The Kidlit Gang's Support and Accountability Thread

SheilaJG

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Oh, Joy, I'm so, so, so, so, sorry. That's a pretty shitty way to treat a writer, IMO. I don't often use that word, but it really fits here. Dang.

We writers get crushed, again and again. It's part of what we sign up for when we send our stuff out to places unknown. I had something similar happen to me before I signed with my agent. A gushing response to my full, followed by silence, followed by ignored follow-ups that made me feel like an unwanted stalker. It hurt, but it also made me want to try that much harder.

Don't lose confidence over this. You are a terrific writer. There are lots of good agents out there, and one is going to snatch you up!
 

Laura J

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So sorry to hear that. Really stinks. Keep working at it! Hugs.
 

Supergirlofnc

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Sorry, Joy. For what it's worth, my critique partner had a similar experience. It was discouraging, but now she's represented by a wonderful agent! So don't give up!
 

summerb

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This is one of the first times I've checked in in the last month or so, and I'm so sorry to hear that bad news, Joy. You are such a fantastic writer, it completely blows that you had that happen.

Also, a timid hello to everyone else I recognize! I've been hiding out because I'm afraid to revise my latest wip. It was a camp nano project that I love(!) but I'm literally (in the new definition, which apparently means figuratively ;) ) avoiding like the plague for fear of.. what? I don't know. It isn't as good as I thought? It's unfixable? anyways. If anyone wants to give me a swift kick in the ass, I would not blame them.
 

Supergirlofnc

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This is one of the first times I've checked in in the last month or so, and I'm so sorry to hear that bad news, Joy. You are such a fantastic writer, it completely blows that you had that happen.

Also, a timid hello to everyone else I recognize! I've been hiding out because I'm afraid to revise my latest wip. It was a camp nano project that I love(!) but I'm literally (in the new definition, which apparently means figuratively ;) ) avoiding like the plague for fear of.. what? I don't know. It isn't as good as I thought? It's unfixable? anyways. If anyone wants to give me a swift kick in the ass, I would not blame them.

:poke:
I couldn't find a kick in the ass, so I'm giving you a poke in the smiley. Get to revising! It's always hard to look back of first, second, third, fourth, fifth...well, you get the picture... drafts, but they almost always get better! It's fixable and will be good. Here's another poke:
:poke:

Now get to work!
 

DanielaTorre

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Hey mods, can we get a smiley getting swiftly kicked in the ass? That'd be great. :D COOL BEANS Summer!!! Get hopping.

I just posted a beta request on Verla Kay for second rounds. Hopefully my ms won't need a third. I'm 90% sure I'll be nixing the intro so I have two intros to share for the betas who request it. I think the whole thing is super tight now. Hopefully I have some bites. If I don't, I'll post it here since all the other options suggested to me are expired. Next up is reworking my query with new goals. I'm going to hang myself. :( They're so hard.

If anyone is interested in beta reading for me, PM me!!! Examples are available in SYW if you search my name. :D

Oh! And I'm 7K in to my next MG. I could work faster, but I'm having some personal real life dilemmas that won't allow me to concentrate. Hating life right now. :(
 
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JoyMC

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If anyone is interested in beta reading for me, PM me!!! Examples are available in SYW if you search my name. :D

I can personally vouch that Daniela can write and she's got a strong story, besides. I think she could use fresh eyes on the revision, but it would be awesome if someone here helped her out.

Daniela, I'd totally be happy to look at the query again, though. Those are easy for me. (I can say that without sounding egotistical, because I fully admit that I get a billion requests, but they never actually pan out to representation. But I get the requests, which is the point of the query letter.)

Well, not a billion requests. But I have gotten six requests on my latest manuscript, despite its being a quiet contemporary, which I've been querying for a couple weeks.

And I'm going gangbusters on my WIP - 7000 words for me right now, too. My CP is being a super awesome cheerleader, propping me up in my grief, and spurring me on with this one so much that I'm barely thinking about my pending queries/fulls. That's nice.

Summer, hi! It's nice to see you around here! I'm not going to do any ass-kicking, because we can be cheerleaders, but the harsh truth is, you have to be the one who cares enough to do the work. But listen, what's the worst that can happen? It really is unfixable? And then what? Will the walls crumble around you? Seems unlikely. More likely, you'll shelve it and move on. But maybe it'll be The One and you'll never know unless you do the work. Get on it, girl!
 

DanielaTorre

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I can personally vouch that Daniela can write and she's got a strong story, besides. I think she could use fresh eyes on the revision, but it would be awesome if someone here helped her out.

Daniela, I'd totally be happy to look at the query again, though. Those are easy for me. (I can say that without sounding egotistical, because I fully admit that I get a billion requests, but they never actually pan out to representation. But I get the requests, which is the point of the query letter.)

Well, not a billion requests. But I have gotten six requests on my latest manuscript, despite its being a quiet contemporary, which I've been querying for a couple weeks.

And I'm going gangbusters on my WIP - 7000 words for me right now, too. My CP is being a super awesome cheerleader, propping me up in my grief, and spurring me on with this one so much that I'm barely thinking about my pending queries/fulls. That's nice.

:e2cry: You're... you're so sweet. :e2cry: Such kind words. I don't know how much to thank you. :Hug2:

I'll PM you in the coming weeks when I have a readable query. LOL

You have yourself an awesome CP there. It's taken me months to write 7K. That's only like 3 chapters for me. You're going to get an agent soon. I know it. :Lecture: I read your stuff on WOC an it was awesome. :D

ETA: I've decided to post the request on the beta forum because I figured Blue Board has minimal traffic. Here's the link if anyone's interested in lending a hand. http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=277157
 
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DanielaTorre

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Congrats Joy! You were at 7K last week. You'll be done in no time.

