Monday 10 December 2007

The Upcoming New Race

I have been thinking about the beginning of the New Year and the start of the 'new' race. AS with last year we seem to have different categories - not types of stories but where we are in the writing process. so I thought may be we should layer the race if you will.

Here are some of the one I thought of:

1. first complete first draft
2. complete partial
3. complete rewrite

Can you think of any others we should add?

Now on to the prizes......last year Lucy's publisher kindly handed over a vast quantity of books which was awesome. i doubt we will be that lucky this year. So I was wondering if we could do a split prize thing.........

published writers - a bottle of champagne ( I'll happily supply)
pre-published writers - (now here where I need help from the pubs among us - a critique of the first page or first ten pages of our book from their agent??? I know it would be asking a lot -)

So what do you all think. Let's all talk about the coming New Race!!!

19 comments:

leatherdykeuk said...

There should be a screenwriting option, perhaps.

I'll be doing a complete first draft and a re-write, in that order.

Helen said...

Thanks for posting this Liz, its a great idea. I think a lot of people are coming to the end of the year, feeling a bit weary (or is that just me!) and need something exciting writing wise to look forward to in the new year.

As I finished my first draft during 2007, for me, I would like to race against those who have also done their first draft and now want to write their second and maybe third drafts. I think this might be in your complete rewrite category. I would dearly love to start sending it out in the first half of 2008.

CL Taylor said...

Great post Liz. In 2008 I'll be 'racing' to complete the first draft of novel #2. If I get any agent/publisher interest I imagine I'll probably be editing/rewriting novel #1 too (but I'm trying not to think about the fate of novel #1 at the moment. La la la).

KeVin K. said...

Well, I think I'll be writing original, since the folks at Black Library have not liked a single thing I pitched. (They do like my writing, that's why they invited me to pitch, but the editor tells me I'm "too damn cheerful." Her theory is my living in a beach resort where we call 40F "freezing" stunts my ability to write dark fantasy.)

I have a few short fiction commitments, but have no contracted assignments once these are out of the way.

My plan at this point is to finish the last 50,000 words or so of "Coastal, Carolina" (really needs a new title) by April 1. I would say have the ms in the mail by April 1, but I'm thinking I may want to rethink my usual mail-the-first-draft practice on this one -- it's my first mystery and I want it to be the launch of a series. May be shopping for beta readers in April and aim for getting the ms marketed in June. (Yes, I have my list of prospective agents.) I do have a few novel pitches out there still, but barring a book contract from WizKids, Catalyst Games, Black Library, or (dare I hope?) Big Finish (yes, I'm a Whovian) after getting my (first) mystery in the mail I'm going on to my romantic suspense novel "Simbara" (happy with that title).

Sine I don' t think this schedule matches up with any race -- and I suspect a few others are in the same boat (life vests are located under your seats) -- how about a "met all writing objectives" category?

B.E. Sanderson said...

I have a first draft I've been sitting on that I need to get editing on, so if we're starting this at the first of the year, that would be perfect for me. Although, it is a rewrite in the strict sense of the word. More like tweaking for publication.
Anyway, whatever category you can squeeze it into would be fine.

And as for prizes, since several of the racers are on the other side of the pond from most of the published authors, I don't know how having Brit agents crit American stuff would work. Personally, if I won, I'd love a bottle of champagne instead, if you can ship it over here.

Lane Mathias said...

Thanks for this Liz.
Hopefully by January I'll be ready for a complete rewrite.
Would be great to 'race' against those doing the same thing:-)

Jen said...

Oh, you're so brilliantly organised, Liz. Sounds good - Rachel's suggestion is good too.

Me - I'll be on a total re-write. Lots of life decisions to make that will affect what I do writing-wise next year... Sigh...

Fiona Mackenzie. Writer said...

I hope to be working on a second draft in January.

Wow - you are so great, Liz - you'd make a good agent if you weren't such a good writer.

Rose Red Art said...

In 2008 I plan on getting the final draft out the way and sending it to agents. Although sending it out probably won't happen until the second half of 2008.

I think this would make me in the rewrite catergory?

I love the idea of a new race! Thank you Liz for organising it!

Helen Shearer said...

Hello.
I love the idea of the race starting over again, especially since I was not in the group at the beginning last year. I am determined to finish my current novel by Christmas and I think I have a good idea for the next one. I'd love to race against anyone writing a complete first draft. This current novel has taken far too long to write so I think that racing throught the first draft of the next one would force me to buckle down and get on with it.
As far as prizes go, I'd be happy just to get through a first draft by May or thereabouts. No prize necessary, although having my stuff read and picked apart by an agent would be great.

Zinnia Cyclamen said...

I'll be in the same position as Cally, racing to complete the first draft of #2 and subbing #1 (with the possibility of another edit - I'm going to read it again in January and see whether I still like it).

I wonder whether the prize categories might better be described as 'published novelists' and 'pre-published novelists' as this is the Novel Racers? I'm a published writer but non-fiction only which is a very different matter. If we can't get an agent to do a partial crit, I'd be happy to donate a how-to creative writing book of the winner's choice from the selection available at Amazon as a prize for the second category.

Liz - thanks again for deploying your amazing organisational skills on our behalf.

Rowan Coleman said...

Hi everyone - thanks for thinking about this Liz. I will be starting a new novel in Jan 2008 from scratch so I would love to be part of the race again. Suggested catorgories sound find to me, as someone who writes more than one book a year I like Kevin's suggestion. Also as for prizes, I can't be certain of offering my agents/editors time (I will I'll ask!) but I would happily offer my own time to critque work if it helps, or perhaps more usefully mentor someone through the preparing for and submission stages?

Sarah*G* said...

Well I am still to finish my 1st draft, which fingers crossed I want to get done by Dec 31 and then start 2008 editing and getting ready to submit to agents. I was not involved in the last race and would love to be involved in the next.

Chris Stovell said...

I'm with Zinnia and Cally - although there'll probably be an overlap in Jan whilst I polish #1 and research #2. I'm SO looking forwards to a fresh start!

Jenny Beattie said...

Thanks Liz for bringing this up now. Well, I've no idea what I'm going to be doing since I go off on Saturday to do my course... Will i still be writing the same book? Or will i be writing a different one? I'll know by the first of January!

Jjx

Lucy said...

Hi--I've been lurking on this site for a while. Watching all of your progress has truly been an inspiration!

I'm trying to revise a novel (finished the 1st draft a month ago). So, I'd love to race with any of you working on a 2nd draft.

If someone could add me to this group, I'd appreciate it! I'll add a novel racers section to my blog. ;)

sheepish said...

Oh you are so well organised Liz, I could do with you at my elbow telling me to stop messing about. I will still be trying to finish my first novel so will be pleased to join in with anyone who is in the same boat as me. I will be off air for the next few days so will look in as soon as I get home.

Graeme K Talboys said...

Well, I really have to finish the first draft of the one I'm working on and desperately want to get the second volume drafted by the end of next year (And that will involve a lot of research into 1950s fairgrounds). I also have a fairly heavy editing workload (of other folks books) next years, so hoping I can squeeze it all in.

Karen said...

I'd like to finish the draft I'm currently working on too, and love the idea of a 'race' to spur me on! I haven't done it before, but would love to join in - please?