Inspiration- Any one writing novel and want to chat?

nodirectionhome

Hey guys,

I havent posted on here much, I have my first novel written and have received interest from one agent, who want me to make some changes before it is publishable but have been very encouraging. I am finsing the changes hard to make, and following some upheaval in my own life jsut can't seem to focus. I find the task of changing it huge.

What do other people do when they can't seem to get into it?

Cheers

pickarooney

I'm in the same boat, only I haven't submitted it to anyone yet. I know it needs loads of changes but it's really difficult to know where to start and what to change exactly. People on here give really useful feedback if you're prepared to post up bits you feel might need changing. I think the toughest things are having 'finished' the book it's daunting to have to spend as much time again fine-tuning it and having to discard stuff you spent ages putting together.

Happy to give feedback by PM/email if you don't want to post here.

nodirectionhome

Thanks! I have to do a few more posts before can pm. Why have you not sent yours off? Do you plan on sending it soon?

pickarooney

No real plan to send it any time soon. I've no idea who to send it to and I doubt anyone would want to read it given the size of it in its current form. I never intended to publish it from the outset and only started to consider it near the end. But reaction from the people I've shown it to has been luke-warm to say the least, so I'll probably just shelve it and use what I've learned for the next novel.

iguana

nodirectionhome wrote: »

Hey guys,

I havent posted on here much, I have my first novel written and have received interest from one agent, who want me to make some changes before it is publishable but have been very encouraging. I am finsing the changes hard to make, and following some upheaval in my own life jsut can't seem to focus. I find the task of changing it huge.

What do other people do when they can't seem to get into it?

Cheers

Unless you feel you need to make the changes fast in order to keep the agents interest I suggest you take an active break from it. Don't do any writing of this book, instead read books or watch films that inspire you. Clip articles than make you think and spend some time doing things that relax you. Do this for 2 weeks to a month and then go back to it. It's likely you will be surprised how much you achieve by osmosis when you let your mind relax.

Livvie

nodirectionhome wrote: »

Hey guys,

I havent posted on here much, I have my first novel written and have received interest from one agent, who want me to make some changes before it is publishable but have been very encouraging. I am finsing the changes hard to make, and following some upheaval in my own life jsut can't seem to focus. I find the task of changing it huge.

What do other people do when they can't seem to get into it?

Cheers

I guess sometimes a break is helpful, and then you just have to knuckle down and draw inspiration from the fact that an agent has shown interest in your work.

How did you find an agent? Just randomly, or was one recommended?

I'm hoping to join the RNA (Romantic Novelists Association) where, for £93, you get your work read by professionals and hopefully forwarded to an agent.

Are you planning a rewrite? What kind of changes did they recommend?

Good luck with it - it must be very encouraging that they have shown an interest.

fliptzer

Wow best of luck! I've just recieved my 62nd rejection, got loads of positive feedback but it's just not a wide enough audience for mine.
If an agent wants yours and you rewrite it as they tell you - that's fanstatic! On the way up

nodirectionhome

Yeah I checked the agents of some of my favourite authors and contacted one via email to ask could I send three chapters. I am delighted with the feedback for the first thing I sent, its just they have asked me to remove a major character and I'm really struggling with the plot now she's gone! I've kept an original draft with her still in it and dont know wether to just send that out to other agents or stick with re writing it and stay with the agent that has shown interest!

Livvie

nodirectionhome wrote: »

Yeah I checked the agents of some of my favourite authors and contacted one via email to ask could I send three chapters. I am delighted with the feedback for the first thing I sent, its just they have asked me to remove a major character and I'm really struggling with the plot now she's gone! I've kept an original draft with her still in it and dont know wether to just send that out to other agents or stick with re writing it and stay with the agent that has shown interest!

Did they give you their reasons for wanting that character removed?

nodirectionhome

Yeah they said she was too much of a psychopath and not believable...

