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May 6 question - What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers?
Beyond my ghost writing (which has been published and, I'm told, sells well), and my published poetry, there's one YA novel I've been working on for a few years. The agents who have read it so far suggest I make my protagonist 15 before she celebrates her quinceañera.
Now, in case you didn't know why that's not practical, here's the reason in a screenshot from Google, explaining that a quinceañera is the celebration of the fifteenth birthday.
"So why is she at the end of her 8th-grade year if she's about to turn 15?"
Well, if you make it through the first three pages, you find out she was held back a year due to her mother's incarceration.
(Because the book is partly about the injustice faced by children of incarcerated parents. Which is where the idea for the book comes from, because it actually happened to a child I know. Her stepmother was a drunk driver who committed a hit and run, resulting in the death of a classmate of the girl, and the girl was forced to leave school for a year because she was bullied to the point that "her presence causes a distraction to her peers." -- They kicked her out for being bullied. They kicked her out for what her drunken stepmother did. An absolutely brilliant girl who had been top of her class.
And she was forced to sign a nondisclosure, despite being a minor child, so she isn't even allowed to tell her story! 😔
But I didn't sign anything. And I'll write whatever fictional story I damn well please, thank-you-very-much. So her story is gonna exist!
I just have to find an agent who understands why someone would not be 15 before turning 15.
Or I have to self-publish, but I have no idea how to properly market a YA book. How to get it in schools. And there's a lot about discrimination and stuff in the book. Under the current political situation, it'd be banned before any publisher would even consider it. So, not hopeful right now.)
And none of that is inspiring! 😅
Well, I did a slice-of-life last month for the A to Z Challenge. And it included characters from an Adult Paranormal story I've been kicking around with friends for a few years.
I just have to find an agent who understands why someone would not be 15 before turning 15.
Or I have to self-publish, but I have no idea how to properly market a YA book. How to get it in schools. And there's a lot about discrimination and stuff in the book. Under the current political situation, it'd be banned before any publisher would even consider it. So, not hopeful right now.)
And none of that is inspiring! 😅
Well, I did a slice-of-life last month for the A to Z Challenge. And it included characters from an Adult Paranormal story I've been kicking around with friends for a few years.
Comments included "fun" and "interesting."
I'm hosting this month and look forward to reading YOUR answers!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D4VhSc3Uy/
What if we tried to raise the literacy rate in Pennsylvania? Too many adults don't read for fun! What if there was an incentive? The return of the BOOKIT program, where children read and earn goodies. Why can't we do something similar for adults? @resist.bot text SIGN PYSFRR to 50409 #literacy
— Jamie (@jamiewriter.bsky.social) April 23, 2026 at 9:55 PM
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https://bsky.app/profile/jamiewriter.bsky.social/post/3mk7g5wkbfs2x
{Story ending}
Wren Noel's casts are finally off. We watch one more movie together before they go home. It's a romantic comedy, kidding! It's a psychological thriller with blood and gore and some amazing plot twists. SEND HELP. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien do an amazing job.
"Someone needs to earn an award for making Rachel McAdams look so unattractive and homely."
"Agree," Wren Noel says between bites of popcorn.
"Are you going to fix the crossword error 26 Across, where I accidentally wrote the third movie instead of the fifth?"
"Nah. Let the fans write the magazine about it. That shows they're playing along and interested, which means the editor will keep hiring me to make more word puzzles."
I laugh. "Never thought about it that way. Intentional errors."
We discuss our desire to never be forced to try to survive on a deserted island. Or some billionaire's private island.
"But being stranded at your place while mostly helpless for a few weeks was a great time. You're an amazing friend, Liv."
"Aww. Love you, Wren Noel," I say as we hug goodbye.
I like the theme reveal. The reflection post gives me a reason to look back at the month. I have only seen a few people visit via the "road trip" on my blog. 🤷♀️ I definitely use the HTML badges to make my posts. I have met my blog posting goals, but didn't get to visit as many blogs as I had intended, which is probably why I didn't get a ton of comments. I don't know that I have favorites. Charlotte - MotherOwl- had a cool theme with the Wordle words. I did get comments from at least two co-hosts (J and Ronel). Liz A., Anne E.G., and Ronel left me the most comments this month. Pretty sure Blogger is open to everyone. IWSG is the other blog hop I normally do. Yes, I'll do this hop again next year. And I do visit the A to Z site a few times a year. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8036976/ 🎥🎬 SEND HELP 📺
The crossword clue will contain the LETTER of the day, though it might not be the *first* letter in the word.
My April 2026 Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme was a slice-of-life short story with two characters binge-watching shows and movies while creating a crossword puzzle. Read and play along!
