The story I never should have shelved

Years ago I had a dream of a woman on the steps of a old Greek temple with the most amazing black glossy curls. It started off one of those journeys you hear writers talk about but you never believe are actually real because they sound too much like some mythical quest by the muses. A thread that pulled out into an epic story.

The Retelling of Athena and Medusa.

It took years to refine, working with beta readers and workshops. All the time it was like the universe wanted this book out in the world. Driving to my workshop one evening I found myself behind a Porsche with a “ZEUS” license plate. At a writing conference I went into a pitch session with one manuscript in mind, and saw a giant Medusa poster hanging on the wall. Obviously I pitched my Greek Myth retelling instead and I watched the agent’s eyes light up.

Initially queries to agents and editors received great reception. A potential mentor turned down working with the book because she said she didn’t think it needed any help from her.

And then, as things do in the writing world, all interest dropped off. The people who had my manuscript sent back one line rejections, or nothing at all. Agents that had been begging for Greek myth suddenly wanted anything but Greek myth.

It’s easy to look back with frustration and wonder why I gave up, but I know. This book was so close to my heart, I couldn’t see what it needed and I hated seeing it get so close again and again but never sticking the landing.

I put her on a shelf, and said I would wait and watch for the right opportunity to arise. I moved onto other projects, other queries, and other worlds.

But it still tugged at me and it still hurt that this book, of all my manuscripts, didn’t have a home. I wished that I had continued to push through, to refine the query, because this book demanded a home.

The gods are so very bossy, and Athena perhaps the worst of them all.

So rather than try to resurrect this book with the mainstream industry, when I’m already querying other work, I’m going to give Athena what she wants and try something new.

…

All will be revealed tomorrow.
Let’s see how this goes…