Old People Writing for Teens, IV

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lisalulu09

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I just need to get the other 9K over and done with so I can get to 20K... Ugh.

ETA: Going to bed. Goodnight. :)
 
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Sage

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Got to 2500 in TaS.

I sing harmony with the radio (and Glee!) all the time to keep that practice going. I'm really good with harmony in oldies music (Meggo and I used to sing parts to it when we were young). I'm a second soprano.

I sang with a coworker's church twice for their All Saints' Day concerts, but other than that, I haven't sung in a choir since college. I tried to join a choir after college when I lived with my parents, but I quit on principle (the sopranos were the people who were there the longest, and if you were new and a woman, you became an alto, no matter what your actual range was).

I need an outlet for singing so that I'm not so cooped up singing for myself all the time. I think it will help me stop singing at work so much.
 

Sage

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I'm picking out pictures for the Dear Teen Me blog, which I'll be on on Wednesday. Wish I could post them here and let you guys help me choose.
 

mellymel

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JB QLH????

Sage, GL with the Dear Teen Me!

Stiger, ants in the car AC? WTF? Never heard of that. Could maybe taking the car through a car wash help? OMG, I just don't know. That is so effing weird and would totally freak me out.
 

justbishop

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Yep, QLH. Bleh.

I'm just not sure whether the ones who have the harshest words (and sheer numbers of them) are nitpicking just to be nitpicky at this point, or if they truly have points that need addressing. I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by not taking each and every piece of advice they give into account, but I also don't want to drive myself to insanity trying to please people who will never be happy because they just don't like my story, KWIM?
 

mellymel

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Yep, QLH. Bleh.

I'm just not sure whether the ones who have the harshest words (and sheer numbers of them) are nitpicking just to be nitpicky at this point, or if they truly have points that need addressing. I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by not taking each and every piece of advice they give into account, but I also don't want to drive myself to insanity trying to please people who will never be happy because they just don't like my story, KWIM?

It is NOT POSSIBLE TO PLEASE EVERYONE IN QLH!!!!!! That's like trying to get everyone who reads your book to love it. Sorry, but it just aint going to happen. You take the most popular book and there will always be people who don't like it for any number of reasons. Same with QLH. The trick to QLH is just to take what works for you and what you think you can use to strengthen your query. Listen, I even had a the main squirrel himself make wonderful encouraging comments on my query. I thought, omg, if he likes it, it has to be a winner! (I mean, it wasn't him alone that thought it was a pretty strong written query, but having him make positive comments really made me feel encouraged. But alas, I did not get a lot of hits when I queried it--not because of the query, but the genre which was saturated). Anyway, my point is that you will go crazy in that place because someone always has a different opinion and view point and if you think you will ever write a winning query where everyone (or even most of the people) will say OH MY GOSH THIS IS AWESOME! IT'S PERFECT! QUERY THIS SUCKER NOW BECAUSE AGENTS WILL BE ALL OVER THAT SHIT...it aint gonna happen. Just take what you agree with and hope for the best. Trust me, you will be far ahead of the game and in the 10% of query letters that actually show they have a clue what they are doing. 90% of queries get immediately rejected because it's obvious they don't have a clue (unfinished MS, typos, grammatical errors, kissing ass, To Who it May Concern, sending genres to agents who don't represent them, 3 page query letter, etc.)
 

justbishop

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*sigh*

I know that you're right. I'm just a people pleaser by nature, and I'm to the point now where my instinct is to be like "WHY WON'T YOU LOVE ME!!!?!!?!?!!" to a couple of the critters in there, lol.

On a lighter note, the husband just walked in and whined "I think they were tracker jackers." :roll:
 

nicolemarie

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*sneaks into thread*

Hi guys! I've been a member for a while, but I tend to do more lurking than posting. I'm trying to change that. Just thought I'd drop in and say hi!
 

JSSchley

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Don't despair, jb. It's worth the time spent, though I completely second the "you can't please everyone" sentiment.

I took my crit partner through I think 14 rounds on her query? (Similar to what I did going through QLH). She's had a really great response rate. So, the work is worth it, as hair-tearing as it is.

Mind if I go have a look-see? This will further my own procrastinatory goals... :D
 

justbishop

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Not at all, I would appreciate another opinion!

I've already got a few notes on my local copy about revisions to make, but it'd be good to see if anyone else's mind is working like my own :)

ETA: took nyquil. must sleep now. night all!
 
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Stiger05

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Hi nicole! Welcome to non-lurkhood!!

Mel: the ants are absolutely terrifying. I looked down and they were all over my shoulders and in my hair. I had a "eww get'em off, get'em off!" moment. :roll:

JB: I'm planning on poking my head in and taking a look at your query tomorrow. Mel said it best, take the advice you think works, disregard the rest. QLH is a smorgasbord of advice. Some of it is good, from people who know what they're talking about, some of it is from people with no effing clue who just want to chime in.
 

Stuck In Kansas

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Hey guys!

How's everyone? Last time I visited we were knitting. Looks like we've added chocolate and alcohol and query fury since I was last here. Well...bring it!

Okay, so why is it that we're confident enough to churn out fiction but turn into trembling, knock-kneed, terrified teenagers when faced with the ghastly prospect of facing a query? I'm not being silly (me? Never.). I get freaked out doing this stuff as well.

And I'm also able to obtectively look at another writer's stuff, give decent advice. Still can't do it for myself. Queries, blurbs, all that stuff? Makes me feel like I'm going on a first date all over again. A horrible date.

As far as length of book size goes, ladies (and please correct me if there are any other male writers here...doesn't really matter, though. I just want to be accepted into the knitting circle)...I find it impossible to bring a book in under 90k. Most of it dialogue heavy. I have a really hard time slicing my babies...let alone throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I think I'm half-way there if I can learn to edit myself.
 

Stiger05

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Kansas, I have a terrible time with word count! Mine first drafts usually end up around 90k and I intend them to be at 60k.

I will say, my writing has vastly improved (according to others) since I learned to cut. It's painful, sometimes I've cut characters I've absolutely loved. (I had a talking 4 foot rabbit mobster with a bowler hat and cigar who hated humans. He sounds silly, but was so much fun to write!). As painful as it is, it's well worth it.
 

nicolemarie

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Thanks for the welcome guys! The community here is amazing and it's about time I join in.
 

Stuck In Kansas

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Know what you mean, Stiger. I actually have a character who I truly like in my fourth YA book...but he doesn't truly propel the plot. I'm going to have to be the executioner and whack him. Much as it pains me.

And by the way...a talking four foot tall rabit mobster? THIS character is NOT extraneous! Keep him at all costs! I wanna' read about him! (Characters like that don't come along often. Even if you think he's excisable, I would definitely reconsider).
 

Stiger05

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:roll: I have plans to use him in another story. His name is Harold.

I don't know if you have this problem, but I find I can cut a lot of unnecessary words like:

all of it
and then
stood up
sat down
clapped his hands
winked his eyes

I'm also a fan of certain words like "that" and "just" and "something" so just eliminating stuff like that cuts several thousand (see, I used two of them right there, haha!).
 

Stuck In Kansas

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Stiger: I have been blessed with a mentor who know's her way around. She said one of the first newbie probs is using "that" and "had" a lot. She's right. Bout everything.'

I have a problem. Lots of characters smile, grin, sigh, roll eyes, etc. too much. What's a writer to do? I kinda' think it's necessary.
 

JKRowley

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I haven't written a book at 90K yet, and I admire that a bit. I write sparse. I blame the journalist in me.

Jess, how is the NaNo in June going? Getting a lot of words down?

Stiger, Oh my, the ants blowing out of the air things in the car is really, really scary stuff! I don't know what to do about that. Ants are evil.

Although the ants have broken up the rock hard soil in my garden a bit. I did some weeding tonight.

Did some rewriting fixes too. I am a breath away from being done with round 3 of this story. I might have to write a synopsis or a query soon. (Hides in corner, quivering.) I don't know why those things are so hard to write, especially for a gal who is used to summing things up in very few words. I think it is the convincing factor. In journalism, I just have to present facts in a way people can understand them. With a query or synopsis, I have to sell my story, and I am a poor saleswoman.
 

Stuck In Kansas

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JK:

I think we're all poor salespeople, hence why we're writers. It's tough. I want to hide out on my sofa, not have to deal with the evil necessities of the necessary part of trying to get established nowadays. Unfortunately, that's how it rolls now. No longer are writers allowed to be artistic and given freedom. Alas, it's come down to having to be...outgoing.

You'll do it. Have faith in yourself. You're a journalist. You should'nt be afraid. Because that's what good journalism is about. Exploring.
 
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