Just came back from a trip to New Hampshire. It was great to see some of my friends from high school, and some of my family members. I'm really enjoying the novel manuscripts that I'm test reading right now (for an author who has done me the same favor). Seriously, this stuff is good. I hope to see it in a bookstore one day.
Still editing Yeresunsa, and still confident that it's good, and still hoping to interest an agent in it, yet still worried that it might get dismissed due to high word count combined with my unknown name. That's on top of the usual writer's worries that the story could be improved--but how? And should I continue to rework this thing until the clay dries out?
Jul 3, 2003
May 21, 2003
Writing in May
Lately, I've been starting short stories, and not completing them. I have the endings in mind . . . but I let myself get distracted with other things. I'm not sure if my life would be considered busy compared with the average person, but it always feels busy to me. For every thing that gets done, three things replace it. Some things have to take priority over writing.
That's not to say that I haven't done anything with my stories. I've submitted one short to a critique group (thanks to everyone at Milk of Medusa!), and I believe it's ready for submission to zines. Another short story, Fiction, is also ready. It was accepted at a zine earlier this year, but the editor is on a possibly permanent hiatus, and has given permission for me to shop the story to other zines.
Researching zines is a perilous activity. I get caught up reading them, and never get around to submitting. There are hundreds of zines on the internet, but only a handful print magazines that will publish scifi/fantasy short fiction. Lots of great fiction out there from new or unknown authors.
Status on my novels: Reader feedback has been coming in, and I'm very grateful for all of it. Reactions to The Illusionist are good. Suggestions and other factors have me rethinking a few details of the story. It needs a bit more work before being submitted to the literary agency I have in mind.
Reactions to the first part of Yeresunsa have been beyond great. To those who are currently reading it: Your feedback is still welcome, of course! I will take all suggestions into consideration. You are invited to be brutally honest. Please!
So why haven't I submitted it anywhere? Because Parts II and III need work. I've barely gone over them. Yes, they are three separate books, but something tells me that I should have all three finished, just in case I'm amazingly lucky and land an editor who is willing to combine them into a single volume, as I had originally intended.
I doubt anyone really reads these updates, or cares what I'm babbling about, but it's good therapy for me. If you want to laugh . . . I've been working on a horror story that has me so scared, I can't work on it while I'm home alone. Every time Larry walks past my computer, I jump about two feet.
In other news: It's hot here in California. Even I start complaining when it's 100F.
That's not to say that I haven't done anything with my stories. I've submitted one short to a critique group (thanks to everyone at Milk of Medusa!), and I believe it's ready for submission to zines. Another short story, Fiction, is also ready. It was accepted at a zine earlier this year, but the editor is on a possibly permanent hiatus, and has given permission for me to shop the story to other zines.
Researching zines is a perilous activity. I get caught up reading them, and never get around to submitting. There are hundreds of zines on the internet, but only a handful print magazines that will publish scifi/fantasy short fiction. Lots of great fiction out there from new or unknown authors.
Status on my novels: Reader feedback has been coming in, and I'm very grateful for all of it. Reactions to The Illusionist are good. Suggestions and other factors have me rethinking a few details of the story. It needs a bit more work before being submitted to the literary agency I have in mind.
Reactions to the first part of Yeresunsa have been beyond great. To those who are currently reading it: Your feedback is still welcome, of course! I will take all suggestions into consideration. You are invited to be brutally honest. Please!
So why haven't I submitted it anywhere? Because Parts II and III need work. I've barely gone over them. Yes, they are three separate books, but something tells me that I should have all three finished, just in case I'm amazingly lucky and land an editor who is willing to combine them into a single volume, as I had originally intended.
I doubt anyone really reads these updates, or cares what I'm babbling about, but it's good therapy for me. If you want to laugh . . . I've been working on a horror story that has me so scared, I can't work on it while I'm home alone. Every time Larry walks past my computer, I jump about two feet.
In other news: It's hot here in California. Even I start complaining when it's 100F.
Mar 31, 2003
Rejected
I got my first rejection letter. The agency responded very quickly, and did not provide any details. I suspect they may have been put off by my original dry synopsis (I have rewritten it since then). Then again, maybe they just aren't interested in this particular flavor of over-the-top fantasy science fiction, or maybe they didn't like my writing style. I will keep submitting The Illusionist to other agencies.
