The Daily Rejection, Vol. 2

Hathor said:

I'm 70% through this sucker now, and I don't think there is going to be a plot, per se. I think the "see these quirky aliens who are loveable even if their culture, sex, and all are different than ours" bit is it. Vignettes without a continuing story line and with multiple POV, period. I'm no professor of creative writing--but I'd think all this dreamland of diversity could all come out in the course of an actual plot.

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I'm currently struggling to get through an award-winning book that got rave reviews. I thought I'd love it and I kinda hate it. But I can't DNF it! So I'm struggling each night to get through it. I'm at around 50%.

Trying to keep pace around here. It's hard to do; you all post so much!

I'll just hop in to say sorry for any R's, bananas for requests, and CCC, I will personally give you a trophy if you make that dessert for me!

And Hathor, I think some people don't mind the lack of plot. I'm not one of those people, but I think they must exist. I suppose that's their kind of book.

Hathor - Yup. There's a lot of not-so-great books out there that have been traditionally published... And so many awesome ones that have not been. Yet.

Ragged - good to see you! You make a great point about sales & marketing departments being to blame. Yay on almost finishing your revision!

CCC - any chance you could courier me a sample of that dessert?

angeliz - yup. Lots of literary fiction, for example, has little or no plot. But the characters are so amazing and the writing is so gorgeous, you kind of forget about the lack of plot. Personally, while I will enjoy something like that once in a while, I'm a plot reader at heart.

FYI, it's National Drink Wine Day. Not to be confused with National Wine Day, which is May 25. Anyway, be patriotic and drink some wine!

CCC--you will make enough to share, right?

What's strange about that book I mentioned (now finished, thank the gods) is that the characters are rather one dimensional and the language ordinary. Big chunks of exposition are dropped on readers throughout. This is not lit fic. The science, biology, and sociology are imaginative, but the plot--or at least a way for the characters to end up in different positions than they were throughout the book--doesn't kick in until the 85-90% mark. Oh, and the writer lost her job and managed to finance completion of her novel (as opposed to looking for new work) via Kickstarter. Say what? Something out of the ordinary going on for this debut novel.

Re: sales and marketing departments -- I suppose we can't blame them, either. I imagine they are trying their best to gauge what people will buy.

Hathor said:

Re: sales and marketing departments -- I suppose we can't blame them, either. I imagine they are trying their best to gauge what people will buy.

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*whines* But we've got to blame somebody! *whines*

Oh. That's not what JJ meant by National Whine Day...

National Whine Day isn't near so much fun.

Moonchild said:

*whines* But we've got to blame somebody! *whines*

Oh. That's not what JJ meant by National Whine Day...

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I blame people, the universe, or an educational system that hasn't made everyone into a mythology geek like me and thus dying for a nice retelling. The whining helps. So does the wining.

JJ Litke said:

National Whine Day isn't near so much fun.

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True.

Anyone surprised Goodreads refused to remove the fake-ass 1-star my not-yet-released book got? No? Didn't think so

-_-

No, but more seriously, I didn't think they would. I shouldn't have had any of my hopes even thinking about them pulling their heads from their asses. Apparently, they don't set any parameters nor do they care how someone comes to a conclusion about a book. So, if someone hates your title and your book is 7 years from release, it's a 1-star for you!

I get down on myself for being lazy a lot, but sometimes I stop to think about it and realize I actually get done way more than I give myself credit for. So trying to just enjoy the work on my revisions (about 1/3 done) and not freak out about how it's still not good enough and I'm still not good enough and oh gods why do I ever think I can be a career writer...

Carleree said:

Noranne, how do you like your teeth without braces? My daughter had hers taken off on Monday and she can't stop licking her teeth. It's weird to watch. But her smile is amazing now.

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It feels so nice to have them off! Eating is so much easier. And they look great! But my bite feels all messed up and weird. So I'm a little disappointed, since it was such a long investment of time and money and still not an optimal result. I'm trying not to worry about it, as how often do I really bite my teeth all the way together anyway?

Cookie - that dessert sounds AMAZING! Good luck.

Woke up to another full request. That's five out now.

Congrats Earthling! That's great. Banana for you. And a belated one for Jeneral!

So...I had my agent meeting. I think it went really well. She gave me a lot of notes. Because of the competition I'm in I'm not allowed to commit to anyone before next week (long story) but basically we left it open to continue working together...so I think...it's a really good outcome! If slightly vague I'm going to have a long think about her notes and come up with a plan of action. Then after this week I can get back in touch and see what she says with regards to making it a formal R+R or even more.

Congrats Earthling!!

and Bertrigby, this all sounds so very exciting. I'm so curious as to who the agent is!!!

Bert -

earthling - Five fulls?! That's awesome!

noranne - All I remember about getting my braces off was that it felt like there was so much ROOM in my mouth that hadn't been there before. And my teeth felt weird and smooth. Also good lord, you seem like one of the least laziest people I know!

HH - UGH re: Goodreads.

Last day at work pre-surgery. I'm only there till noon, then I have pre-op appointments all afternoon with the surgeon and the hospital. Mentally, I've already checked out, so I'm glad it's just a half day!

Anthology editor sent the eARC last night. I'm hyperventilating. Otherwise inbox is quiet, but I think it's seen enough excitement for 24 hours.

Yay, Earthling!

