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Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s comic masterpiece 'The School for Scandal' premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in May 1777. The play was an immediate success earning Drury Lane, which Sheridan owned and managed an enormous amount of money. 'The School for Scandal' explores a fashionable society at once addicted to gossip and yet fearful of exposure. Jokes are had at the expense of aging husbands, the socially inexpert, and, most of all, the falsely sentimental.
The farther I dive into the world of writing, the busier I become. I have done small amounts of freelance writing for years, but about a year ago, in hopes of gaining experience and honing my craft, I dove deeper into the world of freelance. I wrote for a few online magazines like Honesty For Breakfast (aimed at girls in their 20s), I did some ghost web-copy writing for travel websites and a flower shop, am working on a project with RawSpiceBar.com , and do regular posts for Family Focus Blog with farm fresh recipes and family-friendly projects.
I learned a lot about my writing too. I learned that my instinctively conversational style makes me a natural fit for certain things and not others. I’ve found great success with product description writing and online course curriculum development, because I get to play with different styles of description and ways of engaging an audience. But grant or technical writing for things like computer software manuals… not for me.
So what’s my point? Well, between freelance writing and working on my manuscripts, I am doing hours of writing every single day. And while this has been great in many ways, forcing me to flex my writing and creativity muscles, working with deadlines and not being able to stop because I’m just not “feeling it”, it can also become cumbersome.
Bottom line: Writing is very hard work.
I needed a way to regularly stoke the fire, the furious passion that I’ve always had for the written word. A way to remind myself that writing is fun!
Once a week, I schedule two entire hours, where I sit down and write without a goal, and away from the computer. No deadlines, no projects, no one to tell me what’s wrong with it, just writing. It can be free association writing, prose, anything I want. I can use characters from my manuscripts, but I don’t allow myself to work on actual scenes. I write silly rhymes that follow absolutely no patterns, write sentences with horrible grammar, and break as many rules as I can in 120 minutes.
Sometimes I spend the whole two hours writing what turns into a sort of journal entry, and I am reminded of why I fell in love with writing in the first place… the hidden truths it has always seemed to bring forward.
Basically, I indulge myself.
For me, being away from the computer is an important aspect. I do my work from my computer as a writer and a business owner, so just sitting in the chair has innate associations with obligation. This is playtime not work time.
Curling up with a notebook, a pen and absolutely nothing but chaos to guide me connects with the teenager in me who found refuge in writing as words she was constantly scribbling in the margins seemed to bring her closer to understanding herself and the world around her.
Do I always look forward to it? Nope. Not at all. I’d say a solid 40-50 percent of the time, I’m going into this thinking, ech… this is dumb. I don’t have the time to waste just doing nothing.
But (so far at least!) I have managed to convince myself to do it anyway.
The outcome?
Even when I didn’t FEEL like doing it, when the hours are up, I find myself unbelievably refreshed, both on a personal level, and as a writer. In fact, the times when I’ve wanted to do it the least have frequently been the times it’s had the most effect.
More often than not, I’ve sparked some new ideas for ways to handle scenes I was stuck on, or projects I wasn’t sure of. This means that these two hours actually end up SAVING me time, as I’m able to be more fluid in my work moving on.
And every single time, I renew that secret smile on my face that tells the story of how writing is a profoundly integral part of who I am.
So… do I think this strategy will work for everyone?
Well… sort of. (not exactly a deep meaningful answer there, I know. But bear with me!)
I think finding a way to reconnect with the raw passion of your writing is essential for all of us. Will a two-hour scribble in a notebook once a week do that for you?
It just might. As writers, I’ve found that many of us have similar stories of falling in love with the written word. So I would highly suggest giving it a try. But if after a few times, you find yourself drawn to something else, don’t fight it. Let the wistful, playful side of you run this show, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
My two-hour decadent dive into the frivolous side of writing has become a stimulating catalyst for not only my writing but my own spirit and the spirit of my characters. And while I know it’s never always easy to find two hours of your time to put aside, I strongly believe that…
… you, and your manuscripts are worth it.
Erika Wassall is a writer, a farmer and a liver of life. She is a member of SCBWI and a proud Mad Scientist, bringing science experiments right into children’s classrooms, and hearts. She has a small farm in New Jersey with sheep, chickens, pigs and vegetables. Check out her new website at www.TheJerseyFarmScribe.com where as a first generation farmer, she often takes the long way, learning the tricks of the trade on The Farm. On her website is also The Shop page with tips and a free Q/A from her husband’s mechanic shop, and The Writer page where she shares stories, experiences and characters from the heart. Follow her on Twitter at @NJFarmScribe. She’d love to hear from you!
Thank you Erika for another great post. I think everyone looks forward to your posts.
darlenebeckjacobson said, on 11/19/2014 9:29:00 AM
Erika,
A pen and paper is the only way I can get a first draft done without stifling creativity. So glad to hear that the “old fashioned” get it on to paper is used by someone besides me.
susandilldetwiler said, on 11/19/2014 9:58:00 AM
Great post, Erika. Permission (or even duty) to play… what a wonderful concept!
Erika W said, on 11/19/2014 10:06:00 AM
I do a bit of both in my regular writing. But pen and paper, and a different environment in general (park, lake, hanging with the sheep) is DEF something I use frequently to work through things. You’re not alone Darlene! (I always love your comments!)
Erika W said, on 11/19/2014 10:07:00 AM
Thanks Susan! OoOohhh, “duty” to play. I like that! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to say hello. :-)
Wendy Greenley said, on 11/19/2014 10:48:00 AM
It was nice to finally meet you earlier this month! Good luck with all of your projects.
writersideup said, on 11/19/2014 4:14:00 PM
This is a great reminder, Erika.After all, a car will run out of gas if you don’t pull into a gas station now and then :) Thank you!
Burning bright – Rear in Gear said, on 11/20/2014 6:28:00 AM
[…] Recently, Jersey Farm Scribe guest-posted on Writing and Illustrating about how she keeps the flame alive. Not a wood fire – though that would be lovely on this chilly Thursday – but her fires of creativity and passion for writing. […]
First you need a great idea, and anything and everything can be turned into a great picture book, amIright?
Noooooope.
If you answered otherwise, you might want to take some more time to better acquaint yourself with the children's book industry. Inspiration is everywhere, but good ideas take hard work and proper filtration. It is essential that you feel completely intimidated by your own high standards before you even attempt to latch on to a potential picture book idea.
STEP 2: LET FEAR TAKE HOLD
Ponder your ideas sporadically for at least two, maybe three years. Write NOTHING down. You must earn the right to write by spending as much time as possible being terrified and mystified by the entire writing process. DO NOT attempt to alleviate this panicked state by trying to actually write something. That would be highlylogical and therefore completely detrimental to your irrational fear.
STEP 3: CRUSH YOUR EGO
Continue to overwhelm yourself with feelings of inadequacy by reading so many books by authors you admire that you feel like you could never, ever, never ever in a million years actually create something worthy of being read by other people--especially those small humans called children.
STEP 4: GIVE IN
If, after all your self-confidence-diminishing reading and research, your original sprout of a kidlit idea STILL continues to haunt your memory like a forgotten plant on the window sill slowly withering to death, you might actually have a decent idea for a children's book. And against all odds, you may just have to succumb to writing it down after all.
STEP 5: FORM SENTENCES
Spend one fine spring day in May (but no more than 2 hours) at your computer typing out the first draft of your first manuscript. After all, it's only 500 words - it shouldn't take you all afternoon...
VOILA! Two years of thought and two hours of actual writing and you've finally done it. You've written the first draft of your first ever picture book (apart from that one in college, which doesn't count). Now, whether your manuscript is good or embarrassingly bad remains to be seen. But you did it!
