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How is everyone on this lovely, sunny, autumnal day? I'm still at mum and dad's and all that that entails -
But I'm finally getting my act together despite it all. Picking the Low Mangoes - having been given a damn good seeing to (I cut two whole chapters - they just weren't doing anything, you know? Reduced the word count by almost 7,000, clarified that which wasn't clear (it's a complicated plot) made it run smoother; gayed up two straight characters and made it a much better read, I think) - is back out in in the world in search of an agent; Susanna Lea to be precise - and is entered for the Amazon novel contest thingy.
Andrew Lownie turned down the road book; he doesn't deal with much travel, apparently (despite having expressed a strong desire to see it in the email I initially sent) - which is fair enough, but the other half of his comment -
"I don’t think your angle or writing are quite strong enough."
Is much more worrying. In light of this, I'm giving that one a rest for a bit till I have the time, energy and strength of will to take another look at it. It's just one opinion, I know and its only had four rejections so far (believe me, this is peanuts! Google any author and hear tales of hundreds of the things littering their files) but I've lost confidence in it; I need to look at it again.
But not right now, because I have a bright, shiny NEW! novel attracting my attention like a big, pretty, bright and shiny thing. It starts with a murder; it has a policeman and a former policeman but it's not a detective story - it's about a cult in a small English University town and disembodied spirits and past lives and demons and all manner of weirdness (and teh gay) going on and it's got most of my attention at the moment -
That and the fic, which I can get back to now the Mangoes-rewrite madness is over; I'm concentrating on the Rainbows sequel for the time being; I really do need to get that done. If anyone needs reminding, that's being written for Moonridge 2006 and is still nowhere near being done. I feel pretty bad about that, and the fact that the good people who shelled out to be on the Rainbows part 3 gig are still waiting. But the Academy story still calls to me like a Lorelei; I'm making notes for that all the time and expect to be lured back to it fairly soon whether Rainbows is done or not.
On the downloads side; I'm still loving Californication (which starts on UK TV tonight - Five to be precise, at 10pm and which I heartily rec). Curb Your Enthusiasm just gets better and better (the John McEnroe/freak book episode almost killed me) and Boston Legal... What can I say? The writing is genius, the performances are perfect - that show is a work of art and when Katie told Jerry he was 'the dog's bollocks' I literally spurted.
I just got the next eppy of Dirty Sexy Money down - looking forward to that, and, on recommendation, Chuck, Life, Moonlight and Pushing Daisies in a holding pattern on my desktop...
So that's me; what's everybody else up to?
But I'm finally getting my act together despite it all. Picking the Low Mangoes - having been given a damn good seeing to (I cut two whole chapters - they just weren't doing anything, you know? Reduced the word count by almost 7,000, clarified that which wasn't clear (it's a complicated plot) made it run smoother; gayed up two straight characters and made it a much better read, I think) - is back out in in the world in search of an agent; Susanna Lea to be precise - and is entered for the Amazon novel contest thingy.
Andrew Lownie turned down the road book; he doesn't deal with much travel, apparently (despite having expressed a strong desire to see it in the email I initially sent) - which is fair enough, but the other half of his comment -
"I don’t think your angle or writing are quite strong enough."
Is much more worrying. In light of this, I'm giving that one a rest for a bit till I have the time, energy and strength of will to take another look at it. It's just one opinion, I know and its only had four rejections so far (believe me, this is peanuts! Google any author and hear tales of hundreds of the things littering their files) but I've lost confidence in it; I need to look at it again.
But not right now, because I have a bright, shiny NEW! novel attracting my attention like a big, pretty, bright and shiny thing. It starts with a murder; it has a policeman and a former policeman but it's not a detective story - it's about a cult in a small English University town and disembodied spirits and past lives and demons and all manner of weirdness (and teh gay) going on and it's got most of my attention at the moment -
That and the fic, which I can get back to now the Mangoes-rewrite madness is over; I'm concentrating on the Rainbows sequel for the time being; I really do need to get that done. If anyone needs reminding, that's being written for Moonridge 2006 and is still nowhere near being done. I feel pretty bad about that, and the fact that the good people who shelled out to be on the Rainbows part 3 gig are still waiting. But the Academy story still calls to me like a Lorelei; I'm making notes for that all the time and expect to be lured back to it fairly soon whether Rainbows is done or not.
On the downloads side; I'm still loving Californication (which starts on UK TV tonight - Five to be precise, at 10pm and which I heartily rec). Curb Your Enthusiasm just gets better and better (the John McEnroe/freak book episode almost killed me) and Boston Legal... What can I say? The writing is genius, the performances are perfect - that show is a work of art and when Katie told Jerry he was 'the dog's bollocks' I literally spurted.
