Boarders writing a novel

[Myrddin]

I was thinking about you just the other day, Stoney. It's amazing how the last (mumble mumble) years have flown by. Let me know where to buy it, when the time comes.

[Starkess]

Last month I got a rejection on the last query I had outstanding for my current novel, putting me at ZERO requests over 26 queries. That is the worst result I've ever gotten, and I don't think I have the heart to revise this query or book yet again. It's been a couple years, clearly it's not clicking with anyone, and I'm sick of it. Haven't written much lately with moving, starting a new job, and wedding planning, but I want to get back into it soon.

On 11/16/2022 at 7:29 PM, Ebenstone said:

It's been a while since I've posted but I think I've decided to release one of my books on my own. I'm in the process of securing a cover artist. I'm only going to release it as an ebook and see how it does. It's my first "real" book and the one that got me not one but two agents over the course of its existence and got kind of spoiled by the second agent. That's a long story not worth telling. I think I'm only doing it to see what happens. I dunno, am I crazy?

Crazy? No, not at all. It's a path I've considered many, many times. I think if you feel ready and willing to do it, why not. It's hard hard work to be a successful self publisher, but at the end of the day, is zero people reading a book stashed on a hard drive better than only reaching 1 or 2 or 10 people with a self-pubbed book? No one can make that decision for you, but it's valid either way. Good luck!

[Ebenstone]

On 11/17/2022 at 9:00 AM, Myrddin said:

I was thinking about you just the other day, Stoney. It's amazing how the last (mumble mumble) years have flown by. Let me know where to buy it, when the time comes.

I will sir. I still haven't fully committed to it yet, but I'm strongly considering it. I've been writing a lot of non-fantasy stuff so I figured you wouldn't be interested in beta reading. BTW how's your writing going?

[Myrddin]

12 hours ago, Ebenstone said:

I will sir. I still haven't fully committed to it yet, but I'm strongly considering it. I've been writing a lot of non-fantasy stuff so I figured you wouldn't be interested in beta reading. BTW how's your writing going?

My writing has been sitting in the drawer gathering dust. Don't have the time or mental focus these days. I can barely find time to read, let alone write/edit. Which is funny (ironic?), because I finally have the home office I always dreamed of to write in.

I still tinker at outlines (mainly how to get Echoes down to publishable length but also the Condotierre series), but no actual writing. I've a lot of vacation time to burn by the end of the year (use it or lose it). One of my goals is to redo my novel storyboards (large corkboards with notecards) for Echoes and Condotierre. I figure it's harder to ignore the manuscripts on the hard drive if they story is hanging in front of me all day. 

[Derfel Cadarn]

Progress on Lucifer & Son (#Sooty Feathers 3) goes well - 60k words in, aiming for 100k-110k based on Books 1 and 2 (Resurrection Men and Lord of the Hunt).

Diabolic Immunity (which gotme an agent last year) is still out on submission- few rejections but most of the publishers are still to reply. 
The Blood Hour is about to go out on submission.

Meanwhile, planning a new novel to work on after Lucifer & Son. Inreally want to try and get this one to appeal to publishers. They’re looking less for straight fantasy/sci-finand more for books with a mainstream crossover appeal. Also, due to rising printing costs, 120k-140k words for a new author is pretty much the limit. Also maybe a growing preference for standalones.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Derfel Cadarn

[Ser Not Appearing]

20 hours ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

Inreally want to try and get this one to appeal to publishers. They’re looking less for straight fantasy/sci-finand more for books with a mainstream crossover appeal. Also, due to rising printing costs, 120k-140k words for a new author is pretty much the limit. Also maybe a growing preference for standalones.

 

Granted that I probably never finish my own book ... but these limitations would absolutely prevent any book I write from being published outside of doing it myself.

Fortunately, the imaginary me of the future who has put in the work and has a finished product in hand is very persuasive.

[Ordos]

Recently I got my limited print run of 75 paperback copies of my alternate history novella for friends and family. The e-book will hopefully be out early next year.

I'm currently writing a horror/slasher/mystery novel about a serial killer who kills bikers. In past writing projects, there were lines I did not cross in describing graphic details of violence, sex and profanity. In this book I hope to cross all of them. This book is the most raw of my emotions and thoughts put into words. The working title is 'The Bike Gang Killer' but I'm open to titles like 'The Roadside Ripper' or 'Roadkill'.

[Starkess]

Started on a new project this week! It's been ages since I wrote new material. It feels pretty good to get started again, even though I'm very cynical about the prospect of my work ever making it out there into the world. It's hard for me to even find the mental energy to read much lately, so writing feels like a huge uphill climb, but I'm hoping it will get easier as I get back into it!

