In my head down state I may have missed the whether we are doing Friday coffees any more and who would be posting these.......So please forgive me if I have jumped the gun here. Unlike the wonderful Kate who planned out her Friday coffees, I haven't.
However I was over on Cally's Blog and she posted a great link regarding what we should and shouldn't post about on our blogs. So Cally please forgive for posting the link here but I thought it was a great link, http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2007/06/mums-word.html, and worth thinking about over a cup of coffee.
What do you think and how was the writing this week?
22 comments:
Alas, very little writing done this week, just the usual promotions flashes. A lot of editing done (Gods, I hate copy editing) and the dreaded synopsis but now I can go back to plotting out the new novel and simplifing the one I abandoned and starting again.
Writing has been pretty mixed for me this week. I've been really busy at work, doing a competitor analysis, which is something I find really difficult - I don't have a commercial head - so it's been quite stressful. My brother has also been staying with me, and it's lovely seeing him but it means that I haven't had a chance to do any writing in the evenings.
On the other hand, I've worked out how my novel is going to end, how I'm going to get to that point, and I even wrote the final scene (well, scribbled. I was on the train and it was bumpy!). I'm really looking forward to getting my word count moving, but I think this weekend will be mostly spent outlining new bits, and researching some ideas I had. Hopefully next week I'll get above 10,000 words!
It sounds like a productive week though......
for you both. Sorry became distract by dd who is at home and hit the wrong button!
Hey every one. This is new isn't it? Glad to hear you're having a good writing week. I've been re-shaping the first half of my novel after getting notes back from editors last week, and its been an exciting and inspiring week. At last I can see the big picture clearly and I feel the threads are coming together coherently. Also yesterday I found out there will be an aduio book of my book THE BABY GROUP which is great!
Thanks for initiating the coffee break thread Liz!
I posted the link to that blog because it struck a chord with me. Not because I've got an agent who's submitting to editors (I have to finish writing the novel for one!) but because it made me think about what I was writing on my blog and how I was portraying myself and my writing.
I'm naturally a glass half empty kind of girl and can't help but focus on the negative - why set yourself up for a fall and all that - but that's not a great impression to give to any potential agents who might google me (when I do finally sub to them). Should I be blowing my own trumpet and focussing on my successes rather than my rejections and wobbles instead?
That said I do find it incredibly helpful to share my wobbles and insecurities with other writers and find the advice I'm given invaluable.
What to do?
In other news - this hasn't been a massively productive writing week for me. I did manage about 3,500 words last weekend and about 750 since then but I've actually had a bit of a social life this week so no time to write! Only have about 10,000 words left to write to finish my novel so I need to do one last push and get it written!
Oh oh oh a bad writing week. I need a major kick up the ass to get back into writing mode.
Will someone kick me please?
x
Hi everyone
Well I wrote a very few words yesterday which were okay, and I was looking forward to writing today... but it hasn't really happened. I did a big cull - two thirds were axed - at the beginning of the week, and I'm feeling a bit shell shocked. I'm hoping to get on with it now.
JJ
Interesting link. If that's the case then I think I'm screwed since I never say anything positive on my blog (well, hardly anything positive-this week might be an exception)
At least I'm anonymous. The title of my books and photo are on my blog-I've kept my name off it completely.
Right, this week-a successful week me thinks. After my short break from blogging and recharging my batteries, I challenged myself to see how many words I could write in 24hours. I managed a grand total of 4275. Not bad considering my recent efforts.
We'll see if I can keep up with that standard.
I do think you have to be a bit self aware when your blogging becuase it's not only editors that might read what your write, it's readers too and as I have young readers as well as adults I'm especially careful about that. However the joy of the novel racers is sharing the writing experience, the ups and downs and getting support and advice from each other! I love that about it. By the way I've had such a wonderful writng morning that I am on the crest of a creative high and writing like the wind. It's brilliant!
ps Caroline, get writing woman!!
Hi everyone, I've a few unproductive weeks for a variety of reasons, but this week the OH is in England and I had everything planned for a really constructive week. But....... Had a phone call on wednesday for a viewing of the house for today, I am currently waiting for them to show up, so I have spent the last few days cutting wet lawns!!!, polishing and cleaning etc!!!!!.
I did manage a few words though and I shall have all weekend to do more so I am feeling more optimistic now. It would also be very good if the viewing this pm turns into a sale, I was very down after the last sale fell apart so could do with good news. Please all cross your fingers for me!!
Not sure what my blog says about me, but I'm doing it for myself not really other people. I'm trying to increase my confidence before showing any of my novel to anyone.
Gawd! That should be rejection not reaction... I haven't turned to drink, honest!!
Oh dear me I'm getting a complete flap - agents, editors please look away now!
What I intended to say is that I have just received what I'm told is a 'very positive rejection' of novel 1. The agent was very complimentary about my writing and said that she enjoyed the book but had reluctantly decided against it on the grounds that it was chick-lit and therefore up against established authors in an overcrowded market.
