Purgatory's Pit of Doom

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soulcascade

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Aww thanks Cricket. Had the meeting, 'touching base' turned out to be code for 'hey Soul, I'm gonna pile a whole shitload of work on top of you! cheers' LOL. Ah well, at least I got out of public service for next week.
 

Snappy

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LOL Snappy are those birds telling you to stay home?

It's sad when for many of us pitizens, our odds of getting shat upon (which aren't all that high for the average person I am thinking) are greater than our odds of getting published

Apparently, birds in other cities don't like me. LOL.

And yes, it is sad. So, most of us have been pooped on? And why does that not surprise me? Life in the Pit.

*waves to Leigh*
 

Cricket18

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So does the Chef only whip up the Specials before opening, or do they just randemly cook a few things on the menu?

I worked in food and beverage for years. Ask away. The chef always prepared the specials of the night so we could then effectively explain them to the customers.

LOL, Cricket. Getting pooped on by a pigeon is one thing. But a seagull? That's a few generations away from Pterodactyl. You coulda needed 1st aid after that.

He was swooping past, and yeah, it really felt like a water balloon smacked me. I limped down to the ocean practically. ;)
 

Teriann

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I was writing fast so I chickened out of bluntly making my point about the fiction award . . . seems to me, actually, lots of editors who are supposed to be selecting literary fiction must feel a little pooped on. I think it's an insult to publishing that there was no selection.

(The point about my friend was she likes literary fiction, but doesn't like the current offerings)
 

kellion92

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I laugh in the face of "write what you know." Go to one of your favorite restaurants and quiz your waiter.

Pick a cute single straight waiter.

The Pulitzer thing is kind of funny because I love literary kerfuffles among the high and mighty. I wouldn't say that my taste coincides with the Pulitzer all that often, but more so than the NBA adult fiction.

(((Soul)))

Oh, Cricket. We are an unlucky bunch.
 

Amarie

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I was writing fast so I chickened out of bluntly making my point about the fiction award . . . seems to me, actually, lots of editors who are supposed to be selecting literary fiction must feel a little pooped on. I think it's an insult to publishing that there was no selection.

(The point about my friend was she likes literary fiction, but doesn't like the current offerings)

the arrogance of it all is astounding. I can't believe there wasn't even a single book that deserved it.

eta: did anyone read the three that were up for it?
 

SteveCordero

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I'm with Kell in loving literary kerfuffles, but what happened is bogus and they have to change the voting process.

The Pulitzer is awarded based on a majority vote of the panel of (I think 18) after the 3 judge jury decides the nominees. This year there were 3 books nominated and, supposedly, there was only a plurality but no majority so no award was given. In this instance, they should go through a second round of voting with the top 2 choices and have a majority vote.
 

Roly

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Hey all, I'm back :(

I just finished all my work for the school term (before more reading comes up in the summer, comprehensive examination stuff, but it's just reading). And yet I'm so....depressed. Like Eeyore depressed. I'm literally just lying on my bed in the fetal position from all the young adult news I've been bombarded with over the past 24hrs...movie deals, book deals, awesome sounding books getting lots of hype, the same ol same old.

I've got one cool story idea in the works and this blasted ms I have to edit. And yet I have no desire to do anything. What's the point? I'm just going to be stepped on anyway. My writing isn't strong enough for publishing, of course we know strong writing means only so much in this industry, but for a newb like me the only way I'll get noticed if I a) have a really commercial idea that endulges the worst of every teen girl/twi mom's impulses or b) have a great premise with really strong writing. I don't know if I have either.

So here I stand, finally free from school and staring at my laptop not knowing what to do next, and not having the will to try. Someone please talk me into a sunnier place...although I know this is the pit, please. I'm literally frozen right now.
 

kellion92

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(((Roly))) You just finished up. Give yourself time and space to recover.

