Ready? And Ramblings...

When is too soon to start querying agents? Should you throw your novel out into a few contests first? Should you have the entire thing edited, re-edited and polished, or will just the first few chapters do (since you don't typically get a request for a full right away)? Should you query agents or editors (if they allow un-agented novels)? Both?

I'm working on polishing up my NaNo novel. I like it. I really do -- it's a little off the wall in parts, and the characters are quirky, but I think it's a pretty cool little story (especially now that I've managed to make Liv's motivation clear and believable - thanks to Pam and Charity!). I've gone through about half of it and done a bit of work, but all things considered, I really like it. Ye gads, I sound like Sally Field.

My biggest problem is this: with one set of critique partners, I can only post 2000 words a week. With a 60,000 word novel, it would take 30 weeks to get it all out there. And even with my other group, I'd feel bad posting more than a couple times a week ... so at 2500 words a post that would be twelve weeks. I'm not willing to wait that long to start sending this thing out.

Guess I'm going to have to have faith in myself. Okay, maybe I'll test the contest waters a bit first.

In other news...

I started watching General Hospital this week for the first time in over 20 years. Why? Because Rick Springfield has returned as Dr. Noah Drake, of course! Strangely, I recognize over half the characters -- Alan, Monica, Bobbie and Luke are there. And the characters I don't recognize mostly have recognizable last names: Quartermaine, Scorpio, etc. This is a little weird.

BUT I still have no frigging idea what the blue blazes is going on. Robin Scorpio found Noah, now a drunk instead of a brilliant neurosurgeon, and brought him back to GH to save Jason Q from some brain trauma. Is Robin in love with Jason or is she related? Carly (who the heck is Carly??) is taking over ELQ (what's ELQ?), Jax (who is Jax?) is upset with Carly (whoever she is) because she apparently jumped in front of a car and killed his unborn child (I'm presuming something also happened to the mother of said child) -- but it's excusable because she was certifiable at the time. And some wunderkind doc (I missed his name, sorry) is having a little nookie in a hospital room even as we speak.

Hey... maybe I know more than I thought.

You know, after 20 years, you'd think things would have changed more than they have in Port Charles. Still, if anyone wants to fill me in, I'd appreciate it.