The Cantina Staring Back At You From The Abyss

JJ Litke

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Oh man, I can't imagine how icky that feeling must be!! :cry::Hug2:

The encouragement I've been getting here for judging your own work applies to us both, I think, (and all writers really). But also the idea that the quality of your writing (one of the only things you can actually control) is only a small equation in the factor of landing an agent. There's so much luck involved. But the other thing you can control is how much you keep putting yourself out there and that sounds like the really hard part. :scared: But it only takes one lucky day to start the ball rolling!

The early positive responses like Pitch Madness reinforced that I was on the right track, though. But what I wasn't thinking about when I posted last night is that it's probably not the opening, it's the overall concept. I didn't realize this was going to be such a hard sell.

Ugh, I don't know if I should keep querying or not.
 

themindstream

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Things I've learned in the past couple days:

Deep diving into a philosophical book eats the same brain space that writing fiction uses so I can't do both at once.

Plotting large scale battle scenes is hard. (I've got a prose outline now, tonight hoping to get into writing the scene proper.)

Oh yeah, yay Winks for cake day and hugs all around.
 
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tiddlywinks

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Hugs, JJ. I believe in you!

All, thanks for birthday wishes. I'm enjoying my extra day off here. Getting some words in, slower than I'd like, but wording all the same. I think it's slower because I ended up writing a death scene, of all things. *sniffles, reaches for tissue* Darn perfect song...

And now I'm trying to figure out where to go next. It's "jump around in the story at random" day for scene writing. Basically once I find the next song that's going on repeat for another couple of hours, methinks. (Though, I think I've also found my Sisyphus prompt :greenie)

I AM trying to find a song that fits the next big scene I need to write, if I were to continue on in sequence. No death there. Though there's some feelings of betrayal and fighting.

Or, if I can find a really wild song, I'm going for the big shebang at sea. *cracks knuckles* Hellooooo, maelstrom! Hehehehehehehehehehehe...I think all my characters just swore and went into hiding.

:evil
 

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I just had to laugh because I let my mom read the first five chapters of the Snow White retelling last night and now she's literally begging for more. She's the kind of mom who's honest with me and wouldn't tell me the story was working or is interesting/exciting if it wasn't, so this means a lot to me. :D

Yay!!!!

Plotting large scale battle scenes is hard. (I've got a prose outline now, tonight hoping to get into writing the scene proper.)
.

Maybe draw it out a bit? With arrows and Xs like a football schema? I'm a visual person, so that helps me a lot. Even when reading a scene like that, if I get confused, I'll draw it up.

Happy birthday to the sparkly reaper!

I did good today. I set up five Ireland calendars on my Lulu site, wrote 750 words, and did some 'real' work, too. I might do a couple more calendars, maybe one for Iceland, NY, Canada... we'll see if I still have gumption tonight. I'm working on a BIG beaded star. More than halfway done.
 

Richard White

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*mails Tiddlywinks a large package for her birthday*

*No, she shouldn't be concerned that there are holes poked in the box and scratching sounds within*

*She probably shouldn't be concerned at the smell of carrots either*

*Probably*



Hugs, JJ. I believe in you!

All, thanks for birthday wishes. I'm enjoying my extra day off here. Getting some words in, slower than I'd like, but wording all the same. I think it's slower because I ended up writing a death scene, of all things. *sniffles, reaches for tissue* Darn perfect song...

And now I'm trying to figure out where to go next. It's "jump around in the story at random" day for scene writing. Basically once I find the next song that's going on repeat for another couple of hours, methinks. (Though, I think I've also found my Sisyphus prompt :greenie)

I AM trying to find a song that fits the next big scene I need to write, if I were to continue on in sequence. No death there. Though there's some feelings of betrayal and fighting.

Or, if I can find a really wild song, I'm going for the big shebang at sea. *cracks knuckles* Hellooooo, maelstrom! Hehehehehehehehehehehe...I think all my characters just swore and went into hiding.

:evil
 

CobraMisfit

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The early positive responses like Pitch Madness reinforced that I was on the right track, though. But what I wasn't thinking about when I posted last night is that it's probably not the opening, it's the overall concept. I didn't realize this was going to be such a hard sell.

FWIW, my first attempt in the literary world received 62 rejections* (including partial and full requests) and many flatly stated that Urban Fantasy was an overly glutted market where my mediocre writing wouldn't make an impact. After years of following the "standard process", I wound up tripping into a backdoor offer long after I'd trunked the MS and moved on to other projects.