"No winner" sadly gives the impression that no books were worthy, when I believe it meant that the voting committee had no provision to find a winner if the jurors were split. In general, I find plenty of books worthy that aren't nominated or considered for awards.

Last year, my reading was very heavy on MG and YA. I bet I only read 9 or 10 adult novels among 100-plus books I read last year. If you look at it another way, compared to the average person, 9 or 10 adult books in a year isn't all that bad!
 

Cricket18

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{{{Roly}}}

Can I make a suggestion? Stop reading social media, deals, etc. Even AW, if need be. I felt the same and at that point, shut down Twitter, deleted my Publisher's Lunch. Everything except the Pit.

Those deals are happening all the time and there's no need to be "up" on any of it. Just focus on you and your own writing.

Keep in mind, one of my favorite quotes: A life of comparison is a life of misery.
 

Amarie

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Roly, I think you should follow Cricket's advice. Think about what benefit you gain from social media. Is there any right now? If not, and it's just like hitting your hand with a hammer, then avoid.


gah! cranky today. someone who was supposed to call on Tuesday still hasn't called. it's that bend in time-space. Maybe it's still Tuesday in NY
 

Snappy

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{{{Roly}}}

Can I make a suggestion? Stop reading social media, deals, etc. Even AW, if need be. I felt the same and at that point, shut down Twitter, deleted my Publisher's Lunch. Everything except the Pit.

Those deals are happening all the time and there's no need to be "up" on any of it. Just focus on you and your own writing.

Keep in mind, one of my favorite quotes: A life of comparison is a life of misery.

All of this and (((Roly)))

(((Amarie))) Yes, NYC is the nexus of the universe. I don't know how this will play out for Steve and me. Bunker perhaps?
 

Teriann

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Thanks guys -- I had just assumed the committee didn't find any book worthy.

I don't read the PM deals either, except to research editors. I don't do twitter. The view of the world gets too distorted. (I do read the article links on PM because hey I'm an agent right?)

I like Cricket's quotation. No matter who you are, someone is doing better. ETA: I guess for someone in the world, that isn't true :)

I've been religiously reading Rusch and Smith because I liked their approach and insights, but this week they both shifted sides entirely and they say stay away from traditional publishing. I have actually respected many of their views because so many of their predictions have come true, so I feel a little off balance now.

ETA: Her blog has me really wondering -- what if she's right? After all these years holding traditional publishing as the measure of success, what if it isn't? Or what if soon it won't be?
 
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Amarie

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Teri, I read her blog too, but I thought it was more something she decided for her own career, not a general recommendation. I think at this point, people need to look all sorts of things, depending on what they write, how fast they write, and how much energy they have to do various aspects of it all, no matter what they choose.

I'm more concerned about what these legal settlements and payouts mean for the B6 budgets and how that's going to trickle down. What's going to be cut? It's not as if they were making huge profits before.
 

kellion92

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The B6 didn't act illegally for the sake their writers or the love of literature. They did it to protect their markets and increase profits for shareholders, which is the main goal of corporations. It's Am@zon's goal too.

It would be nice if the B6 responded by finding legal ways to earn profits and make want readers to pay a premium for their products. But if B6 writers, would-be writers, editors, and other employees suffer, it's because the shareholders must be paid first.

Both sides are fond of wringing in their hands and saying, "But think of the writers! The poor writers will suffer!" But for them, it's not about what's good for us. It's about what's good for them.
 

Teriann

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Amarie -- I don't think the payout is going to hurt them financially. If the allegations are true, all they are doing is giving back money they shouldn't have had anyway. They don't need to be earning 15.99 for an ebook. I don't think there was anything punitive in the amount, particularly if they settled.

I'm more worried about the publishers like HMH which have a large texbook divisions. Those divisions may start losing money simply because of all the changes -- what do you do when textbooks are all read on ereaders and new additions can be published with the touch of a button?

