Done editing...now I am lost/dislike my novel now.

Ariaki · Jun 1, 2008

Hi

I just edited my book and I feel like nothing else can be done. I edited last fall/winter and the work I've done these past few weeks was the final round so I think it is what it is at this point. Now that I am officially done...I find myself disliking what I wrote and somewhat depressed instead of happy for what I accomplished. I don't want to shove the novel in a drawer though, I want to get this novel published after all that hard work.

I'm going to try writing query letters since that's the next step but I cannot describe my story. All the examples I find about how to write a query don't work when I try for some reason. My summary always ends up too "wordy". I can't get to the main point of what the novel is really about.

To make matters worse I try to sum up my story my heroine ends up sounding like she's like the character Annie Wilkes from "Misery" by Steven King (I saw the movie a few weeks ago on T.V). The heroine is supposed to be a good person but when I try to describe her she comes out like an antagonist.

Also, after finishing the editing process I find that I am back to square one when it comes to figuring out the genre. I was almost certain that my novel fell into the chick-lit category but then I realized new possiblities: chick-lit, adventure, offbeat/quirky. Could it be all three? How do I find out? I don't read anything like my writing. Is it going to be hard to find an agent for a book falling into such categories?

I don't know what to do about the chapters either. Since my novel is written in the 1st person duel POV between hero/heroine I named each chapter after the character who is telling the story. I don't know if I need to go in and put "Chapter 1" "Chapter 2" etc or leave it as it is.

I am considering doing the beta reader thing...but I am not sure how many chapters I should show. What amount of pages/chapters give a beta reader a good idea of what the positives/negatives of a book? I am not sure I am comfortable putting the whole story out there....

any suggestions ?

WordlyVision · Jun 1, 2008

Feeling confident in your editing is a good start.

Query letters can be hard; trying to sum up your novel in a few sentences is no easy task for any writer really. Maybe these thoughts to consider might help:

* What is the main conflict that brings the most tension between the protagonist(s) and the antagonist(s)? How does it affect the protagonist's quest or ultimate goal?

* Tell us only the bare minimum details of what role the heroes and villains play... or even better, tell us mostly about the protagonist, and go very vague on the antagonist.

Would you mind posting a sample query letter (maybe what you consider to be the best one) that you wrote? It might help to see where potential areas of improvement are, and might even give a clue as to the genre.

As for beta readers and amount of pages/chapters, you're not obligated to put the entire story up there, so don't feel any pressure. I find usually the first two or three chapters suffices when I read someone else's work: They give me enough background on the setting and characters, gives me an idea of what the conflict might be, and is sometimes (not always) a good indicator of how good the story is for hooks. If those samples are generally well-written, then it's probable that the rest of the story is good. However, there are good chances that things later on in the novel need work whereas if you only posted the first three presents a bit of a problem.

That's kind of what you have to wager in; the first two or three chapters tell us only a small portion of the bigger picture and the bigger events that are to come, and so if you're first three chapters are great, but your middle-section / climax needs work, we generally won't know unless you actually post that part. In the end, I say: Only post as much as your comfortable revealing.

caromora · Jun 1, 2008

Ariaki said:
I just edited my book and I feel like nothing else can be done. I edited last fall/winter and the work I've done these past few weeks was the final round so I think it is what it is at this point. Now that I am officially done...I find myself disliking what I wrote and somewhat depressed instead of happy for what I accomplished. I don't want to shove the novel in a drawer though, I want to get this novel published after all that hard work.

It sounds like you've been working on your story for so long and so hard that you've lost perspective about it. The best thing you could do, IMO, is to put it away for a while and work on something new. You won't be giving up on it, just giving some time for your mind to let go of the story a bit. That way, the next time you look at it, you'll be able to read it with fresh eyes. And working on something new will more than likely help to improve your craft, so you'll not only be looking at the novel with some distance, but with the added benefit of having more skills with which to judge it.

I'm going to try writing query letters since that's the next step but I cannot describe my story. All the examples I find about how to write a query don't work when I try for some reason. My summary always ends up too "wordy". I can't get to the main point of what the novel is really about.

