The Next Circle of Hell

Status
Not open for further replies.

Peggy Blair

I like my snow hot.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
1,289
Reaction score
184
Location
Canada
Just blogged about this actually -- the idea of authenticity.
 

HorsebackWriter

Dream at a gallop!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 24, 2008
Messages
775
Reaction score
142
Location
Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...
Aww, thanks, Snappy. : )

Peggy, I'll check out your post.

I agree authenticity comes first. And I'm sure I'm making a bigger deal out of it than any reader will.

The truth is, when the material stretches me or makes me uncomfortable, I know I'm writing at the top of my ability. Playing it safe makes for boring, inauthentic writing. Following the threads of truth where they lead and being faithful to their portrayal does bring the material to life.

And the sexuality/sensuality works. It's indigenous to the story, not gratuitous. But it sure as hell surprised me!

I wanted a theme of nakedness, all levels, types, ways to be naked. My characters just took it literally in a few parts, lol!

Hope everyone's writing is going well. After this ms is done, I'm thinking around mid-April, I plan to take it easy until NaNoWriMo (minus anything involved with sold book, of course!)

Forever crossing everything for everyone! : )

Em
 

rosiecotton

Lover of Tea
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
1,065
Reaction score
1,128
Location
In a world within a world.
Em, always trust your gut. You know your characters better than anyone. What you describe sounds like a perfectly realistic scenario to me. In fact, it sounds wonderful--a real moment.

And thanks for the cover love, babe.

From Rosie, whose cover will definitely have mothers across America coming after her with flaming torches :D
 

Snappy

A new year, a new avatar
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 11, 2010
Messages
2,136
Reaction score
1,259
Em, always trust your gut. You know your characters better than anyone. What you describe sounds like a perfectly realistic scenario to me. In fact, it sounds wonderful--a real moment.

And thanks for the cover love, babe.

From Rosie, whose cover will definitely have mothers across America coming after her with flaming torches :D

:mob I say, bring 'em on! :D
 

Solunar

Treading the Borderland
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
17
Hello!

I got an acceptance today for a 6000+ word short story. :D It's being sent for editing and I should get a contract in the next few days.

Thanks again callalily, Snappy, Peggy, moonfairee, and tracythewriter for helping to pick me up after my first crushing rejection.

Unfortunately, I have exams in about 2 months, so no more writing for now. But I'm planning to challenge publishing a full-on story after that. The feeling of euphoria after getting rejected is probably even higher than if I got accepted right off the bat.

edit: Oh yeah, any advice on coming with a pseudonym? Trying to think of one now.
 
Last edited:

Solunar

Treading the Borderland
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
17
I wish studying was as fun as writing.

Eh, I don't have any english names, neither does my mum, so that might make it a bit hard for english-speakers to remember, I imagine. Hmmm
 

Calla Lily

On hiatus
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
39,307
Reaction score
17,489
Location
Non carborundum illegitimi
Website
www.aliceloweecey.net
You haven't filled out your profile--where are you from? IMO as long as a name translates to something easily pronounced, why not use it?

Or perhaps riff on the names of your favorite writers? Charles Dickens and HP Lovecraft would make Howard Dickens, for ex.
 

st22

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
Messages
101
Reaction score
22
Congrats Solunar!!!! It's so nice to be appreciated, yes?

Just got Rejection #3 from Big 6. "plotting too familiar". OUCH. ouch, ouch, ouch. Did I mention that was painful? She had some nice things to say as well, but, sheesh, ouch.
 

dgrintalis

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
6,816
Reaction score
2,789
Location
Betwixt a nightmare and a veil of shadowy dark
Em, I'm with Rosie. Trust your gut. The novel I wrote after Ink is very different. It's a quieter sort of tale (inasmuch as horror can be quiet), and I wondered if it was a little too quiet, but it's the story I wanted to tell.

Congratulations, Solunar!

Hugs to you, st22.

And if I missed anyone else, I'm sorry. Hugs, liquor, or dancing snoopy dogs as needed!
 

Solunar

Treading the Borderland
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
17
Oh wow, Howard Dickens is such a nice name! Feels a bit intimidating though. I'm from Singapore, and Chinese, so combined, it would be Shulau. A bit... odd on the tongue. HMM I am thinking of using my dad's middle name as a surname though. His middle name is Soon. Is that odd? To use an actual word?

