Plug, plug, plug...
It's been a while since I have posted anything about my writing, mostly because it's been a slow process and my thoughts have been anywhere and everywhere. I'm still in the querying process for November Rain, and fear I always will be. My train of thoughts with this one is: "At what point do I give up and move on?"
*I am also thinking of changing the title. A book title says everything, and lately I feel November Rain might be a little...emo. Anyone have any suggestions??
I don't want to give up because I feel it deserves representation, and mostly, publication. But at what point do I need to think realistically? It may be a great story with a moving theme and great characters, but what I'm finding is it's just not big enough. I have received some very nice rejections from agents (though most have been form rejections) who have stated that they thought on it, it sounded like a good story, but due to the high demand and busy schedules, it wasn't something they wanted to take on. They're looking for something that catches their eye in a way nothing else does. Unfortunately, this is all based off of a query letter and not the manuscript. I feel if they would only read the manuscript they'd feel differently. But I'm sure every aspiring author feels the same way.
I am going to keep going, however. I had a list of about fifteen more agents, the next ones in line. And now that it is edited to its fullest (as much as it can be anyway), I will probably start that sometime next week. I've actually edited it about 4 more times since my last post...when I said I was done editing it. :) And these edits were the biggest, the most drastic.
On to my next project, which is unnamed as of now. I started writing this book about a week ago and I'm about 23,000 words into it. It's different than anything I imagined writing before, or what I have written, so I have a LOT of mixed feelings. At this point, I'm just not sure how it's going to come together. I worry it will just out right suck and that the story won't appeal to anyone (or they will think it's lame). I'm hoping that once it's done and I go through a few edits and it starts coming together, I feel differently about it.
At one point, I will be writing it or reading through what I've written and I will love it and it'll move me, and then the next time I will want to throw my computer through the window because It just seems to suck. But I think part of that depends on my mood and how tired I am. I also know that I need to keep at it because I might have a better view when I'm done.
One reason I struggle is that I love writing about realistic life circumstances, the human emotions and heart thrilling me, but though this one has those aspects, there is a "fantasy" twist to it, bringing it away from a realistic book. The trick with things like that is trying to write the fantasy side in a realistic way so that it FEELS real...and that's where I worry. It's not a fantasy in the sense of fairies or vampires or anything mythical or huge like that--frankly, I lack the imagination. But it's enough away from this reality that it can be considered "fantasy." I think.
I know where it would fit in the bookstore--mainstream fiction--but what genre do I classify it as when it comes time to query agents? I know I still have a long time to go before I have to worry about that, but I can't help but think it. If I query it as fantasy, I'm worried agents might think it a full-out fantasy. Because it's not the average fantasy--and also not the average women's fiction/mainstream fiction--I just don't know how to categorize it.
But I will cross that bridge when I come to it. So as of right now, I am working on pulling the story together, figuring out the little elements that tie the story together and make the plot driven enough, or believable. I'm stumped in a few areas, but I'm hoping that (and I'm going from past experience) as I start writing it and getting to those points, the ideas will flow and come out as I'm writing.
Crossing my fingers.
*I am also thinking of changing the title. A book title says everything, and lately I feel November Rain might be a little...emo. Anyone have any suggestions??
I don't want to give up because I feel it deserves representation, and mostly, publication. But at what point do I need to think realistically? It may be a great story with a moving theme and great characters, but what I'm finding is it's just not big enough. I have received some very nice rejections from agents (though most have been form rejections) who have stated that they thought on it, it sounded like a good story, but due to the high demand and busy schedules, it wasn't something they wanted to take on. They're looking for something that catches their eye in a way nothing else does. Unfortunately, this is all based off of a query letter and not the manuscript. I feel if they would only read the manuscript they'd feel differently. But I'm sure every aspiring author feels the same way.
I am going to keep going, however. I had a list of about fifteen more agents, the next ones in line. And now that it is edited to its fullest (as much as it can be anyway), I will probably start that sometime next week. I've actually edited it about 4 more times since my last post...when I said I was done editing it. :) And these edits were the biggest, the most drastic.
On to my next project, which is unnamed as of now. I started writing this book about a week ago and I'm about 23,000 words into it. It's different than anything I imagined writing before, or what I have written, so I have a LOT of mixed feelings. At this point, I'm just not sure how it's going to come together. I worry it will just out right suck and that the story won't appeal to anyone (or they will think it's lame). I'm hoping that once it's done and I go through a few edits and it starts coming together, I feel differently about it.
At one point, I will be writing it or reading through what I've written and I will love it and it'll move me, and then the next time I will want to throw my computer through the window because It just seems to suck. But I think part of that depends on my mood and how tired I am. I also know that I need to keep at it because I might have a better view when I'm done.
One reason I struggle is that I love writing about realistic life circumstances, the human emotions and heart thrilling me, but though this one has those aspects, there is a "fantasy" twist to it, bringing it away from a realistic book. The trick with things like that is trying to write the fantasy side in a realistic way so that it FEELS real...and that's where I worry. It's not a fantasy in the sense of fairies or vampires or anything mythical or huge like that--frankly, I lack the imagination. But it's enough away from this reality that it can be considered "fantasy." I think.
I know where it would fit in the bookstore--mainstream fiction--but what genre do I classify it as when it comes time to query agents? I know I still have a long time to go before I have to worry about that, but I can't help but think it. If I query it as fantasy, I'm worried agents might think it a full-out fantasy. Because it's not the average fantasy--and also not the average women's fiction/mainstream fiction--I just don't know how to categorize it.
But I will cross that bridge when I come to it. So as of right now, I am working on pulling the story together, figuring out the little elements that tie the story together and make the plot driven enough, or believable. I'm stumped in a few areas, but I'm hoping that (and I'm going from past experience) as I start writing it and getting to those points, the ideas will flow and come out as I'm writing.
Crossing my fingers.
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