Can I do it?
- Thread starter young_zee
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I actually can kind of empathise. When I was submitting to agents, I still had about 20 000 or so words left to write in my MS. Thinking I too had a month to complete the thing, I sent out queries. The next day I was asked for a full. So I wrote those last 20 000 or so words in 3 days.
And I wound up signing with that agent.
You are in a bit more dire circumstances to be honest. But just keep plugging away, go as fast as you can without compromising the quality of your product, and who knows, it may all work out best in the end!
Good luck!
And I wound up signing with that agent.
You are in a bit more dire circumstances to be honest. But just keep plugging away, go as fast as you can without compromising the quality of your product, and who knows, it may all work out best in the end!
Good luck!
Lots of coffee. Only the absolutely essential non-writing activities (including no visiting here 
) Little sleep. Lots of coffee.
Good luck!
) Little sleep. Lots of coffee.Good luck!
Intravenous Caffeine Drip is your friend. That and having people verbally abuse you if they see you browsing AW in the next few weeks ;-)
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What are you doing here then?
Just keep your head down and get on with it... and report back on progress every so often
Willie
Just keep your head down and get on with it... and report back on progress every so often
Willie
I know I couldn't. I failed NaNoWriMo twice.
At least you learned from the experience.
I guess if you wrote 25000 words in a week, you can push for more, but please don't forget to leave time for editing.
At least you learned from the experience.
I guess if you wrote 25000 words in a week, you can push for more, but please don't forget to leave time for editing.
Every time I'm tempted to sub early, I think about stories like this and my finger on the send button behaves and backs away slowly so as not to risk an accidental send.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I can't remember where I saw this, but it was a suggestion on how to get 7500 words written each day. You start writing at 7 a.m. and stop when you reach 500 words. Then at 9 a.m., you write another 500. Keep doing that every hour until it's 10 p.m. You should be able to reach 7500 words in that time frame. Something like that....good luck!
That's writing, though.
Much more difficult to revise. A person can write a rough draft of an average-size novel in a short period of time. But when it comes to revising, things get tricky. When writing a first draft, the writer often doesn't labor over every word. When he's revising, every word sometimes becomes a brutal minefiled of decisions. This word, that word, omit, move the word to another line, take the entire paragraph out, take the entire scene out...
It can be awful, and for me it takes me about twice as long to pick through the MS as it does to actually write it.
Well, that's one approach. I do tend to labor over the words in the first draft. I'd guess that in terms of time, writing for me is:
1) 1st Draft: 70%
2) Revision before editor: 15%
3) Editing and copyediting: 15%
I'd guess that Will's proportions on 1) and 2) are probably the inverse of mine. But I bet we are pretty similar in terms of how much is done by the time it reaches the editor or agent.
Fast writers = slow revisers, and vice-versa, I think.
But either way, what you submit to the agent/editor should be the output of a pretty slow process in total. Anybody disagree?
Pssh, I always query before the manuscript is ready. Builds character.
You can do it! That agent is not holding his or her breath for your full. Work your ass off and send it out! You'll do awesome.
You can do it! That agent is not holding his or her breath for your full. Work your ass off and send it out! You'll do awesome.
omg 
good luck. turn off the tv and your phone. eat finger foods at the computer. ask a friend who doesn't talk a lot or distract you to go to stores for you if you need anything (like coffee, cream for your coffee, or sugar). every now and then take a 30 minute break...leave the computer during the breaks...go outside and breathe. other than that sit your butt in the chair and don't move.
and again...good luck
congrats also!!
good luck. turn off the tv and your phone. eat finger foods at the computer. ask a friend who doesn't talk a lot or distract you to go to stores for you if you need anything (like coffee, cream for your coffee, or sugar). every now and then take a 30 minute break...leave the computer during the breaks...go outside and breathe. other than that sit your butt in the chair and don't move.
and again...good luck
congrats also!!
I'd like to be stalked like that and it's why I don't query until I have at least a finished second or third draft and even that is jumping the gun.
Yup, call the agent back and let him/her know that your ms needs polishing and you are working on it. Then mainline some caffeine and write and polish.
OMFG pretty much sums it up. Good luck though.
OMFG pretty much sums it up. Good luck though.
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Sure it can. Break it off into chunks and deal with 6,000 words a day. You'll have a similar time crunch when it comes to publication so roll up your sleeves and get to it.
Linnea
I would write them a professional typed letter or answer the damn phone and say "I came across some unexpected mistakes in my manuscript, would you mind granting me a 3 week time period to finish fixing these problems I didn't see before so I can present the best manuscript possible and not waste your time.
Thank you for your time.
X
Thank you for your time.
X
Do exactly what icerose says. Do NOT tell them how stupid you were. Pretend like you just realized you have some stuff you need to fix. If they're calling you it's because they're afraid someone else is going to snatch you up (I assume). I think anything you do to reassure them that they're still in the running will make them happy. And make them stop calling you.
Incidentally, when my agent called to offer me representation, I had to tell her "Uh, so, since you read my manuscript I kinda rewrote the last third of the book. Is that gonna be okay?"
And yes, it was okay.
Incidentally, when my agent called to offer me representation, I had to tell her "Uh, so, since you read my manuscript I kinda rewrote the last third of the book. Is that gonna be okay?"
And yes, it was okay.
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Don't lie. They will know.
Look. What you want to do is to be as professional as possible. Because you know what? Being able to write is only part of what agents and publishers are looking for--they're also looking for someone who can be professional about meeting deadlines, etc..
So be professional. Send an email telling them that you realized you needed some rewrites. Set a date by which you can comfortably send them your full manuscript (if it's three weeks from now, it's three weeks from now).
THEN PUT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE ON HOLD AND GET THE THING IN ON ITS PROMISED DATE.
Lesson for other folks reading this thread: Please listen to us old hacks when we tell you something like "don't query until you have a manuscript ready to send." There's a good reason for this advice.
Look. What you want to do is to be as professional as possible. Because you know what? Being able to write is only part of what agents and publishers are looking for--they're also looking for someone who can be professional about meeting deadlines, etc..
So be professional. Send an email telling them that you realized you needed some rewrites. Set a date by which you can comfortably send them your full manuscript (if it's three weeks from now, it's three weeks from now).
THEN PUT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE ON HOLD AND GET THE THING IN ON ITS PROMISED DATE.
Lesson for other folks reading this thread: Please listen to us old hacks when we tell you something like "don't query until you have a manuscript ready to send." There's a good reason for this advice.
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