publishing
And the verdict is...
10/02/11 21:49 Filed in: Writing
So the publisher said "No". Very kindly, very
politely, but "No". He also said, "I still like the
courtroom scenes, but I’m still not overwhelmed by
the rest."
I'm trying to figure out how I'm reacting. I'm still quite overwhelmed by how much time and energy this publisher afforded me and my book and I continue to be grateful for that. I can wish for a different outcome. I can feel disappointed to have come this far only to fail once again to reach my goal. But I can't complain that I wasn't given a fair chance by this publisher.
I can also understand why he would say "no" and yet still not take it as an assault on my skills and talents as a writer. Call it ego but I believe my book is well-written enough to be published. I just don't think the publisher felt the subject matter would sell. I've understood for a long time that a very well written book is not going to succeed if it doesn't offer a "sexy" plot, subject, or hook that will make readers want to buy it.
The Silent Goodbye doesn't seem to have those things. It's a good story. It's well told. But it doesn't stand out. It's a fairly homey novel about a small-time lawyer who finds himself in big-time trouble.
So it would seem that The Silent Goodbye isn't going to be published any time soon. And I'm left wondering where to turn next. I had been working on the next Phillip Gold mystery novel, The Final Curtain, and I might just keep going with that. I'd do so, however, not with the belief that this new novel stands a better chance of being published (it's too much in the same vein, the same flavour as The Silent Goodbye for me to believe that) but on the basis that I'm enjoying writing it, it's fairly well along and I think my nieces would still enjoy seeing their idea turned into a full-length (though unpublished) novel.
I'm toying with some other ideas as well, at this point. The one thing I'm not doing is considering giving up writing. I had feared, after sending the revised version of The Silent Goodbye to the publisher, that my reaction to a possible rejection might be such deep disappointment that I would discard my netbook and move on to some other pasttime. But I'm having no such reaction now.
Okay, I may die without ever having a novel published. Fine. But I draw too much enjoyment from the act of writing to give it up entirely.
I'm trying to figure out how I'm reacting. I'm still quite overwhelmed by how much time and energy this publisher afforded me and my book and I continue to be grateful for that. I can wish for a different outcome. I can feel disappointed to have come this far only to fail once again to reach my goal. But I can't complain that I wasn't given a fair chance by this publisher.
I can also understand why he would say "no" and yet still not take it as an assault on my skills and talents as a writer. Call it ego but I believe my book is well-written enough to be published. I just don't think the publisher felt the subject matter would sell. I've understood for a long time that a very well written book is not going to succeed if it doesn't offer a "sexy" plot, subject, or hook that will make readers want to buy it.
The Silent Goodbye doesn't seem to have those things. It's a good story. It's well told. But it doesn't stand out. It's a fairly homey novel about a small-time lawyer who finds himself in big-time trouble.
So it would seem that The Silent Goodbye isn't going to be published any time soon. And I'm left wondering where to turn next. I had been working on the next Phillip Gold mystery novel, The Final Curtain, and I might just keep going with that. I'd do so, however, not with the belief that this new novel stands a better chance of being published (it's too much in the same vein, the same flavour as The Silent Goodbye for me to believe that) but on the basis that I'm enjoying writing it, it's fairly well along and I think my nieces would still enjoy seeing their idea turned into a full-length (though unpublished) novel.
I'm toying with some other ideas as well, at this point. The one thing I'm not doing is considering giving up writing. I had feared, after sending the revised version of The Silent Goodbye to the publisher, that my reaction to a possible rejection might be such deep disappointment that I would discard my netbook and move on to some other pasttime. But I'm having no such reaction now.
Okay, I may die without ever having a novel published. Fine. But I draw too much enjoyment from the act of writing to give it up entirely.
Back To The Final Curtain
03/02/11 20:12 Filed in: Writing
With The Silent Goodbye now off in the
world, I'm able to focus again on The Final
Curtain, my next Phillip Gold novel. As you
might recall, I started writing this new book last
fall after I had set aside the completed second draft
of TSG for a cooling off period before doing
final revisions.
The first step is to review what I've already written of the new book. And, to my surprise, it's close to 12,000 words. I had not realised I had already written so much.
So far, so good, I think. This novel begins in the courtroom, with Kevin Dallanger in the witness box and Phillip Gold, his lawyer and our hero, completely frustrated. It's a good scene, from what I can see: it seems to crackle with tension and energy.
Like TSG, this novel will have two complementary plots: a courtroom drama and an action/mystery story. I've been told that my courtroom scenes are especially strong and I want to continue to play to that strength, while still keeping some elements of the mystery in there as well.
The challenge I have set for myself, however, is that the courtroom plot for this new book is to be drawn from an earlier, unpublished novel I wrote several years ago under the title, All That Glisters. And, in that iteration, it wasn't a courtroom drama at all; it was a plain old mystery novel. That means I have to take a story that is already so vividly alive for me in one format and transpose it into a completely different format.
I think it will work, if I'm careful and creative and not too afraid to change a story of which I'm already very fond. I'm certainly pleased with that first courtroom scene: it's just a matter of making sure the rest of the story vibrates with the same energy.
The second plot, the action plot, will tell the tale of the murder of a young movie star, which occurs just when the Dallanger trial swings into high gear. Gold gets involved because an old school chum of his, Liam MacKenzie, turns out to be the prime suspect in the murder. So, once again, Gold will be balancing the exhausting drama of a pitched courtroom battle with a physically taxing, continually dangerous effort to deal with events as they unfold in the outside world.
I think it's a really good sign that, even as The Silent Goodbye wafts out there in the world of hopes and dreams, I'm still excited to move on to the next project. And the next project, it seems, will be even more challenging and more complex than the last.
The first step is to review what I've already written of the new book. And, to my surprise, it's close to 12,000 words. I had not realised I had already written so much.
So far, so good, I think. This novel begins in the courtroom, with Kevin Dallanger in the witness box and Phillip Gold, his lawyer and our hero, completely frustrated. It's a good scene, from what I can see: it seems to crackle with tension and energy.
Like TSG, this novel will have two complementary plots: a courtroom drama and an action/mystery story. I've been told that my courtroom scenes are especially strong and I want to continue to play to that strength, while still keeping some elements of the mystery in there as well.
The challenge I have set for myself, however, is that the courtroom plot for this new book is to be drawn from an earlier, unpublished novel I wrote several years ago under the title, All That Glisters. And, in that iteration, it wasn't a courtroom drama at all; it was a plain old mystery novel. That means I have to take a story that is already so vividly alive for me in one format and transpose it into a completely different format.
I think it will work, if I'm careful and creative and not too afraid to change a story of which I'm already very fond. I'm certainly pleased with that first courtroom scene: it's just a matter of making sure the rest of the story vibrates with the same energy.
The second plot, the action plot, will tell the tale of the murder of a young movie star, which occurs just when the Dallanger trial swings into high gear. Gold gets involved because an old school chum of his, Liam MacKenzie, turns out to be the prime suspect in the murder. So, once again, Gold will be balancing the exhausting drama of a pitched courtroom battle with a physically taxing, continually dangerous effort to deal with events as they unfold in the outside world.
