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[Plasticine]

My new book, Extreme Haunt, comes out September 1st. The Kindle version is already available for pre-order. The physical edition should be available that week as well.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

My new book, Extreme Haunt, comes out September 1st. The Kindle version is already available for pre-order. The physical edition should be available that week as well.

Congrats! Added it to the OP.

Also added Tide of Shadows. Sorry it took so long, Aidan!

If anyone else has a published book (or stories, or poems, or plays or other) you'd like added to the OP, PM me.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

Well, it's been about seven days since I ranted, all frustrated and such. I'd do that elsewhere, but this thread is really my only outlet when it comes to talking to writers. The few I know in person haven't ever finished anything major and wouldn't give me any real help in this regard. To them, not finishing projects is just kind of how it goes. It sucks too, because at least one is a really good writer with some solid ideas. He just lacks the time management/attention span.

However, I do bring good news. Since my freakout, I've basically given myself the okay to write a shitty book, and that's apparently been what i needed to do. I gave myself permission to fail when I wrote my first novel, and knowing that that's an okay option really helped.

In this case, I've been doing four pages a night (original goal was three) since then and will be at 280 pages tomorrow. The quality of the writing varies a little, but on the whole, I'm not too upset with it. At this rate, I'll be done in a week and some change. Then I'll go over the first thirty or so pages to make sure the writing style hasn't drifted too much. Then draft one will be complete.

I also think I figured out what's wrong with it. I've been focusing on the fact that the main character has depression while also trying to balance out the horror elements of this book. Doing that hasn't really worked. I need to pick one, and since this is a horror book, then protag being depressed really just needs to be a piece of his character and not a theme or point behind the story itself. I'll be going back and trimming a lot of that at some point, streamlining the focus and making this less about battling inner demons and more about battling real ones. That's what it was always supposed to be anyways.

So cheers there. I'm back to feeling good about this project. it's a mess, but I think it might be fixable.

 

[FlowersisBritish]

However, I do bring good news. Since my freakout, I've basically given myself the okay to write a shitty book, and that's apparently been what i needed to do. I gave myself permission to fail when I wrote my first novel, and knowing that that's an okay option really helped.

Hooray! My advice wins again! haha but at the very least I hope writing a shitty book is more fun than you were having before. Your post makes it sound like you're a lot happier with it too. I recently had a similar experience with a short story, so know that this happens and you are doing what every good writer is supposed to. Also I wouldn't worry too much about writing rants. I once got drunk and wrote a long post about how I grew as a person.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

Hooray! My advice wins again! haha but at the very least I hope writing a shitty book is more fun than you were having before. Your post makes it sound like you're a lot happier with it too. I recently had a similar experience with a short story, so know that this happens and you are doing what every good writer is supposed to. Also I wouldn't worry too much about writing rants. I once got drunk and wrote a long post about how I grew as a person.

Yeah. It's back to being fun. I had a few specific things I was stressing about and kinda woke up one day and went, "Why bother writing them? They're stupid subplots anyways. I'll just cut em later." and yeah. Much better.

It's kinda funny. When I sat down to write The Ninth Life I was so fucking scared that I spent the first night writing a two paragraph letter to myself. "This book might be shit, and that's okay. You should write it anyways," kind of thing. That was the only thing I wrote on day one. Maybe a 200-word little blurb like that.

I forgot to do that this time. I guess having one novel done that I really like, I figured I couldn't fuck up anymore. Stupidity and hubris all in one there! When I hit up my third novel, I might amend that little note to, "it's okay to write a shitty novel as long as its fixable." I really think this one might be, but we'll see. When it's done, I'll be taking a good two month break from it.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

No longer than a page, that's for sure.

I forgot to ask this, but is that no longer than a page single spaced or double spaced? Agent query says single spaced, but I want to be sure?

 

[Shokifer]

I've been wondering recently if finishing the first draft is all that matters initially. But I'm worried that if I rush it too much i'll have to change so many things that I may as well not have bothered writing it. Is this likely to happen?

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

Don't rush. I did that with my second book and I came to a point where I feel that the whole thing needs rewriting rather than editing.

 

[Shokifer]

Don't rush. I did that with my second book and I came to a point where I feel that the whole thing needs rewriting rather than editing.

That's what I was afraid of.