Congratulations!
You may now proceed to STEP 6:
Creating Your First Picture Book Dummy In 150 Agonizing Steps
TO BE CONTINUED....
P.S. Here's the proof!
3 Comments on WRITING YOUR FIRST PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT IN 5 EASY STEPS, last added: 6/4/2013
Um that sounds incredibly painful...though to be quite honest I've experienced all of those. Mostly about illustration haha! THough, I'm currently working on a story that I STILL feel has potential...which I started about a year ago! haha
The last two years of procrastination haven't been painful at all-- but the feeling that I've been failing to live up to some kind of potential in my creative life has been crippling to my mental well-being. I think that means I secretly have high expectations of myself despite the odds against me. Whether or not I'm any good at the things I aspire to do (and do well), I know now that the only remedy is actually sitting down and doing something about it. Lesson learned! Creating with words is far more exhilarating than illustrating has ever been for me--I can never form my images with the same richness and dexterity as my mind can. But since the whole of writing is new to me, I guess my self-expectations are lower and thus it feels pretty good to write anything!
When I write, it often begin like an illustration…a single moment in time and space that hangs quietly. As I prob the surface, everything explodes into immaculate detail, complex concepts and sensory expressions that are impossible to depict with art, or would take months or years to emulate…while it usually takes only a couple hours with writing.
I feel free when I write and the only limitation is, “What will happen next?” My stories are like full blown movies or visions that come to life …I’m really there! ...But the problem is it only works for me. I am not a professional writer so I do not understand all the rules, limitations, common mistakes, etc of the English language; therefore my ability to communicate what I see would be greatly distorted to an outsider like you.
I guess my point is, if I had earned a degree in English, perhaps it would hamper my ability to create so freely…such as it often does with Illustration. (Check out this helpful post from Patricia Wrede, author of “Talking with Dragons” series: http://pcwrede.com/blog/spring-shadows-or-how-should-i-become-a-writer-ms-pro/)
Here is a no-fee Novel Writing Contest I thought you might like to know about. They date to submit opens on January 14th, so you have a few weeks to get your manuscript ready.
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest is right around the corner. You won’t want to miss this incredible opportunity to win a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing. Now in its sixth year, this international contest promises to be the best yet. Here’s what’s new:
One Grand Prize winner will receive a publishing contract with an advance of $50,000, and four First Prize winners will each receive a publishing contract with an advance of $15,000. Visit the Prizes page for the full list of prizes and details.
We’ve expanded the categories to include five popular genres: General Fiction, Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror and Young Adult Fiction. And we’re accepting entries from more countries than ever before. For complete eligibility details, view the official contest rules, or read details on how to enter.
Amazon Publishing is the official publishing sponsor for 2013 — which means a faster publishing timeline, higher royalties, ability to launch the books in multiple formats (print, audio, ebook) and worldwide distribution. Visit CreateSpace to learn more.
Preparing Your Entry
1) Prepare a strong pitch. More than a summary, your pitch should highlight your concept, protagonist, setting and writing style—all the elements that make your story unique. View sample pitches from past entrants.
2) Select the Genre that best fits your book: General Fiction, Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror, or Young Adult.
3) Stay within the word-count limits — pitch, up to 300 words; excerpt, 3,000 to 5,000 words; manuscript, 50,000 to 150,000 words.
4) Remove all identifying information from your pitch, excerpt and manuscript, including: your name and/or pen name, contact information, any awards received for your book and an author bio/resume.
5) Submit all your materials in the English language.
7) Create an account with CreateSpace (if you haven’t already).
HOW TO ENTER. We must receive your Contest entry between January 14, 2013 at 12:00:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) and January 27, 2013 at 11:59:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time). The contest is limited to 10,000 Entries, and we will stop accepting Entries after we have received 10,000 Entries. Each Entry must include one of the following genre selections and will be categorized accordingly for judging throughout the Contest:
a. General Fiction
b. Mystery/Thriller
c. Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
d. Romance
e. Young Adult Fiction
Entries may be edited until the above stated entry deadline or until a category has reached the maximum number of allowed entries, whichever first occurs. You must register at www.CreateSpace.com/abna to enter the Contest. Once you have registered, follow the instructions on the entry form and upload:
(1) the complete version of your manuscript that is between 50,000 and 150,000 words (“Manuscript“);
(2) up to the first 5,000 words, but not less than 3,000 words, of your Manuscript, excluding any table of contents, foreword, and acknowledgments (“Excerpt“);
(3) a pitch of your Manuscript consisting of up to 300 words (“Pitch“); and
(4) the personal information required on the entry form. (1-4 collectively, an “Entry“). We will not review any Entry that does not comply with these Official Rules. Entries for General Fiction must have an accompanying genre selection.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. You must be the only author of your Manuscript, and your Manuscript must be a novel between 50,000 and 150,000 words. Any Manuscript submitted as an Entry written by two or more authors will not be eligible. Additionally, poems, short stories, and collections of works are not eligible. Your Manuscript, Excerpt, and Pitch must:
(a) be your original creation; (b) be fictional; (c) be in the English language; (d) be of interior black and white text without images; (e) not currently or previously have been the subject of a publishing agreement with any publisher (but you may submit your self-published novel if you retain all worldwide distribution rights in and to the novel); (f) not include your real or pen name anywhere in the Manuscript, Excerpt, or the Pitch; (g) not include any information that identifies the author in any way including, but not limited to, a resume, previous awards received for the work, or the identity of additional works by the author, but excluding any file document properties that may identify the author; and (h) meet the content guidelines found at http://www.amazon.com/contentguidelines (which are incorporated in to these Official Rules by this reference).
Additionally, you must submit your Manuscript digitally in Microsoft Word .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt format. Any entry that we determine, in our sole discretion, to meet these requirements will be considered a “Valid Entry.” You may be represented by an agent on the condition that you – not your agent – agree to comply with these Official Rules.
Before I get to some book reviews and interviews that have been on the back burner, It's "catch up" time for some tagging. In March I was tagged by two cool bloggers, Rachna Chhabria and Linda Jackson with The Lucky 7 Meme tag. Here's how tagging works (although some of you already know this):
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS, WIP. 2.Go to line 7. 3.Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences or paragraphs and post them as they are written. 4.Tag 7 authors. 5.Let them know.
Soooooo, here are my 7 sentences: (The car in question is a Model-T)
Congrats on the tag! And fun to read your excerpt. You've caught your character at a very vulnerable moment. You'd probably just use commas rather than semi-colons, though (semis are used to connect independent phrases that can stand on their own). And ha--must be a female character, worrying about her face and how she looks after crying! ;o)
Carol, thanks for the catch on the punctuation. (Why we need feedback!) Yes, this is a pivotal moment for the protagonist. She isn't worried about how she looks in the sense of vanity, though; she's worried about keeping strong for younger siblings; they've just had a terrible loss.
L. G., yes, I agree. It's nice to get a glimpse of what others are working on.
Alleged and Kenda, thanks for the comments about details. Details are sometimes a challenge, especially since this takes place in a different era.
I found your seven lines very emotional and the detail of the surroundings really added to the punch. It kinda annoys me that this is all I get to see of your world.
I’m using yesterday’s topic of borrowing and lending to another level today. For those who’ve worked their way into the publishing business in the past few years, the preconceptions of what it means to be a writer have learned the new definition. They’ve also learned about the new work ethic of writers.
Writers shamelessly promote their work, and the work of others, everywhere they can because their careers’ futures depend on that promotion. Also, the big publishing houses today simply don’t have the promotion budgets they had in the past.
Other writers encourage us to guest blog on their sites, whether for self-promotion to a new audience or for a new book recently released. Guest blogging can also be used to promote a new voice/viewpoint about a specific topic being discussed. Either way, both the borrower of the audience and the lender of said viewers come away with something needed.
