The Big Bumper Friday Check-In Thread

Easter is so great!

Sadly I haven't gotten anything done on my wip this week... oh well.

Good luck with your experiment, Paddismac! It's an original enough concept that it would definitely catch people's attention... in my opinion at least.

Thanks for the luck guys.

Even if I never take the R-rated version any further than a few test chapters, it's certainly helping me to build much more solid, believable characters. And more than anything, I want these characters to be strong enough (and loved enough) to be able to carry many different stories over a lloonngg series. I guess if I think about it, I'm doing exactly what E.L. James did when she rewrote Fifty Shades of Gray from Christian's perspective... Huh, never imagined I could make a comparison between myself and E.L. James... not sure how I feel about that!

Supergirlofnc said:

Hmm. Remarkably stupid? I planted like thirty plants in my garden today. It's just a small box. That's might not be stupid but may be a touch too much. My mind is consumed with plants. All I want to do now is go to the garden shop and buy more! More!!!!! More!!!!!!!!!

I'm also waiting to hear back from my agent about my new story idea. Kinda nervous about that. I like it so I really want him to like it, too.

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Oooh, planting! I envy you. I used to be one of those people who lived at the garden centers... then I moved to Florida, and lost all sense of what gardening was. We've got no real seasons, we've got no dirt, and we've got bugs, reptiles, amphibians and the occasional mammal that I never had to deal with farther north. <sigh> I don't know how any of it works anymore. Maybe when I'm rich and famous I'll build a huge greenhouse... or a biodome. A biodome would be nice. For now, I've got four pots of Scorpion peppers to tend to. Or at least they're supposed to be Scorpion peppers if the seeds ever germinate. No sign of seedlings yet and I'm getting antsy... it says they take 4+ weeks to germinate. I'm at week three, and not good at waiting.

Best of luck with your new story idea! I can imagine that's almost as nerve wracking as sending out your first query! Fingers crossed!

Here's hoping the Easter Bunny brings us all mountains of candy! But not generic jelly beans... and I can tell the difference.

Forgot about the Friday check in! I'm working away on the rough draft of my MG novel and it's going pretty decently! I have written 6 chapters this month alone! On top of which I'm trying out the Ray Bradbury write a story a week for the year challenge! I just wrapped my 3rd story of the year! Story #2 was the worst thing I'd ever written since college though, so holy cow! That was awful.

But I'm really glad I have finally gotten my head (and plot) around my high concept MG. It will need a ton more world building in editing but I'm going to worry about that later.

I SHOULD be trying to plant things, or do yard work, but I just don't! OMG! I'm having trouble keeping my marimo alive!! And it's freaking algae!!

Awesome, Kate! We've done HP twice, and can't wait to go back. Sort of scheduling our next visit around Skull Island - Reign of Kong when it opens at Universal this summer.

I'll try to take a minute to have a look at your pitch and query. Can't guarantee I'll comment... my ideas of good and bad always seem to be totally different from everybody else's. Makes me feel like a complete lunkhead sometimes (all the time).

Guys, so many werdz are happening for me lately! I'm having a blast writing this story in two different versions, even though I know that at least one of them is doomed.

I'm so happy with both of them right now, and I worry about what will happen when it comes time to query. Which one do I choose??? <sigh> It's like training two equally talented kids for the Olympics, knowing that only one of them can go.

Of course on the plus side, if the one I choose tanks, I'll have my first runner-up waiting in the wings. Two entirely different sets of agents. (Though there are a lot fewer of them on the adult side of things.)

So what's everyone else up to on this fine spring day?

I went to a presentation at the library by author Cat Winters and came away with book swag and I got to meet Heidi Shulz so that was the highlight of my week. Other than that I'm writing away on my current MG and used my short story for the week (I'm doing the 52 short stories challenge but I'm defining story pretty loosely) to write a prologue/origin story for my little wizard mice which I hope to write one day. It was just 5 pages of TELLING and it's the most fun writing I've had in a looong time! Telling is FUN! Don't listen to the haters! LOL!

