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? :)

Can I join?!
Progress: Completed first draft of first novel!
Next steps: Edit and write second draft by end of this month, and then start second novel on 1 November - thought I'd half heartedly hop on the NaNoWriMo bandwagon since the timings coincide!

Would be great to make this section of MN a little buzzier. It's quite quiet!

Hello all! I'm nearing the submissions stage and I'd appreciate some advice. I had a rejection from a draft I sent a little while ago (probably too soon, to be fair.) The feedback was 'not strong enough' despite being 'well written.' Where would you go with that? I know I've got a lot better at the craft of writing, but what on earth can I do about 'stronger?'

'not strong enough' is almost impossible to translate. Very possible it's part of a form letter that they send to several writers and therefore I wouldn't read too much into it - it just didn't appeal for them for some reason they didn't pin down, but they couldn't blame the writing. Another agent could feel entirely differently!

Alternatively, it could be the writing is good but they don't feel the plot is going forward soon enough, or if it's lit fic that it's lacking a certain spark they want to feel. Who knows?

I'm still in limbo with no one replying (thanks Frankfurt book fair!). Maybe I'll query one more agent tonight!

It wasn't a form letter. Glad you agree on its opacity! it left me stumped!
Yes, not a good time to query the week before Frankfurt. I'm going to wait a while.

‘Not strong enough’ can mean something along the lines of ‘not distinctive enough to stand out in a crowded market’. You say yourself you sent it out too soon. It may simply mean ‘not quite ready’, or that the stakes/drama/characterisation need to be raised a few notches to be memorable? I remember a guest post on Emma Darwin’s blog for someone who’d been a regular judge for short story/first novel chapters-type writing prizes, and who said, when you’ve read fifty stories that begin with two women talking in a kitchen, one that starts with someone milking a cow, or competing in a poker tournament stands out.

Here’s one from her excellent blog on processing feedback.
emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/2009/03/accept-adapt-ignore.html

and one on diagnosing problems including ‘too quiet’, ‘too slow’ etc when self-editing:

emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/2016/06/the-fiction-editors-pharmacopoeia-diagnosing-treating-symptoms.html

Thanks, Flacia, I'll look at those. I'm hoping it means 'not quite ready'. It's certainly better now than when I sent it. Really appreciate the links. I've asked someone I trust to have a look at the first 25K and give me some frank feedback before I send it anywhere else. The opening's OK. No kitchens.

Great blogs. I was at a workshop of hers on psychic distance last month. This has given me something to think about!

How’s everyone doing? I finally got my tricky chapter finished, am doing a last read-through and will hopefully get the whole thing sent off to my beta readers tomorrow. Then to nibble impatiently on my fingernails while they read it... I’ll work on my synopsis and cover letter while that’s going on, and have a look at my list of agents to see who’s moved agencies/closed to submissions/left the business altogether.

I'm in querying hell now. I think the other thread about querying has gone quiet now. Sent to 8 agents, have had 3 requests for full. Now obsessively refreshing my email instead of planning the next book. And with it being Frankfurt book fair this week I know it's going to be quiet but I'm still checking all the time!

Three full requests out of eight is hardly querying hell, Louisa!! That’s a super response, well done you!

That’s a very good hit rate, @LouisaMayAlcott! But you’re right it’s all pretty dead during Frankfurt.

Thank you AppropriateAdult and Heronry I know though that full MS requests do not necessarily result in an offer. And the whole process takes so long, I'm very impatient!

You're doing better than me, LouisaMay, sent mine to 12 agents I think, one form R and the rest are total silence.

And going from QueryTracker a lot of them never reply at all! I'm feeling impatient too. I waited and waited to have the whole book polished before querying in case any of them wanted a quick response but in hindsight I might've been better sending it off in August - I've had loads of time for polish!

Appropriate - sounds like you're doing well. I haven't had anyone do a full beta of this book. It's been such a long process (and I had so many people looking at the early chapters), that I just wanted to send the book off and hope for the best (having done lots of editing myself, obviously). I'm going to start something new if it doesn't get any traction.

But next time around I think I will use betas more.

Sent the draft off to my readers this afternoon! Will feel good to take a break from it now for a week or two until I hear back from them.

I posted on this thread right at the beginning, but then haven’t since. Sounds like you are all doing so brilliantly - I am truly in awe of people like you who’ve managed to finish something.
I’m currently only getting about 1000 words a week done, which is pitiful, but the 2500 words of my second draft are of an acceptable quality to me. If I can just keep this up but maybe speed up too! I guess I’ll get there in the end.
Can’t ever imagine being at the same stage as you lot. Am thwarted most often by my own self doubt. I expect what I write to be perfect. Have any of you had this problem and managed to overcome it?

Nuffaluff the main thing is that you are progressing. Some people like to edit as they go and have a clean draft, others write freely and edit afterwards. I'm in the latter camp and it's not much speedier for me as I've lost a major chunk of material in rewrites. I think requiring perfection could be quite inhibiting though! What's your book about?

I agree, Nuff, I found it very hard to make any progress when I was trying to get it all right first time. Now I’m very strict and don’t allow myself to make any edits until I’ve got a first draft completed, no matter how rubbish it is. At least then you’ve got something concrete to work on.

Eek, sent off my first batch of submissions today. I had pretty positive feedback from my two readers, so made a few small changes based on that, did a final line edit and two spelling/grammar checks.

It's hard to know if it's ready, but I don't think it will ever feel completely ready. It does feel like I've done as much as I can for now.

Now, the waiting game...

Yay will keep everything crossed for you appropriate now you can join those of us who obsessively refresh our inbox numerous times a day! How many did you submit to? I've got 8 submissions out there, 4 requested the full about 3 weeks ago and since then it's been a big fat radio silence...

That’s a great response rate, though, Louisa! Everything in publishing grinds pretty slowly, I fear.
Sent off five today. I have a list of about 24 I’m planning to submit to, but trying to pace myself...

Yes I'm trying to hold off sending out more submissions and just getting on with the new book (hurrah for NaNoWriMo!) but I've got a list for submissions round two.

Much solidarity and chocolate/wine/tea to those playing the waiting game! Sorry to have disappeared for a bit. I got swamped in paid work (not a bad problem to have) and then an unscheduled tooth extraction, but I'm back and plugging away at my rewrite. I realised that I might actually be located somewhere in the fantasy genre, at the lit'ry end -- if I am, it would make such a change from being just a bit too weird for every other genre I try to write in ... I hope you're all plugging on, too?

Namechanger who’s been on these threads before. For anyone who’s waiting on agents and wondering about timescales, you might be amused to know that I had a form rejection last night from an agent I sent to on May 3rd. to be honest, I stared at it for five minutes, having forgotten I’d ever sent it there!

In the meantime, I’d received three requests for a full and two offers of representation from other agents of the five I sent to on the same day, had signed with an agent, sent to an initial batch of editors, done a rewrite and sent out again.

I’m now one week after that submission of the rewrite and twitching every time my email pings.

LOVE MY NAME TOO, PLEASE, VALIDATE MEEEEEE

Hello, my name is (didn't think this through, did I) Clap (cringe) and I have had several projects on the go for years. But the one I most recently got serious about, is a dystopian future kind, inspired by current events.

I'm currently remaining backed away from it until I get my adhd medication reinstated.