The Next Circle of Hell, Vol. 2

With regards to writing techniques, I write in a very linear fashion, but I do have character conversations or (what I think are )particularly good lines scrawled in every notepad in the house, shopping dockets in the car, and on sticky notes (both on screen and physical), which then guide certain scenes.

Fucshia, one of the MS I have on sub is two different timelines, over 100 years apart. I wrote the POV's as two individual books, because the 'voice' needed to be so different for each of the female MC's, then interspersed the chapters. Easy enough for the first half, just needed to provide little clues paralleling the story lines, but became more difficult as one character needed to become aware of the existence of the other. Still don't think I could've done it any other way, though, or the voices would have become similar.

When writing from M&F point of view, I stick to linear, as I find their voices easy enough to make distinct. Well, I hope I do!

Yes, I recall the days of writing longhand, then transcribing on a typewriter. Posted a photo of a 120k document done in this fashion on Twitter the other day. Funny thing is, I'm sure I used to have less typos back then. Maybe it was the fear of having to retype the whole damn thing that kept me straight? Of course, the MS sucked, and has been reworked 20x since being put on computer!

krashnburn said:

I don't know how many of you write--if you go from beginning to end or jump around--but I find that when I'm in a funk, if I jump around to write the scenes I'm most excited about, the ones that made me want to write the MS in the first place, it gets me jazzed to work on the whole thing. Like writing a bunch of shorts, so they're small goals. Yeah, I may have to go back and tweak those scenes to fit what the end result needs to be, but they make me excited for the WIP. Those are usually my favorite parts of the book.

Just a thought for all of us struggling to get into a WIP while waiting to hear on other things. Now to try and take my own advice...

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This is pretty much how I get most of each WIP done. I write out of order when the scenes come to me, and then slowly begin to compile them. After a while I go in and try my best to fill in all of the holes.

My first book was basically written as a series of vignettes before it became anything close to a novel.

hester said:

Pinkbow, if you're up for beta-ing, I just finished a YA contemporary (needs some smoothing, but I'm thinking it should be ready for betas in a week or so--if you want, I could shoot over my first chapter, just to see if it's your thing--no worries if it's not!). And I'd be happy to do a beta-read for you in return!!!

Thank you so much for the offer!!!

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Yes please!

Ooh, happy page 200 everyone!

I actually have a WIP with two very different voices. I'm writing it linearly, but I really should consider the merits of doing each part individually. Maybe I'll draft linearly and revise each part individually to keep the tone consistent.

Pinkbow, you rock!!! Thank you so much--I'll send you a PM shortly!

My writing style tends toward the linear, although one WIP I'm on the verge of finishing (more or less) has flashbacks. I'm also incorporating another character's POV in the form of a "book within a book" (which means a fair amount of jumping around in the narrative, but it keeps me invested in the story).

I've had a hella-good day. God positive feedback from agent on an article I just had published AND an update on book 1;s status AND promise for notes on book 2 soon. (dances around, tries to settle into working, fails, flails on the floor).

YAY polish for good news!!!

Yay polish!! Hope it's news you can share soon

I just participated in #18debutchat on Twitter and I'm so excited to see it trended while we were doing it! I almost feel kind of like a real author now.

no news THAT big, but we have finally started round two and the editor list looks
I'm not even correcting my earlier post, because all of the typos show my bleary happiness.

Oh yay for a round two and great editors!!

Welp, it's a rejection Friday! If you're going to get and R, better on a Friday right? Or a monday maybe? I don't know...

It was a standard, "The writing didn't make me fall in love" response.

Onward and upward.

Cheers, spike! *hands you an R cookie and drink of choice*

Spike, please enjoy this R cocktail on me.

Oh, who even needs rejections? Decided to indulge in a little editor stalking, chasing up subs that have been out for SIX MONTHS. Discovered that one ed who posts frequently and very excitedly about what he's reading actually changed houses a couple of weeks ago.....so I assume all his previous subs have gone to the shredder. Another has left the game completely, and a third changed employers. So that decimated my opportunities, with nary a rejection. And that's kind of worse, because we've wasted all this TIME waiting to hear before subbing elsewhere. I'm going to lie on the bed and pound the mattress a little. Can't even have rejection rum, cos it's not a rejection, it's a...nothing.

@ elsie-- did your agent say that those subs were dead? If they didn't leave the "editing game" and nothing was under contract yet, maybe they're interested still at the new place? Always worth asking... If not, pound away and enjoy a glass of purgatory rum anyway.

as for myself, feeling optimistic since entering round 2. Should get feedback from agent-darling from my new project and so I'm happily anticipating a long edit letter to keep me busy. here's hoping for good news for everyone!

Elsie, what did your agent say? He/She didn't know THREE editors had a change in circumstance? Or did he/she just not inform you?

polishmuse said:

@ elsie-- did your agent say that those subs were dead? If they didn't leave the "editing game" and nothing was under contract yet, maybe they're interested still at the new place? Always worth asking... If not, pound away and enjoy a glass of purgatory rum anyway.

!

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Haven't yet told agent of my 'discovery'. I assumed, as the agent is subbed at their place of work, the 'right' to claim the MS belongs with the house, not the editor? IDK. Whichever it is, I'm determined to sulk. Oh, in any case, he's moved to a pub that already has someone considering (ignoring?? LOL) my ms, so it's definitely dead. Another ed went into agenting (which super-confuses me, seems a backward step! And the third, out of the business).

Oh well, long walk and then try to put some words down on the WIP. Or pointlessly stalk other editors. Could go either way, today.

I'm sure she has no idea. When we last spoke, a couple of weeks ago, she said she's still waiting to hear from these first-rounders. Yet the ed's actually left their jobs prior to that.

Elsie, I feel you. That's happened to me re: several editors I'm currently on sub with, or was on sub with. Please know that it's very common for editors to move around and switch houses. I know, it's rough reading/stalking their social media accounts and hearing them gush about manuscripts you just KNOW can't be yours.

I did ask my agent what happens to a sub when an editor leaves a house. She said it depends on the editor and the project. If they really enjoy the premise or wanted to read, they pass it on to other in-house readers. Others reject it outright.

This waiting game is torture, isn't it? We're already imaginative people who can think of a billion worst-case scenarios. Most of us don't do well with suspense. And I agree that in some ways the NOT KNOWING is so much worse than the rejection itself.

Elsie - Ack, that's tricky. I would bring it up with your agent the next time you talk.

Rejections are finally rolling in, a couple of months after we went into second round of subs. OH WELL. But one of the Rs said she went and got second reads, so it's not all bad. No. I jest. It *is* all bad. *weeps in corner* The only things keeping me going are my WIPs. I gave myself a deadline of getting them subbed by the beginning of October, to hopefully avoid the holiday lull. Here's to hoping that's possible!

Back in my last round, an editor changed houses after we subbed to her and my agent was able to re-sub to her at the new place. So it might be worth looking into. Hugs/wine/chocolate to all of you getting rejections.

Seconding Niiicola's wine, chocolate and hugs to everyone getting Rs or just waiting...

PutPutt: Love the deadline you set! I think I might plan to send a new MS by the new year, providing I don't get any exciting news ... which really, I'm not holding my breath

So, okay, concrete goal in place--- now I just have to DO it. (the hard part)

Wrote 1k yesterday! How's everyone else doing on their shiny new things?

polishmuse said:

Wrote 1k yesterday! How's everyone else doing on their shiny new things?

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I'm determined to finish my first draft in 2 weeks. I've been working on it since February and the writing has really taken a turn for the worse in the last month or so. I am losing steam and running out of vigor for this project and I know it will be ok once I go to edit it after time away. But churning out the last 10k or so is going to be tough.

I feel you, spikeman. If I keep going, I can finish this draft of MS 3.0 in about a month or so. But I'm always stuck! Finishing is the hardest part.