Welp, hopefully i'll finish this book before I reach senility. Maybe

 

[xandaca]

Really need to get started using Goodreads. I signed up a month or two ago but have been so busy I haven't even looked around it yet. Publishing the first extract from my new book on my blog tomorrow, so need to start thinking about how to properly publicise it. Not my forte by a long shot.

 

[Shokifer]

It varies by person. Some people can rush and still come out with solid material. Some people rush and then feel like the end result just isn't salvageable, even if it has some strong points.

I'm still debating whether the story I finished for last year's NaNo is worth trying to salvage or not. I recently fixed a worldbuilding hole that had been bothering me, which makes me kind of want to go back to it... but I think a lot of the actual prose would have to be redone. I dunno. Maybe I'll report back in a few months.

I guess I'll try powering through the first chapter and if there's nothing of value in that I'll try again at a slower pace.

Prose is probably my biggest problem as well, especially since I'm writing in first person with a young protagonist.

 

[aidan]

I guess I'll try powering through the first chapter and if there's nothing of value in that I'll try again at a slower pace.

Prose is probably my biggest problem as well, especially since I'm writing in first person with a young protagonist.

I'd say that a first draft should focus on plot, character motivation, and pacing. Future drafts are the perfect place to improve/perfect your prose. In fact, I'd say do whatever it takes to get the first draft done--that's by far the largest hurdle that a writer faces. It doesn't mean rushing, but it does mean recognizing when you're agonizing over the wrong aspects of a story, things that can be fixed on later revisions.

Spoiler

This is, of course, all subjective based on my experiences.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

I forgot to ask this, but is that no longer than a page single spaced or double spaced? Agent query says single spaced, but I want to be sure?

Single is what I went with. When it comes to the "two page summaries" and the like, that gets iffy. I've seen some places specify "two pages double spaced" but most don't, and I figure it's fine to go with single-spaced pages for that. But I also have two different plot summaries written up just in case. Some people want a short one, others are cool with longer.

I've been wondering recently if finishing the first draft is all that matters initially. But I'm worried that if I rush it too much i'll have to change so many things that I may as well not have bothered writing it. Is this likely to happen?

I'll let you know in five days I'm in the same boat right now. My gut says what I've done is salvageable, but I won't know until I look at it from the beginning.

I do think finishing is important though. Editing is hard as fuck, but having the energy to power through to the end is something I find even harder. Once that's out of the way, you can bust out the eraser. Or in some cases, construction equipment.

 

[Haly]

Arguably it's worth getting through the first draft quickly just so that the skeleton of the story is there. Maybe you have to fix the spine later, and maybe you have to reshape the muscle and flesh over the bone, but just having it there to look at and fiddle with is something.

Some people make up the actual skeleton first, and then start filling it in. Have an opening in mind, then an ending, maybe a climax, and a link between the opening and the climax, like keyframes in cel-shaded animation.

 

[Shokifer]

Some people make up the actual skeleton first, and then start filling it in. Have an opening in mind, then an ending, maybe a climax, and a link between the opening and the climax, like keyframes in cel-shaded animation.

Yeah, the opening's really fucking me up right now. Serves me right for making the interesting stuff need context to make sense :S

 

[Ashes]

The first chapter sets the tone and the promise of the novel to come.

So unless lightening strikes, and by god you should know how a lightening strike feels, you should be changing/redrafting the opening lots of times; especially if you're more of a pantser. & especially *after* you know what the novel truly is.

#my2cents

 

[aidan]

Chuck Wendig has a really great post addressing a lot of the issues that new/aspiring writers often deal with (pros, too). I found a lot of value in his advice, and I think everyone here will probably find at least one useful bit along the way.

I am occasionally in a place where I read work by new writers. Sometimes this is at cons or conferences. Sometimes it’s in the sample of work that’s free online or a fragment from a self-published work. Sometimes I just roll over in my bed and there it is, a manuscript by a new writer, haunting me like a vengeful incubus.

I would very much like to yell at you.

And a few of the more salient snippets:

GOING ON TOOOOOOO LOOOOOOOOOONG

Whatever it is you’re writing, it’s too long. Cut it by a third or more. Do it now. I don’t care if you think you should do it, just do it. Try it. You can go back to it if you don’t like it. Consider it an intellectual challenge — can you utterly obliterate 33% of your story? Can you do it mercilessly and yet still tell the story you want to tell? I bet you jolly well fucking can.

