Miss Snark Goes Dark

Yesterday I learned that my favorite blogger, Miss Snark, was going dark. There would be no new posts, no more questions answered, no more clue guns fired at hapless nitwits. I was distraught.

I started reading her blog in January when I was working on the second draft of my manuscript. It really opened my eyes to the reality of the publishing world. It made me realize how little I knew and how naïve I was. I was a true nitwit.

I finally had the nerve to ask a question in early March and was shocked and thrilled when she answered – not unkindly. Then I entered her Ides of March writing contest and was overjoyed to be named best suck-up. Considering there were 194 entries, I was ecstatic to be recognized in any way.

We shared a love of George Clooney, although I think for different reasons. I never go to movies and have only seen a few of his on TV. It’s his humanitarian agenda and the fact that he’s also a liberal Democrat that I admire. Methinks Miss Snark was just looking for a booty call with the sexiest man alive. (Okay, I wouldn’t turn him down if he asked!)

Over the course of the last 5 months, I checked in daily to glean information that might help me be a better author. I learned so much from her – basic things about writing, querying, grammar, postage, agents, conferences, gin, and what not to do. She became a familiar friend and I looked forward to seeing what unsuspecting nitwit would be trampled beneath her T.Rexual heels of stiletto snark next.

Now she’s gone. Yesterday I couldn’t write about this because it made me so unhappy. It brought all my abandonment issues up and made me cry and swear. My dogs were appalled. I knew I needed to mourn the end of her blog and gain some perspective, so I didn’t blog at all yesterday.

Today, I’m calmer. I understand that she is a busy literary agent – the kind I hope to land someday. She has a life and a business and running her blog must have been incredibly time consuming. I truly appreciate the time and wisdom she gave us poor nitwits. It helped so much and I am so grateful.

Here’s what I posted in her blog:

Dear Miss Snark;

Yes, I am still a nitwit. But I’m not as big a nitwit as I was before I started reading your blog in January.

I will go to my writers conference at the end of the month and instead of assaulting all the agents and publishers present and attempting to convince them why they NEED to represent me, I will sit quietly, listen, observe and learn.

The third draft of my manuscript is finished with a minimum of passive voice and without overusing the words that, just, really, very and all the other oft repeated unnecessary ones.

I will refine my query, identify and research agents in my genre and query widely. I will not take rejection too personally and will use any comments to make my query letter and manuscript better.

All of these things, plus many others, I learned from you. You have no idea what a great service you have provided to us and how very much we appreciate it. I respect your decision to retire from your blog but do hope you will consider posting occasionally to let us know how you are doing and to provide any tidbits of wisdom to make us better writers.

I won’t take you off my list of blogs I check frequently.

And, I will miss you.

And I will miss her!