The Kidlit Gang's Support and Accountability Thread

Britwriter

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Juggling lots of projects and business stuff here. It's all fun, exciting, and necessary, but I'm looking forward to getting some of it out the way so I can focus on more 'real' writing.

Started a rewrite of the start of ISAAC NEWTON AND THE PINK TUTU this week, and so far, I really, really like where it's heading. (Thanks Joy!!)

Organizing book-signings takes up so much time, but it's really exciting and fun. Like, the other side of this writing rainbow! With schools about to finish for the summer, I'm hoping I will get some more time soon to get back to other projects, and finish the work on Isaac Newton.

I never have a problem with self-discipline for writing, so I don't need systems to make me focus and spend time working. What I need is more hours in the day! There is always something going on that steals away time. I love all those 'extra curriculars', like kids theater, but it means I'm constantly spinning plates to get everything done.

Now, if I could have someone take over the house cleaning, yard work and laundry, I'd have much more time for fun stuff...............
 

heza

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This is mostly just a vent.

I had this big plan to start writing in the evenings more. I broke up my Word document into individual chapters in preparation. This was necessary because I transfer it to my tablet a lot to write in the car or whatever, and the long file is too cumbersome.

The second step was getting a good office chair. I had to take my chair to work-work because I couldn't get them to provide me one that fit. So at home, I was using a kitchen chair, and that didn't work out. I have severe back problems (getting a steroid injection tomorrow, actually).

So Saturday, we went special to Office Depot and I sat in all the chairs and the SO was all, "Whichever one is going to make you the most productive with the least amount of pain. Don't even look at the price." So I picked out a really nice one, and it was awesome, and I was very excited....

And then Sunday night, I sliced my hand open trying to cut up a stupid avocado. SO took me to the ER and got me stitched up. But now my hand hurts, and it's really difficult to type. (I've been hunting and pecking out this post, and it's taken forever.)

I'm just bummed I can't use my new chair....
:(
 

Laura J

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So sorry Heza. That stinks. I hope you heal soon.

I'm revising, still.
 

Laura J

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I'm doing an overview read and I've found that most of the middle needs to be cut. It is blah and boring and I can do better. Glad I can recognize it now. It's eh. Back to work!
 

SheilaJG

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I went out for a bike ride this morning, came back an hour and a half later and found that my house had been robbed. Computers, jewelry, etc, all gone. I am beyond distraught. I'm typing on my phone as I try to figure out when I last backed up my work. My photos, etc. arg.

Back up your work, people. And don't exercise, it's not as good for you as people say.
 

JoyMC

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Sheila, nooooooo!!!! I am so sorry. Growing up, our house was robbed three times. It is just the most awful, icky feeling. I am so, so, so incredibly sorry it happened to you.

Heza, so sorry about the the hand! But you'll still get to use the chair. Good for you for making a commitment to your writing. I hope you feel better soon.

Laura, good for you for recognizing the necessary revisions! Have at it.

I haven't been posting because I haven't wanted to whine, but it's all I've wanted to do. The Phone Call Agent is taking forever and a day to read the requested revision I sent her, so I'm just beyond cranky. I'm continuing to work on the other revision, though, AND I did complete a first draft of a new MG contemp which will now sit and simmer while I muddle through revision-land.

Sheila, again, I'm so sorry. I hope you didn't lose too much of your work and that your kids and everyone are not too deeply affected by the ickiness of the situation. Hugs to you.
 

Laura J

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So sorry Shelia. Glad you are safe. Being robbed is really hard. I hope you get back to a good place soon.

My hard drive crashed. I panicked and then relaxed because I have auto back up. Carbonite. So worth the $60. I'm writing on a net book, that isn't backed up, but I send it to myself daily. Auto back up with auto pay= peace of mind.
 

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OMG, Sheila, how horrible. Good luck with recovering everything. And Heza, ouch... sorry about your injury.

So proud of my son! We attended his graduation at Washington University today. He needs a few more elective credits to get his diploma, but he has fulfilled all his requirements in his major (electrical engineering) so he got to be in the ceremony, and he received the David Levy award for Engineering Design Excellence.

The graduates looked unbelievably young. It's hard to believe they have finished school and are launching their adult lives. As the commencement speaker, Newark mayor Cory Booker, said, "Behind every successful child is an astonished parent."
 

SheilaJG

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Thanks Joy, Laura and Ruth. It is an icky feeling. Plus, i had cookies cooling on the counter and they didn't touch them. that hurt my feelings.

