The Next Circle of Hell

YAwriter72, sometimes you need to break out of your usual zone to break through. Contemporary may be what you were meant to write... I've heard that it's getting hot now too (also heard the opposite, but you should write the story that's in your head).

Nice, Lee! Having your agent excited about your new idea is such a good feeling, isn't it? I got that yesterday as well, sent the synopis and first 100 on one I've been trying to figure out for a couple years now. Hopefully I'll get it right this time!

Looks like my contemp YA has just about run its course on sub...almost time to put that one to bed. Still a few irons in the fire, but I'm not holding out hope.

Thanks! The one the she has now that we are polishing up is my first contemporary, sorta Looking For Alaska meets The Bodyfinder.

I'm not adverse to the real world, I just have no idea where its coming from! LOL Up until about 6 months ago, I'd rarely ever read contemporary.

Maybe this is where I'm supposed to be writing?! Who knows!

(((Jamie))) Arghh. This business is such a drain. It's great that you have another book out there too!

JamieB said:

Nice, Lee! Having your agent excited about your new idea is such a good feeling, isn't it? I got that yesterday as well, sent the synopis and first 100 on one I've been trying to figure out for a couple years now. Hopefully I'll get it right this time!

Looks like my contemp YA has just about run its course on sub...almost time to put that one to bed. Still a few irons in the fire, but I'm not holding out hope.

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It is awesome to have someone behind you who is so enthusiastic!! And good luck on your feedback!!

I have a feeling my UF on sub will meet that same demise. Go silently into the night. I'm kinda sad cause that book was The One for me. Everything came together and I love all the characters. Maybe one day we'll both pull them out and they will sell!!

kellion92 said:

(((Jamie))) Arghh. This business is such a drain. It's great that you have another book out there too!

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Thanks. Yeah, I have a lot of faith in that one - which is strange because I started writing it and gave up for a while saying I couldn't write MG. But I love how it turned out. We'll see...

YAwriter72 said:

It is awesome to have someone behind you who is so enthusiastic!! And good luck on your feedback!!

I have a feeling my UF on sub will meet that same demise. Go silently into the night. I'm kinda sad cause that book was The One for me. Everything came together and I love all the characters. Maybe one day we'll both pull them out and they will sell!!

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Exactly. If it's not time for them now, maybe it will be later! For now they can relax on misfit island drinking daiquiris in the sun for a while! Wish I could go.

YAwriter72 said:

OH! I've had this idea for a sorta quiet YA romance book, sorta Sarah Dessen, for a few months, but let it simmer. Well last night the first few pages just came to me (As they do when I need to write a book) and I emailed what I had to agent so she could tell me not to bother. Um yeah, she wrote back Write It Now. LOL

So I will do up a loose outline to see if there's enough plot but seriously, another contemporary? I must be losing my mind! My genre is fantasy!

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Go for it, YA. Listening to your gut is one soapbox I happily scream from. If an idea comes to you and it flies onto the page--write it, whatever the genre. It's the universe telling you something.

It sounds like you have an awesome relationship with your agent. I've yet to broach the subject of future material in case he says, "If we don't sell this one, you're dumped!" He knows I've got a series planned, but what's a series without a published book one? I've been knuckling down, doing my own thing--a few chapters of book two, just while the voice is still fresh, so I've got something to run with should we get picked up, and an unrelated WIP for Plan B.

Still, it'd be nice to know I haven't completely derailed with the non-series WIP. Maybe I'll give it a couple of weeks, get some more material together, and pluck up the courage to ask. Problem is I know that whatever I present after the book on sub will be a let down. It's high concept, possibly one of those 'once in a lifetime' ideas that just came together. I fear he might go, 'meh', at anything else, and I don't think I could come up with another idea like the one on sub if I tried!

(((Jamie)))
(((YAWriter)))

It's awesome that you both have so many other projects, though! I think everyone here is so freaking talented that it's just a matter of time. Meaning: the only reason anyone will end up unpubbed is because they stopped writing.

houndrat said:

(((Jamie)))
(((YAWriter)))

It's awesome that you both have so many other projects, though! I think everyone here is so freaking talented that it's just a matter of time. Meaning: the only reason anyone will end up unpubbed is because they stopped writing.

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Thanks and AGREED! People here are very talented and I think it's because we all take the time to learn from each other and get better...oh, and commiserate together. LOL.

houndrat said:

Meaning: the only reason anyone will end up unpubbed is because they stopped writing.

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Similarly, the only failed writer is one who has stopped writing. Until you stop, you are pre-success.

houndrat said:

It's awesome that you both have so many other projects, though! I think everyone here is so freaking talented that it's just a matter of time. Meaning: the only reason anyone will end up unpubbed is because they stopped writing.