Anyway I took advice on board, chilled out for a while and then went back to it. I changed most everything the agent suggested and toned down the character a little but didnt remove her. And I ended up getting in contact directly with a renowned publisher, without the agent, havent really been in touch with her since, but the publisher is reading it without any mention of an agent.

Its hard to keep plugging away, but I'd love something to come of it!

Anyone else particularly trying to get published?

Livvie

nodirectionhome wrote: »

Yeah they said she was too much of a psychopath and not believable...

Anyway I took advice on board, chilled out for a while and then went back to it. I changed most everything the agent suggested and toned down the character a little but didnt remove her. And I ended up getting in contact directly with a renowned publisher, without the agent, havent really been in touch with her since, but the publisher is reading it without any mention of an agent.

Its hard to keep plugging away, but I'd love something to come of it!

Anyone else particularly trying to get published?

I have an almost finished novel ready for submission - a bit concerned about the length though as it's around 250k words.

What genre is your book? Good luck with it - sounds really encouraging that a publisher is reading it.

nodirectionhome

I'm not really sue what genre it fits into, maybe womens fiction? Though it'sfairly gritty in parts, but I wouldnt call in crime fiction either. Hard to know.

The agent I worked with reccomended to stay at about 100,000, but I think it depends.

What do you write?

Livvie

nodirectionhome wrote: »

I'm not really sue what genre it fits into, maybe womens fiction? Though it'sfairly gritty in parts, but I wouldnt call in crime fiction either. Hard to know.

The agent I worked with reccomended to stay at about 100,000, but I think it depends.

What do you write?

Well, I would call it a family drama and would guess it would appeal to women more than men .. if it appeals to anyone.

Have you had anything published before?

nodirectionhome

No thing yet, but I'm hopeful!

Livvie

nodirectionhome wrote: »

No thing yet, but I'm hopeful!

Well it's surely fantastic that you have a publisher reading your work - a lot of people don't get that far, do they?

Fingers crossed for you.

Grievous

nodirectionhome wrote: »

No thing yet, but I'm hopeful!

Best of luck dude(Or girl).

Can I ask out of curiousity what your book is about?

I have tons of ideas for novels but find I always make them into shorter stories instead.

Best.

nodirectionhome

Sure yeah, (it's girl by the way!)

Its about a girl who grows up in a foster family, and then becomes rather famous in her twenties. Her real mother and brother are not very nice and come crawling out of the woodwork, thats about it really, obviously there is more to it, but it sounds a bit daft when I try to descibe it!!

Grievous

nodirectionhome wrote: »

Sure yeah, (it's girl by the way!)

Its about a girl who grows up in a foster family, and then becomes rather famous in her twenties. Her real mother and brother are not very nice and come crawling out of the woodwork, thats about it really, obviously there is more to it, but it sounds a bit daft when I try to descibe it!!

Girl? At least I covered my ass!:D

Don't worry about describing it. Usually it's the publishers job to write up the blurb or solicitation. I know this is how they do it in comic books.

I am rubbish at explaining what my work is about. I say. Just read it and tell me what you think :-).

Livvie

nodirectionhome wrote: »

Sure yeah, (it's girl by the way!)

Its about a girl who grows up in a foster family, and then becomes rather famous in her twenties. Her real mother and brother are not very nice and come crawling out of the woodwork, thats about it really, obviously there is more to it, but it sounds a bit daft when I try to descibe it!!

Sounds quite an original idea.

Have you had any feedback from the publisher yet?

nodirectionhome

No it only went off yesterday! Just got an email acknowledging the person I sent it to had received it, which I thought was very polite, as I hear alot of them dont even bother!!

Is your work posted on here Grevious I'll have a look

Livvie

nodirectionhome wrote: »

No it only went off yesterday! Just got an email acknowledging the person I sent it to had received it, which I thought was very polite, as I hear alot of them dont even bother!!

Is your work posted on here Grevious I'll have a look

Sorry to keep asking so many questions, but I'm fascinated.

How did you decide what publisher to send it to?

