What Are YOU So Worried About?

I'm worried about gamma ray bursts at the moment. Also superinfluenza pandemics and theocracies.

Other than that, I'm cool.

1. I'm worried that when I hear back from the agent who has my partial, it'll be a rejection.
2. I'm worried that my query sucks.
3. I'm worried I'll never get around to writing another book at the rate I'm going.

I'm worried that my first novel, which I am rewriting at the moment, will have strong writing but will fall flat in the plot and characterization departments and fall by the wayside, like so many authors' trunked early novels.

I'm worried I'll be 70 or 80 years old before I'm published.

Edit: At least I'll still look 23...

Lmc71775 said:

Cause there ain't nothing that can top mine!

Click to expand...

Pft. You have an agent, you have less to worry about than most.

1. I'm worried that my webcomic is sucking the energy out of my novel writing. The novel's still on schedule, it just doesn't feel like I have much momentum. (Although I've noticed that every book loses momentum around the 50,000 word mark.)

2. I'm worried that I'm so terminally weird that I'll never get an agent and never get a publisher, because the industry does not take risks on people like me.

Those are the two big worries right now. There are little ones (I'm worried that agents and publishers are forcing predatory contracts on new authors), but they're worries for my future, not for the present.

I'm worried that no one will be able to see beyond my sucky business writing skills to request a partial or full. It's really hard for me to write query letters. There are all those warnings floating around that they (the letters) shouldn't be too casual, but my books are VERY casual because *I* am. Going from reading one of my letters to reading my books is probably like going from a cold pool into a hot tub.

I'm worried that none of the novel ideas sloshing around in my head are really 'taking', if you know what I mean.

For my WIP, I'm worried that people will think my MC has not suffered enough.

For the completed novel, I'm afraid of the same thing, but because the book ends very differently than it starts I'm worried people will give up before they get to parts they like, or be disappointed with the end because they liked the first part.

I'm worried that once I hear back from the two agents who have my first two books and they tell me they're passing, that I'll have to go back into query hell again. (After a crushing period of depression.)

Zombies.

I'm worried at my WIP has only 20k words and I'm about halfway through with the story. That will be much too short for YA! Ugh.

And I'm worried that my blog posts aren't good or interesting since I seem to have a good number of followers but rarely get comments on the posts.

I'm worried that my epic fantasy novel will not turn out the way I have envisioned it due to my writing skill...or lack there of.

I'm worried that while I have my head buried in two works, somebody will steal my saxophone.

leahzero said:

Zombies.

Click to expand...

That's what I was going to say.

I'm also worried that my agent won't be able to sell my book, and that she won't like my next book.

I am worried about failing about being a writer. Worried that people will not like my books. Worried about whether my projects are good enough to catch an agents attention. Worried that I am going to fail at my new shop, and that no writer will like any of my writing shirts, and things that I designed specifically with writers in mind. I worry a lot as you can tell, but venting my worries did help. Thank you for starting the thread about worries.

I'm worried that I'm going to start submitting my novel too early.

Or that I've actually spent too long fussing over it and could have started submitting a long time ago.

I'm worried that the mystery aspect of the plot won't be satisfying to readers.

I'm worried that, even after 7+ drafts, I still haven't managed to write the book I wanted to write. Maybe I'll feel differently after I can take some time away from it and read it with fresh eyes. Maybe I'll feel differently after I have beta readers, too.

Oh, and I'm worried that I'm totally useless at social networking. I used to have a BIG social network, about 4 years ago. Then I disappeared from the Internet in order to work on my novel. I wish I had stayed around, even in just a peripheral way. Now I feel like I'm facing a mountain, trying to gain back some of those old contacts and trying to make new ones. The worst part is, I realized -- too late -- that so many of those people really were my friends, and I feel so bad that I went hermit on them. I miss them.

Okay, something good! I've made a lot of progress on my novel in the past 2 weeks, and my alpha readers (my husband and my crit group) keep hounding me about when they'll be able to read the rest!

I'm worried I'll swirl around in this plot hole until it sucks me into the netherworld.

Oh yeah. Something positive. Uh, . . . my coffee is hot.

I don't think I've ever disagreed with you, Maryn, but there's always a first. I have an older son I'm worried about, health-wise, right now. I have other worries too. But let's get back to writing, which this thread is about. (It's not in Office Party, but Novels.)

I'm worried about my next novel. I've started it three times, and just can't get into what or who it's about. Pages one through five, three times. Ugh.

I'm worried that I won't be able to revise my ms to my agent's liking.

And zombies. Always zombies.

But, um, on the bright side, I'm learning all kinds of interesting editing tips. And at least I finally finished the damn thing and am able to go back and edit it.

You all worry too much.