Looking good, Bert

Sorry about your Goodreads' experience, HH. People can be incredible assholes

Noranne, I think you'll probably get used to your bite. If it's still bugging you after a few days, go back. The doctor should check the bite and file down whatever is slightly off.

I finally emailed my agent yesterday about the entire genre business. It's really frustrating. My first series suffered from not having an identifiable genre (or perhaps it had too many). Anywho, I thought I'd nailed down a genre this time, even an accepted subgenre, for what I'm doing now. So hearing "this isn't really fantasy" is distressing.

We cross-posted, Jeneral. Exciting about the eARC Good luck with your appointments today. I hope you don't have to wait around too much (or if you do, you have a good book to read).

Bertrigby - A face-to-face meeting? Exciting!

Jeneral - Woo anthology! Are you going to link us when it's available?

Hathor - From the snippets you've written about, how could it NOT be fantasy? Fingers crossed your agent has some sensible advice about it.

I've made a huge booboo at work. I misread a deadline of 16 Feb as 26 Feb, so here I was merrily preparing a document that was due three days ago. The partner in charge of it is being very kind about it, but I had to email my boss on his holiday to tell him. That wasn't fun.

Earthling said:

Hathor - From the snippets you've written about, how could it NOT be fantasy? Fingers crossed your agent has some sensible advice about it.

I've made a huge booboo at work. I misread a deadline of 16 Feb as 26 Feb, so here I was merrily preparing a document that was due three days ago. The partner in charge of it is being very kind about it, but I had to email my boss on his holiday to tell him. That wasn't fun.

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Oops. Someday you'll laugh about this. Someday.

We'll see. I hope for enlightenment. Perhaps I need more magic and demonstration of powers in there? Or the basic conflict needs to be supernatural, rather than interpersonal? I don't know. I wouldn't mind selling it as something else, but I'm not sure my later books can fit the same genre. And it's supposed to be a series.

I assumed retelling myths would be mythic fantasy, no question. Silly me.

Boss replied, all okay.

I assume the same, Hathor. I suppose it would be quite a straightforward tweak to put more demonstrations of powers in?

Hathor - I've read books like that before. It's like the characters are just there to go "Hey look at this worldbuilding! And check out this worldbuilding! And there's that worldbuilding over there, I love that one... And you're just sitting there wondering when something is going to happen. It will, but it'll be in the last ten pages to make you want to buy the sequel.

I don't know how mythic retelling isn't fantasy, or at least magical realism if done subtly.

CCC - Sorry about your agent's unresponsive. At least you'll have plenty of delicious desserts to comfort you. Please send me one.

RaggedEdge - Good point on Sales & Marketing. I wonder what the book industry would be like if editors could put out whatever books they really liked best.

Holdin - Yeah, not really surprised. But YOU know it's a BS rating, WE know it's a BS rating, and when the book comes out, all the 4 and 5 star reviews will prove it's a BS rating.

Noranne - Comfy Sweater Pug believes in you. Comfy Sweater Pug will eventually be your biggest fan and buy all your books on release day and come to all your book signings and eventually you'll have to get a restraining order against Comfy Sweater Pug because they showed up at your house and asked if you needed a babysitter and you KNOW you saw them hiding around the corner at the grocery store and honestly it's just getting ridiculous.



Earthling - Full request! And don't let that work accident bother you. Like Hathor said, it'll be something to laugh about later. At least it sounds like your employers are understanding.

Bert - Sounds like a solid plan.

Jeneral - Whoohoo on the eARC! That's so exciting! We'll all be thinking of you for your surgery, and keep our fingers crossed that you get to send that "Thank you for wanting to represent me, can we talk when I have my voice back?" email.

As for me, I finally made myself edit chapter 2 of my MS yesterday. I spent days just rereading and tweaking chapter 1. Probably could have kept doing that for months, but I knew I needed to just push onward. C2 required a lot of fixing since there was blatant foreshadowing towards a plot point that didn't survive the purge of draft 0.5. I think I've got it, though. I think. Hope.

Earthling, Bertrigby, Jeneral

Jeneral - Hope the surgery goes well.

Noranne - I had braces in my 20s, and I felt the same way when I got them off--my bite didn't seem right. Took me a few weeks to get used to the changes, and then everything felt normal.

Hathor - I also got a "not enough fantasy elements" pass on the Hawaiian one. That one got shuffled away as subjective and didn't affect the pitch or spur a revision. Don't harp on it.

Ditto the dancing bananas for Earthling, Bertrigby, and Jeneral!

Jeneral - good luck with your surgery!

TAM - I know that sweater pug! Well, online know him and now he's an adult. Still rocks the sweater look though.

Bananas all around!

Jen- Good luck! Is that even what you say? I mean.. it's not really a matter of luck... but yeah, I hope it goes smoothly!

Hathor- I just... it's not mythic fantasy? I mean... I can't even with that.

Oh oh, I forgot- re: Goodreads. They went ahead and decided to email the user in question to ask if she rated it 1-star by accident. What I wouldn't give to read her response. Hehehehehh

Revising: Still stuck on the last 2 pages. Someone please put me out of my misery now

Earthling said:

Boss replied, all okay.

I assume the same, Hathor. I suppose it would be quite a straightforward tweak to put more demonstrations of powers in?

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Well, nobody has asked me to tweak. And I fear it would look obvious. The manifestations of power now come when I need them. I'll have to see what my agent says.

krashnburn said:

Hathor - I also got a "not enough fantasy elements" pass on the Hawaiian one.

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That's just bizarre.