I think it's a really good sign that, even as The Silent Goodbye wafts out there in the world of hopes and dreams, I'm still excited to move on to the next project. And the next project, it seems, will be even more challenging and more complex than the last.
Sending Off "The Silent Goodbye"
29/01/11 13:18 Filed in: Writing
I just pressed "Send".
My heart is still pounding. My breath is short. My fully revised manuscript for The Silent Goodbye, my Phillip Gold mystery novel, is now on its way to the publisher for consideration. In fact, it's probably already there.
Patti finished her detailed review of the new version just before we left for Montreal last weekend. I managed to implement some of her suggestions before we boarded the plane and the remainder this morning. She had a lot of great comments and questions, as I had expected she would, and I think they have made the book even stronger.
I'm nervous right now, to be frank. But I'm also completely satisfied. No, the book is likely not perfect but I think it's damned good. Best thing I've ever written. I don't think I've ever worked so hard on anything in my life nor cared so much about any piece of writing.
I have been very fortunate to have received fabulous input from my several readers and from the publisher himself. I think you have to have some pretty strong confidence in your writing to try to write and publish a novel but you also have to have the humility to accept quality criticism when it comes. I can honestly say that the manuscript is a significantly better work of fiction now that I've incorporated the many suggestions I have received.
Will it be good enough? I don't know. That's for the publisher to decide. I also know that there are dozens of other reasons (other than that the book isn't good enough) that might cause him to pass on publishing this novel. But I can honestly say that this is a manuscript of which I am very proud.
So now I wait. Nervous, excited, expectant. I'll try to work on The Final Curtain, maybe get some reading done, watch a movie or two to pass the time. But in reality it will simply be a period of waiting. And hoping.
I've waited forty-five years so far. What's another couple of weeks? Or even months?
My heart is still pounding. My breath is short. My fully revised manuscript for The Silent Goodbye, my Phillip Gold mystery novel, is now on its way to the publisher for consideration. In fact, it's probably already there.
Patti finished her detailed review of the new version just before we left for Montreal last weekend. I managed to implement some of her suggestions before we boarded the plane and the remainder this morning. She had a lot of great comments and questions, as I had expected she would, and I think they have made the book even stronger.
I'm nervous right now, to be frank. But I'm also completely satisfied. No, the book is likely not perfect but I think it's damned good. Best thing I've ever written. I don't think I've ever worked so hard on anything in my life nor cared so much about any piece of writing.
I have been very fortunate to have received fabulous input from my several readers and from the publisher himself. I think you have to have some pretty strong confidence in your writing to try to write and publish a novel but you also have to have the humility to accept quality criticism when it comes. I can honestly say that the manuscript is a significantly better work of fiction now that I've incorporated the many suggestions I have received.
Will it be good enough? I don't know. That's for the publisher to decide. I also know that there are dozens of other reasons (other than that the book isn't good enough) that might cause him to pass on publishing this novel. But I can honestly say that this is a manuscript of which I am very proud.
So now I wait. Nervous, excited, expectant. I'll try to work on The Final Curtain, maybe get some reading done, watch a movie or two to pass the time. But in reality it will simply be a period of waiting. And hoping.
I've waited forty-five years so far. What's another couple of weeks? Or even months?
Moving on with the Writing
14/01/11 08:19 Filed in: Writing
The manuscript for The Silent Goodbye is
currently on standby as I wait for Patti to finish
her careful review. I am hopeful that she will
complete her task by the end of January so that I can
send it off to the publisher for consideration in
February.
While I wait, I have turned my attention to starting work on my next Phillip Gold mystery, tentatively titled The Final Curtain. The court plot will be an adaptation of the Kevin-Dallanger story that appears in my earlier effort, All That Glisters, while the action plot will involve characters and story lines suggested to me by my nieces, Alex and Katie, this summer. The result is an interesting combination of stories that will revolve around the fates of three young girls.
I'm pleased with the plan and I think the combination of the two stories should provide some good drama and suspense. I discovered this morning, however, that as the two plots were being developed independently I had created three female characters who were just too similar to each other for clarity: blonde, around 14 years of age and bearing names that begin with the letter "M" (Melissa, Mary Kate and Mitsy).
That's gotta change. Since Mitsy is the only name that is non-negotiable, it looks like Melissa will have to become something like Allison and Mary Kate will have to be simplified to Kate.
I don't think my nieces will mind having characters in the novel bearing forms of their names.
Since turning my attentions to this new novel, I've managed to write more than 7,000 words, beginning with what I hope is a very dramatic court scene involving Kevin Dallanger and Phillip Gold. It's been fun to write, blending an existing plot with a new one. I hope to continue to make good progress over the winter.
While I wait, I have turned my attention to starting work on my next Phillip Gold mystery, tentatively titled The Final Curtain. The court plot will be an adaptation of the Kevin-Dallanger story that appears in my earlier effort, All That Glisters, while the action plot will involve characters and story lines suggested to me by my nieces, Alex and Katie, this summer. The result is an interesting combination of stories that will revolve around the fates of three young girls.
I'm pleased with the plan and I think the combination of the two stories should provide some good drama and suspense. I discovered this morning, however, that as the two plots were being developed independently I had created three female characters who were just too similar to each other for clarity: blonde, around 14 years of age and bearing names that begin with the letter "M" (Melissa, Mary Kate and Mitsy).
That's gotta change. Since Mitsy is the only name that is non-negotiable, it looks like Melissa will have to become something like Allison and Mary Kate will have to be simplified to Kate.
I don't think my nieces will mind having characters in the novel bearing forms of their names.
Since turning my attentions to this new novel, I've managed to write more than 7,000 words, beginning with what I hope is a very dramatic court scene involving Kevin Dallanger and Phillip Gold. It's been fun to write, blending an existing plot with a new one. I hope to continue to make good progress over the winter.
A Good Start to a New Year
I have gotten the new year off right, I think, with a
nice combination of reading, writing and TV watching,
plus time spent with friends and family. I go back to
work tomorrow but, so far, it's been a great start to
2011.
Patti is working her way methodically through the revised manuscript for The Silent Goodbye, my Phillip Gold mystery, court-room drama novel. Patti is one of the most detail-oriented people I've ever met and she combines that valuable characteristic with a keen understanding of the writing process so I'm looking forward to reading her comments. She tells me she's enjoying the novel in its revised version, so that's good, and has said that it seems to move much quicker now. Another real positive.
Meanwhile, I've been doing my Christmas reading. First up was Malcolm Gladwell's latest book, a collection of some of his best New Yorker articles called What the Dog Saw. These are fascinating pieces, filled with interesting information and surprising insights. I like Gladwell's style and admire his ability to take academic/scientific research and make it accessible. I am also impressed with his ability to make compelling connections between seemingly disparate topics (like mammograms and pin-point bombing) in a useful, readable way.
I think, however, that I read the book too quickly: by the time I was two-thirds of the way through, I was beginning to tire of the author's tone and formula for these articles. I should have read one, then set the book aside for a week or so before moving onto the next article. Still, an interesting read.
