The Tenth Circle

callalily61 said:

Lily's Learning Experience for this week: Let the intense edit letter sit a full week.

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Lily, that's exactly what I did. My editorial letter came for ALIENATED, and although my editor's suggestions were brilliant, and I agreed with every proposed change, it felt overwhelming. So I gave myself permission to do nothing for several days, then I sat down and made a spreadsheet outlining the current chapters. I think that taking time to process the edits helped me not to freak out. (much).

Sorry about the blunt pass. :-(

Yay for fanmail! I got a fan PM over on another forum, but that would have been for a free eARC. I'm nervous to know what the book-buying public think...

Sure you'll be fine, Anne. *hugs*

*Sigh*

Anyone else ever have a crisis of confidence about book 2? What if it's not as good as the one they saw before they bought? What if it's an unholy hot mess? Should I add a couple of scenes with a character from first book (to set up for 3) even though they don't have huge amounts to do in this book? Does my plot even make sense? Ahhhh!

*gibbers*

*raises hand too* Also with book 3. I'm just not as confident in it as I was in the first two.

Same here! I didn't get any editorial feedback from AR after I submitted the full manuscript of book 1, perhaps because I'd already revised it several times (including once to their specifications). I still gave it another edit pass, though, before my official handover date, because I'm a perfectionist.

Book 2 OTOH is 1st/2nd draft, full of plot inconsistencies where I made stuff up as I went along in a desperate attempt to hit my deadline, so I'm very slightly dreading seeing my editor at Eastercon. Knowing him, he'll pretend it's rubbish just to wind me up, then say something terribly insightful that has me scurrying away to spend another couple of months fixing it

Just don't ask about Book 3...

Oh good, it isn't just me. Phew. Lol.

Though I feel a bit better after using the old faithful method of plotting - go for a nap. For some reason I get all my best ways out of plot problems just as I'm about to go to sleep. It's a million to one chance, but this plot just might work!

IRU - I do the same thing. That place between awake and asleep is where my best ideas come from. (the trick is remembering them after you wake up!)

I have been known to wake up in the morning with writing all over my arm because I couldn't find the paper on the bedside table at 3am...

Hi all. {{{sigh}}}

Despite my horoscope's rosy predictions for the month of March, not only have I not heard anything from my promising publishing contact, but I also got another day-job rejection the other day. (The one encouraging bit of news I got is that Publishing Contact has been on vacation for 3 weeks. This, from his sister, who was my initial reason for contacting him).

I am beginning to feel a certain malaise creeping in. I've let my Weight Watchers lapse a bit too in the wake of all this, and I'm starting to get discouraged. Despite the fact that everyone who has read my book #2 loves it.

I'm approaching 46 in July, and after several unsuccessful day job interviews, I'm starting to feel unemployable because of my age already (even though it's not necessarily true). Before 2009, there had never been a job I applied for that I did not get. I'm a kickass interviewee.

This scares the shit out of me, especially if I can't get the publishing thing happening either. Let me just end this post like this...

callalily61 said:

{{{Hip-Hop}}}

OL and I both had a few years on you when we debuted. Age has no bearing on publishing contracts. Much good luck on the job front. Mr. Lily is 59 and running into the same issue. Grr.

*sends a cute imp with a sharp pitchfork to "encourage" Publishing Contact*

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Thanks, sweetie.

I know it's not as big a deal for publishing. But there is the whole "needing a day job to keep eating" thing I'm more worried about for daily life in general. I'd just rather not go the Helen Hooven Santmeyer route if I can avoid it.

Thanks for the virtual poke for the vacationing fella. Loving the book so far. I like the Godzilla/Mothra screensaver. Nice touch.

I googled Helen Hooven Santmyer

I'm still none the wiser to the reference..

Anne: !!!
Lily: Ugh, I know the feeling. Just don't circle for too long, okay? Small doses and lots of inducements to get yourself through.
Hip-Hop: Hang in there. Sending you all my good-luck vibes.

Finally heard back from my agents on my proposal/sample chapter. They think it's overwritten (gulp) but overall like it and now want me to outline the entire book. My response: OHMYGODICAN'TDOTHISOHMYGODOHMYGOD. Which means I need to chill, and then do it. Outlining a book that hasn't been fully researched yet is nervewracking to say the least, much less figuring out the best structure for the damn thing! Anyway, my deadline is end of next week, so here goes nothing....

erinbee said:

Anne: !!!
Lily: Ugh, I know the feeling. Just don't circle for too long, okay? Small doses and lots of inducements to get yourself through.
Hip-Hop: Hang in there. Sending you all my good-luck vibes.

Finally heard back from my agents on my proposal/sample chapter. They think it's overwritten (gulp) but overall like it and now want me to outline the entire book. My response: OHMYGODICAN'TDOTHISOHMYGODOHMYGOD. Which means I need to chill, and then do it. Outlining a book that hasn't been fully researched yet is nervewracking to say the least, much less figuring out the best structure for the damn thing! Anyway, my deadline is end of next week, so here goes nothing....

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Permit me to OMG along with you. I've done that once. I never what to do it again. However, it looks like you have a premium publisher, which means: yes, you can chill and do it.

Tri

Thanks, Tri. I don't have a second book deal (only a first refusal clause in my contract), but I am optimistic, mainly out of blind enthusiasm but also because something in this idea is niggling at and bugging me.

Awesome, Lil!

Ok, gonna do a little venting here, 'cause y'all can appreciate my circumstances.

Basically, my writerly confidence has taken a huge hit in the past few months. My sales are not nearly what I always hoped they would be, the Rockstar is "fairly certain" they're not going to want to continue my series. I no longer have any faith at all in book 3 to not suck. Really, I feel like it's going to be the nail in my career coffin.

All this is hampering my ability to prepare the new series books that I have. Rockstar wants me to get stuff prettied up so we have something to offer immediately if/when the JJD series is dropped. But I keep looking at this thing, wondering what if it also sucks, and I just don't know it yet? What if I only had one good series in me, and I totally failed at that too?

And to top it all off, I feel like admitting all this is also a failure on my part somehow. Like authors are always supposed to be confident in their work and enthusiastic about their creations, and right now, I'm just not.

I'ma go mope in the corner.