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

[artifarti]

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?

so I see, cheers! found your comments on e publishing and self publishing v interesting, the market has definitely been changed - and is still changing - by the internet.

www.undiscoveredvoices.com/index.php
belle check it out

Oh, thanks ninah

grumpypants - been there, bought the t-shirt, I too got derailed by real life in my 20s and my 30s even though my writing showed promise so I've started again aged 40 . Keep going! I'm definitely on a roll now. I just had to commit myself to X number of words a day and so far it's working!

Thanks all - will chirp up a bit. Self indulgent moments etc etc. Apparently Book Trust are also running a competition.

The editor is lovely. She's done 20 pages of notes so far and is going to help with some moral support.

Ninah, it's strange seeing it change so much. I'm at a point now where I am working on my third book and actually longing to self publish instead of letting someone else do it for me. It's certainly giving me some satisfaction to see my Kindle book outselling the likes of Antonia Fraser! ;)

I'm still waiting to hear back from the agent who is looking at my pieces. I have another agent who has asked to see my work now as well, but am waiting until I have heard from the first one before I send anything off.

Oh well done MmeGuillotine

One at a time if they have head hunted you.

Heh, yes, I know how it works. :)

Argh, sorry, that sounded snappy. Just had a 'You aren't properly published/they're only interested in you because of your blog conversation and feel a bit tender about the whole thing! :)

It's OK. Just tell them to piss off.

Right - I have just gone through all my word documents and clean sweeped them all - filed short stories/ deleted all prev versions of the children's book except the last one, filed the submission letters etc etc. Now going to do it in paper version - one copy of everything, files for competitions/ submissions etc.

Feel I need some clean space to regroup.

Am also going to stop stressing over my list of who I sent the idea to and when - so long as I have vague records it's just another putting off exercise.

Need to decide whether to rewrite the children's book up or down age group wise or to plough ahead with new story.

Belle - appear to have missed a bit - 20 pp of notes? How fab. But I thought the editor was 'too busy' or is this different to the agent?

Haha, oh I do! I don't think people realise just how insulting that sounds. They think they are complimenting my blog, but er it makes it sound like they think my writing is bobbins. ;)

I was told by the agent that it needed editing, I know it needs work also so heydeho. She's very well experienced though and is going to help me to knock it into shape.

Morning all. Well, no writing since last Wednesday evening and won't be able to write until Tuesday when all our houseguests bugger off leave. But I've been jotting down loads of notes around certain chapters. The writing break has enabled me to let the WIP filter through my (sub)consciousness so I think this break has been/is worthwhile. Phew! Am desperate to write though, but as my DD is also home from daycare with us (as we have guests) I want to spend all my time with her more than the guests.

That's great Belle - are you having to pay tho - i found my report really good at the practical stuff (continuity, grammar, etc)

Yes grumpy. It's worth it though, she's going through everything (strengths & weaknesses of my writing, how to improve it, character development etc). I can call her as I'm revising it to make sure I'm on the right track aswell.

That sounds really helpful - glad you found somebody useful. Best of luck when its ready to send out again (but you already have a publisher )

The publisher hasn't confirmed anything yet so they can still say 'no thanks'. I wish they'd say something about the picture books though as they've had these since Jan.

I remember reading that the author Sharon Maas used an authors' advisory service (Hilary Johnson) and Hilary liked her work so much that she refered her to an agent...

Belle - that won't happen.

I mean them saying no

I hope they don't. The editor (from the publishers) said she'd get back to me at the start of April, twas the London book fair last week though. It would be quite nice to have some good news to share with my family this weekend.

Was the agent who refered me to the editor (not the publisher one).

I've just realised I'v forgotten to cancel my childcare with the tax credit people. It's going to cost me

Fingers crossed for you belle.
I'm thinking of submitting soon. I don't think I can do much more work on Part One. I know it takes ages to hear back, but is it any quicker for good news? I am already bracing myself for the rejections, but it's that small irrational nugget of hope that does the damage! Is there a rule of thumb that says, over 3 weeks, say, it's unlikely to be an answer you want? or what?

You should submit, you never know until you try. I don't think there's a difference between hearing good news or not, it just depends upon the publisher. There's certain times of the year, such as March/April where they are very busy as there's book fair's in Bologna and London so they won't respond to submissions. It also depends on how busy they are during the year as well. I was told by an agent to give a publisher 6 months, then to nudge. If they don't reply then they don't want it. Hope this helps.