Novel

[K Man]

It wouldn't be that awesome at all...because I'd have to kill you.

Stop teasing already and just put something up damnit!!!

[VemuKhaham]

I'm a publisher, you can send it to me.

Sorry, that wasn't even funny, but I'm also curious. It sounds like you've taken up some sort of rythm that allows you to actually get things done. I'm jealous because of that. Good luck on getting published!

[TheUdjat]

Update:

I have re-finished my novel. Some may remember that I talked about changing some significant aspects of it last fall, and I've finally completed that process. What was once a super-huge story is now more of a trilogy (which is hopefully more marketable), and the first book of that series is ready to roll.

The pertinence of this is two-fold.

1. Before I get into the arduous process of seeking out agents/publishers, I want it to be in the best shape possible. I'm already distributing the novel to people I know in my geographic vicinity, letting them read and comment on it. I'd like to do the same here. If you want to read it, shoot me a PM. To be clear, though, I'm not looking for an intensive, critical-minded editor. I just want some people who probably form my target audience to read through a few chapters and see if it catches their interest. If you notice any glaring annoyances problems, please mention them, but mostly I want some feedback about the story itself.

2. Writing a novel takes a lot of time and effort, but the process of trying to get it published actually seems to take more. I am skilled and practiced with fiction writing - not so much with writing business letters to agents and doing the necessary research to tailor each query to the people I'm writing. It takes a lot of work, and it sucks, but that's what I'll be doing. This means that once I get to that point, I'll probably have to cut back time on here - because querying or not, I will still be writing new fiction, so something else has gotta go. Apologies in advance to those playing in my games, but professional writing kinda forms my number one priority right now.

Anyway, let me know, and wish me luck. And as usual, if any of you just happen to be pals with good agents or publishers, let 'em know if you like my stuff.

[ryngo]

Well, I've been slacking, because this is the first I've even come to this thread, but I'd love to read anything you want to throw at me, and I can throw down a harsh edit too. (Honestly, do you really want all that wishy washy 'it's good, i don't know if it will be published, good luck, oh i couldn't finish it but it's still good')

Kman already hit on the Writer's Market, which I love. They'll teach you how to make a good cover letter and all that sort of thing. The two things I've always come to hear in researching publishing are:

1. Once the first draft is done, there is still the rewrite, no matter how great the first one is.

2. Persistance pays off. Send it to everyone you can.

Well, that's the best advice I can give you. I've been working on publishing for a while now, but I've got plays and the game is a little different with them. I'm forever entering contests and refurbishing them based on the feedback I get.

Anyway, Congratulations. It's not just everybody's got the follow through to put something like that down on paper. (I mean, a stage play's word count is nothing compared to that business.)

[TheUdjat]

Apr 29, 2008 12:16:03 GMT -5 ryngo said:

Well, I've been slacking, because this is the first I've even come to this thread, but I'd love to read anything you want to throw at me, and I can throw down a harsh edit too. (Honestly, do you really want all that wishy washy 'it's good, i don't know if it will be published, good luck, oh i couldn't finish it but it's still good')

Kman already hit on the Writer's Market, which I love. They'll teach you how to make a good cover letter and all that sort of thing. The two things I've always come to hear in researching publishing are:

1. Once the first draft is done, there is still the rewrite, no matter how great the first one is.

2. Persistance pays off. Send it to everyone you can.

Well, that's the best advice I can give you. I've been working on publishing for a while now, but I've got plays and the game is a little different with them. I'm forever entering contests and refurbishing them based on the feedback I get.

Anyway, Congratulations. It's not just everybody's got the follow through to put something like that down on paper. (I mean, a stage play's word count is nothing compared to that business.)

The novel is a little beyond its first draft form - it's in its 5th version, though I still expect to go back and make some changes based on feedback. I'm a big fan of Writer's Market, myself, and am constantly finding new advice on there and other places. The biggest problem seems to be that every agent is a little different, and wants things in a slightly different form. I have an excel chart just to keep track of prospective agents, how they want things submitted to them, response times, etc. It's liek a whole other job.