Grievous

nodirectionhome wrote: »

Is your work posted on here Grevious I'll have a look

A few bits and pieces.

Click on my username and search all threads.

Thanks.

BAZM8

Livvie wrote: »

I have an almost finished novel ready for submission - a bit concerned about the length though as it's around 250k words.

bloody hell 250k words...that's an incredible length, I'm not sure i even know that many words. That's not a novel thats a saga. Well done.

I'm in the middle of writing a crime fiction book myself and have only written 38,000 words and i think i'm half way through. I have an agent who i got by submitting the first 80 pages to a number of them. They recommended 80-90k words are whats required for the genre if that helps.

BTW they also told me that publishers are publishing very little by new authors currently due to financial constraints, unless it's exceptionally good. In addition they get so many submissions, most won't even look at manuscripts without an agent stamp. They're using the agents to vet the work initially, so well done on getting a publisher to read your submission directly.

Also mostly new authors are published in the first six months of the year only. From May on it's established authors and the Christmas and celeb 'book' market. So if it's your first novel don't sweat on finishing it until next summer. Then if they want to publish it they have time to edit and prepare before spring 2011.

(I know I'm talking like someone who has some insight, when i'm only 50% through my first effort and you're probably saying wtf does he know but it is only my intention to offer some help.)

pickarooney

I could loan you 50k words; I have at least 100,000 spare

Livvie

BAZM8 wrote: »

bloody hell 250k words...that's an incredible length, I'm not sure i even know that many words. That's not a novel thats a saga. Well done.

I'm in the middle of writing a crime fiction book myself and have only written 38,000 words and i think i'm half way through. I have an agent who i got by submitting the first 80 pages to a number of them. They recommended 80-90k words are whats required for the genre if that helps.

BTW they also told me that publishers are publishing very little by new authors currently due to financial constraints, unless it's exceptionally good. In addition they get so many submissions, most won't even look at manuscripts without an agent stamp. They're using the agents to vet the work initially, so well done on getting a publisher to read your submission directly.

Also mostly new authors are published in the first six months of the year only. From May on it's established authors and the Christmas and celeb 'book' market. So if it's your first novel don't sweat on finishing it until next summer. Then if they want to publish it they have time to edit and prepare before spring 2011.

(I know I'm talking like someone who has some insight, when i'm only 50% through my first effort and you're probably saying wtf does he know but it is only my intention to offer some help.)

Speaking for myself, I wasn't saying wtf does he know, and I doubt anyone else was.

Posts like yours are informative and interesting...thank you.

I'm applying to a group that is run by professional authors - hopefully the application will be accepted. New/unpublished authors who are accepted will get their work read by published authors and then could be forwarded to agents. So fingers crossed.

BAZM8

pickarooney wrote: »

I could loan you 50k words; I have at least 100,000 spare

don't give them to anyone else just yet...i'll let you know.

Just out of curiosity how long did 250K words take to get together. i'm at it around 5 weeks at this stage and i write for about 4 hours in the morning. that gets me around 1500 words or so per morning.

pickarooney

About three years, but I have a full-time job and have accumulated children along the way so I was lucky to get 45 mins a day to write.

Livvie

pickarooney wrote: »

About three years, but I have a full-time job and have accumulated children along the way so I was lucky to get 45 mins a day to write.

We started our novel in March 2006 - my co-writer is in Vancouver and has a full time job. I work and have a family. It hasn't been easy so I can empathise with you.

Targeted1

It you don't focus the energy will not flow and you will not get your point across.

cinnamon

Hi, well done on getting interest from the publishers and agents! Hope ye get published one day.

I am working on two books at the mo. My 2008 Nano novel that I'm hoping to finish its first proper edit soon. I've left my 2009 Nano novel aside and hope to start editing it in January. I agree with the feelings of being overwhelmed. But writing a novel is a hard thing to do, or I should say writing a good novel is hard!

Anyway, I will keep an eye on this thread in the coming weeks. Do post back if ye have any success stories, however small!