For the first time in centuries, writers are taking charge of their own livelihoods in the business. Many independent-thinking writers, who created their own presses, have turned their backs on the major publishing houses. They no longer consider it wrong to go without an agent. These career-oriented writers have changed the face of the industry in the past decade.
Small presses, POD’s and eBooks are making profits harder to come by for the big boys right now.
Future Possibilities
Whether I give information out for free, or I receive such information for free is irrelevant to the overall picture. The reason I can say that is because it’s beginning to look like the industry will soon be owned by the writers themselves in some respects.
Blogs and newsletters written by and for writers are created every day. They cover all the genres, and they take no prisoners. Whatever a writer wants to know is out there. Surfing and search engines make it impossible to overlook much that’s available.
When you consider that writers, editors, bloggers, along with magazines are ranking websites, newsletters, etc. on a regular basis, the built-in watchdogs guarantee that a careful user is safer from publishing scams than they used to be.
As encouragement, universities across the country are making free writing courses available by the dozen. Paid courses are also easily found and evaluated as to viability to the particular writer and well and skill set desired. And if a writer is determined, she can take an MFA degree online, or as a low-residency program from numerous colleges across the nation.
Advertising and promotion is easy to come by. Small, writer-controlled, publishing houses are moving in to entice new writers and secure established ones. A combo house—one which publishes both eBooks and POD simultaneously can take a well-written manuscript and turn it out to the public in a matter of only a few weeks/months instead of one to two years as happens with the big publishers. The lead time depends on the editing necessary for the manuscript and the dedication of the publishing staff.
Many of these same small presses use talented editors, promotion—including trailers and online, and help with marketing after the release of the book.
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something which helped me. Thanks!
claudsy said, on 3/7/2012 5:24:00 PM
Thanks.
Carrie Anne said, on 3/8/2012 5:08:00 AM
It’s scary for someone like me who just wants to write and doesn’t like the whole other side of the coin… as in, what would I have to do to get it out there once it’s finished. *gulp* There’s a guy who wrote a book on being an introvert who said the seven years it took him to write the book were the best years of his life, but the two years following, with self promotion and all that entails, were the worst. That would be me!
claudsy said, on 3/8/2012 8:10:00 AM
I do know what you mean, Carrie. Although, as with all things in this life, each pleasure has a down side. The pleasure of writing is increased with knowing that someone else has read your work and enjoyed it or gained something from it. The downside is knowing and doing all of those tasks that make it possible to have it in the hands of the public.
You’re right. It is a coin. I guess it’s the one we flip each day to decide our task for the day–write or market, promote or write more. It never ends.
So glad to hear from you. Take care and God bless.
I’m using yesterday’s topic of borrowing and lending to another level today. For those who’ve worked their way into the publishing business in the past few years, the preconceptions of what it means to be a writer have learned the new definition. They’ve also learned about the new work ethic of writers.
Writers shamelessly promote their work, and the work of others, everywhere they can because their careers’ futures depend on that promotion. Also, the big publishing houses today simply don’t have the promotion budgets they had in the past.
Other writers encourage us to guest blog on their sites, whether for self-promotion to a new audience or for a new book recently released. Guest blogging can also be used to promote a new voice/viewpoint about a specific topic being discussed. Either way, both the borrower of the audience and the lender of said viewers come away with something needed.
For the first time in centuries, writers are taking charge of their own livelihoods in the business. Many independent-thinking writers, who created their own presses, have turned their backs on the major publishing houses. They no longer consider it wrong to go without an agent. These career-oriented writers have changed the face of the industry in the past decade.
Small presses, POD’s and eBooks are making profits harder to come by for the big boys right now.
Future Possibilities
Whether I give information out for free, or I receive such information for free is irrelevant to the overall picture. The reason I can say that is because it’s beginning to look like the industry will soon be owned by the writers themselves in some respects.
Blogs and newsletters written by and for writers are created every day. They cover all the genres, and they take no prisoners. Whatever a writer wants to know is out there. Surfing and search engines make it impossible to overlook much that’s available.
When you consider that writers, editors, bloggers, along with magazines are ranking websites, newsletters, etc. on a regular basis, the built-in watchdogs guarantee that a careful user is safer from publishing scams than they used to be.
As encouragement, universities across the country are making free writing courses available by the dozen. Paid courses are also easily found and evaluated as to viability to the particular writer and well and skill set desired. And if a writer is determined, she can take an MFA degree online, or as a low-residency program from numerous colleges across the nation.
Advertising and promotion is easy to come by. Small, writer-controlled, publishing houses are moving in to entice new writers and secure established ones. A combo house—one which publishes both eBooks and POD simultaneously can take a well-written manuscript and turn it out to the public in a matter of only a few weeks/months instead of one to two years as happens with the big publishers. The lead time depends on the editing necessary for the manuscript and the dedication of the publishing staff.
Many of these same small presses use talented editors, promotion—including trailers and online, and help with marketing after the release of the book.
Is your manuscript stuck? Take a break from completing your fiction project and diagnose it. Here's how to take your manuscript into its next phase: completion. Read more
Deadlines are good things. They make you stretch yourself. You achieve things you thought were impossible. Sometimes things are even better because you have to work quickly. I relish them and - I dread them. But I know I am happier when I have them, than when I don't. I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy working in the illustration field. Mostly you are working for a client, and that client has expectations - after all they are putting food on your table. I often hear freelancers (in all kinds of work) saying that they have a hard time getting motivated. My advice: get yourself a deadline. And if you don't have one, create one for yourself.
The reason I am rattling on about deadlines is that there's a few on my calendar. This is excellent, means I am busy. Who doesn't want to be busy? I handle my deadlines by making a written calendar, right now it goes until August 31. I have 2 manuscripts to illustrate by then (the next two books in Anastasia Suen's cheerleader series for Kane and Miller publishing). Before you 'gasp' they are black and white with colour cover, so it's not colour double spreads!)
Mid way through this is wham bam ... SCBWI Summer Conference in LA. Just to make things difficult for myself I've decided to redo my portfolio with totally new pieces. So that's F-I-V-E weeks away. Plus I want to take 2 dummies with me. I will be entering the Portfolio Showcase again ... this year I feel like I know what I am doing. Well, more than last year anyway!
As I said, nothing like a deadline ... here's one of the new pieces with a more whimsical style than usual.
On the board for next week I also have designs to do for a pottery company in CA, they produce planters for the trade market (Target, Lowes etc). I used to do a lot of work for them, and was lucky enough to go to China to the trade fair and factories several years ago ... and then the economy nosedived. It's a good sign they are sending me work again. Of course, you can't choose when it comes along, so hence the planning calendar.
I guess I will be working some late nights on the portfolio!!
As a nice treat at the end of August I get to teach a drawing cruise on the Schooner Isaac H Evans. It's shaping up to be a busy, fun and fruitful summer.
The trip to LA will be welcome - a big conference like this is always intense, as you want to hear all the awesome speakers and still network. (And have some party time). Bring it on. Last year I knew very few people ... this year I feel like I am going back to family. In the lonely life of the freelance illustrator I think that's an unusual feeling. If you are an aspiring children's illustrator or writer - make sure you join the SCBWI and go to conferences and workshops!
Talking of deadlines, must get back to them.
Just want to say many thanks to everyone who sent me sympathy on the loss of my dog ... it's been a hard week.
Toodles!