We've also been catching up on our television watching, after finding DVD sets from the Big Bang Theory, Corner Gas and Fringe under the tree. Big Bang and Corner Gas are tried and true favourites but Fringe is new to me: an updated version of X Files, Fringe was created by J.J. Abrams and offers a stylish, creepy anthology of science fiction/horror plots with what seems to be a neat set of continuing characters. We've only watched the pilot so far but it certainly was strong enough to convince us to watch more.
On the writing side of things, I've converted my former golf blog into a picture-a-day challenge, where I will try to publish to the blog a new photograph every day for a year. I'm pleased with the results so far: check them out at http://wordsbywalma.blogspot.com/.
And, of course, I'm starting to plan the next Phillip Gold novel, which I think will again feature a mystery plot alongside a court-room story. I'll be getting to work on it soon and will keep you posted.
Patti is working her way methodically through the revised manuscript for The Silent Goodbye, my Phillip Gold mystery, court-room drama novel. Patti is one of the most detail-oriented people I've ever met and she combines that valuable characteristic with a keen understanding of the writing process so I'm looking forward to reading her comments. She tells me she's enjoying the novel in its revised version, so that's good, and has said that it seems to move much quicker now. Another real positive.
Meanwhile, I've been doing my Christmas reading. First up was Malcolm Gladwell's latest book, a collection of some of his best New Yorker articles called What the Dog Saw. These are fascinating pieces, filled with interesting information and surprising insights. I like Gladwell's style and admire his ability to take academic/scientific research and make it accessible. I am also impressed with his ability to make compelling connections between seemingly disparate topics (like mammograms and pin-point bombing) in a useful, readable way.
I think, however, that I read the book too quickly: by the time I was two-thirds of the way through, I was beginning to tire of the author's tone and formula for these articles. I should have read one, then set the book aside for a week or so before moving onto the next article. Still, an interesting read.
We've also been catching up on our television watching, after finding DVD sets from the Big Bang Theory, Corner Gas and Fringe under the tree. Big Bang and Corner Gas are tried and true favourites but Fringe is new to me: an updated version of X Files, Fringe was created by J.J. Abrams and offers a stylish, creepy anthology of science fiction/horror plots with what seems to be a neat set of continuing characters. We've only watched the pilot so far but it certainly was strong enough to convince us to watch more.
On the writing side of things, I've converted my former golf blog into a picture-a-day challenge, where I will try to publish to the blog a new photograph every day for a year. I'm pleased with the results so far: check them out at http://wordsbywalma.blogspot.com/.
And, of course, I'm starting to plan the next Phillip Gold novel, which I think will again feature a mystery plot alongside a court-room story. I'll be getting to work on it soon and will keep you posted.
A Satisfying Feeling
21/12/10 21:01 Filed in: Writing
It's nine in the evening on Tuesday, December 21 and
I have just completed my first read-through of my
manuscript, The Silent Goodbye. I had one
copy of the novel printed off, double-spaced, for
review and revision purposes and I'm glad I did.
I found this first read a real pleasure, both because I got to sit at my dining room table with the book a physical presence in front of me and because, to be honest, I really enjoyed the novel.
I had taken three weeks away from it after completing a major restructuring of the plot, hoping to gain a little distance, some perspective, some objectivity for this last polishing exercise. I think it worked. I enjoyed reading the book and, though I knew what would happen next every step of the way, I no longer could recall every sentence, every phrase, every word I had written.
There is a lot to do to make this manuscript a polished, finished product, ready to submit to the publisher. I found dozens of typos, corrected numerous continuity errors and recognised that I have to change the tone of several scenes to make them work. I'm sure that, when my partner, Patti, finishes her careful read of the book, I'll have even more to do.
But I am happy to say that I came away from this latest review immensely satisfied with the novel. I think it works well now: it flows at a ripping pace and the characters are stronger, more varied, more interesting. I tried to stick to the suggestions made by the publisher at the end of the summer and I'm happy I did: it's clear from the strength of this new draft that he was right on all counts.
I'm sitting here at the computer feeling completely content with the work that I've done, with the novel I've written. It's a nice feeling. I've poured my guts into this book and I'm ecstatic that the result is so utterly satisfying.
That doesn't mean, of course, that it will ever get published. But I can now honestly say that I did some good work in The Silent Goodbye. And that' gives me a fantastic feeling of accomplishment.
I found this first read a real pleasure, both because I got to sit at my dining room table with the book a physical presence in front of me and because, to be honest, I really enjoyed the novel.
I had taken three weeks away from it after completing a major restructuring of the plot, hoping to gain a little distance, some perspective, some objectivity for this last polishing exercise. I think it worked. I enjoyed reading the book and, though I knew what would happen next every step of the way, I no longer could recall every sentence, every phrase, every word I had written.
There is a lot to do to make this manuscript a polished, finished product, ready to submit to the publisher. I found dozens of typos, corrected numerous continuity errors and recognised that I have to change the tone of several scenes to make them work. I'm sure that, when my partner, Patti, finishes her careful read of the book, I'll have even more to do.
But I am happy to say that I came away from this latest review immensely satisfied with the novel. I think it works well now: it flows at a ripping pace and the characters are stronger, more varied, more interesting. I tried to stick to the suggestions made by the publisher at the end of the summer and I'm happy I did: it's clear from the strength of this new draft that he was right on all counts.
I'm sitting here at the computer feeling completely content with the work that I've done, with the novel I've written. It's a nice feeling. I've poured my guts into this book and I'm ecstatic that the result is so utterly satisfying.
That doesn't mean, of course, that it will ever get published. But I can now honestly say that I did some good work in The Silent Goodbye. And that' gives me a fantastic feeling of accomplishment.
Back to work, editing pencil sharpened
18/12/10 02:56 Filed in: Writing
Twenty days have passed since I put the final touches
on the revised draft of my mystery manuscript,
The Silent Goodbye. During that time, though
I have often thought about the book, I have not once
actually gone back and looked at it.
I wanted to take some time away from it before going back for revisions and polishing. Time to gain a little distance, some objectivity, some perspective, so that I will be better able to see its flaws and its strengths when I begin to work on it again.
With a goal of having a polished manuscript completed by the end of the year, however, it is now time to take my editing pencil in hand and get to work.
How am I feeling? To be honest, I have a strange mixture of excitement and fear roiling around in my stomach. Interesting. Excitement, I expected. I've enjoyed the process of reworking the novel that I began at the end of the summer so it should be no surprise that I am excited to get back to it.
But fear?
Hmmm....
Editing and polishing the manuscript is going to be a big job, for sure. And it's going to require me to find solid blocks of time for the task, time when I can concentrate without distractions. Not easy at Christmas time. But I have to be able to focus well enough to recognise inconsistencies, to keep track of the colour of each character's eyes, the shape of their face, the sound of their laugh. One of the things I'm worst at is remembering from one page to another how I've described certain people or places and part of the polishing job is to make sure that those things are consistent and convincing.
And I'm going to have to make hard choices, to the point perhaps of having to edit out scenes that I've laboured over, loved even, simply because they don't work.
Yeah. So maybe the little tinge of fear I'm feeling is justified. The job of polishing the book involves all those little things that I don't do naturally.
So I've got my file cards ready. I'll make note of how I've described each person and place on a separate card, then check the card every time that same character or place appears.