[The Grey Wolf Strikes Back]

Working on my next anthology (which is not Tales from Mistland & Other Oddities: Volume II) now that I've decided on the lineup. Aiming for the second half of 2023 as a release date.

Also, to celebrate Volume I's one year anniversary the book is on sale for 99cents this week (but only in the US unfortunately) in case y'all would like to spread the word!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09N9QL1H7

[The Marquis de Leech]

The last couple of months have been truly excellent, so far as progress on Old Phuul goes (turns out that writing on a laptop that isn't falling to pieces is a much more pleasurable experience). Manuscript now over 85,000 words... as fully rewritten from the beginning. I think I am on track to have the damned thing finished within the next month or so.

Of course, this also means that Old Phuul will not be a standalone, and that Rhea's story will need to continue into another book. I am also starting to wonder if Rhea Phuul's somewhat unique personality traits - she is much more alien than her brother, in terms of psychology - will disrupt the reading experience:

Spoiler

Is fantasy ready for a necrophiliac protagonist?

 

[The Grey Wolf Strikes Back]

@The Marquis de Leech

I don't see why not. We have that in video games and far more graphic stuff has been published before as well.

[Ser Not Appearing]

It's also not entirely too far removed from stuff in The Locked Tomb...

[One-Winged Balrog]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:22 PM, The Marquis de Leech said:

The last couple of months have been truly excellent, so far as progress on Old Phuul goes (turns out that writing on a laptop that isn't falling to pieces is a much more pleasurable experience). Manuscript now over 85,000 words... as fully rewritten from the beginning. I think I am on track to have the damned thing finished within the next month or so.

Of course, this also means that Old Phuul will not be a standalone, and that Rhea's story will need to continue into another book. I am also starting to wonder if Rhea Phuul's somewhat unique personality traits - she is much more alien than her brother, in terms of psychology - will disrupt the reading experience:

  Hide contents

Is fantasy ready for a necrophiliac protagonist?

 

 

[Ebenstone]

I've put my plans on hold for now. I'm seeing some major flaws in the book that I'm just not sure how to fix, plus I had a thought about another book that I wrote that I really liked but was missing something and I think I figured out what that missing something was. Now it's just a question of deciding if it's worth jumping back into an almost ground up rewrite for something I shopped fruitlessly already. Or find something else to write. These are the waters. 

[The Grey Wolf Strikes Back]

Happy New Year's everyone! May 2023 be our most productive and successful year yet!

Edited January 2, 2023 by The Grey Wolf Strikes Back

[The Marquis de Leech]

Cracked 100,000 words on Old Phuul today. I'll have the manuscript finished by tomorrow, I think - then it's back to editing. I've done an awful lot of that previously, but this would be the first time with the full story laid out, beginning to end.

I've also included a scene lifted from Sumerian mythology, so that's fun. 

[The Marquis de Leech]

Manuscript draft complete at 102,172 words.

Dear god, that feels good.

[Derfel Cadarn]

On 1/7/2023 at 12:18 AM, The Marquis de Leech said:

Manuscript draft complete at 102,172 words.

Dear god, that feels good.

Congrats! Are you sending it to Inspired Quill again? Got Wise Phuuk in paperback.

Checked with my agent as wasnt sure if The Blood Hour had been sent out to publishers, and it had, and should probably start getting replies back in a few months. Diabolic Immunity was submitted to publishers 18 months ago and still waiting for most to respond, but hopefully TBH - epic fantasy rather than urban fantasy - will get a quicker and more favourable response.

[The Marquis de Leech]

On 1/10/2023 at 5:22 AM, Derfel Cadarn said:

Congrats! Are you sending it to Inspired Quill again? Got Wise Phuuk in paperback.

Yep. I'm contractually obliged to give IQ the first dibs.

(I also keep trying to get my local library to order a copy of your Resurrection Men, but thus far to no avail).

Anyway... I've completed a preliminary edit of the Old Phuul manuscript - consisting of (1) editing back through the chapters from last to first, to make sure I focus more on fixing prose and less on reading my own story, and (2) searching out usage of the word "be", to hunt down weaker sentences. "Was" and "is" are legitimate, but the verb in its "be" form is generally tougher to justify. My plan now is to let the manuscript sit for a week, and then resume editing. 

[Ser Not Appearing]

I have never once picked up my (perpetually unfinished) manuscript draft after a break and failed to find at least one painfully worded sentence on the first page I open to.

Granted, I never truly expect to finish anymore but I can't imagine what the true editing feels like after one finishes connecting all the bones of the first skeleton draft.

Hat tip to you all.