...

LET THEM TALK AND THEN SHUT THEM UP

You need to let your characters talk.

Dialogue is grease that slicks the wheels of your story.

And eventually it gets tiresome. You love the characters and you think they should be allowed to go on and on all day long because you think they’re just aces. They’re not. Shut them up. Keep the dialogue trim and vital. Concise and powerful. Let them have their say in the way they need to say it — in the way that best exemplifies who those characters are and what they want — and then close their mouths. Move onto the next thing. Let’s hear from someone else or something else.

I DON’T KNOW WHO YOUR CHARACTERS ARE OR WHAT THEY WANT

Each character needs to be a shining beam — each distinct from the next. Bright and demonstrative of its own color. Not archetypes, not stereotypes, but complex and easily distinguished people. And I want a reason to care about them. Right out of the gate, I want this. I need to know what they want, why they want it, and what they’re willing to do to get it. I need, in very short terms, their quest. Whether desired or a burden, I gotta know why they’re here on the page in front of me. That’s not true only of the protagonist, but of all the characters.

Who are they?

If you can’t tell me quickly, they become noise instead of operating as signal.

Very much worth reading: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/08/26/i-smell-your-rookie-moves-new-writers/

 

[Fidelis Hodie]

70k words in Derek Agons 2. Feels really weird to be here knowing what I have left. I'll probably hit 100k in the first draft, which I already know can be edited way down. I feel like most of my fluff is cut out through heavy outlining though, I'm not sure. Either way, I'm excited!

Chuck Wendig has a really great post addressing a lot of the issues that new/aspiring writers often deal with (pros, too). I found a lot of value in his advice, and I think everyone here will probably find at least one useful bit along the way.


And a few of the more salient snippets:


Very much worth reading: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/08/26/i-smell-your-rookie-moves-new-writers/

Article is awesome. Worth the read.

 

[aidan]

Kobo is currently holding a 50% off sale on all small press and self-published works. My book's included. It being sponsored by Kobo, purchasers get the discount, but I'm paid royalties based on the list price.

So, I can buy a copy of my book for $1.57 and received $2.18 in royalties on the sale. This seems, uhh...

 

[AngmarsKing701]

Chuck Wendig has a really great post addressing a lot of the issues that new/aspiring writers often deal with (pros, too). I found a lot of value in his advice, and I think everyone here will probably find at least one useful bit along the way.



And a few of the more salient snippets:



Very much worth reading: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/08/26/i-smell-your-rookie-moves-new-writers/

Great advice, all of which I received from my tremendous writing group while working on Ahvarra. Went from 189k words to ~125k. So yeah, just about 1/3 got whacked. And it's a way better story. Crisper.

I really love Wendig's take on things, which is why his "just write 350 words per day" message is in the OP.

So, I can buy a copy of my book for $1.57 and received $2.18 in royalties on the sale. This seems, uhh...

Max out your credit cards!

 

[aidan]

Great advice, all of which I received from my tremendous writing group while working on Ahvarra. Went from 189k words to ~125k. So yeah, just about 1/3 got whacked. And it's a way better story. Crisper.

Yeah. The short story I'm currently editing went from a 9.5k first draft to a 7.3k second draft. I lost none of the story, but was able to make a much tighter, richer and more interesting narrative by trimming a lot of fat and being more imaginative in the way I constructed certain elements.

Really common advice (though usually it's "cut ten percent!!!!"), but not everyone writes the same way. Some of us write short and may actually need to add stuff to a first draft.

I used to be this way, but I found myself spending too much time fretting about what was worth writing in there, and what wasn't. So, I just started writing everything, and, with a bit of distance, found it easier, and somewhat cathartic, to start carving away the fat on my subsequent drafts.

 

[FlowersisBritish]

I feel like I'm too good to have those silly "roooooolz" apply to me huehuehue

But really, I think the best advice I ever received was "cut 10-15%." I do think there is some leeway with all "rooooolz" but I also believe a lot of new writers make the same mistakes. That dialogue one is also very solid advice, but personally I'm a fan of rambling mostly because I like stories involving rambling. Obviously not in every story, but I like to have characters talk, about something nonsense because i have nonsense conversations. I'm really self conscious about dialogue, and if the pacing in a conversation doesn't feel write I will go insane.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

.

