do 3 sentences. 8 paragraphs. Whatever, whatever.

I'm comfortable doing that.

And you should be too. I see (well, hear really) so many people trying to figure out what they "should" do and what they "shouldn't." Or what's "right" and what isn't.

Dude. Get yourself to 100% and then go for it. That's my philosophy. And before you start throwing stones, hear me out.

I research my brains out. I know what queries should be. I know what writing should be. I know, I know, I know.

And then I pick and choose which rules I'm going to follow. The big ones? Yeah, I follow (most of) those. The little ones? Whatever.

I go my own way. I get myself to 100% and then I go for it. I get my MS to 100% of what I can/know how to do. And then I send it out. I get my query to 100% of what I can/know how to do. And then I send it out.

And if you're not at 100% on the MS or the query -- dude! Don't send them out. Get there first, so that when the rejections come -- and they will come -- you'll have the confidence to stay in the game.

Go your own way. Get to 100%. Then conquer.

What do you think? Overconfident? Perhaps. Do you need to be at 100% before submitting? How do you think you get there?