Don't these people recognize GENIUS?!?

Ok, well, I'm not THAT conceited.  But yet again, another editor has passed, and yet again, it's for largely the same reason - the dual first-person narrative.  So here's a lesson for all my future novelists/mega-millionaires, and it's called PLEASING THE GATEKEEPERS!

See, my book has alternative first person narrative.  First Jeff talks a while, then Ben comes in and perhaps interrupts him - it's all in good fun and from the kid's perspective (those few that have read it), they really enjoyed the banter.  Each boy has a distinct personality, as Caitlin and I worked hard to make sure, and two first person narratives allows me to split up the main characters and still show what's going on with the intimacy of the first person narrative.

But apparently no one else is buying it.

The Scholastic people just passed as well, and I'll post their letter tomorrow, but bottom line it comes down to the narrative - they think it's too disruptive.

So - that's four out of four who passed due to that reason.  Once or twice is a personal thing - more than that, you may be looking at a trend.  Six letters are still out, so there's still hope, but juuuuuuust in case, Caitlin has recommended I look at what it would take to make it third person.

Is this selling out?  Would I be compromising my artistic ideals just to sell a book?

You bet your bottom bucko I would.  

See, my goal is to be a writer - a full time, no B.S. writer.  To quit my day job.  To lavish in the luxury of knowing that royalty checks will continue to roll in well into my 80's.  To watch my story come to life on the big screen, to sit next to Angelina Jolie as she discusses the role of Jeff's mom and what I intended when I wrote that character.

I dream big.

BUT - as unrealistic (or what I like to call OPTIMISTIC) as that all sounds, it doesn't get started at ALL unless I get my foot in the door.

So that's what I'm gonna do - WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET MY FOOT IN THE DOOR!

Sorry for the yelling.  But it's an important point.

You can be a struggling artist your whole life, and if you feel good about it that's great.  We each have a goal - a destination that we're striving for.  If you're serious, you do whatever it takes to get there.

And someday, hopefully, you'll all hear about that magnificent, brilliant dual first-person narrative technique that Kevin Sheridan made famous in his middle-grade novel series THE TIMEPIECE CHRONICLES.