I just got the next eppy of Dirty Sexy Money down - looking forward to that, and, on recommendation, Chuck, Life, Moonlight and Pushing Daisies in a holding pattern on my desktop...
So that's me; what's everybody else up to?
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As for me, I am working on the next bit of Immersion, now I've managed to get Jim out of the jungle in yesterday's installment. Sad, lonely Jim missing Blair dreadfully in Cascade... ::wibbles::
::hugs you tight::
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LOL on the Academy... you do like that one, don't you? ::enjoys shameless mutual ego massage and smooches Bev in the most outrageous fashion:: I'm expecting to be lured back any day; it's so hard to resist - but I really ought to be trying to finish that darn Rainbows sequel. You wouldn't want me to leave Blair all tied up in the snow, now, would you?
::hugs you tight as a Ladette at the end of a three day hen night::
::Makes mental note to cut down on the coffee::
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I love Rainbows too ♥ but my heart is lost to the Academy fic. I have such a thing for separation/reunion fics. My favourite flavour! ;-)
::smooches you with tongue:: ;-)
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Irritatingly, I have to be out of the house in exactly 5 minutes. I'm off to save and savour later.
::smooches you with tongue:: ;-)
Mmmmm. Tongue. My favourite. :D
::is now giggling like a loon and attracting curious glances::
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"I am in awe of your output!"
Having no job and no kids kinda helps. I'm in awe of people like yourself who consistently turn out amazing writing on top of incredibly busy RL lives.
Yours is the kudos, hon.
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::giggle::
I'm glad you have such a nice day...
Gregory Page
It's a beautiful day here as well - and I'm looking forward to the weekend - I will meet my two best friends, it's more than half a year ago that I met them for the last time. I missed them... and I need them right now...
Re: I'm glad you have such a nice day...
I trend to stay in my pjs whenever I can; as soon as I've cleaned the house I'm getting right back in them. (o:
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You take rejection so much better than I ever could - bummer on Andrew Lownie's comments too. ::hugs, you not him::
Gorgeous day here too. I've done too much bare-foot gardening this afternoon, and now my back hates me... Hah - little does it know I'm going to take it table tennising in a minute. I'll be the one on the zimmer frame with the bottle of voddy in one hand...
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I have high hopes. It's quite involved; I'm still at the planning stage.
I'm probably more used to it. *g*
Hee!! Now that I would like to see...
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::Boggles:: I have fans...? Man! Well thank you kindly! That's... gosh! *G*
Oh, I hear that! I've been reading LMFA noms at night before bed. I'd love a lovely long weekend doing nothing but - not much chance of that anytime soon though. )o:
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I'm sorry about the rejection to your travel book and can only try to reinforce what you've said yourself. It's but one, very likely very subjective opinion, no matter what kind of "experience" the guy has. He's still got only his style and his way of seeing things. I and understand how you need a break from the novel though, especially with having gotten off to such a good re-start on your Mangoes novel :-) I'll (mentally -- it's such a pain to write otherwise) cross every appendage I have for you wrt the contest.
Though I'm still shamefully behind on even reading your last installments (+ commenting) on both the Rainbows and the Academy fic, that doesn't stop me at all from going all "Yay! :-)" when hearing that you'll soon be returning to them.
As for me. Caught a cold. Stayed home for two days but dragged my sorry ass to work today to listen to this Cisco training guy teach us about firewalls. Still not sure if it was worth it. Lying in bed again now, but feeling not quite as crappy any more as I was yesterday. Otherwise I'm trying not to despair over all my WIPs, especially the Moonridge stories while I'm working as diligently as I can to finish at least one of them in the foreseeable future.
I hope you get to go home again, soon. I didn't even know you had to go back to stay with your Mum and Dad.
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As to rejection and everything - it's part of life for every writer. I'm sure everyone knows the story of how many times JK Rowing got the brush off and it's the same for everyone. I've already had a few ideas for how the travel book can be improved.
As for the new novel; I'm really enjoying the vibe it's giving me; it makes me feel like I'm writing a fic, which has to be a good thing. I have a feeling I might be on to a winner with this one, though it'll probably take a year to write, it's very complicated - so far; I don't have it properly worked out yet.
Sorry to hear you've not been well; half the world seems to be down with the flu right now and as for Moonridge WIPs... man, don't mention those! :D
Take care, hon. have a great weekend.
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I'm quite psyched about the new book; I had vague ideas for this rattling around in the space between my ears for a while but it all suddenly came together. As I told Skye, I feel like I'm plotting a fic - a decidedly dark fic, but a fic nonetheless. It's very Jim and Blair - this has t be good I feel. (o:
Thanks for the good vibes anyway, and the kind comments about the academy story. I have the next chapter plotted up now so - soon as I can.
Have a groovy weekend my love. I have wine, I'm good. (o: