The No News is No News Purgatory Thread, Vol. 7

Wow, thank you for all of the nice birthday wishes! I am off to work but will return this afternoon and give reps.

I've been quiet and not very productive since I started querying. I think it's because I haven't started out very well -- out of 6 queries sent: 2 form Rs, a no response means no, and waiting on 3 (these range from days to 3 weeks). I did realize one agent wasn't a good fit. I've hesitated sending out more because I'm hoping for some sort of idea of what's sinking me, but there's no way to tell at this point. I do know my word count is high, and I'm considering tightening again before I send out any more Qs, hopefully to get the word count down below 130K. Historical fiction is supposed to have a bit of leeway for world building, but this still is prob too high for a debut.

Anyway, I know I've got to outline the next book, so I'm mulling over the main plot line and internal conflicts. At least my thoughts are starting to drift more frequently to the new story -- I'm taking that as a good sign.

I hope today brings productivity to all and good news to at least some of you here.

happy birthday, LG!
i hope it's a fabulous one!

bubs started summer camp today!
it begins at 9am instead of 8am like
their school which means--i get to sleep
in an extra hour each day!

enabling my love to stay up till 1am or
so as much as i can. ha!

sunna, really tough situation. you got good
advice. i'd just not participate as much as i can.
she will do what she wants, but no need to enable.

blondie, congrats!!!!!!
/bootay shake!!!

CE, you can't know anything from 6 queries. Try for closer to 10 times that.

Good Morning Purgies!

dystophil said:

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WANT!
Is there a recipe somewhere?

Blondchen said:

1am. I just mailed off a mostly finished draft. Basically, two major scenes in the finale are missing - sketched out, but not written. I figure I'm going to get a bazillion page edit letter anyway, might as well make sure this whole crazy plot actually works before I write those two scenes!

Also, I'm exhausted. I couldn't do anymore on this manuscript if you put a gun to my head.

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Sleep now...shshshshsh

SteveCordero said:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LG!!!!!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CE!!!!!

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Stealing for the purty!

oh and I love everyone's Father's Day pics!

xiaotien said:

happy birthday, LG!
i hope it's a fabulous one!

bubs started summer camp today!
it begins at 9am instead of 8am like
their school which means--i get to sleep
in an extra hour each day!

enabling my love to stay up till 1am or
so as much as i can. ha!

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Our little one started summer camp last week (the older little one/ younger is still in daycare). We are trying out different camps- last week was good, but this week she's at the Zoo which she is really excited about.
Sadly the zoo is about 45 minutes away...happily my hubby is providing transportation so .
I am habitually up until 2-3 am and have to be up for work at 7...I catch up on the weekends

Rick- when I work out of my living room I plug in headphones...helps me tune out the distractions while still being "there" and helps me feel less guilty about locking myself away for hours at a time.

Happy birthday, CE!! (Sorry I missed you earlier.)

(((Sunna))) Good luck figuring it you.

Blond, that is too freaky but it must be a good sign.

Debating whether to email the agent for an update on my revision outline and subs (i.e., is it time to consider ALP finished). Ugh.

I know I'm missing a million things, but I'd rather post and say hello than wait to do it perfectly. So...

kellion92 said:

Happy birthday, LG and CE!

Yay, Blondie! Of course we knew you could do it! Sometimes a draft is finished when the clock runs out. It's nice to get early feedback though -- plot is key for horror/thriller, and great to have someone poke holes so you can fix it.

Rick and Vandal, I love those photos.

Happy father's day (late) to Purgie dads.

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1+

Also stealing these from Rick:

(((Ink))) for the bad weekend

(((Lisa))) and (((Kris))) for the blues

(((Sammy))) Out with the stinking goo!

(((Maryn))) your writing doesn't suck, and (((Mr. Maryn's toe)))

(((Caleb's dogs)))

lwalker - Yay! for good rev notes.

KT - good luck with the cover art!