 

[Karu]

Really common advice (though usually it's "cut ten percent!!!!"), but not everyone writes the same way. Some of us write short and may actually need to add stuff to a first draft.

If I would always (or ever) follow that advise there's nothing left. Or so I feel. But it's one of those things that scare me in a sense that I feel I might be doing something wrong. It doesn't actively bother me, because I don't have an editor, beta readers or what have you. On the other hand it's probably a sign I should at least get someone with rudimentary experience look over some of my stuff at some point. Writing isolated from the rest of the world can be tough.

 

[Ashes]

A while ago I wrote a novel with the intention of writing five hundreds words per chapter. It taught me how to get straight to the point without waffling. Whilst editing I felt like adding words rather then chopping them down.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

I used to be this way, but I found myself spending too much time fretting about what was worth writing in there, and what wasn't. So, I just started writing everything, and, with a bit of distance, found it easier, and somewhat cathartic, to start carving away the fat on my subsequent drafts.

That's what I do as well. With the current project, I kinda stayed away from that style of writing and that's probably why the experience was miserable for a little bit there. I stressed out too much about "is this really important, what i'm writing right now?" instead of just writing.

 

[Syncytia]

I used to be this way, but I found myself spending too much time fretting about what was worth writing in there, and what wasn't. So, I just started writing everything, and, with a bit of distance, found it easier, and somewhat cathartic, to start carving away the fat on my subsequent drafts.

This is exactly what I needed to read right now. I'm an extremely novice writer (my first attempt was NaNo last year, which I failed miserably) but I'm slowly working at it. I think at this point I'm really just learning how to even write a story in the first place. I've got a couple short stories I'm working on and while they're still within about 1,000-2,000 words, I find myself reading the entire thing and revising some before writing more. I know this is a bad strategy in the long run but through this I've realized I need to just write and get things down and not worry if it will be redundant or will get deleted later. I've definitely been spending too much time worrying about whether something is worth being there. So, thanks for that post.

Also, maybe I need to focus on one thing at a time? I've got two novels (maybe one or both will evolve into a series) and three short stories I'm jumping between depending on my mood. One of the short stories falls within the universe I've created for one of the novels though, so that's fun to work on and help flesh out the universe.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

This is exactly what I needed to read right now. I'm an extremely novice writer (my first attempt was NaNo last year, which I failed miserably) but I'm slowly working at it. I think at this point I'm really just learning how to even write a story in the first place. I've got a couple short stories I'm working on and while they're still within about 1,000-2,000 words, I find myself reading the entire thing and revising some before writing more. I know this is a bad strategy in the long run but through this I've realized I need to just write and get things down and not worry if it will be redundant or will get deleted later. I've definitely been spending too much time worrying about whether something is worth being there. So, thanks for that post.
When I write shorter pieces of fiction, I tend to do that too. I'll revise early and often before actually finishing the story itself. I really think that for novels, you should just GOGOGOGOGOGO until they're done, but that's mostly because novels are huge. If you lose your flow or start stressing too much about earlier stuff, you might not finish.

The last short story I wrote I think I went back and redid the first few pages like six times before I actually had the ending done.

I guess it comes down to: There's really no wrong way to write. Do what works and do what is the most fun.

Also, maybe I need to focus on one thing at a time? I've got two novels (maybe one or both will evolve into a series) and three short stories I'm jumping between depending on my mood. One of the short stories falls within the universe I've created for one of the novels though, so that's fun to work on and help flesh out the universe.

Personally, I couldn't jump between projects like that. I'd be apt to lose my characters and my train of thought too much. Its stressful enough working on one novel ._. i can't imagine writing more than one at once.

 

[Ashes]

Gonna write a couple hundred words a day in September. & see what happens.

 

[Ashes]

So I started the above. I wrote 201 words. And titled the piece: 'my quieter self.'

 

[Ashes]

Thanks. I was only half serious of course, and more intent on teasing whatevermort.

There's a time and place for all things. Show, tell.. etc.

Spoiler

God, I spent an awful lot of time on that story. And it still needs work. Next week, I intend to write in the final hour in one go. If Anton Chekhov can do it...