What now? My problem is that I would rather spend time writing stories than trying to market them. I have a short story, DEMON CHILD, that I would like to see published, and I could (and should) go back to Yeresunsa and revise Part I as a stand-alone book... because I consider that particular saga to be my best work... but right now, I would rather write some new stuff.
What now? My problem is that I would rather spend time writing stories than trying to market them. I have a short story, DEMON CHILD, that I would like to see published, and I could (and should) go back to Yeresunsa and revise Part I as a stand-alone book... because I consider that particular saga to be my best work... but right now, I would rather write some new stuff.
Mar 27, 2003
Working on Yeresunsa
I've been editing The Illusionist, and have recently sent the first three chapters to an agency in New York, along with the synopsis and outline. It's a first time submission. I have never sent a manuscript to an agency or editor in my adult life. I'll keep my website posted with the developments. I'm already steeled for rejection! No one sells a book on the first try.
If you're wondering what happened to that giant saga I've been working on, Yeresunsa . . . I'll get back to it in a few weeks. I have been advised by experts (or experienced people, anyway) that no first time author can sell a manuscript that exceeds 150,000 words. While there have been exceptions to that rule, one can pretty much bet that a first time author can't sell a book that exceeds 250,000 words. How long is Yeresunsa, you ask? (blush) Okay, it ended up being 530,000 words... slightly shorter than Stephen King's The Stand. Frankly, I'm impressed that test readers were willing to read the entire thing. I was blinded by love. While I was writing it, I tricked myself into believing it was no longer than a George R.R. Martin novel.
Thank you to every test reader who offered to read Yeresunsa. Your suggestions have helped me immensely. As soon as possible, I will begin to break the saga into more marketable chunks. I count myself lucky that the first three books are already written. I've learned a lesson from this experience: Word count actually affects your chances of being considered for publication. Pay attention to it.
One more thing I've learned in the process of editing Yeresunsa: Editing is a much lengthier process than the actual writing. I think I wrote the entire 600,000 word first draft in ten months, or less. Editing took two years. I cut over 150 single spaced pages. There were times when I got tired of it, and had to suppress an overwhelming urge to move on to a new project... but the Yeresunsa saga is my big dream. I believe it's worth sharing with other people (unlike the vast majority of crappy things I make). I also think it's highly entertaining. During my editing, more than once, I would get absorbed into the story and read until dawn. Obsession? Okay, yes, but at least you know this isn't some little project I blew hot air into. It is a work of substance. Or so I hope!
If you're wondering what happened to that giant saga I've been working on, Yeresunsa . . . I'll get back to it in a few weeks. I have been advised by experts (or experienced people, anyway) that no first time author can sell a manuscript that exceeds 150,000 words. While there have been exceptions to that rule, one can pretty much bet that a first time author can't sell a book that exceeds 250,000 words. How long is Yeresunsa, you ask? (blush) Okay, it ended up being 530,000 words... slightly shorter than Stephen King's The Stand. Frankly, I'm impressed that test readers were willing to read the entire thing. I was blinded by love. While I was writing it, I tricked myself into believing it was no longer than a George R.R. Martin novel.
Thank you to every test reader who offered to read Yeresunsa. Your suggestions have helped me immensely. As soon as possible, I will begin to break the saga into more marketable chunks. I count myself lucky that the first three books are already written. I've learned a lesson from this experience: Word count actually affects your chances of being considered for publication. Pay attention to it.
One more thing I've learned in the process of editing Yeresunsa: Editing is a much lengthier process than the actual writing. I think I wrote the entire 600,000 word first draft in ten months, or less. Editing took two years. I cut over 150 single spaced pages. There were times when I got tired of it, and had to suppress an overwhelming urge to move on to a new project... but the Yeresunsa saga is my big dream. I believe it's worth sharing with other people (unlike the vast majority of crappy things I make). I also think it's highly entertaining. During my editing, more than once, I would get absorbed into the story and read until dawn. Obsession? Okay, yes, but at least you know this isn't some little project I blew hot air into. It is a work of substance. Or so I hope!
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