Joy, the waiting in this business is the worst, it's great that you are keeping yourself productive with new projects. I hope you hear something soon!

Heza, I'm sorry I didn't wish you a speedy recovery from your injury.

Ruth- congrats to your son! And to you, too.
 

Smish

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Sheila! I'm so sorry, but I'm glad you and the family are all safe. Don't be upset about the cookies; I'm sure the burglars only have eyes for meth or crack or heroin. :Hug2:

{{{Heza}}}

Hooray, Ruth! Congrats to both you and your son! :D
 

heza

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Thanks for all the well wishes, guys. I really appreciate it. I would have said so sooner, but they put me out for my steroid shot, and I was loopy and lethargic all weekend. My hand made some significant improvement over the weekend. It was all just kind of the same and then suddenly got better (as did the tennis ball-sized welt where they gave me the tetnus shot). Now, the stitches are hurting more than anything else, and it's all itchy. We're thinking about getting them taken out tomorrow. *crosses fingers*

Has anyone ever taken stitches out at home?

Sheila, ((hugs)). I am so sorry to hear about you being robbed. That's awful. I hope you guys recover quickly and can still feel safe. I totally would have eaten your cookies.

Congratulate your son for me Ruth! What an accomplishment!

Joy, I hope you've heard something from the agent! If not, hang in there. Congrats on getting that next contemp. draft down in the meantime. Very productive!

Laura, I'm glad you found a place to improve. I know you'll make the new version kick butt.
 

Spiral

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Heza, I have taken out my husband's stitches on more than one occasion. It's not that hard, just important that the tools are sterile. Hope that you are feeling even more improved today.

Sheila, so sorry to hear about the robbery! Scary. Glad you are safe.



I came back to this thread because I actually wrote stuff today. 1200 words of a new first chapter for my wip. This is a very big deal for me, because it's the first I've really written in a long, long time. Most of those words will have to be fixed, but hey, it's a start.
 

heza

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Spiral... does your husband get stitches a lot? :Wha:

We decided to go to the 24-hr clinic. It was only a $50 copay, so not so bad, and we were afraid none of our scissors were dainty enough to get close enough to the skin without pulling on the stitches.

It's sort of gross now. The bottom half has healed up, but the top half of it is still gaping. I'm just wearing the little butterflies on it, but it sort of scares me. I'm worried about tearing it back open, and I'm not sure how far I can push it.

Anyway, we're having a serious discussion at home about me possibly switching to a self-publishing strategy. It's been an interesting conversation, but there's so much I don't know about it.

Good job on the writing, Spiral! It's great to see you getting back to it!
 

Spiral

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Well, he has this really bad habit of hurting himself, lol. It hasn't happened recently, but I've taken stitches out of him three times and once out of myself. But, here's the thing. The first time I took them out of him, the nurse who had stitched him up gave me a sterilized pair of little scissors in a sealed plastic bag to use so we didn't have to go back. I kept them and just boiled them the other times.

Be careful with it, for sure, if part is still gaping open. Mostly I'd be worried about keeping it clean. I'm sure it will heal up fine for you, but if you get dirt in it as it is healing it could get infected, and then they'd have to open it up again. The time I had to get stitches was for a dog bite, and they had to stitch loosely because of the potential for infection. Yuck.

I don't know much about self-pub, but good luck, whatever you decide! I'm sure you are doing your research, and probably know much more about it than I do, so I don't really have any advice to offer! I know there are a few other MGers around here who have gone that route.

And thanks! Today I've printed out what I wrote, triple spaced, and I'm going to sit out on my porch and try to edit it into some semblance of a good scene!
 

Britwriter

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Sheila, I'm just catching up, and I'm so sorry about the robbery. How horrible that must be. :(

And wow, I'd be offended about the cookies, too! Good that you can retain some sense of humor, though.

Sorry, I'm too squeamish to read about wounds and stitches, so, will just say commiserations for anyone injured in any way. :)
 

DanielaTorre

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So is no one supporting or being accountable for any of their writing lately???? :D

Come on! There's got to be news! Me? Well, I'm 6K in to me next MG fantasy and it's so different from my last. Super fun nonetheless. My MC's got sass and it's first person which I've never done before. My last ms just got back from a beta and is almost there, but I need to raise the stakes! I have ideas, people. IDEAS! I'll hopefully get to the revisions early next month.

So here goes my question:

Is anyone querying in the next couple of months? We're already in August and I had hoped to be querying by now, but I've been set back for several reasons. Is there like a recommended cut-off time to query before the holidays? I heard September or October because of the obvious year-end holidays. I wouldn't want to rush my ms (been taking my sweet time to get it right), but I would also hate to start next year.

