doo doo...doo doo...doo doo...doo doo
I figured that was my cue, given one of my areas of goddessdom.
The Daily Rejection
- Thread starter Devil Ledbetter
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doo doo...doo doo...doo doo...doo doo
I figured that was my cue, given one of my areas of goddessdom.
Are you thinking Jaws? I figured that was more:
Bump bump............ Bump bump........ Bump bump buh buh bump bump......
Or maybe The Thing?
Dum dum........ Dum dum........ Dum dum........ Dum dum... (that's what you get when the director composes his own music).
Nope, I was thinking Twilight Zone. What music did you think I was giving you for your hockey game, Carleree?
Hathor: Jaws. Or maybe that's what I was hearing on my own and I projected it on you.
I have a writing question, fellow rejectees. My beta read my sequel and had lots of praise. And lots of complaints. She said the pacing was off. Now let me explain. The second book in 10k longer than the first because there is a lot more going on. Her complaint was mostly that there were a ton of cliffhangers in the frist half and it was all resolved in the second half. She didn't like having to wait so long to find out the answers to her questions. But I thought cliffhangers were a good thing. Am I wrong? I mean she read the 40 chapters in one go, so the pacing couldn't be that off, right?
Her other complaints were based on personal preferences and when I gave her an example of a similar book, she told me she hated that book. So that is definite subjectivity and I could, essentially, ignore those comments. I happen to love the book I mentioned to her.
Her suggestion for the pacing was to group several chapters together in the beginning to make it seem shorter. But even if I did that, it's the same number of pages. How does that change anything? I'm thinking it doesn't.
What was most interesting about her crit, was when she was sending me chunks of chapters she'd read in the beginning, the pacing wasn't a problem. She even said it had really picked up at a very early point in the book. When she was done, she changed her mind. I'm guessing because the last half of the book reads like a rollercoaster. It's very emotional and you're definitely turning pages fast. Ugh. I'm so confused.
Unfortunately, my other beta readers, the ones I usually count on are not an option this time around. My usual beta number one can't read until the middle of next month. Beta number two is no longer writing or reading, and beta number three is very ill. I tried finding new beta readers, but the last one I worked with never sent me her end crit. She just dropped off the earth with my book.
Oh well. Enough panicking for one night. I'm going to go yell at my tv and pray for a win.
I have a writing question, fellow rejectees. My beta read my sequel and had lots of praise. And lots of complaints. She said the pacing was off. Now let me explain. The second book in 10k longer than the first because there is a lot more going on. Her complaint was mostly that there were a ton of cliffhangers in the frist half and it was all resolved in the second half. She didn't like having to wait so long to find out the answers to her questions. But I thought cliffhangers were a good thing. Am I wrong? I mean she read the 40 chapters in one go, so the pacing couldn't be that off, right?
Her other complaints were based on personal preferences and when I gave her an example of a similar book, she told me she hated that book. So that is definite subjectivity and I could, essentially, ignore those comments. I happen to love the book I mentioned to her.
Her suggestion for the pacing was to group several chapters together in the beginning to make it seem shorter. But even if I did that, it's the same number of pages. How does that change anything? I'm thinking it doesn't.
What was most interesting about her crit, was when she was sending me chunks of chapters she'd read in the beginning, the pacing wasn't a problem. She even said it had really picked up at a very early point in the book. When she was done, she changed her mind. I'm guessing because the last half of the book reads like a rollercoaster. It's very emotional and you're definitely turning pages fast. Ugh. I'm so confused.
Unfortunately, my other beta readers, the ones I usually count on are not an option this time around. My usual beta number one can't read until the middle of next month. Beta number two is no longer writing or reading, and beta number three is very ill. I tried finding new beta readers, but the last one I worked with never sent me her end crit. She just dropped off the earth with my book.
Oh well. Enough panicking for one night. I'm going to go yell at my tv and pray for a win.
Hmmm. I can look at it? Some people are very different in that they want everything answered right away, and some people are willing to hang on for the ride.
Why would you associate Jaws music with a situation where, ominously, nothing is happening (silent inbox)? Or with your hockey team, unless you are a fan of San Jose? Is this music played at your home games or something?
Or maybe you associate me with a shark? The Query Shark, whose contest I entered, perhaps? Or my personality? In a previous life, I was given the nickname of Mad Dog (which I actually liked). Hey, maybe that explains the mystery dog cages that UPS kept wanting to deliver a few weeks ago. Someone from my past is sending a message...
Oh well, you guys won, I see. And Buffalo lost, which means my Caps are back into 8th place and playoff position. (However, I really, really hated pulling for Pittsburgh last night).
Oops, my "really" addiction is oozing out again...
About your book two -- did you just finish it and shoot it off to the beta, without substantial revision? Or is this something that you've spent some time looking over and reworking?
The advice I've read is that it's good to let any new, finished draft one sit for a few weeks. Do something else. Then come back and read it with fresh eyes.
Another piece of advice (maybe from the Uncle Jim thread) -- Betas are always right about something being wrong. But they often aren't right about what is wrong or how to fix it. I don't know that I would go this far. However, I try to take any piece of advice about my writing -- no matter how much I may disagree with it -- and let it percolate in my brain for a while. Then I reread my work. I've made good revisions even when I've disagreed with the advice. (Even after telling the betas I've disagreed -- I'm working hard to be better with that, but it's a struggle.