 

[Delio]

I'm getting kind of anxious for Nano this year. Like It's coming up so fast.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

Upset today. As I started to continue to type up the first few chapters of my book, I discovered that the last few pages of my second chapter were gone. I searched around and only found a page from the third chapter and I think I might have thrown away the missing ones a few days ago when I was cleaning out my bookbag, but unfortunately my lil brother emptied the trash yesterday.

I hate having to re-write stuff from scratch. It takes longer and in the back of my mind it will annoy me that what I'm writing isn't what I had originally written.

 

[Timu]

I'm getting kind of anxious for Nano this year. Like It's coming up so fast.

Same here, I might struggle this year, and it doesn't help that one of my most wanted games of the year comes out that month, lol.

 

[FlowersisBritish]

I'm getting kind of anxious for Nano this year. Like It's coming up so fast.

I have like three different novels I kinda want to do, but I don't know which one :/

 

[H.Protagonist]

Aight, I decided to get a twitter, for promotional stuff/ also to find other writers. Anyway, all you other writers, anyone mind sharing their twitter information? Or suggestions of who to follow? Or how to even do twitter promotions and stuff?

Spoiler

obviously hugo award winner Aiden Moher

edit: also mine is FlowersisBrit

Going all in, huh? Beware the Twitter. It can be stupidly addictive (at first).

I'll add you to mine. I think I have pretty much everyone's Twitter here at this point now...?
I'm @HProtagonista

My new book, Extreme Haunt, comes out September 1st. The Kindle version is already available for pre-order. The physical edition should be available that week as well.

Congrats, yo~ And commented before on it, but that cover really is pretty dang cool.

Really need to get started using Goodreads. I signed up a month or two ago but have been so busy I haven't even looked around it yet. Publishing the first extract from my new book on my blog tomorrow, so need to start thinking about how to properly publicise it. Not my forte by a long shot.

Goodreads is a really good resource, but yeah, I've been neglecting it too. -_- I'd say plan for when you get your stuff up to make a concentrated effort at having regular updates to keep it lively and moving. I say that, but I managed a single blog before I got distracted with other stuff... Post when it's up, though, and I'll friend ya~

I'm getting kind of anxious for Nano this year. Like It's coming up so fast.

Duuun dun duuun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun BOM BOM dun dun dun dun dun dun doo dedoo doo dedoo dede doo dede doo dededoo...

 

[aidan]

So, I've got a 7k sword & sorcery short that's about ready for submission. Anyone up for a quick beta read before I send it off on Friday?

 

[FlowersisBritish]

So, I've got a 7k sword & sorcery short that's about ready for submission. Anyone up for a quick beta read before I send it off on Friday?

eh, I ain't doing anything for the week. I can give it a read.

 

[aidan]

eh, I ain't doing anything for the week. I can give it a read.

Thanks, dude! I'll send you a note.

 

[The Scollard]

So, I've got a 7k sword & sorcery short that's about ready for submission. Anyone up for a quick beta read before I send it off on Friday?

I'd be willing to take a look at it. Sounds interesting.

 

[aidan]

I'd be willing to take a look at it. Sounds interesting.

Thanks. I'll be in touch.

Do you have a crit group, aidan? Or is that not really your style?

Edit: totally fine to ask here, of course, I was just curious.

No, I don't have a writing group. I've just never had a schedule that allows me to write consistently enough, and dedicate the appropriate amount of time to reading/commenting on other writers' work to feel comfortable joining one. Now that I've closed my blog, I'm going to be attempting to get my fiction writing onto a more regular schedule, which might open that door.

I do have a small group of regular beta readers, though. They've always been great at providing feedback when I've got a story that needs some polish.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

..yeah.

 

[Delio]

Going all in, huh? Beware the Twitter. It can be stupidly addictive (at first).

I'll add you to mine. I think I have pretty much everyone's Twitter here at this point now...?
I'm @HProtagonist.

I mean you dont follow me ;_; I did just follow you tho!

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

How does this query letter look?

Dear (Agent):

A lowly street fighter and a vindictive queen form an alliance against the world’s most dangerous criminal.
Andrew enjoys the life he lives-street fighter by night, party animal by later night. This all changes when he witnesses the assassination of the nation’s king and queen. A few days later Andrew pursues a thief who stole his winnings from his last match and ends up having to kill the thief in self defense.

