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Original poster

For anyone else who wants to start/progress/finish writing a book in 2011

962 replies

artifarti · 06/12/2010 20:21

As the title says really!

Me: After several years of dithering with short stories, I committed myself to Nanowrimo last month and managed to bash out a 50,000 first draft of an idea I've had for ages. There is some excrutiating crap in there but also the bare bones of a plot and some interesting characters. So I'd really like to spend 2011 trying to develop it into something better.

But I need some company so that we can mutually kick each other's arses when the temptation to watch Holby City is proving too great. Anyone else?

OP posts:
TheMightyToosh · 07/03/2011 21:43

atswimtwolengths - thanks loads for those tips. It really helps to have a list of ways to define and refine my idea. At the moment, I don't have answers to all of the questions, but I'm going to ponder on them for a couple of days as I think they are a great place to start Grin

MmeGuillotine · 07/03/2011 22:30

Just found out that it looks like my book will be coming out this June! Very excited about this. I can't wait to see the cover. It won't feel real until that moment. :)

I'm now 25,000 words into Book Two and it's going pretty well. I have to get over my bad habit of editing as I go along though as it's sloooooowing me down so much.

belledechocchipcookie · 07/03/2011 22:31

Smile That's brilliant!! Congratulations. Wine

MmeGuillotine · 07/03/2011 22:34

Thank you! :D

I think this requires Wine Wine!

belledechocchipcookie · 07/03/2011 22:36

I wish there was a champagne smiley. Grin Has it taken a while?

MmeGuillotine · 08/03/2011 01:10

Oh yes, there should definitely be a champagne one too! :)

No, not really. It was the first time I'd submitted it but it was accepted just before Christmas and I've yet to get cracking on the editing so it feels like ages! :)

Luckily I have the next book to keep myself busy!

ninah · 08/03/2011 07:32

that's a pretty fast turn around mme guillotine, published in 6 months. Well done, how exciting! bet you can't wait
no champagne so have a St Davids

TheMightyToosh · 08/03/2011 09:30

Congratulations MmeGuillotine - how fantastic for you and inspiring for the rest of us!! Grin

kerrymumbles · 08/03/2011 10:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MmeGuillotine · 08/03/2011 10:34

Thank you!

It's a speedy turnaround because it's coming out as an e-book for Kindle first with print copies coming later on. I'm pretty happy about this as it means I don't have long to wait before seeing the finished product! :)

belledechocchipcookie · 09/03/2011 23:19

Agent has said she'll get back to me 'shortly' and publisher is on a trip to Canada. Confused

Original poster
artifarti · 11/03/2011 08:25

Hello all - and congratulations MmeGuillotine! It feels a bit early for celebratory Wine but I raise my Brew to you! And fingers crossed belle.

Still not put pen to paper due to RL being a bit mad but am getting there! My slight excitement is that I sent a radio play to the BBC Writersroom last October and hadn't heard anything so emailed them and yesterday they said it had been sent off for a 'full read' and they would get back to me soon! They sift through by reading the first ten pages, if they think it's crap send it straight back or if it shows promise, it goes for a full read. It will probably still get sent back but I'm quite chuffed that it got through the first stage which, according to their website, most don't.

So now I need to take the plunge and start writing the next one I have in mind...

OP posts:
grumpypants · 11/03/2011 10:36

well i'm still here - just started a children's book 6-9 age group, 6,000 words, managed to do the intro this am before straying off to This Morning and Ken's birthday (groan). Am also rethinking an edit on the existing one.

belledechocchipcookie · 11/03/2011 11:59

Agent said sorry but no. She's too busy for another new writer. Said my ideas were brilliant though but my writing needs work and she can't financially spare the time. She said she'd like to see them in print and I should keep looking for an agent Sad

No news from the publisher.

grumpypants · 11/03/2011 16:01

bad luck - try to think of it as a positive step closer? (Iyswim, hardly anyone gets more than a std no thanks). It's quite hard to pick yourself up and start again tho - that's why i like chatting on here about writing. i can' stand the 'writer's forums' where i can't dive off into a chat about tonight's dinner...

ninah · 11/03/2011 16:06

oh, belle Sad
looking on the positive aide, it is much harder to have good ideas than perfect writing, and you can work at the latter ... so keep polishing and submitting
I just had a rejection too, depressing, isn't it

belledechocchipcookie · 11/03/2011 17:58

It's very depressing, especially as she didn't actually say what was wrong with it, just that 'it needs work.' Who needs an agent though?

No news from the publisher.

grumpypants · 11/03/2011 18:58

do you know what tho - i just cannot decide if i would be better off approaching publishers directly. i think an agent sees potential, and can target yr work, sugest revisions etc whereas a publisher may not have time, but it seems so hard to actually get anything looked at iyswim?

belledechocchipcookie · 11/03/2011 19:10

That's my thinking grumpy. Some publishers won't even open the envelope unless a writer has an agent though but if you find a helpful publisher then you don't need an agent, once you're offered a contract you can join the royal society of authors and they will offer advice on the contract.

grumpypants · 11/03/2011 19:13

My plan is to email appropriate publishers (y'know, subject, age group etc) and try to get an ok to send stuff. I'm also going to think about avoiding the more popular agents, and try to think of any vague contacts i have (um, none, but a friend has a friend who is a journalist type thing)

belledechocchipcookie · 11/03/2011 19:22

You don't need an agent. Wink If you do want one though I'd approach the popular ones first though because they have more staff.

grumpypants · 11/03/2011 19:40

True, but they also have more unsolicited stuff to sort thro, and more sleb stuff? have you thought about a report from a litcrit place?

belledechocchipcookie · 11/03/2011 19:43

I can't afford it. The editor's very helpful but soo busy.

MmeGuillotine · 11/03/2011 22:13

Oh no, sorry to hear that Belle. Really glad that she was so positive about it though even if it isn't for her right now. That's one of the nicest rejections I've heard about - I have only submitted once to an agent and they told me that I am 'barely literate'. ;)

I don't have an agent but got a publisher interested instead so it does happen that way sometimes. I am considering trying to get an agent though and have a feeling that already being published might open a few more doors. I hope so anyway!

Good luck with it all. This agent wasn't the right one, but it's her loss. xxx

belledechocchipcookie · 11/03/2011 22:16

I emailed to say I had a publisher interested so it was almost handed to them on a plate.

'barely literate' is damn rude! You'll have to PM me the details so I can avoid (please).