Happy Friday check-in! Good luck in the query trenches SuperKate. I wandered over and tried my best to give some feedback. It sounds like an interesting story. (LOL - like paddismac - my ideas sometimes seem at odds with other feedback-ers.

I've never been to HP land at Disney. I'll have to put it on my list of places to one day go!

Happy Writing and querying and revising and collecting of book swag everyone!

Would any of y'all know if Erin Murphy's agency ever has an open window for unsolicited queries? The number of sales they report is staggering! Closed... always closed!!! <sigh> It makes me feel like a stray dog staring through the window of the butcher shop knowing I can never have any meat!!

I'm reading through a five-year-old MS I wrote for NaNo, and as cool as the story is the writing is hella-clunky. I'm on the fence as to whether to completely rewrite it or start something new (I have a comedic superhero MG plan in the works, as well as worldbuilding a comic fantasy and a serious fantasy world), working on comic scripts both for submission and work (small indy publisher, but it's still a professional job, contract and all! ), practicing my own art skills so I can finally take full control of my ailing webcomic in the near future... the list goes on

Dave

paddismac said:

Would any of y'all know if Erin Murphy's agency ever has an open window for unsolicited queries? The number of sales they report is staggering! Closed... always closed!!! <sigh> It makes me feel like a stray dog staring through the window of the butcher shop knowing I can never have any meat!!

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Their submission guidelines (if you can call them that) say they only take submission by referral. And judging by the fact that they list conferences their agents attend, I'm guessing they also request material from conferences. But they don't have open submission periods for the average unwashed masses.

CheG said:

Their submission guidelines (if you can call them that) say they only take submission by referral. And judging by the fact that they list conferences their agents attend, I'm guessing they also request material from conferences. But they don't have open submission periods for the average unwashed masses.

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Yes, that's my understanding as well. Sadly, all of the conferences they attend are just too far from me. Not really worth the time and expense for the opportunity to maybe get a request.

Ah well, there are other big fish in the sea. But, damn, they're good!

I'm still alive!

Not doing much on the supervillain story... I wanted to make a sort of zine this week, but drew a complete blank. Oh, well. Might as well add to the wordcount while I can...

OOOhhh!!! HP land at Islands of Adventure is fantastic! I live a short drive away and I've been there like 4 times. I've been only once to the expansion at Universal where you get to use the Hogwarts Express. Knockturn Alley was my favorite. I just wish I was able to spend more time in that area. It had just opened and there were SO many people. Didn't get to do Gringotts though. Bummer. I too hope to head up again this year for the Skull Island opening. I stay a week in Orlando once every year for the last 6 years or so. Orlando is like a second home to me.

I'm glad everything's moving along on the writing front for everyone. I, however, haven't written anything in 3 months. Quite a long dry spell. Haven't had one in years. I did, however, complete edits and revisions on my completed ms and it's sitting there all shiny and ready for editors. I just have to prepare a synopsis (just in case) and a summary/pitch and it'll be ready for the world.

I'm heading out on a short round of editors on Monday with the ms on sub. Haven't had any luck on subs, but I'm not at all bothered. Thems the brakes, as they say. I still have another manuscript.

In any event, I hope to get into the writing mood today and work on my gothic chapter book. It's much further along than the supernatural thriller and I'm confident I can finish it with delightful results.

And samsonet, I feel you. Been in the same funk. It'll pass.

@Daniella- You're still doing really well if you have another book for submission pretty much ready to go! Be proud of yourself

CheG said:

@Daniella- You're still doing really well if you have another book for submission pretty much ready to go! Be proud of yourself

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I totally am! Fastest I've ever finished a book! And I'm not lacking material, so I am going to try and try until I run out of stories to tell. And I thought not being able to sell was going to be devastating. Turns out I have a more of a grounded mind than I initially thought. I'm totally okay with it. There's still that last round of subs anyway. So c'est la vie if it goes kaput.

Hi Kate! I didn't know you posted a query in QLH! It came out perfect! Congratulations and good luck. The story sounds fantastic.

I'm currently attempting a summary/pitch (same thing as a query, I suppose) for my current completed manuscript. I'd forgotten how awful I am at them. I might be posting it in QLH soon. I wanted to prepare it with a synopsis just in case I'm asked for one.

