My agent is retiring. I'm both happy and dismayed by the prospect. It took me a month of solid phone calls, self-pitching, story-pitching and persistence to get him. And then, it was with the understanding that I would be pushing my own work -- I'd be phoning companies, directors, actors, and promoting my own script. My agent would then forward my script to whomever requested it.

This arrangement has worked very well over the past year. He gave me the magic passkey for the guardians at the gate. "Do you have an agent," says assistant of Production Company Executive. "Why, yes, I do," I reply. And then I usually get permission to forward my script, or in the least a synopsis. I've gotten much better at cold-calling and self-promoting. I can't say as I enjoy the process, but I'm getting read.

One thing I don't have is the knowledge of who's buying or reading what kinds of material. I can sell, but right now I can't market. My current agent is in no position to market for me -- hasn't kept up with the pulse of the business for that, nor does he have the energy to spend the time doing so.

So now I have the opportunity to go from one agent to another. One that's hungry for the sale, one with connections, one willing to get my material read on his or her own account, not just relying on my efforts.

Essentially, I'm looking for an agent again, but this time with some validity to my position as a potentially moneymaking writer. I have a better shot at getting a good agent now that I have more personal connections to various produciton companies, but I'm essentially in the same position I was one year ago. I'm an unsold writer looking for representation. I wish that a full circle didn't feel so much like a downward spiral...