Even though the month of February is the shortest, I always found it longer than any other when my kids were little and in school.

For the last four years, however, with no kids at home, February has gone by very quickly, only because of several book events that took me once more to different parts of Northern Florida.

And this year with the same events, but also a manuscript to revise and a new book project on my mind, the whole month vanished before my very eyes. But not without leaving vivid memories.

I never forget that I write for children and teenagers, so meeting with them is both my favorite and hardest part of being an author. I am told over and over again that I am a people person and it’s true that I love humankind. But I still need to push myself to face an audience, exactly as I had to when I was a kid at school. However, in the end, visiting a classroom, attending a book festival or being on a discussion panel at a public library is really the cherry on top for a writer.

Revising with an agent is a first for me. And let me tell you: I love it. Based on my agented critique partners/friends, I imagined that having my own agent would be a change in my life. My imagination didn’t disappoint. Working under the guidance of someone who knows the publishing industry on the back of her hand is a huge change. My agent’s comments on the manuscript she wants to help me publish have pushed me beyond regular revision. I worked on small sections of my manuscript that I knew could benefit from some trimming (I tend to write long). The same comments have also allowed me to read my work with a new set of eyes. It may seem dorky, but I enjoyed returning to the manuscript I wrote almost a year ago. I spotted a verb that I found a little weak and suggested a stronger one. I even came up with a different ending sentence, still based on the same comments. Definitely a first for me since I almost always know how I want to end a story and often write my last sentence before even starting a new manuscript.

Having an agent is also a relief in terms of the future. When I have an idea I get all fired up and I love the feeling. It’s exciting to start something new, even though it’s also a little scary. But having the goose bumps always wins over the fear factor. However, not all ideas have potential. When I was un-agented I did my homework and checked all books published on the same topic. But it’s impossible to predict if publishers are likely to respond positively to a manuscript, knowing that many months will pass from the idea until submission. Being able to share my latest Picture Book idea with my agent was also new to me. She loved it and encouraged me to move on with this project, which is fantastic of course, even though I have some serious work ahead of me. Knowing that someone who has your back is only an email or a phone call away is really a good feeling. I get it now when my author friends told me, “You’ll see what we mean when you also have your agent.”

Just a few highlights of my packed month of February, which I hope was as busily happy for any of you reading me today, as it was for me in my little corner of the world.

Month of March Here I Come!