Hello to everyone!!!
 

Laura J

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I'd hoped to be querying before my birthday on the 18th, but decided to start a new one instead. I'm going to push this last revision and try and get it out there.

Is there a sweet time of year? I didn't know that. Ugh, so much to learn.

My YA is in 1st, totally new for me. I have two started and can't choose which to work on. Doing both isn't working for me. I'm losing my voice for each and switching POV. I do not have the skills for that.

I have to choose. Not a Sophie kind of choice, but it means cutting one loose for now. They are both such fun.

I'm about 8k into both and both are plotted. My other choice is to work on editing the Faery Thief where I need to rewrite and change to a dual POV.

Daniela I think you may have suggested adding the faery's POV and I'm working on that now. I'm taking all of the scenes that seem awkward and blah and giving those to the faery. So, thanks for that. But such an undertaking, a major rewrite.

I'd much rather play with my shiny new toys, er, stories. I have so many ideas, I can't get them all out. My spark book overflow-eth.
 

DanielaTorre

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I'd hoped to be querying before my birthday on the 18th, but decided to start a new one instead. I'm going to push this last revision and try and get it out there.

Is there a sweet time of year? I didn't know that. Ugh, so much to learn.

Typically, what I've heard is that agents stop taking queries sometime around November because of Thanksgiving and right through Christmas and the new year. I think there might be a flood of queries because people want to get their ideas in before the holidays too. Besides, if I were an agent, I wouldn't want to get bombarded with work during family time. I'm interested to see if anyone knows or has experience with this issue.

My YA is in 1st, totally new for me. I have two started and can't choose which to work on. Doing both isn't working for me. I'm losing my voice for each and switching POV. I do not have the skills for that.

I have to choose. Not a Sophie kind of choice, but it means cutting one loose for now. They are both such fun.

I had a rocky start with first person POV. I've never done it before. The description is so narrow as you can only describe and react to what he/she sees.But the deeper I get and the more I get to know my MC, the easier it becomes. I'v found that the most important thing about writing first person is to know your MC. If you don't know your MC, then you're going to have a terrible time finding a "voice". Luckily I knew who my character was the moment he opened his mouth.

Also, pick the one that calls to you the most!

I'm about 8k into both and both are plotted. My other choice is to work on editing the Faery Thief where I need to rewrite and change to a dual POV.

Daniela I think you may have suggested adding the faery's POV and I'm working on that now. I'm taking all of the scenes that seem awkward and blah and giving those to the faery. So, thanks for that. But such an undertaking, a major rewrite.

Laura, remember to do what you feel comfortable doing. It would be interesting to have dual POVs, but only if you can envision it that way.

I'd much rather play with my shiny new toys, er, stories. I have so many ideas, I can't get them all out. My spark book overflow-eth.

It's always easier to start a new exciting story than to continue plodding along with a current one. Just remember to jot down all you ideas for the shiny new one so you won't forget them, but finish the one you're working on. I have other ideas I want to get to, but I can only handle one at a time.
 

Laura J

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Laura, remember to do what you feel comfortable doing. It would be interesting to have dual POVs, but only if you can envision it that way.

.

Honestly, I think that is what is missing. The reader will want to hear from the faery when she wakes up. I'm excited to write in her voice. She is so different than the MC, she will add such dimension. Readers can find out about the fae world without having to info dump.

I'm leaning towards finishing that rewrite.

First person is hard for me. I'm just going to take my time and learn by reading. I like it quite a lot and think it is right for the story because when I rewrote two chapters in 3rd,it didn't feel the same. Just need to learn more. Lots more.
 

JoyMC

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Daniela, I would strongly suggest you begin querying when your manuscript is ready, absolutely regardless of the time of year. There's always something. Summer is dead slow. Holidays are bad. It's time for BEA/Bologna/whatever other big publishing event. And the fact is, most agents keep their queries separate from other emails and you're just getting in line. Just because you send it now or December 25th does not mean the agent is going to get to it that day (usually). So you get in line as soon as you can.

Some agents stop taking queries around the holidays. Some read more around then. But they don't care when you send your queries.

I will be querying in the fall (assuming I haven't yet heard from The Slowest Agent in the World). So, you know, I'll see you in the trenches. ;)

I'm sending my manuscript out to some CP's this week.
 