Tas - good luck on the JJD short story, Peacemaker rev, Night of Fire and Ash revision, and JJD 4. Damn, I'm all worded out just typing that.

~~~

Sunna, how about saying you want to see her, would be delighted to take her to a meeting if that would help? Her sobriety is her responsibility and choice, but if there's a way to give her support and affection without tacitly or explicitly condoning drinking, that can be helpful.

Guys, IF you're interested, I've got a post on WU about critiquing. It's quite basic and about setting a group up for success.

Maryn said:

Maybe the vlog should be about the realities of deadlines and what authors do to meet them?

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In a way, it is.

*saves blondie’s vlog to watch when I get home*

Heading to the chiro. I hate having to wake the baby to go places. She’s zonked after playing at the museum all morning, but I have to go.

Got real job stuff done. Maybe if she’ll take another nap later I can get an article knocked out tonight.

((((Ink))))) I’m debating emailing the editor — she said I could, and I’ve only done it once, but my “question” isn’t so much a question as it is “this is what I’ve done, can you tell me if there’s anything you hate so I can fix it before I send it back, please?” I just don’t want something I changed to screw up my chance.

Thoughts, y’all?

Back is hurting now, must go. BBL

{{{Kris}}}

What a douche.

lwalker said:

I’m debating emailing the editor — she said I could, and I’ve only done it once, but my “question” isn’t so much a question as it is “this is what I’ve done, can you tell me if there’s anything you hate so I can fix it before I send it back, please?” I just don’t want something I changed to screw up my chance.

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If this email is really just a thinly veiled attempt to get feedback on your revisions before you've actually submitted your revisions to her, then no, I don't think you should email her.

Oh kris. Hugs.

(((Kris))) Is he late because he's in trouble - making his commitment to work a good thing? - or because he's a douche?

lwalker, I agree with Blond. Do your best work, then send it. It's obvious you'll work to do revisions. If you're at all close with her vision, and it's not where she wants it, she'll tell you.

Thanks, guys. *sheepish* ETA: Haupe-- it's pure douchery. He's got the cash, and he makes an embarrassing amount of money.

lwalker, I think I'd say don't email her. Just try to get to where you feel really bulletproof about what you're sending. Does that make sense?

An image that helps me a lot when I'm revising, from Twyl@ Th@rps book about the creative process, is that it's like tidying a room. You just look around and you just kind of know what's left to do.

(However I've repeated that to so many people who've been like, "Uh, that's not helpful at ALL)

Thx. This is why I love you guys. One reason, anyway Because my logic says it's better to ask before sending, but I don't want to inadvertently annoy her if you're not supposed to do that.

lwalker said:

Thx. This is why I love you guys. One reason, anyway Because my logic says it's better to ask before sending, but I don't want to inadvertently annoy her if you're not supposed to do that.

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I'm not sure if its a matter of "not supposed to" as much as it is this: she's given you direction, she's waiting for your revisions, but she can't judge how you've addressed her suggestions until she sees your revisions. Does that make sense?

For what it's worth, I rarely email my editor between edit letter and revision. She sends the edit letter, I read and we set up a call to discuss, then I don't usually talk to her about it again until I'm emailing them back. THAT's when I put any questions in the email: "For your note about XXX, instead of addressing it this way, I did it this way. Let me know what you think!" Stuff like that.

So that's my process, which probably influences my advice in this case. Still, I think you might be putting the cart before the horse. I'm not sure you can have a conversation with her about your revisions until she's actually seen them.

lwalker said:

Thx. This is why I love you guys. One reason, anyway Because my logic says it's better to ask before sending, but I don't want to inadvertently annoy her if you're not supposed to do that.

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Speaking as an editor, I'd probably be slightly annoyed and likely to push an email like that to the bottom of my 'to be answered' pile.

When I ask for a revise and resubmit, I try and make it clear what I want. For instance, yesterday, I sent a long R and R email to an author. I don't anticipate hearing from that author until I receive the revised mss. I've spelled out what I'd like to see/not see in my email and that should be enough.

In other news, our AA has her 4 year old in the office all week because of a daycare issue. On one hand, I'm completely sympathetic, but on the other, it'd be nice if she could keep her from running up and down the halls and singing at the top of her lungs.

Gah.

{{{Kris}}} Didn't see what you posted before you pulled it down, but hope he pulls his head out.

Got it. Blondie, that was actually the other thing I was debating, and also the option hubs advised: just say in the email when you send it ... Whatever you need to tell her/ask her. And she already answered my other questions, so I'll just leave it be until I send it back, at which time I'll mention anything I think needs mentioning. But I went down her notes the other night like a checklist and I did some version of everything she asked for. I'm just so damned nervous. I really like it, and I'm getting good feedback so far, both from those who read it before and those who did not. But when I think about her reading it, I feel slightly nauseous.

Fire -- thank you!! Muah!

Fly by post...

Happy Belated Father's Day to all the purgie Dads!

Rick & Vandal, great pictures.

C.E. & Lela, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you each had a wonderful one.

Blond, WOOT! Congrats on turning in MS-of-doom.

(((Sunna))) Tough spot. Hope it all works out.

(((For any purgies in need of one)))

Lwalker -- my 2.5 cents worth. Don't do it. She knows you'll fix anything she hates.

I need a plot twist. And I can't think of one.

I intend to take the kids to a water park today, even though the temperatures will be down around 90 instead of the usual 100.

I need to come back from the water park with a plot twist.

SteveCordero said:

Mornin', Purgies!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LG!!!!!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CE!!!!!

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STEEEEE-ling! And one more HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! for good measure!

Blondchen said:

Editor and agent emailed this morning to say that the time stamp on my email last night was...3:59am EST.

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HAHAHAHAH!

lwalker said:

Oh kris. Hugs.

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I er missed it but kind of reading between the lines...hugs...

Me...I dunno. I have work to do so I think I will do it. Everything else is up in the air, so I guess I am going to focus on that.

(((Kris)))

Lwalker, I'm glad you had some Purgies here to talk you down...

I vote for underwater ninjas too!

kellion92 said:

Lwalker, I'm glad you had some Purgies here to talk you down...

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Me, too. Navigating all this without screwing something up would be impossible without you guys.

Aside — good thoughts to CC, who — on the anniversary of the day little A came down with the fever that led to the cancer diagnosis — is taking her baby boy to the doc for a high fever. I can’t imagine. ETA: shit, she was hoping it was an ear infection. They say it’s not. Bah.