Hazel
2 Comments on Getting down to it, last added: 6/30/2011
Fantastic and timely post! I struggle with getting motivated and staying at work when motivated. I'm finding this summer that having deadlines is helping enormously (haven't hit the point in my freelancing where others are providing deadlines for me). SCBWI summer conference is a biggie for me, as well -- my first writers' conference, and I'm jumping in at the deep end! I'm looking forward to it so much! (And yes, I must get back to work -- my deadline is just 3 weeks from today, because I'm heading off on another jaunt prior to SCBWI! See you there!)
Hope folk think to click on the image to enlarge it, as the cat and mouse expressions are priceless (and I don't know why, but I love the watering can!) From your comments, Hazel, it sounds like SCBWI is going to be all I can hope for and then some!
Go you, on entering the Portfolio showcase again, I am sure those late nights are going to pay off.
I have no imposed deadlines yet, but have some very clear manuscript goals for myself for this year.
In a recent blog post, author Allison Winn Scotch tackled one of the toughest questions facing aspiring writers: should you ever re-query after an agent?
Here’s an excerpt from her blog post: “if in your heart of hearts, you think that Agent X will fall in love with it and may have overlooked it in her slush pile, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to retry. (But I would do so with very few agents.) As for those you never heard back from? Well, I’d just query them as if it’s your first time. They may not have really read your query very closely, and I doubt that it will be remembered such that they’ll find you annoying or pushy.”
Scotch (pictured, via) also suggested that authors don’t attempt to re-query an agent if the first was sent less than six months before–because revisions require a lot of time and effort. What do the agents in the audience think?
Writing is a personal experience. Each writer faces his or her own obstacles and processes. But, one common aspect of writing is it always starts with an idea. You may take that idea and turn it into an outline. You then take your outline and sprinkle it with letters and words and watch it grow. Words turn into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into chapters. The journey can take months and even years. But, the love of writing, the love of your story, and the hope of publication keep you dedicated.
Then, the day finally arrives. Your manuscript is complete. The envelopes are ready. All you have to do is submit, submit, and submit again. But, hold on a minute. Have you gone over all the necessary steps to ensure your manuscript is actually ready to be submitted to a publisher or agent?
The writing journey can take months and even years. But, the love of writing, the love of your story, and the hope of publication keep you dedicated.
Time passes, and finally your manuscript is complete. The envelopes are ready. All you have to do is submit, submit, and submit again. But, hold on a minute. Have you gone over all the necessary steps to ensure your manuscript is actually ready to be submitted to a publisher or agent?
There are eight steps that every writer, especially those new to the business of writing, should follow before submitting a manuscript:
1. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Then self-edit your story until it’s the best you can do.
2. Make sure you belong to a critique group in your genre. Submit your ms for critique.
3. Revise your story again taking into account the critiques you received. Here you want to use common sense in regard to which critiques you listen to. If all your critique group members tell you a particular section of your children’s story is age inappropriate, listen. If one member tells you he/she doesn’t like the protagonist’s name, use your own discretion.
4. Resubmit the manuscript to the critique group again. See if you’ve revised or removed all the problem areas.
5. Proofread and self-edit the manuscript until you think it’s perfect.
6. Print the manuscript and check it again. You’ll be surprised at the different types of errors that will be found in this format. You should use a colored pen or pencil for these corrections so they’ll be easy to spot later on.
7. Now, it’s time for the final corrections. Give it another go over.
8. Have your manuscript professionally edited.
If you’re questioning why you need to have your manuscript professionally edited after going to the trouble of having it critiqued and worked on it meticulously and endlessly, the answer is simple: An author and a critique group are not a match for the expert eyes of a professional editor.
Did you and your critique group catch all the punctuation errors? How about knowing when or if it is permissible to use quotation marks outside of dialogue? Do you know about the Find function on your word program to check for over used words, such as was and very. What about ellipsis dots, or the over use of adjectives and adverbs? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Isn’t it understandable why it’s important to take that extra step, and yes, expense, to have your manuscript edited. If you’re undecided, ask the professional writers you know if they recommend it. You can also a
1 Comments on 8 Steps to Take Before Submitting Your Manuscript, last added: 12/1/2010
As a writer, I've worn a self-made button to writing conferences that reads: "Willing to work for serendipitous editor or agent." I inevitably get comments and once got an agent to ask me what I was pitching. He didn't take me on as a client, but the button did its job, one time.
In that spirit La Bloga provides this feature column with the message: Hechate un vistazo, which means take a peak. Here we're letting editors and agents, and all Bloga readers, get a peak at book-length stories hungry for an audience, and patron.
These will only be never-published works--novels, novellas, poetry collection, novelettes, screenplays, other collections, memoirs, children's books, anthologies--written by our contributors, complete and just itching to lock in your interest.
Consider this a service to our contributors as well as to publishing magnates out there. In the future we may give La Bloga readers a chance to feature their MSS here, so if you have one, send a 150-word pitch of your obra and a 25-word publishing history, as well as a way for people to contact you. Include the word count, genre, a photo and at least a working title for the story. If you want to include the opening 3 sentences of the story, we'll include that, too. Send to r.ch.garcia (ala) cybox.com. BEWARE: yes, your idea may be stolen because nothing is sacred nor secure in the Internet world.
Even if you're not an agent or editor, you may know one who one day writes you a big fat finder's fee for bringing one of these works to their attention. At least, we can imagine so.
Two MSS lead off today's parade. Who knows? Maybe this will do the job as well as my button and one day an editor/agent will call. BTW, if anyone should luck out, you MUST let us know. ____________________
Nine Days Deada novel by Lisa Alvarado
Florinda Cienfuegos, daughter of Oya and owner of a Chicago botánica, has dreams about criminals getting murdered and visions of a man flashing a detective's shield. Last night, she finally sees a name on the badge--David Ortiz, and tries to tell the police what she knows. When she's laughed out of the local precinct, she's overheard by Det. Naftali Gonzales. Gonzalez doesn't think it's a laughing matter. He had the same disturbing dreams; David Ortiz was his partner, killed in the line of duty nine days ago. What happens against a backdrop of Chicago's Puerto Rican and Mexican neighborhoods is a tale of the supernatural, crime/noir and two people drawn together to find out who or what has pierced the veil to exact justice.
Publishing bio: Lisa Alvarado is an educator, poet, novelist, and journalist. She is founder of La Onda Negra Press, and author of Reclamo and The Housekeeper’s Diary, originally a book of poetry and now a one-woman performance. Her first novel, Sister Chicas (written with Ann Hagman Cardinal and Jane Alberdeston) was bought by Penguin/NAL, and released in April '06. Sister Chicas is a coming of age story concerning the lives of three young Latinas living in Chicago and won 2nd place Best First Novel in English (Latino Literacy Nov. '07). Her book of poetry, Raw Silk Suture, is a recent release by Floricanto Press, and was reviewed by
0 Comments on Un vistazo of undiscovered works as of 1/1/1900
I read the acknowledgements pages of books with as much as interest as the books themselves. I’m hoping to find the secret to beta readers in those few words. Authors thank their agents, their editors, their publishers, their mentors, their families(not necessarily in that order). They also thank their beta readers, the people who first read their manuscript.
I’ve come to believe that those first readers are invaluable as the buffer between the author, who has read the manuscript so many times they no longer know if it’s good or drivel, and the professionals. But who are these mysterious people and where do you find them? Some authors have their families give opinions on their manuscripts. I’m not sure that would work for me. In twenty years my husband has not met a word I’ve written that he didn’t like. He’s pretty sure I slipped it into the wedding vows. “To love, honor, and support by loving everything she ever writes.” My mom, a voracious reader and former English teacher, is certain it’s part of the mom code. In my family, objectivity is not an option.