DanielaTorre

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Daniela, I would strongly suggest you begin querying when your manuscript is ready, absolutely regardless of the time of year. There's always something. Summer is dead slow. Holidays are bad. It's time for BEA/Bologna/whatever other big publishing event. And the fact is, most agents keep their queries separate from other emails and you're just getting in line. Just because you send it now or December 25th does not mean the agent is going to get to it that day (usually). So you get in line as soon as you can.

Some agents stop taking queries around the holidays. Some read more around then. But they don't care when you send your queries.

I will be querying in the fall (assuming I haven't yet heard from The Slowest Agent in the World). So, you know, I'll see you in the trenches. ;)

I'm sending my manuscript out to some CP's this week.

Oh, I plan to. LOL. Fall sounds good and I hope to be able to sometime in October if all goes well. It's scary. If I apply the changes I'm thinking of making, I think it will change the MC's goal, and thus, the query. I really need to whip that thing into shape. So far I revised little tidbits then made a list of things that need working on. I may just start tackling those things this weekend. Got a lot of work to do.

Good luck on your CP. I'm sure he/she will have great things to say. Also, good luck with querying. Hope to see you in the slushpile.

ETA: I found this wonderful article on Kidlit.com that talks about the worst times to query. It's a little dated, but still wise. Of course, it's obvious that holidays are a no-no, but I had no idea that some of it had to do with agents getting flooded with NaNoWriMo submissions. Here's the link for anyone who wants to read: http://kidlit.com/2009/11/25/what-time-of-year-do-i-query/.

One thing that caught my attention from said article was this, regarding August querying:

"...Finally, there’s a partially-true myth about publishing shutting down in the month of August. While some editors report working just as hard as ever in the late summer, it is usually true that not a lot of business gets done around that time. Agents are also using this lull to catch up and read manuscripts and get affairs in order, so queries are usually put off."

Granted, this is a 2009 article, but it's something to think about.
 
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heza

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I haven't been very accountable or supportive lately. Sorry, guys!

I'm feel like I'm being pulled in a million directions. Getting married in September and closing on a house in December. I know 2 and 5 months, respectively, seem like long lead times, but there's just so much to do to get ready for it. I'm excited though. Two things I'm very much looking forward to, but it sort of feels like everything's on hold until they happen, you know?

what I'm really looking forward to (possibly even more than getting married) is getting to decorate my new office, which one be an office/guest room/craft room/exercise room/dog playroom/box trash storage. It's just my office, decorated any way I want. I've decided I want to get crafty and blog my creations. The SO is even going to let me take up pyrography.

Work is busy. We totally shifted product focus, so I'm supposed to finish what I'm doing ASAP and change gears, which is just... blegh. Working nights and weekends trying to get it all done.

And wouldn't you know, the stories that wouldn't speak to me for the last several months are suddenly screaming for attention. And two of them are vying for my focus--and neither is the one I'd decided to put all my efforts toward. That makes me feel more than a little frustrated with myself.

Good luck with getting ready for query, Daniella. Good luck with your critique, Joy. Good luck with your YA, Laura. I'm sort of in the middle of a YA, too.
 

DanielaTorre

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I haven't been very accountable or supportive lately. Sorry, guys!

I'm feel like I'm being pulled in a million directions. Getting married in September and closing on a house in December. I know 2 and 5 months, respectively, seem like long lead times, but there's just so much to do to get ready for it. I'm excited though. Two things I'm very much looking forward to, but it sort of feels like everything's on hold until they happen, you know?

what I'm really looking forward to (possibly even more than getting married) is getting to decorate my new office, which one be an office/guest room/craft room/exercise room/dog playroom/box trash storage. It's just my office, decorated any way I want. I've decided I want to get crafty and blog my creations. The SO is even going to let me take up pyrography.

Work is busy. We totally shifted product focus, so I'm supposed to finish what I'm doing ASAP and change gears, which is just... blegh. Working nights and weekends trying to get it all done.

And wouldn't you know, the stories that wouldn't speak to me for the last several months are suddenly screaming for attention. And two of them are vying for my focus--and neither is the one I'd decided to put all my efforts toward. That makes me feel more than a little frustrated with myself.

Good luck with getting ready for query, Daniella. Good luck with your critique, Joy. Good luck with your YA, Laura. I'm sort of in the middle of a YA, too.

Wow. You're really busy! Congrats on the marriage and house! That's a huge step. It's scary and exciting all the same time.

I find that creativity flows when one as at their busiest. I suppose (vouching for myself at least) that writing is a defense mechanism, as well as a stress reliever. So it's no surprise that your brain wants to go to that safe place, especially if that safe place involves other worlds with interesting people and places. Ah, imagination... *deep nostalgic sigh*