It's easy now to say how all the querying pitching to agents was an education, but the reality is that the ride was filled with frustration and disappointment. I'm a firm believer that tenacity and optimism will allow you to overcome any obstacle, but they don't make the climb any less arduous.

And that's where the Cantina can help. We can offer support, beta-eyes, or just an ear for when you need to vent.



*I kept a spreadsheet
 

themindstream

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Yay!!!!



Maybe draw it out a bit? With arrows and Xs like a football schema? I'm a visual person, so that helps me a lot. Even when reading a scene like that, if I get confused, I'll draw it up.

It's more of a "what things need to happen between point A and B", causes, effects, how people react and how to pull off the heroes pulling through without cheating. I think I've got some handle on it now as long as I can come up with something the magic-wielding protagonist can do to spook the larger and less rag-tag opponents that brings it conclusively to the end. (Magic in this verse = energy manipulation. Because brains work on electricity from neurons, mental manipulation has appeared as a prominent part of that in the story but manipulating heat, electromagnatisim, kenetic energy, etc in plain old destructive ways is also possible.)

Hm...fear wave?
 

greendragon

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And that's a wrap!

This was the first time I'd ever tried NaNoWriMo, and I just crossed the 50,000 word mark for November. Of course, 27,000 words were finishing up Misfortune of Time (because my muse can't read a calendar and started in September) and the last 23,000 words were part of my new Iceland novel (no title yet). Still, 50K is 50K, right?

Now I've got to finish up this Iceland book. Novella. Whatever it is.

Anyone want to help me with a title? It's set in 1992 Miami after Hurricane Andrew. A woman tries to escape her stressful life by writing a novel set in Medieval Iceland. She dreams of herself as a main character, falling in love with a local farmer. In the end, she gives up her life and travels to Iceland to do more intensive research, and discovers her own name in the genealogical records as his wife. Sort of a time-slip sideways historical romance.
 

Damoclian

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And that's a wrap!

This was the first time I'd ever tried NaNoWriMo, and I just crossed the 50,000 word mark for November. Of course, 27,000 words were finishing up Misfortune of Time (because my muse can't read a calendar and started in September) and the last 23,000 words were part of my new Iceland novel (no title yet). Still, 50K is 50K, right?

Now I've got to finish up this Iceland book. Novella. Whatever it is.

Anyone want to help me with a title? It's set in 1992 Miami after Hurricane Andrew. A woman tries to escape her stressful life by writing a novel set in Medieval Iceland. She dreams of herself as a main character, falling in love with a local farmer. In the end, she gives up her life and travels to Iceland to do more intensive research, and discovers her own name in the genealogical records as his wife. Sort of a time-slip sideways historical romance.

Give us names and more themes, PRECIOUS! :eek: *Gollum gollum*
 

CobraMisfit

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And that's a wrap!

Congrats!

Anyone want to help me with a title? It's set in 1992 Miami after Hurricane Andrew. A woman tries to escape her stressful life by writing a novel set in Medieval Iceland. She dreams of herself as a main character, falling in love with a local farmer. In the end, she gives up her life and travels to Iceland to do more intensive research, and discovers her own name in the genealogical records as his wife. Sort of a time-slip sideways historical romance.

Storm Surge
Hurricane's Heart
Aftermath
50,000 Words of Liquid Awesome


Just some ideas....
 

JJ Litke

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The Icelandic Farmer's Hot Love

Maybe it's not really that kind of book, though.
 

LadyV

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Fire and Ice? Oh, right. That's already a title. Sorry, I've got nothing. :Shrug:
 

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Muggy Swamps, Smoldering Fjords

Smoldering Fjords sounds like the kind of cocktail you order when you want to wake up with no recollection of what happened the night before, aside from the fact that you're now the legal guardian of orphaned Lithuanian twins and a Panda with digestive problems. I'd drink it.
 

themindstream

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Viking Thunder? Something with storm, thunder or lightning in it maybe.
 

Caitlin Black

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Sorry, can't think of any titles right now.

On my end, I just installed an audio editing program onto my laptop. Which I've had for 9 months now, and had never bothered with that program. Basically, the hope is that I will now create some electronic music with which to conquer the world! (Or, y'know, make a few bucks from...) This could easily be just another of my whims, though. But hey - installing the program doesn't hurt anything. I already owned it, anyway.

