Plan 'B'

By now you know that I did not get the OAC grant that I applied for this year. Disappointing--yes--but I'm a firm believer in fate. It wasn't meant to happen, therefore I must move on to Plan B.

I wasn't sure what Plan B was until a few weeks ago when I was surfing the web and found the name of an agent who likes ghost stories. You may recall that the novel before the one I'm currently writing was a supernatural novel in the style of Shirley Jackson. The agent said she likes to be 'spooked out'. With that in mind, I've added an element to the plot (devil worship) that was only hinted at and debunked at the end of the novel. The new element has brought a whole new dimension to the story.

So, here's a question I was wondering about while I was revising the manuscript: As wonderful as it is, would Shirley Jackson's novel, The Haunting, be snapped up by a publisher in today's market of Vampires and slasher novels?

Every time I read, The Haunting, I'm amazed at how Shirley Jackson was able to spook me out with very few details and no blood or gore, and I enjoyed writing my own supernatural novel. I did manage to get an agent to represent me, but she couldn't find a publisher for my manuscript. Unfortunately, she became ill and retired from the business and I've been unable to catch the interest of another agent.

This month I'll be busy revising my supernatural manuscript in the computer and sometime in January I'll query the agent who likes to be 'spooked out'.

Wish me luck,

Cynthia