Writing is, apparently, more than just capturing on paper (or screen) the free flow of your creativity. Sometimes it's hard work.
No, check that. It is always hard work. Fun, exciting, sometimes thrilling, no doubt. But hard work nonetheless.
I wanted to take some time away from it before going back for revisions and polishing. Time to gain a little distance, some objectivity, some perspective, so that I will be better able to see its flaws and its strengths when I begin to work on it again.
With a goal of having a polished manuscript completed by the end of the year, however, it is now time to take my editing pencil in hand and get to work.
How am I feeling? To be honest, I have a strange mixture of excitement and fear roiling around in my stomach. Interesting. Excitement, I expected. I've enjoyed the process of reworking the novel that I began at the end of the summer so it should be no surprise that I am excited to get back to it.
But fear?
Hmmm....
Editing and polishing the manuscript is going to be a big job, for sure. And it's going to require me to find solid blocks of time for the task, time when I can concentrate without distractions. Not easy at Christmas time. But I have to be able to focus well enough to recognise inconsistencies, to keep track of the colour of each character's eyes, the shape of their face, the sound of their laugh. One of the things I'm worst at is remembering from one page to another how I've described certain people or places and part of the polishing job is to make sure that those things are consistent and convincing.
And I'm going to have to make hard choices, to the point perhaps of having to edit out scenes that I've laboured over, loved even, simply because they don't work.
Yeah. So maybe the little tinge of fear I'm feeling is justified. The job of polishing the book involves all those little things that I don't do naturally.
So I've got my file cards ready. I'll make note of how I've described each person and place on a separate card, then check the card every time that same character or place appears.
Writing is, apparently, more than just capturing on paper (or screen) the free flow of your creativity. Sometimes it's hard work.
No, check that. It is always hard work. Fun, exciting, sometimes thrilling, no doubt. But hard work nonetheless.
Coming Along Swimmingly
25/11/10 07:44 Filed in: Writing
I haven't been writing much lately about writing. The
main reason for that is that my work on the revisions
of The Silent Goodbye are coming along
really well and I didn't want to interrupt that by
writing a blog about it.
I have been working in regular concentrated sessions on the revisions and have been making excellent progress. In fact, I have now begun work on the final day of the novel. That is very, very exciting for me. What's more exciting is how pleased I'm feeling about the revised manuscript to date.
In accordance with the suggestions of the publisher, I have started the trial right at the beginning of the book and then intertwined the courtroom scenes with the scenes of Phillip Gold's duel with the trained killer. It's working well. A nice balance, in fact. And it keeps the pace moving at a heck of a rate.
I plan to finish this draft by the weekend. Wow. I can't believe I actually typed that sentence. I plan to finish this draft by the weekend. Then it will go on the shelf for a couple of weeks before I return to it in mid-December with a fresh eye.
The hope is to have a polished manuscript to send out by the end of the year.
So far, so good. I'm enjoying the writing and happy with the results. The Silent Goodbye may just make some noise yet!
I have been working in regular concentrated sessions on the revisions and have been making excellent progress. In fact, I have now begun work on the final day of the novel. That is very, very exciting for me. What's more exciting is how pleased I'm feeling about the revised manuscript to date.
In accordance with the suggestions of the publisher, I have started the trial right at the beginning of the book and then intertwined the courtroom scenes with the scenes of Phillip Gold's duel with the trained killer. It's working well. A nice balance, in fact. And it keeps the pace moving at a heck of a rate.
I plan to finish this draft by the weekend. Wow. I can't believe I actually typed that sentence. I plan to finish this draft by the weekend. Then it will go on the shelf for a couple of weeks before I return to it in mid-December with a fresh eye.
The hope is to have a polished manuscript to send out by the end of the year.
So far, so good. I'm enjoying the writing and happy with the results. The Silent Goodbye may just make some noise yet!
A Quick Trip
Just back from a quick trip back to visit friends and
family in Ontario. A really nice visit, not too
frenetic, not too tiring.
While hanging out with my sister and brother-in-law, I actually found time to do some revision work on my Phillip Gold novel. It's coming along well. Most of what I did was cutting and pasting to reflect the new plot-order but it's progress. I really like the way it's turning out.
I also got the chance while in Toronto to see the original movie version (taken from Swedish TV) of Stieg Larsson's first thriller, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I was very impressed. The casting was perfect, with real-life (rather than Hollywood-perfect) people in the various roles, and I felt they got the two main characters spot on. The direction and editing were also excellent, with a lot of nice artistic touches that added to the excellently paced mystery.
What impressed me most, however, was how they dealt with the challenge of reducing a long, involved novel into a 150-minute film. Instead of dwelling on the sexual violence that permeates the book (and convinced me not to read the second novel in the series), they actually focused on Larsson's complex, rivetting mystery: the disappearance of Harriet Vanger. Great choice and it made for a fantastic film.
I actually believe that this is one of the few times that the movie is better than the book.
Meantime, I was continuing to read the fourth Rowling novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I am absolutely loving it. It was great to be among friends who really appreciate the Rowling novels too: I had several very enjoyable chats with Emily and Clare on Potter-related topics while in Hamilton, which always adds to my enjoyment of my visits.
So now I'm back in Freddie and back into real life. I hope to be able to find some time to focus on Phillip Gold over the next couple of days to keep the momentum going. And I'll have to think about looking up the second Swedish film adaptation of Larsson's book. Maybe I'll just watch the movie and not even read the book!
While hanging out with my sister and brother-in-law, I actually found time to do some revision work on my Phillip Gold novel. It's coming along well. Most of what I did was cutting and pasting to reflect the new plot-order but it's progress. I really like the way it's turning out.
I also got the chance while in Toronto to see the original movie version (taken from Swedish TV) of Stieg Larsson's first thriller, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I was very impressed. The casting was perfect, with real-life (rather than Hollywood-perfect) people in the various roles, and I felt they got the two main characters spot on. The direction and editing were also excellent, with a lot of nice artistic touches that added to the excellently paced mystery.
What impressed me most, however, was how they dealt with the challenge of reducing a long, involved novel into a 150-minute film. Instead of dwelling on the sexual violence that permeates the book (and convinced me not to read the second novel in the series), they actually focused on Larsson's complex, rivetting mystery: the disappearance of Harriet Vanger. Great choice and it made for a fantastic film.
I actually believe that this is one of the few times that the movie is better than the book.
Meantime, I was continuing to read the fourth Rowling novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I am absolutely loving it. It was great to be among friends who really appreciate the Rowling novels too: I had several very enjoyable chats with Emily and Clare on Potter-related topics while in Hamilton, which always adds to my enjoyment of my visits.
So now I'm back in Freddie and back into real life. I hope to be able to find some time to focus on Phillip Gold over the next couple of days to keep the momentum going. And I'll have to think about looking up the second Swedish film adaptation of Larsson's book. Maybe I'll just watch the movie and not even read the book!
Happy So Far
I finished the re-read of The Silent Goodbye
yesterday. I'm pleased to say I'm pleased. Very
pleased. It reads well and has good pacing. The
changes I've made have worked well, I think, and the
result is a tighter, more interesting story.
