If I an help with the getting-across bit, suggestions, let me know; it's a thing I do well.

This is definitely helping, and I think I might even have an idea for how to do it.

Good one, Zenkitty. I love the last sentence.

Susam, excellent.

Damn, Zenkitty. That's another potent one.

Thanks! I'm liking this 100-word limit thing. Forces me to be concise, which I am usually not.

My view of the drabble as a damned near perfect tool to force precision of language has been stated, and stated, and then stated some more. When I was having difficulty making a choice about which direction a critical scene in "Matty Groves" should go, Nic said, drabble it.

Made it clear and perfect.

Oh my god the bloody board ate a huge and complex and detailed post, requesting information.

I want some C4.

(slamming head against the keyboard)

I just wrote a whole new chapter section. Chapter one, now complete.

Two to go, and then we can pitch to Ruth...

How much of a novel do I need to have written to send it to an agent? And, how "perfect" does it have to be? To clarify, I tend to write one part, and then focus obsessively on getting it perfect instead of going on to write the rest. At what point do I say, good enough, and get on with it?

Oy. Loaded question, Zen.

Here's the thing: an agent will generally take a partial, once you query them about their willingness to look at all and assuming they say yes. Each agent has their own guidelines. But if you try and buck the rules, and ignore the guidelines, agents will hate you.

My agent, Jennifer Jackson, lists her guidelines at her website; she, for instance, doesn't handle nonfiction at all. Some searching will get you a list of the agents who are likely to rep the kind of book you're writing.

As an unpublished writer, you need to have a complete manuscript before you submit to an editor or an agent, because a lot of people start books and never finish them. (I was one of those people myself until 2003!) They're not going to take on anyone who hasn't proved she can finish a book. And you want to have it as polished as you can make it just because the competition is so tough at all levels.

I'm not agented yet myself, but I've been studying up on the process obsessively of late.

ETA--you'd never submit the whole novel to the agent right off. It's either a query letter or query plus synopsis and partial, depending on that agency's preference. But you want to be sure you have the whole novel, because if they call and ask for the full and you don't have it ready to send out, you're screwed.

Susan, true, I forget that. If you haven't published before, you'd best have it done before querying, because they want to make damned sure you'll finish it.