The secret is not to describe your plot in the query. You're not giving a play-by-play of what happens. Don't summarize the story, just tell what the story is about. Boil the concept of your story down to its bare skeleton. Who is your heroine + what does she want + what is stopping her from getting it.

Also, after finishing the editing process I find that I am back to square one when it comes to figuring out the genre. I was almost certain that my novel fell into the chick-lit category but then I realized new possiblities: chick-lit, adventure, offbeat/quirky. Could it be all three? How do I find out? I don't read anything like my writing. Is it going to be hard to find an agent for a book falling into such categories?

First, you'll want to query it as women's fiction, not chick lit. "Chick lit" is a hard sell in the market and has been for a few years now. If you call your novel that, you risk either turning the agent off, or looking like you haven't done your homework.

I don't read anything like my writing.

I'm singling this out, because this to me is a huge, huge red flag. You've got to read what you're writing. How else will you know your genre? What its common tropes are, what's become cliched and stale, what works, and what doesn't? Reading a dozen or so books in your genre may be just what you need in order to see your novel with fresh eyes and improve it.

I don't know what to do about the chapters either. Since my novel is written in the 1st person duel POV between hero/heroine I named each chapter after the character who is telling the story. I don't know if I need to go in and put "Chapter 1" "Chapter 2" etc or leave it as it is.

You'll most likely want to number your chapters.

I am considering doing the beta reader thing...but I am not sure how many chapters I should show. What amount of pages/chapters give a beta reader a good idea of what the positives/negatives of a book? I am not sure I am comfortable putting the whole story out there....

Post your first chapter in the Share Your Work forum here.

People are unbelievably helpful!

NatJM · Jun 1, 2008

Sarah Waters "Affinity" is also written with 2 different first person POV. I can't remember how she dealt with it in terms of chapter numbering, but it might be worth checking it out.

Kalyke · Jun 1, 2008

Yeah. I second the "put it away" for at least a few months and then look at it with a fresh eye later.

Sounds like your book is not ready for publishing yet.

cethklein · Jun 1, 2008

I highly suggest doing the beta reader thing. Trust me, they will uncover so many things you never would have noticed. I got lucky and had a fantastic beta go through my sci-fi WIP. She gutted it but it was worth it, I changed so many things and it now is 100x better than it was. A good beta can do wonders for a novel.

Sargentodiaz · Jun 1, 2008

I agree with caromora - put it away and work on something else for awhile. When you return to it, you may well have a completely different perspective.

Cathy C · Jun 1, 2008

You might want to move this query over to the SYW:Query Clinic section. The password is:

vista

All lower case.

However, my impression of this query is that it really DOES read like Misery. It's nearly the same plot. If it's comedic and quirky, it doesn't show in this, so some changes need to be made. You mention "chick-lit" but what are the elements of that in the book? This sounds much closer to a romantic comedy if, in fact, there's humor in how the heroine handles the situation, rather than just humorous dialogue between the parties.

Here's the big question about whether it's a romantic comedy: Do the heroine and hero wind up together? If so, the best home would be on the romance shelves, where readers will eat up the plot. If not, then I'd shoot for women's fiction, since "chick-lit," as a genre, is pretty much dead in the water. At least, don't CALL it chick-lit if you want to have a hope of an agent picking it up. "Humorous fiction," or "humorous women's fiction" will have a better shot.

And yes---please do post some of it up once you get into SYW. It'll help us decide where it would best fit on a bookstore shelf.

dawinsor · Jun 1, 2008

Try this from James Scott Bell's Plot and Structure:

Paragraph 1:
[lead character's name] is a ____________ who ________________.
Write one or two sentences about the character's background and current world.

Paragraph 2:
Start with the word "suddenly" or "but when." Fill in the major turning point. Write two or three sentences about what happens.

Paragraph 3:
Start with the word "now" and write an action sentence (now Jane must do something exciting) or begin with the word "will" and write a couple of questions.

Ariaki · Jun 1, 2008

Thanks for all the replies

I really appreciate it.

