The Daily Rejection

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Hathor

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Why am I feeling depressed, now that Janet Reid announced that she's made the first cut in the contest (91 of the original 410 entries are going to the second round)? She hasn't told anyone if they've made it. She's only going to announce the finalists, which will be the third or fourth round.

Remind me this is an odd-numbered day. Or perhaps, being April 1st, the normal rules don't apply.

I've been sitting here, cutting unnecessary words out of book three. For some reason, I write books initially in the 115,000 word range. To use a cliche, I realize I may be rearranging the Titanic's deck chairs. At least I'm keeping busy.

Maybe this work will teach me, for the next book, to avoid all my unnecessary words. I also have a great list, in case I ever have to pad my word count ;)

Oh, and way to go, Peggy!
 

Hathor

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Sort of frightening. I downloaded the free trial version of something called "ClicheCleaner" which is supposed to find the cliches and common phrases you use, plus personal phrases you repeat. (I'm unsure whether I would recommend it. You can't work directly in Word, nor can you apparently cut-and-paste the report into Word. But it's cheap.)

Anywho, my most overused phrases are: "I had no idea" and "I didn't know how to..." Is this program telling me something?
 

Carleree

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Hathor, When are you supposed to hear who made it to the next round? Or do you have to wait until she posts the finalists?

I swear agents like to keep us waiting. They get some kind of sick thrill out of torturing us hopeful authors.
 

Hathor

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Hathor, When are you supposed to hear who made it to the next round? Or do you have to wait until she posts the finalists?

I swear agents like to keep us waiting. They get some kind of sick thrill out of torturing us hopeful authors.

From what I can tell, she's only ever going to disclose the finalists. And that may be because she's decided to ask them questions and then post the answers. Now she's soliciting questions. I don't know that this will have anything to do with judging the merits of the manuscripts, however.

For your enjoyment, I found a video of your friend, Mr. Thomas, stumbling. A number of folks have posted the clip, but this version shows it in slow motion... Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWm2U65eBK4&feature=related
 

Hathor

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Forgot to mention -- if you search youtube for "Tim Thomas falls," you can find quite a few clips of different incidents.
 

Carleree

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From what I can tell, she's only ever going to disclose the finalists. And that may be because she's decided to ask them questions and then post the answers. Now she's soliciting questions. I don't know that this will have anything to do with judging the merits of the manuscripts, however.

For your enjoyment, I found a video of your friend, Mr. Thomas, stumbling. A number of folks have posted the clip, but this version shows it in slow motion... Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWm2U65eBK4&feature=related
Well, good luck with the contest. I just won the tri-wizard tournament in Harry Potter Legoland. It's a good day all around.

And I hadn't seen that clip. Fantastic.
icon12.gif
 

Hathor

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OK, I'll show my ignorance. What's a tri-wizard? My kids missed the whole Harry Potter thing.

I realize my comma placement was unfortunate. I didn't mean to imply you have one friend and that's Tim Thomas. :)

And about the contest...well, I haven't lost yet! I can dream for a while longer.
 

Carleree

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OK, I'll show my ignorance. What's a tri-wizard? My kids missed the whole Harry Potter thing.

I realize my comma placement was unfortunate. I didn't mean to imply you have one friend and that's Tim Thomas. :)

And about the contest...well, I haven't lost yet! I can dream for a while longer.

That's what my husband says about the lottery whenever he buys a ticket. Then he acts shocked that he didn't win. Seriously, the man is flabbergasted every freaking week. you'd think he'd clue into the odds, but he never does.

The tri-wizard tournament is a tournament between three wizards. I can't remember what I said before.

Off to the treadmill now. I like to keep the illusion that I'm fit.
 

Drachen Jager

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Wasn't it a tournament between the three major European Wizarding schools?
 

Carleree

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Yes, but only one wizard from each school was allowed to compete (the exception being Harry, the fourth wizard) so what I said is still correct.

Form rejection today, one I was thrilled to get. I'd sent the query before I read the writer beware thread here and there wasn't a lot of good said about the agency. Phew, dodged a bullet.
icon12.gif
 

Sydneyd

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Well, good luck with the contest. I just won the tri-wizard tournament in Harry Potter Legoland. It's a good day all around.

And I hadn't seen that clip. Fantastic.
icon12.gif

Why are you here and not out celebrating?
 

Hathor

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Just to make you feel better, Carleree -- I wanted to see Hendricks' shoot-out goal from last night, which for some reason is from a Canadian feed (rather than the guys I watched last night). Those announcers knew about the goal against Mr. Thomas. They said Hendricks "deked him out of his shorts."

That line was too good not to share with you. Or maybe this is some well-known Canadian saying ;)

Get better soon.
 

Carleree

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Deked him out of his shorts. Awesome.

And I'm going to guess that I was a serial killer in my previous life. That's the only thing I can think of to warrant such swift retribution from the Karma bitch.
 

Hathor

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If so, you should do your best to remember the details. I bet that story would sell. :D

I'm halfway trying to work the expression "deke him out of his shorts" into my book three. It actually might fit. But I don't know if I would be entitled (legally or morally) to use it. I'd hate to mess up my karma.

It might make a good title for a separate book, too. Not sure of the genre, though. Maybe self-help ;)
 

Hathor

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Depends on the genre Hathor.

What depends on the genre: ability to use the expression within a book or whether it makes for a good title?

Maybe it would make for a good chant for a hockey crowd. Has a nice rhythm to it.

I already have a deking metaphor in my book, but de-shortsing wasn't involved.
 

Carleree

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I've been so busy freaking about my sequel, I forgot to check Querytracker. Dream agent number 2 rejected 2 fulls today. Not mine. Yay? The two other writers submitted a week or so before I sent mine in. I guess she's catching up on her reading. *commences nail biting*
 
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