Me? Moving on Monday! Finally leaving the slums! It's very nice. Very spacey, clean, and quiet, and 5 minutes from work. I have 2 parking spaces now, which is a dream believe it or not. Nice neighbors. The last two months have been utter hell filled with sleepless nights. It's hard to believe that my nightmare is over. :)

Can't wait til I settle in and get back to work. Now I have a comfortable balcony with a decent view to write in. :D

image.png
 

jvc

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Great job, Joy, that's a lot of words. It's like, thousands and thousands. I haven't even got enough fingers or toes to count that high.

Daniela, glad things are working out with the move. Wish I had a balcony. So jealous.
 

Tromboli

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New house sounds nice Daniela!

I just sent off my MG fantasy to my very first age-appropriate beta reader! One of my CPs offered her 9 year old book-loving daughter as a guinea pig. She seems excited to read it, and I'm really excited she's excited! Not sure how long it will take to hear back, but I'm feeling like the book is coming together nicely. Mostly needs copy/line edits, from what I can tell, before I send it off to agents.

Til then I'm slowly revising my YA contemporary for a publisher and reading all the MG I can get my hands on :) I've got a long list.
 

Britwriter

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Hi everyone! Long time, no see. The summer flew by, so busy, I finished up two major projects and revisions, and now am moving on to some sparkly new WIPs.
Joy, I'm so sorry, that was horrible, how disappointing! But, I know good things are around the corner for you. It's only a matter of time, and publishing is a funny business. Sometimes when you least expect it, things turn up. (I got my first book contract over the phone late one night, and I thought it was a friend doing a prank call!)
Keep writing everyone!!!
 

summerb

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Good work Joy :) and thanks for the cheerleading.

Daniela, yay new house! does it have that new house smell? I wish you good, non-scary neighbors (also, are you sure that house next door was there last week? Strange things going on...)

Tromboli, good luck! Hopefully your reader will be fast and have good feedback for you!

So I guess supergirl's "poke in the smiley" worked (thanks for that, btw). I just posted the first 1000 words of my nano project. If anyone has a moment to give me their impressions/crits, I would really appreciate it.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=277588

PS: also, Hi Nicola!
 

Laura J

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Daniela, I wish I had time right now. I would love to read for you. I am starting a new job at night, work at home HSN. If you still don't have anyone in a few months or so, let me know. Once I get through training, my time may free up.

My shift is going to be during my peak writing time. I'm sad and terrified I won't be able to write anymore. Grateful to have the job, but not sure it will be worth it. Hopefully it won't be forever.

How can a writer adjust their natural writing time. Mine was around 10pm. My shift will be 7-1am.

My dh is encouraging me to keep on working on my books. I was surprised as to how much he wanted me to. I thought of a few different ideas for other work or projects and he was worried I would take away from my writing time. I had no idea he was that behind me. Nice to find out.

I have a month to revise my current work before I start. I'm hoping I can get another round of revisions done. Packing my freezer with meals and plowing through revisions, while homeschooling. Aye yi yi!
 

Smish

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Has everyone been writing furiously? :D

Um, I haven't. I never do. Sigh. I did go to an SCBWI conference this weekend, though, and my sample submission was loved by everyone who read it. An editor at HarperCollins did a first pages critique session and mine was pulled. He loved it. He even called it "exemplary." I don't think anyone's used the word exemplary to describe me since the seventh grade. :D Thing is, I know my first pages rock. My problems begin with chapter 2...

I may never finish a book. :e2cry:
 

Laura J

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Has everyone been writing furiously? :D

Um, I haven't. I never do. Sigh. I did go to an SCBWI conference this weekend, though, and my sample submission was loved by everyone who read it. An editor at HarperCollins did a first pages critique session and mine was pulled. He loved it. He even called it "exemplary." I don't think anyone's used the word exemplary to describe me since the seventh grade. :D Thing is, I know my first pages rock. My problems begin with chapter 2...

I may never finish a book. :e2cry:

Woohoo moment Smish!!! :snoopy: that is awesome! I bet it isn't as bad as you think. Exemplary! Can beat that! So happy for you.
 

SheilaJG

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Yay, Smish! "Exemplary" - wow, that's high praise. You know, for me the beginnings are the hardest, and you have those nailed. Time to sit down without any distractions and finish that story!
 

Smish

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:D

I'll try to set aside time to write on Sunday.

The editor did say that pity can actually be distancing. Sympathy is good. Pity is bad. And I realized that my books tend to begin with something sad/bad. He said that I dodged pity territory in the first page I submitted, but it's something I'm definitely going to watch out for in the future.
 
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DavidBrett

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Woohoo! Go Smish! Exemplary is awesome! Those high praises are a wonderful thing, aren't they? I once got compared to Terry Pratchett, but that wasn't from an EDITOR! Holy cow, that's just amazing - write dat book!

Speaking of book writing, I'm trying to make a dent on this Dresden for kids/teens book.... It's slow but steady, especially as I haven't written a story in first person in years...

But plenty's happening, lol, and I'm dead excited to be writing again xD

Dave
 

CarlHackman

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Hi all,

Posted on WriteOnCon and few competitions since then and my query for GERALD is pretty tight now, although there is probably always room for improvement.

I have started querying and have a partial and a full out.

Whilst I'm in the query trenches I have started another novel. I am 5,000 words into it and loving this story so far.