Wannabe Novelist, Resurrected

Pisarz · Apr 11, 2008

If you've frequented R & D over the past two years, you might be familiar with my tale: no requests for many months followed by some requests, rewrites and more rewrites, lots and lots of requests, and finally, universal rejection.

And then last month, I gave up on writing as well as the novel. I received some wonderful advice and support on this board. (Thank you).

Here's the follow-up: A heart-to-heart with some friends, as well as a sobering dialogue with the agent who prompted this writerly soul-searching, brought my fight back.

The premise and certain elements of my novel were widely praised by agents, despite all the rejections. So what I'm doing is staying close to the original premise, taking the "good parts," and writing a new novel, from page 1, with completely different execution. Out with the bad, in with the good.

I withdrew the other version from all the agents still reading; everyone one of them agreed to look at the new work. ELEVEN agents.

Once this work is completed and shipped off to those agents, I'll resume the "real" #2 WIP I'd already begun. (Plus, I have big plans to buy a Wii when I finish this version. Yay for distractions!)

I'm paranoid (of course) that I'll fail yet again, but I'm excited all the same.

lkp · Apr 11, 2008

Yay, Pisarz! That sounds like an excellent plan, and what an incentive to write, knowing that eleven people are waiting to read it.

Have you ever read Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird? There's a great account in there of her rewriting from scratch a novel her editor kept rejecting --- after she had spent the advance. It has a happy ending.

C.bronco · Apr 11, 2008

Excellent news! Besides, you only fail when you stop trying.

Birol · Apr 11, 2008

Good luck.

Calla Lily · Apr 11, 2008

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I volunteer to beta.

Eleven? Way cool. :hooray:

donut · Apr 11, 2008

So glad to read this! You will get there, Pisarz, I just know it, even if it takes a lot of hard work and persistence... and when you do, it's going to be incredible!

IHeartWriting · Apr 11, 2008

Good for you!

dawinsor · Apr 11, 2008

What a good sign that the agents agreed to look at the new book! You must have a great premise. Go you!

Perks · Apr 11, 2008

Pisarz, good to see you back. I'll have whatever you're having.

xiaotien · Apr 11, 2008

this belongs in goals and accomplishments!!!

go go go! fantastic news!
good luck with the new novel! 8)
and eleven agents queued up to read it?

WOW!

Soccer Mom · Apr 11, 2008

That is wonderful news! You are through the tunnel and coming into the light.

And a Wii sounds like a pretty dang good reward!

clara bow · Apr 11, 2008

What's cool is you have a bunch of people who can say "I knew her when...."!!!

best of luck!

triceretops · Apr 11, 2008

I would give up my current muse for a knock-out premise. This is where I fail, it seems. But this is where you excell. Try Nathan on this sub, too. He's a great lover of the concept, and admits to seeing writers through these types of projects.

Tri

Prickly Pear · Apr 11, 2008

That's great news, Pisarz!
I've been reading your posts for a while even though I'm mostly a lurker. I was really sad to see you so down weeks ago. Glad to hear you've resolved to rework your manuscript.

I was in a similar situation about a year ago. . . had a premise and elements that agents really liked, but parts of the manuscript just weren't working. I did a marathon rewrite, ripped out about 100 pages, changed the ending completely . . . once I decided to make it into a "new" book, it became much easier for me to be objective, to discard the parts that didn't work, to see new possibilities for the manuscript. I had to disconnect myself emotionally from the original, but once I did that, I was really surprised at how coldly and efficiently I could slice up my book.

The agent who suggested I do a major revision was not the one I ultimately signed with, but I am very grateful to her--and she wrote me a gracious email when my book sold. The agent who eventually offered representation was one of the ones who'd read the original. And she sold my "new" book in less than a month.

You can do it!
Please keep us posted!

Susan B · Apr 11, 2008

Welcome back, Pisarz! Sounds like the door is wide open for you--all 11 agents want to read the new version. That is so great!

Saundra Julian · Apr 12, 2008

Way to go, Pisarz. I love your positive attitude!

MsJudy · Apr 13, 2008

Yay!!!!

Now: New goal: Have almost as much fun with the rewrite as you do with the Wii.

Susan Breen · Apr 14, 2008

It's nice to see you back, and ELEVEN agents!

The Lady · Apr 14, 2008

That's pretty inspiring. Thanks for posting and good luck with the rewrite. Ripping the guts out of manuscripts seems to be a necessary part of the learning curve sometimes.

Toothpaste · Apr 14, 2008

Brilliant. I think you are so wise Pisarz. I also think you are the right path, this whole journey of yours just seems right you know? Frustrating, but ultimately will be fruitful. I have felt it from the beginning.

Pisarz · Apr 14, 2008

Thank you for the positive reinforcement, everyone! I was reluctant to share the "news" at first--because I'll feel like a total heel (and not the kind that comprises a pair of Christian Louboutins) if I fall on my face again. But I was too excited to keep it to myself!

I don't know what I'm looking forward to more: getting this rewrite polished and in front of the agents or getting the Wii.

Nah, definitely the agent thing. Very definitely.

Soccer Mom · Apr 14, 2008

IDK. Wii is pretty sweet.

GJB · Apr 19, 2008

Pisarz said:
Thank you for the positive reinforcement, everyone! I was reluctant to share the "news" at first--because I'll feel like a total heel (and not the kind that comprises a pair of Christian Louboutins) if I fall on my face again. But I was too excited to keep it to myself!

I don't know what I'm looking forward to more: getting this rewrite polished and in front of the agents or getting the Wii.

Nah, definitely the agent thing. Very definitely.

Hey Pisarz,

I too am one of the ones who lamented with you a while ago and swapped stories of the journey. Glad to get updated, and no, you are not a heel for that. This writing is such a lonely reclusive business. I can't stand to have another living soul within a hundred yards when I'm writing. But when done, I need others to hear about it and to cheer me on far more than TARM--that's short for "the average reasonable man". Good luck and happy writing. g.

Cathy C · Apr 19, 2008

Congrats on making that decision. I know it must have been hard. As added encouragement, I'd like to add that our first novel, Hunter's Moon, started out as a short story that a publisher asked us to expand into a novel.

Except she didn't like the completed novel.

I cut it off from the end of the short story (which became the end of chapter 7) and re-wrote it. Then I re-wrote it a third time after she only "sort of" liked the revision . . . but not enough to publish. Finally, on the third try, it was acceptable! Now it's on the shelves, along with another dozen since.

So, it CAN BE DONE. And I'll bet you can do it too! :Hug2:

Pisarz · Apr 20, 2008

Thanks for the encouragement (including about the can't-wait-to-get-it Wii). It's so inspiring to hear that not only have so many of you "been there, done that" with the rejections but that many of you have happy ending stories about rewrites and the like.

May I be like one of you . . . It's mind-boggling to suppose that perhaps I could share a happy ending story with a discouaged writer some day! (First I need the happy ending, but still. . . )

Wannabe Novelist, Resurrected

I have plans...

Around and About

On hiatus

fame-seeking floozy

Lurking in the shadows

Dorothy A. Winsor

delicate #!&@*#! flower

bedazzled /bootay shaker!!

Crypto-fascist

Li'l Rug Bug

Accordion Dreams

A work in progress

Critical Member

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Crypto-fascist

Oh, what a ride

Ooo! Shiny new cover!