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This is great advice. No matter how down and out we feel we have to keep going.

Re: Contemporary - that's what I write. I hear both sides of it, contemp doesn't get the big deals and then the other opinion that it's getting hot. I guess it varies and time will tell, but yay I hope it's getting more popular.

I am hoping contemporary takes off Jenn! There seem to be some big names in it now, s fingers crossed! (Plus it would make a huge advance much more realistic)

Tracy, good points all. I've got a similar story to your bookstore encounter: this month's host in my book club chose a book agented by my agent. Big book, successful writer. Don't think I'll mention it to the club when we meet. They're readers, not writers, and wouldn't get the cosmic agenty thing. I'll just enjoy my private moment of two-degrees-of-separation...

HorsebackWriter, I welcomed you as Horseback Rider and now I see I got it wrong. Sheesh, you'd think I might pay attention to words.

Jamie and YA, misfit island is sounding good. As long as there are margaritas, too.

But hey, YA, very cool that your agent is excited about your new idea. I'd think trying something different is just fine, when it demands your attention!

Good eye, Cloud Eight, I did the same thing! HorsebackWriter is so much more clever! Sorry, HBW!

Peggy Blair said:

Good eye, Cloud Eight, I did the same thing! HorsebackWriter is so much more clever! Sorry, HBW!

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Eh, you probably picked up the wrong wording from me. Think I put it out there first.

Oh, I love that image of the ducks! So true and too cute! : )

Em

Peggy Blair said:

Right on, Tracy, and thanks for reminding us of that!

Pre-agent, I ran like a little hamster around one of those exercise wheels, trying to submit, revise, resubmit, and deal with disappointment.

My agent does most of that now, and insulates me from the things that might drag me down. And he (and his counterpart here in Canada) are amazing.

It's the waiting that kills me but I think it's like seeing a duck on a pond. They look like they're not doing anything, but those little legs are churning away furiously. My agents are like that, working away below the surface: I just don't see them doing their jobs. But they are.

Thanks for a picker-upper!

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Cloud Eight said:

Jamie and YA, misfit island is sounding good. As long as there are margaritas, too.

!

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There are! Of course all of the beverages are virgin since my YA characters are underage...ehem...

No worries on the name. I get that a lot. : )

The screenname combines my two favorite things -- horses and writing. Although I've yet to try them together -- writing on horseback. I think of my poor laptop tumbling to the ground and wince ...

I write contemporary, too, although the agents all see it slightly differently. My agented ms is contemp with a twist of fantasy.

My present WIP is straight contemporary, although I only know this from querying. Otherwise, I just write what comes to me.

Actually, that's one of the reasons I chose the agent I did. I told her I write YA, with contemporary being my niche, and asked if she was okay with that. She said, as long as I write the story I feel *passion* for, she's happy.

When I was doing my agent phone calls, an agent told me that more than one editor had remarked to her lately that the tide was turning toward contemporary, although contemporary always sells.

She said an editor had said to her, "I wish I could get a book on my desk about a 14-15-16-year-old girl dealing with real life and coming out strong in the end."

Me personally, I think that any book written well and written with heart has a chance, regardless of how it's categorized.

Em

HorsebackWriter said:

She said an editor had said to her, "I wish I could get a book on my desk about a 14-15-16-year-old girl dealing with real life and coming out strong in the end."

.

Em

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Dying to know which editor this is...

Got the bad news email today - the editor I had the conference call with has passed on my book. Apparently she loved it, but her senior editor, not so much.

Had a quick talk with my agent - we are still out with several other house, and he remains optimistic.

Head-drop and loud sigh.

{{{hugs}}}}Sweet Tea. That just sucks.

Sorry, Sweet Tea. That stinks, but you'll get the next one! Chin up!

JamieB --

I'd so DM you if I knew!

The agent went on to say she'd thought to herself, "I have a manuscript just like that right now," thinking of mine.

But, I didn't sign with that agent. However, it was a ray of sunshine for contemporaries.

I have everything crossed for you and your work. Hopefully I don't annoy anyone here with my perpetual positivity, but I do believe "If not this book, then the next."

That's how I'm thinking of my own ms soon to go out on sub. I'm always working on the next ms, to make fresh chances.

There're a lot of things out of our hands. Except for the writing, literally, so tap, tap tapping ...

I believe, if we keep writing, it'll happen, eventually. I think of it like, if I decided to walk to the Pacific ocean, pointed myself in the right direction, and kept taking steps, most likely I'd eventually hear waves crashing and be shaking sand from my shoes.

That's my philosophy of submission sanity, anyway. It gives each singular book less of a stranglehold over my life.

Em

(((Sweet Tea))) I was really counting on that for you. So sorry -- there are so many hurdles.

You're not out yet though, girl. Keep your head up.