And the Answer Is…

Hullo and happy holidays!
Let me begin with the good news that I was accepted to major Psychology at Universitas Brawijaya.
It was my dream since tenth grade. Goodness knows the catharsis I'm feeling.
Secondly, I've finished a project that popped out of nowhere into my head but didn't stop growing since. As Dom from Inception put it, ideas are like cancer.
This idea is titled GRAVEDANCER. I'll write on that later.
I'm also working on Black Out (an old idea, I'll probably retitle it later) with a whole new approach. Loving it so far, although something tells me I'll hate it later and I'll go on a revision frenzy.
But that's for later.
Right now, I'm pondering over the big Q.
The big Q: what do literary agents want from a query letter?
I am honestly overwhelmed by the 'successful' query letters posted online that I've been reading these past few weeks (which contributes hugely to my current insomniac episodes) and their variety.
Some use the standard three-blocks structure (opening, pitch blurb, bio. I'll elaborate later for those who don't know).
Some use first-person blurbs immediately.
Some only talk about the book with zero writer background information given.
I. Am. Overwhelmed.
So overwhelmed that when I stare at the query letter for GRAVEDANCER, I can already imagine the agent scrolling down in boredom.
Goodness, please don't let that happen.
I've tried and revised and do that over and over again for the pitch blurb alone. And after I put together the query letter, I just realized how much more revision it needs.
Sigh.
I've read one too many blogpost on how to write query letters and cover letters. I'm not sure that the fact that I'm an eighteen year-old science maniac with superstitious background is enough to justify me going so technical on the magic in GRAVEDANCER (yes, it's about magic! And I have a full PowerPoint presentation explaining how it's all possible. Can you imagine?), but goodness knows the lengths I've gone to research this – from leaving my Social Studies background for learning thermodynamics and relentlessly asking my mom about my grandfather's (may he rest in peace) practices (he was a renowned shaman, how cool is that?) and even looking up and asking those traditionally (this is Java, magic THRIVES here) spiritually adept people to share a thing or two. I can say that the Gravedancer universe has quite grown on its own with its own laws and unsolved mysteries.
And boy, do I love the characters' growth.
It doesn't show much in book 1 because the book's plot only spans over less than 24 hours, but that PowerPoint I talked about detailed every aspect of the characters' growth. I can see their lives flashing before my eyes, and I'm trying to put all that into writing all six books that I have in mind (agents will probably reject me immediately as soon as they hear this, but let's not be pessimistic, shall we?). 24 hours can only do so much, but an entire year is enough to transform people, even entire communities. And that is exactly what happens in the Gravedancer universe.
So back to the big Q: what can I do to make agents want me?
In the end, I tried my hardest to fit my style into the query letter. No, not my quirks, I can save that for the novel. Alden (the narrator of Book 1) is pretty quirky. I tried to make it sound businesslike, but friendly and personalized. I tried to make it sound intriguing, and tried to (via subtext) convey in it why I thought the idea was worth making in the first place. And I tried to share that feeling with them.
I have no idea how I did. But I'm going to send it, either way.
I've looked up literary agencies for weeks now (yes, the search for the Good Query Letter overlaps with it) and I've set my eyes on one. I read the agents' blog posts, and suffice it to say that I'm enticed enough to overcome my lack of confidence and try.
For this moment, it'll be my best. But I know that if I got rejected, I'll grow. And my best will be even better! How cool is that?
And if I get accepted, well…talk about dreams come true.
I do know that I'll keep writing, though. I love writing. And I hope this whole majoring in psychlogy thing also helps.
So it all goes down to two things: wish me luck. I need this more than you can imagine (unless if you have experience in writing of course, I'll assume you can).
And secondly, the thing I'm waiting for the most to this moment:
"And the answer is…?"