Weeks pass and the new queen Malaya is pushed to make action to capture her parents' murderer The Red Terrorist. While watching surveillance footage of the attack, Malaya spots Andrew and notices a remarkable resemblance to her father. She arrives on Andrew's doorstep and gives him an ultimatum: either come with her and assist in the assassination of her parents killer or be thrown in jail for the murder he committed. He of course chooses the more desirable option. Andrew is now caught in the middle of what seems like a suicide mission and Malaya investigates her parents' murder all the while trying to discover any secrets in her family through Andrew.


I hope that you'll consider my proposal for the urban fantasy (Title here) which is 148,000 words in length. I thank you for taking the time to read my letter and I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,


My Name

 

[The Scollard]

Hey guys. Since Nano is coming up soon, and I want to get my ideas ready early this year so I end up being less of a pantser this time, I decided to consult GAF about which book idea I should try doing for my Nano this year. I have two options, and wanted to know which one you guys think I should try.

The first is a rewrite of my Nano book from last year, a film-noir style detective mystery called A Code to Kill For. Though I managed to win at Nano last year, after I finished, I realized that what I had written was poorly paced, and frankly, to get to the point, was pretty much shit. I decided to change up the structure of the novel, with the original copy following the chronological order of events, which includes a time-skip. I've decided to change it up to have the novel start with the protagonist meeting the book's Femme Fatale (it's noir, of course it has one) after the timeskip, then place flashbacks throughout the story to the events that occurred pre-timeskip.

I was wondering if any of you guys have tried doing the same story in two different NaNoWriMo's, and how you found it. Is it a good idea? That sort of thing.

My second idea is a sort of spy/adventure novel set in an alternate 1960s where World War II is still ongoing after the Nazis managed to prolonged it by discovering dragons in the 1940s (I'm thinking the prologue will be the D-Day Normandy invasion, which fails because the Nazis have dragons). The plot stars a young SIS (a.k.a MI-6) analyst (think a male version of Ms. Moneypenny from Skyfall) who is forced to travel into occupied France in order to find something which may be able to end the decades-old stalemate.

These are my ideas. I was wondering what you guys think of them, and whether I should try something new for this year's NaNoWriMo, or if I should continue working on the idea I started last year?

 

[H.Protagonist]

I mean you dont follow me ;_; I did just follow you tho!

Boom.

Hey guys. Since Nano is coming up soon, and I want to get my ideas ready early this year so I end up being less of a pantser this time, I decided to consult GAF about which book idea I should try doing for my Nano this year. I have two options, and wanted to know which one you guys think I should try.

The first is a rewrite of my Nano book from last year, a film-noir style detective mystery called A Code to Kill For. Though I managed to win at Nano last year, after I finished, I realized that what I had written was poorly paced, and frankly, to get to the point, was pretty much shit. I decided to change up the structure of the novel, with the original copy following the chronological order of events, which includes a time-skip. I've decided to change it up to have the novel start with the protagonist meeting the book's Femme Fatale (it's noir, of course it has one) after the timeskip, then place flashbacks throughout the story to the events that occurred pre-timeskip.

I was wondering if any of you guys have tried doing the same story in two different NaNoWriMo's, and how you found it. Is it a good idea? That sort of thing.

My second idea is a sort of spy/adventure novel set in an alternate 1960s where World War II is still ongoing after the Nazis managed to prolonged it by discovering dragons in the 1940s (I'm thinking the prologue will be the D-Day Normandy invasion, which fails because the Nazis have dragons). The plot stars a young SIS (a.k.a MI-6) analyst (think a male version of Ms. Moneypenny from Skyfall) who is forced to travel into occupied France in order to find something which may be able to end the decades-old stalemate.

These are my ideas. I was wondering what you guys think of them, and whether I should try something new for this year's NaNoWriMo, or if I should continue working on the idea I started last year?

Personally, I think you should do the new idea rather than rewrite or tweak the first NaNo book. Redoing the first one feels like the opposite of what NaNo is about (editing/fine-tuning, etc. vs. free writing). I know I'd get bogged down, and how much true new writing will you get vs. just rehashing ideas/lines you already tried? I say set the first one aside for editing or to tackle apart from NaNo and use the new book as your vehicle to try and implement better pacing and structure in a story.