Recently I had been considering hiring a reader but I don’t really want someone to edit yet. I just want someone to read the manuscript and give me an overall feeling…what they like, what they don’t, what doesn’t fit. Then a beta reader fell into my lap. At my last writer’s group during a discussion about grammar(I know, we’re wild and crazy) a fellow member mentioned how I’d read a piece for her and corrected the grammar and she “owed me one”. She did? Why didn’t anyone tell me? As soon as the meeting was over I cornered her and started laughing about her “owing me one” before zooming in for the kill. Turns out I actually had a manuscript I wanted a few people to read before I sent it out to agents and since she owed me one maybe she’d read a few chapters? What could she say, she’d just told me in front of two dozen witnesses “if you ever need anything…”.
So I’ve snagged my first beta reader and while she peruses the first few chapters I’ve been making a list of a few other people who might be willing to read a few chapters. Some of these people are just acquaintances but that’s what I need, people who don’t feel pressured to like my writing. Most I’ve done a favor for here or there. Turns out that after you snag your first beta reader the rest are easy—you just need the right bait.
Do you have beta readers and where did you find them?
You can read more about Jodi's search for beta readers at Words by Webb. Jodi has plenty of experi
5 Comments on Fishing for Beta Readers, last added: 10/25/2010
I found two of my beta readers in my book club. Some of the women in book club only vaguely say "I liked/didn't like the book" and that's it. However, two of the women always give much more thorough feedback on explicitly *why* they liked/didn't like it. I asked them to be beta readers and let me know: overall reaction, which parts of the manuscript didn't work for them, if there are any things that pull them out of the story. They make great beta readers and they enjoy being part of the process of trying to help me ultimately get published. Another beta reader is a woman in my writing group - we always trade off reading each others' work.
TWITTER!! I found my lovely beta reader-who is no stranger to WOW and The Muffin-on Twitter. Julie Lindsey, who's been published here a couple times, has been utterly informative in so many ways. She led me here! *wink* I'm SOOOO thankful I found her. She is an awesome writer and has become a good friend as well.
I am lucky enough to have two great beta readers. One is my oldest daughter, herself a writer about to submit her first novel. Another is a writer I met at the inaugural meeting of the Houston Chapter of the SCBWI back in 1989. At the time, we were both unpublished want-to-be writers. We've each gone on to publish in our own fields and still sometimes serve each other as beta readers. Her input and my oldest daughter's have proven invaluable. Each feels comfortable providing constructive comments of the "you might consider" type, much more needed than compliments.
Today, The Muffin welcomes Wolf Hoelscher, owner of a new company to help writers and editors connect called Pubmission. We interviewed Wolf to find out all the ins and outs of Pubmission--a website designed to make the process of submitting manuscripts easier for both writers and publishers.
WOW: Welcome, Wolf, thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. What is the purpose of Pubmission?
Wolf: The purpose is simply to make the submission process easier for both publishing professionals and writers. Just as Monster.com or CareerBuilder attempts to connect job seekers with employers, Pubmission’s goal is to serve as a central hub for submissions that helps writers and publishers find each other in a simple, less intimidating way. From a writer’s perspective, it takes a long time to hunt through the listing manuals to find the right publisher. On Pubmission, writers can see which subscribing publishers match up with them best. And then they can go ahead and submit to them directly through the site.
There’s been a lot of talk about the death of the slush pile now that e-books and self-publishing are moving to the forefront of the industry. I don’t believe it has to be that way. As a writer myself, I know that it feels like you’re playing the lottery when you submit your work. It’s frustrating and daunting. But traditional publishers and agents still have a lot to offer writers, particularly in terms of editing and marketing. The slush pile isn’t dead; it’s just that the system is cumbersome and time-consuming. Pubmission attempts to rectify that.
WOW: What a great idea--anything to make the process of submitting our work easier is genius! How can writers benefit by using Pubmission?
Wolf:First, let me say that we try to make very clear to writers that Pubmission does not guarantee publication. If your writing isn’t fantastic, polished, and marketable, your chances of finding a publisher are slim. As a writer myself, I know that submitting your work can feel like buying a lottery ticket. But in this Internet age, there are tools out there that can help you prepare and market your submission in ways we never thought possible before. Pubmission is one of those tools.
We try to help writers with their homework. Slush pile editors are often frustrated because many of the writers who submit to them aren’t familiar with their publication and send them inappropriate work. But on Pubmission, not only do we list the guidelines and company info for each publisher, we also show writers which publishers have needs that pair up with the genre and tags associated with each submission.
So as a writer, you can send your submission directly to the publishers you like, and you can submit it to the General Database [on Pubmission], where any subscribing publisher has the ability to search for it.
There are also things you can do to improve your submission’s visibility. Editor Ratings not only show publishers a star rating based on an editor’s appraisal of its saleability, but each comes with a short critique that can give a writer an unbiased second opinion. We’re also adding a page that will show you how your rating matches up with other submission ratings on the site per
2 Comments on Pubmission: Connecting Writers and Publishers With Ease, last added: 9/2/2010
Thanks, Patricia! We actually had a short discussion on our Facebook page about Pubmission also--Wolf helped clear up some confusion about the credits. So check that out on our wall. If you're not a fan of our Facebook page yet, check it out! :) Just search for WOW! Women On Writing.
Whether you're attending or not, the 39th Annual SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, California is just around the corner. There are plenty of big names, fantastic workshops, and enthusiastic writers/illustrators to go around. Take part in our poll below, and read on for all the details.
When: July 30-August 2 Where: Los Angeles, California Who: Editors, Agents, Publishers, Authors, Writers, Illustrators, you name them... What: Keynote speeches, workshops, individual consultations, and the chance to network Fees: Registration fee of $495 for SCBWI Members, $550 for non-members
In the spirit of our conference round-ups each Monday, we are looking for reports out of as many workshops as possible. Those of us who can't make it will be grateful if you're up for sharing your take aways. And even if you are fortunate enough to attend the conference, there are countless workshops and not enough time to get to all of them. Take a glance at the list of workshops below and post to comments which workshop(s) you plan on visiting. If you're interested in sharing your notes, please let us know. Be sure to include a way to get in touch with you, or email us at kidlit (at) writeedge (dot) com. Thank you!
Workshops: Friday, July 30th
Start: Write Your First Page (Part 1A) [Bonnie Bader]
Boy Middle-Grade Fiction [Courtney Bongiolatti]
How to Approach Agents Without Scaring Them Off [Ginger Clark]
How to Get the Most Out of Your First SCBWI Conference [Tina Nichols Coury]
Writing Mass Market Fiction [Francesco Sedita]
The Page-Turner Principle [Gordon Korman]
How to Think Like a Publisher [Stephanie Lurie]
Submission Strategies [Josh Adams]
Think Like a Packager [Claudia Gabel]
Nailing Age and Keeping it Honest- A Writing Workshop [Amy Koss]
5 Lessons from Classic Picture Books that Can Help You Launch Your Career [Marc Barnett & Steven Malk]
Stories that Cross Borders/Boundaries [Jennifer Cervantes. Christina Gonzalez, & Guadalupe Garcia McCall]
I'm with you, Stina, unfortunately. My notes are so bad, I can't even read them myself the next day. Which is why I am hoping we can get lots of people to step up and share. There are so many amazing topics, I know I can't possibly attend all the things I want to go to. Too much to learn, too little time!
So, come on folks? Who's going to SCBWI-LA! Enquiring minds want to know!
I'll be there, and I will be posting ridiculous updates on my blog! I have a lot of followers who can't be there so I want to share the experience with them as much as I can (I loved blog-hopping the SCBWI winter conference - it wasn't nearly as good as being there but I still learned a lot!)
Well, now is the time when I'll cry into my pillow. No, I will not be there. But I'm sure there will be awesome notetakers like you to bring me up to speed when it's done. *wipes tear from cheek*
I really need to sort out which of these I can take, but I'm kinda waiting to see what slot I get assigned for Krist Marino and Linda Sue Park's workshops. Also, I'm planning on blogging during the conference (or post-conference) at my blog Ink Spells!