)It doesn't make any sense to me that lumping chapters together would change the pacing, unless you have someone who reads a chapter and stops and does something else.
I wonder if what happened is that your beta read the first part of your book and had some vision of what would happen in the second -- then something else happened and she was disappointed. Her dislike of a book you like may indicate this is the case. If so, you may need to thank her for her comments, but not make any changes. She wants a completely different kind of book that the one you wanted to write. (Reminds me of my older sister's comments on my writing... not that I ever asked her to read any of it.
)You can't please everyone. I think I posted a link a while ago with bad reviews of classic literature. Get different opinions, preferably from those who read a lot in your genre. I'd offer to read, but I haven't read Young Adult for decades (if ever). I would want your sweet protag to start obsessing sexually, flinging f-bombs, and drinking Scotch.
Hathor,
I had let this one sit for a couple weeks and edited before I sent it to her. I'm dyslexic, so editing is especially hard for me. I see so many scrambled up things my eyes and brain just fix it for me without my fingers touching the keyboard. I never see missed words or typos. Beta number one knew that and was reading for those.
I did some real thinking about the MS last night. I printed out the outlines for both books and highlighted subplot resolution chapters in the beginning of the book so I could see if I really had left too many cliffhangers to the end. Not so. I resolved three subplots in the first half of the book. They just weren't the ones the beta wanted resolved-which makes her opinion subjective and not objective. I'm not changing the first half of the book. Not until at least two people tell me they had the same problem.
That being said, she had some good suggestions and concrete ideas for what she felt was missing from the book. I stayed up till 2:30 last night writing more of those chapters and switching some things around for dramatic effect.
I think you're right that betas are always right about something being wrong, but not necessarily right about what is wrong. She was a great beta reader and a good friend. She's not upset at all that I didn't agree with her on every suggestion and she wants to read it again later. That's enough for me
I had let this one sit for a couple weeks and edited before I sent it to her. I'm dyslexic, so editing is especially hard for me. I see so many scrambled up things my eyes and brain just fix it for me without my fingers touching the keyboard. I never see missed words or typos. Beta number one knew that and was reading for those.
I did some real thinking about the MS last night. I printed out the outlines for both books and highlighted subplot resolution chapters in the beginning of the book so I could see if I really had left too many cliffhangers to the end. Not so. I resolved three subplots in the first half of the book. They just weren't the ones the beta wanted resolved-which makes her opinion subjective and not objective. I'm not changing the first half of the book. Not until at least two people tell me they had the same problem.
That being said, she had some good suggestions and concrete ideas for what she felt was missing from the book. I stayed up till 2:30 last night writing more of those chapters and switching some things around for dramatic effect.
I think you're right that betas are always right about something being wrong, but not necessarily right about what is wrong. She was a great beta reader and a good friend. She's not upset at all that I didn't agree with her on every suggestion and she wants to read it again later. That's enough for me
Sounds like you're on the right track. As those pesky agents keep telling us, this is a subjective business.
No rejections to report (I think I might just have 1-2 queries out at this point, gotta get back to it). But I didn't win the Mega, so logging it as a rejection.
Paul
Banned
I'll allow it, Nova. And I'm the Queen so everyone has to listen to me.
Zero rejections for me this week. Not sure that's a good thing. Maybe they're considering? Why would they wait, though? The other full requests I got came fast.
Zero rejections for me this week. Not sure that's a good thing. Maybe they're considering? Why would they wait, though? The other full requests I got came fast.
I'll allow it, Nova. And I'm the Queen so everyone has to listen to me.
Zero rejections for me this week. Not sure that's a good thing. Maybe they're considering? Why would they wait, though? The other full requests I got came fast.
Then I've racked up two rejections
Phew. Happiness back in the queendom. I'm off to watch a hockey game.
And mine just finished. Another shootout, another win. And the Sabres lost, too.
However, I'm distressed this was the fifth game this month we've blown a two goal lead. Why can't anything be easy?
But compare our team's records. I think I'm entitled to bitch a bit more. We've won the division the last four years, and this year we could very well miss the playoffs altogether.
At least our best player has finally returned after missing 40 games due to a concussion.
On the other hand ...
While shootouts are nervewracking, we've got this guy who's developed this way of deking and deking to the point the goalie doesn't know what to do. They've started calling him "The Paralyzer." He doesn't score many regular goals, but watching him in SOs is fun. (From the Bruins game -- the first Capital:
http://video.capitals.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=32&id=168651) I particularly like how angry the Bruins' goalie is. Unfortunately, the clip doesn't show his exit from the ice. He was so kerfuffled he fell down.)
Agreed, you have more right to complain.
Excellent link, too. I love that goal. Mostly because I hate Tim Thomas.
Excellent link, too. I love that goal. Mostly because I hate Tim Thomas.
Agreed, you have more right to complain.
Excellent link, too. I love that goal. Mostly because I hate Tim Thomas.
The man was angry, although I'm not sure if it was at himself, the Caps, or the fates.
I wish the link would have included the slo-mo version of the goal they showed in the post-game show. My husband's not a hockey fan (nobody's perfect, I guess), but even he appreciated the goal. It looks like Thomas was so confused or jerked around he simply fell over.
I'll allow it, Nova. And I'm the Queen so everyone has to listen to me.
Thank you Queen Carleree. Sydneyd, I'll use your rule to inspire me to actually send out more queries! I've been neglecting it as I work on the second.
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