Unpublished novel...

[Longgrain]

Wow, I just found this forum and have been peaking around a bit. I was going to post something in the Lounge about my trials and trivializations of being an unpublished novelist, looks like there's a couple here already.

I'm working on a book right now, if finished it will be my third novel (technically my second novel, the other one is actually a novella).
The problem is not so much writers block, I have no problems writing once I force myself to sit down and write, it's mostly lack of input regarding what I've written. I've sent sample chapters of my first book out to various agents and small presses, and a few of my shorter works to small magazines, but I usually end up just getting the standard form letter telling me "You're work can not be used at this time." I haven't given up on trying to get my book published but it's discouraging. What bothers me the most is not knowing whether or not my manuscript was even read, or if it was, what was wrong with it. I know most times it means they're simply overwhelmed with submissions, but I'm beginning to worry that I wasting my time.

The book is sort of hard to classify. It's not really genre fiction, but it does have some elements of fantasy, horror, sci-fi with a liberal sprinkling of romance and crime story thrown in for good measure. It's, for the most part, a satire of sort of a Frankenstein/ Elephant Man type character--you know the classic misunderstood monster formula. The twist is the monster in my story is a sixteen year old high school girl (so it's also a satire of a teen drama).

The other problem is that I don't have a literary background. I studied art in college and tried to become a painter--writing stories, keeping a journal, and reading books in my spare time. I never intended to make a career out of it, so I could care less about making money, but after my art career went nowhere, and I had to take a normal menial job to pay the bills,I had just turned thirty and was feeling pretty depressed. I started writing again (this was about two years ago) mostly as a way to console myself and to feel like I wasn't wasting my life.

It's about the only thing in my life that truly makes me happy anymore. I know violin music. :nopity:

Oh well, I just thought I'd introduce my self.

And I'll shamelessly sneak this in as well. I've also dabbled into photography...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x2062143

[gmoney]

1. Find a writer's group on your area

Check with your local community college or continuing education program, or maybe even MeetUp.com

Probably writers groups on the web, too.

[Technowitch]

2. I'd recommend much the same thing

Find other writers to work with. Go to conventions and meet people. Ask around.

[Longgrain]

3. Thank for the replies guys...

Do you know of anything specific on the web were I can look, or should I just Goggle something like "writers groups"...

I've had a couple readers for my first novel so far, so I'm not totally isolated, it's just they're not literary people.

[kcr]

4. Well

There area few places I can mention.

I am a genre writer, though, so this may not be your cup of tea:

Workshop for SF
Wprkshop for non-genre fiction

Those are both very good, but they cost money 6 dollars a month or 49 dollars a year. I am a meber of the SF one -- its very good.

Critique circle

This one works much like OWW, but is free.

[wryter2000]

8. For online groups

Try www.yahoogroups.com. You can find all kinds of online groups there.

[bain_sidhe]

5. call it PRE-published! It sounds better...

and more hopeful!

A few sites for you to look at:

http://www.sff.net newsgroups - check particularly in the "people" newsgroups - you can access them via the web or with a newsreader. Julie Czerneda's group is one of the most active and they're especially helpful to new writers there.

Holly Lisle’s Forward Motion http://hollylisle.com/

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America http://www.sfwa.org/

And for a "mega site" of links, try Writers’ Resources on The Web http://www.internet-resources.com/writers/

Good luck!

[Longgrain]

6. Hey...

thanks for the replies so far.

Pre-published! Thanks bain_sidhe, I like that. I'll have to check out some of those sites next chance I get.

[wryter2000]

7. Agents and editors can't critique your work

They mostly either buy things or reject them. If they see promise in a ms, they may ask you to write revisions.

A word to the wise...if an agent or editor ever tells you they can refer you to an editorial service that will charge you a fee to make your book publishable, RUN LIKE HELL THE OTHER WAY. That's an old con. Either the "editor" is a colleague of theirs, or they get a kickback. That person will charge you a lot of $$$ to do what a critique group would do for free. And way better.