Now I go back to the writing again. I've got Gold heading into an action scene and the publisher who reviewed the earlier draft of the novel was not very complimentary about my action scenes so I've really got to focus to get it right. I'll try to write a draft tomorrow, sit on it for a while, then come back to it to polish it up.
So I'm happy. And I'm still on a pretty good time-line, which means I should get the next draft done by the end of the year.
My re-read of the Harry Potter series is also well underway. I whizzed through The Philosopher's Stone in 24 hours (well, after all, it is a 200-page book for pre-teens so it's a quick read!) and am now into The Chamber of Secrets. As always, I'm impressed with the writing, caught up in the action and amazed at the number of little details that emerge in the early books and then become major factors in later novels.
And this kind of process also helps to remind me how much better the novels are than the movies. I do watch the films from time to time because the action scenes are pretty awesome and I like the actors but the cut-down versions of the stories drive me nuts. The novels are so rich, full and deep; it's too bad that richness can't be translated to the screen. Makes me a little bit worried about the next movie. I love The Deathly Hallows and am scared that the film versions will be as big a disappointment as was the screen adaptation of The Half-Blood Prince.
The trailers I've seen on-line, however, look great so I am approaching the next movie with cautious optimism. Okay, cautious optimism and a great deal of excitement!
Now I go back to the writing again. I've got Gold heading into an action scene and the publisher who reviewed the earlier draft of the novel was not very complimentary about my action scenes so I've really got to focus to get it right. I'll try to write a draft tomorrow, sit on it for a while, then come back to it to polish it up.
So I'm happy. And I'm still on a pretty good time-line, which means I should get the next draft done by the end of the year.
My re-read of the Harry Potter series is also well underway. I whizzed through The Philosopher's Stone in 24 hours (well, after all, it is a 200-page book for pre-teens so it's a quick read!) and am now into The Chamber of Secrets. As always, I'm impressed with the writing, caught up in the action and amazed at the number of little details that emerge in the early books and then become major factors in later novels.
And this kind of process also helps to remind me how much better the novels are than the movies. I do watch the films from time to time because the action scenes are pretty awesome and I like the actors but the cut-down versions of the stories drive me nuts. The novels are so rich, full and deep; it's too bad that richness can't be translated to the screen. Makes me a little bit worried about the next movie. I love The Deathly Hallows and am scared that the film versions will be as big a disappointment as was the screen adaptation of The Half-Blood Prince.
The trailers I've seen on-line, however, look great so I am approaching the next movie with cautious optimism. Okay, cautious optimism and a great deal of excitement!
Getting Back Into It
13/10/10 08:25 Filed in: Writing
It has been about a week since I've had a chance to
work on the revisions for my Phillip Gold mystery
novel, The Silent Goodbye. Life has been so
busy that I haven't had a chance to sit down for any
reasonable period of time to work on it. I have
managed to read some of Douglas Adams' Mostly
Harmless here and there in the five and
ten-minute breaks in life but the writing project has
been unreachable.
It's very frustrating. I had been making excellent progress and had really found a groove. Now I'm out of it and trying to find a way back in.
So yesterday I decided that step one would be to re-read what I've already completed. Remember, I'm currently attempting to re-weave the two plots of my novel into a differently coherent whole. Though there is quite a bit of writing involved, there is also a great deal of blocking, copying, revising and editing to make it hang properly. It's a tough job, tougher than I had expected.
I am about a third of the way through and I think it's working well. I re-read the first three sections and enjoyed them. I had to do some fine-tuning, however, to catch minor inconsistencies that have cropped up due to the re-ordering of scenes and the reduction in the roles of several characters. For example, in the first courtroom scene, as Gold is giving his opening address to the Jury, I had forgotten to edit out his reference to his old friend and mentor, Bob Smythe. The reason: Smythe has not yet appeared in the novel at that point in the revised version.
Little things like that keep cropping up: scenes that were moved from evening to morning needed polishing to remove references to the "thickening darkness" and stuff like that; I'm finding that I missed the odd reference to a character by her old name; or I find that a character will refer to something that hasn't yet happened.
That's why the re-read is so important. I had the old plot structure very clear in my mind. I have to replace it, now, with the new structure so that I can make sure the novel flows in a clear, consistent fashion.
So now, in order to write, I have to read. There are worse fates, I guess.
It's very frustrating. I had been making excellent progress and had really found a groove. Now I'm out of it and trying to find a way back in.
So yesterday I decided that step one would be to re-read what I've already completed. Remember, I'm currently attempting to re-weave the two plots of my novel into a differently coherent whole. Though there is quite a bit of writing involved, there is also a great deal of blocking, copying, revising and editing to make it hang properly. It's a tough job, tougher than I had expected.
I am about a third of the way through and I think it's working well. I re-read the first three sections and enjoyed them. I had to do some fine-tuning, however, to catch minor inconsistencies that have cropped up due to the re-ordering of scenes and the reduction in the roles of several characters. For example, in the first courtroom scene, as Gold is giving his opening address to the Jury, I had forgotten to edit out his reference to his old friend and mentor, Bob Smythe. The reason: Smythe has not yet appeared in the novel at that point in the revised version.
Little things like that keep cropping up: scenes that were moved from evening to morning needed polishing to remove references to the "thickening darkness" and stuff like that; I'm finding that I missed the odd reference to a character by her old name; or I find that a character will refer to something that hasn't yet happened.
That's why the re-read is so important. I had the old plot structure very clear in my mind. I have to replace it, now, with the new structure so that I can make sure the novel flows in a clear, consistent fashion.
So now, in order to write, I have to read. There are worse fates, I guess.
Making Progress
16/09/10 06:59 Filed in: Writing
The excitement of revising my novel hasn't worn off.
The only thing that is holding me back is time. Life
is so busy right now, it's hard to find time to
write.
I spent two hours in the middle of the night the other day stitching together two scenes into one. It's an interesting process and one which, for the first time, produced slight frustration with the limitations of the netbook computer I currently use for all writing work. On our "big" computer, I could have opened up both scenes and set them side by side on my screen, making it easy to move between them and knit them together. On the netbook, with its tiny screen, no such luck. I had to block and copy the two scenes one after the other into the same file, then scroll up and down.
Still, the work went well and I think I've created a much more vibrant, fast-paced single scene.
I have a great deal of work yet to do. The trial scenes will need to be expanded somewhat without losing any of their energy. The biggest job, however, will be to wind the two plots into each other: in the original version, the hunt plot more or less takes up the first half of the novel and the trial plot the second half, before coming together finally at the end. My goal is to create increased tension, consistent pace and significantly higher levels of suspense by flowing seamlessly between them. I want them to develop together, to rise towards their climaxes in a balanced way, to complement each other as they grow.
And that will involve a great deal of careful work. Most of all, however, it will require the commitment of time, large blocks of uninterrupted time.
I spent two hours in the middle of the night the other day stitching together two scenes into one. It's an interesting process and one which, for the first time, produced slight frustration with the limitations of the netbook computer I currently use for all writing work. On our "big" computer, I could have opened up both scenes and set them side by side on my screen, making it easy to move between them and knit them together. On the netbook, with its tiny screen, no such luck. I had to block and copy the two scenes one after the other into the same file, then scroll up and down.
Still, the work went well and I think I've created a much more vibrant, fast-paced single scene.