So yes. Might make some music soon. *crosses fingers* In related news, I killed it on bass earlier. Well, not quite... I was still a little sloppy and uninspired (especially with that darn D string!), but it's the best I've ever played on bass before, I think. So progress, anyway. :)
 

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So, I got a bit of very generous feedback from a mentor who's responding to ALL her subs (amazing, incredible, generous lady). But on my end, it's almost made my disappointment worse. The reason she passed on me was basically because I phrased something poorly in my synopsis and she took it to be a trigger warning. She thought a side character has a psycho Stockholm syndrome-type love for the MC (yes, I skimmed over that character/worded it that badly). Otherwise, she said my opening was strong and concept something she's always liked since she was a kid. So now I'm just kicking myself because I was in such a rush to put the sub package together, I didn't have time to get feedback on the synopsis and possibly blew my opportunity. I'm 98.9% sure that's not an issue in the book (I'll ask future betas) and of course, I'll be rewording the synopsis, but, dang. Feeling stupid and disappointed all over again. :tongue
 
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Kitkitdizzi

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Blown off Course?

I suck at titles. Still haven't thought of a good one for my story. But I did reach the first major battle scene this weekend, which led to researching what the battlefield would smell like...which led to igniting black powder in my backyard. Gosh research is fun. No, I didn't set fire to anything. Next weekend I'm hoping to go out to the gun range with my neighbor and his flintlock rifle if it doesn't rain.
 

CobraMisfit

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Smoldering Fjords sounds like the kind of cocktail you order when you want to wake up with no recollection of what happened the night before, aside from the fact that you're now the legal guardian of orphaned Lithuanian twins and a Panda with digestive problems. I'd drink it.

I'd drink that as well.

The Icelandic Farmer's Hot Love

*cough*

I'd probably read that. Just sayin'...

This.

So, I got a bit of very generous feedback from a mentor who's responding to ALL her subs (amazing, incredible, generous lady). But on my end, it's almost made my disappointment worse. The reason she passed on me was basically because I phrased something poorly in my synopsis and she took it to be a trigger warning. She thought a side character has a psycho Stockholm syndrome-type love for the MC (yes, I skimmed over that character/worded it that badly). Otherwise, she said my opening was strong and concept something she's always liked since she was a kid. So now I'm just kicking myself because I was in such a rush to put the sub package together, I didn't have time to get feedback on the synopsis and possibly blew my opportunity. I'm 98.9% sure that's not an issue in the book (I'll ask future betas) and of course, I'll be rewording the synopsis, but, dang. Feeling stupid and disappointed all over again. :tongue

Disappointing for sure, but on the plus side, someone helped narrow the focus. This might ultimately be a good thing because if helps correct something for a future pitch. O and T.


Morning, gang.

Whut up?
 

E.F.B.

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Blown off Course?

I suck at titles. Still haven't thought of a good one for my story. But I did reach the first major battle scene this weekend, which led to researching what the battlefield would smell like...which led to igniting black powder in my backyard. Gosh research is fun. No, I didn't set fire to anything. Next weekend I'm hoping to go out to the gun range with my neighbor and his flintlock rifle if it doesn't rain.
Duuuude.


Morning Cantina. I was feeling a teeny tad bleh last night. Since I've been taking my pills in the mornings now, I don't think that was the problem, and it didn't feel quite like that anyway. I think it may have been a combo of eating a little too much for supper and some anxiety I was having over various things. Either way, I just didn't feel great but did eventually fall asleep and stay asleep in enough time that I don't feel like I lost too much sleep.

I did get some editing and beta reading and regular reading done yesterday, though maybe not quite as much as I would have liked on the first two, which was part if the reason for last night's anxiety. Reality is, I'm making good progress on bothnn but the anxiety is, I think, coming from a bout of impatience and perfectionism if just wanting it to be done NOW. So. I seriously need to chillax on both and remember there are only so many hours in the day. As long as I'm staying focused and not procrastinating the day away, there's no reason to beat myself up because I didn't meet my own unrealistic expectations.
 

Mary Love

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I'm making good progress on bothnn but the anxiety is, I think, coming from a bout of impatience and perfectionism if just wanting it to be done NOW.

I get this too, about all the writerly goals I set for myself and any time I get feedback/criticism, my brain likes to turn it into anxiety. Makes me wonder if I'll ever be able to write on a deadline or handle all the stress of being a pub author. But I'm not giving up yet. :box: