Monday, November 4, 2013

In Love With Love


My littlest is in love with the idea of having a puppy. We emailed in a rescue application for a particular fur baby. They called our veterinarian. Things were hopping along, until I checked Petfinder and discovered someone else had adopted the cutie over the weekend. My little one cried. SOBBED.

Until I showed her a new puppy…with a fat little puppy belly…and pleading puppy eyes. Then my daughter fell in love. Again.

Sometimes we’re in love with an idea more than an individual.

This happened to me in college. I was dancing with my friends in a club, when I noticed a quiet guy watching from the corner. He’s probably shy…and smart…and funny…and perfect for me, I thought. In reality, he was shy, but not funny. He was sure UFO’s existed and visited often. I would look up during random times of my day and find him watching me. Not the romantic, sweet, sort of watching. The creepy sort of SomeoneDoACriminalBackgroundCheck watching. Yeah. Not so perfect for me after all.

Writers can do this with agents and editors. There are awesome professionals scouting for talent on Twitter and blog contests, but there are also people out there who call themselves agents and editors that don’t do either well. When a request comes from someone, ANYONE, it’s hard not to get excited. But a savvy writer will check out them out thoroughly before deciding whether or not to submit their work to them.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been in love with the idea more than the individual? Tell us about it in the comment section. Substitute Bob or Bobbette to avoid naming names!

 
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6 comments:

  1. Donna EarnhardtNovember 4, 2013 at 7:53 AM

    Oh girl... PREACH! This is true in sooo many parts of life. So many. Great comparison about agents and editors, too! I am sooooo making my kids read this! :)

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  2. UnknownNovember 4, 2013 at 9:45 AM

    Thanks, Donna! You're right. When you've wanted something for a while, it's easy to convince yourself that anything will do. But it's important to make sure what or who you've found is really a good match. :)

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  3. Marilee HaynesNovember 4, 2013 at 5:03 PM

    Back when I was dating (in my early 30's before I met my husband), my mom used to always tell me:
    "Honey, it's better to be alone than to wish that you were."
    Wise advice in dating - I think also wise advice in agenting/editing!
    Awesome post - great reminder!

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  4. UnknownNovember 4, 2013 at 7:12 PM

    Thanks, Marilee! Those are wise words your mama shared! Thanks for passing them along to us!

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  5. Linda A.November 5, 2013 at 7:50 AM

    Laura,
    Our perception isn't always the best. Is it?

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  6. UnknownNovember 5, 2013 at 9:29 AM

    Linda- No, unfortunately it isn't. I'm thankful for good friends & cohorts who tell us what we need to hear. On the agent/editor side of things, I always check them out on Preditors & Editiors and Absolute Write Water Cooler, along with Google searches and asking friends who are "in the know."

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