KR and DWS definitely depressed me this week. I read the story KR linked to, about Boyd Morrison. Sheesh. If he couldn't sell his book and got dumped by S and S, what hope is there for me?

It's very strange to watch things changing so quickly. The changes finally got to me, and got me thinking about how to measure success, or what I really want out of all of this. (I tried to change the thingy over my avatar to say, "What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?" but it wouldn't fit.)
 

ink wench

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(((Roly))) I think Cricket's advice is good. You cannot compare yourself to other writers. This isn't like school where grades (theoretically) can tell you who knew the material on the exam better. One person getting a deal versus another getting a 3-book deal and a film option versus another trunking a MS means nothing about who the better writer is. There's way too much out of our control. Comparisons are the path to madness.

And now Ink will stop being such a fucking hypocrite. :rolleyes:

Kellion, that is the inherent evil in big corporations, imo. They, by definition, cannot be for anything other than making more money by whatever means necessary. Anyone cheering the downfall of the B6 is only being laughed at by Am@z0n.

And now for a me me me whine... tucked into my revisions last night. Straightened out the whole twisted plot, realized I could put it back together the way agent lady suggested and that this *should* up the tension. BUT, there are a hundred ways to reassemble this jigsaw still. I outlined three of them last night, and I'm absolutely paralyzed now. I can't figure out which way will make the most sense. I'm not even sure it's possible unless I try them all and see how it flows, but that would be unbelievably time-consuming, which is why agent and I agreed an outline would be the best move. I'll be over the corner, curled up in a fetal position, sucking my thumb.
 

K. Taylor

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Teri, to quote my avatar:

"After two thousand years of art, literature, culture, and science...do you know the ONE song that nearly all humans sing to their children at some point or another?"

(sings the Hokey Pokey)

"It does not mean anything! I have been studying it for seven days. I had the computer analyze it. I swear to you. It does not mean A THING!"
 

K. Taylor

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Meanwhile, 50 Sh@des sold 2 million copies in the past 4 weeks according to the author's ABC interview. If you've got any lightBDSM or erotica ideas, now's the time, lol.
 

soulcascade

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Ink LOLOL!

Agreed, Cricket's advice is sound. Roly sometimes taking a break from writing helps too. There's no rush.

So remember that talk we had about being shat upon by birds yesterday? Well didn't I leave work to find my car COVERED with bird sh1t?? LOL It looked like 3 or 4 birds just landed on my car, got out a newspaper ('cause they were going to be there a while) and went to town. Oh man I laughed!! The freaking irony!!! :ROFL:

"Anyone cheering the downfall of the B6 is only being laughed at by Am@z0n." <- This exactly

((Ink)) I think you'll find your way, though. *hands Ink maggotini*
 

Amarie

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((((Ink))))

sounds like you should give it a day or two, maybe it will be more clear then. You sound like you've been really tired as well, and that may be making it tougher to choose.

Meanwhile, 50 Sh@des sold 2 million copies in the past 4 weeks according to the author's ABC interview. If you've got any lightBDSM or erotica ideas, now's the time, lol.


sadly, and not surprisingly, I have nothing even close. :)
My dead grandmothers, who sit on my shoulders, are getting vapors at the thought I'd even consider writing something that would fit.
 

Red-Green

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Inky, could you do like a paragraph style synopsis for each option and see how each on looks? Sure, it'd take some time, but not as much as rewriting the book three times...

Soul, congratulations on your bird strafing. Surely your car is going to have good luck now!

As for 50 Sh@des, it leaves me re-contemplating doing a Find/Replace on my kinky, violent, but wildly popular fanfic. I wrote the stupid thing on a dare and every week I get at least a dozen new "favorites" on it, even though it's been up like 4 years.
 

SteveCordero

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Mornin', Pit

{{{Soul}}}

{{{Roly}}}

{{{DVI}}} My only suggestion is chose the arc that makes life worse for your MC than the others. And, as a personal favorite, always chose the one with the highest body count. :D
 
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