Thanks st22 :D Yes, it does feel a lot better than getting rejected. Ouch. That is... super painful... But at least she had nice things to say! You're really brave to query with the Big 6. :O

Thank you dgrintalis :D
 

Calla Lily

On hiatus
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
39,307
Reaction score
17,489
Location
Non carborundum illegitimi
Website
www.aliceloweecey.net
"Soon" would only be off-putting if you wrote erotica.


waits for it...


ba-dum CHING!


:evil


I would pronounce your name "shool-ow". Is that correct? "Shulau Soon" is some nice alliteration. I like it.
 

Solunar

Treading the Borderland
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
17
LOL!!! Completely did not think of that. OOPS. Okay, back to the name generator.

Yup, pronounciation correct!
 

Peggy Blair

I like my snow hot.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
1,289
Reaction score
184
Location
Canada
Congrats, Solunar! Can you use your own name? I would think that would make you a stand-out from all the rest of us with kind of ordinary names. Well done! And yes, the euphoria after all the rejections means a lot because you know how hard you worked to get there.
 

Calla Lily

On hiatus
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
39,307
Reaction score
17,489
Location
Non carborundum illegitimi
Website
www.aliceloweecey.net
:yessmiley

I work hard on pronouncing names correctly. I'm from upstate NY and thus have a wicked twang. When I lived in the south briefly no one understood me when I said my name. Then, of course, I had to go and marry someone with a hopelessly unpronounceable and easily misspelled last name. :rolleyes:
 

Solunar

Treading the Borderland
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
17
@Peggy Thank you! :D Hm, I'm writing erotica, so I don't think it would be advisable to use my own name. =/ It's quite tempting to use surname though. I was actually wondering if I should use a Chinese surname since...

a) People might think the english would be sub-par.
b) I might be labelled as pretentious for trying to "be Chinese". (I've browsed some forums where people get called out for that.)
c) Racists?

Dunno, feels like just having a western surname would solve the potential problems.

@callalily Your hard work paid off!

Lol! Oh dear, the surname sounds like a real tongue-twister! I assume you introduce yourself with your maiden name then? :D
 

Calla Lily

On hiatus
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
39,307
Reaction score
17,489
Location
Non carborundum illegitimi
Website
www.aliceloweecey.net
Solunar--I was joking! You really write erotica? I'm not a bit psychic, I swear.

Yeah, I guess "Soon" is out. :tongue What about my original suggestion of playing around with the names of your favorite writers?

About the surname: I just tell people how to pronounce it. The funny story is that the higher-ups at my pub asked my editor to ask me if I wanted to use a pen name because my last name was hard to spell. (She was embarrassed to ask.) I told her that I was using my own name to embarrass all my relatives. :D Mr. Lily's great-great grandpa "Americanized" the last name when he immigrated, and no one knows what it was originally. We do wonder how difficult it was, since "Low33c3y" isn't exactly "Smith" or "Jones." The up-side is, if there's someone in the States with the last name, we're related.
 

Solunar

Treading the Borderland
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
17
Your secret is safe with me. Don't worry, as long as you hand over the lottery numbers, no one will know. ;)

I think I'll take that advice. Playing with other writer names sounds like the way to go.

Oh dear! LOL, that must have been super embarrassing for her. I think the name+surname combi you chose is lovely, by the way! Oh yeah, did you numberise the e so that google can't track you?
 

Solunar

Treading the Borderland
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
17
Oops. Probably reading comprehension failure on my part, lol!

But I'll say it again, really awesome surname! :D
 

dgrintalis

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
6,816
Reaction score
2,789
Location
Betwixt a nightmare and a veil of shadowy dark
No one pronounces my last name correctly. People say Grin-TA-lis. It's actually Grin-ta-lis. :D

(Although, technically, the proper Lithuanian pronunciation is the first one, but my husband does not pronounce it that way.)
 

Snappy

A new year, a new avatar
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 11, 2010
Messages
2,136
Reaction score
1,259
Solunar, CONGRATS! That rocks. Alas, I am no help on the pen name.

(((St22))) Right there with you! Got an R from a big 6 today. Asked agent if any common feedback with editor Rs, and looked the letters over too. Nothing. Nada. All nice stuff, but nothing to do a revision with, which I guess is a good thing? Subjective?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.