SCBWI Team Blog will be there blogging our little fingers off. We'll be able to cover most everything and we'll be able to do it live. So for those who want the minute by minute blow by blows (you'll almost feel like you're there), we hope we'll see you on the blog. (We love to hear from you too!)
http://scbwi.blogspot.org
And if you're having any trouble deciding on sessions, we've done quite a few pre-conference interviews with the faculty which might sway you one way or the other.
I will be there and will try to take notes! I'll also be covering it on my blog as much as possible.
I'll also be covering as many book-related comic con panels as possible. I've rounded up all the comic con writing and reading panels here: http://elizabethbriggs.blogspot.com/2010/07/comic-con-2010-for-book-lovers.html
THis is literally a hop, skip and jump from where I live but WOW, expensive, huh? Unfortunately none of their chapters cover where I live so I think I'd have to drive to LA to meet- BAH!
Let's extend a warm welcome to SCBWI member Alice Brock, who kindly offered to share her recent experience at the Not-for-Beginners Picture Book Workshop. On hand were picture book author Kelly Bennett and illustrator Terri Murphy, who helped attendees to explore picture book structure, flair, and more. If you have attended, or plan to attend a conference, please let us know. We'd love you to guest blog for us!
The Brazos Valley region of SCBWI held a Not-for-Beginners Picture Book Workshop in the historic LaSalle Hotel in downtown Bryan, Texas on the weekend of June 25, 2010. It was designed to teach picture book writers to hone and tighten their manuscripts and illustrations, thereby moving them closer to the goal of publication.
The conference sounds great. I think the longer workshops focusing more on craft would be so helpful. Hope they have a novel writing one in Michigan soon.
Hi Alice, Thanks so much for writing that all up for us. :) It was a wonderful, wonderful experience and I am so glad to have met you and to have shared that time with Kelly and Terri. They were very inspirational. :)
We all know the importance of the first page in selling your manuscript. To compete with the talent out there, we have to grab our readers fast. But how do we know we've done it?
We're excited to hold a line-by-line contest to help you evaluate your opening the same way a literary agent will read it. And we are fortunate to have agent Natalie Fischer of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency as the judge.
Here's how the contest works:
June 10th - Round One: 8:00 a.m. and Noon Eastern Time Submission Windows
Submit the first sentence of your completed YA or MG manuscript starting at 8:00 a.m. ET today in the comments of this post. We will take the first 50 entries and then close the comment window.
We will reopen the comment window at noon today to accept the next 50 entries. Comments will stay open until we have 100 entries total, or until 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 16th, whichever comes first.
Please enter only once per manuscript. If you have multiple completed manuscripts, you may enter the second one after 1:00 pm if there is still room.
June 17th - 100 Entries Posted
We will post the first sentences for all 100 contestants and open them for kind, respectful feedback.
Natalie Fischer will begin judging.
June 24th - Round One Winners: Top 75 Entries Posted
If you made the top 75, you may submit the first and second sentences of your novel.
June 28th - Round Two: Submission Deadline for 75 2nd Sentences
Submission window CLOSES at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
July 1 - Round Two Winners: Top 50 Entries Posted
If you made the top 50, you may submit the first through third sentences of your novel.
July 5 - Round Three: Submission Deadline for 50 3rd Sentences
Submission window CLOSES at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
July 8 - Round Three Winners: Top 25 Entries Posted
If you made the top 25, you may submit the first through fourth sentences of your novel.
July 12 - Round Four: Submission Deadline for 25 4th Sentences
Submission window CLOSES at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
July 15 - Round Four Winners: Top 10 Entries Posted
If you made the top 10, you may submit the first through fifth sentences.
July 19 - Round Five: Submission Deadline for 10 5th Sentences
Submission window CLOSES at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
July 22 - Overall Winners Announced
And the winners get.... Drumroll, please!
1st Place: A 25-page critique by Natalie Fischer plus books by a Sandra Dijkstra agency author
2nd Place: A 10-page critique by Natalie Fischer plus books by a Sandra Dijkstra agency author
3rd Place: A 5-page critique by P.J. Hoover, author of the MG Forgotten Realms Novels, plus books by a Sandra Dijkstra agency author
4-10th Place: A 3-page critique from one of the debut auth
Here's the first line of my middle grade fantasy The Third Tower. “You don’t know what it’s like not knowing if you’re like your real mom or dad,” Jasmine said.
Ellen’s forehead cracked painfully against the window as her Aunt’s ancient pick-up hit a huge hole in the questionable country road, waking her from the most bizarre dream.
Madame Bhut’s Finishing School in the town of Whut was known across Amalthea as a respectable place to send your daughter if you were hoping to marry her to a gentleman; not for producing evil queens with ideas of world domination.
Amidst the never-ending fires and screams of defiant terror, Abby collapsed to the ground, feet twisting inward, eyes unwilling to stay open, and desperately wishing to pass out.
Ellyssa, a.k.a. Subject 62, sprinted through the dark alley after escaping from her long-term captors who she’d thought of as family for eighteen years.
What an excellent idea and thanks for doing this! Here's the opening line from my tween fantasy novel:
What kind of animal sounds like a woman singing?
Margaret Nichols said, on 6/10/2010 8:00:00 AM
Here's my first line for my middle grade sf/f:
The bonfire in the middle of the grand plaza of New Tikal sent sparks up to greet the low-hanging stars; the stars Mau B'ah-Pakal hoped were still speaking to him, because no one else was.
He stretched as far as he could, if he extended his chin up any higher he would pull a muscle or bust a blood vessel in his neck, he had heard of that happening once from someone on Facebook, or maybe it was MySpace, he wasn’t sure.
Okay~I'm probably too late since this'll be comment 58 or something, but in case you decide to up the number of eligible entries, here's mine from a YA ms:
"Homo sapiens sluttiwhen drunkus--the subspecies to which I apparently belong."
Liz said, on 6/10/2010 9:42:00 AM
Freedom is feeling free, and separate ain’t equal, no matter what the law says.
brenda said, on 6/10/2010 9:45:00 AM
From upper MG:
If this were a movie, you'd be hearing Elvis music right now, the soundtrack to my life.
I stared at the smoke drifting up from Erika’s fingertips.
ann said, on 6/10/2010 12:12:00 PM
As we follow Jax in the dark up the wide stone steps to the library, I feel like the marble lions on either side are somehow watching and will keep us safe, no matter what.
Once Upon A Time, (notice the capital letters) there lived a king and queen of a quaint little country that used to be vast and plentiful, although much of it was sold off to cover the king’s gambling debts as well as the queen’s fondness for golden rosebushes.
Dearest Mother; I know you’ve been wanting to know the latest gossip from this end of the underworld, but the truth is, that there hasn’t been much going on since his Evil Lordship succumbed to death by piano.
Four seconds glared on the scoreboard while Coach Novak rallied her team, outlining the play that would either send the game into overtime or end the season.
Each dayon my calendar, I list the writing tasks and goals I would like to accomplish. I'm hardly ever able to complete everything I have planned--this is either because there's no possible way a human being could finish all those tasks, or I spend to much time on e-mail, or I play with my dogs and watch reality TV. Okay, so maybe it's a combination of all three. It doesn't bother me too much because I do accomplish a lot, and I can usually catch up on the weekends. But the one thing I've noticed is that I always put off a certain task-until it's too late at night and I'm too tired to do what is required. That task is sending out my creative work to agents and editors. And I'm trying to figure out why this is. Currently, I have three projects--a YA novel and two picture book manuscripts--that are ready to be submitted. I have submitted the YA novel to a few agents and received rejections. Then I had a brilliant idea (or at least I think so) about one of my character's motivations, so I am in the process of changing a few things in the manuscript. But still, all in all, these three are ready to go, and I am now more excited about the YA novel with my new change. And almost every day on that list of things to do, I write something like: "Find agents that accept picture books." or "Look into the editors I met at the November conference." But did I do this at all last week? NOPE. Did I do it this week yet? NOPE.
