Bootstrapping

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Apparently, literary types think I’m a freaky weirdo they don’t want to deal with — even if I’m willing to pay them to help me work on my manuscript. So, as I transition from the first to second draft, I’m faced the realization that I’m on my own.

In short, I’m going to have to bootstrap it.

With that in mind, I’m “forcing” myself to read, read, read. I have a small library of books I need / want to read. And some of those books might seem unexpected. I’ve come to believe that leadership and character are connected so I have decided to read a lot of leadership books.

I want to understand in an abstract way, what makes a “leader” and how I could apply the associated principles when it comes to fleshing out characters — especially my heroine. It’s all very abstract, but I think if I read up on leadership I think it will help the end result.

But it really, really bothers me that literary types are so dismissive of me because they don’t like my personality. Yes, I’m a kook, but that’s typically how creative types act. So, it’s weird that literary types would be so snooty with me just because I can come off as a drunk crank.

All of this, of course, happens in the context of me worrying about what happens when literary agents do “due diligence” on me when I begin to contact them during the 2023 querying season. My fear is, of course, that they will look at places like this website and be shocked at how weird I am and decide to have nothing to do with me.

Author: Shelton Bumgarner

I am the Editor & Publisher of The Trumplandia Report

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