I have a great deal of work yet to do. The trial scenes will need to be expanded somewhat without losing any of their energy. The biggest job, however, will be to wind the two plots into each other: in the original version, the hunt plot more or less takes up the first half of the novel and the trial plot the second half, before coming together finally at the end. My goal is to create increased tension, consistent pace and significantly higher levels of suspense by flowing seamlessly between them. I want them to develop together, to rise towards their climaxes in a balanced way, to complement each other as they grow.
And that will involve a great deal of careful work. Most of all, however, it will require the commitment of time, large blocks of uninterrupted time.
Stripping It Down
11/09/10 09:03 Filed in: Writing
I feel like I'm stripping down an engine. I know some
parts are running very well and don't need any work.
I know some other parts are okay but could do with a
little oil and polish. And then there are the parts
that just aren't working at all: those I have to rip
right out and replace with new ones.
And, to get the engine running even better than it was before, I have to add superchargers and other nifty new bits.
It's not a bad metaphor for the process of taking a completed manuscript and doing a complete revision in accordance with feedback received. And it's what I'm doing right now with The Silent Goodbye, my latest Phillip Gold mystery.
The most amazing fact is, I'm enjoying the process immensely. I feel very free and invigorated. I'm recognising that no section, no scene, no character is sacred and, if it will improve the novel, I'll change anything.
I've been trying to figure out why this process has become so fun rather than a chore. I'm also trying to figure out where the freedom has come from. I've spoke with other writers and we've agreed that, when you're writing an extended piece, you become enchanted by your own work, you lose objectivity for certain scenes and characters, you have such a strong sense of how much energy and passion you've invested in certain bits and pieces that you just can't see that, as the piece of writing has evolved, they simply don't work any more.
Two things have happened to me. First, since I finished the first rough draft of the novel many months ago, I think I've gained some of that precious objectivity about my own work. Not enough to allow me to see, on my own, where the problems lie but just enough for me to start seeing and accepting the wisdom of my third-party readers.
Second, there are the comments I've received from the publisher. If the goal is to write a great book and get published, he is the one who is best placed to help me to accomplish the former and to allow me to accomplish the latter. This publisher was kind enough to be absolutely clear about what was working and what was not, what pieces of the engine needed refurbishment or replacement and what pieces should be maintained and even enhanced.
So I feel free. I have a clear idea of where I'm going with the revision and I have some confidence in the belief that the work I am doing now is truly going to make the novel a better piece of fiction.
And, to get the engine running even better than it was before, I have to add superchargers and other nifty new bits.
It's not a bad metaphor for the process of taking a completed manuscript and doing a complete revision in accordance with feedback received. And it's what I'm doing right now with The Silent Goodbye, my latest Phillip Gold mystery.
The most amazing fact is, I'm enjoying the process immensely. I feel very free and invigorated. I'm recognising that no section, no scene, no character is sacred and, if it will improve the novel, I'll change anything.
I've been trying to figure out why this process has become so fun rather than a chore. I'm also trying to figure out where the freedom has come from. I've spoke with other writers and we've agreed that, when you're writing an extended piece, you become enchanted by your own work, you lose objectivity for certain scenes and characters, you have such a strong sense of how much energy and passion you've invested in certain bits and pieces that you just can't see that, as the piece of writing has evolved, they simply don't work any more.
Two things have happened to me. First, since I finished the first rough draft of the novel many months ago, I think I've gained some of that precious objectivity about my own work. Not enough to allow me to see, on my own, where the problems lie but just enough for me to start seeing and accepting the wisdom of my third-party readers.
Second, there are the comments I've received from the publisher. If the goal is to write a great book and get published, he is the one who is best placed to help me to accomplish the former and to allow me to accomplish the latter. This publisher was kind enough to be absolutely clear about what was working and what was not, what pieces of the engine needed refurbishment or replacement and what pieces should be maintained and even enhanced.
So I feel free. I have a clear idea of where I'm going with the revision and I have some confidence in the belief that the work I am doing now is truly going to make the novel a better piece of fiction.
An Amazing Experience
08/09/10 04:21 Filed in: Writing
I have purposely not been blogging about my novel
submission since I sent it to the publisher last
Monday. I don't know if it was some kind of
superstition that stopped me from doing so, or
perhaps fear that I might blog something that would
come back to haunt me.
I'm pleased to say that the experience, for all my anxiety and self-doubt, was a thoroughly rewarding one. No, I don't have a publishing contract in my hands. That was always the longest of long shots and, though it's nice to dream, most successful authors tell stories of dozens of rejections, rewrites and further rejections before they got their first novel published.
But no, I also did not receive a blunt, bald rejection either.
I sent the submission package for The Silent Goodbye by Priority Post last Monday. I then sat back, expecting to wait a long time for a response.
I got an e-mail back from the publisher early Wednesday afternoon, asking me to send the complete manuscript via e-mail. Wednesday! Most books I've read on the submission process suggest that weeks, even months will pass before you hear anything. This publisher got back to me the same day he received my package. I don't want to overuse the underline function here but I find that absolutely amazing.
Needless to say, I was thrilled to be invited to send the entire novel. I reviewed it carefully again and then e-mailed it, with the same mix of excitement and anxiety I had felt about the original submission package.
I figured there were three basic kinds of responses I could get: outright rejection, a one line e-mail saying, in essence, "Thanks but no thanks"; supportive rejection, a paragraph or two setting out some strengths and some weaknesses in the book; or acceptance, the long shot, the dream.
Sunday afternoon (Sunday afternoon! Just three days after I sent along the entire manuscript) I got my answer. But it was so much more than I had expected.
First, the publisher had read the entire novel. That in itself was a real positive. I can imagine how much reading he has to do in his work so, for him to read my entire manuscript like that, I'm taking that as a good sign.
Second, he actually took the time to read some of this blog. Quite a bit of it, it seems, since he commented about something from an April entry in his e-mail to me.
Third, he did me the honour of sending an extended note on my novel. When I printed it for easier review, it came out to a full page, single spaced.
Yes, the note included some fairly blunt criticism of my writing. And yes, that was hard to read. Most importantly, he told me I need to toughen up my main character, Phillip Gold, to make him more proactive and effective. He said he felt my action scenes were weak and lacking in credibility (ouch). He told me to cut out most of the first part of the novel and get to the trial scenes more quickly.
But the publisher was generous enough to identify some real strengths as well. He felt the trial scenes were well written, for example, and he liked the more shadowy characters like Alexandre Pim and his nemesis, Natasha. He also pointed out certain other scenes that he said were very effective and, as a nice touch, indicated that he liked the fact that Gold didn't charge the widow any fees in the end.
Following a disclaimer that, even if I did make all the changes and improvements he was suggesting, there was no guarantee that he would agree to publish the revised version, he gave me clear advice on how to make the novel stronger.
It was a very fair, honest e-mail. After the first moment of sadness at the realization that I won't be immediately published, I recognised the opportunity I have been given. I now know what an actual publisher thinks of my work. I have a clear idea of what stands between my manuscript and possible publication, what needs to be changed, edited out, rewritten to make it better.
