Another writing support thread

[LaBarbera]

Hi all,

I've been lurking here for a while! Now breaking cover to ask if anyone wants to chat during drafting/revisions/submissions/whatever circle of Hell you're in.

Mine is, I think, a literary novel of sorts, historical and with a fantastical element. I don't know if it's good, though feedback is promising, but I do know it's the best thing I've written so far. I am currently on my third draft, and copying over/writing in a new document, which is going well. I'm anxious about wordcount, though, as it's short at the moment and neither I nor my mentor can see anything obviously missing or any big pacing problems. I'm hoping that taking the time to draw out those moments of discovery or change or suspense will take it into short-but-publishable territory.

Anyone else? :)

[everythingcrossed]

Oh, LaBarbera, I thought you must have NCed as I hadn't seen you post in a while. I'm sorry that you've been feeling low, I can't imagine that that makes writing any easier. But, the good thing about working on a book is that it's not a race - you set your own goals and, if you have to adjust them, so be it, there's no one to let down. I hope you feel ready to get back into it again soon (and sloggy is an excellent choice of word, by the way ).

[LaBarbera]

This is all very exciting! I really hope it all goes well, and please keep us updated. I say this hypocritically, because I completely vanished from here for a while -- sorry.

Novel revisions are moving ahead slowly, but I've had a lot of (very difficult, rather less exciting) paid work to deal with and have been fending off depression as well. I'm fortunate enough to live near(ish, within a bus and a train of) my hero's house, which has been preserved, and the nice people there let me go in and haunt his study whenever I like. That really cheers me up and I always have at least one plot insight, but I do wish the actual writing didn't feel so sloggy right now.

[everythingcrossed]

I will definitely be preparing - I am already TED-talking the shit out of it . Thanks for your steers, Louisa.

[LouisaMayAlcott]

@everythingcrossed I've had one with a publisher and one with an agent. Both very different. One of them said what worked with it and what didn't. She didn't ask me questions really, but I did have a bit of a pitch prepared in case she just told me to pitch it to her - like a cross between synopsis and an elevator pitch, explanation of the theme and how it links to the protagonists. The other appointment was easier, she'd read my first chapter/synopsis and liked it so went through things she liked about it and I was able to ask questions off the back of bits the publisher had not understood. And yes, she did then ask to see the full.

Good luck with it! If I were you I'd prepare everything I could but remember nobody knows your book as well as you do and all agents are looking for the next new thing!

[everythingcrossed]

The competition was judged on the first chapters and a synopsis so I'm not sure if I should just add some meat to the bones of the synopsis during our face-to-face? I've got 15 minutes... so that's quite a lot of time. Louisa, did the agent you pitched to throw you any curveball questions? Was there an expectation that s/he would ask for your full manuscript afterwards? It feels like such a big chance but I don't want to hang all my hopes on it.

[LouisaMayAlcott]

That's exciting @everythingcrossed! I did this at a conference this year although I'd already submitted my first chapter and synopsis. If you're doing a straight pitch will you need to do an elevator pitch? Like describe your book in a couple of sentences? Then maybe think of a way of expanding it a bit.

[Gallivespian]

Excellent, @everythingcrossed! I would just practise talking about your novel in the most direct, informative and appealing way possible.

[everythingcrossed]

Oh my God, I've just found out that I've won a pitch-to-an-agent slot in the new year! What do I do? What do I say?

[Gallivespian]

I’d send off to a few more too as soon as you've written a synopsis, @yellow. I think it can be pretty debilitating to have all your hopes resting on one, and of course some agents simply don’t reply at all. Or send a form rejection six months later.

[yellowplumpreserves]

Well, I sent it off to one agent today. They didn't want a synopsis which was the only bit left to do, so I thought there was no harm in just sending it. Now the plan is to forget that I've done it until February, which is how long it could take before I hear anything.

I've been having a look at lots of resources on Jericho Writers and finding them really helpful.