I'm also seeking one or two more betas for the revisions I did. I was only able to get two responses last time, so I'm in need of a fresh pair of eyes to see if the edits I made are any good. So if anyone's interested, I've updated the request in the Beta forum. I'm also willing to swap.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi! I'm new here, just dipping my toes into the world of writing picture books. I just wanted to thank you guys for having this forum, it's been really helpful for when I've been looking into the ins and outs of publishing instead of writing my story . It's still all pretty overwhelming, but I'm trying to take it one step at a time.

Hey all! Sorry for my absence it's just every time I'd look at this thread it would remind me of all the work I had to do and it stressed me out, lol. But I felt I still ought to participate so I'm sucking it up and joining in!

I have two books to write by the end of the summer and the thought is quite stressful to me. It's not that I don't want to write them, far from it, it just seems overwhelming right now. Like standing at the bottom of a mountain (doesn't Miley have a song about that ). So this week I'm going to attempt the first few steps up. Take it slow, be kind to myself, but get something on the page.

Meanwhile some really cool stuff is happening with my already written books. After months and months of edits my edits on TEC were accepted and we're moving on to copyedits, yay!! I'm very excited with the shape the book is in now. The book I co-authored launches very very soon and I've been doing some TV interviews about it which was super fun (and I always meet the coolest people - singers, chefs and in one instance a sleep expert!). Going back and forth on the cover for TEC which is always a bit nerve wracking but also exciting. AND they have a screenwriter for the film option of TEC as well! Though I don't think I'm allowed to say more, he seems REALLY fantastic.

So altogether things are looking great, I'm just feeling overwhelmed with all the work ahead of me this summer. Nothing bad, just . . . it's a lot.

And there you go! I shared! And it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be .

Wow! Everyone is so busy! That's great! Congrats to you all!

I'm still writing along on my WIP and considering going to a writing conference in August where there are two agents I'd like to try to pitch to. I'm not sure if I'll be done with my WIP by then. I mean I'll have it written, but I'm not sure if it'll be edited enough by then. The conference is expensive and the pitches an additional $25. AND I've never pitched before so I'll probably blow it... I don't know...

Happy Friday Check-in 4-22-16

You know what I notice about today's date. If you add or multiply the digits in the date - 2+2 and 2x2 - you get 4, the month. If you square the month 4, you get the year, 16. And if you multiply the month by the sum or the digits of the date, you get the year again, 16. I'm just saying it seems like a lucky day.

It's thundering here in Durham and I'm almost to 15K on my work in progress. I'm going to try, try, try to hit the count today. What's everyone else up to? Happy Friday Check-in to all!

I'm almost done with the book I started in March. Its really bare bones but I'm happy to have something to work with. I think I only about 3 major scenes before it's complete.

Other than that I'm working on a short exploratory scene using the same world as my WIP but writing different characters. It's a school setting so I was thinking I could use the same setting for some YA books as well. But we'll see how it turns out. I'm not sure yet. And of course I need to finish the book.

Friday Check In!

I thought I'd post this week because I have THINGS. LOL! (Also maybe we should have a Friday Check In master thread?)

I signed up for a Children's book Boot Camp in June! Yay! It's being run by Fionn@ Kenshole and I'm very excited! I have a non-children's book coming out the 21st. And I'm almost done with the rough draft of my next book! So it looks like things are really coming up for ole Liz Lemon! LOL! (that's my favorite show ever)

Happy Friday Check-in!

It sounds like everything is Che-ping up nicely . I'd love to know about the camp after you get back. It sounds like it will be fun and motivational. And congrats on the book coming out of the 21st. What is it about?

Not too much news for me to report but I'm almost at 20K on my WIP so I'm actually pretty excited about that milestone. I think I'm going to get the cover for my book three soon, too, which will be cool. My plan this weekend is to work on my website. I have a fair amount of stuff on it, but I feel like I need more fun and quality type posts. Most of my posts thus far are more about where I've been or book comes out this day. Although, I do put cute gifs with them.

What is everyone else up to?



Laurie