It's not like I did nothing --I've written articles, book reviews, blogs, part of a synopsis (talk about procrastinating--these things are horrible to write), revised a picture book manuscript, and more. But I always put sending out my manuscripts at the bottom of my list, which I hardly ever get to. WHY?
Do I fear rejection? Well, I guess we all do to a certain extent. But I've had enough of it over the last ten years to know that it only hurts for a little bit before my optimistic attitude wins out, and I recover. Do I hate researching the editors and agents? Frankly--yes, whenever I read a blog post or interview with an agent or editor, I think: What she's looking for is exactly what I'm writing. She'll accept my manuscript for sure. And then when I see the rejection, I think: Maybe I need to work on my reading comprehension skills because obviously she wasn't looking for my work at all. Or maybe I just hate sending out my work because it takes the time away from actual writing, and there's no guarantee that the time I just spent sending out my work will pay off.
So, what should I do about this problem--since if I never send out work, I will never accomplish my goals? I know what I should do. I should put sending out my work at the top of the list, unless I have a deadline for something else. OR Make it a goal to send to one agent or editor each day. That's what I should do. But first I have to get over this mental block. I hope by sharing this with you today, that's the first step. Anyone else have these kinds of problems? It's not writers' block--it's sending-out-your-work block.
post written by Margo L. Dill, http://margodill.com/blog/ photo by Pink Moose www.flickr.com
5 Comments on The Fear of Submitting My Manuscripts, last added: 5/21/2010
My obsession is sort of a related thing; for the first few weeks after I send out a submission, way too much energy goes into constantly checking my email for a reply.
Despite the market having a clearly worded response time, despite the fact that so many of the publishers and agents have gone to "we will only respond if interested," and despite the fact that the publisher wanted a SASE with the postal submission.
I still get sucked into that belief, "Maybe they sent an enthusiastic email in the last 2 seconds, begging me to let them have my book!"
It wears off after a few weeks, once I've gotten into another project. Some of the submissions I have out right now take six months to get back to you, there's no way I could maintain that pattern for six months.
I do the exact same thing. I write short stories and flash fiction. I have a handful that I feel good about submitting, and yet...I don't. I've made it a goal to submit at least one of my five best stories per week and keep a back-up venue so that I can send it right back out again if it gets rejected. I use my first hour of the workday to do this. In weeks where everything is still out and I'm waiting to hear, I'll use that hour in the morning to work on something new or polish a WIP. I've been doing this for two weeks now. So far, so good! :)
Angelica--I think we all expect that miracle to happen, and that just shows that we have great confidence and love for our work. That is a GOOD thing!
Ally--what a great plan! I do need to do something like this. Okay, I'm going to work on this! :) I did at least finish my synopsis and sent it to my critique group last night, so I am getting closer.
I'm loving this post by Jody Hedlund on what can go wrong in your first chapter to turn someone reading it off. From neglecting to include a strong hook to trying to get too much in too quickly, her thoughts are insightful for anyone working on a novel.
Sheri, We're delighted to pass along fabulous advice! It seems there's so much to remember when you write and revise. Hearing these tips refreshed me in certain ways and gave me new perspective, as well! Thanks for your comment!
We're so happy it was helpful for you Judy. The first chapter is completely the "first impression" in terms of your manuscript. There's a lot of pressure to get it just right. Thanks for following!
Nothing kicks off the week like a contest. What I love about this one from Dystel and Goderich is that it's SO accessible. All you have to do is post your first line from your manuscript. If you win, you get a full, yes full, manuscript consideration. My favorite part? No query necessary! Woo hoo!
The other comment was Marissa, who doesn't know your work. I haven't even been over the D&G yet to take a look. (Murphy's law, they already have my full so I can't take advantage of the contest!) But I know your incredible level of talent, and in your case, no bravery is required. Hope you are doing well!
Have you ever gone to open that manuscript you've been slaving over on your computer, only to find it won't open? Or, perhaps your most recent updates to your story weren't saved properly. Or worse, your computer crashes altogether. We can all identify with the frustration that The Literary Lab discusses on their blog today. What I love is that writer Michelle Davidson Argyle has turned this agonizing experience into a contest. The prize? A free critique!
What do you do with old manuscripts? I don’t mean crinkly old medieval manuscripts, I mean the manuscripts every writer owns, precious but useless piles of paper that represent months if not years of work – the forlorn not-dead-but-hardly-breathing remains of BOOKS THAT DID NOT MAKE IT. I have at least six.
I can’t bear to throw them out, yet there is absolutely zero chance of them ever being published. Not only were they never good enough, they’re a stage of me which I’ve outgrown, like an old chrysalis, and I couldn’t fit back in. On top of that, they’re too old-fashioned.
Take a look at this:
An electric bell began to ring, violently, without stopping. “Assembly!”
Another rush, this time for the classroom door. No teachers about yet. The corridor brimmed with people. Tall arrogant prefects and groups of scruffy-looking blazer-clad boys. First-form boys looking aggressive but clean, like choirboys playing rugger. The little girls were being pushed aside in the rush: Linda caught sight of a frightened face near the wall. Noise and laughter echoed like sounds in a swimming pool, saturating the corridor clad in its dirty cream paint and pock-marked notice boards.
The wide double doors to the hall were propped open: the flood surged in, slowed, broke into individuals who walked with more or less decorum to their places.
Coughing: shuffling. The slide of the khaki drugget underfoot. Herringbone pattern of woodblocks showing through a split seam. Mr Green, the music teacher, coming in talking over his shoulder to Miss Sykes: movement of interest among the girls. Mr Green was popular: he was married but rumoured to be in love with Miss Sykes, and it made the older girls jealous. He sat down at the organ, grinned at Mr Harvey who was up on the stage fixing hymn numbers, and made the organ groan breathily. Then he made it squeak. Laughter interrupted the general chatter.
The Head came in, wearing a black gown over his suit and banged for silence. He was smiling with a rather forced cheerfulness. The noise gradually faded into loud shushings from boys who knew the safe ways of being noisy. Precarious silence.
12 Comments on Old Manuscripts - by Katherine Langrish, last added: 4/16/2010
What I have done, Kath is to buy cardboard archive boxes from the stationers and every book or books is boxed up and archived. This applies to both published and unpublished stuff.
The boxes are neatly labelled and then stored. In my case in a mixture of the eaves above th garage and the room in our house we call the office (they stack quite neatly under the wooden counter we had put in there.)
There may come a day, when you've had a huge hit with a book that an American university will pay money for your archive!
Or you might suddenly decide to reanimate and modernise an idea you have stashed away. If it's all stored and labelled you will find it when you need it.
I remember pulling out a cockroach-eaten, embarrassing old manuscript and taking a pair of scissors to it. I cut out all the little turns of phrase and metaphors and descriptions I liked (the ones that weren't embarrassing), filing them in an envelope for possible later use, and burning the rest...
"...children who meet a strange fugitive in the woods, who turns out to be on the run from the death-aspect of the Triple Moon Goddess (yes, her again) – and involved standing stones, unfriendly elves with golden faces, owls, ruins, and mazes."
Kath, I rather like that one just from the description!
