Every morning when I get into work I open up the web mail account that I use specifically for writing correspondence. Meaning, the only folks who have this address are the agents I've queried.

So I get in around nine, and I'm already thinking I'm behind the times because it's noon in New York. Already! I've been a little obsessive about checking the stupid box. Do I open it and get bad news and what if I do and can't work the rest of the day? That's easy, I tell myself. I won't work. I'll go surf. It started macking this week and I thought that if this is a week to get some rejections, then this is a good one, because nothing puts life more into perspective than a really good sesh. Plus, I just dropped bank on a new wetsuit. Bring it on, winter.

But I really didn't think about what would happen if I got good news in the mailbox. It happened, this week, during the third time I refreshed the page at noon (it's 3 in NY--practically the end of the day!) and there was an email from an agent's assistant, telling me they'd like to see more--would I please send the full manuscript?

This one from a top agent, too, one with a mile long list of bestselling authors and movie deals with Academy Award winning actors... "No way!" I think I yelled. This could easily turn into a rejection though, so there's no super celebration going on here. But still. Someone took notice of my work, and thought it was worth a closer look. That's what I'll have to remember through all of this.

Writer's Tip: Learn the Rules. Then break them.