So I have now committed myself to a serious rewrite, in line with the comments he's made. I will enhance the aspects that he felt were strong and address the deficiencies he's identified. I know that doing this is no guarantee that I will be published but I would be a fool not to follow up on this unique opportunity.
In fact, I've already started. And I think the novel is already better.
All in all, this has been an amazing, energizing experience. Now it's on me. I know what I need to do. And it will be the quality of the writing I do over the next little while that will decide whether or not The Silent Goodbye ever makes its way onto the shelves of your local bookstore.
I'm pleased to say that the experience, for all my anxiety and self-doubt, was a thoroughly rewarding one. No, I don't have a publishing contract in my hands. That was always the longest of long shots and, though it's nice to dream, most successful authors tell stories of dozens of rejections, rewrites and further rejections before they got their first novel published.
But no, I also did not receive a blunt, bald rejection either.
I sent the submission package for The Silent Goodbye by Priority Post last Monday. I then sat back, expecting to wait a long time for a response.
I got an e-mail back from the publisher early Wednesday afternoon, asking me to send the complete manuscript via e-mail. Wednesday! Most books I've read on the submission process suggest that weeks, even months will pass before you hear anything. This publisher got back to me the same day he received my package. I don't want to overuse the underline function here but I find that absolutely amazing.
Needless to say, I was thrilled to be invited to send the entire novel. I reviewed it carefully again and then e-mailed it, with the same mix of excitement and anxiety I had felt about the original submission package.
I figured there were three basic kinds of responses I could get: outright rejection, a one line e-mail saying, in essence, "Thanks but no thanks"; supportive rejection, a paragraph or two setting out some strengths and some weaknesses in the book; or acceptance, the long shot, the dream.
Sunday afternoon (Sunday afternoon! Just three days after I sent along the entire manuscript) I got my answer. But it was so much more than I had expected.
First, the publisher had read the entire novel. That in itself was a real positive. I can imagine how much reading he has to do in his work so, for him to read my entire manuscript like that, I'm taking that as a good sign.
Second, he actually took the time to read some of this blog. Quite a bit of it, it seems, since he commented about something from an April entry in his e-mail to me.
Third, he did me the honour of sending an extended note on my novel. When I printed it for easier review, it came out to a full page, single spaced.
Yes, the note included some fairly blunt criticism of my writing. And yes, that was hard to read. Most importantly, he told me I need to toughen up my main character, Phillip Gold, to make him more proactive and effective. He said he felt my action scenes were weak and lacking in credibility (ouch). He told me to cut out most of the first part of the novel and get to the trial scenes more quickly.
But the publisher was generous enough to identify some real strengths as well. He felt the trial scenes were well written, for example, and he liked the more shadowy characters like Alexandre Pim and his nemesis, Natasha. He also pointed out certain other scenes that he said were very effective and, as a nice touch, indicated that he liked the fact that Gold didn't charge the widow any fees in the end.
Following a disclaimer that, even if I did make all the changes and improvements he was suggesting, there was no guarantee that he would agree to publish the revised version, he gave me clear advice on how to make the novel stronger.
It was a very fair, honest e-mail. After the first moment of sadness at the realization that I won't be immediately published, I recognised the opportunity I have been given. I now know what an actual publisher thinks of my work. I have a clear idea of what stands between my manuscript and possible publication, what needs to be changed, edited out, rewritten to make it better.
So I have now committed myself to a serious rewrite, in line with the comments he's made. I will enhance the aspects that he felt were strong and address the deficiencies he's identified. I know that doing this is no guarantee that I will be published but I would be a fool not to follow up on this unique opportunity.
In fact, I've already started. And I think the novel is already better.
All in all, this has been an amazing, energizing experience. Now it's on me. I know what I need to do. And it will be the quality of the writing I do over the next little while that will decide whether or not The Silent Goodbye ever makes its way onto the shelves of your local bookstore.
Submission Ready
30/08/10 07:34 Filed in: Writing
I finished printing the elements of my novel
submission last night. All that's left is to address
the envelope, affix the stamps and mail it.
I feel a great sense of accomplishment, with a wash of fear lending interesting highlights.
It's an interesting process. The website for the publisher gives you instructions on what they expect you to send. You read books and articles that help you to understand what the website actually means. And friends who have done it before offer their insights as well.
The first step is the cover letter. In that, you include the name of the novel, its length in words, a brief, jacket-blurb-style description, the tiniest bit of information about yourself (to convince the publisher that you are the right person to write the book) and a dignified request that the publisher take your book on for publication. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Well, it's not. It's one of the toughest things you'll ever have to write. You feel like all your hopes for that novel rest on that single page.
Then you have to write a longer synopsis of the novel. But how long? The guides say one page of synopsis for every 25 pages of novel. But the whispers say no publisher wants it that long. Make it short, make it snappy. So you sweat over every word and die a small death every time your word processor moves onto a new page. You want to keep it short but you worry that you have to make it as thorough a summary of the events in the novel as possible. So you suffer.
And last but not least, there's the sample of writing: in this case, 15 to 25 pages from the novel. Some publishers want the first 25 pages of the book, which might be easier. All you'd have to do then is work and rework every word in those 25 pages, recognising that you have to grab this particular reader and convince him or her that your novel will sell better than any other. In my case, however, the website does not ask for the first 25 pages: it asks for any section of the novel, so long as it's between 15 and 25 pages.
That makes it, in my opinion, much, much tougher. The question is: which 25 pages? Do I simply go with the first 25? Do I look for the section that I feel is best written? most exciting? most indicative of my style and approach? What if I choose the wrong section? What if I choose action and the publisher really wants to see character development? What if I choose a section in which I've tried something inventive and the publisher wants to see plain ol' solid writing?
Two different people told me the trial scenes in The Silent Goodbye are excellent and advised me to use one of those. So I quickly narrowed it down to two different parts of the trial. But which one to use? I weighed the pros and cons, carefully reviewed and revised each. Sweated the decision. I went so far as cutting and pasting each into its own file and then formatting both, just to see how they looked. I had hoped that I would find one to be too long or too short and the decision would be made for me. No such luck. They both turned out to be around 20 pages. Perfect.
So I let my gut choose. I picked the one with the stronger opening. Get the publisher interested early. The decision as to whether he or she wants to see more will be made in the first couple of pages, I thought. So, I went with my gut, printed the section and got the rest of the submission package ready.
Today I mail it. Then wait. Worried. Hopeful at times, fearful at others. For how long, I don't know. We'll see.
I feel a great sense of accomplishment, with a wash of fear lending interesting highlights.
It's an interesting process. The website for the publisher gives you instructions on what they expect you to send. You read books and articles that help you to understand what the website actually means. And friends who have done it before offer their insights as well.
The first step is the cover letter. In that, you include the name of the novel, its length in words, a brief, jacket-blurb-style description, the tiniest bit of information about yourself (to convince the publisher that you are the right person to write the book) and a dignified request that the publisher take your book on for publication. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Well, it's not. It's one of the toughest things you'll ever have to write. You feel like all your hopes for that novel rest on that single page.