I agree, it's hard to throw away the old manuscripts. (And I bet you any money that mine are far, far worse than yours.) But I think they're invaluable as a map of the learning process. One can write 80,000 words of utter tripe, but then, buried among it, one character, one image, one turn of style, which you can notice later and say - Yes, THIS was good, and this is the direction in which I developed.
Old manuscripts are also great humbling devices. I remember my second manuscript, I thought at the time was brilliant. Looking at it now...! It makes me realise: NEVER think you've done the best you can do.
I just keep them. They are part of my landscape, part of my lifestory. At least I'm not a sculptor. Imagine how much space you#d need to store that lot!
What a fascinating post and how generous of you to share an extract - I loved reading it! Sadly, many of my old manuscripts are on hard drives of old computers and possibly lost for ever. I find it very interesting that many contemporary writers don't have the same paper trail for their drafts and revisions as would once have been the norm - yet every word we casually share on the world wide web will be there to see for ever. That's what they tell us, anyway.
This post came at a perfect time for me. I just posted about getting a new idea and feeling bad about leaving the old ones behind. I have 3 unfinished WIPS as of now. Two of which I never work on. I probably will never through them away. I saved them on 3 diffrent disks, in case I lost one, and printed each of them out, stuffed them in my bookshelf sight unseen. I don't read them but I remember them well enough to know they never would have made it. It's a learning process to write several manuscripts. They are all and probably will be for awhile, practice runs.
Fascinating to find out what everyone does! I do work on computer (natch) but print out as I go, so leave enormous papertrails! But some of my earlier efforts are typed - or even longhand.
At a meeting of Australian authors Patsy Adam-Smith once said that computers were going to make it very difficult for students of future literature. She said the long hand drafts with endless crossings out would no longer exist and students would not get the same insight into the writing process. It is an interesting thought.
Mine are in a folder, and at some point I'll get my parents to burn them (don't like fire), or I'll shred them. A bit worried people might steal ideas if I put them in recycling! Even if the originals are extremely different from the current versions.
Will hiring a freelance editor ensure you pitch the perfect game? In writing terms, will it ensure you get published? Do you need an editor? Read on...
I recently read a great post at Kidlit.com. The article discussed the pros and cons of hiring a freelance editor, and even went into which writers would benefit from hiring one and which writers wouldn’t.
Here is the partial gist of the post plus my own input:
1. One of the most important aspects of hiring someone to critique or edit your work is to be open to criticism. If you do not have the personality to handle constructive criticism, suggestions, and/or edits, then you shouldn’t hire a freelance editor.
2. Before you contemplate hiring a freelance editor, get your manuscript in the best shape possible. What this means is you should know your craft or engaged in learning it. You should obviously belong to a critique group that focuses on the genre you write. This group should have new and experienced/published authors in it. This will help you to hone your craft through the critiques you receive and the critiques you give.
There are also a number of fantastic free online writers conferences such as the Muse Online Writers Conference (join up soon before registration closes). There are workshops offered covering just about every writing genre, plus freelance writing and marketing. AND, you will have the opportunity to pitch to publishers. Between the networking and learning, it’s not something you should lightly pass on.
Next up on the road to learning your craft is to join a couple of writing groups – again be sure they have new and experienced writers. If you’re writing for children, the best and most bang for your buck coaching group is the Children’s Writers Coaching Club with Suzanne Lieurance. Check out the article, How do You Learn to Write For Children.
3. Hiring a freelance editor to go over your manuscript will not guarantee it will get published, even the best in the field can’t promise this. What they will do is help you to get it in the best shape possible. But, whether or not you take their advice is another story. And, again, even if you do, there are no guarantees.
This holds true everywhere in the writing world. You may send your manuscript out, after it’s polished, to 20 publishers and agents and get rejections. The, you send it to one more and it happens this publisher has been looking for what your have. Time and Chance, my friends, time and chance. But, be sure, if you’re manuscript isn’t polished, you won’t ever get that far.
4. If you did your best to get your manuscript into what you think is publishable shape and you want an editor to give it a final once over, be sure to ask for recommendations from other writers.
Writing is such a unique journey for each and every writer. Some find it easy to meld their chapters one into another; others find it easy to get just the right ending, with some kind of twist or surprise that gives it a great edge; others still, find it easy to jump right into a story and write a grab-the-reader beginning; and there are other aspects of writing a story that some writers just breeze though effortlessly.
I find it relatively easy to start a story. I can create a beginning that jumps into the action, which is what most stories, especially children’s stories need. But…ah, that BUT…But, I find it difficult to end my stories. I have no idea why. I can start it, bring it along toward an ending, but, then I fizzle out. My endings are initially weak and definitely lacking.
This happened to me with a manuscript I submitted to a children’s publisher, 4RV Publishing. I pitched the story to the publisher during the Muse Online Writers Conference in October 2009. The publisher allowed me to submit a synopsis and the first three chapters, which was also a bit lacking, but that’s another story.
The editor who read the chapters and synopsis liked the storyline, but was confused about my ending in the synopsis. As I mentioned above I have trouble with my endings. Aside from that, the editor recommended the publisher request the manuscript so they could look it over. They did advise I edit it first and work on the ending. I created an entirely new ending and sent it to Lea Schizas to have edited (thank you, Lea).
It’s funny, but I think there are at times some form of inspiration that can take us where we don’t usually tread...that helps us overcome our obstacles or mountains. In the case of my story, Walking Through Walls, I came up with a pretty good ending that tied everything together and afforded a surprise. I worked on this story for around two years and finally when it counted, I found the right path for this story to take.
So, the tips of the day: Pay attention to where your writing weak spots are and work on them. If you have to, write a few different scenarios to help you open up. And, if you’re still having trouble with your story, put it away for at least a week and then go back to it; you’ll see it differently, with a newness and awareness. And, listen when inspiration comes a knockin!
One more important tip: Register for the Muse Online Writers Conference. I would need to write another article to explain all the benefits of this conference…OH, wait a minute, I did write an article about it. Check it out:
How do you track or keep records of your submissions? In the past, I have just used a word doc to create a table and I kept track of publishers/manuscript/dates/replies. Tonight I did a search online for submission tracking. I found a neat site where you can keep track of your submissions. It creates graphics and organizes your submission information so you can see where you have been sending your manuscripts and where you may want to focus on sending some. I have only messed with it a little tonight. But from what I saw, it seems pretty cool and it is a free site (from what I saw). I registered and recorded my first submission. I am excited to play with it a little more. I guess I will have to send out more submissions so I can add more to it! Let me know if you are familiar with this site and your thoughts on it. Happy writing! ~B The Writers Database(click here)
0 Comments on submission tracking as of 10/20/2009 2:37:00 AM
Erika Wassall, the Jersey Farm Scribe here on…. 
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That would be me!
In a recent blog post, author Allison Winn Scotch tackled one of the toughest questions facing aspiring writers: should you ever re-query after an agent?
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Erika,
A pen and paper is the only way I can get a first draft done without stifling creativity. So glad to hear that the “old fashioned” get it on to paper is used by someone besides me.
Great post, Erika. Permission (or even duty) to play… what a wonderful concept!
I do a bit of both in my regular writing. But pen and paper, and a different environment in general (park, lake, hanging with the sheep) is DEF something I use frequently to work through things. You’re not alone Darlene! (I always love your comments!)
Thanks Susan! OoOohhh, “duty” to play. I like that! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to say hello. :-)
It was nice to finally meet you earlier this month! Good luck with all of your projects.
This is a great reminder, Erika.After all, a car will run out of gas if you don’t pull into a gas station now and then :) Thank you!
[…] Recently, Jersey Farm Scribe guest-posted on Writing and Illustrating about how she keeps the flame alive. Not a wood fire – though that would be lovely on this chilly Thursday – but her fires of creativity and passion for writing. […]