GENERAL RULE OF THUMB. Never, ever, ever pay an publisher or an agent money. The publisher pays you, never the other way around. An agent takes his/her money out of your earnings (10 - 15% is standard). They don't get a dime until they've made money for you.

If you're not a snob about romance, you can find a welcome at your local Romance Writers of America chapter. www.rwanational.com Find a link to a nearby chapter and go to a meeting. You can hook up with other writers there, or they can point you to another local group. It's an incredibly supportive and professional organization. Of course, you'd better be comfortable in large groups of women, because that's what it'll be.

I'm published in romance. I just finished a fantasy. Writing books is the most incredible journey you can take except, maybe, parenthood. You have more control over books, though. :evilgrin:

[wryter2000]

9. Oh, and PS

If you go to www.rwanational.com the guy in the middle picture is my editor at Leisure Books. :evilgrin:

[Longgrain]

10. Thanks.

I've aways been wary of print-on-demand or anything that I'd have to pay for. I've always been told, you should never have to pay anything to get your work published.

I'm into romance, in a weird way, in that my stories aren't always romances, but have heavy romantic overtones.

The one I'm working on now is sort of a coming of age sex comedy, but deep in it's heart, it's a love story between two people who we're always meant to be, but for some reason or another, just don't get along.

Unrequited love tends to be a reoccurring theme in my stories.

[wryter2000]

11. Chick lit

You might be working on something that would fall under the rubric of "chick lit." More like Sex in the City or Briget Jones than traditional romance. That's very popular right now.

[Longgrain]

12. Don't know if it would count as "chick lit"

What ever the male equivalent is, if there is even a male equivalent. The main character is a man named Harry who goes by the nick name Long Grain (hence my scene name--a little shameless self promotion;) ). His problem is that he can't seem to attract the girl of his dreams, a buxom and stunningly beautiful young woman named Charity (I'll leave out the last names just to protect my ideas a bit), a country singer who preforms at a rural honky-tonk/ biker bar that Long Grain and his best friend Augie hang out at.

Complicating matters is Augie's twin sister Audrie (yes, that's the way her name is spelled) She's aggressive and not very attractive, and mixed up with a brute named Freddie, the head of a ruthless motorcycle gang. Her problem is that she has been hopelessly and not so secretly in love with Harry (Long Grain) since she was a girl.

Here's a little excerpt for your consideration. It's a little rough around the edges and more light hearted...sort of a moment of awakening for the hero...

And if you're really interested, I posted another little exerpt from my first book here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2093317
This should tell you a little more about myself...

Anyways here's the execrpt...




“It was Charity who called the cops on you Long Grain.”
Long Grain looked down and sighed.
“I over heard her in the parking lot of the Crocker Den. It was Charity who called the cops, and it was Charity who told Freddie where you and Audrie were.”
“If you don’t believe me...” Augie started.
“I believe you,” he said, “I just don’t want to.”
“Audrie loves you Long Grain,” Augie continued. “She has always loved you.
“She talks in her sleep; did you know that,” he continued as the autumn wind grew louder tossing and rattling the tree branches around them. “I should know; I used to sleep in the same room with her, and you know what, in all my years, I’ve only heard her mention one name, and one name only.”
Long Grain continued to look around at the leaves floating through the darkness. His body shook with a sudden chill, a chill of winter on an otherwise lukewarm evening.
“Do you know what that name is? You’d be lying to yourself if you didn’t already know it was Harry.” Augie continued to stare at his friend.
“My family may be lifelong Democrats, but I’m fairly certain she wasn’t dreaming of Truman.”

I hope you like it.

[wryter2000]

13. That's really good

Very well done. Nice balance of dialogue and introspection. All showing and no telling. I guess it isn't chick lit if the protagonist is a man, though. Good luck with it!

[Killarney]

14. Start going to conventions.

Sometimes it really matters who you know. Many people get an agent from a friend's recommendation or maybe they met the agent, editor at a convention.

They are conventions for most genres. I've been to a horror one.

It's good time, you meet fellow writers, network, etc.