I'm doing a similar thing for my NaNo this year and writing a sequel to my first book, so same vein, but new story and hopefully better execution. Lessons learned from last time and all that.

 

[The Scollard]

Personally, I think you should do the new idea rather than rewrite or tweak the first NaNo book. Redoing the first one feels like the opposite of what NaNo is about (editing/fine-tuning, etc. vs. free writing). I know I'd get bogged down, and how much true new writing will you get vs. just rehashing ideas/lines you already tried? I say set the first one aside for editing or to tackle apart from NaNo and use the new book as your vehicle to try and implement better pacing and structure in a story.

I'm doing a similar thing for my NaNo this year and writing a sequel to my first book, so same vein, but new story and hopefully better execution. Lessons learned from last time and all that.

The weird thing it, though its sort of a rewrite of the my first novel, it's all going to be new material, and that's why I was wondering whether or not I should maybe try to redo it. It's a weird situation, but I'll try to explain it. Think of my novel as having two halfs, pre and post timeskip. For last year, the only stuff I managed to write was in the pre timeskip part, which is very different from the post timeskip part, and didn't managed to even touch any of the material that will be in the second half. Since the stuff I'll be writing for this year's NaNo is exclusively in the post timeskip part, a.k.a. ideas I never even tried putting to paper last year, that's where the ambiguity of whether I should try it comes in. If it was just "rewrite events I already did, but this time, better", I wouldn't do it, since I'd never get anything done that way, but since it's new, I'm unsure.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

First thought: genre is really unclear at first. Unless this agent only represents urban fantasy specifically, you might want to make that clearer.

Second thought: 150k words is really long, especially for urban fantasy, especially for a debut author. Like, even 100k might be a tough sell.

Third thought: the plot has some interesting points, but they're scattered and a little unclear. The interesting bit is in the first sentence, which is good. The rest is kinda messy. Witnessing an assassination, cool. Following a thief, not as interesting. The Red Terrorist, ok, cool. Lot of time spent on the decision of Andrew to help the new queen, which probably doesn't need that much. Why is this a suicide mission? That could be interesting.

I agree with you. I also think the query needs a bit more personalized info at the bottom. Even an extra sentence or two about yourself will help, because damn, a lot of agents ask for it. "Tell me about you and why you're fit to write your book," kind of thing.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

First thought: genre is really unclear at first. Unless this agent only represents urban fantasy specifically, you might want to make that clearer.

I was thinking about that, but I'm not sure how to fit the fantasy elements of my in the query letter. My story has magic in it, but it's not the focus unlike in Harry Potter.

Second thought: 150k words is really long, especially for urban fantasy, especially for a debut author. Like, even 100k might be a tough sell.

Yeah, but unfortunately until I've finished writing my third book this is the only one I can try and publish right now.

Third thought: the plot has some interesting points, but they're scattered and a little unclear. The interesting bit is in the first sentence, which is good. The rest is kinda messy. Witnessing an assassination, cool. Following a thief, not as interesting. The Red Terrorist, ok, cool. Lot of time spent on the decision of Andrew to help the new queen, which probably doesn't need that much. Why is this a suicide mission? That could be interesting.

I can see what you mean by the bio. I'll definitely consider it. It's hard putting one of these together. I don't know how many variations I've made over the past years.

I agree with you. I also think the query needs a bit more personalized info at the bottom. Even an extra sentence or two about yourself will help, because damn, a lot of agents ask for it. "Tell me about you and why you're fit to write your book," kind of thing.

This particular agent didn't mention that on her page, but some do and I find that the hardest to write because I'm not sure exactly what they're looking for in that regard.

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

The problem with the way i write novels is there's no catharsis to finishing. I wrote the last page today, but I can't slap a "THE END" on it until I go through the first fifty pages again to make sure they're stylistically the same as how the book ended up. I know for a fact some things have changed and I need to fix that before I can set this aside for a month or two.

Which means I'm done writing but not done with the first draft, but I really want to be done with the first draft because I'm done writing.

Preediting tomorrow for a few hours and then I'll be done, but it won't feel like being done for some reason. So I'll just sigh and click save and then go drink or something.

This happened with my first novel too :[