This was not how this week was supposed to go.  After my post last Friday, I was ready to make good on my promise to fill in the blanks.  I had five really meaty posts planned.

Then I looked at a calendar.

And I realized that the fact that I thought Monday was June 16th didn’t actually make it June 16th.  It was June 21st.  A mere 10 days before my two-week trip to Scotland for Dad’s 60th birthday (sorry, Dad, that I just broadcasted your age on the Internet).  Nine days before my (self-imposed) June 30th deadline to send my first round of query letters.

Oh.  Crap.

And so, just like that, the blog got put on the back burner.

The good news is, with 6 days to go, I’m in good shape.  I’ve assembled a list of agents I want to query, and I’ve got the meat of my letter complete.  The plan is so send the first batch out the day before I leave for my trip and spend the next two weeks reading my novel – on paper! – as I tour the Scottish countryside with my family.

There’s still a lot to do before that can happen.  As of right now, there are a number of bracketed scenes in my draft, scenes that need major work before they can be considered complete.

Which is why, sadly, the blog will have to stay on the back burner for a few more days.  This is what embracing the detour looks like this week.  Putting first thing’s first.

In the meantime, those of you with querying experience, I’d love to hear from you.  Advice/insight/funny stories?