[LouisaMayAlcott]

My novel is also dual protagonists. I have a brief explanation of that at the beginning of the synopsis and then I have something like 'in blah blah year, protagonist A does xyz' and all that happens to her, then a second paragraph which starts 'A's story is intertwined with that of B in blah blah year' and then a description of her story.

[AppropriateAdult]

Welcome yellowplum! Congrats on getting to the end of a full-length novel, that’s no mean feat.

Synopses are tricky; both of my (as yet unpublished) novels had dual timelines, which I dealt with separately in the synopsis - so, full description of Timeline A, and then new paragraph and something like “Alternating chapters describe the events of” etc. Maybe something similar would work for your twin protagonists? I think the main thing with a synopsis is that it’s clear and explanatory - it doesn’t have to be breathtaking writing.

[yellowplumpreserves]

Sorry about all the nos some of you have been getting. Hope you have a yes soon! I'm trying to go into the process of sending it off to people with absolutely no expectations that anyone will like it! But not sure that will help.

[yellowplumpreserves]

Hi everyone. Mind if I join this thread?

I'm working on final tweaks to my first novel. I have edited and edited. I think I'm one of types who can never be satisfied and probably just need to bite the bullet and start sending it out.

Now trying to write the synopsis which I am finding really challenging. Have read the Nicola Morgan ebook and some other resources online, but still struggling a bit. It's historical fiction, about 106000 words (lots have already been cut), and interweaves the stories of two protagonists, occasionally swapping between them to raise tension. I think that is part of the challenge.

Anyway, just saying hello, really.

[Gallivespian]

You can feel a bit punchdrunk from all the nos, I agree @LouisaMayAlcott! I’m trying very hard to just keep going with my second novel, but even though it’s a very different affair to the one that’s out to editors, it’s pretty tough keeping going in the face of no after no. Especially couched in compliments!

[LouisaMayAlcott]

@Gallivespian I got 4 rejections over 2 days last week - like you say, lovely rejections but still make you wonder why won't someone just say yes! I can totally empathise and it's hard having to pick yourself up again.

[Gallivespian]

Another four passes in the last few days. Everyone is praising it to the skies, but no one is buying it!

[LouisaMayAlcott]

It is @Gallivespian the waiting is doing my head in! I've also now submitted to a couple of digital first publishers who take submissions from authors. It just means more waiting though!

[Gallivespian]

I’ve name changed, @AppropriateAdult — three passes only. One ‘didn’t love it’, one ‘not enough narrative drive’, one ‘beautifully done, but we published a novel on a similar topic last year that tanked.’

Still lots more to hear from, but no one’s snapping my hand off.

I’ve chewed my fingernails down to stumps. Sympathy and fellow-feeling to both you and @LouisaMayAlcott. I feel as if I’m waiting for rejections now. It’s so hard, isn’t it?

[LouisaMayAlcott]

That sounds good appropriate - I'm in a similar position, some fulls requested then one rejected and some submissions I'm still waiting for a response. I hate all this waiting but I hate the rejections even more!

[AppropriateAdult]

Any news, Ekundayo? Or anyone else? I submitted my first batch nearly two weeks ago - had two requests for the full in the first week, which was very exciting. One of those was rejected (boo!) - got very nice feedback about the writing but ultimately the agent didn’t feel there was enough going on plot-wise to make it saleable.
The other full is still out there. And then I haven’t heard back from anyone else yet. Which I know is not unusual, but damn, the waiting is hard!

[Ekundayo]

I hear you. Mine went out on the 28th, and I realise I am thinking about with some part of my brain all the time.

[LouisaMayAlcott]

I agree it's best to get immersed into the next book I've started NaNoWriMo to try and take my mind off the submissions but it's only partially working!

[LurkingElle]

Very good plan to get immersed in Book Two...

[Ekundayo]

Thanks, @LurkingElle. I write literary fiction. I’m a few thousand words into a second novel to take my mind off the one that’s out on submission.