I didn't know there was a query forum or whatever its called. I guess I'll paste my query there to so more people can give an opinion on how to fix it. I'm glad for the warning on chick-lit! To be honest I didn't really know much about that genre or how it's percieved by agents. I got the impression that chick-lit was a "happier" women's literature genre and that women's literature had a serious tone. I need to get the meaning of each genre straight.

I suppose my story does fall into a romantic comedy. The dialogue doesn't seem particularly funny but the actions are funny...at least I think so. The hero and heroine do get together in the end...so romance? I have been confused about romance becuase people always say that romance novels need to have rated "R" things in it which my story doesn't. The only romance novel that I've read that was PG was Country Brides by Debbie Macomber...

The only way to know is to see what others think so I will post on the SYW.

I will try the James Scott Bell formula too to see how that turns out too

*I can't believe I didn't see the password for the Share Your Work in front of my face...wow.

Phaeal · Jun 2, 2008

Meh, unless she starts cutting off Westley's body parts, it's not too much like Misery.

Libbie · Jun 2, 2008

I agree with Caromora. I think it would really be to your benefit to put this one away for a while and start a fresh, new project. Anything creative - if you don't feel like you have the muster to write right now (I know I usually have to take a week or two off from writing after I totally finish a piece and have it edited to my satisfaction) then do something else that's creative and soothing. Then return to your manuscript and just re-read it. Don't try to rework anything. Just read it and have fun with it. If you really MUST change something, make a specific note of what you want to change LATER.

After you've read it and enjoyed it (and you will - it just doesn't seem that way now) begin thinking about your query letter.

With my queries, I like to take a few days to come up with a good opener. I carry around a notepad with me, and whenever a cool idea for a blurb hits me, I jot it down. It doesn't have to be a complete idea. It could be just a few catchy words you'd like to use. After a couple of days of query-musing, I sit down with the intent of actually writing my complete query and don't leave until I have three or four different versions. Then I show them to several people who I always trust to give me valuable feedback on my writing. They help me choose the best one to use.

Queries are very important, and if you don't feel like you can be enthusiastic or flattering about your novel right now, please don't try! Your lack of excitement will come through in the query and you will not find a favorable response, which will only make you feel more resentful of this piece.

Take your time!

Libbie · Jun 2, 2008

Ariaki said:
I have been confused about romance becuase people always say that romance novels need to have rated "R" things in it which my story doesn't. The only romance novel that I've read that was PG was Country Brides by Debbie Macomber...

Romance is definitely one of the broadest categories of fiction. The only "must" that qualifies your manuscript as a romance is the fact that the definite focus of the story is on the relationship between your hero and heroine. That relationship can be extremely sexual or totally chaste. There are markets for both in the romance genre, and for all points in between. What makes it a romance is the focus on the way the relationship develops, changes, and ultimately sticks.

James D. Macdonald · Jun 2, 2008

Ariaki said:
I am considering doing the beta reader thing...but I am not sure how many chapters I should show. What amount of pages/chapters give a beta reader a good idea of what the positives/negatives of a book? I am not sure I am comfortable putting the whole story out there....

any suggestions ?

Don't think about query letters until after you've had your beta readers' comments, and made changes based on those.

As to how many pages to show: Show all of them. Beta readers get to read your entire book. That's their entire purpose. They'll tell you if the story holds together, if the beginning supports the end, if the end is satisfying, and whether there are major plot holes, lapses in characterizations, and much more besides. You'll know that you have something when the beta readers ask when they can read your next book. You'll really know you have something when your beta readers' friends start asking when they can read your next book.

And, while they're reading it, start your next book. Nothing will improve how you feel about this novel more than writing something else will.

steveg144 · Jun 2, 2008

Step away from it for a few weeks. It's normal to feel sick of something you've spilled so much physical and emotional energy into. It just needs a bit of distance and time. Go off and work on other projects for a few weeks, or do some recreational reading.

Done editing...now I am lost/dislike my novel now.

Ariaki

WordlyVision

The Ideas keep coming...

caromora

Still alive. Kind of.

NatJM

Kalyke

cethklein

Sargentodiaz

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

dawinsor

Dorothy A. Winsor

Ariaki

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Libbie

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

Libbie

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

steveg144

Crusty Polemicist