Then you have to write a longer synopsis of the novel. But how long? The guides say one page of synopsis for every 25 pages of novel. But the whispers say no publisher wants it that long. Make it short, make it snappy. So you sweat over every word and die a small death every time your word processor moves onto a new page. You want to keep it short but you worry that you have to make it as thorough a summary of the events in the novel as possible. So you suffer.
And last but not least, there's the sample of writing: in this case, 15 to 25 pages from the novel. Some publishers want the first 25 pages of the book, which might be easier. All you'd have to do then is work and rework every word in those 25 pages, recognising that you have to grab this particular reader and convince him or her that your novel will sell better than any other. In my case, however, the website does not ask for the first 25 pages: it asks for any section of the novel, so long as it's between 15 and 25 pages.
That makes it, in my opinion, much, much tougher. The question is: which 25 pages? Do I simply go with the first 25? Do I look for the section that I feel is best written? most exciting? most indicative of my style and approach? What if I choose the wrong section? What if I choose action and the publisher really wants to see character development? What if I choose a section in which I've tried something inventive and the publisher wants to see plain ol' solid writing?
Two different people told me the trial scenes in The Silent Goodbye are excellent and advised me to use one of those. So I quickly narrowed it down to two different parts of the trial. But which one to use? I weighed the pros and cons, carefully reviewed and revised each. Sweated the decision. I went so far as cutting and pasting each into its own file and then formatting both, just to see how they looked. I had hoped that I would find one to be too long or too short and the decision would be made for me. No such luck. They both turned out to be around 20 pages. Perfect.
So I let my gut choose. I picked the one with the stronger opening. Get the publisher interested early. The decision as to whether he or she wants to see more will be made in the first couple of pages, I thought. So, I went with my gut, printed the section and got the rest of the submission package ready.
Today I mail it. Then wait. Worried. Hopeful at times, fearful at others. For how long, I don't know. We'll see.
Life Gets In The Way
25/07/10 07:02 Filed in: Writing
Okay, okay. So I'm not living up to my promises. In
my last post, I said I planned to "push through" and
get my novel submission ready and sent off to the
publisher. I really intended to as well but life just
got in the way.
First, work heated up something fierce. Crazy busy. So busy that, even though I am off on vacation this coming week, I had to book both Monday and Wednesday mornings with meetings. Tuesday I'm going whale watching at St. Andrews by the Sea with family and friends -- a lovely break, to be sure.
Second, golf jumped to the fore with a day in Moncton playing the revered Fox Creek course last Friday (I shot a 124, a miracle in my mind considering the course) and, if the rain stops, Kingswood this morning.
And third, bi-focals. Arrived last Thursday. A real improvement for my vision but, man, do they ever take getting used to!!! I spent yesterday battling bouts of dizziness from the in-and-out focus of these things. I mean, they're great and I'm sure I'll adjust but right now it's hard. I already gave up on the bi-focal contact lenses, which made me dizzy, gave me headaches and hurt my eyes.
I'll get to the novel submission soon. Phillip Gold must see the light of day! In the meantime, life will have to be dealt with before I can do anything of the sort.
First, work heated up something fierce. Crazy busy. So busy that, even though I am off on vacation this coming week, I had to book both Monday and Wednesday mornings with meetings. Tuesday I'm going whale watching at St. Andrews by the Sea with family and friends -- a lovely break, to be sure.
Second, golf jumped to the fore with a day in Moncton playing the revered Fox Creek course last Friday (I shot a 124, a miracle in my mind considering the course) and, if the rain stops, Kingswood this morning.
And third, bi-focals. Arrived last Thursday. A real improvement for my vision but, man, do they ever take getting used to!!! I spent yesterday battling bouts of dizziness from the in-and-out focus of these things. I mean, they're great and I'm sure I'll adjust but right now it's hard. I already gave up on the bi-focal contact lenses, which made me dizzy, gave me headaches and hurt my eyes.
I'll get to the novel submission soon. Phillip Gold must see the light of day! In the meantime, life will have to be dealt with before I can do anything of the sort.
Pushing Through
21/07/10 08:21 Filed in: Writing
I know myself well enough to recognise that, when I
don't do something that's important, there's some
reason hidden in my psyche. So the fact that I
haven't finished up and sent off my novel submission
to the publishers tells me there's more going on than
just a busy life, with guests and travels and work
and other stuff.
I fear that it's fear. I'm concerned that I am not putting the finishing touches on my submission because, once I do, I will have no choice but to send it off and then no choice but to accept the very distinct possibility that it will be rejected once again. They can't reject me, I figure, if I don't send it in. I'll reject myself, in other words.
Scary.
So I spent part of last night formatting the first twenty-five pages of the novel for my package, then went through the synopsis again, trimming here and editing there. All that's left is my biographical note and the printing. I am trying to keep on course and get it done.
You have to face down your fears, I figure. As Joey says, "If you're afraid of bugs, get a bug."
I fear that it's fear. I'm concerned that I am not putting the finishing touches on my submission because, once I do, I will have no choice but to send it off and then no choice but to accept the very distinct possibility that it will be rejected once again. They can't reject me, I figure, if I don't send it in. I'll reject myself, in other words.
Scary.
So I spent part of last night formatting the first twenty-five pages of the novel for my package, then went through the synopsis again, trimming here and editing there. All that's left is my biographical note and the printing. I am trying to keep on course and get it done.
You have to face down your fears, I figure. As Joey says, "If you're afraid of bugs, get a bug."
A Monumental Task
20/06/10 06:58 Filed in: Writing
My trip to Ottawa is now a part of the past. I spent
five busy days in our nation's capital and, while it
was a good trip, I found it completely exhausting.
It's nice to be home.
I didn't get the chance to write the cover letter for my submission while I was away. If I am ever going to get my new Phillip Gold novel, The Silent Goodbye, out on the market, I am going to have to get my submission package completed. The draft synopsis is done but I am having problems getting myself to sit down and write the cover letter. Yes, I've been busy. Very busy. But I am also starting to feel like this simple letter is something of a monumental task.
The challenge is to accomplish so much in so small a space, all the while making it seem effortless, easy. I figure the letter should be no more than a page long but should pack a punch. It has to convince the publisher that the novel is marketable. It has to convince the publisher that I am marketable. It has to convince the publisher to take a chance on me and my work.
And when you think that about a thousand other people are currently writing letters hoping to convince the same publisher that their books are better and more marketable than mine, it becomes kind of scary. I plan to get a draft of this scary letter done by the end of this week. With luck. And guts.
I didn't get the chance to write the cover letter for my submission while I was away. If I am ever going to get my new Phillip Gold novel, The Silent Goodbye, out on the market, I am going to have to get my submission package completed. The draft synopsis is done but I am having problems getting myself to sit down and write the cover letter. Yes, I've been busy. Very busy. But I am also starting to feel like this simple letter is something of a monumental task.
The challenge is to accomplish so much in so small a space, all the while making it seem effortless, easy. I figure the letter should be no more than a page long but should pack a punch. It has to convince the publisher that the novel is marketable. It has to convince the publisher that I am marketable. It has to convince the publisher to take a chance on me and my work.
And when you think that about a thousand other people are currently writing letters hoping to convince the same publisher that their books are better and more marketable than mine, it becomes kind of scary. I plan to get a draft of this scary letter done by the end of this week. With luck. And guts.