OK, I have committed myself to this writing lark so that tells the world I have sado masochistic tendencies. You will note that on the sidebar there is yet another progress meter for August Rock. - yes, rewrite 10! Have I lost my mind - absolutely.
As you know AR went into the New Writers' Scheme and came out with some praise but it still had failings - namely my bl..dy dyslexic typos. So I sent it off to Caroline Upcher for another editorial review since she had critiqued it before to see if all the work I had done so far worked. Yesterday I received her report - yes and well no. The book is still too predictable and I am too prone to repetition.
So, I begin again. I have a feeling that AR will never see the light of day however it has taught me so much that that it will be OK. The other day I read Therese Fowler's blog which mentioned that Souvenir was her third novel and that was the one that broke through so if that follows for me A Cornish House will be my break through but I haven't learned enough on AR yet for me to give it up. So I just keep writing and in the words of the lovely Chris, I will listen to Beeny.
16 comments:
You will get there. An Ungodly Child went through six revisions and four years before it was accepted.
For every writer I think there is one book in their career that they bang their head against the wall to get it right. Sometimes it happens or sometimes they take that d@mn book to their grave.
Yes, I'm speaking from experience. The book has a real title, but I've dubbed it THE BOOK.
Not sure about sadomasochistic but your tenacious tendencies are shining through.
It's hard, this writing malarkey, isn't it?
I can only hope for AR, Rachel. When will An Ungodly Child be in print?
Thanks Mel. You made me smile :-)
Yes, Jan I seem to have persistance!! Yes, writing is hard but its incrdibly addictive :-)
I learned a lot by rewriting my first (never to be published) books over and over. The trick is to know when to move on.
Yes c.s., I think this will be the last rewrite unless of course the next one if from an agnet or editor!
Only ten? ;)
I've probably re-written my beginning 20 times! But like you said, you keep learning, and you want to try to fix it.
Good luck!
Ten? Wow. I'm so sick of my first re-write I'm tempted to leave it at that and then send it off! Good on you for persevering so you so, so, so deserve to get published. I'm in awe of your determination.
Thanks for the link to Caroline by the way. Her rate for a critique is very reasonable and I might just get one (once I've finished my edits).
Apparently every writer has an August Rock. I'm always fascinated to know how many finished manuscripts writers have before publication. I'm hearing 3-4 quite a bit!
Alyssa, 20 times??? That was just the beginning I hope!
Yes, Cally tenth rewrite......I never learn :-)
Lisa it does seem to be around 3 or 4 but I'm not letting go of AR just yet........
Cally, I forgot to say that caroline is great and I found her through Hilary Johnson....so if you need a Beeny she's a good choice!
You will get there. I think our early works are like "practice runs" and I think we're often hopeful to expect them to "make it". More usually it is our third or fourth works that are the ones that fly - given all the practice that went before! ;-) I've just started my seventh MS - but I think that my fifth, which is out with two publishers at the moment, might be the first one to actually get a contract. I put the first four down to a steep learning experience :-)
Aboslute, fingers are crossed for you. I am learning so much that hopefully the next one will be better :-)
Persistence always pays off (so I'm told) so keep going Liz.
'
(And 'Listen to Beeny' curtesy of ChrishH is such good advice!)
Well Lane, as I have started the rwwrite I can see what she is saying so lets keep fingers crossed that I can fix it :-)
Hi Liz, thanks for the mention.
A few writers do succeed with their first, but I've heard some of those same express regret because even when publishable, those first novels are sometimes painfully amateurish-feeling to those authors later on.
My second novel got me my agent but didn't quite persuade the editors--however, consider it my AR (the one I don't want to let go), because I intend to rewrite it for published novel #3. Completely redone from the bones out, I should add, but still with the same cast and general story slant.
Like CS said, we do have to let some go, or at least set them aside for a time.
But always keep striving and you'll get there.
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