The Daily Rejection

I want my books to be set by linotype. This is what my dad worked on. I grew up playing with these fascinating machines. Now they are in museums. Trailer for a documentary on them here.

About unlikable MCs--http://michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/2014/12/making-your-main-character-likable.html

I sympathize about braces, noranne. I found the first few days after every adjustment to be the worst. Hope the pain dies down soon.

Yesterday I discovered the secret to making myself work on WIP synopses: declare I would let myself listen to another episode of Serial once I summarized another part of the book.

My one pager is a few lines over but I had to really work to get it to that point. Right now it is resisting further compression. But how often do agents specify they want a one pager in an attachment, so they would even notice? Or maybe they wouldn't care?

I suppose I shouldn't futz with these anymore until I have betas read the draft. My plot might change.

Ooh, noranne, the braces recidivism. Same happened to me. Hope yours goes as painlessly as possible.

Oh man, having a custom letterpress edition done would be a dream!

I've decided I'm not going to prod the r-and-r-and-r agent until the new year. I don't want to get a no between now and then. I'd like to ride high on holiday good spirits, thank you very much.

Speaking of which I may have killed my cut Christmas tree. I mean killed it dead-er. Dead-er than it already was. I think it went for about a day without water because I'm a moron. It's a little brittle and I've only had it a week. Oh, well. It just needs to last for like a week and a half longer.

[This is the first real Christmas tree I've had since moving out of my parents' place about 10 years ago. Yes, it's a small one, but it's real and it isn't just a tiny potted pine. It's an honest-to-God Christmas tree. I LOVE it.]

angeliz - If you keep watering it it might bounce back. Plants are pretty resilient actually.

aww man, I didn't realise how much I checked and loved this thread until we all ground to a halt for the xmas lull! Us writer types really hibernate with the agents/publishers I guess! even if it is to work on our WIPs.

Merry Happy Solstice Day to one and all.

Lonegungrrly said:

aww man, I didn't realise how much I checked and loved this thread until we all ground to a halt for the xmas lull! Us writer types really hibernate with the agents/publishers I guess! even if it is to work on our WIPs.

Merry Happy Solstice Day to one and all.

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It's like Brokeback Mountain.

I wish I knew how to quit you.

TDR Anonymous.

May you all have the best of luck in the New Year.

Drachen Jager said:

It's like Brokeback Mountain.

I wish I knew how to quit you.

TDR Anonymous.

May you all have the best of luck in the New Year.

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Lonegungrrly said:

aww man, I didn't realise how much I checked and loved this thread until we all ground to a halt for the xmas lull! Us writer types really hibernate with the agents/publishers I guess! even if it is to work on our WIPs.

Merry Happy Solstice Day to one and all.

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I was thinking the same thing! Miss you guys and hope everyone is having a happy holiday season!

It's probably quiet because the agents haven't been busy sending responses (good or bad).

I have this whole week off. Or rather, I took it off. We were only given Thursday off, and then (thanks to President Obama) we were given Friday off, too. I plan to finish this edit on The Prequel, but there'll be lots going on so I may not get all the way through.

I've been quiet because there hasn't been anything to report on the writing front. No drafting or revising, no querying, no rejections or requests. Not even any beta reading.

I've been reading accumulated magazines and watching The Walking Dead on Netflix to keep myself from looking at WIP that is supposed to be set aside for now. I plan to research some other mythology to get ideas percolating in subconscious for next book and do some comp title reading once I get the e-reader I ordered.

Personal life is as quiet. Went to another Benedict Cumberbatch movie (The Imitation Game -- very good). Hoping to convince hubs to see Into the Woods. I mean, it's a successful retelling, after all.

We have no big plans for Christmas. I suppose I'll watch A Christmas Story at least once, will check in on the Mythbusters marathon, and may go eat Chinese. For New Years, though, we're going to visit Philly and do stuff yet to be determined--seeing daughter, her BF, and my first grandcat.

Just had another 'R' was a form but a nice form if that's possible, pointing out areas online where i can get more advice and where to look for a literary agent.

Not sure what to do from here, haven't written for over a week, keep getting the ideas but cant squeeze a word from me...

Sorry about the R, mazblondie.

I don't know if any of you have the book The Emotion Thesaurus, but they released a companion—Emotion Amplifiers—as a free ebook: http://writershelpingwriters.net/2014/12/thanks-whw-emotion-amplifiers-ebook-gift/ (There's also a contest for a free critique for your first 25 pages.)

I really like The Emotion Thesaurus. I wasn't sure I'd use it very much when I first tried it out, but I end up referring to it a lot when I'm editing/rewriting.

JJ Litke said:

Sorry about the R, mazblondie.

I don't know if any of you have the book The Emotion Thesaurus, but they released a companion—Emotion Amplifiers—as a free ebook: http://writershelpingwriters.net/2014/12/thanks-whw-emotion-amplifiers-ebook-gift/ (There's also a contest for a free critique for your first 25 pages.)

I really like The Emotion Thesaurus. I wasn't sure I'd use it very much when I first tried it out, but I end up referring to it a lot when I'm editing/rewriting.

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So funny you brought this up because I actually just bought the emotion thesaurus this week after a writer at a workshop recommended it. I like it as a reference during revisions--helps to break up repetitive emotional reactions.

JJ Litke said:

Sorry about the R, mazblondie.

I don't know if any of you have the book The Emotion Thesaurus, but they released a companion—Emotion Amplifiers—as a free ebook: http://writershelpingwriters.net/2014/12/thanks-whw-emotion-amplifiers-ebook-gift/ (There's also a contest for a free critique for your first 25 pages.)

I really like The Emotion Thesaurus. I wasn't sure I'd use it very much when I first tried it out, but I end up referring to it a lot when I'm editing/rewriting.

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Thanks I will have a look x

Sorry about the R. You'd think agents would hold off until after the holidays.

Oh, there are two other books in the series: The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and The Positive Trait Thesaurus.

Hathor said:

Sorry about the R. You'd think agents would hold off until after the holidays.

Oh, there are two other books in the series: The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and The Positive Trait Thesaurus.

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I have bought two, the other will have to wait for funds, hopefully Santa will be friendly, you never know.

Yeah, I did think to myself cheers for sending it 3 days before Christmas, but hey, at least I am not in limbo with that one any longer x

Oh excellent thanks I have two of the other ones. I do find them handy as I throw in liberal seasonings of "shrugged" and "smirked" into my first drafts

Happy Holidays, everyone! See you next year, and may we have a blitz of calls like we did at the beginning of last year!

krashnburn said:

Happy Holidays, everyone! See you next year, and may we have a blitz of calls like we did at the beginning of last year!

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And may one of us get that legendary seven-figure advance.

And when you do... hey, why not fly us all someplace nice where we can meet, huh?

Not writing-related, but I have a foster kitty who broke his leg.

I am peeking out of my revision cave to say hello. I miss being able to chat more. I am working on revisions and the kids are out of school and life is just crazy.

Hopefully I can fill y'all in on life come January.

Quick book recommendation: Tolstoy and the Purple Chair.

krashnburn said:

Happy Holidays, everyone! See you next year, and may we have a blitz of calls like we did at the beginning of last year!

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Happy Holidays as well! To a blitz of calls in the New Year!

And thanks for sharing the Emotions Thesaurus. I'm going to have to take a look at it!

Drachen Jager said:

And may one of us get that legendary seven-figure advance.

And when you do... hey, why not fly us all someplace nice where we can meet, huh?

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I second this...

I got a form R this afternoon. Guess they're trying to clear out their queries before Christmas.