Okay, I'm going to do my best to get my baby out in the world but it has made me decide to put novel 2 on the back burner whilst I consider my next move. I would very much like to stay with the racers if you'll have me because I will be writing again soon and I value this group.
I'd also be interested to hear what others think about 'saturated' markets.
Apologies for not making absolute sense but I'm sure most of you know how I'm feeling!
I have been v busy this week, hence my silence.
Have also been useless on the wip. But did write 1500 words of something else yesterday. Oh dear.
Still at least it was writing.
Chris. That does sound positive. You just have to keep plugging at it, is all the advice I can give you. If you keep getting answers like that, you may need to look at working out why you aren't able to make that leap to them saying ,wow this is so fantastic, you're an unknown but I will take you on...
One way of doing that if you can afford it paying for a (professional) reader's report - I'd go to Hilary Johnson for eg. She is very very good and knows the market inside out.
THe market is always saturated is the gods honest truth of it, but if you can just get in one day with a slightly different angle, then you might find that agent prepared to take you on. A bit of fairy dust is always needed along hte way, but if you are gettnig positive responses that's a sign you shouldn't give up.
best of luck!
Well, my first proper coffee morning and I have some confessions to make.
Firstly, I have tried to pop round to as many of your blogs as possible, but having had a really busy week for other reasons, I'm afraid I didn't have time to read too much or leave comments. I will remedy that as soon as I can.
Secondly, I haven't written anything except my blog. I am completely re-thinking my approach to my WIP novel and actually planning it in much more detail with a view to getting back to writing it in about a months time. I have already written the skeleton of the plot as a short story and I am finding it much harder than expected to flesh it out into a novel. Perhaps I should just stick with writing stories!
The link to the piece on what writers perhaps should not post on their blogs was very interesting and funnily enough I have come across several similar debates recently about what to blog or not, in respect of both personal and professional details. All food for thought I think, especially if you blog under your own name.
Chris, don't be disheartened and stop all of your plans because of one small setback. Jane is right publishing is a saturated market full stop! And even when you're published you have to fight against amazing and talented competition to get a spot on the shelves, you have the drive to keep going! I think the idea of a professional reader is a good one and all I can say is when it comes to women's ficton or any genre fiction what I think they want is a distinctive author voice and a USP. It might be something as simply as a really clever catchy marketable title. Plus agents are people too, they are subjective. Keep going you may well find one that loves your work!
Keep going love!
Ooh, ChrisH, interesting to hear that comment about chicklit being an overcrowded market...
I guess a lot hinges on having a USP so that the novel has that little bit more about it. There again, 'chicklit' is such a broad term these days - it encompasses far more the than the 'shoes and shopping' it used to. Hmmmmmm. (Oh, Rowan has posted saying much the same while I've been waffling and slurping tea!)
As for blogging... Gawd, I hope nobody judges me by my blog! I'm quite normal really, honest!!!
Not an awful lot of writing done this week but it's creeping along in the right direction. Weather's set to be vile so I think I might let loose with some vino and see what happens. I suspect I'm thinking too much about it all at the mo.
Sigh. Too many thoughts. Who'd have thought it, eh? :(
Actually HJ did read my t/s first and sent it to agent... I guess I just got my hopes up too much but thank you for the helpful comments - I will pick myself up!
Geez, I totally forgot! Thanks, Liz.
Coffee here is always good for me. I just forgot it was Friday, and then I got so darned busy, I just now sat down to read my blogroll.
Writing wasn't too bad considering I'm getting ready to move, and working on prepping for a garage sale (Which was today and will be tomorrow.) I got about 3400 words out and I'm soooo close to finishing my first draft I can taste it. Another chapter and a half to go. Yay.
Congrats to everyone's hard work this week. :big hugs:
I'm late! Again!
caroline - consider yourself kicked!
liz - thanks for initiating coffee!
Chrish - keep going!
JJ - hope the cull is a cloud with a silver lining (even if it's teddy shaped!)
a writer - i moan a lot on my blog! Oh No! What does it all mean?!
I think we do end up being ourselves on our blogs... it's hard to keep a pretence up for too long? Am I just very naive?!
Oh well. My WIP is still stuck on 30K+ like a freeze frame but have worked on the conference paper - and commented on blogs, and written thousands of words on msn... does that count?
Hi, apologies for being very very late for coffe, but mucho thanks to Liz for getting the ball rolling (especially with everything else she's got on right now too!)
I've had a great week with the writing ~ fairly productive, lots of ideas, a good amount of words down. Unfortunately these were all in connection with another project, and not the novel, but I'm feeling fairly bouyed up by it, and should have a fair bit of writing time available this week, so it bodes well for the novel this week.
I've not really given much thought to what I blog ~ I blog under a variant of my "real" name so I've always assumed I'm ok as I'm relatvely untraceable, but it didn't occur to me to think about the impression I might be giving to potential agents and publishers! I shall be pondering that from now on!
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