- A 19 across — ANTARCTICA
- B 21 across — BETTY
- C 20 across — CLARITA
- D 24 down — DADDY
- E 14 across — ESPHENI
- F 22 down — FRANKIE
- G 10 down — GUMMIES
- H 9 across — HAWKINS
- I 13 down — GABRIELLE
- J 18 down — JACKRABBIT
- K 17 down — JEKYLL
- L 16 across — LAWS
- M 11 down — MAJUMDAR
- N 3 across — NORMA
- O 8 down — OKAY
- P 15 across — PAMELA
- Q 4 across — QUEEN
- R 26 across — ROY
- S 12 across — SCARAB
- T 2 down — EATS
- U 1 down — UNKNOWN
- V 23 across — VERONICA
- W 7 down — WISH
- X 25 across — MATRIX
- Y 5 down — YIPPEEKIYAY
- Z 6 down — FONZIE
https://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2026/04/sorry-i-didnt-love-you-atozchallenge.html -- That's the post I'll pick for the Road Trip. Lots of emotion.
https://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2026/04/hamburger-bowl-atozchallenge-shortstory.html...However, if you want a recipe and Netflix nostalgia, I'd suggest "H" 😉
April Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2027 SIGN-UP March 29 -April 10 a-to-zchallenge.com
Yay, an ending to the story. Glad that Wren is all healed.
ReplyDeleteThe agents don't understand the point of a quinceanera? Yikes. Clearly they don't live someplace with a larger Latino population. I mean, many agents claim to be looking for diverse voices...
Wow! This is my first visit - I'm still trying to visit every blog! I'll continue to work my way through all on the road trip.
ReplyDeleteThank you for cohosting this month. Your story sounds compelling. I hope it finds a home.
ReplyDeleteDon't give up on that story. You will find a publisher who gets it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting today!
Thanks for co-hosting this month. I'm sorry you had some bad experiences with agents. But don't give up. Many are looking for books by underrepresented authors. You might want to check out my agent spotlight interviews at Literary Rambles to help you find an agent who gets your story.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Sometimes people are not as smart as they thing they are. I love that you are sharing this girl's story and I wish you epic success. If you can't find a home where you're currently looking, there are definitely other places...but man, it can be difficult to discern the right landing spot, eh? Wishing you the best in your efforts!
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting this month. Your story sounds intense and worthy to be told. Sorry about the feedback you've received. I do hope you figure out how to share it. I know I'd help promote it and think others in this community would as well.
ReplyDelete"But I didn't sign anything..." I laughed out loud when I read that. You go, gurl!
ReplyDeleteWhen a person finds a good book, they'll read for the love of the story. That said, I wouldn't mind an incentive. 'Margaritas for Manuscripts' sounds nice. LOL
Thanks to you and the others for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteSo, they punish and bully the student for the sins of the mother! That's just total dark age. I hope you'll find a publisher for this book. There are ones out there willing to publish a book on that kind of issue. They are probably small and/or indie presses, but they are out there. Keep at it.
Thank you for co-hosting! Feedback can be helpful and depressing. It's your story, and there are options in publishing now. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on finishing the A to Z. You had such a clever theme.
ReplyDeletehttps://nydamprintsblackandwhite.blogspot.com/2026/04/z-is-for-zorzi.html
Don't give up just because one agent doesn't know what she's talking about. It sounds like a good story and one that should be told.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the A-Z Challenge! Gads, what a terrible story -- definitely one that should be told. You truly seem to have the passion for it - go for it! Thanks for co-hosting ;-) Very best wishes!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your continued support of A to Z. I finished, but I wasn't much help this year. Keep writing what you believe in!
ReplyDeleteLee
Your story feels necessary: what a shitty thing to happen to that poor girl. Do you know what is happening to her now? Has her situation improved in real life? It definitely needs to be told, to as many people as possible. To force her to sign a non-disclosure agreement was a crime. Cruel beyond words.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your YA story. I'm with you, it deserves to be told! Thanks for co-hosting today. It was good to discover your fun blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting today! Tell her story. This ‘sins of the parent(s) fall on the child’ needs to be addressed. The girl is herself. The stepmother is her stepmother.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on completing the A-Z Challenge and holy what a lot of work you put into your theme...that's awesome.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Barbie’s Reflections
That’s really interesting feedback from the agents ✍️🙂 It’s great that they’re engaging closely with your manuscript and thinking about market fit as well as story. The way they’re focusing on age positioning within YA makes sense from a publishing perspective, especially for reader relatability and category expectations. It sounds like a strong project already if it’s getting this level of detailed response—definitely encouraging for where it could go next!
ReplyDeleteThat’s really valuable feedback from the agents ✍️🙂 It’s interesting how something as small as the protagonist’s age can matter so much in YA publishing. It sounds like your story is already strong if this is the kind of detailed response it’s getting. Adjusting that detail could really help it align better with the market while keeping the heart of your narrative intact.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's the agents not understanding, or they just didn't bother to read past the first couple of pages. They saw what they assumed was an error, and then didn't read anymore. That's the problem with soliciting agents and publishers - it's very subjective and you have no control over how seriously people take your work.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad A to Z went well for you. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteJ (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge international blog hop