The original word count for Carcosa was around 213,000; or about 850 pages as a trade paperback. This was unfeasible for obvious reasons. Now it's more of a trilogy, though it has still managed to swell in size - which may be another major change in a future. Book 1 weighs in at somewhere between 400 and 500 pages, which is a bit more acceptable. The other two will be comparable.

I just have a lot to say about things, I guess. My next project is a serial-style web-based story in small, bite-sized chapters for easy reading. It will be a good exercise in brevity, I think, and a nice way to give free samples of my work (and, admittedly, to try and gather an audience).

EDIT: Shoot me an email address, Ryngo, and you'll have a copy of the novel to flip through. Read it to the T-Rex for me.

[MaestroXC]

Hey, good luck with this! I've never read this thread before, but I'd be glad to give it a read-through and tell you what I think.

I'll spare you my stylistic prejudices, but I'll tell you if anything doesn't ring true in the plot or characterization.

[TheUdjat]

PM me with your email, and I'll send it off.

[Deekin]

WTF, where did this thread come from? I'm allways looking for someting good to read.

As for my email, it's on my user page.

[TheUdjat]

Many of you might be missing this thread because it's over a year old. The first time I finished this story (well, its third version) was last March. After a bout with agents and publishers that was mostly unsuccessful, I began having second thoughts about certain setting elements, and ultimately decided a rewrite was needed. The size of the novel was also unwieldy and it needed to be broken up into smaller stories.

So around the end of October last year I took it off the market and started rewriting the beast. I finished editing the rewrite of Book 1 a couple weeks ago, but before I launch into sending it off to agents, I'd like some more feedback and probably one last edit-through, depending on what I hear.

About a dozen different people of different backgrounds have their paws on the story now. I'm hoping for feedback in maybe 2 months, give or take.

In the meantime, I've other things to work on. But in short, that's why you probably hadn't noticed this thread before - it's old. There's another thread on here called 'An Excerpt' which is a clip from the 3rd Version of the novel (which is relatively unchanged in the new). If you like what you see and what to read the rest, give me that email.

[spiral]

Hi Udjat,

How goes the writing? I would love to hear that you are still working on your book, and even more so that it is ready to do the rounds with some agents again!

Have you tried submitting smaller sections/sub-lines of it to short story competitions? The coverage/prizes can be very attractive to agents when considering unpublished writers...

[TheUdjat]

May 26, 2008 10:51:07 GMT -5 spiral said:

Hi Udjat,

How goes the writing? I would love to hear that you are still working on your book, and even more so that it is ready to do the rounds with some agents again!

Have you tried submitting smaller sections/sub-lines of it to short story competitions? The coverage/prizes can be very attractive to agents when considering unpublished writers...

I'm taking a break from the novel to work on other writing projects currently. It's making the rounds among readers to see what kind of feedback I get, but barring any major changes, it will probably be making the rounds to agents before too long.

Sending smaller sections out is a thought, though I'm more inclined to send out separate, related short stories than actual snippets of the story. There seems to be some stigma against re-publishing works. But I've been working on shorter stories set in the same setting, to give it (and myself) some exposure.

Summer months appear to be bad for me, creatively, though. It's been a little harder to get good work produced the past couple of weeks. But I'm still working at it.

Thanks for dropping a comment to check on the status. Good to know someone's still wondering about the novel.

[Japic]

I've read a good chunk of the manuscript now Udjat. As we've discussed I do have some feedback, however, as of now I've got next to no time to read it. I need to really sit down again and get my nose back into the story.

From what I've read it's pretty good and engaging enough to keep you wondering just where it goes next. I read many books, and what I've read is enough to want to finish the story. The setting is fleshing out under my irises (couldn't think of a better thing to say) and the characters are becoming more familiar as more tidbits of their lives are casually dropped into the storyline. So unless the writing talent goes south somewhere in the middle, you can bet your bottom that I'll be finishing it... eventually.

Keep writing. You'll only get better.