The Next Circle of Hell, Vol. 2

I'm not much of a whisky drinker myself. Vodka's more my thing, as well as cheap wine.

Congrats and welcome, EMaree!! So exciting!!

I broke 20K in my new shiny, and sent the first two garbage chapters to two very trusted CPs who are basically just waving pom-poms at me at this point (I told them DON'T GIVE ME NOTES I KNOW IT NEEDS WORK). Both CPs love the potential it has, so I'm encouraged. And more importantly, I love what I'm writing (even though it's a garbage-level draft) and I think I have the momentum to finish a draft at the end of NaNo. Whew!

Welcome, EMaree!!

Mission accomplished!



I'm kind of amazed that no one with their advertising agency has come up with the slogan, "Don't read your e-mail without it."

Yessss Shoeless! It's so pretty! I'll pick a bottle up this Saturday so I can join the Next Circle whisky tasting party.

I love how much you all are focused on keeping writing, thanks for that kick. Need to prioritise my projects today and get my momentum back, now that all the excitement is settled. I want to get going on some new writing before the edits arrive.

Congratulations, EMaree!!

There's a Next Circle whiskey tasting party?? Emaree, you've been here a day and already you've introduced a whiskey tasting party I LOVE YEW.

I got a "Hey, just writing in to keep in touch, nope, still no news" email from my agent today. So, the other editors with the novel are still reading, which is... good? I guess? Or they're just swamped with the backlog, and still reading stuff like Januarycomet's book. Probably more that.

Having tried Writers Tears, I can now definitively say that even with my undeveloped whiskey palette, it goes down smooth. One of the easier, sweeter whiskeys to drink, though it still has the kick whiskey is known for. I'm a savage, so I mixed it with ginger ale and threw in some ice and it made for a lovely way to drown an inferiority complex about getting published, while wandering around Lara Croft's mansion in virtual reality, wondering not for the first time why it is that in these stately English manors, it's always the roof that falls apart first.

I am 100% here for a Next Circle whiskey tasting!!!!

Ahahaha Shoeless, I bet they're reading books subbed like a year ago, at this point. Feel free to PM me if you wanna compare notes (or lack thereof lol).

I got lots of sleep last night and went for a 3-mile run this morning, so am feeling somewhat back to normal. Maybe I'll even work on the WIP this afternoon. Not bad, Wednesday. Not bad.

I can't believe Writer's Tears is an actual whiskey! (Although it makes total sense ).

Shoeless, your post made me LOL!

And CONGRATS EMaree!!!!

I'm finishing up my revision for lovely new agent, and I'm hoping to send it over by tonight/tomorrow (commence nail biting). Maybe I'll pick up some Writer's Tears and bask in a lovely whiskey-induced haze tonight...

polishmuse said:

No statistics, but in my first few months on sub I loved reading the Submission Hell, It's True series (google it) It's the acronym it is for a reason, right? Some fast deals, some slow, some only on the second or third MS. Lots of variety.

Click to expand...

Yeah i've read through them and find them aggravating. A few weeks to a almost a year. I think Query Tracker has spoiled a lot of us in want of data.

Yay EMaree!!

The feeling when your agent responds immediately to an email and you schedule a phone call to debrief We've been on sub for 9 mos, so I'm ready for an honest chat about how likely this one is to sell. I've got the next project drafted and polished on my end, waiting her edits, so I'm not too sad if we move on. I'll know next week when we chat....

polishmuse said:

The feeling when your agent responds immediately to an email and you schedule a phone call to debrief We've been on sub for 9 mos, so I'm ready for an honest chat about how likely this one is to sell. I've got the next project drafted and polished on my end, waiting her edits, so I'm not too sad if we move on. I'll know next week when we chat....

Click to expand...

That's awesome! Agent responsiveness is always reason to celebrate. And that's great you've got the next thing locked and loaded and ready to go. Now is probably just about the time that you'll get an offer on the 9 month subbed book and you'll have to hit the pause button on your new one. Here's hoping!

Good luck with your call! And I agree, agent responsiveness is totally something to celebrate. I hit the jackpot as far as that goes with my agent, and I'm so thankful.

EMaree said:

*sticks head in the door with a box of teabags, coffee, and a bottle of 'Writer's Tears' whiskey*

So, uh, I think I'll be joining you guys here soon. Just waiting on edits from my new agent. Which feels really weird to say (I HAVE A NEW AGENT! AND HE'S A ZILLION TIMES BETTER THAN MY OLD ONE!).

I don't think I properly spent time here for the old agent because that was such a mess, so... hi? I have been lurking for years and I adore you all. I am already braced for the many struggles ahead, and I am proud as hell of all of you for the challenges you have over come, and the sheer bloody-minded persistence you all have.

So hi. I love you all. Looking forward to sharing this wild future with you all, too.

Click to expand...

Hurrah! I'm looking forward to seeing this one in print. I have every confidence in that.

I am fully on board with a whisky tasting event Lagavulin for me!

Hi, everyone, newbie here. It’d be great to share this stage of Hell with all of you. I signed with an agent last month (woo hoo!) and recently got her editorial notes, so I’ll be hunkering down to a revision over the coming weeks.

I could go for a whiskey tasting party since I'm an utter newbie with that, too, though I suspect I'd be the one choking and laughing hoarsely the whole time (I’m more of rum-and-coke or wine spritzer kind of girl). One thing I do know: I’m looking forward to tasting the mighty spezna at long last!

Welcome to the circle. Enjoy the calm while you work on your edits. It's the last interlude of peace of mind you'll enjoy for quite some time. Once you go on sub, it's all low grade tension, all the time.

Shoeless is honest!
Welcome Ragged! Best of luck in those edits, and we're all for whatever your drink of choice is.

RaggedEdge said:

(I’m more of rum-and-coke or wine spritzer kind of girl). One thing I do know: I’m looking forward to tasting the mighty spezna at long last!

Click to expand...

There's no shame in rum and coke. I'm Canadian, I actually regularly enjoy and drink an unholy concoction of clam juice, tomato juice, vodka, Tobasco and worcestershire sauce called a Caesar. Then again, we also invented Hawaiian Pizza, and Poutine, so my palette is already heavily compromised.

Welcome, RaggedEdge! CONGRATS!!

Welcome, Ragged! I'll pass around a plate of cookies!

Welcome RE!

You don't HAVE to drink to survive submission.

(but tbh it's that or bake cookies constantly and I do try to change it up a bit.)

Thanks for the warm welcome, folks!

I've had a great day, spending it at a one-day writer's workshop. Not only did I learn some good craft elements, but by some great luck I sat down next to a woman I didn't know who turned out to be from my town, has published multiple times with small presses, and we had a ton in common. We're going to try to meet up now and then in person (gasp!). Really happy about that.

Shoeless - I gotta say, that drink sounds perfectly disgusting, but I first had poutine last year in Ontario, and I'm definitely a convert!

january - I definitely need something sweet to survive anything to do with the waiting process.

RaggedEdge said:

Shoeless - I gotta say, that drink sounds perfectly disgusting, but I first had poutine last year in Ontario, and I'm definitely a convert!

Click to expand...

It is disgusting, but when you live in a country where we only see sunlight for six weeks every two-and-a-half years, skidoos have the same cultural cache as a Ferrari, and "A" is both the first letter of the alphabet and something you end your sentences with, and the nation is responsible for inflicting both Nickelback and Captain Kirk on the free world, it does funny things to your taste buds.

Shoeless said:

It is disgusting, but when you live in a country where we only see sunlight for six weeks every two-and-a-half years, skidoos have the same cultural cache as a Ferrari, and "A" is both the first letter of the alphabet and something you end your sentences with, and the nation is responsible for inflicting both Nickelback and Captain Kirk on the free world, it does funny things to your taste buds.

Click to expand...

But Trudeau. We have.... not Trudeau down here. So there you have it. Also, I ate Hawaiian pizza for lunch today. One of my faves.

Wrote a large quantity of new words yesterday for the first time in eons (over 3k!). Some of them are good, even (though not most because, well, first draft). I think I will do NaNo, even if I don't get to 50k. If anyone wants to be in a "community" with me we should do that. (I think we can do that, right? Is that how it works? Or is it by place?) Direct message me and we can work it out.